Friday 30 April 2010

Drug Addiction Recovery

Drug Addiction Recovery

Many people struggling with drug addiction think that recovery is nearly impossible for them. They’ve heard the horror stories of painful withdrawal symptoms, they can’t imagine life without drugs, and they can’t fathom actually being able to get through a recovery effort. But people do recover from drug addiction – every day in fact. But they don’t usually do it alone. They have lots of help.

Help with drug addiction recovery can come from many different places in the form of loving family and friends, drug treatment programs, and drug rehab facilities. Recovery is a long process that requires a commitment from a lot of people, but when you get help with your drug addiction, recovery is a very real possibility.

Drug addiction recovery entails more than just getting over the physical withdrawal from drugs, it also involves a healing of the mind and the mindset that started you towards drug addiction in the first place. Recovery is a spiritual process that needs to take place in the mind, heart, and soul.

Recovery comes about after a long period of time. The initial phase is abstinence or not using the drug. Abstinence eventually moves into recovery as the addict begins to change and grow in positive ways. Abstinence requires a decision, recovery requires effort.

Once you have gone through the abstinence phase with withdrawal from the drug, you can then move on to mental recovery. This type of recovery has to do with issues like brain function and brain chemistry. It involves changing your attitudes, belief systems, and rational thoughts so that you don’t start using drugs again.

Emotional recovery from drugs is a very complex part of the healing process as well. This part of recovery has more to do with your feelings than anything else. Emotional recovery involves learning to deal with feelings openly, honestly, and responsibly. It includes learning to express and resolve feelings in appropriate and effective ways. For most people in recovery, emotional recovery can take years.

Finally, you’ll need to recover from drug addiction spiritually. Even if you are not a religious person, spiritual recovery has more to do with your attitude toward life and how you want to live that life. When you begin to recover spiritually, the way you look at the world changes: fear is replaced by faith, self-pity turns to gratitude, resentment becomes acceptance, and dishonesty turns to honesty.

You can choose to undertake your drug addiction recovery at a rehab facility or through a 12-step program, but you truly do need to seek out the help of others if you want to have a full recovery. Very few people are able to recover from drug addiction on their own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because you can have a successful recovery from drug addiction once you do!

Drug Addiction Story

Drug Addiction Story

Elizabeth was just 13 years old when she had her first drink – this is a story of her descent into drug addiction. After that first drink, she found she liked the way it made her feel, so she had a couple of more. Before long, she experienced her first time being drunk, and the door had opened.

This story of drug addiction usually paints a very similar picture from addict to addict. They share many aspects of their stories and they often share tragic endings.

Elizabeth soon progressed to smoking pot after school, and before long she was using it every day often smoking before school as well. She found it difficult to find enough money to buy her marijuana, so she began taking money from her mother’s purse when she wasn’t looking. It made her feel horrible, so she smoked the pot to help her cope with her guilt.

Drug addiction is no laughing matter. This isn’t a comedy; it’s more of a dramatic story about losing control once and not being able to regain it back.

When Elizabeth was 17, a friend offered her some methamphetamine. By this time, she was known as a party girl and wasn’t about to tarnish that image. She snorted the white powder and was transformed. She became more than the life of the party; she became THE party. People wanted to be around her because she was so much fun. She couldn’t believe it took her so long to find this amazing high.

Have you ever had someone tell you a story you just couldn’t believe? Well when you hear a story about drug addiction, it’s all too true and all too believable. It happens every day.

At 19, Elizabeth had a baby. She wasn’t sure who the father was, and the baby was born addicted to crack. The doctors knew this and her son was taken from her before she was even released from the hospital. Despondent over this loss, when she did leave, she immediately sought out her dealer and got high.

The story of drug addiction is painful to read and painful to tell. For those people who are affected by drug addiction, it’s almost excruciating.

Twenty-one year old Elizabeth was arrested for possession of drugs for the third time in one month. She is put in jail to await trial. The judge orders her into a rehabilitation facility. She attends for the required treatment time and, once home, uses drugs after just two days. At 22, her parents are planning her funeral. She was found in her basement dead from a drug overdose.

The story of drug addiction is often bleak and depressing. The tale is told over and over again all over the world. It’s sad because it’s preventable. Don’t let you or a loved one be another tragic story of drug addiction.

Wednesday 28 April 2010

Drug Addiction and Pregnancy

Drug Addiction and Pregnancy

When a woman is struggling with drug addiction during her pregnancy, that drug use affects more than just her – it affects her fetus as well. The drugs can also have devastating effects on the child one he or she is born. Drug addiction and pregnancy should be treated as a very serious issue. A mother taking illegal drugs during pregnancy increases her risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. She also is at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Most drugs cross the placenta – the organ that provides nourishment to the baby. Some can cause direct toxic, or poisonous effets and create a child who is born with a drug addiction. During pregnancy, a woman needs to take active steps to combat her drug addiction, if not for herself, but for the good of her unborn child. While most drugs don’t necessarily cause deformities, what they can do is stunt the growth of the child leading to low birth weight and having a baby born already addicted to drugs. Once that child takes his or her first breath, they begin the painful process of withdrawing from drugs. This puts stress on the baby’s organs and provides for a very unhappy life. As much pain as an adult goes through during withdrawal, the pain is compounded for a helpless child. A urine lab test performed on a woman during her pregnancy called a chromatography can detect the presence of many drugs including marijuana and cocaine. Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to behavioral problems in the child and cocaine can bring on premature delivery and even stillbirth. Drug addiction is a very complex mental condition as well a physical one. During pregnancy, it becomes a serious health risk both for the mother and the baby. After birth, you may find yourself having troubles coping with the stress of a newborn. You may have difficulty dealing with your baby’s needs such as feeding and diapering. So what can you do if you are dealing with drug addiction during pregnancy? This can be problematic, especially if the child is not planned. The best thing you can do is to stop using drugs immediately. Sure, this will cause severe physical symptoms, but those generally subside within a few weeks. Get yourself into some type of treatment program and get counseling. A pregnancy is exciting, but when you are struggling with drug addiction, it can be painful. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your child to beat your drug addiction and have a healthy pregnancy.

