Treatment For Drug Abuse

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Drug abuse is rampant, affecting millions of  families, communities, workplaces and individuals throughout the U.S.

It is important to note that drug abuse is not limited to any one age group, gender or socio-economic level. Drug addiction can happen to anyone, to any family. Those seeking help with drug abuse, whether for themselves or a friend, colleague or family member, may be abusing one of these drugs:

• Heroin
• Amphetamines
• Cocaine
• Marijuana (“pot”)
• Prescription drugs, including painkillers
• Alcohol abuse may or may not accompany the drug abuse and addiction

Signs of Drug Abuse. The many signs and symptoms of drug abuse depend on several factors, including type and amount of drug abused, method of delivery (e.g, pills vs intravenously) and length of use/abuse. Some of these signs include:

• Mood swings
• Inattentiveness to personal grooming, such as bathing or brushing hair/teeth
• Withdrawal from friends, family, work life
• Lack or loss of interest in favorite activities
• Disturbed sleep pattern
• Depressed and/or manic
• Significant changes in appetite or weight
• Hallucinations
• Paranoia
• Disorientation
• Slurred speed

Causes of Drug Abuse. Substance abuse may begin in childhood or the teenage years. Often, risk factors including these are present:

• A chaotic home situation
• The absence of a nurturing home environment
• Family history of addiction
• Poor social/coping skills
• Peer pressure

People start using drugs for many different reasons, and not every user becomes an abuser. When it comes to evaluating the signs of drug abuse, no mater what the amount of frequency of use, if drug use is causing problems in the life of the user (emotional, physical and/or mental, for starters), then he or she likely has a drug addiction problem.

Getting Help For Drug Abuse. There is no question about it: It takes strength, commitment and courage to admit a drug abuse problem and then take the action necessary to get appropriate and effective help. Help is available in many forms, from rehab centers to drug abuse clinics and even to online addiction treatment.

Often, when it comes to treatments for drug abuse, the first step – deciding to make the change – is the most difficult one. But no matter how long the road to recovery seems, it is a road that can be traveled by anyone. These stories of those who turned their life around and left a life of drug abuse and addiction behind are inspiring and empowering.

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Relapse Prevention Activities, Techniques That Work

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No matter what the addiction – drugs, alcohol or anything else – relapse is a very real threat and relapse prevention is something that should be planned for and worked toward for all addicts.

Once an initial treatment period has ended, some of the hardest work of the recovery process begins. The changes required to stick to a recovery-centered life will often be based on a relapse prevention plan.

Some of these relapse prevention activities include:

Distraction: Think about something else. Call someone. Go for a walk. Go to a meeting. Acknowledge the urge without giving in to it.

Waiting. Sometimes, waiting 20 or 30 minutes before taking any potentially negative actions can make all of the difference in the world. Stay busy, distract yourself and allow cravings to pass – they will and they do.

Recognizing. Knowing beforehand what the triggers can be will go a long way toward helping the addict prepare beforehand for such urges, cravings and situations.

Network. Having a network or list of trusted friends, loved ones, sponsors and others who will be there to provide support and reason in a moment of potential relapse is one of the strongest ways an addict can arm his or herself against relapse.

Relax. Breathing exercises and other relapse prevention techniques go a long way in strongly fighting the natural urges most addicts experience on the road to recovery.

Being Realistic: Many addicts get overwhelmed when they think about being sober or abstinent forever. Forever is a long time! It is exponentially easier to think about being sober or abstinent for today. And today only. Think in easy-to-manage blocks of time as opposed to black and white “forevers” and “nevers.”

Significant lifestyle changes are usually not easy to maintain. Sticking to a new program with an eye toward relapse prevention requires support, clarity and commitment, among other things. Often, a relapse is more of a process than a single event and the process can, at times, seem stronger than the commitment. It is important to understand and remember that lapses and relapses are part of our natural resistance to change. The bigger the change, the stronger resistance.

Some warning signs of relapse and to keep in mind when putting together a relapse prevention plan include:

• Hanging around with old friends, in old places and old situations that in the past led or contributed to addictive behaviors and activities
• Isolating oneself from the new or positive influences
• Stopping medication without an “OK” from a doctor or medical professional
• Skipping medical appointments, meetings, therapy and other recover-centric activities
• Thinking that support or a plan is no longer needed
• Ignoring these and other signs and triggers

Arming ourselves for relapse and having a good relapse prevention plan in place takes work on the addict’s part. Preventing relapse requires a new approach that does work…especially when the old one of addiction didn’t serve or work well in the first place.

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Methamphetamine and Meth Rehab

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Methamphetamine, or “meth” or “crystal meth,” has been called “The Devil’s Drug” with good reason.

Meth is a powerful and addictive drug. Addiction is almost instant, with many falling prey to promises of more energy, greater alertness, easy weight loss, heightened libido (sex drive) and better concentration. While meth rehab is sought after by some meth addicts, the truth is that meth abuse is widespread in the United States, with people of all ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups in its grip.

Also known by names such as crank, ice, chalk and speed, to name but a few, meth elicits a particular combination of brain chemicals that can lead to up to 16 hours of a high, something that can seem devastatingly attractive to those who believe they need such benefits. The effects of meth use can be immediate, as can be the addiction…once and a user is hooked.

Meth Drug Abuse

Meth is usually made in home-based “labs” found in bathrooms and kitchens. It is created through the break down and then combination of various common household substances and chemicals that are flammable and poisonous. Meth is a dirty and highly dangerous drug and the addiction to it can be nothing short of deadly.

