Following up with our Lindsay Lohan coverage, she has posted the $100,000 bail and is not going to be going to prison, but she will be having to wear a SCRAM bracelet and will be undergoing random drug tests and intervals of no more than one week. She is also due in court Monday. This is not a court visit she should be looking forward to though because the judge is not happy at all with her behavior, and because the judge is having to put off her vacation to oversee this case. She was going to allow another judge to do it until the other judge states that they wouldn’t adhere to the rules about the bracelet or the drug testing. Come Monday, no one is going to be happy.

Experimenting with alcohol has long been considered a normal part of becoming an adult. Binge drinking, by association, is also considered to be a part of the late high school and early college experience. There have been a number of recent studies that seem to suggest, however, that this is the worst possible time to experiment, because of the effects it has on a brain that is still developing. There are consequences to binge drinking for anyone, some are physical and some are more behavioral. In late adolescence and early adulthood, they can be more severe in scope than at other ages.

Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks for a woman, or five or more for a man, at one sitting. The numbers can be significantly higher, however, increasing the risks of negative consequences. Its affects on the brain have been studied extensively, and it can cause severe strain on the cognitive functions, as well as memory. It also affects judgment, but that will be discussed below. There are also very harmful effects on all the body’s systems, and alcohol can significantly impair the liver, the kidneys, and the pancreas. A hangover itself can be only a temporary annoyance, but when they become severe, the body is starting to become accustomed to alcohol, and the physical signs of alcoholism start to come into play.

In terms of behavior, it’s been discussed widely how alcohol consumption can impair judement. This can lead to promiscuous behavior, unprotected sex, and even date rape. An embarrassing moment when drinking can be common, and often even amusing, but when the binge drinker is in a blackout, there can be hours of bad behavior, where the others won’t even realize that the drinker is in a state of blackout. Aggressive behavior is quite common, and this can lead to accidents and acts of violence. When youthful energy is also in the picture, this can be compounded, and it may explain some of the more horrific stories of college drinking.

The consequences are there at any age, but they do seem much more severe in younger drinkers. The risks are still very high, and it’s important to remember that both health and personal relationships really are at stake.

There is some debate as to whether prescription drug abuse is on the rise now, or that it’s always been a problem, but one rarely discussed. At the turn of the 20th century, there was certainly a high amount of what we now call opioids used and abused for the same reasons they are today. At the same time, it seems as though education about drug abuse and chemical awareness has made the level of addiction much more visible. Whatever the reasons, and whether or not it’s a trend or a problem that’s always been around, prescription drugs are a source for drug abusers. They might be addicts or they might be experimenting for the first time, but it’s important to know which ones are the most likely candidates for abuse.

Stimulants, such as ritalin and adderall, have the indication for helping those with ADHD or other issues with concentration, or lethargy. They can give energy and help people with conditions to function normally, but normal individuals using these will experience an effect no different than that caused by taking speed. Depressants, such as xanax or valium, can be very useful for treating anxiety, because they have a calming effect. On a normal person, the calming effect is much more pronounced, and also carries an almost-euphoric sensation.

Opioids, by far, are the most abused of all prescription drugs. From the level of intensity, from lesser to greater, they are darvocet, vicodin, percocet, and oxycontin. There are many different variations of these, with different names, and different strengths available. These are the most addictive, because of the way they work with the pleasure centers in the brain. For someone who is in pain, taking these will have the effect of blocking the pain sensations, sometimes with a mild euphoria as a side effect. If the abuser is taking these without any physical pain, they short circuit the pain centers and work on the pleasure centers.

There are also many kinds of over-the-counter drugs that are candidates for abuse, and many prescription drugs that seem innocuous can have very pronounced side effects if taken in large doses, or combinations. Because there is no moderator when abuse is involved, this makes them extremely dangerous. Taking more to get the same high can obviously lead to overdose, but taking a combination as an experiment can have the same consequence, and poison control should be called immediately if this is suspected.

After losing her passport while in Cannes for a Film Festival Lohan was not able to show up to her court hearing. After weeks of knowing that it was coming up and that she had to be there and most people being sure that even if she did show up there would be jail time for failing to attend all of her alcohol classes, the climax of this story just seems to keep building.

