Category: Australia

There are countless people who can claim that alcohol causes them significant problems. Statistically, more than 25% of young adults resort to binge-drinking and as such almost everyone has someone they know, that has the potential to be an alcohol abuser.

That said, most people don’t realise that there is a stark difference between alcohol abuse and addiction. It’s hard to identify the type of alcohol problem someone has because most people who suffer from it, don’t usually admit having a problem. Since most of us know someone who has an issue with moderate consumption of alcohol, it’s imperative, that we understand the fundamental differences between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, for they are not one and the same, contrary to what most people believe.

Abuse

Alcohol abuse can be told apart from addiction by examining their previous offences in this area. Is your friend or loved one spending every weekend in a drunken stupor? Do their binges usually, begin around payday? Perhaps there is something more obscure to be seen? Alcohol abuse is a pattern behaviour, meaning that it usually repeats itself when certain aspects align that allow, induce or justify alcohol consumption. It is not a dependency of alcohol that urges them to drink. If decided or forced to stop their binge-drinking cycle it would not send the patient into fits of withdrawal. Not yet anyway. That said, uncontrolled and excessive drinking can lead to a plethora of other problems.

• A drastic change of behaviour and personality when under the influence of alcohol.
• Inconsistent dedication to their professional or social obligations.
• Drastic mood swings, easy to anger.
• Alcohol becomes the focal point of social interaction and relaxation.

The main difference between a person addicted to alcohol and a person who just abuses it is that the abusers usually understand their issue and acknowledge the problem. This leads to themselves and others around them to believe that their problem is surely not that dire since it is a common misconception that a person with true alcohol problems will always deny ever having a problem in the first place. This enables the alcohol abuser to keep indulging their vice under the guise of being fully aware of their issue when in reality it is deliberately or subconsciously used as a “cop-out” or an easy way to ignore the root of the problem. These behavioural cycles can often become a rhythm that lulls the alcohol abuser into a full blown addiction.

Addiction

This is alcoholism in its true form – an addiction. This means that the withdrawal of their vice of choice might and most likely will damage their core bodily functions and make almost impossible to lead a normal life without it. The body has developed a hard dependency on alcohol to function and exhibit the following symptoms:

• Uncontrollable sweating
• Seizures and cramps
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia
• Anxiety and panic attacks

If two or more of these symptoms are observed its important to get the patient professional attention as soon as possible. These symptoms can evolve into life-threatening situations such as respiratory shock, stroke or heart failure if not treated and brought under control.

Telling the two apart

Abusive alcohol behaviour is very widespread and more common than most people give it credit for. It is the third largest preventable cause of death in the United States alone and biggest offender worldwide. On the other hand, alcoholism is not as widespread but by no means any less serious issue.

Alcohol abusers are much easier to identify in most situations. They are the soul of every social gathering, and usually set the pace of the festivities until they either black out from drinking or get asked by others to calm down, usually with little success. They are in most cases able to limit themselves to drinking in socially acceptable places and times. The main issue stems not from drinking all the time, but drinking too much when there is a reason or excuse to drink. They may drink themselves to a stupor in a three-day bender but will clean up nicely a day after and usually stay away from the drink for longer periods of time until ultimately returning to it and repeating this cycle all over again.

Alcohol addicts are much harder to identify. Their prolonged exposure and abuse of alcohol have made their bodies more tolerant than most drinkers and as such don’t usually appear drunk to others. Another rather counter-intuitive sign of an alcohol addict is exceptionally harsh-hangovers, thus making people around him think that he is simply inexperienced drinker when, in fact, it’s the other way around. They don’t over-drink often, however, they are drinking almost constantly, during working hours and when at home, most of the time alone. They have very poor self-control when it comes to staying sober in various social situations where drinking is frowned upon. There are many cases where alcohol addicts will go, for example, a job interview tipsy or even flat out drunk.

Similarities between abuse and addiction

The biggest and unfortunately the most complex similarities between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse is the fact, that professional help is required to get these vices under control and steer back to the path of recovery. Both of these sides of the same coin can have a deep-rooted and extensive impact on their lives. Both of these problems have need of professional guidance to open their eyes and show them the magnitude of the problem they are facing.

