Articles Archives - Page 82 of 138

May192017May192017

Magpie’s Story

Articles, Education, International, Testimonials, Treatment

(Dealing with Addiction on Golden Pond)

#6: The Heartfelt Reality of Being Functional

I’m still 28 days out from checking into DARA. I’m struggling to stay afloat. I would
love to take off for Thailand tomorrow. I pray I can make it another 28 days. The
reasons for the delay are complicated, focusing primarily on financial issues.

Another reason might possibly be my cursed blessing of being functionality. I am
100% Irish and have addiction on both sides of my family. There is no doubt that I am
genetically predisposed. And, may I dare say, that as a culture we Irish have, over
time, developed an amazing tolerance for alcohol. Personally, my climb to the top of
the addiction pyramid happened very gradually….over 40 years. I have no trouble
admitting publicly that I have reached the top that pyramid and that there is no place
for me to go at this point but down.

The problem with my being functional is that everyone expects that of me. And, I
don’t want to ever let myself or anyone else down. I will do as much as others ask of
me or I ask of myself within the limits of my current state of health.

Today, I was asked to run an errand by a contractor I’m employing. I ran the errand
successfully, but with two very close calls driving on the highway. If it weren’t for
those two other drivers’ quick reactions, we’d all be dead.

Another essential aspect of functionality is that, even when I gently tell loved ones
how poorly I’m feeling, either they don’t believe me or they don’t know what to do
about it or they don’t care.

In journal/diary fashion, let me just conclude by saying that I have a 9:00 a.m.
appointment with an Addiction Psychiatrist tomorrow. The part of my brain that can
still think, tells me to call a cab. That will be costly, very costly. The other part of my
brain tells me that I can make it to 9:00 a.m. without a drink. And, I probably can.

But, I also have severe chronic sinusitis which also wreaks havoc on my frontal cortex
and my inner ear throwing off my balance, judgement and even my eyesight (dry eye).
I wish I had a support system that could really hear, empathize and help out.

I hope that in writing this I did not offend anybody, but those are my heartfelt
thoughts in this moment in time.

As always, look foreword to your thoughts.

With compassionate understanding,

Magpie

May102017May122017

How to Help Your Child After Rehab

Articles, Education, Treatment, Understanding Addiction

After you have a child return home after completing a stint at rehab, it can be a very confusing time for both of you. While you will obviously be excited at their return, you need to understand that post-rehab can also be very unsettling. Initially, your child may feel at odds with their surroundings, even though the setting is familiar to them. They have undergone a huge life change after all.

The main question that parents want to know is “how can I best support them”

Although every situation is going to be different, the guidance in the article should be able to help you with the transition.

Continued Care is Required

Unfortunately, completing time at rehab is not a magic cure that ensures your child will be sober the rest of their life. Addiction is a chronic disease which your child must learn to manage. Managing this disease will be a lot easier with continued care and support from their loved ones.

Aim to work with your child to set up a plan for the future. The plan may include meeting with a trained therapist every so often or entering into a 12-step program. It is recommended that counselling and therapy sessions are encouraged more frequently in the beginning, especially the first 90 days. The plan can also include things such as diet and exercise as well as steps to avoid certain triggers in life.

Set Future Goals

A new path begins when your child steps out of rehab so ensure that you have a talk about the future and what lies ahead. Start setting rules and goals. Ask them about their own vision of the future and how you can play a part in helping them with these goals.

Maybe they want to start some new hobbies or learn some new skills. There is a possibility that your child may also want to talk about their relationships and how they were affected by their addiction. Maybe they feel that they need to build some bridges with certain people. Use these goals as an indicator of how they are coping.

Be Vigilant and Aware of Their Lifestyle

It is important that you are aware of what is happening in your child’s life. This will require communication between you both as well as trust. It might also lead to some frustration on your child’s part as they may not want you to know all about their everyday movements.

