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Amphetamine Addiction

Signs Of Amphetamine Addiction

When we think of amphetamine abuse, we tend to think of illicit substances such as crystal meth and ecstasy. But the prescription drug addiction crisis in many parts of the world is showing no signs of slowing down. Furthermore, amphetamine drugs like Adderall and Dexedrine are at the top of the list of abused substances. When the use of prescription medication crosses the line into misuse, it can be all too easy to miss the tell-tale signs of amphetamine addiction.

Not only does amphetamine have high addictive potential, but it can also pose serious long-term risks to physical and mental health. The sooner you are able to recognize amphetamine addiction symptoms, the sooner you can get help for yourself or a loved one.

What Is Amphetamine?

Amphetamine Addiction
Amphetamine is a synthetic central nervous stimulant that was touted as a cure for nasal congestion in the 1930s. Although it did not prove to be a successful remedy for that purpose, it quickly became apparent that it generated a euphoric feeling. 

Over the course of the next few decades, it was marketed to several demographics ranging from soldiers in World War II to housewives in the 1960s. The medical justification for using it was “psychological tiredness”. In fact, the question of amphetamine abuse was not on anyone’s mind.

By the 1970s, though, the medical community was deeply concerned about the addictive potential of amphetamine, and laws were enacted to control its distribution and use.

Today, the only legal way to obtain amphetamine is through a prescription, and many areas in Canada and the USA have implemented strict controls to prevent misuse. The two most common conditions that amphetamines are prescribed for are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

What Is Amphetamine Addiction?

Amphetamine Addiction

Amphetamine abuse takes two forms. The first is the use of illicit drugs like ecstasy and crystal meth. The second is the misuse of prescription amphetamine drugs.

Use Of Illicit Amphetamines

Amphetamine can be ingested in a variety of ways, each of which comes with its own set of risks. Those who are looking for mild effects will simply take a tablet of something like ecstasy, while those who are craving a stronger and faster rush of euphoria will crush the tablets and snort them or inject them.

Misuse Of Prescription Drugs

Most prescription drug addiction starts with a legitimate use for a specific medical purpose. Proper use becomes misuse when:

  • You are using the drugs for a purpose for which they were not prescribed
  • You are using more than the prescribed amount, or are taking extra doses
  • You are using medication prescribed for someone else

Related article: How to Stop Methamphetamine Addiction

What Are The Dangers Of Amphetamine Abuse?

Dangers Of Amphetamine Abuse

Amphetamines can cause severe long-term physical and mental health problems. Some risk factors can manifest after a relatively short period of use, so it is important to look out for early amphetamine addiction symptoms in those who are known to be using amphetamines.

The risks to physical health include the following:

  • Elevated heart rate and blood pressure, which may lead to cardiac arrest
  • Muscle spasms, twitches or tics
  • Elevated core body temperature, which can damage the organs and tissues
  • Lack of appetite, resulting in rapid weight loss
  • Sleep disturbances including insomnia 

Risks to mental health include the following:

  • Rapid mood swings
  • Depression and anxiety, especially when you are not using the drugs
  • An over-inflated sense of confidence that may result in you engaging in potentially dangerous activities
  • Tactile hallucinations that can result in excessive scratching and self-injury
  • Structural changes to the brain, such as damage to the dopamine receptors

What  Are The Signs Of Amphetamine Addiction?

Signs Of Amphetamine Addiction

There are several signs of amphetamine abuse that you can look out for, either in yourself or in a loved one.

  • Elevated heart rate and high blood pressure
  • Hallucinations that are usually tactile, but can also be visual and auditory
  • Rapid mood swings
  • Nutritional and digestive problems, including loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
  • Inability to fall asleep, sometimes paired with frequent wakening
  • Dental problems
  • Crusted skin and blisters around the nose and mouth may indicate that drugs have been snorted
  • Track marks and collapsed veins can result from intravenous use
  • Anxiety and paranoia
  • Irritability and aggression

Amphetamine abuse turns to addiction when the user reaches the point of not being able to function without using amphetamines. The individual may experience intense cravings and extreme fatigue that can only be alleviated through the use of the drug. 

Some behavioural signs of amphetamine addiction include the following:

  • The user consistently fails to meet school, work and family obligations
  • The user loses interest in activities that were previously important to them
  • A lot of the user’s time is spent getting the drugs, using the drugs, and recovering from using the drugs
  • The individual becomes secretive about their activities and starts to spend long periods of time alone
  • Relationships with friends and family members may suffer, and even break down as loved ones start to fear for their physical or emotional well-being
  • Prescription drug users seek refills frequently
  • Money goes missing from family bank accounts with no explanation as to what it has been used for
  • The user experiences intense cravings and may become anxious and aggressive when they do not have fast access to drugs

Amphetamine Addiction Treatment

Amphetamine Addiction Treatment

If you or a loved one are showing amphetamine addiction symptoms, you should seek help as soon as possible. The most effective help takes the form of an inpatient addiction treatment for amphetamines. This includes a rehab program that is tailored to each individual. This is broken down into three broad phases: detox, rehab, and aftercare.

Medical Detox

Amphetamine withdrawal can be intensely frightening. In fact, users who attempt to quit by themselves have a very high probability of suffering a relapse within days or even hours. 

While the drug withdrawal experience varies from person to person based on the length of the addiction, the typical usage amount, and the individual’s original state of health, some common withdrawal signs include:

  • Extreme fatigue
  • Muscle twitches and spasms
  • Dulled reaction times
  • Aches and pains
  • Agitation and aggression
  • Insomnia and/or vivid dreams
  • Depression
  • Cravings
  • Suicidal thoughts and actions

Because the body and mind react so strongly to withdrawal after an extended period of amphetamine abuse, medical supervision is recommended. A doctor will keep you safe and treat symptoms as they arise.

Rehab

Once detox is complete, the addict is ready to move onto amphetamine addiction treatment and rehab. Because addiction is such an individual condition that affects everyone differently, rehab is most effective when it is customized. Based on the signs of amphetamine addiction a user exhibits, the treatment will be customized.

Therapeutic modalities that are commonly incorporated in an amphetamine addiction treatment plan include:

  • Individual, group and family therapy
  • Creative therapy that uses music, art and dance
  • Yoga, meditation and mindfulness
  • Fitness and nutrition coaching
  • Life coaching and life skills training
  • Various education sessions and workshops

One of the primary purposes of addiction rehab is to guide the addict through the process of delving into the underlying causes of their addiction. Rehab programs also teach addicts how to cope with the stresses and rigours of daily life without needing to use drugs.

Aftercare

Amphetamine addiction treatment is not over when rehab comes to an end. For many people, recovery is a lifelong process that takes a lot of dedication and support. Most inpatient rehab facilities offer some form of aftercare, which may include some or all of the following:

  • Access to an emergency support line for those who are in immediate danger of relapse
  • Ongoing therapy and progress monitoring sessions
  • Support and education for loved ones of addicts
  • Transitional programs that allow for gradual reintegration into the real world
  • Some facilities offer a second rehab stay at a discounted rate in the event of a relapse

At 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre, we provide a safe, supportive environment, qualified and compassionate staff, and fully customized addiction treatment plans for all of our clients. 

If you think you might be addicted to amphetamine, or are worried about a loved one who is showing signs of amphetamine addiction, call us at 855-601-0555. We are ready to discuss your addiction treatment needs!

Related article: What Is Methamphetamine Addiction?

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Addiction Treatment Tips

How to Prevent Codependency

Learning the basics of how to prevent codependency is not a day’s job. However, despite this complexity, the results that come with preventing codependency are well worth it. 

Addiction is a ravaging cancer. It keeps eating but is never satisfied. For starters, it can destroy the affected individual. However, there’s more to it. Directly and indirectly, it affects the relationships they share with friends and family. 

Many times, the people that are closest to these addicts confuse love and pity. Because of the magnitude of their love, they often allow themselves to be unintentionally taken advantage of. Learn how to prevent codependency today, and save yourself, your relationship, and your addicted loved one.

There is a fragile line between journeying with your loved ones through their addiction recovery and developing a codependent relationship with them. You may be oblivious of the fact that you’re in the process of forming one right now. It’s why, among other things, we will show you some markers to know that you’re in a dangerous zone with your addicted loved one.

What is Codependency?

To know how to prevent codependency, it is crucial to know what codependency is. In a relationship with loved ones, the behaviour one person has that tends to promote a refusal to change a bad habit in the other is known as codependency. 