Tuesday 27 April 2010

Drug Addiction Help

Drug Addiction Help

When you or a loved one is suffering from a powerful drug addiction, the possibility of getting help and actually being able to stop using drugs might seem out of reach. Many people with drug addictions truly believe that they are stuck in the cycle of use and abuse. They know that help is out there for drug addiction, but feel other people deserve that help, not them.

The truth is there is a reason why there are so many organizations and facilities that help people with drug addiction. That’s because these places truly believe that everyone who has a drug addiction deserves help. Alcoholics Anonymous was started because its founder wanted to help other people become free of the hold alcohol has on their lives. Many rehab facilities were opened for the same reason.

To get help for drug addiction, start with local resources. Talk with your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor, find one. They are going to be your best first contact when it comes to battling and eventually overcoming drug addiction.

In nearly every telephone book in the country, there are drug abuse hotlines that you can call to get help. These are staffed by sympathetic volunteers who can guide you to the help you are looking for. Plus, you’ll stay anonymous and be able to talk freely.

Talk with your family about your drug addiction. They will be your support system as you travel down the road toward sobriety. Having their support will be instrumental in making a full recovery. They can also help you find a facility or program that will fit your specific needs in overcoming drug addiction.

There is a lot of great self-help information on the Internet in the form of articles and books. You can also research rehab facilities online. There is really a lot of difference between treatment centers, so if you are considering this route for your recovery, find one that fits your particular needs.

If you think you have a possible drug addiction, it is so important to seek out help – both for your sake as well as that of your loved ones. Drug addiction doesn’t have to be a way of life. It is possible to stop the cycle of use and abuse and live a full, healthy life. When you seek out help for drug addiction, you are doing a very brave thing, but more importantly, you are taking control of your life instead of letting the drugs take control of you!

Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction

People don’t start using drugs with the intent to become addicted. Drug addiction can be a sneaky foe sneaking up on a user before he or she knows it. Addicts didn’t set out to destroy their lives intentionally. All they wanted to do was have a little fun, escape a little stress, feel a little bit more normal.

But drug addiction is a very real consequence of drug use. For many, drugs seem to be a means of averting emotional and/or physical pain by providing the user with a temporary and illusionary escape from or way to cope with life's realities.

Example, an individual tries drugs or alcohol. The drugs APPEAR to solve his problem. He feels better. Because he now SEEMS better able to deal with life, the drugs become valuable to him. The person looks on drugs or alcohol as a cure for unwanted feelings. The painkilling effects of drugs or alcohol become a solution to their discomfort.

Inadvertently the drug or alcohol now becomes valuable because it helped them feel better. This release is the main reason a person uses drugs or drinks a second or third time. It is just a matter of time before he becomes fully addicted and loses the ability to control his drug use. Drug addiction, then, results from excessive or continued use of physiologically habit-forming drugs in an attempt to resolve the underlying symptoms of discomfort or unhappiness.

When a person is suffering from drug addiction, they are unable to control their urges to use drugs. They consciously KNOW that drugs are bad for them and in their hearts, they want to quit, but by the time addiction has taken control, it’s virtually impossible for them to do so. Their bodies have become used to the drug and going without it is a painful proposition.

Using drugs can turn into a double-edged sword. People start using drugs to escape pressure and guilt from everyday life, but then they are mentally stressed because of their unethical behavior and the only way they know to escape those feelings is to take more drugs. It’s a vicious cycle.

Drug addiction has taken hold of almost 35 percent of the American population, and that number is just growing. With effective treatment, recovery from drug addiction is possible, but it takes commitment and effort. A person doesn’t become addicted to drugs overnight, and becoming drug-free won’t happen overnight either. The good news is that a drug-free life is just around the corner – when you go looking for it!

Sunday 25 April 2010

Drug Addiction Center

Drug Addiction Center

A drug addiction center is more commonly known as a rehabilitation clinic or a drug clinic. These centers specialize in the treatment of drug addiction and help people with addictions cope with the mental and physical aspects of their disease. They offer medical care as well as counseling to help addicts become clean and sober again.

There are many different types of drug addiction centers today. All are based on essentially the same premise – to heal the body along with the mind and allow an addict to live a drug-free life.

Faith based drug addiction centers center around spirituality and religion as their basis for healing and therapy. They are often associated with a specific religion, but others just ask that patients have a belief in a higher power. Faith based centers can be a great way to heal your drug addiction, but they can also be pushy when it comes to religion. If you’re not a religious person, you may be better off choosing a secular center.

Secular drug addiction centers are clinical environments that revolve treatment around tested principles for recovery. They offer both group and individual therapy and don’t necessarily focus on one specific type of spirituality but rather on the strength of the individual and his or her support system.

Almost all drug addiction centers treat addicts as normal people who just have a problem. If they don’t, they aren’t a reputable center. The people who work there should be compassionate individuals with a true interest in healing people of their addiction and getting them on the road to a drug-free life.

People from all walks of life are patients at drug addiction centers. You will see high-powered businessmen, housewives, teenagers, and street people at rehab facilities. Drug addiction doesn’t care who it takes hold of, it just wants some takers.

