Treatment Archives - Page 64 of 66

Jan262016Jan272016

Things to Consider About Drug Addiction

Articles, Education, Treatment, Understanding Addiction

Addiction can cause serious life consequences and affect the lives of those involved tremendously. Here are some questions to consider if you think you may be addicted to drugs:

Do you use drugs for purposes other than for how they were medically prescribed?

If a drug is being used in ways other than the ways it is prescribed, then it is not being used adequately to treat the symptoms and could cause adverse reactions. Furthermore, if you are using drugs outside the realm of it’s recommended methods, you could be at a serious risk for drug dependence.

Do you use more than one drug?

Using more than one drug at once can create a greater nostalgia, but this can also lead to social as well as psychological problems. It can also be very dangerous to use more than one drug at a time to your physical health and your safety. Using more than one drug can also be a sign that you have a serious drug problem and may be harder to stop using drugs in the future.

Can you stop using drugs if you want to?

Most people addicted to drugs try to stop using on their own, but are unable to without seeking additional treatment methods. Many people try multiple times to overcome their drug use before they are successful. Long-term drug usage changes the brain makeup causing it to be tougher to quit despite acknowledging the negative consequences associated with drug use.

Do you feel guilty about using drugs?

The guilt happens after the immense feeling of the drug wears off, but getting high again makes the guilt disappear-until you come back down again. The feeling of guilt is a warning sign for you to seek freedom from your drug use and seek the help you need to stop using drugs.

Have you neglected significant others because of your drug use?

Using drugs can cause an inconsistent pattern of availability, both physically and emotionally, where significant others are concerned. Drug abusers can physically neglect their significant others by not being involved or available when others need them or want them to be involved. Emotional neglect is just as heart breaking to significant others as physical neglect. Often family members become confused on what to expect from the drug abuser because their behavior becomes so erratic and inconsistent.

Does your drug use affect your relationships with significant others?

Drug use and relationships seem to not mix well together. Drug use begins a vast ripple effect throughout the relationships, usually leading to negative outcomes. If your significant others-children, spouse, friends-are unhappy with your drug use, you may have an addiction problem that needs professional help.

Have you ever lost a job because of your drug use?

Lack of productivity, injury on the job, stealing from the company, health issues, legal trouble and calling in sick can all be reasons of job loss due to drug addiction. Drug dependence can cause all of these matters to end in termination of employment. If your drug use is leading to any of these problems and ultimately ended in eliminating you from your job, you drug addiction may be more serious than you previously thought.

Have you ever been involved with illegal activities in order to obtain drugs?

Being involved in any circumstance punishable by law in order to obtain drugs is a serious concern when determining whether or not you have a drug problem. The problems that could ensue as a result of these issues are worth serious consideration when determining if you need to seek treatment for a drug addiction problem.

Do you have medical problems because of your drug use?

There are numerous medical problems that could be experienced due to drug abuse. Brain alteration can occur after prolonged drug use and other medical issues might also be noticeable due to drug abuse, such as heart issues, cancer, or hepatitis. If you are experiencing these topics or other types of medical conditions related to your drug use, professional or medical assistance may be needed in order to help you quit using drugs.

Have you previously sought treatment for drug use?

Relapse is often common among drug abusers. What caused the relapse from prior treatments? Try to figure out what caused you to slip up and how you can get back on the right track. Reach out to others to advise you as well.

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you should seek professional guidance in order to better assess if your drug use is beyond your control and allow them to help you find the right regimen to best aid you in overcoming your drug addiction.

If you, or someone you know and/or love, is battling an addiction to drugs and need help or wish to learn more, please contact DARA Thailand on +66 87 140 7788 or email [email protected]

Feb102015Jan272016

A Resort Environment Can be a Bridge to Addiction Recovery

Alternative Treatment, Treatment

The right recovery resort may be the key towards successful addiction recovery. Substance abuse is a life altering issue that causes pain and suffering to the user, their family and their friends. The first step towards getting help is admitting there is a problem. After that initial step, picking the right type of treatment for the individual patient is important. Every person is different and will respond to a different type of environment. Pricing and comfort levels are two of the most important considerations when choosing a recovery resort. The right environment could be the answer towards successful addiction recovery.

Why the Right Environment Matters and How it Helps

There are several things to look for when choosing a resort for recovering from addiction. It is very important to have the most comfortable and welcoming environment for anyone who wants to seek treatment. Often times, mentioning treatment brings an extreme picture of a stark white facility that is unappealing and impersonal. However, a recovery resort presents a warm and welcoming environment that eases the fears for those seeking treatment. The following are the essential services leading towards a more fulfilling life:

With two facilities in Thailand, DARA provides cost effective treatment plans for individuals looking forward towards a second chance at life. DARA supports and works with the 12 step recovery program. For those taking the initial step, the First Step Recovery Program is designed to aid people in taking first steps towards recovery. Additionally, clients can choose between inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. There are benefits and drawbacks to both and experienced staff at DARA can help patients choose the perfect treatment. DARA is the perfect recovery resort with a well-trained professional staff providing a warm, welcoming environment for addiction recovery.

If you, or someone you care about, needs help for a drug or alcohol addiction,
contact us at 1-888-457-3518 US, 0-808-120-3633 UK or 1-800-990-523 AU.
We’re here to help you take that first important step.