Wikipedia has one of the best definitions around. It defines codependency as a behavioural condition in a relationship where one person enables another person’s addiction, poor mental health, immaturity, irresponsibility, or under-achievement. Now, of course, it makes more sense contextually when you view it through the lens of addiction.

Putting codependency this way makes it seem like such a bad thing. But that’s exactly what it is! It, however, never feels like that in the heat of the moment. 

“I’m not doing a bad thing. I’m only so in love with him that I’m willing to let him walk all over me, again and again. He will change when he sees love and tolerance first-hand. I can change him. It’s my duty to.”

Nothing could be more untrue! 

At this juncture, it is imperative to say that codependent behaviour is as toxic as addiction itself! 

Codependent behaviour heralds a false sense of ‘okay-ness’. It does a good job of keeping an addict in a comfort zone since they believe their habits have become tolerable. Without constantly reminding a person of the nature of their behaviours, you place zero demands on them to change.

There are only two ways to care for an addict: Healthy caregiving and codependent caretaking. For very obvious reasons, we strongly suggest the former.

Here are some of the common types of codependent behaviour:

  • A dangerously exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others.
  • Exaggerated importance of a relationship in your life. This births a parasitic and unhealthy attachment, with an accompanying fear of abandonment.
  • A common delusion that love is synonymous to pity.  
  • A giant need for recognition and approval.
  • An overwhelming sense of guilt upon self-assessment.
  • A generally narcissistic behaviour that makes a person believe they can control and change others. They generally don’t believe that this is the job of addiction rehabs.
  • A problem of indecision
  • A tendency to hurt yourself upon discovering your efforts are neither noticed, nor appreciated.
  • An inability to bring yourself into the place of trusting others – a mild form of paranoia.

Related article: Tips to Help You Prevent a Prescription Drug Addiction

What is Enabling Behaviour?

Enabling Behaviour
It’s best to think of an enabling behaviour as the firstborn child of codependency. If you are going to learn how to prevent codependency, you should be wary of enabling behaviour. 

It goes a step further from being taken advantage of. In fact, it escalates into actually encouraging or helping the addict to sustain his helpless drug use. 

Enabling behaviour may be as mild, and indirect as covering up for these loved ones in the community. Perhaps by lying for them or giving excuses for their actions. Or it may be as serious, and direct as giving them money to buy the drugs that are ruining their lives.

PS: If a person has an addiction problem, it should be made known to all who care to know. Trying to hide it will only be doing yourself and the person a disservice. 

Enablers always find themselves protecting their addicted loved ones from the consequences of whatever actions they take. They’d rather bear the brunt than expose them to the reality and gravity of what they’ve done. 

Sweet as that may sound, it only offers negative results. If there’s anything an addict needs, it is the ability to learn from the consequences of his mistakes, mature, and grow.  You seize this ability from them as an enabler.

Examples of enabling behaviours

We must review some behavioural traits and actions that may either directly or indirectly foster addiction in your loved one. You just may be guilty.

  • Telling lies on behalf of a user.
  • Choosing to believe an addict’s excuses for using.
  • Offering any form of financial support as regards drug abuse.
  • Cleaning up a user’s mess after they get wasted.
  • Paying bail when they wind up in the police station.

How to Prevent Codependency

Ignorance is an inky blackness; knowledge is a perpetual light. In the name of love, you may have reinforced a loved one’s addiction. It’s a common error many people make out of ignorance. 

And it’s okay. We don’t expect you to drown in guilt and sorrow. Effective knowledge stimulates immediate action, and that’s where we’re headed.

If you’re just about beginning one, here are some proven tips on how to prevent codependency. If you’ve been involved in a codependent relationship thus far, it’s time to stop.

You’re not Superman

You’re not Superman

Newsflash! It is impossible to do everything! No human has the power to change a fellow human. Even Superman, in all his glory and strength, didn’t possess this power. 

The sooner you realize this limitation, the less stressful your life becomes. The best you can do is try.

It’s not your fault

We are products of the choices we make. If a person uses and has become an addict, it is their fault, and theirs alone! It’s not because you were not always home. 

Neither is it because you were never there for him. True as those instances may be, you didn’t conceive the idea for them. And you certainly did not execute it!

If you’re not the reason for their problems, fixing it is not your job either! It’s why addiction treatment services exist.

Speak!

Speak!

This remains one of the best things you can do for a loved one. Your love for a loved one with an addiction problem should drive you to tell them the truths they do not want to hear. Some of these truths are the two points above.

Chief amongst them, however, is that they need to check in to an addiction rehab where professionals will give them maximum care. 

PS: As much as you want to speak the truth, endeavour to speak it with empathy.

Conclusion

The proof of codependency in our world weirdly beacons that people genuinely care for one another. There is, however, a better, more effective way to show your concern. 

Recommending the professional services of an addiction treatment service is a practical step on how to prevent codependency. This absolves you of any direct contributions to their welfare. In the long run, it preserves the integrity of your relationship.

Here at 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre, we can provide you and your loved ones with expert treatment. With careful guidance and revolutionary methods, we can help you or your loved one achieve sobriety! Contact us today!

Related article: Preventing Addiction Relapse: What You Need To Do

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Addiction Treatment Tips

Guide to Coping With Addiction Cravings and Relapse

The most difficult part of addiction treatment is learning how to cope with cravings and possible relapse. Recovering from any form of alcoholism or substance abuse is a long-term process. It’s easier within the protective cocoon that an in-patient addiction treatment centre offers. The challenge is coping with the inevitable cravings and possible triggers that come with a return to normal daily routines. 

The possibility of a relapse is completely normal. Addictions change the way the brain thinks. It’s a chronic disease that provokes compulsive substance abuse tendencies. Therefore, even after months of getting the finest addiction treatment services, it is still possible to relapse. 

In essence, it means you may abuse the addictive substance. The possibility of this happening offers dangerous consequences. This is why having a guide that helps you cope with cravings and addiction triggers is highly useful. In fact, it may be the difference between long-term sobriety and a relapse.

The first step to preventing relapse is to recognize triggers and learn how to manage addiction cravings. However, there’s more to it. There are certain steps people in recovery can take to prevent relapse. This comprehensive guide offers all the information you need to cope with addiction craving and possible triggers effectively. Come along!

What Are Addiction Cravings?

Some addiction treatment experts define cravings as unbearable withdrawal-like symptoms. They are correct. For starters, the seemingly unbearable nature of addiction cravings makes managing them a tough task. However, there’s more to it.

Addiction withdrawal is the brain’s knee jerk reaction to time without the addictive substance. During addiction, the brain gets dependent on the rush of dopamine that the substance produces. Therefore, without this feeling, it gets very “angry”. This is why withdrawal comes with severe side effects like nausea, anxiety, headaches and more.

Cravings are similar to the symptoms of addiction withdrawal. Even after months of in-patient addiction treatment, the brain won’t heal quickly. Therefore, it’s possible for those cravings to happen from time to time.

Addiction cravings manifest in the strong urge to indulge in the substance, whether pills, marijuana, alcohol or cocaine. The very nature of it is irrational. 

This is why a high percentage of people give in to these feelings. Furthermore, it’s why many experts suggest attempting recovery with professional addiction treatment services. They can offer the support necessary to learn how to cope with cravings and avoid relapse.

What Causes Addiction Cravings

What Causes Addiction Cravings?

Part of coping with addiction cravings and avoiding relapse is understanding where these feelings come from. Typically, they are the result of the brain’s response to triggers.

In addiction treatment, triggers are pesky reminders of substance abuse and indulgence. For instance, the smell of cocaine can be a trigger. Sometimes, watching people drink in a movie can be a reminder of your old drinking days. From sensory stimulants to emotional reactions, addictions triggers invariably lead to cravings.

Related article: Preventing Addiction Relapse

How to Cope With Addiction Cravings: Avoiding a Relapse 

Learning how to manage addiction cravings is an essential life skill for recovering addicts. There are no two ways about it. Addiction cravings will come. And if they get too intense, you may end up giving in to them. 

So to avoid relapse, here are some effective tips to manage addiction cravings:

Get a Support System

In this case, a support system is someone or persons that champion your goals of long-term sobriety. It may be friends or a romantic partner. Conversely, it can be an addiction treatment expert near you on speed dial.

Regardless of which it is, the important thing is that they support your cause. When addiction cravings come into play, contact them immediately. 

