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What is Addiction?

Addiction is a word that is used a lot, especially on television and in the news. But many people do not understand exactly what addiction is. When someone has an addiction, it’s no longer a choice but something they must have. And, when a person does not get what they are addicted to, there could be physical and mental consequences. Over 23 million people in the United States alone struggle with addiction, yet less than 10 percent of these people actually seek treatment.

Many people may not be aware, or understand, that an addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease that is treatable. The primary symptom of addiction is when a person looses their ability to control their need for a substance, such as drugs or alcohol. The more a person uses drugs and alcohol, the more the brain changes, and the more control is lost. These changes in the brain also cause behavior changes.

There have been many studies done over the years that show proof that addiction is a disease. Brain scans and images have shown that an addiction severely alters the areas of the brain that is responsible for behavior control, decision-making, learning, and memory. These studies and brain images help to explain why an addict often has compulsive and destructive behaviors.

A person that is addicted to alcohol or drugs can not control their need for the substance, even when it is affecting their health, or is causing legal or social problems. The drugs change the addict’s brain functions so that when they go without, they feel the equivalent to starvation. The brain is sending signals that it is important for the person’s survival to take the drug.

A person does not become addicted overnight. It is a gradual process that takes place over a series of steps from experimentation to occasional use to the loss of control of use. As time goes by, the addiction will get worse and the ability to treat will get harder. Heath issues will also appear, such as organ disease.

Filed Under: Assessment Tagged With: Addiction And Recovery, Substance dependence, United States

Avoiding Relapse With LaPalomaTreatment.com

As much as we would like to think that once we kick the addiction, we have overcome it for good, there are always opportunities where relapse or recurrence may result from our behaviors or our encounters. The holidays, for example, are a period of time that can unfortunately seem to drive many people back into their old habits, habits that cause them to self medicate, or otherwise to turn to drugs. Unfortunately, if you have dealt with addiction in the past, then a single taste can overwhelm you quickly, causing you to escalate back into a drug addicted state.

You may have overcome your addiction in the past, but that does not automatically mean that you are immune from the possibility of relapse. As such, it is important for you to consider potential triggers that would cause you to turn back to your old lifestyle, old habits and your issues with addiction. The holidays are a common trigger, potentially creating instances where someone who is recovering may want to relapse. It is important to consider the options that are available when you feel a relapse coming on, such as contacting someone at LaPalomaTreatment.com for help.

The right support is capable of helping you to avoid the potential for relapse. If you feel yourself slipping in any way, shape or form, then it is vitally essential that you seek help from trained professionals. Trained professionals in the rehab industry will help you find lifestyle changes and smart systems for getting through the holidays without turning to drugs and alcohol in the process. All it takes is the right level of support from individuals with training and expertise in drug addiction recovery, and you will find yourself feeling stronger and more capable than ever in your fight against addiction.

Filed Under: Relapse Tagged With: Addiction And Recovery, Alcoholism, Centers and Counseling Services, Professions In Addiction, Relapse, Substance abuse, Substance dependence, United States

Smoking Cessation and the E-Cig

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If you want to end your addiction to smoking, there are all kinds of different options. Some of them work well, and others don’t offer what people need in order to stop smoking permanently. When you’ve tried a lot of different things and they haven’t worked, don’t give up. There are still more choices. One of these is the electronic cigarette, or e-cig. These work by using battery power to heat up a cartridge that contains nicotine. The nicotine is then vaporized, and that’s what’s inhaled by the smoker. All that’s exhaled is water vapor, so there’s no second-hand smoke to worry about.

E-cigs can be used in places where you can’t smoke a normal cigarette, and they aren’t as harmful to the environment or other people nearby. They are also easier on your lungs, because you aren’t inhaling all of the carcinogenic chemicals that real cigarettes have. It’s important to remember that while that fact doesn’t make them safe, it does make them less detrimental. For people who are trying to quit smoking, they can be a good step to take away from regular cigarettes. Then, working to actually quit entirely is something that can often be done more easily.

Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t quit smoking without some help. Very few people just put down their cigarettes and walk away. It can be done, but most people have to do something more than that. They can use all kinds of things to help them stop smoking, and the e-cig is becoming one of the more common options. It’s easy to use, the cost is not excessive, and it actually works for many people because it allows them to keep ‘smoking’ for a while. That can help them quit more gradually, at their own pace, and reduce their desire for standard cigarettes.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With: Cigarette, Electronic cigarette, Food and Drug Administration, Nicotine, Passive smoking, Smoking cessation, Tobacco, United States

Abusing Drugs or Alcohol? It’s Time to Get Help

If you’re struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, you don’t have to assume that there’s nothing more you can do. Even if you’ve tried to get help in the past and it hasn’t worked out, you still have choices. There are more places that can help you and provide you with information. Some people also learn differently than others, so if you don’t feel like standard treatments are right for you, keep in mind that there’s more you can do, and other ways to get free of an addiction. Some of the non-standard treatments actually work quite well, so you shouldn’t give up on the idea of living a clean and sober life.