As serious medical conditions, both addiction and abuse should be treated with utmost care and seriousness. Inpatient rehabilitation treatment is the perfect course of action when tackling these issues as they provide a safe and caring environment where under the careful guidance of psychologists and doctors, both addict and abuser can understand their own reasons for falling in this pit and show them the path to recovery.

Almost every substance we use can be destructive and damaging in nature. Most can be prevented with careful dosing, while others will slowly eat you from inside, destroying your body and scattering your sanity to the wind. Here are five “drugs” that will damage your mind and destroy your body.

Heroin

This drug is not terribly destructive on its own. Not at first, at least. It damages your body very slowly and in subtle ways, until you try to quit. That’s when it kicks in and physical addiction takes over. Heroin is very hard to quit, because over prolonged period of time it melds with your body and its functions making withdrawal symptoms very pronounced and even deadly. That’s right, a heroin user who has been under the drug for years is physically unable to simply go “cold turkey”. This makes it the one of the most popular addictions that are being treated in drug rehabilitation centres around the world, mostly due to the fact that an in-patient programme is necessary, complete with detoxification and often even hospitalization. Its covert approach at making you dependable makes heroin very hard to simply quit overnight. It’s a long and arduous process. One that must be begun as soon as possible. Heroin slowly but surely destroys heart valves and their lining. Prolonged needle use can infect and even collapse veins. The real danger from heroin, however comes in overdosing. University of Utah reports in their studies, that heroin is responsible for more deaths by overdose than any other drug.

Alcohol

Most of you will probably be surprised that alcohol is featured in an article about most dangerous drugs, yet it deserves its place here for a very good reason. Thousands upon thousands of people die from alcoholism every single day. According to World Health Organization more than 3.3 million deaths are attributed to alcohol consumption. Due to its relative legality to most drugs on this list, alcohol is more dangerous than all of them combined. Its ease of access and simplicity is the cornerstone of its popularity – after all, alcohol was invented more than 10,000 years ago. Alcohol destroys relationships, that’s what it’s known for the most, however full-blown alcoholism can mean a severely scarred liver, brain damage and mental disorders. Alcohol is the number one preventable death cause in the world.

Crack Cocaine

Most people will call crack cocaine, or simply crack, one of the most addictive drugs in the world. It kicks like a mule, but it doesn’t last long and therefore the need to hit another bump is very high. It’s a very “moreish” drug, making people addicted to it jump through hoops that they would never thought possible. Crack is very often attributed as the choice of drug for the homeless and desperate. Few understand that it is the very drug they use, that drove them to such state. The need to always get more is what drives people away from their families, moves them to steal and sell their bodies for pleasure just to get a quick profit that could satiate their thirst for more crack. It is extremely destructive on human body. It destroys your heart, kidneys and liver. Prolonged use can damage arteries and blood vessels in the brain, yet again raising blood pressure. No wonder that most crack addicts die of heart failure or stroke. It also has sever and adverse effects on human mind. It induces hallucinations, paranoia and depression that can lead to a full blown psychosis.

Methamphetamine

This drug is most often called by its street name – crystal meth. It’s derived from the form that this drug takes once ready for consumption. It comes in crystals that once crushed can be consumed by smoking it in a pipe. All of the substances in this article are dangerous for one reason or another, be it accessibility, difficulty to quit or simply by the physical damage they do to your internal organs. Meth is special, however, as it destroys in one the most basic ways – changing the brain chemistry of the user. It changes the way user’s body experiences pleasure and impairs few very important cognitive functions. National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that there is a large amount of addicts who had gone through their treatment and even after restoring their dopamine receptors to normal, still suffered from severely impaired cognitive functions like motor functions, coordination and even memory. Crystal meth is also extremely devastating to human body as well, it destroys red blood cells, muscle tissue and practically shuts down the natural healing and restoration processes. Meth addicts often exhibit rapid aging signs – induced by weeks of sleepless periods at a time, caused by the need to use or find more.