You will find an amazing amount of support in these places – support that is essential if you are going to beat drugs and get them out of your life. Drug addiction centers will also give you tools for coping with life once you exit the facility. This is essential because if you don’t know how to resist what led you to drugs in the first place, you will become a user again.

Drug addiction centers are wonderful places for people to go to beat the hold that drugs have on them. They are motivating, supporting, and can give hope to a person who thought that overcoming their addiction was a hopeless endeavor. Choose a rehab facility wisely and embrace what it has to offer. Then the healing can begin.

Saturday 24 April 2010

Drug Addiction Rehab

Drug Addiction Rehab

Have you ever thought about what drug addiction rehab really means? The words are thrown around in the media, in government, and in our schools, but what exactly is rehab for drug addiction?

In its simplest form, drug addiction rehab means quitting drugs and learning how to live a drug-free life. However, it’s much, much more than just quitting drugs. Various drugs have different effects on the body and mind just as certain people are prone to addiction to certain drugs. Treatment can vary according to which drug is involved as well.

Drug addiction rehab can take the form of behavioral, or cognitive, therapy, medication, or a combination of both. It depends on a lot of factors that will determine which treatment will work best.

Behavioral therapy offers addicts strategies to coping with their drug cravings. It teaches them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse. This type of therapy also teaches them how to deal with relapse should it occur.

When a person's drug-related behavior places him or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to other medical, psychological, and social services are crucial components of treatment for many patients.

The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient, which are shaped by such issues as age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, parenting, housing, and employment, as well as physical and sexual abuse.

Treatment medications, such as methadone, LAAM, and naltrexone, are available for individuals addicted to opiates. Nicotine preparations (patches, gum, nasal spray) and bupropion are available for individuals addicted to nicotine.

Medications, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics, may be critical for treatment success when patients have co-occurring mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis. Drug addiction rehab can occur in a variety of settings, in many different forms, and for different lengths of time. Because drug addiction is typically a chronic disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment often is not sufficient. For many, rehab is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and attempts at abstinence. Rehab is probably the best course of action when trying to beat an addiction. It doesn’t have to take place at an in-patient facility, but it does offer the best success rate when it comes to beating drug addiction and leading a drug-free life.

Books on Drug Addiction

Books on Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is the subject of many books that are out on the market today. When you have an epidemic that so many people suffer from like drug addiction, writers often make that epidemic the subject of their books in the hopes that they will be able to help people recover from their problems and leave their unhealthy life behind.

Walk into any bookstore, go to the self-help section, and see how many books there are on drug addiction. For those who are struggling with addiction, it can be a soothing sight. If you have a loved one with addiction, it’s a comfort as well to know that there are so many tools available for you to help your loved one beat their habits.

A quick search on www.amazon.com for “drug addiction recovery” shows over 200 books available for sale. That’s a huge selection to choose from!

There are also a number of e-books available online that can be purchased and downloaded often for just a little bit of money. These e-books are often written by very qualified people who have researched the subject in-depth and brought together information from various sources. The advantage to buying an e-book is that you don’t have to pore through several different websites to get information plus, you can usually download them any time of the day or night. How convenient is that?

You don’t necessarily have to buy a book on drug addiction. There is a wealth of information available at your public library as well. Most libraries will let you keep your book for an extended period of time as long as you continue to renew the check-out.

What should you look for in a book on drug addiction? Actually, a lot! First, look at the author. Are they a medical professional or a therapist? Do they have the qualifications and credibility to write a book on drug addiction?

Is the book organized well and easy to read? Does it have chapters that apply to your particular situation? When you look over the index, see if anything interests you or looks like it’s something you have never thought about when it comes to drug addiction.

Of course, price has got to be a big factor when you are choosing a book on drug addiction. Will you be getting the information you need for the money you will be spending? Most books will be priced in the $20 - $40 range at the bookstore. E-books are generally much cheaper, so keep that in mind when making your selection.

If you are dealing with a drug addiction or have a loved one with a drug addiction, books can be great resources for getting help with the problem. Being pro-active when it comes to the situation you are in makes recovery from drug addiction a slightly easier road to travel. When you are armed with information, you’ll have the tools you need!

Friday 23 April 2010

Drug Addiction Counseling

Drug Addiction Counseling

Drug addiction counseling is an essential part of any recovery program. Addiction is a complex disease that damages the addict physically, mentally, and spiritually. Because of the holistic nature of the illness, the optimal treatment addresses the needs of the addict in many areas. Physical, emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal needs must all be addressed to support recovery.

When you are trying to overcome a demon as huge as a drug problem, drug addiction counseling should be one of the first things you do after you realize you have a problem. Because of the complexity of the disease, it is essential that you find help as soon as possible in order to have an effective support system while you are going through the recovery process.

Drug addiction counseling can be as simple as contacting a therapist or counselor to talk to or as involved as finding a support group where there are several of you partaking of group therapy. Either way, you must have some help when going through recovery from drug addiction.

What should you look for when trying to find drug addiction counseling? You need someone who is certified and experienced with what you are going through. You may also want to look for someone who is willing to involve your family since they are going to be your primary support system in the first place.

How do you find counseling for your drug addiction? There are many places you can turn to. Look in your local newspaper for 12-step groups that might be meeting in your area. Contact a church minister and ask people you know. Someone knows how to get you the help you need.

If you really don’t know where to turn to find drug addiction counseling, go online and search the Internet. There are many, many places that offer online counseling for drug problems that can address your own addiction as well as many others. The advantage of a community like this is that you are completely anonymous and you are speaking with others who are in various stages of their own recovery. They can help you, and, perhaps, you can help them too!