There is now a warrant out for her arrest when she touches down in the USA, but they are not planning on having police there at the ready, instead the judge said they would wait to see if Lohan will turn herself in. At this point one just hopes that she really is trying to turn her life around like she claims to and can see that these are just the fruits of her drinking and drug addiction.

Recovering from alcoholism is a very difficult process, but it’s also extremely simple. Even the longest ex-drinkers claim they can only do it one day at a time, and if today is one of those days, it’s a good day. It doesn’t really matter the reasons why someone decides they need to stop, whether it’s a brush with death, a series of health problems, trouble with the law, or advice from family members and friends. Everyone who goes through it wonders if it can be done without support groups.

There are many ways to maintain a recovery, and since it is a disease that has no cure, daily maintenance is the key to success. It does begin with a decision on waking up, every day, and deciding not to drink that day. Beyond that, it can be something rather mysterious, and the mystery is where the adventure really lies. Although there are few who recommend going it alone, there does seem to be a connection between those who attend meetings regularly, and those who maintain a solid recovery without becoming a member of a support group.

The key seems to be based in enthusiasm, an enthusiasm for something that can keep the alcoholic focused, so that the obsession for drinking will stay away. These sources of inspiration are numerous, it could be an enthusiasm for a spiritual path, for fulfilling a particular life dream, or based in an enthusiasm for breathing. Again, like the reasons for quitting, the reasons for keeping sober don’t matter all that much. The daily practice is the only thing that does matter, and the daily attitude includes an attitude of enthusiasm.

In the support groups based on the 12 steps, the enthusiasm is embedded in the 12th step, carrying the message to the drinker who still suffers. It’s a part of the program that carries people through whenever things get rough, because helping someone else always takes the focus away from one’s own problems. It’s a question, then, why anyone would want to recover without the fellowship and deep friendships support groups can offer, but if the recovery is working, a day at a time, then there’s every reason to continue, but a group can provide all the support in the world when the days seem a little grey again.

It’s being reported by People.com that Jonathan Rhys Meyers is returning to rehab in London.  The star of Showtime’s “The Tudors” originally underwent rehab in 2007. He is seeking help for his ongoing battle with alcohol.

Rhys Meyers is an Irish-born actor who has appeared in films such as “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Velvet Goldmine.” The 33yo plays King Henry VIII in the popular cable series.

The first and foremost reason is that many of the stars that he is targeting have been to some kind of rehab before and they know what it is like. The next reason is really easy though, their hired PR specialists are telling them not to go on. The simple fact of the matter is that just because they will get a nice one time payment doesn’t make this a good idea.

For a star to go on celebrity rehab their character takes a beating and it can be worse on their future occupation than spending the money to take care of it in private. If you want to know more, check out what some of them had to say to the Chicago Sun Times.

Looking for signs of drug abuse can be very difficult, because chances are, you’re looking for signs in a loved one. This certainly makes it more complex, and it’s nearly impossible to be objective, but there are some important things to watch out for, and if there is suspicion, ways of narrowing down the root causes.

Looking at young people in particular can be more difficult than anyone else, because there are many things that go on during the pre-teen and teenage years. For drug use, the most important thing to watch for is a change. This can be a change in attitude, a change in eating and sleeping habits, and a change in the level of participation in life. But these behaviors shouldn’t necessarily be associated with drugs immediately, because they can also point to other causes. It could be depression, or some other kind of life trauma, or they may even be simply one of the phases that all kids go through. However, once the change is noted, and drugs are suspected, there are other things to watch for.

Most of the signs do seem obvious in retrospect, but there’s no way anyone can anticipate everything that might happen to a loved one. However, every drug has its own particular signs and symptoms. Dilated pupils and contracted pupils can be signs of different chemicals in the body, so the eyes really are the mirror to the soul. Red eyes are very common for marijuana and alcohol abuse. Extreme moodiness, restlessness, and an increase in aggressive words and actions can be caused by any kind of drug, although these may have other root causes. Isolation is common for teens, but when it becomes excessive, and they are taking great pains to avoid eye contact, and avoiding participation in family activities, then drugs could be involved.