Prescription Drugs

Why are these here, right? They are prescribed, why they would be dangerous and destructive. A doctor would not give me something that would be bad for me, surely. It’s a coin with two ends since as I mentioned in the beginning of this article – most substances out there could kill or damage you if misused. Alarming amount of people are addicted to prescription drugs. How do they get hooked? It’s quite simple, sadly. All it takes is ignoring the doctor’s directions and taking the prescribed medicine more often or in bigger quantities than advised. Others acquire prescription drugs because they are much easier to get than illegal drugs. Prescription drugs are extremely addictive and lead to dangers due to higher amounts being taken exponentially as the user develops a tolerance for it. In USA alone more than 120,000 people a year are rushed into the hospital due to overdose of prescription medicine.

While everything out there in large enough quantities could kill us, these are the worst offenders in this case. Be it heroin, alcohol, meth, crack or even prescription medicine, there are options and treatments for all cases. All it takes is the willpower to do something about it. Reach out and seek help for your addictions.

A very wide range of vices plague people in every corner of the planet. Just a few of those fall in the drugs and alcohol category. Many people can enjoy these things in moderation, either self-imposed or with the blessing of drug control authorities, prescription drugs for example. However, there are people who cannot control their vices and become addicted to various substances, both legal and illegal. The worst part about all this, is that addiction can kill and majority of time will destroy the life of the addict, as well as lives of those he holds dear.

To hear that a family member or a close friend has passed away due to an overdose is terrible. People around the addict who died begin to question themselves and many slip into a downward slope of depression. Many will try to help the addict, like his family and his friends. Unfortunately the efforts to sway the addict from his course of self-destruction can come too late and falls on deaf ears. There are those, who will not notice that their loved one is slipping into addiction or will pick up on it and try to intervene only to fail. If more people would know how to spot the tell-tale signs and symptoms of substance abuse and addiction, they might be able to get the addict the help he needs.

According to CDC, or Center for Disease Control, men are more prone to losing their lives to alcohol or drug addiction. Most people are under the impression that this is predominantly a young adult and teen issue, yet that is not the case – age group that is most likely to overdose is between 45 and 55 years of age. It is important for all of us to see the signs a mile off, be able to pick up on subtle hints and subconscious cries for help of people we love.

Denial

To begin a path to recovery one must first come to terms with their flaws and shortcomings. To fix a flat tire, you must first admit that the tire is flat and that it must be fixed. That seems straight forward enough until it comes at a price of swallowing pride and accepting help. Humans are proud beings and as such rarely admit to their faults as that removes them from their comfort zone and shows the world how vulnerable they are. Whatever the cause – shame or guilt, denial is one of the most common barriers an addict will build around him and one of the hardest things for the loved ones of the addict to overcome. Most addicts don’t believe they have a problem to begin with. In their mind, they are controlling it, everything is just fine. They are going through the motions of their daily activities like work and meeting with friends or family, but at the back of their head they are planning that next hit or a drink. Or worse, desperately trying to find where to get their next fix. They might slowly change the group of people they associate with, people with similar interests and cravings, just to ensure they can have a bump whenever they want, without the scrutiny of loved ones and friends who are clean.

All this happens slowly, gradually and without much of a fanfare. By the time most addicts have nothing more to hide behind and are forced to admit to themselves they are addicted, it’s already too late to simply cut out and turn back. Thankfully, human beings are social creatures. We interact with people in our community, friends and family on a daily basis. These people are the lifeline of a developing addict, even if he himself is blind to see it. There are signs we – people that care, can pick up on and act before it’s too late.

Some of the signs a person is under the influence or addiction of drugs can be quite clear and obvious, once paid attention to:

• Red and bloodshot eyes with large pupils
• Impaired motor functions
• Sudden fluctuation in weight
• Impaired speech
• Shakes and tremors
• Sudden lack of personal hygiene

There are also more subtle signs of behaviour of a possible drug addict, that loved ones should be paying attention to if they become prominent:

• Constant daydreaming and inability to stay focused
• Financial issues and possible clash with the authorities
• Mood swings and outbursts of aggression and anger
• Complete loss of motivation to do even the simplest of things
• Depression
• Stress and anxiety

For better or for worse, alcohol addict can be identified much easier. Mostly due to the fact that alcohol is legal and can be openly enjoyed in most societies. Alcohol lacks the stigma of being an illegal substance, as such alcohol is much easier to acquire and use therefore alcohol addicts are harder to convince they have a problem. It’s harder to feel yourself slipping into the abyss of alcohol addiction because you are just having a drink right? It’s not like you are going out and pumping your veins with heroin or snorting endless rails of cocaine, right? It’s just a drink. And then another. And then another one.