Drug addiction counseling is very important when you decide it’s time to kick your drug habit. If you try to do it alone, you’ll be lacking a very important part of recovery. You need to treat both your mind and your body. When you take steps to get drug addiction counseling, you’ll be doing yourself a favor and your recovery will be much, much easier!

Wednesday 21 April 2010

drug addiction facts

Drug Addiction Facts

The facts about drug addiction can be scary. They can be intimidating, and they can be all too real for those who are dealing with a drug addiction. Drug addiction is actually quite a complex disease that affects a person both physically and psychologically.

Drug addiction is characterized by an uncontrollable craving for a drug and the inability to keep from using that drug. Whether your drug of choice is marijuana, nicotine, alcohol, or something stronger like heroin or cocaine, it takes control of your life making it impossible for you to live without it.

The fact is that you have a physical dependence on the drug and when it is taken away from you – meaning if you don’t use it – the physical implications become too much to bear. Addicts are beset with uncontrollable shaking, hallucinations, sleeping problems, and even heart arrhythmia when they don’t use drugs.

Drugs affect the way our brain works. It takes hold of portions of the central nervous system and the effects of the drugs you use are shown in the way you act and think. They also affect the chemicals in your brain and how they work to regulate your brain activity. This is why drug use and addiction has such a strong hold on the user.

Drug addiction is also characterized by compulsive behaviors such as promiscuity, stealing, and acting in ways you wouldn’t normally without the drug. In fact, most drug addicts will do whatever they have to do to get their drugs, even if it means acting in ways that are less than desirable.

Another fact of drug addiction is that there are certain people who are more prone to becoming an addict. These include people who are children of drug abusers or users, people with low self-esteem, and people who feel they have no control over their lives. Unfortunately, once individuals with these pre-existing factors begin using drugs, those drugs become part of who they are and they are almost powerless to stop.

Social circumstances also play a huge part in addiction. Casual drug use often begins in social situations like clubs or parties. Then it spills over into private life and the user will find themselves using when they’re not in these situations. Eventually, they find they are addicted and cannot live without that drug.

Drug addiction knows no boundaries and doesn’t pick and choose its victims. All walks of life are affected from the rich to the poor and everyone in between. Well-known celebrities and everyday Joes can fall prey to its stronghold that drugs can put on their lives. That’s why it’s so important to learn as much as you can about drug use and addiction and stop the problem before it starts.

The facts about drug addiction are vast and widespread. But the cold hard fact is that it is an epidemic that is spreading and growing. Drug addiction is a blight on society, and it needs to be conquered. If we want to win the “war” on drugs and minimize its impact on our lives, we first need to get the facts – the facts about drug addiction. You’ve gotten a good start by reading this article!

Celebrity Drug Addiction

Celebrity Drug Addiction

Drug addiction knows no boundaries and doesn’t pick or choose who it will affect. Celebrity drug addiction is commonplace today in the business, and it is just spotlighted more because of the high profiles of today’s celebrities. It’s not uncommon to hear about another celebrity entering rehab for drug addiction. The list can read like a Who’s Who of Hollywood.

Big names like Whitney Houston, Keith Urban, Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey, Jr., and Drew Barrymore, to name just a few, have all been through drug rehabilitation for their addictions, and the list is much longer than that! Why do so many celebrities fall prey to the perils of drug addiction?

Just like people who are not in the limelight, celebrities deal with different stresses in their lives. The difference is that their stresses are much larger in general than everyday people. They have to deal with paparazzi, managers, critics, the media, and every word they say is noted and commented on.

There is a lot of insecurity in the world of fame and fortune. When celebrities feel that insecurity so strongly, they look for a way out, an escape from their problem – that escape is often drugs. That’s not even taking into consideration the price that comes with sudden fame.

When celebrities go from being everyday people to being thrust into the spotlight, they often have trouble adjusting. Leading a private life doesn’t become an option as their every move is followed and their rises and falls are noted sometimes with scorn from fans.

There’s something that goes along with celebrity in that many stars feel as if they’re almost immune to the possibility of becoming addicted to drugs. It’s a matter of having so much money, they figure, “Why not, I won’t get addicted”. Being a celebrity is a hugely stressful profession and actually, they are more prone to drug addiction because of that stress.

Celebrity drug addiction is really no different from non-celebrity drug addiction. It is just as serious and just as difficult to quit. That is why so many celebrities are seeking out rehab facilities in an attempt to kick their habit for good. Places like Promises and The Betty Ford Clinic are brimming with celebrity patients seeking to overcome their drug addiction.

The good news is that with celebrity drug addiction becoming so well-known, more people are less afraid to seek out treatment for their own addictions. They realize that if the people they look up to – celebrities – can fall victim to drug addiction, so can they. And if those same people are strong enough to be treated for that drug addiction, they can be strong as well.

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Teen Drug Addiction

Teen Drug Addiction

It’s no secret that drug addiction is a powerful disease, but when teens become addicted to drugs, it’s much more serious. Drugs affect a teen’s body in different ways. Plus when teens are dealing with drug addiction, it’s much more difficult to maintain a clean and sober lifestyle as they get older.

Kids are being exposed to drugs at an increasingly younger age. Studies show that by the time children get into 8th grade, nearly 35 percent have at least tried drugs. The number of teens who become addicted to drugs is at 20 percent: and that’s way too many!

Teens are more prone to drug addiction because of life circumstances. Many teen get overwhelmed at the everyday struggles of life. Many teens have low self-esteem, anxiety, an inability to express feelings, and lack of control over their lives. All of these contribute greatly to drug use and eventually drug addiction.

Drugs kill the pain of an ordinary, mundane life. They destroy physical and emotional pain by changing the addict’s perception of reality. Drugs make the addict numb to the pain, hopelessness, or loneliness that they feel their life has become.

