Category: Australia

You would be hard pressed to find an addict that decided to consciously take that first dose with an intention of becoming addicted, losing friends and family and have their lives spiraling out of control. It could start innocent enough, as an experiment or a dare. Or for an emotionally weathered person to find himself at difficult stages in their life and they take their drug of choice to alleviate the depression and stress. If it was not tragic, it would be funny, really – to avoid stress, depression or unpleasant relationships a person throws himself into a temporary mirage of an oasis only to doom himself for the hardship that is nothing compared to the problems he ran away from, to begin with. Sadly the punchline for that joke never ends with a laugh.

Support.

Whichever the case for the addict to find himself in the deep chasm of addiction, it is quite impossible for him to claw his way out all by himself. The way out takes a lot of time, perseverance, and support from loved ones and professionals alike.

I would wager that any addict who has fought their addiction and won first tried to do it in secret, ashamed from the stigma associated with drug use. All of them fail because while addicts own mental power and will to become clean is a huge factor, there is no such thing as “mind over matter” when it comes to fighting addiction. There are a lot of obscured facets to an addiction and craving is just one of them.

Some use drugs as a retreat from their problems, a sort of coping mechanism. While this helps short term, it creates more problems very shortly afterward, losing a job and income for example. The actual solutions to these problems get blurred away in ups and downs of having an addiction. To become clean, the addict has to essentially re-larn how to cope with the world without the crutch of drugs.

Then there are those, that slip into addiction because of their lifestyle choices and external pressure. Such a simple thing as availability can be a huge factor for a person to become addicted. Just having a dealer who can provide and fellow users who consider it normal can make the choice to experiment and inadvertently get hooked very appealing. Keeping company with other users also gives the addict a biased opinion of drug use and misguided acceptance of peers.

Either path leads to semi-permanent brain damage and ever-increasing urge to use. When the body is repeatedly flooded with chemicals that alter brain functions and patterns, it re-writes itself towards the new stimuli. Drugs usually provide a sense of intense euphoria and happiness, but it is important to understand that they act as a catalyst for the brain itself to produce neurotransmitters like serotonin which provides the feeling of pleasure. Our brain naturally creates it but in much smaller amounts during various life activities. A nice meal, favorite chocolate, and sex provide the same chemicals. A drug simply tricks the brain and sends it into overload when it comes to producing it. Repeated drug use re-write the regular brain patterns and external stimuli become necessary to induce these feelings of happiness and contentment. Worse yet, ever-increasing amounts are required to reach the same peaks. This vicious cycle repeats ad infinitum until the addict dies of an overdose or fatal organ failure.

Get support.

It is never too late to become clean and is almost impossible without help. This help can come from many factors and sources, a good talk is all it takes in some lucky cases. Most require interventions by family and friends and more yet require inpatient rehabilitation programs, professional support, counseling and like-minded fellow addicts on their path to recovery. Successfully completing a rehabilitation course program gives the best chances for the addict to become clean for a number of factors. Such as inpatient rehabs provide refuge from availability and peer pressure of drug use. During their time there, the addict learns to cope without drugs in perfect peace and harmony, without the problems and company of other active drug users. The addict is taught structure and purpose, both in themselves and in their world. Counseling and on-going support from group therapy provide insight into the addiction and how to cope with in their lives.

 

By all means, become clean on your own, but when it inevitably fails, do not hesitate to seek help from friends, family, and trained professionals. It is never too late to be sober and genuinely happy.

There are many new years resolutions we have all vowed to adhere to, but ultimately failed and abandoned. Quit smoking, quit sweets, quit heroin, quit stress? Most are unattainable at best, others impossible outright. Then there are those that are a bit of both. To commit and complete a rehabilitation course and kick an addiction is probably one of the most ambitious new year’s resolutions one could attempt and definitely no other more necessary.

Millions of people claim to kick a bad habit every year, be it open and candid or perhaps secretly and to themselves. You would be hard pressed to find an addict that loves to be one and doesn’t mind all the lost friends, family, and opportunities that came and went over the years. Very few actually reach and complete their new target, even fewer do so in that very year. Battle with addiction is a long and hard one, but like every road has to have a beginning, so must the path to sobriety.

