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Sobriety

Tips For Maintaining Sobriety During Social Distancing

Tips For Maintaining Sobriety During Social Distancing

This year has been a roller-coaster. It’s why subjects like the tips for maintaining sobriety during social distancing are important. Few people will disagree that in 2020, life has been turned upside down. People with the most stable lives are feeling disoriented and insecure. 

This is because they grapple with changes to their employment, the need to juggle working from home with helping school-aged children with their learning, and the stress of suddenly having the whole family under one roof all the time. For those with addictions, staying sober through COVID-19 poses some unique challenges.

How The Pandemic Puts Addicts At Risk

Pandemic Puts Addicts At Risk

Being an addict during normal times puts you at risk of physical and mental health complications, broken relationships, financial ruin, and a host of other consequences. Being an addict during a pandemic adds to this. Before you can figure out how to avoid relapse – or how to attain sobriety – you first need to ensure your own survival.

Maintaining Sobriety: The Challenges For Those Who Are Actively Using Drugs Or Alcohol

In Ontario, and in many other parts of North America, the provision of alcohol has been regarded as an essential service since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak. However, for many people, it may have become more difficult to obtain alcohol. Most retail locations have imposed limits on the numbers of people allowed in at a time.

Supply is challenging for people who use other substances as well. Many doctors have temporarily suspended their family practices in order to help meet the rising demand for medical professionals in hospitals, and others have turned to virtual consulting. This makes it more difficult to get extra prescriptions for opioid medications. 

Quarantine and lockdown rules will also have interfered with the supply of illicit street drugs. Also, the shutdown of many workplaces means a drying up of the cash flow that previously funded the addiction.

While some people may think this creates the perfect opportunity to force addicts into staying sober through COVID-19, it creates a potentially dangerous situation for them. Now, they face the risk of serious withdrawal symptoms at a time when hospitals are prioritizing the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Maintaining Sobriety

Dealing With Interruptions In Services

Also at risk are addicts who have already stopped using their substances and are already learning ways to stay sober after addiction treatment. For some recovering addicts, the Coronavirus outbreak has meant a temporary suspension of support group meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Those who are earlier in their recovery journey may have had their inpatient addiction treatment programs cut short. 

Not only would they have been discharged prematurely, without having learned all of the life skills they need to stay sober, but they may also have been sent back into home situations that are triggering for them. As a result, knowledge of the tips for maintaining sobriety during social distancing is critical.

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

Living With A High Risk Of COVID-19 Complications

Active and recovering addicts face another potential hurdle: the fact that their period of substance abuse may have impacted their physical health in ways that increase their risk of complications from COVID-19 itself. 

Being among the vulnerable population, a lot of addicts may be forced to follow stricter quarantine protocols than the people around them. This can lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression.

Tips For Maintaining Sobriety During Social Distancing

Tips For Maintaining Sobriety During The COVID-19 Pandemic

No matter where you are in your addiction journey, there are things you can do to make it easy yourself. These tips are important for maintaining sobriety during social distancing.

One of our silver linings during these traumatic times is the fact that the Internet has enabled us to remain connected. While there is nothing on earth that can replace face-to-face interaction, we are not quite as isolated as people were during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919. Many, but not all, of the following tips for maintaining sobriety centres around the use of technology.

Maintain Your Human Connections

It is said that no one is an island. This is certainly true of people in all stages of addiction. Whether quarantine nudges you into sobriety sooner than expected, or you are looking for ways to maintain already-established sobriety, you will be partially reliant on the people around you for support. 

Even if you are not able to see those people in person, they can help. Some tips for connecting with people include the following:

  • Call your AA or NA sponsor if you have one, even if you do not have an immediate need. Remember that they too may be battling with how to avoid relapse at this time. Checking in to say hello will not only help you, but it may also make a difference to them.
  • Let those you live with know what you need. Whether you are seeking some quiet time by yourself, or you need the buzz of human interaction, tell them how they can help. Let them know when you are feeling vulnerable and in need of support.
  • Top of the list of tips for maintaining sobriety during social distancing is to offer support to family members who are struggling. The COVID-19 pandemic is hard on many people, for a variety of reasons. By cheering up someone who’s feeling low, by offering advice to someone who needs it, or by helping someone with homework or with a task, you can feel a greater sense of belonging.