Do you suspect your teen has a drug addiction? Some of the more common signs of drug addiction in teens include:

* Dramatic changes in behavior * Dull, glassy eyes * Excessive tiredness * Failing in school * Lying or stealing * Isolation or loss of interest in activities

What do you do when you suspect your teen is struggling with a drug addiction? First, trust your instincts. If you feel there is a problem, there probably is. Find a safe time when you can talk freely with your teen and be honest with them about your concerns. Try to be open-minded about what they are telling you and be sympathetic to their perception of their problems.

Tell your teen what you are feeling about their drug addiction. You are probably worried, scared, and frightened about what might happen to them. Try not to be judgmental or angry: this will only cause them to shut down. You can also talk about personal observations or experience you have with drugs. While you may be hesitant to do this, it will make you more human in your teen’s eyes.

Often, those closest to your teen – meaning you – find it easy to deny that their teen has a drug problem. When it comes to teen drug addiction, you can’t do this. It’s important that you get them help as soon as possible. Don’t give up and try not to be discouraged if your initial attempts fail. Eventually, you’ll get through and then you and your teen can start fighting drug addiction together.

Monday 19 April 2010

Drug Abuse and Addiction

Drug Abuse and Addiction

The words drug abuse and drug addiction are often used interchangeably, but in reality, there is a difference between abuse of a drug and addiction. Addiction does begin with drug abuse, but addiction is much more than a lot of drug use. It is much more than that.

Drug abuse is basically the repeated or uncontrolled use of controlled substances. It can also be defined as the habitual misuse of a chemical substance. This definition includes the use of drugs for purposes other than what they were intended. In fact, drug abuse has a range of definitions, but all suggest disapproval at the use or overuse of a drug for non-therapeutic reasons.

Drug addiction, on the other hand is when the body has an uncontrollable craving for a drug and absence of that drug in a person’s system causes adverse effects such as insomnia, uncontrollable shaking, and nausea. Drugs interfere with the normal functioning of the brain making it altered to the point that functioning without the drug is virtually impossible.

When a person is addicted to drugs, they continue to use the drug despite adverse health reactions and possible damage to their bodies. They disregard their personal health in favor of continuing the feeling that they get when they are on their drug of choice. Stopping usage is just not a viable option for them. This is when abuse becomes addiction and when it must be faced and addressed head on.

Understanding drug abuse and addiction can help in preventing drug use to rise to problem proportions. When you know exactly what you are dealing with, it’s a little easier to begin looking for treatment options.

Whether you or a loved one is abusing drugs or are addicted to drugs, treatment needs to be sought as soon as possible to help ward off serious health implications. Treatment can have a profound effect on both the drug user, but also on society as a whole. Healing the addicts in our society improves social and psychological functioning and makes for a more peaceful community and world.

In fact, drug abuse is the number one cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. It doesn’t matter if we talk about cocaine, heroin, or alcohol, a drug is a drug and those drugs cause problems with the human body. It is preventable and education is the first step.

Drug abuse and addiction are blights on society. Both have been around for years and years, but if we take the time to recognize not only the difference between the two, but also the signs and signals that indicate drug use, we can begin to heal ourselves both as individual people and as a society.

Saturday 17 April 2010

Definition of Drug Addiction

Definition of Drug Addiction

Even though drug addiction is a complex disease, assigning a definition for that disease is actually quite simple. Drug addiction is, in its simplest form, defined as the continued compulsive use of drugs in spite of adverse health or social consequences.

The definition of drug addiction should also include the fact that it is a state of heavy dependence on a specific drug. Generally, it’s thought of as a physical dependence, but in actuality, there is a psychological addiction as well as an emotional dependence. Some say that it is compulsive and pathological drug use or substance dependence.

Drug addiction is also a behavior disorder as the initial drug use is generally done as a reaction to a behavior or situation that seems out of control to the user. The user seems to have no other choice but to use that drug because of the body’s dependence on the fact that the drug will remain present in the system.

A distinction should be made between drug use and drug addiction. It is possible for people to use drugs without becoming addicted, but that is generally limited to prescription drug use. People who take drugs to cope with a physical ailment do so to control pain or the adverse effects of a physical condition. Those drugs improve the quality of life for the sufferer, but they are not necessarily addicted to the drugs.

To be dependent on a drug – or addicted to it – the user must take the drug regularly, and they experience unpleasant symptoms if they stop using the drug such as nausea or sleep disturbance. Substance abuse or addiction is present when a person uses a drug despite the harm that it causes to their system.

There is a difference between drug abuse and drug addiction. Drug abuse occurs when a person uses excessive amounts of a drug at one time or frequently. Drug addiction is present when a person cannot stop using the drug and stopping the drug seems like an impossibility.

Of course, no definition of drug addiction is complete without noting that it is both a physical dependence as well as a psychological one. Physical dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the body has become accustomed to its effects. Psychological dependency is present when the drug is used habitually and the mind has become accustomed to the effects the drug produces.

When drug addiction affects a person’s life, the definition of that drug addiction becomes a bit less important than the reasons why people use. However, it can help multitudes if a definition is specified so that a better understanding of drug addiction can occur.

Drug Addiction and Therapy

Drug Addiction And The Benefits OfTherapy

There’s no doubt about it that people who are struggling with drug addiction can benefit greatly from therapy. When the drugs have taken control, it’s a powerful force that needs to be attacked from all sides. You can’t just deal with the physical symptoms of drug addiction; you need to address the psychological effects as well. That’s why drug addiction and therapy go completely together.

When you seek therapy for your drug addiction problem, you are being pro-active when it comes to getting on the road to recovery. You will need someone to talk to as you try to get sober. What better person than a trained professional who can guide you down the rights paths as you make your journey?

