Category: Articles

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.

The holiday season is upon us. The streets are bustling with busy shoppers and everywhere you see there are festive decorations and people spreading Christmas cheer. Unless you are an addict of course. In that case, streets are noisy, happy people remind you of how unhappy and depressed you feel, of the people you lost along the road of addiction. Holidays can mean a wide range of different things for different people. Most addicts would agree, though, that the holiday season can take its toll on them. It can be stressful for most, but for a recovering addict, it is on a whole new level. Gray and dark days, mandatory “pretend everything is perfect” parties and financial pressure can make even the most steadfast and resilient addict reach for a drink or a drug of their choice, just to take the edge off.

Holiday season means slippery roads for everyone. For most addicts, this slippery slope is all it takes for a full blown relapse.

But why?

People who don’t understand why holidays can be extremely difficult for an addict just need to think a little and it all makes sense. It is important to understand what is it, that triggers a recovering addict into relapse. Negativity, depression, temptation, stress and conflict. These and much more contribute to an addict and his reasons for using. Now, let’s have a look why something as happy and cheery as Christmas holidays could invoke any of the aforementioned feelings.

Cold periods of the year tend to bring with them a slew of undesirable weather patterns. Dark, dreary gray skies, sleet on the streets and wet clothing will make anyone miserable. Bad weather impacts all of us more than we would like to admit. There is always that voice at the back of addicts mind, the one that says its ok to be weak, ok to break and seek relief. An addict will find any excuse to use again and bad weather is as good an excuse as any. Staying positive when everything around you seems morbid and cold can be a daunting task.

Most holiday gatherings involve a lot of people and place a huge emphasis on food and drink. Staying sober is a tough act to keep up if all you can think about is that eggnog or a glass of brandy in front of the cozy fire. These parties usually consist of large amounts of people, mostly family, and friends. This means a lot less emphasis and attention is focused on any one individual in particular. Unless of course, your last name is Claus. This may give an addict an impression that he can get away with relapsing without anyone noticing. Flawed reasoning may come across the addict’s mind. Surely everyone in this room would be happier if I didn’t feel depressed and avoided everyone, right? Just a bump to keep me happy will make them happy too, right? Wrong. Intense amount of self-control and external support is necessary to resist such thoughts.

There may be those on the other side of the spectrum, however. There are a large amount of people who are not very family oriented. People who may have lost contact with their family, most often due to their addiction in the first place. Spending a time usually associated with happiness and bonding with family can be very challenging for a person who is lonely for one reason or other. Statistically, Thanksgiving and Christmas is the time of the year when most of that year’s suicides and drug overdoses happen.

How to stay strong?

There are a few things a recovering addict may do to alleviate these challenges. If you are attending a social gathering, it’s wise to do so with a friend or a family member that is fully aware of your addiction and is dedicated to supporting you in your recovery. Something as simple as having someone to talk to during a moment of weakness can be all it takes to avoid wasting years of hard work towards sobriety.

Always remember that you are not obliged to put your sobriety in jeopardy just to attend some event that you feel might not pan out too well for you and your self-control. If you suspect there will be people that will annoy you, situations that will stress you or anything that could make you anxious – just say no. It’s not worth it.

If you do muster the inner strength to face challenges of social gatherings during holidays, make sure you remain in control. As mentioned earlier, most holidays focus on drink and food. Thanksgiving and Christmas being the biggest offenders. If you are offered a drink, make sure you make it yourself or remind people that you have to be sober. If you don’t feel like engaging in a lengthy recollection of your struggle with addiction and the person offering you a drink does not seem to accept “no thanks” for an answer, simply come up with an excuse for remaining sober. Doctors appointment. Being a designated driver. Whatever will make the temptation back off and allow you to remain in control?