Meth can be ingested in several ways, including by the mouth (via a capsule or dissolved in a liquid, for example), snorted through a straw, smoked or injected directly into the veins. While once thought of as the “poor man’s cocaine,” meth abuse leaves no one immune; from business people to university students to teachers to the couple next door. In addition, the prevalence of “meth labs” poses a very real threat not just to the addicts and other inhabitants of his or her home, but also to nearby neighbors and residents.

Signs of Meth Abuse

Some symptoms of meth abuse include:

• Loose bowels
• Curbed appetite
• Sleep disruption or disorder
• Anxiety attacks
• Excessive sweating
• Upset/sick stomach
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Hallucinations

Ultimately, crystal meth abuse can cause aggressive violence, paranoia, brain damage, increased chance of Parkinson’s disease, stroke, kidney failure and heart inflammation/failure.  Additionally, those who inject meth directly into their veins also have highly increased chances of being exposed to HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Crystal Meth Rehab Centers

Meth addiction is one of the toughest (and most dangerous) addictions to suffer from. The drug can be deposited into a person’s fat cells and remain there, inactive, for years prior to re-release. Crystal meth rehab and meth addiction treatment, however, are available. If you suspect someone you know if a meth addict, their life literally hangs in the balance and help cannot be sought out quickly enough.

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Do You Have A Relapse Prevention Plan In Place?

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The decision to seek treatment for drug or alcohol abuse is not one taken lightly by most people. And the changes required to stay with a life of recovery require, among other things, a relapse prevention plan.

Many addicts and their families want to know: What happens after treatment, once you have committed to making your recovery process work? Significant lifestyle changes are usually not easy to maintain. Sticking to a new program with an eye toward relapse prevention requires support, clarity and commitment, among other things. Change requires commitment, and sometimes, particularly on a hard day or when in a situation in which the addictive behavior might have taken place in the past (e.g., a party with old friends), addicts will question themselves and their motives for recovery. This can lead to all sorts of decisions or actions that are not positive or recovery-friendly.

At these times, sometimes, lapsing or relapsing could very well take place. Both lapses (one-time returns to the addictive behavior) and relapses (a return to the addictive lifestyle) do, unfortunately, occur. Often, a relapse is more of a process than a single event.

The chance of such occurrences requires an understanding of why relapses happen and a “toolbox” of relapse prevention techniques that might include:

• Remembering how destructive the old behavior was and how it made the addict, ultimately, feel worse, not better.
• Finding supportive, positive people who can listen, distract and/or help an addict relax.
• Asking for help when needed, and remembering that no one is alone.
• Recognizing and avoiding triggers that in the past would be accompanied by the addictive behavior (such as that party with old friends).
• Expecting and being prepared for roadblocks, persistent cravings, an inner voice that questions our recovery process and other ways in which others and even our own selves can derail the recovery process.
• Creating new ways to self-reward that are healthy and positive.

It is important to understand and remember that lapses and relapses are part of each and every person’s natural resistance to change. Remember: The bigger the change, the stronger resistance.

Arming oneself prior to any of the triggers or signs of relapse and having a good relapse prevention plan in place take work on the addict’s part. It is also important  to remember that the better an addict reacts to and copes with the cravings, the more likely it is that the cravings will eventually begin to fade and hold less power over the addict.

Preventing relapse requires a new approach that does work…especially when the old one of addiction didn’t serve or work well in the first place.

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What Does Codependency Mean?

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Diseases such as alcoholism or drug abuse often affect more than the one person who is using. They often spread to family, friends and loved ones who take care of the addict in one of many ways.

Codependency (also referred to as: co-dependence, codependence and co-dependency) describes a person or a situation in which one Person A’s care for Person B is too much, unreasonable, inappropriate or as damaging as Person B’s initial behavior or addiction.

Also referred to as enabling behavior or an enabler, codependency usually creates a pattern in which destructive behavior such as alcohol or drug addiction continues in large part due to the enabling environment. If addiction or substance abuse is part of the co-dependency equation, the addict may come to rely on the enabling behavior in order to continue his or her own addictive behavior.

Co-dependency can affect, well, just about anyone. The co-dependent definition also includes adults who grew up in a household in which chronic emotional stress was present. In addition to alcoholism, this could include chemical dependency, mental illness, physical illness, abuse (physical, sexual or emotional) and/or hyper-criticism. From spouses to parents to friends, siblings or co-workers, no one is immune to knowing or being related to someone who is addicted to alcohol or drugs, or who exhibits another chronic issue such as mental illness or abuse.

Living or being in a relationship with someone who is an alcohol or substance abuser is difficult, ongoing and more often than not highly stressful. People who are codependent often are involved in relationships that are destructive and/or abusive, as well as one-sided. The co-dependent person often puts the needs and health of the person who is sick before his or her own individual needs. They also develop an unhealthy and destructive “need to be needed.”

Oftentimes in such dysfunctional situations, whether we are part of them as children or as adults, certain unspoken (or sometimes spoken) rules become laws in our mind. Such unspoken rules often include:

• No discussing my problems
• No expressing my feelings
• I must be perfect, right and strong in order to survive
• There is no time or space for fun or play
• Keep moving forward, don’t rock the boat.

What are some of the symptoms of codependent behavior or a codependent person?

• Controlling behavior
• Anger
• Over-care-taking
• Distrust
• Avoidance of feelings
• Boundary issues
• Perfectionism
• Problems with intimacy

It is important to keep in mind that traits such as compassion or empathy do not, on their own, necessarily create a codependent situation. It is also important to remember that people who are compulsive caretakers and/or exhibit related codependent behavior often have the best of intentions and are, ultimately, trying to help. At the end of the day, though, co-dependents feel as victimized as the abuser or addict and are embroiled in as destructive and dysfunctional a cycle as anyone else involved.

 

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