Do not deny the problem.

There are countless addicts out there that genuinely do not believe that they are addicts. People will find a justification for almost any action. Using drugs is not an exception. It usually takes for them to hit the proverbial rock bottom or attending a particularly candid intervention by friends and family to realize and come to terms with the fact that yes, you are indeed an addict and no you don’t need that bad habit to cope with the world.

An addict with a runaway addiction problem is almost constantly looking for drugs or using drugs. A simple delay in that schedule can send an addict into panic and at odds with everyone around them. Addicts become withdrawn and anti-social. For better chances of recovery, the addict himself must come to the conclusion that he has a problem and he wants to claw his way back out of it. Forceful rehabilitation is very unlikely to succeed because they must want to get clean. Simply locking someone in a room will cure them of their dependence, but it will never cure their addiction. As soon as they are out and left to their own devices, the addict will find any chance to score a hit again. For forced addicts rehab is just a sentence one must endure to be set free again. While trapped in their own minds, addicts will never be free.

Taking the step.

Once the addict has understood that the only path away from wasting away in a ditch is a rehabilitation course, it’s important to choose the right rehab center. The first choice is between inpatient and outpatient rehabs. While outpatient rehabs and their programs are much cheaper, they seldom have the success rates of an inpatient rehab. It’s important to remember, that the inpatient centers have an environment, facilities and activities catered for the addict’s recovery. Being isolated from the outside world the addict can focus on his recovery without temptations and stress that would not be possible otherwise.

What to expect.

Be it an inpatient or outpatient rehab, the basis for recovery is the same. Support and care. The addict is surrounded by like-minded people who want to help you on your way to independence from drugs. A peaceful and serene bubble of their very own so the patient can thrive and heal both mentally and physically – an inpatient rehabilitation center. Outpatient addicts receive the same kind of support and help, yet they run the risk of temptation. They remain in their usual comfort zone, where drug using friends keep coming by and offering a bump, where a dealer is a call away and ready to sell you some poison. In the case of alcohol its even worse, since every shop and corner store sells hard liquor and every other type of alcohol.

Getting clean is a conscious choice. It is a battle of will every inch of the way and will not come easy. Wanting to be clean and dedicating oneself to be sober is a just and worthwhile new year’s resolution and definitely one to keep.

You have been an addict for years. You have been on the straight and narrow for a while now, could be years, perhaps just months. Still, you are crystal clear and on your way to sobriety. Then something happens. It could be anything – an old friend you used to use drugs with, that taste of fries sauce from the local late night eatery you used to frequent when high, or something that someone says. It could be anything and at any time, an addict gets triggered and relapse is about to happen, right? Not really.

A slip into relapse.

First thing anyone should understand is that there is a common misconception about what a relapse is. Most people refer to a slip as if it’s a full-blown relapse. While both are similar in nature, it’s important to understand the differences.

A slip is a one-time weakness. It’s a misstep, a mistake. For an addict to make a step back from their treatment is a huge deal, since every step made forward has been hard-fought and exchanged for intense work and sweat so a slip will occur only against the addict’s knowledge, like getting spiked or tricked into using a substance or during a moment of extreme weakness. Typically, as soon as the slip has occurred the addict feels bad about it and his morale is boosted with more dedication for their rehabilitation program. One slip is not necessarily a confirmed relapse.

A relapse is a slip that got out of hand. Instead of feeling shame for the moment of weakness, the addict feels relief and seeks shelter in drugs once more. Abandoning any rehabilitation programs and contact with their sponsor, counselor and support group is a relapse. Returning to regular abuse of drugs or alcohol, avoiding friends and becoming anti-social is a textbook relapse.

I relapsed. What now?

It is never too late to resume your battle with your addiction. Each addict has a very special case, no such thing as a universal approach to addiction. Since addiction is both a physical and a mental affliction, the methods of countering the addiction must be tailor made. A slip or even a relapse is simply a sign of the addict’s resistance to the rehabilitation program. The only specialist staff of a rehabilitation center can determine the best steps forward but usually, the best course is to return to the program with extra determination or a new program to be introduced. The longer the relapse has had its hold on the addict, the harder and further back the rehabilitation process will be set back. No time like right now.