If any of these are noted, it’s necessary to start paying attention to details. Watch the trash for any of the obvious objects, like bottles, lighters, broken light bulbs, prescription bottles, and the like. Aside from alcohol and marijuana, most drugs are very difficult to smell, although there is sometimes an alcohol-like odor coming from a prescription addict. It’s important to be firm and understanding at the same time, and to be ready to ask for more help if the situation becomes too much to handle. There are many local resources for drug and alcohol counseling, and this might be a necessary next step. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to let them know that they are loved.

Over the weekend, Robert Munsch admitted to having a cocaine problem. Expecting the world to come out sideways and dislike him for what he’s done and his honesty in admitting it to the world, him and his publishers were prepared for the worst letters. Most of what they got however where people wishing him well on getting better and staying off cocaine. That isn’t to say that there wasn’t the occasional parent who wrote in to say that they would no longer be reading his books to their kids, but rather that the majority of them understand that he is a person like any other with just as many flaws and issues as every other celebrity, themselves and their neighbors, but they still want him to get treated and get help.

Tara Conner was addicted to drugs since she was about 14 and went on through her Miss USA contest. Below is a video of her talking about how bad the addiction was and how it robbed her of every good thing that she had while she was addicted. She also talks about her views on Lindsey Lohan and how she has stayed sober since she managed to get clean.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is a main social staple in most societies. Most people don’t think much about getting off work and heading to a bar for a few drinks with clients or friends to relax from the day. Most of the time it is rather harmless and fun. Sometimes, however, it becomes more than just a drink or two. Sometimes it is not just one day a week after a very hard day. Yes, because some times, it becomes the only way that one can relax so it happens everyday. This can lead to it happening all the time. Suddenly, one is drinking throughout the day by themselves on a Sunday. When a person can’t seem to be happy or calm without a drink, then maybe it is more than just a social activity. Maybe there is a dependence on alcohol to maintain life.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t usually stay maintained when drinking too much alcohol on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Peoples lives and bodies can actually fall apart over time. When someone is drinking alcohol too much they can have some real noticeable physical problems like confusion, violence, nausea, vomiting and morning shakes. If the behavior continues they can develop some not so noticeable body issues like liver failure and other serious diseases like cancers, heart damage, nerve damage and depression that can lead to suicide.

There are a couple of reasons that one may become addicted to alcohol. It is a type of drug that can create a mental and physical addition. There are a couple of stages to alcoholism. There is the dependence on it and then the abuse of it. The physical dependence has the drinker gaining more tolerance to alcohol so they have to drink more to get the desired effect. This rolls into alcohol related illnesses, memory lapses and withdrawals when someone is trying to stop. This physical dependence makes it very hard to stop because it is an unpleasant process.

There are many theories as to why some people become addicted. It could be in the family genes. It could also just become part of their identity over years of peer pressure to drink. Discovering that alcohol helps one to relax and check out from a stressful life can also be to good a thing to let go of. Ultimately, it may be better to find other ways to deal with the stress of life.

There are a lot of celebrities today who suffer from drug addiction among other types of addictions. It is easy to see them going in and out of rehab as a bad thing, but when it isn’t ordered by someone else, rehab can be a good thing for any person, not just a celebrity. Here is a quick list of six celebrities who have not gone back to their addictions. An addiction is not something that ever goes away fully, just something you can try to stay away from.

Robert Downey Jr.

He has been clean since around 2001.

Drew Barrymore

She had some trouble as a child, and has since kicked it.

Angelina Jolie

In 1998 she admitted to the world that she had done almost every drug out there.

Robin Williams

It took the death of a close friend of his to get him to work on quitting his drug addiction.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins has been sober for more than 30 years now.

With all of the problems that young actors are having these days it seems appropriate that the initial child actors who have were busted for their drug abuse and continued to do drugs until they could no longer work in Hollywood would have something to say about child actors . In and out of drug rehabs for years, eventually they had to get out of the public eye to get better. They also give advise to the young stars of today. It is good to see that Corey Haim had a chance to talk about this before he died.

Ryan Leaf has put himself through a very hard time, and it is only now that he has grown and learned that he has come to realize that it was his immaturity that lead him to not be able to play football professionally anymore, and nothing else. A lot of this he learned after hitting rock bottom on pain killer addiction and finally checked himself into rehab. The rehab did a lot of good for him, and he came to understand why he felt that he needed the drugs as well as why he had behaved the way he used to. There is a lot more to this story though, so check out the article in the SeattleTimes.

