Archive for the ‘Drugs’ Category

Take Control of Your Health With Drug Rehab

Drugs, Rehab, Treatment | Posted by admin
Aug 25 2010

Having an addiction to any substance is going to affect your health. The more you come to rely on a drug, the more the substance alters your body’s ability to function without it. Depending on the addiction, you may suffer from a variety of health issues. For example, an alcohol addiction can cause liver and brain damage. Continued use of the depressant over time can cause you to develop depressive tendencies, further complicated by bouts of drinking. When an addict isn’t drinking, he may suffer from anxiety.

If you or a loved one are struggling with an addiction, you may not realize how the substance is changing your body. You may not notice the symptoms of cancer or liver disease. In order to restore your health, you may need to get outside help. One area where addicts have success is in drug rehab. A rehabilitation facility will have everything you need to beat the addiction. From professional medical experts, like counselors and nurses, to educational opportunities, like classes and seminars, you can find a place where you can learn to overcome your addiction.

In order to restore your body’s health, you’ll have to get the drug out of your system. This may require detoxing your body, which can be a difficult thing to go through. As the drug starts to leave your body, you may experience withdrawal. Without professional help, you may not make it through the aches, the shakes, or the emotional changes that can occur when you stop using a substance your body craves.

Beating an addiction is not an easy process, but if you want to be healthy and live a full life, you need to make every effort possible to get clean–even if it means checking yourself into a drug rehab clinic until you get the addiction under control.

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What to Expect With AA– Addiction

Addiction, Drugs, Substance Abuse | Posted by admin
Aug 17 2010

Alcohol addiction is a problem affecting millions of people in the United States. Its negative effects on home, work, and personal life cause many people to seek treatment. Treating an addiction is difficult, and many people turn to support groups to help them manage their addictions and rely on the experiences and advice of others who are going through or have already gone through recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is one recovery group that utilizes a Twelve Step program that leads to recovery. It has been successfully helping people with alcohol addictions for over 60 years. If you are considering AA for treatment of alcoholism, there are a number of things you can expect:
• Regular meetings. AA members typically meet on a weekly basis. The type of meeting will vary; some are open groups in which anyone can attend, some are for women or men only, and some are closed, which means only those who need help to stop drinking and invited to attend.
• Meetings are run by other alcoholics. Meetings are typically discussion-led and fairly informal. There are suggested meeting guidelines, but the groups will run their meetings however they want.
• Sponsors. Members of AA who have successfully completed the Twelve-Step program and have remained sober for at least a year sponsor other members. The purpose of a sponsor is to provide assistance and encouragement to new members who are having difficulty. Members are encouraged to call their sponsors when they are tempted to drink.
• Abstinence from alcohol. AA believes that completely abstaining from alcohol is the best way to recover from alcoholism and encourages all its members to avoid any drinking at all.

AA has been a successful program for many people. Through group therapy and individual encouragement, members of AA can successfully overcome their alcohol addictions.

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Methamphetamine Effects and What You Should Know About Them

Drugs, Treatment | Posted by admin
Aug 17 2010

Methamphetamine was once a widely used drug sold under the trade name of Desoxyn and approved by the FDA. It was used to treat ADHD and obesity. It was also used to treat depression and narcolepsy. However, today it is synonymous with illegal drug use. It’s an addictive substance that has largely replaced cocaine and other narcotics on the black market. It’s taken orally, smoked, or taken intravenously. It induces a sensation of euphoria in users as a first effect, and therefore it is very popular.

Despite those initial “happy feelings,” methamphetamine effects are mostly negative. Physical effects include a fast heart beat, strokes, and heart failure. These health problems usually occur with regular use of the drug. Often, the user becomes so physically exhausted by persistent drug use that a mild stroke can become fatal. Difficulties in swallowing and urinating are other milder effects. Users have extreme difficulty swallowing due to the resultant muscle constriction and there is a lot of pain and discomfort. Urination can also be painful, and drug users may find it hard to urinate, thereby damaging their kidneys.