Why do we relapse?

As mentioned before, we are all different. Our minds have extremely varying properties, dreams, hopes, fears and aspirations. Previous experiences and upbringing also play a huge part in how an addiction develops in a person. It is important to remember that an addiction is a disease and it affects the addict’s brain in a very bad way. Continuous abuse of drugs or alcohol damages the brain by overwriting its behavioral patterns and how to react to certain stimuli. Essentially our minds forget how to cope and exist without the drug of our choice.

A well-planned rehabilitation course aims to alter the addict’s brain in a good way, to restrict stimulus to the affected areas of the brain and give it time and a chance to heal and restore normal processes. In many cases complete recovery is not possible, there will always be that voice in the back of an addict’s mind, that urges to return to using. It becomes easier and easier to control this voice over time, but sometimes the old addictive patterns kick in and a slip up happens. Statistically the relapse rate is 40-60%, however, it is up to the addict if he is to become part of this statistic.

It all depends on how a slip is treated. If it is treated as a challenge and reminder of why strict discipline and willpower is needed to continue normal and fulfilling life, it can even be beneficial. Ignored, however, the slip up will become a relapse and return to addiction is guaranteed.

To fight addiction is to sign up for an almost never-ending battle with yourself. Best anyone can do is to stack the odds in your favor by regularly receiving help and guidance from professionals and family alike.

As a disease alcoholism is not like most other diseases. It is impossible to simply catch it in one day or by doing any one specific action. It takes time to become an alcoholic, which may seem awful short from the perspective of the alcoholic himself, yet for the people looking in, it is painfully apparent. Alcoholism begins tame and escalates gradually. What begins as social drink once in a while drops in a spiral of alcoholism if unchecked and alcohol is consumed unresponsibly. For decades young adults have been taking upon themselves to prove who can drink their way through an education institution. That said, statistically alcoholism proves to be a challenge for great many seniors worldwide aswell.

Descending the slippery slopes of alcoholism usually applies to few distinct stages. Let’s have a look at them and try to describe them in order to better understand the mind of an alcoholic and to understand the debilitating disease that besets him.

Step one, experiments.

When a person first begins their interaction with alcohol, it never happens drastically. Alcohol afterall is an acquired taste. It may affect most people the same way, but an avid fan of fine wines would scoff at hard liquour and vice versa. Regardless of personal preferences, at this stage alcohol is consumed cautiously and with respect. At this stage it would be beneficial to find what is the basis of ones consumption of alcohol. Does it make you happy? Perhaps it helps you lose stress? Do you feel anxious when sober? Answering yes to any of these questions puts you at risk of addictive behaviors and at greater risk of becoming an alcoholic.

Step two, daily use.

As with any addictive substance, alcohol requires more and more of it in the system to achive the same euphoric and sedative effects. Ever-increasing amounts of alcohol need to be consumed every time the drinker aims to get drunk. This stage can be critical at halting growing alcohol addiction. At this point the addiction has not caused any long-lasting damage to the addicts body and he is able to function as normal. Not for very long though.

Step three, obviously problematic use.

At this stage the rising alcoholic may begin drinking during inappropriate times or places. Such as during work, caring for minors or while driving. When the need to drink is larger than keeping your child safe, you know you have a problem. Rise of psychological issues is very prominent in this stage, insomnia, loss of hair and increased irritability. These usually cascade into relationships issues – trouble at work or close friends and family. This is first stage where friends and family begin to notice that the addict is in obvious turmoil and deep stress.

Step four, addiction.

The final stage of alcoholism is tough on both the addict and his immideate circle of friends and family. The addict becomes more and more self-destructive and anxious. The addiction is both physical and psychological at this point and is no longer a vice but rather a full blown disease. Suddenly stopping alcohol intake at this point can be extremely dangerous to the addicts health and can be fatal. Cardiac arrest, pulmonary complications and stroke are common effects of going “cold turkey” and stopping all alcohol intake. Most addicts rarely enjoy their drink at this stage, and have very little control over its intake. It is as natural for them to be under the influence of alcohol as it is to breathe and blink. At this point significant damage to the body has already been done and is only to get worse. Liver damage, brain damage and heart diseases are widesperad between alcoholics of this stage. The only way to avoid fatal organ failure is to seek professional help and begin a rehabilitation course. Practically noone has ever quit drinking on their own once reaching this stage of alcohol addiction.