Identifying the addict in this situation is not hard. Convincing them is, but for those who have very little to do with alcohol, here are a few signs your loved one may be in need of an intervention:

• Sudden changes in personality
• Mood swings
• Impaired coordination and motor functions
• Lack of self-esteem
• Lack of inhibitions
• Drinking without company
• Depression
• Shakes and withdrawal symptoms

When planning an intervention, it’s important that the message is delivered through people that are close and dear to the addict. There will be times when these people have been already pushed away by the addict, over many years of substance abuse but it takes the strength of just a few of them to save the addict. Family members, friends and even colleagues can participate, anyone who is close to the addict and are concerned with the well-being of the addict, is not shy about sharing their views and how the addict and his affliction is impacting them. The confrontation is going to be awkward, so love and understanding must be most prominent emotion here. Preferably in a safe and familiar environment to the addict. Hate, anger and blame games will only push him away and you will never get through to him again. A calm and relaxed yet serious and caring tone should be employed, while still allowing loved ones to ask questions and share their feelings.

Professional Advice

An ill prepared intervention can do more harm than good. The addict will feel shamed and bullied, will put up barriers and layers of emotions, driven by anger and depressing feeling that the entire world is against him. Most likely will succumb to the addiction with gusto and lose the will to fight it. People who care about the addict should first contact a specialized rehabilitation centre and discuss the organization of an intervention. Every case is different so there is no scenario that will benefit all cases. A therapist can help you understand what to do and what not to do in an intervention, it would augment the chances of the intervention being successful and allow the addict to make first steps towards recovery. They can offer information, knowledge, expertise and most importantly – facilities and treatment plans for when the addict has come to start realization about their problem.

Emotional support and communication – that is what an intervention is all about. The first steps to recovery are the hardest and the path will test both the addict and his loved ones. It will be painful both mentally and physically, but with enough preparation and open communication all parties involved can be ready for it.

When offered, this new rehabilitation technique usually raise a few eyebrows. Few could ever guess, that animals have more than a few ways of helping a recovering addict.

To begin, there are very empathic animals on this beautiful planet. Few species, like dogs and horses, for example, are very open about their emotions. They do not lie, they do not deceive. If scared, they show fear. If angered, they will not think twice about expressing this emotion. These animals are completely honest and open about themselves. That is something that does not come easy to an addict.

Not only are they open for input and have no issues showing their inner emotions, they are also very empathic and literally soak up the energies around them and reflect them backwards. If a person near the horse is unsettled or anxious, it will be skittish and cautious. Most first time riders will tell you that being nervous about getting in the saddle is the worst thing you could do. The animal literally feels your reluctance and fear and becomes very hard to control and form a bond between the rider and the animal.

Negative feedback, of course, is not what therapy animals are for. They show the addict how to communicate without words, using emotions and feelings alone. Gestures, intentions, thoughts even. All this allows the addict to get in tune with himself and come to terms with the emotions that flow through him. Very often people think they are calm and relaxed but their demeanour and energy is conflicting this. A therapy animal would feel this during interaction and reflect it backwards. This allows the addict to utilize this emotional honesty to detect issues he might have beneath the surface, allows the therapy animal to gauge it and guide it.

Horses are generally large and, more often than not, very intimidating animals. Just by the way an addict interacts with such an animal gives a lot of information to the therapist about the patient. If a person is energetic and often aggressive in their relationships to his peers and family, usually his approach to interacting with the horse will be similar.