Redmond O’Neil, son of Farrah Fawcett graduated from drug rehab, and has started living in a Sober Living Environment. Having been in jail on drug charges when his mother died June of last year.

He then entered rehab in January after violating his probation. The hope was that he could clear himself up and get his life better in order. The judge was happy to see Ryan’s progress and felt that it was a step in the right direction for him. When he gets better he has the majority of his mother’s estate to look forward to, as she left him a large chunk while giving nothing to her long time lover and his father.

Buffy star Nicholas Brendon (Xander) checked himself into rehab after coming to the conclusion that the reason he behaved the way he did, like fighting with the police, was because of alcohol and prescription drugs. He had a problem before, and was treated for it. He has known that he still had a problem but was fooling himself into thinking that he was fine. He now knows that he can’t do that anymore and wishes to get himself some help. He has checked himself into rehab for both the alcohol and the drugs.

Dr. Nathan Kuemmerle was arrested for selling illegally prescriptions of drugs to people who do not need the drugs. He actually only got caught because he decided that he needed to run his mouth off about how many celebrity clients he had, and how he was the doctor to many A-List celebrities. If this is how they caught him, they should probably look into the things other celebrity doctors are doing. Often times when he prescribed the drugs for these stars he didn’t even give them an examination first, but would just write up the prescriptions, showing it wasn’t that he was even interested in their health, just their fame and money. Which celebrities they were is unknown, but the names may be released in further court hearings.

Prescription drugs are a growing problem not just with celebrities, but also with common people. While this video is a little older it has some good information on what prescription drug abuse looks like and what you will need to do if you want to break it.

Celebrity rap star DMX has asked Arizona state to let him leave the state in order to get help for his drug addiction in California on ‘Celebrity Rehab‘. The judge who tried his case said no way. He is supposedly doing well in the program he is currently in.

Of course, addiction to drugs isn’t the only thing that most celebrities are addicted to, it is also the attention. It looks like this time he will get his fix (although it may only be a small one for now) for the attention he has probably been craving, but he won’t be able to get a longer lasting fix on it. DMX is in rehab for cocaine, which is one of the hardest drugs to come off of.

Celebrities get the best of the best treatment, and usually at top dollar. However, other people can get the top treatment as well if they have a drug addiction and want to feel like a star, you just have the have the money to afford it and as long as you know where to go.  This will be  just a brief bit about the top five rehab centers for celebrities. The most popular is of course the The Betty Ford Clinic, which is named after the first lady. Then there is Promises, which will quickly eat up your money at $9,000 a week. That isn’t as expensive as the third choice, Passages, but they do have the same ideas for how to get better, including sunsets on the beach. The last two are a little less fancy, but still good enough for the stars, usually with extra activities to help addicts take their mind off their addiction.

There has been a lot of controversy with the Lindsey Lohan cases that have been in trial this week. It is thought that in addition to her having been drunk the night she stole the car in 2006 she was also on drugs. Since then, her father has been trying to take control of her money and stick her in rehab, something that has made her mother very angry because neither of them want him in their lives. In order to help clear up some of the confusion about what is going on, she went on the Early Show and talked with Samantha Harris about the fact that she is clean now and she has been going to alcohol education classes. She did not say that it had been an easy journey, but she did want to emphasize the fact that what happened then is in the past now, and she is trying to move on with her life. Below is a video from Showbiz Tonight talking about what it might take to save her career.

Charlie Sheen has had a number of drug problems, that has been no secret. However with the exception of his going in and out of rehab, the repercussions have been a little harder to see. He has lost his wife, and now he has legally lost his kids as well. His ex-wife cited his drug and alcohol problems as a large part of why she was seeking full custody of the kids. Although he is sad, he understands why he shouldn’t get to keep joint custody of them. Most of what this will mean for him is that he is no longer guaranteed visiting rights, while allowing her to take the kids anywhere she wants without his permission, even out of the country. This preceding has been in the works for a while, now that he has gotten out of rehab again.

Bill Wilson is known worldwide as the founder of AA (Alcoholics anonymous).  AA has saved countless millions of lives with it spiritual program of recovery open to all with a only a desire to stay sober but little else when they come to AA on their knees.  Less is know about his wife Lois Wilson the founder of Al-Anon the support group for families of alcoholics.  The devastation caused by the alcoholic touches many many lives and leaves family members broken and wounded.  Al-Anon  offers strength and hope to these helpless victims of this brutal disease.