Therapy can take many forms. You can participate in group therapy which involves sitting down with others who are also struggling with drug addiction. The advantage to group therapy is that there are people surrounding you who are thinking and feeling much of the same things that you are. You are able to talk with them about their own coping strategies and perhaps even share your own.

Individualized therapy for drug addiction is also a helpful avenue to explore. You speak one-on-one with a trained counselor who will listen to your concerns and then advise you on coping strategies. The advantage to individual therapy is that you can voice your personal concerns and they are addressed specifically toward you.

Some people find drug addiction therapy daunting and scary, but it truly is an effective way to overcome the pain that goes with becoming drug-free. The drugs have taken hold of not only your body, but your mind as well. You are just a person and can’t be expected to just go it alone. That’s why using therapy to overcome your drug addiction is so important.

Counseling and other behavioral therapies are critical components of drug recovery. No one treatment is appropriate for everyone. That’s why you need to do a little research and find the treatment that is good for you – the individual!

Drug addiction and therapy truly go together. You can’t expect to overcome one without the other. And why would you want to? You are starting a huge undertaking and going it alone is a recipe for disaster. If you have a drug addiction, look into therapy and heal thyself – with the help of your therapist, of course!

Thursday 15 April 2010

Drug Addiction Statistics

Drug Addiction And It's Statistics

Some people don’t like being quoted statistics. But when we speak of statistics on drug addiction, the numbers are actually important. These numbers can help us identify problem areas with drug addictions and help us better understand what exactly is going on with drug addiction in the country.

For example, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States according to a 2005 survey. Over seventy-six percent of the population reported using marijuana in that year’s time.

An estimated 15.9 million Americans aged twelve or older reported using illicit drug in the month prior to the 2005 survey. That statistic represents 7.1 percent of the population 12 or older. This is an increase of almost 8 percent from the previous year.

Drug addiction statistics can be a little bit scary as well. Consider that in 2003, there were nearly 20,000 deaths directly attributed to drug use both legal and illegal. Of those deaths, about 3 percent were to people 21 years of age and under.

In the year 2001 alone, use of the club drug Ecstasy increased by 58 percent from the previous year. This statistic was calculated by the amount of people who were admitted to a hospital emergency room with Ecstasy overdoses.

Statistics on rehabilitation center admissions also paint a sad picture of drug addiction. In 2006, there were over 175,000 people who checked themselves into a rehab facility. It is estimated that 5 percent of those people returned to using drugs after they were released.

Methamphetamine use is on the rise as well. In 2006, a whopping 15 percent of the population reported using meth as their primary illicit drug. This can be attributed to the fact that meth is easy to make with common household items and produces a significant high for the user that cannot be obtained by using any other drug.

Perhaps the scariest statistics on drug addiction are the ones that involve our youth. A significant percentage of young people report having been introduced to one type of drug or another on a regular basis by the age of 13. Nearly fifty percent of those children will try drugs by that age, and 20 percent will become addicted before graduating from high school.

It can be a big, bad world out there – for adults and children alike. We may sincerely want to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to drug abuse and addiction, but we can’t. When presented with statistics on drug addiction, there’s really no way we can ignore the fact that there’s a problem in this country – a serious problem – with drugs.

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Drug Addiction and Drug Abuse

Drug Abuse Leads To Drug Addiction

People use drugs for a variety of reasons – mostly, though, to numb the pain of everyday life so they don’t have to face it. Eventually drug use turns to drug abuse and finally to drug addiction. Most people use the two terms interchangeably, but the truth is there is a difference between drug abuse and drug addiction.

Drug abuse is the use of illegal drugs or the inappropriate use of legal drugs. People who abuse drugs are using them to obtain a specific feeling – a “high” – that they can’t get from other substances. Often drug abuse is recreational with the drugs being used to loosen a person up and make them feel like they fit in with the crowd.

Drug addiction, on the other hand, is the uncontrollable use of drugs and the inability to stop using drugs in spite of health or social consequences. People with a drug addiction are physically and emotionally unable to stop using drugs. Their bodies have become used to having the drug in the system, and stopping the drug use brings about often painful physical and psychological symptoms.

Drug addiction does begin with drug abuse when an individual makes a conscious choice to use drugs, but addiction is not just "a lot of drug use." Recent scientific research provides overwhelming evidence that not only do drugs interfere with normal brain functioning creating powerful feelings of pleasure, but they also have long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity.

At some point, changes occur in the brain that can turn drug abuse into addiction, a chronic, relapsing illness. Those addicted to drugs suffer from a compulsive drug craving and usage and cannot quit by themselves. Treatment is necessary to end this compulsive behavior.

Many people view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem. Parents, teens, older adults, and other members of the community tend to characterize people who take drugs as morally weak or as having criminal tendencies. They believe that drug abusers and addicts should be able to stop taking drugs if they are willing to change their behavior. This just isn’t true.

People from all walks of life abuse drugs and become addicted. We can start combating these problems if we educate ourselves and each other about drug abuse and drug addiction. It is an ever-growing epidemic that doesn’t have to take hold of people or society. Drug abuse and drug addiction can be stopped, but only if we start with education.

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Causes of Drug Addiction

There Is No One Cause Of Drug Addiction

Why do some people choose to use drugs when they’re so bad for you? The causes of drug addiction are as varied as the amount of drugs that are available for use – both legally and illegally. There is no one cause for drug addiction just like there is no consistent profile of a drug user.

People who have a history of drug use or abuse in their families are at risk for drug addiction problems. It has been proven that children of alcoholics will exhibit addictive tendencies. Children of alcoholics or drug users generally have low self-esteem and see their parents escaping from problems using drugs. When they see this, their minds say that this is the way to act and they themselves become users.