Maintain Your Human Connections

Ensure That Your Time Has Structure

If you are spending all of your time at home, you may be tempted to sit around in your pyjamas all day and drift through your days without real purpose. Instead, give yourself a structure – a few “rules” that you have to follow each day, and some kind of schedule. This way, you can fill up your time in productive ways, while still leaving yourself some downtime.

Here are a few examples of how you can add structure to your days:

  • Make sure you have taken a shower, brushed your teeth, and gotten dressed by a certain time each day
  • Eat your meals at the same times every day
  • Attend online group support meetings at the same times that you would usually attend in-person meetings
  • Schedule time in your calendar to exercise
  • Go to bed and wake up at consistent times
  • Set goals for yourself to accomplish each day. These can range from completing a task that you have been putting off to working on the development of a new skill

Establish Continuity Of Treatment

One of the most important tips for sobriety during social distancing is to explore digital means of continuing your therapy and counselling sessions. If you were discharged early from an addiction treatment and rehab program, your treatment team will no doubt have made arrangements for you to participate in virtual appointments. 

It is important that you maintain this. Not only does it ensure continued access to some form of treatment and support, but it also helps you establish a schedule.

Equally important are your support group meetings run through organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Smart Recovery. While in-person meetings in many areas have been suspended, in many cases they have been replaced with online meetings. Make sure you know when these meetings are and how to access them.

Keep Yourself Busy

Staying sober through COVID-19 can well depend on your ability to keep yourself busy in a way that is intentional. Don’t just dart from one activity to the next. Instead, plan how you are going to spend your time. Some ideas for things to do include:

  • Starting a journal
  • Playing board games and doing jigsaw puzzles
  • Taking an online course to learn a new skill
  • Giving yourself a workout/exercise routine
  • Making a list of maintenance/repair jobs that you can work on
  • Catching up on TV shows and movies, and watching live online concerts
  • Planning your post-quarantine life: are you going to look for a new job, go back to school, or find a new apartment?

Keep Yourself Busy

Give Yourself Down Time

As important as it is to keep busy during these times, you also need to give yourself a break. One of the challenges of lockdown/quarantine is that you are with the same people day in and day out. Everyone needs a break from this from time to time, and recovering addicts are no exception. 

One of the tips for maintaining sobriety during social distancing is to take time to go for a walk, visit a park where you can safely maintain social distancing, or simply be by yourself in your own space. Don’t be afraid to tell your family members that you need this time. The chances are that they will understand and be supportive.

Have A Plan For Difficult Times

Even if you follow all of these tips for maintaining sobriety, it may not all be plain sailing. You may have times when pandemic life seems overwhelming. In cases like this, it is important to have a plan already in place when this happens. 

This plan may include the following:

  • A set of activities that you can do to distract yourself from cravings
  • A list of people you can call, such as your rehab centre support line, your sponsor, your therapist, or a trusted friend
  • A plan for those who live with you to follow, such as taking you for a walk or ensuring that you are not left alone

This Too Shall Pass

It may seem as if this pandemic will never end, but it will. At some point, you will have to make the transition from pandemic to post-pandemic living. In some ways, this will seem like a relief; in others, it will feel overwhelming.

If you find yourself in need of some intensive addiction treatment when the lockdowns and quarantines are over, the custom addiction rehab programs at addictions.ca can help you. Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs. To find out about our services and the support that we can offer during and after the pandemic, call us at 855-601-0555.

Related article: Addiction Recovery: Tips to Take Control of Your Recovery

Categories
Addiction Recovery

How To Build Positive Relationships During Recovery

How To Build Positive Relationships During Recovery

Sometimes, particularly when things are going well in our lives, we underestimate the importance of healthy relationships. But when addiction strikes, and we see the extent to which friends, family members and coworkers are impacted, the role of these relationships is brought into stark relief. 

