Category: United States

addiction and the brain

Addiction And The Brain

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Addiction And The Brain.

The human body is a highly complex “machine” and the brain is undoubtedly the powerhouse behind a person’s actions, reactions and behaviour.

Whether a person is addicted to a substance or a behaviour their actions and overpowering need changes the way the brain works.

Drugs and the Brain:

Addiction And The Brain. The brain is made up of many different parts. Under normal circumstances these all work together as a team. When a person is addicted this affects different parts of the brain and many of its basic functions. This is why common traits of risk taking, poor decision making and behaviour that is far from expected are all experienced by an addict. No matter what is causing their addiction.

Addictive behaviours – Not only drug related:

As can be seen from the above, addiction is not only related to drugs or alcohol. There is far more to addictive behaviour. While substance abuse is by far the most prevalent reason for addiction there are many other things that can cause it. These include such things as gambling, sex, the internet and even shopping.

Signs of addictive behaviours:

Here are 6 behavioural signs of an addict. As will be seen, each one could relate to any type of addiction. If you feel that one or more of these behaviours describes your current situation it is important to seek professional rehabilitation assistance as soon as possible. The longer your addiction continues the more entrenched it will become.

  • It is not that serious: Convincing yourself that your problem is not as serious as it really is. This sign also plays a big part in denial which is a major defence mechanism used by those dependent upon something.
  • Unable to stop: You have tried on various occasions to stop or cut-back but these efforts are very short lived.
  • Constantly on your mind: As dependence deepens you find more and more of your time is spent thinking about it, planning around it or engaging in it.
  • Classed as the ‘norm’: Convincing yourself that the only way to feel normal and cope with emotions is to be doing something related to your dependence.
  • Continuing despite negative consequences: Even though you realise the negative physical and mental consequences your actions are creating and you are fully aware of the worrying effects it is having on those closest to you. The urge to continue is far stronger and your compulsive behaviour continues.
  • Neglecting duties: Studying, work and family commitments all take a back-seat. This is due to your growing obsession and the need to partake in it on a constantly increasing basis.

Nothing should prevent you seeking help:

Whatever you are addicted to must not be kept hidden. Do not try to hide your problems due to perceived shame, embarrassment or failure. The longer you maintain denial to yourself and others the deeper your addiction will become.

Addiction And The Brain – Rehabilitation professionals are not there to judge. They are there to help. Whatever you have a dependence upon they will be able to assist and advise the most appropriate treatment available.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms.

If you or someone close has built a dependence upon alcohol it will be taking a serious toll both physically and mentally. There is also a strong possibility that seeking help is being delayed due to concerns about alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal will not be a pleasant period of your life. It is something that must be faced and overcome to ensure your life becomes far more pleasant and manageable.

Symptoms you should not shy away from:

Those who find that a drink is required to kick-start their day, or those who cannot get through a day without alcohol need to face up to the fact. Their dependence upon alcohol has to be confronted.

The obvious solution to the problem is to quit all alcohol. This is far easier said than achieved because you will already be aware that unpleasant feelings and thoughts in the form of withdrawal symptoms must be faced.

While there is no denying that initial withdrawal from alcohol will be uncomfortable. It is important to understand that with will-power and self-determination it is eminently achievable.

Withdrawal timeline:

Because everyone is different it should be expected that the alcohol withdrawal symptoms will vary for each individual. Other things that also need to be factored in are the physical and mental health of the person concerned. How long they have been dependent upon alcohol and their daily intake up to the point of withdrawal.

Any long-term drinkers with serious problems should ensure that a supervised withdrawal procedure is undertaken with professional rehab assistance available as necessary.

  • Onset of symptoms: Mild withdrawal symptoms begin as quickly as 6 hours from the last alcoholic drink. These can include:
  • Anxiety – It is completely understandable that a person’s anxiety levels will be raised due to thoughts of what is to come.
  • Shaking – Various parts of the body will shake during withdrawal and it is usually the hands that start first.
  • Headache – This can either be a constant dull headache or one that seems to increase in intensity
  • Nauseous feelings – Many withdrawing feel nauseous and it is not uncommon for this to be followed by vomiting.
  • Sleeping problems – Insomnia is common and those who do sleep often have a troubled rest.
  • Sweating – Even when room temperature is normal those going through withdrawal will suffer from bouts of sweating.
  • Symptoms intensify: Between 24-72 hours after the last drink. Blood pressure and body temperature will rise and an unusual heart rate can be experienced.
  • Final stages – Within 72 hours it is common to hallucinate, feel feverish and some have seizures of varying strength.
  • Decreasing symptoms – In the vast majority of cases all symptoms tend to decrease within 5 to 7 days.