Get a Support System

Your support system will engage with you over the phone. If possible, they may come over. Whichever the case may be, they will distract you, taking your mind off the craving. In the same vein, they can talk you through the episode. A support system is crucial!

Talk Yourself Through It 

Thanks to in-patient addiction treatment, it is possible to build positive affirmation skills. This tip to coping with addiction cravings involves saying certain things to yourself. 

From expressions of self-love to reminders of why you quit the addiction in the first place, they can modify the way the mind thinks — at that moment. 

With logic and reason, you can talk yourself out of a craving episode. To manage cravings better, prepare a list of things to say beforehand.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

For those wondering what to expect from addiction treatment, this is one of its many facets. This tip to managing cravings and preventing relapse works using specific sensory organs. 

It’s a three-step technique of distraction, visualization and redirection. To use CBT, start by redirecting your attention to something else. It may be a video game or a book.

Then, use visualization techniques to calm yourself. Most addiction treatment experts recommend focusing on things you can see, hear, smell and taste around you.

Participate in a Hobby

The combination of these steps distracts you from the craving. Instead of that bone-crushing feeling of “I won’t make it if I don’t use”, your mind wanders into more logical waters. This separation can help you get a grip and make the decision not to use. 

It’s a pretty effective technique for managing addiction cravings. However, it’s one that you have to learn under the attention of addiction treatment experts. 

Participate in a Hobby

We can make the case that a hobby, especially one of physical nature keeps the mind and body healthy. Of course, a healthy mind is a key to coping with relapse. 

In addition, a hobby is important because it takes up time. For most addicts, drug use fills up the bulk of their time. With recovery, it means that you suddenly have long stretches where there is nothing to do. 

In cases like this, a hobby helps you pass the time productively. Furthermore, it distracts the mind by providing an outlet. Some hobbies that can help you manage addiction cravings include:

  • Gaming 
  • Hiking 
  • Fishing 
  • Cooking 
  • Sports
  • Singing
  • Yoga 

Ride the Wave

Distracting yourself is not the only way to prevent a relapse. Another technique that answers how to cope with addiction cravings is to surf through the cravings. Rather than resisting it, this mindfulness technique teaches acceptance and logical thinking.

To ride the wave of craving, the first step is acknowledgement. Accept it with the resolve that it’s something to deal with. Then, deal with it.

To do this, sit and close your eyes. Then, one by one, analyze each thought about the temptation to use the addictive substance. Verbal acknowledgment has the effect of showing you that it’s just physical reactions. It helps you realize that cravings are not a mountain to scale.

Describe the thoughts coming through your mind. You can even say them out loud to yourself. Do the same for physical feelings like sweating, racing heartbeat etc. 

Keep up with this and in a few minutes, you’ll realize that the cravings are gone. Most of the time, coping with addiction cravings is as easy as that!

Self Care

Self Care

Loving yourself can provide the mental strength to deal with cravings when they arise. Activities like eating regularly, getting a massage, jogging and getting beauty treatment fall under self-care.

With self-care, you get confident in the knowledge that you are actually enjoying life without any drugs in the mix. This can give you the mental toughness to deny temptations and cravings.

Know Your Triggers

Earlier, we describe triggers as places, people or sensory feelings that make you want to use drugs. By knowing what they are, you can avoid them before they cause addiction cravings. This is vital to the process of learning how to cope with cravings.

A simple tip to preventing relapse is to create a trigger list. More importance, identify the ones that are avoidable like visiting a friend who uses. Avoidance is the best way to prevent addiction triggers.

However, there are unavoidable triggers. Emotional triggers such as stress and sadness may be impossible to circumvent. Here are some tips for managing these kinds of triggers.

  • Discussing with a support system 
  • Feeling the emotions instead of trying to suppress them 
  • Practicing acts of generosity 
  • Spreading positive energy to those around you

Know your triggers. Avoid them. That’s how you manage addiction cravings and prevent a relapse.

Meditation

Meditation

This tip to coping with addiction cravings works by calming the mind. Furthermore, it offers clarity of thought and self-awareness. With these two in play, it is easier to make positive decisions when cravings happen.

How Addiction Treatment Helps 

Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like you can manage cravings and triggers on your own. However, it doesn’t always turn out that way. 

Managing addiction cravings and triggers is easier with the help of professional addiction treatment services. Here at 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre , we can teach you how to manage cravings and help you prevent a relapse. Call 855-601-0555 to get started!

Related article: 8 Signs Of Addiction Relapse

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Marijuana Addiction

The Amazing Benefits of Quitting Marijuana

Marijuana is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant that is often smoked by its users. More often than not, the sole reason people do it is to get that “high” feeling, entirely unbothered by the potential benefits of quitting marijuana. Now, you probably already knew all of that, but, we just had to get the formalities out of the way.

benefits of quitting marijuanaFor most people, consuming marijuana is just a recreational activity. However, to some users, nothing compares to that heavenly buzz that comes with smoking it. Unfortunately, that all-so-pleasant buzz isn’t the best thing for you. 

Like many other drugs, a heavy to light marijuana use can lead to several health problems. As such, you must quit using it. In this article, we’ll be looking at the benefits to gain from looking the other way when next someone passes you the blunt.

6 Benefits of Quitting Marijuana

The “joy” of marijuana is in that otherworldly realm that it transports you to every time you take a drag. Besides this, many users believe that it’s great if you’re looking for a bit more focus on your work or you need to relax. 

But, are we sure that marijuana doesn’t take more than it gives? Are there any real advantages to quitting marijuana? Well, let’s take a look.

Improved lung health

Naturally, many people believe that there’s absolutely nothing that can go wrong when you’re using marijuana. So much so that a lesson on how to get rid of marijuana addiction is at the bottom of their priorities. Sadly, this belief has the same footing as the one that says that the earth is flat. In other words, it isn’t true.

Marijuana comes from nature, and there aren’t exactly a ton of ways you can go wrong with mother nature. But, a lot of people smoke the drug, and that is where the problem lies. Your lungs are built for sweet, clean oxygen and an occasional dose of your loved one’s hair at sunset. Among the top things that shouldn’t get into your lungs are water and smoke.

smoke marijuana

When you smoke marijuana over extended periods, you open yourself up to the risk of a number of lung problems. You might not notice them immediately you take your first drag of weed, and you probably won’t notice after the third time either. 

But, it will come. Among other things, you’ll notice that you’re coughing more often and really can’t run that far without pausing for breath.

One of the major benefits of quitting marijuana is that you’ll give your lungs a chance to heal. You’ll be able to breathe easier and you’ll have better lung health.

Improved mental health

After reading that first point, you might belong to the percentage of people who’ll breathe a sigh of relief. After all, you don’t smoke your weed. Perhaps, you cook it into your brownies like the classy stoner that you are.

The truth is that whether you’re eating it or breathing it in, you’re still posing some sort of risk to yourself. Among other things, regular intake of weed can lead to a number of mental health problems. To mention a few, there’s anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts if you’re a teenager, etc.

These might seem easy to cope with. In fact, for some people, anxiety is pretty normalized. But, the more you use marijuana, the worse it gets. You’ll keep taking more and more, and it keeps taking its toll on your brain till there isn’t much of a toll to take anymore.

However, if you quit, you’re less likely to go through these problems. Depending on how far gone you are, you might experience a few withdrawal symptoms ranging from irritability to depression. But, as soon as you get past that stage, it’s all sunshine, rainbows, and clean air.

Related article: Top Reasons Young People Use Marijuana

Focused thinking and clearer thoughts

Focused thinking and clearer thoughts

Usually, when stoners get high, they have this idea in their heads that they’re producing the highest quality of ideas. They go on about how brilliant their new dating app will be or how their spaceship can run infinitely on water.

At the moment, and to them, it sounds pretty great. But, to someone who isn’t tripping on multiple joints, it doesn’t exactly make much sense. 

As such, one of the major reasons to quit weed is that you’ll be able to think better. Without weed, your thoughts will become more coordinated, focused and coherent.

Improves your finances

Admittedly, this isn’t one of the health benefits of quitting marijuana, but it is still a pretty good reason to quit weed nonetheless. In fact, it shouldn’t take much of an explanation, but because we care about you so much, we’ll do it anyway.

Now, the price of weed varies largely from one place to another throughout Canada. This is due to several different factors from blunt quality to sales location, among other things. But, as a regular smoker, we estimate that you’ll have to spend somewhere around $1200 to $2400 if you want to get the “good stuff”.