Some people use hypnosis, acupuncture, and other non-traditional methods to get free of an addiction. If you can do this, you’ll have a chance at a life that doesn’t feel as empty as the life of an addict often does. Once you recognize that you need help, you can start focusing on getting better. Even if you don’t think you have a problem, listen to what your friends and family members are saying about you. If they think you have a problem, it’s possible that you do and you’re just not acknowledging it.

Be honest with yourself and think about your behavior and your actions. Each time you take action on a problem, you’ll be better able to handle the problem in the future. Don’t assume that a problem will go away on its own. Substance abuse is very serious, and it can ruin lives if it’s not corrected. You have the opportunity to take your life back and make it yours again, so take that opportunity and do something with it. That way you can get back to the life you had before drugs and alcohol took it over.

Filed Under: Interventions Tagged With: Alcoholism, Substance abuse, United States

Addicted to Alcohol? There’s Help

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Anyone who’s addicted to alcohol and knows he has a problem also knows that he needs to do something so that he can conquer his problems and move forward with his life. That’s a lot easier said than done, though, because there are so many variables that have to be addressed. Many people who’re addicted to alcohol have people in their lives who are enabling them. These people say they want to help the person get clean, but they aren’t willing to really make the commitment to do that. In the meantime, the person who’s trying to get clean needs the help and isn’t getting it, which makes things seem more desperate and frustrating.

In short, it becomes a vicious circle. For someone who really wants to get serious about getting sober, it may be necessary to get away from friends (and even family members) who aren’t interested in helping with recovery. It’s hard for an alcoholic to say no to drinking when everyone around him is doing it. If you must let go of relationships – or at least limit them – to get healthy, that’s a sacrifice that you should be willing to make. Your health and your future may depend on it.

If the people in your life aren’t helping you, move on. There are organizations, rehab centers, and other places to get help when you want to quit drinking and stay sober. Utilize what’s offered in your community, reach out online, and spend time with people who share your goals and dreams. Surrounding yourself with others who don’t drink can be a good way for you to stay sober. You won’t have the temptation, and you’ll all be interested in a common goal. It’s a much better way to get help and prove to yourself that you really can live a sober life.

Filed Under: Support Tagged With: Interventions, Substance abuse, United States

Smoking Cessation Programs Help Employers Save Money

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Health insurance benefits are currently a huge burden for employers. Individuals within a company, especially those who are young and healthy, can often qualify for low priced insurance policies. Older employees, disabled persons and smokers, however, raise the average rate of insurance for companies. In a time of rapidly rising health care and insurance costs, this often means that employers have to make tough decisions. At times, they might have to make a choice between laying off employees or cutting health insurance benefits.

A smoking cessation program offers an alternative to these options. Many health insurance providers offer discounted prices to employers that encourage the workers to quit smoking. As the number of smokers within an organization falls, so does the amount that the company pays on health benefits.

Smoking cessation programs are a worthwhile investment because they help the company save money over a long period of time. Depending on which insurance provider the company uses, they might even have free access to a cessation program offered through the insurer.

Over time, a company will find that it gets several benefits from smoking cessation programs. Not only will it have lower insurance costs, but it will have healthier employees that miss fewer days of work and take fewer breaks during the day to smoke.

Smoking cessation programs often use a combination of strategies to help smokers kick the habit permanently. The best options typically use strategies that address physical and psychological dependencies on tobacco products. Addressing the physical dependency might mean using an electronic cigarette or nicotine patch to make withdrawal symptoms less severe. Meeting the psychological needs of smokers often involves coaching from a trained professional that can offer alternative coping strategies to smoking. This helps the smoker face challenging days without succumbing to the lure of cigarettes.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With: Addictions, Health insurance, Insurance, Professions In Addiction, Smoking cessation, Tobacco, Tobacco smoking, United States

Prescription Drug Rehab Grows

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Ten years ago if someone entered a rehabilitation center for substance abuse it was for one of two things. They were either abusing alcohol or street drugs. Those were the two common substance abuse issues that people entered rehab in hopes of overcoming.

Although alcohol abuse and street drug abuse is still a huge problem across America, another problem has slowly started to creep up. This problem isn’t something that is illegal or as taboo as the other addictions. In fact, many people suffer from this type of substance abuse and don’t even know it because they believe what they are doing isn’t wrong. The type of abuse that is being referred to here is that of prescription drug abuse.

Prescription drug abuse has reached new levels over the past 10 years. While prescription drug abuse is probably not a new concept and has been going on for many years, it has recently gained public attention and people are starting to take notice. One of the first steps in helping tackle the problem of prescription drug abuse was to designate a specific help center for those who are suffering from this addiction can go to. Prescription drug rehab centers have started to be built all over the place. As a center that focuses on prescription drug abuse, they focus on weening the addict off of the prescription drug, individual and group counseling and how to deal with pain.