Withdrawal is not the complete cure:

Once withdrawal is over a person should have arranged to start a period of rehabilitation either as an outpatient or by spending time at an inpatient rehabilitation establishment.

An alcohol rehab program will include treatment and counselling to help the person recovering understand the root causes of their addiction and what steps need to be taken to maintain sobriety.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Alcohol Rehabilitation Assessment.

Designer Drugs

Spice

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Designer drugs are created to circumvent legal standards and avoid prosecution, but some of these drugs are proving to be extremely harmful and overly addictive. One such synthetic drug is:

Spice AKA K2:

This synthetic chemical is designed to mimic marijuana, but goes much further. In the USA, designer drugs like K2, have already been branded Schedule 1 drugs by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). The designers though, are determined to stay ahead of such laws by constantly changing the ingredients that go to make up Spice.

This constant tinkering is what makes the drug so potentially dangerous and provides such a large range of variation in the finished product. While this may not concern the producers, it should certainly concern those considering use.

Spice addiction symptoms:

It is important for those who use K2 to understand that what they are using may not be classified as illegal but it is certainly classified as addictive.

Harmful and frightening symptoms beset many who use this drug and include:

  • Panic attacks: These can occur at any time and often build to leave the person in a state of distress
  • Hallucinations: Unwanted thoughts, images and feelings overcome the user
  • Heart rate and blood pressure: A user’s heart rate and blood pressure increases to worrying levels
  • Anxiety: Spice users are subject to anxiety attacks that distress
  • Paranoia: Feelings that everyone and everything are plotting against them are a common reaction to this drug

Physical and psychological addiction:

The big difference between Spice and natural marijuana is that Spice saturates brain receptors that marijuana only partially stimulates. In chemical terms this makes synthetic cannabinoids “full agonists”. The chemical compound found in marijuana; THC is only a “partial agonist”.

Because of the way Spice affects the mind and body it becomes more dangerous each time it is taken. This means higher doses have a two-pronged effect. These designer drugs will create increasingly serious physical reactions that include seizures, increased blood pressure and immense feelings of nausea and back this up with stronger psychological feelings already mentioned; hallucinations and paranoia but with a nasty addition. Many users also find they are subject to increasingly aggressive or violent acts.

Spice addiction treatment:

Those who find their use of Spice increasing need to seek professional assistance far sooner than later. This is because the physical and psychological reactions they receive increase each time the drug is used.

While the withdrawal process will be intense it is usually of short duration. When a person is coming off Spice they should receive professional detoxification assistance. From last use of the drug and the beginning of withdrawal symptoms anyone coming off the drug should expect peak withdrawal symptoms between 4 and 7 days from last use and gradually lessening effects over the following week.

Designer Drugs – Two forms of treatment:

It is possible for those addicted to Spice to opt for either outpatient treatment or the more focussed inpatient treatment option. The latter is seen as being far more effective due to the attention received. Although it must be stated that both forms of treatment can be successful, but what must be accepted is that addiction to Spice cannot be ignored.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Assessment.

Addiction And The LGBTQ Community

Why So High? Addiction And The LGBTQ Community

Articles, Australia, Education, International, LGBTQ, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Addiction And The LGBTQ Community – LGBTQ individuals have a far higher rate of addiction than the general population, but why so high? Here’s one major reason that rears its ugly head throughout the lives of many individuals in this community.

Increased isolation issues:

Feelings of isolation and loneliness are known factors in terms of men and women turning to substance use in order to alleviate unwanted feelings and thoughts. In doing so there is also a possibility of use turning into abuse. It is a given that the LGBTQ community have more reason than other groups to follow such a path.

Home life:

Many come from a home life and family background that simply cannot accept a person being anything other than heterosexual. This leaves LGBTQ individuals isolated because they are unable to explain their feelings and thoughts to parents or siblings and must bear their burden in silence.

School life:

Studies have indicated that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students suffer increased levels of bullying during their educational years. This can be in the form of verbal taunts or physical violence. Whichever type of violence they are subject to it is understandable that it affects them.

School years and puberty give more than enough problems on their own. Adding feelings of being an outcast or isolated because of your sexuality can cause deep angst and despair.