The Story of Lois Wilson is told in this made for TV movie with Wynona Ryder.  This remarkable woman stood by Bill throughout his alcoholism and then created Al-Anon for the families like her.  Excellent movie.  You can see a trailer here.

Danny Bonaduce suggests that Lindsey Lohan would do better with jail rather than another stint in rehab.  He made this statement during an interview with The Early Show.  She is currently stated to be # 1 on The Dead Pool – a list of celebrities expected to be first to die.  Bonaduce stated that rehab has a 96 percent failure rate.  Read more…

Addiction is not only a devastating problem for the individual, but also for the children of addicts. Those children who live under the same roof as an parent with a substance abuse problem are in danger of developing any number of emotional problems. If a family breaks up over the issue of substance abuse, or if the children are removed from the destructive environment, these problems can follow them. A child’s reaction may be to withdraw or to behave violently; shame and guilt can color their behavior, too, as they attempt to keep the secrets of the family. Issues of self-esteem, attachment and trust become a part of their life when forced to cope with this situation. How do you talk to children about the chaos they’re experiencing? How do you explain to children about addiction?

There are key messages such children should hear, recommended by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. First, children need to know that addiction is a disease, that their parents aren’t “bad,” but have a sickness, and that when they’re high or drunk, their behavior may be mean or won’t make sense. Second, it’s not the fault of the children; they’re not responsible for it; just as they didn’t cause it, they are not the ones who can stop it. Also, the children should know that they aren’t alone in this situation. Sadly, there are millions of children who have alcoholic or addicted parents; it’s likely that there are other children in their own school that may be experiencing something similar.

They should know too that it’s acceptable to discuss the problem; they don’t have to feel embarrassed or ashamed or scared about it. They don’t have to, nor should they, keep this particular family secret. They need to go to talk with someone they trust, whether that be a counselor or teacher, or a peer who has training from support groups like Alateen.

These basic ideas need to be driven home. The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, for instance, recommends that children should learn and follow what they refer to as the 7 C’s of Addiction. In essence, these seven C’s reiterate the idea that the child didn’t cause it, cure it, or control it. Further the seven C’s tell children that they can cope with their situation by caring for themselves through communicating feelings, making choices that are healthy, and by celebrating themselves.

All of this is focused on getting across the message that children aren’t responsible for the addictions of their parents, and that in order to survive this bad situation, children should strive to remember that they have self-worth independent of the family unit.

Even with federal standards in place to make it difficult to attain narcotics, even in prescription form, there is a very high rate of patients becoming addicted. This suggests a number of scenarios. Either doctors are being careless about prescribing to patients with high potential for addiction, or patients are not being honest with their doctors about their own histories and present drug use. It could also be part of an ongoing crisis in health care, where fear of lawsuits leads to overprescribing, or that patients are sharing drugs in ways that are not prescribed, or that people are getting them via illegal methods. It could also be the case that the drugs are simply more addictive than anyone suspected in the first place, and the odds are good that these scenarios are all true. Whatever the reason for the addiction, it’s a very difficult position to be in, but it is certainly possible to quit.

Admitting that there is a problem, and being willing to ask for help, are two major steps in the right direction. For most addicts, this is the hardest part, because it means admitting that life has become impossible. But this can be the beginning of a new life, and if this is truly hitting rock bottom, then there is only up. One of the best things someone can do for a narcotic addiction is to begin by taking medicine prescribed by only one doctor. Some of the most obvious problems come when the pain is so great that it seems necessary to start to horde drugs, and this behavior is very typical of an addict. Trusting one doctor to manage pain is extremely important toward getting on the road to recovery.

If the pain, or the condition which warranted the prescription, is no longer persistent, then it’s time to ask some difficult questions. If the level of narcotic intake is severe enough, it may be necessary to check in to detox. Getting off of a severe addiction, especially to these substances which are more addictive than most anything available in the chemical world, can be impossible, and even dangerous, to do on your own. It’s something that does happen every day, in large numbers, so you’re not alone, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It is something that could happen to anyone, and there are many trained professionals who know exactly how to manage someone who is coming back to their senses. Treatment centers are also excellent options for getting away from the drugs for a few weeks, and learning some essential skills for staying drug free. There are also other support groups, and twelve-step programs can be enormously successful. Giving in and giving up, in order to ask for help, to any of these options, is ironically the very thing that can lead to successful and effective living. It’s a new life, just around the corner.