At any stage alcoholism can be treated and its devastating rampage on the addicts body and mind can be slowed down and eventually stopped. The sooner any addiction is discovered the easier it is for professional rehabilitation specialists to turn the addicts life around. Being sober seems normal to most of us, but for an addict it seems like a light at the end of a tunnel, so close – yet so far. Do not hesitate to seek help with your problems, drugs and alcohol is never the answer.

If you have ever had the chance to speak to an addict you will quickly realize they are just as human as anyone else. They have their fears, aspirations, dreams and a closet full of skeletons. We all have things we decide to hide from plain view, be it to keep something intimate and all yours, or perhaps because it would cause shame to you or people you associate with. An addict is a secretive individual by design. Society deems drug use a poor life choice and with it comes judgment and shaming. As such, there are a lot of secrets in an addicts head and even more questions that they will always try to avoid. Let’s narrow down a few of the most popular ones.

What drugs do you use?

Unless the drug of their choice is something relatively harmless as marijuana, an addict will not give up his poison of choice easily. Cocaine has fallen from its “cool” status for many years. Miami Vice and Scarface did a lot to popularize the drug, but these days it carries negative connotations. Crystal meth, heroin or some type of prescription painkillers – all of them are hard drugs and most addicts will not be proud of using them.

How much do you use?

The biggest caveat to drug use is that they are all moreish. Some more than others but all of them make the addict crave more. It could be more per hit, or just more hits in a shorter period of time. An addict that started off with a hit or two a day for recreational purposes can find himself spending most of his conscious hours looking for the money for their drug or looking for the drug itself. Either way, an addict is not proud of his consumption rate of the drug. It may be a badge of honor among guys to see how many bottles of beer can he chug, but for addicts having the need to use more than some would deem appropriate is a topic they usually try to avoid.

Where do you get your drugs?

An experienced addict could be a secret agent in some government agency or a detective. They have honed their skills at shaking followers and covering their routes to their dealer out of pure necessity. Drugs are illegal and buying them from a shady guy somewhere is just as illegal if not more, depending on your local laws. An addict has probably established a long-lasting relationship with his dealer, he sells regularly and probably offers some kind of discount. Losing this contract could mean days or even weeks without their drug which is a big problem for any addict, so they do their best not to reveal their sources.

Where do you get your drug money?

As mentioned earlier selling and buying drugs is highly illegal in most countries. The punishment for being caught doing either of these things can vary depending on the country but generally, it’s no walk in the park. That, however, does not stop most hardcore addicts who have already alienated their friends and family by stealing from them to resort to crime in order to acquire the funds necessary for their habit. When all that you own is pawned and when most people will not let you in their home for fear of being robbed most addicts turn to the prostitution of robberies. An addict who is hiding his addiction well could be robbing people at night and packing their groceries during the day. Whatever the case, they will rarely divulge their extra income that is dedicated to drug-related expenses.

How much money do you spend on drugs?

An aspiring addict may boast about the great price he got for that first dime-bag or couple of rocks of meth. When the addiction really sets in the amount of drugs needed to stay on that wave increases each time. Buying more and more each time, eventually, an addict will begin stealing money from friends or family, selling their prized possessions or turn to criminal activities to keep up their expensive habit. When you feel like you had to sell a piece of jewelry that meant a lot to you just to get your next hit, you have hit a new low. Generally, no addict will reveal to you how much it costs to keep up, which is a shame really because if more people knew the physical and moral bankruptcy that awaits them down the  road, a lot fewer people would begin the trip.

 

The list of questions addicts would rather avoid answering goes on and on. The ones mentioned above are the most prominent and important ones, though. As an addict in recovery, all of these and much more uncomfortable truths will have to be faced. Consider this, the sooner an addict realizes the mistake they are making, the fewer of these questions they will have to answer.