Work environment:

There are still far too many homophobes in the work place and life can be made very tough for someone who “is not normal”. Once again, this rejection and harassment can leave a person feeling very lonely, dispirited and isolated.

Struggling to find a community of friends:

Addiction And The LGBTQ Community – Contrary to popular belief it is not that easy for many of the LGBTQ community to find their own settled community of friends. This can lead to lonely days and nights where feelings of isolation are magnified.

A solution for many is to have a drink or use illicit drugs with the intention of easing the mental pain that isolation can bring. Both options will help in the short-term, but the following morning as well as feeling queasy those problems will still be there.

This can lead to further drinking or drug taking and if this pattern continues then dependency looms.

LGBTQ nightlife scene can lend itself to excess:

The alternative to staying home and feeling lonely is to get out on the town and visit one of the clubs that you know will be full of like-minded people. This is a positive way to go, but anyone with a potential for overdoing things needs to be wary. The alcohol may flow too freely and new people you meet may well invite you to share one drug or another. If this is allowed to become a regular occurrence then dependence will come knocking.

Isolation needs to be countered:

Isolation is just one of several reasons why so high a proportion of the LGBTQ community become addicted. This makes it all the more important for individuals concerned to bear in mind there are people with the same attitudes and sexuality as you out there willing to help and organisations that will welcome you.

Spread your net wide, look for local clubs and activities that include like-minded people and do not allow alcohol or drugs to become a crutch that is required to help you limp through life.

CLICK HERE for your Free Confidential Assessment from our LGBTQ Specialist.

Opioid Epidemic USA

The Opioid Epidemic Sweeping America – President Trump Intervenes

Alternative Treatment, Articles, Australia, Education, International, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Opioid Epidemic USA.

What many on the street and those professionals at the “coalface” of drug addiction have been stating loud and clear for some time now has finally forced decisive action from The White-House on the Opioid Epidemic USA.

September 11th every 3 weeks:

The latest figures released have placed the shocking scale of the country’s opioid epidemic at just short of 150 deaths each day.  In March of this year President Trump convened a commission to look into the situation. The commission released a preliminary report in July urging a national emergency on prescription drug use to be invoked. After further consultation and the rising death toll President Trump has finally declared a National Emergency over prescription drug use.

The major culprit – Fentanyl:

Opioid Epidemic USA – The major suspect of so many overdoses resulting in this horrendous and continuing death toll is Fentanyl. This prescribed opiate is amongst the strongest painkillers on the planet. Its power is shown in the fact that its main use is for pain-reducing interventions. This includes when a person is recovering from surgery or they are already on a strong painkiller but suffer breakthrough pain.

Fentanyl has short-duration effects and must be administered with extreme care. The capabilities of the drug mean there is a very fine line between a dose which eases pain and one that will result in overdose and death. It is clear that the number of addicts dying every day are crossing this line on an all to regular basis.

Rapid, devastating dependence:

Medical safety regulations clearly state that fentanyl should be taken under supervision and for short periods of treatment time only. The reason behind this is that the drug is ultra-addictive and rapidly creates an increased tolerance for those using it.

An example of how a tolerance grows and devastating addiction follows is the fact that someone given the same dose of fentanyl for 5 or 6 consecutive days will initially feel the desired effects. However, the same dose will barely register its effects on the user the following week. This obviously means to achieve those effects a user need to take more of the same. It is these constant increases in dosage that are killing.

Shocking statistics:

The year to March 2017 has recorded more than 65,000 deaths attributed to drug overdose. This is a 19% increase on the preceding year.

An even more startling statistic is that in excess of 560,000 people have died between 1999 and 2015. That is equivalent to the population in the state of Atlanta. Of these drug-related deaths almost two thirds were attributed to opioids such as Percocet, OxyContin and Fentanyl. All are available on prescription and the rest, the illegal opioid heroin.

Two telling facts:

Two telling facts from the report highlighted that the number of people dying from drug abuse is now totaling the amount of lives lost during September 11th atrocities every 3 weeks. Just as worryingly is the prediction that if drugs are not yet affecting individual communities and families. They very soon will be as drug abuse and addiction rampage through the country.

Opioid Epidemic USA – The importance of government action cannot be understated. The level that this problem has been allowed to reach needs answers. More importantly urgent initiatives relating to the increase of treatment facilities, mandatory education programmes and additional budget to the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI to counter the influx of illegal substances into the country need to be put in place as a matter of utmost urgency.

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