Jan062015Jan272016

A Recovery Roadmap to Discovering Your Value

Treatment, Understanding Addiction

A-Recovery-Roadmap-to-Discovering-Your-Value Recovery is a life-long journey that fueled by understanding the root of an addiction problem. Recovery also helps you learn coping mechanisms to help enjoy life as a healthy and happy individual.

Many treatment facilities utilize a recovery “roadmap.” A recovery roadmap will have several stages that will help you reach key milestones.

Getting Started
This first phase can last from the first few days to the first few weeks. This phase involves completing a detoxification program and getting substance abuse treatment, as well as a recommendation for placement in a treatment facility. You will enroll in your chosen program and start your psychosocial therapy meetings.
Early Recovery
The second phase generally lasts anywhere from six weeks to three months. In phase two, participants learn to change their behaviors. You will begin working on your personal problems and learn how to control personal emotions. At this point, you will also become active in a self-help program, such as the 12 step program.
Recovery Maintenance
The third phase lasts anywhere from two months to one year. Phase 3 offers benefit from continued participation in outpatient substance abuse treatment sessions. You will be putting your prevention plan into action and learn new coping mechanisms. Phase 3 helps improve on personal issues, educational and career dreams, while you work alongside support groups.
Continued Recovery
This phase lasts for the rest of your life. If necessary, you will continue to participate in support groups and work on becoming more independent and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The goal in continued recovery is to maintain independence and develop positive interests and new hobbies.

A treatment facility also makes it a priority to personalize programs for each individual by being mindful of their strengths and interests so they are primed for success. Once on a path to successful recovery, you’re empowered to rebuild self-esteem and rediscover your value.

Dec232014Jan272016

Learning to Handle Responsibilities in Recovery

Education, Treatment

Many addicts can find handling responsibilities in recovery a challenging, if not completely new sort of task to endeavor. Assigning blame has become an easy method for people to avoid the truth about a situation and relinquish any need to resolve it. The responsibilities we hold to ourselves and other people, places and things can become obscured by this negative pattern.

People use blame every day, whether complaining about taxes or an unfair boss, its function is a venting of frustration. When abusing substances, addicts tend to have many justifications that deferred any accountability resulting in a chaotic and unmanageable life. Taking personal responsibility will bring to the surface the underlying issues about the ability to make choices, and become accountable for these choices and consequences.

Many argue that an individual is not responsible for falling into addiction, however they certainly have an independent responsibility to change their situation. No one else can do this, and this first step is essential to learning to manage responsibilities in recovery as well. Recovery teaches addicts to become answerable for their actions, in the past and the present, by outlining a course of action.

By taking sobriety one day at a time, and working with supporting, trustworthy people in a program of recovery, lost bills, broken promises and forgotten appointments can be sorted through, and over time, resolved. Learning to manage responsibilities in recovery is a process of learning to take everyday duties and obligations one at a time, with the next indicated step toward a positive action.

Addiction is a fact that won’t change, but no one is defined by their addiction and the future will provide the opportunity to grow and change. Was your life unmanageable before you entered treatment? How has accepting accountability in recovery helped your life become more manageable?

Nov252014Jan272016

War on Drugs Redux: In Turkey this Time

International, Treatment

War-on-Drugs-Redux-In-Turkey-this-Time Last month, President Erdoğan of Turkey gave a speech at International Symposium on Drug Policy and Public Health in Istanbul, in which he claimed that drug addiction is the result of a lack of moral values, and that religion is the best way to counter both problems. He went on to equate drug trafficking with terrorism, stating that his government will treat drug traffickers in the same way that it treats terrorists, and that a war on drugs is the appropriate stance for enforcement. A week earlier, the Turkish prime minister and health minister delivered a joint statement declaring a war on drugs.

In recent years, Turkey has experienced an escalating drug problem, and the government responded in June by increasing penalties against drug traffickers. In 2012, Turkey prosecuted over 130,000 people on drug charges, more than four times as many as in the previous year. A large percentage of these were young people smoking marijuana.

Poppies are a traditional crop in Turkey. Under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, it was classed as a “traditional opium producing country.” In the following years, Turkey reduced its production and eventually banned it. Then, in 1974, it introduced a licensing system for cultivation of poppies for medicinal purposes.

Because of its geographic position at the heart of trade routes going both east–west and north–south, Turkey has long been central to international drug smuggling. In the mid-90s, there was a scandal involving the Turkish government, its armed forces, and organized crime. The government had been economically impacted by the loss of trade due to the Gulf War and the Iraq embargo, and members of the government were complicit in allowing large amounts of heroin to flow westward into Europe.

Although mitigating drug use and smuggling is a legitimate challenge for the Turkish government, political incentives to conflate trafficking with terrorism exist. The Kurdish separatist movement known as the PKK is accused of financing its operations with money gained through the drug trade, and to the extent that it can be called a terrorist organization, fighting its source of funding could be fairly considered part of Turkey’s war on terrorism. However, the social implications of the “war on drugs” have been shown to be generally negative in the West, and the criminalization of recreational drug use results in the disenfranchisement and alienation of mainly young people who might otherwise be productive citizens.