However, even if you don’t blow through several pounds of weed per month, we still estimate that you’ll spend around $1000 every year. Now, outside these two categories, some enjoy sharing their weed with friends. If you’re this kind of person, we’re willing to wager that you’ll be putting in a lot more than those numbers.

But, another one of the benefits of quitting marijuana is that it saves you from these costs. When you finally make the decision to quit marijuana, you can divert money into better things. With marijuana addiction treatment rehab, you can make things better for your health and your wallet. Increase in motivation levels

Increase in motivation levels

Before we started this relatively lengthy talk on the benefits of quitting marijuana, we mentioned something. It went along the lines of people taking marijuana to relax. Well, if you were in doubt before, it’s true.

Usually, after a stressful day at work, school, or even at home, marijuana addicts smoke. Admittedly, it can be a bit calming. You might not feel that nagging at the back of your mind to go insane with stress. But, this isn’t good because all you’re getting is a false sense of peace.

Your essay isn’t done; you just feel a little better about not doing it. You didn’t meet deadlines at work. Instead, you just feel less stressed out about them. Eventually, you’ll become overly relaxed, miss the deadline, and face the consequences when the weed wears out.

When you eventually learn how to stop smoking weed, this becomes less of a problem for you. You’ll be motivated enough to do what you need to do at the right time. If you’re wondering what will happen to the stress, there are tons of healthier ways to deal with stress.

Improved social life with friends and family

The chances of getting dangerously addicted to weed aren’t ridiculously high. However, they are still there, and they are very real. As such, if you get close to that point, you’ll easily notice a couple of changes in your social life.

For starters, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable when you’re high than when you’re sober. As such, under circumstances that require you to be sober, like a date or an interview, you might find yourself being incredibly anxious. We’re not dating experts, but we’ll say that that’s not exactly the best impression to give your partner.

The Amazing Benefits of Quitting Marijuana

Alongside that, many marijuana users will rather their family members didn’t know they use the drug. Even if your older relations’ opinion doesn’t stress you, you’re not likely to feel the same way about your kids picking up the habit from you. 

As such, you might constantly have to hide it from them or avoid hanging with them so that you can get the next puff. This will affect your relationship with your family on varying degrees.

But, when you quit, you do not have to worry about these problems. You’ll be able to function optimally without marijuana. As an offshoot, you can build solid relationships with those who matter the most to you.

In Conclusion

Some might tell you that weed is a pretty great drug, it enhances you, and there are really no substantial benefits of quitting marijuana. Unfortunately, this isn’t accurate. Marijuana doesn’t always make you the best version of yourself. More often than not, it can serve as an impediment to your improvement as an individual. As such, you have to quit.

However, this isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if you’re addicted. But, if you’re truly determined to quit, you can get professional help. In that regard, check out our marijuana treatment services. We offer comprehensive holistic addiction treatment services for residents in Canada and the US. Contact us today! We’re here to help you through your journey. Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: How to Recognize Marijuana Addiction

Categories
Addiction Treatment Tips

Helping An Addict: Are You Enabling Them?

It’s easy to blur the line between enabling and helping an addict. When someone we love is going through an addiction, we are instinctively driven to help them. We do so by offering support in a variety of ways: we ensure that the addict has access to necessities of life like food and shelter, we are there to listen to them when they need to talk, we do what we can to protect them from the ugliness of the world.

But sometimes we have to face up to the harsh reality that we may be doing more harm than good. Because the things that we think are helping could be pushing our loved one further into their addiction. In this blog, we explore the signs that you may be enabling an addict. 

What Does it Mean To Enable Someone?

Enabling someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol can mean two things: our actions make it easy for them to stay addicted, or our actions make it difficult for them to stop.

Enabling is rarely intentional. When we set out to help anyone with a problem, we tend to measure our success by whether or not that person is happy. This is especially true in the case of addiction, where the individual is often unhappy or going through a difficult time in their life. If something we say or so directly results in the person being happier, we are driven to repeat that behaviour, often without realizing that we are unintentionally feeding the addiction.

The line between helping and enabling can be blurred. We may give food to a hungry relative because, obviously, food is a necessity of life, but if the need arose because the relative spent their paycheque on alcohol, have we really helped them? Or did we in fact make it easier for our relative to spend their next pay on alcohol?

Here we discuss some ways in which you may be unintentionally enabling a loved one who is addicted to drugs or alcohol.

You commit to keeping the addict’s substance use a secret

People with addictions are often reluctant to tell anyone about their substance use. Even when someone is not acknowledging that they have a problem, on some level they may be aware that their behaviour goes beyond the bounds of what others would consider acceptable. If you are in an addict’s inner circle and they know you are aware of their drug or alcohol use, they may try to extract from you a promise that you will not tell anyone.

This creates at least two problems. First, you have sole knowledge of something that you may not be emotionally equipped to handle. And second, when the time comes to try and get help for your addicted loved one, other people close to the addict may not be on board, because they don’t know the extent of the problem.

You financially support the addict in any way

financially supporting the addiction

Most people are unlikely to financially support the addiction directly. If you know that a loved one is addicted to cocaine, you are not going to give them money if you know they are going to use it for cocaine. But you may be inclined to pay their rent or stock up their refrigerator with groceries. While it may seem that you are simply preventing the addict from starving or ending up on the street, these actions are a sign that you’re enabling the addiction to continue.

If you are meeting any of the addicted person’s financial obligations, they have no incentive to pay those expenses themselves. In essence, you are teaching them that they can use their money for drugs, knowing that they have a safety net to fall back on. As painful as it may be for you to have to turn down someone who is asking for food, it really is the kindest thing you can do for that person. 

You bail the addict out of jail

It is a sad fact of life that people with addictions often find themselves in trouble with the police. This can take several forms: the addict commits a break-and-enter as they look for money or valuables they can sell. Or they may commit an act of violence while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Finally, they may be pulled over for impaired driving.

Seeing a loved one go through the rigours of jail time and a criminal trial can be painful. But bailing an addict out of jail and helping them fight criminal charges can send them the message that they can abuse drugs without consequence. If you’re doing this, then, it’s a clear sign that you’re enabling an addiction.

You let the addict get away with behaving badly

substance abuse

When substance abuse makes someone behave in ways that are not usual for them, we are quick to separate the addict from their behaviour. If the addict yells at us, for instance, we’ll tell ourselves that “it’s the drugs talking.” We excuse aggression, rudeness, theft of money or belongings, and abuse by reasoning that the addict “cannot help themselves”. However, there’s a clear line between being a softie and enabling an addict. 

Most people excuse this behaviour to protect themselves. For one, we need the reassurance that we are not responsible for somebody else’s bad behaviour, and so we’ll tell ourselves anything in order to not take it personally. The reality is that you are never responsible for the way in which someone else behaves, and there is nothing wrong with calling the addict out on the things they do that hurt us. 

Everybody – whether they are addicted to drugs or alcohol or not – should be held accountable for their own words and actions.

You cover for the addict’s lateness or absenteeism

The deeper someone falls into the pit of drug or alcohol addiction, the more likely it is that their attendance and performance at work will start to suffer. Early in their addiction, they may be late from time to time. They might miss the occasional deadline or deliver work that is below their usual standard.

After a while, the addict may start to sleep late. They will miss their alarm, and you will be unable to wake them up. If you help them cover up in situations like this, it’s a clear sign that you’re enabling the addiction. 

You may respond by calling their employer or coworker and saying that your loved one is sick. Plans to attend important events may be derailed, and you may be tempted to make an excuse of illness or a flat tire. As part of being held accountable, the addict needs to face up to the times they are late and absent. 

You allow the addict to use substances in your home

There is no denying that drug abuse can be part of a dangerous lifestyle. Many substances lead to an over-inflated sense of confidence, leading the addict to engage in potentially dangerous activities without regard for the danger. 

It is easy to tell yourself that if the addicted person is going to use drugs, they may as well do so in a safe place, where they will be protected from doing anything rash. It may seem like you have a reason for it, but it’s a clear sign that you’re enabling an addict.

This has three potentially serious impacts. First, it gives the addict an easy place to use drugs, which reduces their ability and incentive to quit. Second, in some jurisdictions, knowingly allowing the use of illicit substances can get you into trouble. And third, you could be putting yourself at risk of harm at the hands of the addict.