There is also a biological basis for causing drug addiction. Drugs alter the brain’s chemicals and the way the brain functions. Drug addiction creates dependence in the brain by changing the brain’s reward functions – the part that reinforces certain behaviors.

Prescription drug addiction is caused by the person’s inability to function without the drug in their system. People become addicted to prescription drugs because they usually are taking them to overcome some type of pain. They begin to feel that if they are not taking their pills, the pain will return.

Some people are more prone to addiction than others. People who have low self-esteem, are often depressed, and who feel they have no control over their lives will often turn to drugs as a way to cope. They often feel they can’t please the people around them so they have to change themselves in order to fit in. The change is made easier by using drugs because the drugs transform them into someone and something that they are not.

Stress is often attributed as a cause of drug addiction. Life can be very stressful no matter who you are. Some of us are better able to cope with stress than others. Others still just look for an easy way to forget their stress – and that easy way is through drugs. Once the drug use starts, it’s often difficult to get away from it because the stresses will still be there once the high is gone, so the user feels he or she needs more drugs to cope. That type of cycle leads to addiction.

Finally, drugs are easily accessible. They are available in many places if you just ask around for them. Because of that easy access, it’s more likely that a person will begin using eventually becoming addicted.

The causes of drug addiction are wide and varied. The key to stopping drug addiction is to get rid of those causes before they become a problem.

Monday 12 April 2010

Drug Addiction Programs

Drug Addiction Treatment Programs

Drug addiction programs vary greatly when it comes to treatment and options. Generally when people speak of drug addiction programs, they are talking about rehabilitation facilities that treat people as residents of their program. These in-patient programs are a very good way to deal with a drug addiction and will have the largest success rate.

When choosing a drug addiction program, there are certain aspects you should look for before you enroll. Do they provide one-on-one therapy? Do they involve your family members? Do they provide exercise programs and nutritional meals that will help to heal your body along with your mind?

A drug addiction treatment program should have a variety of therapeutic sessions to help you deal with the painful symptoms of drug withdrawal and the emotions that go along with it. The program you choose should be medically based for optimum results, but faith-based programs can be effective too.

Should you choose an out-patient program to treat your drug addiction, be sure that it is a program you are comfortable with and has people that you are comfortable with as well. Because your program will be the cornerstone of your recovery, it’s so important to have one that will meet your needs and guide you along the way toward becoming drug-free.

The therapy programs you choose are so important because your drug addiction is more than just a physical addiction; it’s a psychological condition as well. You need to treat your mind as well as your body. That’s why therapy matters in a recovery program.

Another aspect of a drug addiction program you should not discount is exercise programs. When your body is performing at its optimum peak, you are mentally more able to meet the challenge of beating your drug addiction. When your program of choice offers various exercise programs, your body will be strong enough to beat the tough withdrawal symptoms that you will be facing.

If you are choosing an in-patient treatment facility, be sure that the setting is conducive to your recovery. A stark, gray hospital probably is not the best choice for most people. Many rehab facilities are now located in beautiful pastoral settings with plenty of room to move about and places where you can relax and meditate. You will need to get in touch with your inner self during recovery, and having a beautiful place to do it in makes it much easier.

A drug addiction program is so important to a successful recovery that you should not take it lightly. Drug addiction is a serious problem and the program you choose to beat that addiction can make all the difference between becoming drug-free or relapsing.

Drug Addiction Support Groups

Drug Addiction And The Need For Support Groups Support Groups

When you are suffering from a drug addiction, finding a support group is so important to your recovery. Support groups can give you new insight into your addiction, but more importantly, they can provide you with strength and courage to go ahead and beat your addiction.

What types of support groups are out there? There are many. Alcoholics Anonymous has been the foundation for many offshoots that deal with all sorts of addiction problems. Narcotics Anonymous deals with people who have addictions to narcotic drugs, Al-Anon helps family members who are trying to cope with a loved one who has an addiction, and there are many more.

Many churches offer faith-based support groups that deal with addictions of all types. You don’t necessarily have to be a member of that particular church to attend their support group either. All you have to do is ask to join. Faith-based support groups are generally very accepting of non-members, and when you ask for their help, they are usually there to welcome you with open arms.

Drug addiction is a difficult vice to overcome. When you have the help of a therapist or counselor, you will be better off. Ask your counselor if he or she can recommend an appropriate support group for you to attend. They usually have all the information you’ll need to guide you toward one that is right for you.

Hospitals also will offer support groups for drug addiction. Contact the administrator and ask about what they have to offer and whether or not their groups are ones that could help you on the road to recovery.

Don’t discount online support groups that address drug addiction. When you do a simple Internet search, you will find all sorts of places that offer online support for your addiction. These groups will have chat times where you can discuss the problems you are having and often also have message boards where you can post questions and concerns.

When looking for a support group to treat your drug addiction, you should find one that makes you feel comfortable. Try to find one that has members around your own age. It’s often easier to talk to people who are your peers – that means age appropriate peers. If you are a teen struggling with drug addiction, it’s generally not a good idea to be in a support group with mostly middle-aged people.

Finding a support group for your drug addiction is such a huge component of your recovery, it should not be overlooked. Look around and pick the right one for you. And know that you’re not alone in your addiction – or your recovery!

Sunday 11 April 2010

Cops Bust Drug Ring

Drug Busting Hero Cops

You can hear it or see it in the news all the time. When cops bust up a drug ring, they are often hailed as heroes – and they pretty much are. Drug rings are sophisticated networks of drug dealers who distribute drugs in a widespread area. They begin with one person responsible for importing or manufacturing drugs. Those drugs are given to a second level person who distributes to individual dealers who sell the drugs on the street.