Long term use of meth can result in chronic ulcers, skin diseases, and vascular problems like lung diseases and tuberculosis. These are all very serious, life threatening diseases that could have been easily avoided by abstaining from substance abuse.

There are many psychological effects of using methamphetamine. Mostly, it creates an initial euphoria that subsides into a “down” feeling. This can lead to acute depression and suicidal thoughts. The addictive nature of the drug is enhanced by these side effects, because taking more drug usually causes them to go away. However, the problem is that as the body takes more of the drug, it adapts to having less time between doses. This creates a vicious cycle where larger doses are required to cure the side effects of previous smaller dosages.

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Causes of Addictions — Addiction

Addiction, Drugs, Treatment | Posted by admin
Aug 12 2010

An addiction is a serious problem that has negative consequences in virtually every area of a person’s life. An addiction is characterized by a person’s extreme dependence on anything habit-forming. People frequently think of drugs or cigarettes first when they think of addictions, but addictions can form for virtually anything, from alcohol to gambling to overeating.

The very essence of addiction can be confusing–why would some people become so dependent on something that others have control over or can easily do without? While the exact causes of why some people are more prone to addiction than others are unknown, some theories include:

• Depression. There are high correlations between people who are clinically depressed and addiction. This is often the result of attempting to mask the sadness they feel each day with something else. This is referred to as self-medicating, but in some cases the “medication” turns to an unhealthy addiction; for example, someone who overeats when they feel depressed or takes prescription pills to experience a high.
• Environment. People who are surrounded by certain addictive substances can also be more prone to developing an addiction than if they were not faced with the substance each day; for example, kids may pick up smoking at a young age and become addicted to it if their parents are also.
• Personality. Also referred to as addictive personalities, some personality types seem more prone to drug or alcohol addiction than others. Those who are impulsive or always seem to be seeking excitement are more prone to trying new things, including drugs or alcohol, and then become addicted to them easier than someone who is not constantly seeking a new thrill.

Causes of addiction vary from person to person. They could be mental in nature, or they could be the result of a physical or chemical predisposition.

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What To Expect During Detox — Addiction

Addiction, Drugs, Rehab, Treatment | Posted by admin
Aug 11 2010

When overcoming an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the first step of many addiction treatment programs is the detoxification stage. This crucial step in getting over an addiction involves removing the drug or alcohol completely from your body and is often accompanied by withdrawal symptoms. While the length of the detox varies depending on the program and the drug, it usually lasts about a week.

If you are worried about the detox portion of your treatment or are unsure of what to expect, the following are a few things you can expect during the detox phase:

1) Medical supervision. When drugs are involved, the detox phase is almost always done in an inpatient facility or hospital so you can be closely monitored by doctors. The doctor will monitor your vital signs like breathing and blood pressure, and will also give any medications he or she deems necessary. These can help you with your symptoms as well.
2) Withdrawal symptoms. As the drugs or alcohol are leaving your body, you will experience withdrawal symptoms because your body has come to rely heavily on drugs or alcohol, and responds adversely when they are no longer there. Some of the most common side effects of detox include sweating and/or chills, strong drug cravings, vomiting and nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea, and insomnia.
3) Emotional side effects. The detox period is emotionally draining as well as physically draining. You will most likely experience some emotional side effects, such as depression, irritability, or anxiety. Everyone responds differently to detox, but there will be trained counselors and support staff to help you through the emotional side effects.

Detox may not be a pleasant experience or one anyone looks forward to, the symptoms and side effects are only temporary. It is a vital step in progressing towards the life you want.

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Signs of Teen Drug Abuse

Addiction, Drugs, Substance Abuse | Posted by admin
Aug 05 2010

Drug abuse isn’t just a problem for adults–a growing number of teenagers are using drugs more and more these days. Because many teenagers exhibit drug abuse symptoms that are actually just the result of teens growing up and changing hormones.