Related article: Top Reasons Young People Use Marijuana

You take on housework and childcare responsibilities

Addiction does not only affect the addict. It affects everyone around them as well, and where the waters really get muddied is when the addict’s household includes vulnerable people, such as children, seniors, and people with disabilities or life-threatening illnesses. 

You may find yourself increasingly doing things for the addict and the people who live with them. In addition to paying bills, you may go over to the addict’s home to do their laundry, vacuum or cook a meal. You do this “for the sake of the children”, and the result is that it becomes even more convenient for the addict to use drugs or alcohol.

If there are vulnerable people living with the addict and their safety is at risk, arrangements should be made to remove them from the home. These arrangements should be made with the sole intention of protecting the vulnerable, and not as a way to make life easier for the addict.

How To Help An Addicted Loved One Without Enabling Them

It is never too late to help someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. More importantly, you can provide help without enabling them. There are several steps that you can take.

Don’t blame yourself

The first step is to understand that this is not your fault. It is very easy to fall into the habit of enabling an addicted loved one. You have been trying to help, and this kind of problem does not come with an instruction manual. It is not easy to know what to do. So don’t be hard on yourself. Remind yourself that you are a good person who wants the best for your loved one.

Take care of yourself

A lot of people who are helping someone through a crisis forget to take care of themselves. If you are going to be at your one’s side through the addiction and rehab journey, you need to make sure you have the physical and emotional reserves to sustain yourself. 

Make sure you are eating nutritious meals and getting some exercise. Follow pursuits that you enjoy; spend time with friends who can take your mind away from what is happening. See your doctor if you start to feel run-down, and explore the possibility of therapy for yourself if you are having trouble coping.

Research options for intervention and treatment

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. In the same way, you can explore options for addiction treatment, but you can’t force the addict to accept help. However, there are things you can do to increase the chances of them signing up for addiction treatment.

Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: The Importance Of Nutrition During Drug Addiction Recovery

 

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Drug Addiction

Drug Abuse and Addictions: Warning Signs To Look Out For

Alcohol and drug addiction come in many forms. Consequently, it means that the signs of drug abuse and addiction differ from person to person. It is the lonely teenager smoking marijuana in order to cope with the anguish of being bullied. It is the survivor of sexual assault who uses drugs to escape into a world without pain. It is the high-level executive whose cocaine provides the energy rush needed to meet a crushing deadline. It is the war veteran who uses opioids for chronic pain, the student using “uppers” to get through exams, the bereaved parent who seeks comfort in bottles of wine.

Although we have pictures in our minds of what we think the signs and symptoms addiction looks like, there is no way to tell. The spectre of addiction could even be hiding within your own family – possibly even within you – and you may not realize it. And without recognizing the signs and symptoms of addiction, people with addictions are unable to seek or accept help.

The Difference Between Drug Abuse And Drug Addiction

Drug Abuse vs Drug Addiction

If drug abuse and addiction can lurk so secretively in our lives, how is it possible to tell whether or not it is there?

The first step is to understand that although many people use the terms “drug abuse” and “drug addiction” interchangeably, there is a difference.

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is either the use of an illicit substance such as heroin, or the misuse of a legal substance such as alcohol. Examples of drug abuse include the following:

  • Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol (generally, eight units per week for adult biological females, and fifteen units per week for adult biological males)
  • Using any illegal street drug, such as cocaine or heroin
  • Using a prescription medication intended for someone else
  • Taking more than the prescribed dose of a prescription medication
  • Using prescription medication for a purpose other than that for which it was intended
  • Ingesting a household substance not meant for human consumption

Drug abuse can happen over any period of time. Furthermore, the signs of drug abuse are far easier to spot. A single instance of substance use can be classified as drug abuse. For some people, drug abuse is a pattern of substance use over time.

Drug Addiction

For most addicts, addiction is the step that follows drug abuse. What happens is that the individual develops a tolerance for the substance, meaning that they have to use higher doses in order to achieve the same effects. 

Ultimately, the body and mind become dependent on the substance. Hence, it means they cannot function without it, and in some cases, withdrawal from the drug can have life-threatening consequences. This is without a doubt one of the common signs of drug addiction.

Knowing When Your Substance Use Is A Problem

when using substances is too much

Knowing when your use of substances is too much is not an exact science. Although the signs of addiction may be an indicator, there are varying factors.

Everyone is different, and the amount of anything that you ingest, whether it is food or alcohol, depends on your age, how much you weigh, whether or not you have any medical conditions, and other factors.

Bearing in mind these individual factors, there are some general signs that can be an indicator of whether you or a loved one are entering the territory of drug abuse:

  • You are using an illegal substance in any quantity
  • You are using alcohol in any quantity and you are underage – the legal age of alcohol use may vary depending on where you are
  • You are not using prescription medication in accordance with your doctor’s instructions, or you are using someone else’s medication
  • You have developed an illness or disability as a result of prolonged drug use
  • You drug use results in you engaging in potentially risky behaviour without regard for the dangers
  • Your close friends and family members have approached you about your use of drugs or alcohol
  • You have dipped into money intended for bills or living expenses in order to buy drugs or alcohol
  • Your substance use has led to you losing interest in pursuits that were previously important to you
  • You have tried unsuccessfully to stop using the drugs or alcohol

Physical Signs Of Drug Abuse

Physical health is often the first thing to be affected, and yet it can be the last thing to be noticed. Many of the physical signs of addiction can also be caused by other conditions. 

However, certain combinations of signs and symptoms can be red flags that there is a substance abuse problem going on:

  • Bloodshot eyes, or pupils that are unusually large or small
  • Rapid weight gain or weight loss that cannot be attributed to another cause
  • Abrupt change to sleeping patterns reflected as insomnia, excessive sleep, or frequent waking
  • Impaired coordination
  • Crusted or flaking skin around the nose and mouth
  • Skin redness or track marks that could result from needles
  • Excessive coughing in the absence of illness or allergies
  • Frequent nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
  • A general feeling or look of being “run down”
  • Unusual body odours

Related article: The Connection Between Substance Abuse And Mental Health

Mental/Cognitive Signs Of Drug Abuse

While some substances are used primarily for their physical effects, such as painkillers, people generally use drugs and alcohol because of how it makes them feel. For example, cocaine creates a boost of energy and confidence, while opioids generate a rush of euphoria and relaxation.

Any substance used in excess can have a significant impact on mental health and cognitive functioning. The effects, which vary depending on individual factors, may include the following:

  • Increased intensity of depression and anxiety symptoms
  • Agitation, irritability and mood swings
  • Impaired memory
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Paranoia

Behavioural/Social Signs Of Drug Abuse

It is no surprise that even mild drug use can lead to behavioural changes. How many times have you seen someone have a single glass of wine and suddenly become uncharacteristically talkative or aggressive? Most people consume alcohol in a way that their behaviour is only altered while they are impaired. 

The morning after a good party, most of us might have a headache, but our behaviour is back to normal. Someone who requires substance addiction treatment may show some behavioural and social signs and symptoms that persist even when they are not actively using the drug. 

Examples of these signs include the following:

  • An obsessive need for privacy and a tendency to spend a lot of time alone
  • Aggressive behaviour that wasn’t there before
  • Loss of interest in activities that used to be important
  • Destruction of property
  • Lack of concern for close friends and family members
  • A sudden tendency to change or cancel plans
  • Secrecy with regard to finances
  • A tendency to be argumentative and to say hurtful things
  • Absenteeism from work or school
  • Failure to take care of family obligations
  • Involvement in criminal activity
  • Disregard for personal hygiene and grooming

The Dangers Of Drug Abuse And Addiction

The more we learn about drug addiction, the more dangerous it seems to become. This is because the drugs themselves are constantly evolving: new powerful strains of marijuana are being created every day. Producers of illegal drugs are finding ways to make substances stronger, and in some cases, more lethal. Drug dealers are combining their substances with products that are toxic to humans, like bath salts and chalk.

This results in a landscape of drugs that can have unpredictable effects. This can pose a problem not only to the user, who may not be aware of exactly how their drug is made up but to first responders, who may not have all of the information they need to effectively treat an overdose. What this means is that the risk of death from accidental and intentional overdoses is a lot higher than it used to be.

Adding to the complication is the fact that a lot of people use more than one substance. Someone who takes benzodiazepines may also be addicted to alcohol. Someone who is addicted to prescription opioids may supplement their drugs with heroin. Any two drugs used in combination can result in the effects of each drug being compounded, which again, can lead to medical complications.