On the other side of the spectrum, if the patient has a shy and submissive personality, the therapy horse will reign supreme and will rarely submit to direction or even interaction. To earn the horses respect one must be able to sternly state and clearly show what it is, that they want to say or do. Being assertive, the middle ground between being passive and aggressive, is what horses respond to the most.

Animals have been helping us cope with stress and emotional issues for as long as we domesticated our first pets more than 12,000 years ago. Modern animal research and studies show tangible evidence that having a pet like a dog or a cat can reduce the owners blood pressure. Simply petting an animal can lower your breathing rate, calm your hands and allows you to focus almost instantly. A happy dogs wagging tail is often enough to make most of us forget a bad day in the office or a fight with a friend. When we feel unwell or emotionally drained, your cat often seeks you out and curls up on your chest or stomach and purrs until your woes melt away and energy comes rushing back.

Stress being one of the most important things to manage in a life of a recovering addict, having a pet can be a huge help. This help goes both ways, as the addict also has to care for his pets, feed and groom them. They learn to care and love the animal, teaching compassion while fortifying the feeling we all get when someone is depending on us, that someone cares.

Most addicts have forgotten what its like to be happy and content, stress free and in company that unanimously accepts and understands them. Animals can bridge that gap, remind them what its like to feel unconditional love, both given and received.

Many parents blame themselves, when they find out their child is abusing drugs. After all, we have all been reminded by the society, that if you raise your children right, they will not use any drugs and will stay out of trouble. That, however is not true. Herding children like sheep does not work, they have their own dreams, thoughts, goals and aspirations. Their scale of values is drastically different, than that of an adult. Unfortunately, this rebellious nature of our offspring is one of the likely causes that contribute to the harrowing teen drug abuse statistics of twenty first century.

When surveyed, our youth paints a pretty shocking picture.  More than 70% of teens participating in this survey had used drugs within the last year, and 30% of them had used marijuana. What is even scarier, is the fact that nearly 10% of them had used some type of stimulant and another 10% have dabbled in opiates.

What is not so shocking, is what we already know – drug abuse can be critically detrimental to both teens and adults. Drugs and their effects do not discriminate by age, race or ethnicity – the damage is real and plain to see for all of us. A common manifestation of teen’s runaway problem with drug abuse are falling grades and failed classes. Skipping classes altogether seems a much better alternative to studying when it comes to chasing the high and putting in the work to find your next fix. As a result, dropping out of school is a very common occurrence among troubled teens. Sadly, this is not where the cause and effect loop ends. Skewed list of priorities and ruined future prospects due to sub-par education, sadly, are not the only negative effects of drug abuse. They are more prone to mental problems, physical altercations that often end in homicide, illness or suicide.

If you find yourself in a role of a parent that is facing his child abusing drugs, it’s imperative, that you understand the possible causes and reasons for it. There are a number of factors that contribute to drug abuse among young adults and children.

Curiosity

Increasing amount of teens turn to drug use because they are simply bored and curious of new experiences. That drive every parent puts in their child, to learn and seek out new sources of knowledge and experience is seldom controlled. The sword of curiosity can cut both ways and the idolization of drugs and drug use in modern media is sending our children the wrong message. A study performed by American Academy of Paediatrics show that advertisement may be responsible for nearly 30% of teen drug, alcohol and tobacco use. The latter two still being advertised vigorously on billboards, in magazines, in movies and music culture. Nearly 25% of music videos and just as big of a percentage of R rated movies show tobacco use. Alcohol falls in very similar margins of percentages.

These sources of information and influence rarely explain the detrimental effects of substance abuse, not to mention that the ability to make rational and logical decisions is still developing during the teens of a young adult life. This contributes to children being highly susceptible to influence and subliminal messaging. They are easily swayed by what they see and hear and it should be every parent’s top priority, to be aware of what is your child watching and listening to. Most of these sources if bad influence are disguised as regular adverts and movie scenes. Being able to identify potentially troublesome source of media that your child is absorbing can mean the difference between a stern talking with your child and visiting him in a juvenile detention centre. It’s important your child understands the difference between real life and what is being depicted in movies and music videos.