There is no such thing as “just the one, for this occasion”. A journey towards being sober and addiction free can take a long time and many steps, while a single slip-up can send you tumbling back to the very beginning. Don’t jeopardize your chances for happiness, stay sober during holidays, avoid temptations and soak in support from family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

For those of us, who have mustered up the strength to admit their shortcomings and issues with addiction, for those who chose to seek help in a rehab – do you ever consider what will your life be like once you are done with your rehabilitation course? What will you do when the recovery stage is considered complete? Perhaps you are an addict still, but simply ponder how will you cope, will you be able to resist the temptations and have the strength to support yourself through these kind of difficult times. One thing is for certain, just because you are an addict or an addict in recovery, that classification does not define you or what you can achieve in life.

Structure in an addicts life means everything. It gives reasoning and meaning to the actions he or she takes, does or considers. Chaotic approach and going with whatever twist your life throws you is what got you addicted in the first place. Do you have a plan for when the addiction recovery part of your life is over? If you don’t, here are some ideas you could dedicate your free time to.

Become the example you had during your recovery.

Once you are out of recovery, its hard to find a direction at first. It has probably been years since the main thing to rule your daily life has not been centered around finding drugs or using them. At the same time, you have succeeded, your hardest trials and tribulations are over. It’s no surprise that former addicts fall in two main groups. Ones that put their addiction behind them forever, move on with their lives and try to forget anything ever happened. Then there are those who learn from their mistakes, wear their addiction recovery as a badge of honor and strive to share their success story with less fortunate and still addicted people around them.

Either case if perfectly fine and acceptable. You don’t owe anything to anyone, short of gratitude of course. If you wish to move on with your life and forget you were ever in need of help, that is your right. However, if you feel like this challenge in your life needs to mean something, I urge you to consider helping others. No doubt there were people in your therapy group that you looked up to, that helped you through your toughest hours of rehab or recovery. Become that person. Help addicts to climb that slippery slope with your experience, your understanding, empathy, and support. Not only does it help you stay focused and fills you with a sense of purpose, you are also helping others change their lives around – a very noble and respectable thing to do.

Find a job

This might seem an odd thing to focus on after recovery, but as most addicts know it is incredibly hard to keep a job while being addicted. An addict values nothing more than their next hit and work ethic and attendance goes out the window as soon as you are daydreaming with the drug of your choice streaming through your system.

First things first, establish if you wish to return to a similar job you had or perhaps it is time to turn over a new leaf and look for something completely new. Odds are, your old job had something to do with you turning to drugs. Long hours, boring desk work or perhaps feeling meaningless in a factory job. These things happen. Not everyone is cut out for those kind of jobs, so consider if you wish to return or start fresh.

Considering there is a certain amount of stigma towards former addicts when it comes to job opportunities, sit down with someone from your group or a sponsor and put together a CV that underlines your skills and willingness to work and dedicate your attention to it. Do some research and look for any ex-convict or ex-addict work programs, there are countless of them across the globe. They are catered to people looking to turn their lives around and could be just the thing you are looking for.

Don’t lose focus

It’s been years since you are out of recovery. Your family is happy, you have a stable job. Those hobbies you took up take up most of your time and all is well in the world. If only you could save that time you spend each week in the group meetings. Might just skip a few to paint the new fence, no harm done right? Wrong!

The amount of people that relapse and fall into the same old traps after being clean for years, it’s staggering. Don’t lose your focus. Stay true to your treatment plan, your meetings, and group therapy sessions. Whatever you choose to do after recovery, stick to your rehabilitation plan. Your body might no longer be addicted to various chemicals, but your mind still remembers that feeling you had when you took a hit or a bump. Every formed addict will tell you that the cravings and temptations come at moments you expect them the least. The best way to ensure you have your head straight is to remain in close contact with your sponsor, rehabilitation group and people that care about you and what you might do if left unchecked.

 

If any of this is of interest to you, I want to congratulate you. You have made a huge step already. Either you are fresh out of rehab and looking for ways to enrich your now sober life, or you are an addict about to make some very hard decisions. Don’t be afraid to look for help, there are other people out there just like you and together they can help you stay true to yourselves and those around you.