If the signs and symptoms of drug addiction are not caught quickly, the situation may spiral into intense physical complications. Some of the dangers of extended drug use include the following:

  • Physical and psychological dependence, which can result in potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
  • Increased risk of stroke or heart attack
  • Collapsed veins from intravenous drug use
  • Breathing that is too fast or too slow
  • Accidental injury resulting from decreased regard for danger
  • Increased risk of HIV and hepatitis from shared needles
  • Suicidal thoughts and actions
  • Changes to brain chemistry, resulting in permanent cognitive declines
  • Seizures
  • Violent behaviour, leading to the breakup of relationships and the removal of children from the home
  • Job loss

Drug Abuse And Addiction Treatment

Drug Abuse And Addiction Treatment

Many people say that in order for someone with an addiction to get the help they need, they have to first hit rock bottom. The problem is that for many people, “rock bottom” means death or permanent disability. The truth is that anyone with a substance abuse problem can and should get help – the sooner the better.

Addiction can have a catastrophic effect on your life and the lives of those around you. By getting the help you need, you can stop the damage and start the process of healing yourself and mending your relationships with the people you love. Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: Beating the Holiday Blues: How to Avoid Depression

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Addiction Recovery

How To Help A Loved One In Recovery

People with addictions are often afraid to approach their loved ones for help. They fear that they will be looked down on, vilified for making poor choices, and rejected. They are afraid that their family members will be ashamed of them, and that they will not love them anymore.

This frequently prevents addicts from seeking help, which is a shame, because those who do approach family members are so often overwhelmed by the love and support they receive. Many people with addictions have told stories about loved ones surrounding them with love, protecting them from the outside world, and getting them the help they need.

Why Are Loved Ones Important In The Recovery Process?

It has been said that no man is an island, and that is certainly true of addicts in recovery. Addiction does not only affect the addict: it also affects those who surround the addict, particularly close friends and family members. 

How Addiction Affects the Family

Exactly what those impacts are depends on the family, but they may include the following:

  • PTSD resulting from incidents of abuse
  • Fear for the safety of self or children
  • Financial worries resulting from money being used to fuel the addiction
  • A sense of loss following the breakdown of the relationship

And so, when the addict goes into recovery, it’s really the addict and their inner circle who have to heal. In most cases, an inpatient rehab setting is ideal for this: the addict is in a safe place where they can focus on the work they have to do as an individual, and family members and close friends have the time and space to dedicate to themselves. Best of all, loved ones can actively participate in the rehab process by attending family therapy sessions.

What Happens During Family Therapy?

Family Therapy

One of the big losses that come from an addiction is a loss of trust. Loved ones who have been burned are likely to resist overtures by the addict to “fix things”. 

But with the help of a trained family therapist who has the benefit of being impartial, the addict and their loved ones can start to move closer to healing their relationship.

Some skills and tools that the addict and family can learn include the following:

  • Communication skills
  • Conflict resolution skills
  • Stress management
  • Confronting challenges as a unified team

Some family therapy sessions include the addict and the entire group of loved ones. Others may involve one or two people, and some may even be one-on-one sessions conducted for the purpose of delving into specific issues.

Related article: The Advantages of a Growth Mindset for Addiction Recovery

What Else Can Loved Ones Do To Support The Recovering Addict?

Support for loved ones
Taking the addict to rehab and showing up for your scheduled family therapy sessions are two important steps, but support for your addicted loved one does not end there. There are some other things you can do – not only for the addict but for yourself.

Education

There is truth is the expression, “Knowledge is power.” The more we understand something, the less afraid of it we are. One of the key things you can do is learn as much as you can about addiction, and specifically, about your loved one’s unique path to and through addiction.

This education can take several forms:

  • Education sessions and workshops run by the rehab centre
  • Online and in-person support groups for loved ones of addicts
  • Various online resources that educate about the effects of drugs
  • Mental health resources that can help you understand the link between mental illness and addiction

Therapy

While family therapy is a critical part of rehab for most addicts and their loved ones, it may serve you well to seek out individual therapy for yourself. 

Under the guidance of a professional therapist, you can learn to understand and process how the addict’s behaviour has impacted you, and how you can move forward from that in a positive way. You can also learn how you may have inadvertently enabled the addict’s behaviour, so you can avoid that in the future.

Support groups

One of the hardest things about having a loved one with an addiction problem is the sense of being alone. Support groups like Al-Anon are there so you can listen to the stories of other families and draw strength from them. 

And as you move further along in your own journey, you will be able to provide support to those whose journeys are just starting. Through this community, you will learn new ways to cope and to support your addicted loved one.

Self-care

No one can drink from an empty well. If you are feeling depleted as a result of the addiction, you may not be in any position to take care of anyone. You need to focus on yourself and your own healing, to take the time to replenish your physical and mental reserves. 

You can do this in several ways:

  • Go away for a few days by yourself. Be beholden to nobody. Go wherever you want, and spend the time doing whatever you want and not worrying about anyone or anything else.
  • Rediscover pursuits that you used to enjoy that may have gone by the wayside. This could mean more time with friends, going back to art or dance classes, or resurrecting a love of reading.
  • If you have been under stress, your physical health may have suffered. Get your strength back by following a nutritious eating plan and getting regular exercise. This can help your mental health as well: few things can lift the soul like a gentle walk in a scenic location.
  • Allow yourself to cry, and to feel the sadness and despair that you may be feeling. By acknowledging how you feel, you will be better able to process those emotions.
  • Consider trying meditation or mindfulness practices. These are tools for calming your mind and reducing stress.

How To Start The Recovery Process

In many cases, it is not the addict who makes the first call for help, it is a family member or close friend. If you have a loved one who is struggling with addiction, and you don’t know how to approach them about getting help, you can make use of the professional intervention services offered by addiction rehab facilities.

Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: How to Choose the Right Addiction Treatment Service

Categories
Cocaine Addiction

How to Quit Cocaine Addiction

If you’re reading this, the odds are high that you have finally realized the negative toll that cocaine use is having on your life, and you want to quit. This realization is very vital as it is what will push you to go through cocaine addiction treatment. Finding out how to quit cocaine abuse is the first and essential step to living a life free from an addiction to the substance. In light of this, we are happy to tell you that you are on the right path!

Cocaine is easily one of the most dangerous and addictive substances out there. Although it is illegal in many countries, including Canada, many people still practice recreational cocaine use. Sadly, most of these people become addicted to the substance. 

If you or your loved ones fall into this category, the good news is that you can get help for cocaine addiction. In this article, we will provide you with helpful tips on how to quit cocaine abuse.

Kicking your addiction to cocaine may be tasking as the withdrawal symptoms can be quite intense. So, we recommend seeking professional help to ensure that your cocaine addiction treatment and recovery goes as smoothly as possible. 

In light of this, we will also give you some insight into the best treatment options for cocaine addiction. Read further to find out the best ways to stop cocaine abuse.

Why is Quitting Cocaine So Hard?

Many people struggling with how to quit cocaine abuse usually have a lot of questions. Why can I recreationally use cocaine for a short while and then become unable to control myself? What causes the change between my occasional thrilling use and my now compulsive use? How can it be so hard not to use cocaine? Can I get rid of cocaine addiction?

These are all very valid questions that countless others before you have asked. The process of quitting cocaine has the potential to be difficult, painful and mostly uncomfortable. 

This is because of the effects that long-term cocaine use has on the brain. To help you understand the process of cocaine addiction treatment, we will show you how it affects your brain.

Cocaine explicitly targets the limbic system in the brain. This is the part of the brain that controls the feelings of reward and is highly effective in making you happy. Due to this, with continued use of cocaine, you will continually seek these feelings of pleasure. This makes it extremely difficult to kick your habits of using cocaine.

Furthermore, the continuous use of cocaine will cause your body to develop a physical dependence on the substance. This means that your body forms a compulsive need for cocaine to sustain normal functions. 

At this point, if you try to stop, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can vary from simple to intense, depending on how long you’ve been using.

The mental and physical impressions of cocaine on you are what make its addiction hard to treat. Also, these factors increase the risk of a relapse. However, despite all these, cocaine addiction treatment is, IN FACT, possible. In the next few paragraphs, you will discover proven tips on how to quit cocaine addiction.