If you suspect your teen is using drugs, be alert for these warning signs:

• Sudden decline in school performance. This can include skipping classes, getting calls from teachers or principals, poor grades, tardiness, and so forth.
• New friends. If he or she has suddenly made new friends or is spending less and less time with their friends, it could be an indication something is wrong. This is especially true if the new friends have bad habits and bad reputations.
• Mood swings. If your teen has become increasingly angry or suddenly depressed all the time, it could indicate some sort of substance abuse.
• Acting secretive. Teens who have a problem with substance abuse act increasingly private. For example, this may include leaving without telling you where they are going, stopping talking on the phone if you come in the room, or suddenly no longer confiding in you.
• Change in style. Teens frequently experiment with new styles and clothings, but if they suddenly begin wearing clothing that encourages drug use or reflects styles of other drug users, there might be a substance abuse problem.
• Sudden concern with smells. If you notice your teen has started using incenses or air fresheners, it could be to mask smoke or chemical smells. Same with use of perfumes, colognes, and air fresheners.
• Evidence of drug use. This can include eye drops to hide bloodshot eyes, drug paraphernalia such as inhalant items like aerosol cans, rags, paper for rolling, or pipes.

These are just a few of the things that could indicate drug abuse in teens.

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Prescription Drugs Take Second Place for Addictions

Addiction, Drugs, Healthy Life | Posted by admin
Jul 14 2010

In the U.S., more people suffer from addictions to prescriptions drugs than with addictions to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, Medicine Kitand other drugs, with the exception of marijuana. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 20 percent of people living in the U.S. use prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. The issue is the current focus of the Obama administration, which is planning to roll out a new campaign to help curb the rising trend in the abuse of prescription meds.

There are several contributing factors to the increase in the number of people abusing prescription medications. The first is the easy access some people, including minors, can have in getting prescription medications. For some teenagers, it’s a simple matter of raiding a parent’s medicine cabinet. Others know how to mimic symptoms of diseases, like anxiety or depression, in order to get a doctor to prescribe medication. Online pharmacies may be more susceptible to people using fake, or forged, prescriptions to obtain medication.

Another contributing factor is misperception about the dangers of prescription medication. Many teenagers mistakenly believe that using prescription medication to get high is safer than illicit drug use. Teenage boys are likely to underestimate the danger of abusing steroids as they attempt to build larger muscles.

In addition to these contributing factors, people of all ages may fall prey to the addicting qualities of some prescription medications. Whether a drug has a history of addiction may indicate the likelihood of an individual becoming addicted to it. Individuals can determine whether addiction is a common side effect for a specific medication by consulting a directory of prescription medications, such as List Rx. Through the directory, you can find out that narcotic painkillers, including Vicodin or OxyContin, have an addictive quality. Some sedatives and tranquilizers, including Valium and Xanax, are addictive. You can also learn if a stimulant, such as Aldderall, Ritalin, or Dexedrin, are addicting.

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Do You Have a Substance Abuse Problem? Signs and Symptoms

Addiction, Alcohol, Drugs, Substance Abuse | Posted by admin
Jul 12 2010

sMany people enjoy a few drinks after work on occasion or take prescription drugs to alleviate pain or help them sleep without a problem. Sometimes, however, the use of alcohol or drugs, whether prescription or illicit, can escalate into a serious problem that can interfere not only with school and work, but relationships and family life as well.