Medication is a great crutch when it comes to dealing with health and well-being issues. We have a slight headache and outcomes paracetamol. We rely on medicine for nearly all ailments these days, we have been led to believe that all it takes is just a quick pill or jab and we are good to go. Most opiate addicts will no doubt interject, that reliance on medication is what got them in their addiction troubles, to begin with. As it stands, United States have a veritable epidemic of people getting addicted to painkillers and other prescription or over-the-counter medication. It’s time to step back and re-evaluate the way we approach medicine and look at alternatives that could aid our well-being without flooding our bodies with chemicals.

So what can a recovering addict do instead of using addiction suppressing medicine? There are some cases of addiction treatment can not forego some medicinal intervention, for the simple reason being that their bodies and brain chemistry balance has gone too far to simply go “cold turkey”, as they say. Severe alcoholism and heroin addictions are just a few of these cases. Without proper care and medical attention the addict can suffer such harsh withdrawal symptoms that they can die from heart attack or respiratory shock. That said, there is very little incentive and need to remain on invasive medicine courses after you have gone through your detox period.

Meditation

For years you might have focused your mind entirely on your drug of choice. Where to get money for it, where to get the drug, where to use it. Having that mindset, it’s not easy to put that behind once you are on the path of recovery. Changing an opinion is easy, changing entire mindset is not only hard, it’s a very long process. Changing one’s outlook does not happen overnight. Meditation will allow you to focus on what matters. It has helped countless recovering addicts to change the way they think about stress, problems, anger and most important of all – cravings.

Counselling

Most people who are looking for alternatives to the medicinal approach of addiction recovery are usually fresh out of a rehabilitation center. It should come as no surprise then that most are eager to return to their daily lives without supervision or being told what to do and what not to do. Most recovering addicts at this stage have no desire to find a therapist or a counselor who can give them guidance since they just finished doing that in the rehab. Yet, a continuation of your out-of-rehab recovery with a professional to talk with is incredibly beneficial and will aid you in dealing with urges and pent up stress. Never underestimate advice of a professional.

Physical Activities

Most people find it hard to believe when they are told that exhausting yourself in various forms of exercise will make you feel better. It seems counter-intuitive but it is very true. Physical exertion releases a wide array of hormones that affect the way you think. Endorphins flowing, dopamine pumping and serotonin streaming through your brain will not only help your mood improve, it will also help in a much more straightforward way – make you physically fit and healthy. And all that without a pill or a shot in sight.

Support Group

When you are met with your inner demons and all those cravings come bubbling to the surface, it’s not always easy to stay strong. Just as detrimental it can be to keep company that still uses drugs, it’s as beneficial to stay in a circle of people who have gone through the same hardships as you have. People who think in a similar way, don’t judge, understand and probably most importantly, actually listen. Abandoning a support group is probably the biggest mistake a recovering addict could possibly do. If you feel tempted, lonely, misunderstood and frustrated a group of people who feel the same and understand your state of mind can be invaluable on your path to recovery.

Hobby

As the proverb goes, idle hands are the devil’s playthings. A lack of things to do with one’s hands may not be the most apt comparison to a depressed and tempted mind of an addict, but it is rather appropriate in the idea it conveys. Idling in boredom and addict is locked in its own mind. A mind that is filled with traps and potholes of anxiety and self-pity. Saying “just think about something else” to a conflicted addict is borderline criminal, yet occupying the mind with things he enjoys and finds interesting can do a world of good. Learn how to write code, go fishing, break out a painting set or look up local paintball fields. Find a distraction you enjoy, whatever it may be, and devote your free time to it. Every minute spent measuring the size of a birdhouse you are building is a minute away from cravings and temptations.

 

There are a number of approaches to beat an addiction without placing yourself in a medicated stupor. Experiment, research, learn and apply. Pretty soon the bad thoughts will leave you and allow you to live a fulfilling life.