Tips on How to Quit Cocaine

Cocaine addiction treatment is never comfortable. This is why you need all the help you can get to kick to your cocaine addiction. We have compiled some vital information on the best ways to stop cocaine abuse. Bear in mind, we are not saying it will be smooth sailing all through. 

By following the following strategies, you may just be giving yourself the best chances of dropping cocaine for good. At the very least, these tips will point you in the right direction. Here’s how to quit cocaine abuse.

Figure out why you want to quit

Undoubtedly, numerous health risks come with using cocaine that should be enough to make anyone stop. However, these reasons may not be enough for you. You need to figure out your reasons for wanting to know how to quit cocaine abuse. 

Many people want to get clean to get back with their family, while others want to become better versions of themselves. Whatever your reason may be, you must identify it. This reason will become the fuel that pushes you through your cocaine addiction treatment when it gets tough, as it likely will.

Create a plan for yourself

Quit Cocaine Addiction

The next important step you need to take in your journey to freedom from cocaine addiction is to create a plan. A well-tailored plan will go a long way in keeping you on track. In the timeline you create, you must address your short-term goal of successful withdrawal. 

Furthermore, you must also plan for your long term goal, which is recovery. Here are a couple of things you should keep in mind when creating your cocaine addiction treatment timeline.

  • Prepare for the symptoms of withdrawal
  • Decide how to deal with stress
  • Create a plan for avoiding things or people who can lead you to use again

Related article: Common Signs of Cocaine Abuse

Build a support system

best ways to stop cocaine addiction

One of the best ways to stop cocaine addiction is to create a support system of people who can encourage you to achieve your goal. A reliable support system can make the difference between a successful cocaine addiction treatment and a relapse. 

Most people choose to surround themselves with their loved ones – close friends and family. It goes without saying that you have to alert these people that you are trying to quit cocaine.

Your support system is critical to ensuring that you have adequate care and motivation during your addiction treatment. So, if you do not want to tell your loved ones, you may invest in anonymous support such as Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous.

Get busy

Get busy

Our next tip on how to quit cocaine abuse is this – fill up your days. If you are going to drop a habit, you should find a more healthy replacement for it. Otherwise, the void that it leaves can cause idleness, which can lead you right back where you started. The same thing applies to cocaine addiction and its treatment. 

Idleness can give you time to reflect on your memories, which can then cause more cravings. To prevent this, we recommend that you rearrange your schedule.

Moreover, cocaine cravings are short-lived. They typically last between two and three hours. So, if you can find a way to pass the time, or exhaust yourself until you nod off, you will likely wake up without cravings. 

Fill your day up with activities that you like, such as exercise and safe socialization. You may even pick up a new hobby or complete an unfinished home project.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

The lifestyle that you lead goes a long way to influence your journey through quitting cocaine for good. As such, you must ensure that you do your best to live as healthily as possible. This includes adequate rest, regular exercise and a balanced diet. 

Exercise facilitates the release of natural ‘pleasure’ chemicals in your brain, thereby helping you reduce cravings. Also, a regular schedule for sleeping and waking will help your body recover faster from cocaine use. Besides, a healthy diet promotes brain function and helps your body regenerate. It all works together to help you quit cocaine abuse.

Identify your triggers

Knowing how to quit cocaine addiction is all about understanding what triggers your use in the first place. Once you can identify your triggers, you are well on your way to living a cocaine-free life. 

Make a list of these triggers and then plan how to avoid them. This way, even if you are unable to prevent them, you’ll be prepared to deal with them. Your triggers may include objects, people, places or situations. So, think deep, identify them and, most importantly, avoid them!

Enroll in a treatment centre

For our final tip on how to quit cocaine abuse, admit to a professional cocaine addiction treatment facility. While it is possible to discontinue cocaine use on your own, it is usually a painful, not to mention dangerous, process. 

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can sometimes be intense and life-threatening. This is why we recommend going through your detox at a professional facility.

At an addiction treatment centre, you’d have access to a team of medical experts and psychologists to help you through your withdrawal. Also, they can provide medication to help reduce the intensity of your symptoms if need be. Or help you ensure that your mind is in the right state to pull through.

The option of Professional Cocaine Addiction Treatment

The option of Professional Cocaine Addiction Treatment

At our cocaine addiction treatment facility, we have a variety of treatment options available for you.

  • Inpatient treatment program – You live in our treatment centre while going through recovery.
  • Outpatient treatment program – You enjoy inpatient services, but you do not have to live in the facility,
  • Individual therapy program – One-on-one with our addiction treatment professionals
  • Group therapy – You enjoy the benefits of therapy but with a group of people with similar goals.
  • Twelve-step support groups

Take-Home

Cocaine addiction is deadly and a real pain to kick. However, drug-free life is achievable and within your grasp. With a combination of professional help, the right support system and tips on how to quit cocaine addiction, you can indeed kick your habits. Call 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: The Harmful Effects Of Cocaine

Categories
Heroin Addiction

The Long Term Effects of Heroin Abuse

If you have been trying to quit heroin, perhaps considering the long-term effects of heroin abuse can serve as a motivation. With the repeated use of this substance, there is a significant change in the brain’s structure, both physically and physiologically. Also, heroin abuse is detrimental to the body and can result in several health conditions that most people don’t know about.

According to metrics, about 35,000 persons have hepatitis every year and about 70% of these results from addicts that use needles to inject the substance. The lifestyle of an addict is very damaging. Apart from the risk of contracting infectious diseases, there’s also the risk of damaging your liver.

It may seem like an uphill task to face the horror that comes with total withdrawal. However, it is better than continuously subjecting yourself to the long-term effects of heroin abuse. You see, the consequences of heroin abuse factor in every aspect of life. 

Addicts suffer from a messed up life. From broken family and personal relationships to issues in the workplace, heroin abuse has dangerous implications. Additionally, there’s the mental side of heroin abuse. Depression, anxiety and other mental disorders are just a few of the possible effects of heroin abuse

In this guide, we will explore the symptoms of heroin addiction, its long-term effects, and what you can do to get yourself out of the loop.

What You Should Know About Heroin Abuse

What You Should Know About Heroin Abuse

Heroin is an opioid substance produced from morphine. Furthermore, there are several ways the substance can be used. It can be sniffed; it can be snorted, injected, and is most commonly smoked. While users feel they are in control, most fall into dependence on the substance, which leads to an uncontrolled level of addiction. 

Heroin is a very addictive substance. For starters, it adheres to the receptors situated in the brain and causes the release of a chemical known as dopamine. The release of this substance is the start of what later becomes an addiction. 

Dopamine’s effect on the brain is only temporary, and since it comes with a ‘good feeling,’ the brain wants more of that. This leads the individual back to smoking heroin. Furthermore, this continuous cycle leads to dependence on the substance, as it “makes you feel good whenever you use it”.

With continuous exposure to this substance, your body will not be able to attain the level of feeling good naturally. As a result, you have to use more of the substance to trigger the release of the same levels of dopamine. 

You should know that opioid use disorder can result from the use of painkillers. The activity of these drugs is similar to that of opioids, making it essential that you stay wary of heroin, which can worsen this condition. 

Related article: Heroin Addiction: The Obvious Signs to Look Out For

Symptoms of Heroin Abuse

To avoid the side effects of heroin abuse, it is important to know the signs of addiction. These symptoms mark the start of dependence on the substance. If the symptoms are quickly spotted, with heroin addiction treatment, it is possible to manage the situation effectively. 

There is a whole repository of symptoms you need to look out for, ranging from behavioural to physical and psychological effects.

The behavioural effect of heroin abuse include the following:

  • You get absent from work or school, frequently
  • A drop in your performance.
  • Wearing dresses that cover your bruises and injuries from heroin injection
  • Total disinterest in personal grooming
  • Secrecy and lying become second nature.
  • To afford the substance, you start to steal.
  • You start to lose interest in the things that were once important to you.
  • You can’t stop using the substance, despite its effects.
  • You distance yourself from family and friends.
  • You only pursue relationships with people that are addicted to the substance too.
  • You are no longer financially stable.
  • You may end up losing your job due to inadequacies brought on by heroin addiction
  • Crime and legal issues

Physically, the signs of heroin abuse include the following:

  • You notice a drastic weight loss
  • You start to look malnourished
  • You suffer from exhaustion and lethargy
  • Your eyes become watery, coupled with a running nose.
  • You have symptoms that come off as flu.
  • You are prone to experience difficulty in breathing.
  • You get constant chest infections.
  • Suffering from constipation
  • Bruises and injuries on the skin
  • Uncontrolled itching.
  • Constriction of the pupils
  • Your vein may collapse
  • Clotting of the blood
  • As a woman, a disruption in the menstrual cycle may occur
  • Frequent shortness of breath

The psychological signs of heroin abuse include:

  • Depression starts, coupled with anxiety
  • You feel ashamed and guilty
  • You get knocked down by severe low self-esteem
  • You suffer from drastic swings in mood
  • Hopelessness and despair
  • You start making the wrong judgments
  • Disorientation and confusion
  • You can’t stop thinking of how to get another dose of heroin into your system
  • You start feeling as though you no longer control your life, but the heroin does. 
  • It becomes increasingly difficult to find your focus at work or in school.

