Category: Australia

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.

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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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Addiction Cycle

The Lifecycle Of Addiction

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

Addiction Cycle – Like most things in life, addiction goes in cycles. Here’s how it starts, increases and how it can be stopped.

Brain changes:

What begins as experimentation with drugs can turn into regular use. Continued and increasing use brings dependence and with it changes in the user’s brain that are physiologically and chemically different from a non-addicted person.

These changes result in the user continually seeking and needing their substance of choice. Until treatment is received this cycle of addiction will continue.

The addiction cycle:

Addiction professionals see 7 distinct steps in the cycle of addiction and while these may differ in length and intensity. Each step is something that addicts need to understand.

  • Frustration and/or pain: Addicts seek to use substances as a means of relief
  • Constant thoughts: Extremely strong thoughts that often reach fantasy level relate to use and desire about their substance of choice
  • Obsessing: This relates to the above point. Addicts often have uncontrollable thoughts about expected feelings once their substance of choice has been taken
  • Using: This act relieves the mounting frustration and pain mentioned above
  • No control: Once the user has had an initial ‘hit’ they are unable to control the frequency of use or how much they take
  • Feelings of regret: As they are coming down addicts will feel remorse, guilt and even shame about their levels of substance use
  • Determination to quit: There will be many instances where an addict promises to themselves that they will quit. Unfortunately, these promises do not last because the cycle begins all over again.

Achieving abstinence:

It is extremely unlikely that an addict will break the addiction cycle without professional assistance. The need for such help must come from the addict in the first instance. They need to be shown and understand the lifestyle changes required to change dysfunctional and self-destructive thoughts into healthier more rewarding ones.

The process an addict goes through to reach the stage where they are ready for treatment begins with themselves.

  • Pre-contemplation: While the addict has not yet considered giving up their drug use, thoughts of doing so begin to surface on an increasingly frequent basis
  • Contemplation: Thoughts of quitting become far more commonplace and the addict starts to believe it is time to quit
  • Preparation: The addicts thought process turns to determination and they begin to prepare themselves mentally for treatment
  • Action: This is a major step. The addict seeks professional assistance and begins treatment which includes counselling. At this stage the addict has stopped using
  • After-care: Ongoing maintenance of treatment is absolutely vital and after-care is seen as the ideal way to achieve this.

A relapse is NOT failure:

During any stage of the addiction cycle it needs to be understood that relapse is possible at any time and in many cases quite likely.

While relapse is a setback it should not and cannot be seen as a failure. The recovering addict must hold their hands up to this slip and explain in detail the reasons behind it to their counselor. From here it will be possible to look at ways in which future relapses can be avoided while continuing with positive treatment that will lead to long-term sobriety.

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Alcohol Rehabilitation USA

Alcohol Rehabilitation USA

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

Alcohol Rehabilitation USA.

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the United States. Government figures state that 1 in 12 of all adults have problems with the amount of alcohol they are consuming. This makes the topic of Alcohol Rehabilitation USA a very real and valid one.
Here is an indication of what is available in terms of rehabilitation facilities. We will also consider some of the main treatment solutions available for those looking to free themselves from a dependence that has both physical and psychological effects as well as causing those closest to them angst and concern.

Treatment facilities:

Alcohol abuse treatment is provided in a variety of different settings. Some opt for treatment via their local practitioner’s surgery, others in approved ‘drop-in centers’ that provide assistance. The majority of men and women in need of treatment will either attend an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation establishment.

These are both government and privately-run treatment centres with an estimated number of 14,500 specialised substance abuse treatment facilities available across the country. These establishments cater for all types of addiction with alcohol being the most common substance for which assistance is required.

Services provided by rehabilitation facilities:

The services offered by both inpatient and outpatient rehab establishments varies dependent upon the facility concerned but will include such things as:

  • Detoxification facilities
  • Counselling – One-to-one and group sessions
  • Case management
  • Treatment – A wide variety of different treatment methods are employed dependent upon the establishments policy
  • Administration of medication
  • Aftercare programmes

Outpatient or Inpatient treatment?