While the tabloids and celebrity media continues to buzz about the  sex scandal involving America’s sweetheart Sandra Bullock, and her  cheating husband Jesse James, new stories emerge that James is seeking  now seeking treatment.

Only two weeks after the story broke that James had been cheating on  his wife of five years, sources are now saying that the West Coast  Choppers owner has checked into a rehab facility in Tucson, Arizona.

Although there has been no official word on the kind of rehab James  has entered, sources are saying James, 40, is currently being treated at  a facility, which specializes in alcohol, drug and sex addiction, as  well as other disorders.

As the days pass, it has come to light that at least five women have  come forward, claiming to have had an affair with James.

“Jesse checked himself into a treatment facility to deal with  personal issues,” his rep said in a statement. “He realized that this  time was crucial to help himself, help his family and help save his  marriage.”

Bullock, 45, has been completely out of the public eye since the  story broke on march 15, but a source close to the actress said her  husband’s alleged infidelity “is probably one of the most devastating  pieces of information she’s ever gotten.”

The Oscar winning actress barely had time to bask in the glow of her  recent Academy Award for her role in ‘The Blind Side’ before she moved  out of the family home and began her hunt for a divorce attorney.

Addiction is unquestionably a debilitating force. No matter whether the addiction is to alcohol, narcotics, or sex, it can break down an individual’s sense of self worth and may break apart the families of those caught in its grip. This can be true of private addictions that don’t necessarily afflict the body (in the way that drugs and alcohol do), but that do afflict the mind (in the way that gambling and pornography do). What harm is the addict doing to his family, especially considering that the addiction is generally carried out in private? The truth is that any addiction may affect or damage the family, despite its origins or how well hidden.

While some people argue that pornography in moderation is acceptable, it depends on whether or not the images are deemed acceptable by the significant other in the relationship. Repeated exposure to pornography may cause the viewer to objectify the people in it, to view people as merely sex objects, and to bring that point of view into the relationship itself. If the partner in the relationship disapproves of pornography, then this causes the addict to become secretive about it, leading to shame and that partner’s loss of trust when the deception is uncovered.

Even without knowing the nature of the addiction, children will respond to the changed atmosphere within the household — to the deception, to the shame, to anger caused by the trust issues. Any addiction, including pornography, also takes time away from the family, making the addict either unavailable or preoccupied and/or too tired to really engage with the spouse or kids.

While pornography addiction may bring it’s own problems to the table, the truth is that all addictions can be harmful to family life, simply because it places obsession and compulsion at the center of the family, as opposed to the emotional support and love that a spouse and children need.

The chances of the family unit breaking apart arises, as well as the chance of the children developing their own addictions, creating a vicious cycle. In order to determine whether or not you’re addicted and may need help, track how much time is spent seeking out and viewing pornography (ranging from none to every possible moment), whether or not this habit interferes with your relationships (is it the source of frequent arguments; is it causing a lack of trust?), and whether or not the type of pornography you’re seeking is becoming increasingly fetishistic (indicating that a new type of stimulus is needed in order to feed the addiction).

Addiction is one of the most difficult things to live through, but the good news is that taking the time to look at ways of changing behavioral patterns is a sign that things could be taking a turn for the better, and the worst is in the past. There are many different ways of dealing with an addiction, ways of coping and ways of living with it, but in the first days, most addicts are simply looking for help in getting it to stop.

In a true addiction, there’s no real way to make it stop with absolute certainty that it will never return. It’s one of the things about addiction: it’s not a phase or a momentary difficult time, but a chronic illness. Things go much more easily when it’s seen as such, because then there are ways of realistically responding to the situation.

There are many different views on what constitutes an addiction, and arguments for its cause. There are those who say it develops over time, with constant, frequent use of a chemical that alters the body in some significant way. There are plenty of substances, like coffee, or even sugar, that absolutely affect the chemistry, but they’re not treated as an addiction, or at least not as severe as cocaine, for example, because the sugar addict is usually not a threat to themselves or others, and cocaine addicts are. There are others who will argue that its genetic, that there are simply those who are born constitutionally wired for addiction.