These signs are proof that you are dependent on the substance, and the next thing is to seek help. 

You see, the long-term effects of heroin abuse result from the continuous use of the substance. Therefore, the earlier you deal with addiction to the substance, the better. 

The Effects of Heroin Abuse: All You Need To Know

The effects of heroin abuse are both long-term and short-term. Here are some of the short-term effects you may suffer from, with the continued abuse of heroin.

  • You experience dry mouth
  • Your skin looks pale and flushed
  • Your legs and arms begin to feel heavy, making it difficult to engage in the activities you would typically love to engage in.
  • The continuous use of heroin can result in an upsetting of your stomach, coupled with intense vomiting.
  • You feel itchy all over your body.
  • Your brain gets fuzzy, and it becomes more difficult to think straight.
  • You get drowsy very quickly.

On the other hand, the long-term effects of abusing heroin are:

  • Collapsed veins
  • You suffer from immense mental disorders, which may be augmented with infections of the heart and its valves. You also start to exhibit several liver and kidney diseases.
  • If you share needles with someone, you are prone to contracting HIV/AIDS. You also stand the risk of contracting hepatitis B or C.
  • In most cases, lung diseases result from heroin abuse — for instance, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

As stated earlier in this article, addiction to heroin can be very intense, and in most cases, will result in one or more accompanying health disorders. 

Furthermore, the continuous use of the substance, just like any other, results in the body developing tolerance. Once you get to this stage, it becomes doubly harder to turn back, even when the negative health effects are crystal clear.

It would almost feel like your body needs it to function correctly. In cases like this, the best solution is to undergo heroin withdrawal with the help of addiction treatment experts. Below are some of the physical manifestations you can expect during heroin withdrawal:

  • Jitters and chills
  • Vomiting and diarrhea
  • You feel pain in your bones and muscles.
  • You find it very difficult to sleep, as you haven’t taken heroin.
  • Cold flashes.
  • Uncontrolled leg movement.

How to Beat Heroin Addiction

It is nearly impossible to overcome heroin abuse all by yourself. Instead, you need a support system. When you reach out to a professional, your problems, symptoms, and conditions will be noted. As a result, they can develop a personalized treatment plan for you. 

The most common approach to treating heroin abuse is therapy, and in most cases combining this with medication. Through medication, the craving for heroin can be reduced. The drugs operate similarly to heroin, in that they have a long-lasting dopamine production than heroin. This nullifies the effect of heroin on your brain and reduces the pleasure you derive from taking it.

With therapy, the things you do, think of, as well as behaviours that support addiction will be modified and controlled. This way, you cope better with the stress and other triggers that lead to heroin abuse. This is known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 

Depending on your unique condition, there is also contingency management therapy that offers rewards for staying free from the drug.

Final Take

From the above, it is easy to see that the long-term effects of heroin abuse can take a serious physical toll on the body. As a result, it is best to seek expert heroin addiction treatment as soon as possible. Call 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: Drug Abuse and Addictions: Warning Signs To Look Out For

 

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Alcohol Addiction

Drinking Too Much? Here’s How To Know

Most of us are well aware of the dangers of excessive drinking and alcohol addiction. Consuming too much alcohol over a period of time can lead to a variety of physical health concerns, including liver disease, stroke, cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, digestive problems, and several cancers.

Physical health is not the only thing that is affected by the need for alcohol addiction treatment. There is also the fact that alcohol can make people engage in high-risk behaviour, for instance, while driving a car. This can lead to anything ranging from a minor fender bender on your way home from a party to the loss of innocent lives.

People who are drunk may also become violent, especially if they already had a predisposition to anger. In addition to impaired driving offences and the charges that can stem from that, alcohol consumption can trigger incidents of domestic violence, assault, breaking and entering, and many other forms of criminal activity.

But How Much Is Too Much?

How Much Is Too Much
Most people who consume alcohol do so with the intention of being moderate. We don’t see the harm in getting home from work and having one or two beers to relax. From time to time, we’ll go to a wedding or a dinner party and drink more than we normally would, but as long as we don’t drive afterwards, and as long as excessive drinking does not become a regular habit, we tell ourselves that we are nowhere near that zone of “drinking too much”.

Some researchers, however, estimate that as many as one-third of adults drink excessively, many of them without realizing it.

How do they arrive at this number?

The first thing to clarify is what constitutes a unit of alcohol. In general, “a drink” consists of 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1 ½ ounce of hard liquor, like whisky or vodka.

How much you can drink without it being considered excessive depends on several factors, such as your biological sex, your weight, the presence of any medical conditions, and medications that you are taking. 

If you wanted to know exactly what your specific alcohol consumption limits are, you would need to talk to your doctor. This way, you can accurately determine whether there is a need for addiction treatment.

But based on adult population averages, it is generally thought that for biological females, eight drinks or more per week is excessive. For biological males, that number is fifteen drinks or more per week.

Many people would agree that this is not a lot. An adult female who has a small glass of wine every evening plus an extra glass on Saturday nights is technically drinking to excess.

It would appear, though, that most people who drink a single glass of wine with their dinner do not necessarily consume more than that when they are out. Most excessive drinking takes the form of bingeing, where the individual consumes four drinks or more per occasion.

The Distinction Between Excess Drinking And Alcohol Addiction

It is important to note that the vast majority of people who drink to excess are not addicted to alcohol. They do not experience withdrawal symptoms when they do not drink, and they do not show signs of developing an increased tolerance for alcohol. 

Nor do they experience cravings when they do not have access to alcohol. They may simply have difficulty saying no to more when they have already had one or two drinks.

Even where alcohol consumption results in the commission of a crime, it should not be assumed that the individual is an alcoholic. It should not even be assumed that they have consumed more than what is considered “moderate”. 

All it takes for an incident to happen is for the person to drink more than their body can handle and then do something risky without realizing that they are endangering themselves or someone else.

Alcohol Addiction is Not All About The Numbers

The legal system places a lot of stock in numbers – in other words, the blood alcohol content. And that is reasonable: with alcohol affecting people in such different ways, there has to be some way of quantifying how much is “too much” from a legal standpoint.

But we need to remember that it’s not only about the numbers. We can also measure excess drinking by how we respond when we consume alcohol, and perhaps more tellingly, how we respond when we don’t have alcohol.

Related article: Can I Drink Alcohol While on Birth Control?

How Do I Know That I’m Drinking Too Much?

How Do I Know That I’m Drinking Too Much

If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption, that alone might give you pause to look at reducing your alcohol intake. 

But there are several questions you can ask yourself to get an idea of whether there’s a need for alcohol addiction treatment. These questions, which apply to the previous twelve months, are as follows:

  • Have I had times when I had more drinks than I intended, or drank for longer than I planned to?
  • Have I tried unsuccessfully to either cut back on my alcohol use or to quit entirely?
  • Have I felt strong cravings to drink alcohol?
  • Has it ever taken a long time for me to recover from the effects of alcohol?
  • Has alcohol consumption interfered with my ability to go to work or school, or to meet family obligations?
  • Have I consumed alcohol in spite of it affecting my relationships with loved ones?
  • Have I stopped participating in activities that are important to me so I could drink instead?
  • Have I engaged in potentially risky behaviour after drinking, such as driving or operating machinery?
  • Have I continued to drink in spite of feeling sad, anxious or sick?
  • Have I needed to drink more to gain the same effects?
  • Have I experienced withdrawal symptoms as a result of not having access to alcohol?

What Should I Do If I Am Drinking Excessively?

There are people who would say that you should simply stop drinking, but this is not easy for everyone. In fact, if you are a very heavy user of alcohol, quitting without medical supervision is not recommended.

Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: How To Avoid Alcohol After Recovery