However, being aware of who your child is spending time with and what they are getting up to is important. They need to keep away from old habits and social patterns. It is important that you know the signs of relapse. These may include a continual feeling of negativity about their life and apathy towards their recovery. Some people also show signs of arrogance regarding their addiction and act prideful that they have beaten it. This can cause an overconfidence that eventually leads to temptation and relapse.

Hopefully the above guide will help you in supporting your child going forward. Remember, the most important thing is to help your child accept their new life. Encourage them to pursue sober activities such as sports that can lead to meeting new friends who won’t drag them down. Also encourage them to stay in contact with any friends that they made during the time in rehab. Starting afresh opens up the door to new interests and goals.

As a parent you must offer full support and be ready to listen or offer a shoulder to cry on when needed. Help you child succeed as maintaining sobriety is very tough.

May082017May112017

The First 90 Days on the Path to Recovery

Articles, Education, Treatment, Understanding Addiction

Congratulations You Have Done It!

If you have recently completed treatment for a substance use disorder, the path to recovery is now open to you. The first 90 days are the most important for preventing a relapse, so this guide has been written to help you on your new found journey.

No doubt you are feeling a little nervous and wondering what lies ahead, but hopefully you are also feeling determined and strong. The first 90 days after recovery are always the hardest. Research published in the “Psychology of Addictive Behaviours” discovered that the risk of relapse was at its highest within this period of time. However, the study also found that those in recovery who continued with some sort of treatment in these first 90 days had a much higher chance of maintaining their recovery for a full year.

Although the early stages of recovery can be challenging, there are techniques and tips you can use to help make it through this initial period. Getting support from loved ones and friends, taking up new hobbies and continuing with some form of treatment will make the process easier.

Below are some suggestions to help you during the initial 90 day recovery period.

Clean Home

Make sure that before you arrive home someone has cleaned the house of any alcohol, drugs or any paraphernalia relating to your addiction. Everything should be removed that may serve as a trigger and risk a relapse.

Follow a Schedule

Keep yourself on track by following a schedule. This should include the time you wake up, your meal times, any appointments with doctors or therapists, exercise time and any other obligations. It is important to leave yourself enough time to relax, mediate or pursue your hobbies. Keeping yourself busy and following a structure will ensure there is less time to relapse.

Don’t Go it Alone

Spending too much time by yourself may result in you worrying about things such as your future, finances, or whether your recovery is really going to last. Being alone can also make it harder to resist cravings so always surround yourself with the people who are offering you support.

Look After Yourself

Addiction can have gruelling effects on the body and it will take time to get yourself healthy and back to 100%. Even detoxification will affect the body, so you need to give it time to heal. To increase the time it takes to heal you should ensure that you exercise regularly and follow a healthy eating plan. Also make sure that you get at least 7 hours sleep at night.

Continue Treatment

As mentioned previously, a study that was published in the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors found that those in recovery that continue treatment in the initial 90 days increased their odds of completing a full year without taking any substances. Continuing therapy, or joining a twelve step program can give you a real boost in the first 90 days.

Celebrate Your Success

Each day that you continue on your path to recovery is cause for celebration. Every single therapy appointment you go to, every time you have a glass of water instead of reaching for the harder stuff, every choice that you make that prevents a relapse is a fantastic milestone.

No matter how small you treat yourself for reaching new milestones, do something to recognise the success. Always be kind to yourself. This is very hard work after all!

May052017Feb132020

Problem Drinking in Seniors – Risk factors

Articles, Education, Understanding Addiction, United States

A research team at the University of Georgia have reported In the American Geriatrics Society Journal that seniors (1600 individuals aged 57-85) with chronic health issues as well as depression, were at a much higher risk of developing an alcohol problem.

It is believed that this research is the first time a link has been identified between chronic health problems, with depression, and problem drinking seniors.

The researchers found that seniors who have numerous health conditions as well as depression, were actually 5 times more likely to develop a drinking problem when compared to seniors with numerous health conditions and no depression. The summary of this discussion, which can be found here, stated:

“’These findings suggest that effective training in screening and referral for mental health and alcohol use issues for health care providers of older adults may better serve the approximate 4 million older adults who currently experience problem drinking in the U.S.,’ said Orion Mowbray, assistant professor at the UGA School of Social Work and lead author of the study.”