Whatever the origin, in dealing with it, there are options. If it’s severe enough, and the addict is in danger of serious health problems that might come from withdrawal, or if there is an accidental overdose, or any other urgent situation, then the first and best option is detox, where the withdrawal will happen in a safe environment with trained professions. The next step here would be treatment, and this is also a very good option for an addict who is wanting to quit but finding that they cannot.

In either event, getting for help is the first step toward stopping, and the way to get help is to ask for it. Contacting the local substance abuse offices in the area, C.A., N.A., or A.A. hotlines, are all fine places to begin. There are some who do manage to detox and quit all on their own, but there are so few advantages to this, and a very unstable success that follows, that working with others is the way to get through the door.

There are various approaches to treating chemical addictions and depending on the circumstances and degree of abuse or addiction problem different programs can be recommended. One of the standard beliefs regarding decisions that need to be made when seeking treatment options is choosing between a group or an individually based program. Actually, a combination of the two treatment structures is typical to many residential programs and while there is a standard association to group counseling, individual chemical addiction therapy is also extremely important and beneficial. And in situations where the individual may be seeking out patient treatment options, individual therapy can give a much more focused and comprehensive structure as well as a stronger personal attention perspective to the addict.

It is extremely common for a person who is suffering from a chemical addiction to have co-occurring issues. This means that they likely have another mental health or behaviorally based issue or disorder affecting their quality of life and ability to function. Individually based therapy offers complete attention to the single addict’s issues and any other issue that may be going on. This can be extremely beneficial in detecting other disorders because the entire session is focused on the individual. In addition, the addict has the entire hour to talk and process their feelings and receives the therapist’s complete and undivided attention. There are great benefits that can be gained from group therapy as well, and a combination of the two are generally recommended.

Chemical addictions are an extremely destructive and serious life circumstance that affects not only the individual who is abusing the substance and suffers from the addiction, but also their family and friends and sometimes even co-workers. This is a far-reaching problem that extends much further than the immediate circumstances of the addict. And while there continues to be a standard judgment toward addiction, it is extremely important to remember and or realize that if you don’t directly know a substance abuser and potential addict you certainly know someone who does. Seeking treatment requires courage and should be supported and encouraged rather than have a social taboo attached to it.

Every potentially addictive substance has its own particular stages of addiction that are peculiar to that substance. With alcohol, there are several stages that begin with increased tolerance and increasing capacity for consumption, and end with chronic symptoms, such as the shakes, delirium, suicidal thoughts, and eventually death. Heroin can lead the addict through similar stages, with different physical effects, but the same ending result. The difficulty with marijuana, however, is due to its own particular kind of addictive properties.

There is very little evidence to support an argument for a physical addiction to this drug. That’s not to say it is not addictive at all, because the numbers show that it absolutely is, but in a different way than many other drugs, because of the lack of physically addictive properties. With marijuana, the addiction is more on the lines of a mental and emotional plane than a physical one. This makes it much harder to gauge in terms of stages, because everybody is different, mentally and emotionally, and not everyone responds to its effects in quite the same way.

Generally speaking, it hits the pleasure centers in the brain, so it does alter the physical chemistry in a rather significant way. The response on the part of the user is usually one of euphoria, the high, and this can last for a few hours. Those who have been using the drug for a long period of time do demonstrate an increase in amount and frequency of use, but beyond that, it’s difficult to determine any precise stages where the line is being crossed from casual user to addict.

In this regard, then, the most reasonable way to approach it is to look at it as one would any other addiction. The stages here would be, again, on an emotional and mental plane. The beginning stages would be experimentation, where the user is trying it out to see what the effects are like. This can move into more frequent casual use, where the user begins to think about it obsessively, when they are smoking it or not. That is one of the red flags that indicate an addiction is starting, and it’s hard to measure because those who are addicted will usually deny it, even to themselves. The next phase, then, would be constant, chronic use, at which point a physical dependency, rather than an addiction, begins, and the well-being depends upon use of the drug.

These are, of course, very difficult to measure, and can only be honestly assessed by the smoker on their own. However, if the lives of those around them are being affected, then there is simply an addictive behavior happening, and if it’s putting anyone in danger, it’s certainly time to take action and get help.