Few people want to admit they have a problem. They may be in denial, or they may not think they are addicted. If you are unsure of whether or not you have a substance abuse problem, the following warning signs can help you determine whether or not you should seek help:

• Your drug use or drinking becomes a priority. This can include skipping school or work, procrastinating on projects, or choosing to drink or do drugs over spend time at home or with your family.
• You tell yourself you need to stop. Wanting to stop but feeling unable to do so is an indication of a substance abuse problem.
• You’re getting into legal trouble. DUIs, possession of drugs or paraphernalia, public intoxication, or other problems with the law are an indication of a substance abuse problem.
• You neglect other activities. Things you used to enjoy or make time for may no longer interest you, or you would rather drink or do drugs instead.
• Your relationships are strained. Increasing fights with parents, your spouse, or authority figures like bosses or supervisors could indicate a problem.
• Other people have pointed it out. If your friends or family members have suggested you cut back on the drinking or remark that you seem “different,” you may have a substance abuse problem.

These are just a few of many warning signs you may have a substance abuse problem and need help. Seeking help sooner rather than later can help you overcome your problem sooner and easier.

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Substance Abuse Warning Signs

Addiction, Alcohol, Drugs, Substance Abuse | Posted by admin
Jun 29 2010

Substance abuse is a widespread problem that affects all ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses. It is not limited to illegal drugs; in fact, substance abuse is categorized as using any type of substance—whether it’s a prescription drug, alcohol, or over-the-counter medication—in a way other than it is indicated for. Typically, people use drugs or alcohol to achieve a high, escape problems, or alter their moods in some way.

Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if someone has a problem with drugs or alcohol or is abusing some type of substance. If you think a loved one or friend has a problem, some of the most common warning signs include:

• Sudden decrease in performance in school or work. For example, a straight-A student begins failing classes or an otherwise dependable worker begins missing deadlines
• Sudden unexplained absences. Missing a lot of school or taking much more sick days than normal can indicate a problem.
• Acting secretly or suspiciously. This can include becoming nervous when someone enters their bedroom, excusing themselves to their car or the restroom frequently, or acting nervous for no apparent reason.
• Difference in personality. This can include severe mood swings, sudden outbursts of temper, or extreme emotions.
• Acting jittery, hyper, or overly talkative and jumpy.
• Becoming increasingly withdrawn or depressed. This is a common symptom in teens.
• Sudden need for money. If someone who was previously financially secure is suddenly asking for loans or seems to have money problems, it could indicate funds are being spent on drugs.
• Physical changes such as sudden weight loss or gain, acting impaired, or sudden changes in sleep habits, such as sleeping too much or frequent insomnia.

These are just a few symptoms. If your friend or loved one is experiencing multiple symptoms, it’s a good idea to encourage them to seek help.

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A Healthier Lifestyle with Mens Rehab

Addiction, Drugs, Healthy Life | Posted by admin
Jun 23 2010

Studies have shown that men are much more likely than women to take a drug. Also, they’re more likely to take multiple substances at once. Mixing non-prescribed medications with alcohol is not a healthy way to deal with stress or problems at work or home. You understand that alcohol and drug dependency are real problems that need a real solution. These problems also require the help of professional counselors. You know that you’ll need a support system in an environment that will help you succeed. So, if you are ready to go through detox, addiction recovery, and a learning process to sustain your new commitment to a healthier lifestyle, this is the right time to enter men’s rehab.

You have a right to expect the best treatment. Quality treatment will help you discover new ways to deal with stress and other factors in your life. With rehab, you’ll have your family and friends participate in a personalized treatment plan that supports the positive decision that you’ve made to change your lifestyle. Don’t expect a sterile, clinical environment during your stay in mens rehab. Who wants to stay in a place like that during treatment? Instead, look for basketball courts, comfortable gathering rooms, and a full gourmet kitchen so you can feel right at home. You’ll learn to address your stresses and create workable goals that will allow you to leave your addiction to drugs or alcohol behind you for good.

You’ve already made the smart decision to enter a program. Just make sure that you’re being treated for your mind, body, and spirit. You are a complex individual, and with professional personalized care, you will cultivate the confidence to overcome your addiction. With a friendly, warm environment, you’ll discover the strength to move on and away from drugs and alcohol forever.

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