The people who run these drug rings are living a lavish lifestyle and profiting off the drugs that they peddle. Some of the biggest drug ring busts we hear about occur along the coastlines where smugglers will bring over large quantities of drugs from places like Columbia or Costa Rica.

But cops bust drug rings all the time right here in the United States. A quick “Google” search shows all sorts of news stories about how police have busted up drug rings in American cities. These busts usually involve intense surveillance and take quite a bit of time in order to build a case against the dealers.

Drug rings are located all over the United States, Canada, and also in foreign countries. You see, drugs are big business, so when these dealers find a way to increase their traffic and make more money, that’s when they begin to form a drug ring. When cops go to bust a drug ring, they have spent a lot of time building a case against the people involved.

Drug kingpins who run drug rings find out quite quickly that a bust is a very “expensive” endeavor. By “expensive”, we mean all assets acquired by the leader will be seized if cops suspect those assets were bought with drug money. Bank accounts are frozen, and personal property is gathered as the case against the leader gets stronger.

When cops bust a drug ring, the people who are arrested face a pretty hefty sentence as well. These vary from state to state and from country to country of course, but in general, sentences can run anywhere from 10 years to life in a penitentiary. They also face hefty fine and their families are inevitably affected.

Busting drug rings is a high priority for not only our federal government, but also for state and local municipalities. It’s essential for controlling the effects that drugs have on our society. When cops bust more drug rings, that’s one less chance that drugs will be available for sale and consumption – and then we can begin winning the war on drugs!

Friday 9 April 2010

Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment

Drug Addiction Treatment For Rehab

Perhaps one of the most effective ways to treat a drug addiction is to seek rehab treatment in a licensed rehab facility. Drug addiction is no laughing matter and can be very serious when a person begins to go through the recovery process. A rehab treatment center can provide so much when it comes to successfully beating drug addiction.

When a person has become addicted to drugs, their body has become used to having drugs in its system. Taking the drug away produces often severe withdrawal symptoms that can be medically problematic. Rehab treatment centers have medical staff that can help ease the often excruciating pain of detoxification, and they can monitor the condition of the person so that the withdrawal doesn’t cause other serious health problems.

There was a reason that the addict began to use drugs in the first place. You see, drug addiction is more than a physical attachment to a drug – it is an emotional attachment as well. The mind tells the addict constantly that the only way to face problems and life is to use the drug. This emotional dependence can be even more difficult to beat than the physical part.

Licensed and reputable rehab treatment centers will treat both the body and mind for the person with a drug addiction. They will provide group counseling so a support system is built and the addict does not feel alone in their problem. They will also provide one-on-one counseling that will address the specific reasons why drug use began in the first place.

Family therapy is also a big part of most treatment facilities. Once the patient is released from the treatment center, their family will play a big role in keeping them clean and sober. Family therapy is designed to address any issues that may have arisen in the past and get everyone “on the same page” when it comes to the person’s recovery.

Reputable rehab treatment centers will also give the patient tools they can take with them once they re-enter the “real world” in order to help keep them off drugs for good. The temptations and stressors that led them to drug use in the first place will still be out there. Learning how to resist the temptation and deal with the stressors in a healthy way is very important to successful long-term recovery.

Drug addiction rehab treatment may seem like a drastic measure to take for some people, and for some people it might be. However, the truth is that when addiction has taken hold of a person’s life, beating that addiction is an uphill battle. Rehab treatment centers make overcoming the addiction just a little bit easier to bear.

Thursday 8 April 2010

Causes of Drug Addiction Treated by Narconon

Drug Addiction Causes Can Be Treated by Narconon

Narconon is a secular rehabilitation program that specializes in treating the causes of drug addiction along with the addiction itself. Narconon is based on the beliefs and writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and looks at the causes of drug addiction from an addict’s perspective so it can effectively treat the drug addiction.

The treatment does not use any drugs of any type to ease the pain of withdrawal and provides drug rehabilitation, education, and prevention services. Much of Narconon’s programs are presented in school classrooms using materials developed by the Narconon professionals. The materials are meant to supplement the school’s existing drug prevention program.

Proponents of the Narconon program claim a 70 percent success rate with combating drug addiction compared to a 30 percent rate in other rehabilitation programs. Hubbard created the program after doing extensive research and studies on drug addiction causes and how to combat the disease effectively without the use of drugs.

The premise of the Narconon model states that addicts can resume normal, healthy, productive lives when they work with the skills they are given in the program. The program can be administered out-patient or at an in-patient Narconon sanctioned facility.

Generally, the Narconon program takes four to six months to work effectively. Participants are said to be going “back to school” to become re-educated on drugs, the dangers of drug, drug addiction, and drug recovery. All of this is done without the benefit of pharmaceutical help.

Like the Scientology religion, Narconon has its opponents who say that the information that is presented isn’t always scientifically sound even if the program claims it is. They say that Narconon skews information so that it supports their conclusions and doesn’t give the whole picture. Some see that as a form of brain washing and thus write off Narconon as a scam.

Opponents also say that the educational materials given to schools don’t take into account developmental abilities of the students they are trying to reach. The materials for elementary schools are basically the same as the materials for high schools. The materials are more scientific without providing explanations or definitions for presenters to help children with their comprehension of what is being presented.

The causes of drug addiction are wide and varied and Narconon claims to address them fully through their program. Even if their information isn’t as accurate as some would hope, they do have a certain amount of success with those who go through their classes. Because the causes of drug addiction are far-reaching, perhaps Narconon is an answer for those who need it.