Learning to deal with pain is one of the most important elements of prescription drug rehab centers. Due to the availability of prescription drugs in a number of states, these drugs can be easily brought and used by the addict and it wouldn’t even be considered illegal. Learning how to deal with chronic pain so that there isn’t a need to be on heavy prescription drugs can be one of the first steps to helping defeat the addiction.

Filed Under: Substance Abuse Treatment Tagged With: Addiction Psychiatry, Addictions, Prescription drug, Professions In Addiction, Recreational drug use, Substance abuse, Substance dependence, United States

Why Get Alcohol Treatment? Do It for Your Loved Ones

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When people seek treatment for alcoholism, they don’t always do it for themselves. Sometimes, they aren’t in an emotional place where they really care what happens to them. If they did, they’d be seeking treatment without someone else trying to convince them to do so. However, even people who aren’t interested in seeking alcohol treatment for themselves will often do it for their family members and close friends. If they know that people are counting on them, even if they don’t understand why those people still care about them, there’s something that they have to take care of — and that means seeking treatment.

Children are one of the most important reasons to seek treatment for an alcohol problem or some other kind of addiction, for two reasons. Not only do children feel neglected and sad when they’re mistreated by a parent who’s drinking too much, but children also often mimic what they see. If you drink in front of your children all your life, the odds are higher that they’ll be drinkers, too. Even if you don’t think there’s much point to your life, you surely don’t want your children to end up struggling like you are.

By helping yourself, you’ll help them. They’ll learn that even good people can have failings and problems and struggles. They’ll also learn that it’s a much braver thing to ask for help than it is to try to do things all alone. It’s important to show them that getting help is valuable, and even people who seem to have serious problems can get better. It won’t be an overnight process, for you or for them, but in the end everyone in the family will be much healthier and better off. So if you have an alcohol problem, make the choice to seek treatment and overcome the chains of addiction.

Filed Under: Interventions Tagged With: Alcoholism, Substance abuse, United States

The way life is

Do you have a plan for what you’ll do when your age catches up to you? Where will you live when you cannot live by yourself? There are many possibilities. If you have no friends or family members to care for you, the solution may be “assisted living.” Thos who live in assisted living facilities are people who cannot live entirely on their own but do not want to live in nursing homes. At these facilities, they have highly trained nurses to make sure you remember to take your medication and make sure you have everything you need or want. Many have chosen to live in assistance more than nursing homes because they provide the appropriate amount of help that’s needed. It’s like living in the house. One good part is that someone who lives in an assisted living facility doesn’t have to care about repairs or housework. Plus, friends and family can always come and visit whenever they want and they can consult with staff.

Some places have some great luxury items to the property you can use. They have swimming pools, casino, cafes, and much more. In the playroom, you can play games like shuffleboard or pool or chess, checkers, or whatever your heart desires. They even have meeting rooms for you to meet new people your age. Some people have even met their best friends and spouses there. So when it becomes time to find a place for you or your loved one to go, give assisted living facilities a chance.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With: Assisted living, Facilities, Health care, Michigan, Nursing home, Professions In Addiction, Senior Health, United States

Nashville Drug Treatment Facilities Are Helping Combat Drug Use Among Tennesseans

While Tennessee’s state slogan may be “America at its best,” many feel that the state is hardly living up to this moniker. The southern state is known for many things including its hospitality, unrivaled country music scene, Graceland, and the Smoky Mountains, just to name a few. However, lately Tennessee’s claim to fame has been less about what the state can offer visitors in terms of natural beauty, history, and charm, and more about how its residents are in serious need of adopting healthier lifestyle habits.

With its down-home cooking and generous portions being a hallmark of southern meals, it’s no surprise that because of its geographic location and rich history of cooking, Tennessee has struggled with obesity among its population for years. The state ranked second in the country for the most obese residents in 2010.

Additionally, Tennessee has been struggling with the high incidence of drug abuse among its residents. In 2007, the state made its way to the top of a list of America’s most over-medicated states, a title the state clenched for two years. But there is a silver lining. Thanks to some hard work from state leaders, health care professionals, and concerned citizens, there have been some strides to shed that top ranking and strengthen outreach programs, increase the number of Nashville drug treatment facilities, and spread awareness about the dangers of drugs to those living in Tennessee. And there have been pay-offs, as evidenced by the 2010 America’s most over-medicated list, in which Tennessee moved down a spot. By no means is this a monumental feat, though it is a step in the right direction and many of the state’s leaders are encouraged by the slow but steady progress.

Similar to the drug abuse issue, leaders are starting to craft plans that will help Tennesseans manage their weight.

Filed Under: Substance Abuse Treatment Tagged With: Professions In Addiction, Tennessee, United States