Fitting In

Every teen has the desire to be part of something, belonging to something. Most teens find the need to fit in with their peers. They spend much more time with their peers than their own parents so their influence on each other must not be underestimated. Many children will do and say things they would not normally do – just to fit in. What is even more troubling, is that the polar opposite can have the exact same effect. Teens who feel like outcasts and have low self-esteem are just as likely to succumb to drug abuse to alleviate the negativity they encounter on a daily basis and generally feel better about themselves.

This need to belong and share similar interests often result in drug abuse epidemic in some schools. Most teens when surveyed have admitted that school is the easiest environment to acquire illegal substances or make acquaintances that would allow them to do so. More than 80% of surveyed teens admitted to knowing someone in their class who had a substance abuse problem, while 17% admitted to using themselves.

Inform your child that it is not necessary to use substances just to fit in. A strong sense of individualism and pride in one self should be taught to your child from an early age. Understanding of cause and effect should make it clear to them that socializing with people who do not abuse drugs is preferable to those that gamble with their future and lives.

Stress and Pressure

School in any of its forms, can be a very stressful and tiring part of any young adults life. They are under constant pressure to perform – have good grades and be active in extracurricular activities. For many, this time also means their first work-experience as a summer job or part time work commitment. They are preparing for their future, as is reminded to them by all the adults in their lives, often on a daily basis. Is it any surprise then, that our children turn to things that can help them cope with this onslaught of information, peer-pressure and the inherent need to make parents proud with their achievements? A simple survey performed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America shows that nearly 75% of teens partake and abuse substances to cope with the stress and pressure in their lives. That is countered by their parents, only 7% of whom, believe that their child would use drugs to deal with stress.

It’s important your child learns of various ways to alleviate stress and negative emotions. They need to understand what stress is, that it’s a normal part of everyone’s life and is what makes them unique as a personality. Explain, that we are all stressed out by many different factors and being able to identify the triggers is a path towards a happy and stress-free life. Show them alternatives to drug abuse as a means to an end.

Rebellion and Individualism

Most children will seek out approval of their parents until one day they decide they are adult enough, know what’s better for themselves and generally feel like their parents are just holding them back. Just as kids have an inherent need to fit in, they also feel like their parents are out of sync with their train of thought and are not qualified to pass judgement. Sudden interest in drugs and alcohol is a direct contradiction to what most parents wish for their kids and therefore is a justified means to an end – rebellion. Standing up for one self and being an individual who can make their own decisions. This, more often than not, is direct result of parents teaching their child a sense of self-reliance and individualism we already spoke about earlier in this article. Kids take that idea and just run with it, feeling suddenly betrayed by their parents who have been teaching them all this time to cultivate their sense of individuality and strong personality.

One of the most important part of any parent’s responsibilities is to stay involved in the lives of their children, know where they are and what they are doing. Be aware that this goes in direct contradiction to what the child is trying to achieve and might feel like you are deliberately standing in their way of growth. Communication is the key here, let them know that your intentions are only for their own benefit. This is one of the situations where you have to be careful how strict of a parent you are. Trying to counter their rebellious nature might make them resent you even more and is very often the cause for bad blood between parents and their child, long after they have already grown up and might have a family of their own.

Rushing Adulthood

In a life of a troubled teenager, under constant peer and parental pressure, drug use can make them feel as if they have already passed through this stage in their life. They strive to become adults as soon as possible, because in their eyes adults have everything permitted and none of their current troubles would matter if only they would be an adult. Adults don’t go to school where there are bullies and groups of children that are mean to each other. Adults surely don’t have relationship issues, since mom and dad are so happy together and that’s because they are adult, right? This kind of thinking is rife among young adults and they feel like substance abuse is something that would propel them into adulthood and rid them of their personal issues. Furthermore, teens that are in company of adults that use various substances to augment their life, are more prone to succumbing to such vices themselves. Therefore, it’s imperative that you set your child a positive role model, an example to strive for.

Being a parent is never easy, even more so when your child is abusing illegal substances. There are millions of parents that are in the exact same situation, for better or worse. There is a lot of help out there, excellent rehabilitation programmes and trust groups willing to help. Whatever you do, don’t be passive, your child’s future is at stake.