It must be stated that any type of treatment for those struggling with alcohol has to be seen as a positive. Outpatient treatment offers a flexible method of addressing problems and is on an agreed appointment basis. This type of treatment will certainly help, but it is also subject to the challenges of temptation. Those seeking this form of treatment remain in the same environment that helped fuel their addiction in the first place. They are fully aware of watering holes and outlets where alcohol can be purchased around-the-clock. It is this type of temptation that needs to be resisted for those looking at long-term sobriety.

Inpatient alcohol rehabilitation offers a far more focused initial treatment plan. By submitting to a stay at an inpatient facility the alcoholic will spend their initial period of recovery in a setting where alcohol (or any other illegal substance) is forbidden. The establishment is completely focused on rehabilitation and those attending are treated as individuals. As such, individual problems are met with in-depth counselling and treatment based on a personal need basis. This type of treatment is seen as being far more successful in terms of helping recovering alcoholics remain on the path of long-term sobriety.

Aftercare:

Alcohol rehabilitation USA would not be complete without comprehensive aftercare options available. This ongoing treatment is overlooked far too often by those who have taken to initial treatment positively. It must be remembered that rehabilitation establishments and the treatment offered are simply the start of a healing process that must be maintained. Aftercare is the perfect vehicle with which to maintain long-term sobriety.

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drug cocktail

Cocktail Recipes That Spell Rehab

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

Drug Cocktail – Dabbling with one type of drug on a regular basis is moving a person towards dependence. What begins as occasional use can very quickly move up a gear to twice or three times a week and before a user knows it they are finding any excuse to use daily.

Doubling dependence – Doubling the risks:

It is very common for users to mix substances in their search for a higher “high”, but entering the world of drug cocktails is a very dangerous thing to do. Drugs are loners by nature. They do what they are supposed to do on an individual basis and are not made to mix with others.

Those amateur mixologists who search for heady formulas and tinker with any illegal substance at hand really need to understand what a mixture of substances taken together can do to a person.

Commonly mixed substances:

The imagination of those mixing drugs is enhanced by the range of substances, chemicals and additives available, but there are some mainstays that many drug users see as a normal part of the social scene.

These include Marijuana, Amphetamines, Ecstasy, Cocaine and Heroin, and to make matters worse, many taking drug combinations wash them down with alcohol. This really is asking for trouble. If you are determined to use drugs, or to have a night out where excess alcohol will be consumed please don’t combine the two.

A legendary drug cocktail:

We will mention one drug cocktail that many see as the ultimate high. While this may be the case for some it also spells the end of the line for others as their final destination is the morgue!

Speedball:

There are a number of variations and ways to administer this long-established cocktail, but the most powerful and potentially lethal combination is the mixing of cocaine and heroin taken by injection. Although it is true that some users still stick by the original ‘recipe’ which is cocaine and morphine delivered in the same way.

Most speedballers will mix the 2 drugs together, a drug cocktail in one syringe for shooting up, but the more extreme user will fill one syringe with heroin, the other with cocaine and then empty both syringes into the arm simultaneously.

What makes this combo so effective?

The effects of this combination are so telling because the individual drugs come from opposite ends of the spectrum. Cocaine is a stimulant, Heroin a depressant. The dual result is an extremely intense, ultra-charged euphoria that takes the user into their own world, but it must be clearly understood that the dangers of overdosing on such a combination raise the stakes when it comes to a user being taken out of this world permanently.

Addiction at the double:

The other thing that must be realised in terms of cocaine and heroin is that on their own they are highly addictive substances. Once regular use of either becomes commonplace the person concerned is heading towards addiction. To use the two together really is doubling that date with addiction and the very real possibility of suffering a fatal overdose.

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