When you add these findings to the fact that often seniors will usually develop a greater sensitivity to the effects of alcohol as they get older, and also they are often taking many different types of prescription medications for their health conditions that have a risk of reacting adversely when combined with alcohol, it is very important for seniors, and of course, those that care for them, to watch their drinking intake and exercise caution.

The findings in the study suggest that effective training can be put in place for health care providers when screening and referring older adults for mental health or alcohol use issues. This may better serve the 4 million seniors who currently experience drinking problems in the US.

There is sufficient evidence that suggest even a brief intervention delivered by health care providers can have a positive effect on reducing problem drinking amongst seniors.

May022017Oct032019

Biotech Industry Challenged Wearable Alcohol Biosenser

Articles, Education

Most alcohol studies are reliant on the participants to self-report how often and how much they drink, which at times, can result in undependable data. Biomarkers based on indicators in bodily fluids, including blood, are objective measures of the use of alcohol. Biomarkers can work in different ways; firstly they can detect toxic effects that alcohol can have over a prolonged period on bodily organs and body chemistry, indirectly indicating alcohol abuse. Other biomarkers can measure directly if a person has been drinking recently by measuring alcohol components in the body after it has metabolized.

Biomarkers have many uses, including objectively showing that a person has abstained from drinking alcohol, as well as screening for possible alcohol related issues in people who are not providing accurate self-reports.

However, there are some limitations to using these biomarkers. Certain biomarkers are not as accurate when it comes to certain groups; for instance, younger individuals and women. It is also often difficult to interpret how much and how long someone has been drinking. Because of these limitations it is often advised that biomarkers and a self-report be used in conjunction with one another.

But what if there was a tool available that could provide perfectly accurate data about an individual’s drinking habits?

This is what the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is hoping for and is once again challenging the biotech community to develop a wearable device that can measure the amount of alcohol in the blood in near real-time. Previously the community was challenged to develop a device which uses technology to detect alcohol released through the skin, but this time they are being pushed to come up with a device which is able to measure a person’s alcohol blood level by checking the actual concentration levels in the blood or the interstitial fluid which surrounds the body’s cells.

As with the previous competition, the biosensor device is to be designed so that it can measure alcohol levels in a non-invasive way. The creators of the winning prototype will receive $200,000 through Challenge.gov. The creators of the device which comes in 2^nd place will receive $100,000.

“Our first Challenge was a huge success. The winning devices made important strides in improving transdermal alcohol sensing,” says NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D.

Back in May 2016, NIAAA announced the first winner of their competition. This was won by BACtrack with its Skyn prototype – a wrist wearing device that could detect blood alcohol levels by using a fuel-cell technology. This technology is similar to what police use in their road side breathalysers. In 2^nd place was MILO Inc who designed a device using disposable cartridges to continuously track alcohol levels.

“We have learned that there is real interest in the private sector around wearable alcohol biosensors, and that innovation using distinct means of alcohol detection is on the horizon,” says M. Katherine Jung, Ph.D., Director of NIAAA’s Division of Metabolism and Health Effects, and co-leader of the competition.

The new challenge encourages innovation and some creative solutions could include the adaption and miniaturization of certain technologies such as wave technology or spectroscopy.

“We want to continue to harness the power of the private sector, because if alcohol biosensors become a part of the ‘wearable toolbox,’ then tangible new opportunities will become available that can profoundly affect the field of alcohol research,” says Dr. Jung.

In addition to a biosensors potential for professionals and researchers, the devices could also become a tool for consumers who wish to track their alcohol consumption and personal drinking patterns.

Submissions for the competition have to be in by May 15^th, 2017 and must include a working prototype

Details about the competition are posted at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/research/challenge-prize and https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/wearable-alcohol-biosensor/. For more information, please email [email protected].