As an addict travels further and further down the path of addiction, their intimate partner and children may feel increasingly desperate. Also, friends may start to distance themselves, and coworkers and managers may experience a loss of trust.

Addiction treatment and rehab have several goals. Key among them is to help the addict mend relationships that were damaged during the period of active addiction. But what exactly does a “mended relationship” look like?

Characteristics Of A Healthy Relationship

Wondering how to build positive relationships during addiction recovery? First, you must know what healthy relationships look like.

How To Build Positive Relationships During Recovery

To a large extent, what constitutes a healthy relationship is a function of the nature of the relationship and of the people involved. But there are some common threads that run through all healthy, functional relationships. 

By knowing what these elements are, you are in a better position to understand how to build positive relationships during recovery.

Strong Communication

One of the key things to remember is that relationships are comprised of unique individuals. No matter how “in tune” two people might be, they are still two people, and there are bound to be differences in opinion or clashes in value systems. 

This is a normal part of any healthy relationship. It’s healthy as long as the individuals have the ability to communicate in a positive manner. Some ways in which to ensure good communication include the following:

  • Be accountable for your words instead of blaming the other person for what you said
  • Don’t listen in order to respond, listen in order to understand
  • Refrain from criticizing the other person’s character – focus on the issue

Acceptance Of The Other Person

If you are in a healthy relationship, you appreciate and accept the other person for who they are. Although it is healthy and appropriate to talk to them about their behaviours that are harmful to you. 

However, it should not be your goal to change their character. Telling someone that you wish they had some personality trait that they don’t is a sure way to build resentment.

Acceptance Of The Other Person

Trust

No matter who the relationship is with there has to be a base level of trust that is appropriate to that relationship. This applies whether it’s with a spouse, a child, a friend or a coworker. From the standpoint of you as a participant in the relationship, this means two things:

  • Behaving in a trustworthy manner: If your friend trusts you to keep personal information to yourself, or if your spouse trusts you not to engage in infidelity, it is up to you to behave in a way that enables them to maintain that trust.
  • Behaving in a trusting manner: If your words or actions convey the message that you are suspicious of the other person in the relationship, this can backfire. For example, someone who trusts that their spouse is not having an affair is not going to go through their phone looking for inappropriate texts from unknown people.

Maintenance Of Individuality

Part of learning how to build positive relationships during addiction recovery is respecting the other person. People enter into relationships with those who they think they can have a good partnership with. 

Friends become friends because they have something in common and feel that they can lean on each other. People become involved in intimate relationships with those they have a deep level of connection with. 

Managers hire people who they think they can have a good working relationship with, and they form project teams based on who is likely to work well together.

While the importance of a healthy relationship should not be forgotten, it is equally important for the people in the relationship to respect each other as individuals. Spouses should spend quality time together, but they should also each follow their individual pursuits. 

Coworkers should function well as a team, but they should value the unique contributions of each individual. Friends should share some core values, but also recognize and appreciate the differences.

Tips For Developing Positive Relationships During Addiction Recovery

Learning how to build positive relationships can affect the success of addiction recovery. The people in your inner circle can be an important part of your recovery — both during your addiction treatment program and afterward. This includes your close friends and family members, and in some cases, trusted coworkers. 

You may be concerned that you burned some bridges with the people close to you during your active addiction phase. However, we have often found that people will rally around in support if you demonstrate a willingness to work on your sobriety. 

Many recovering addicts have reported fearing ostracization from friends and family members. However, in the end, all they get through their recovery journey is bags of support. 

Don’t forget that your loved ones are human as well, and they value the importance of healthy relationships as much as you do. If there is a lot invested in the relationship, that person is going to want to find a positive way forward. For example, if it is a long-standing friendship or there are children involved, 

By keeping some key points in mind, you can build strong, healthy relationships that will carry you through recovery and beyond.

Positive Relationships During Addiction Recovery

Be Committed To Recovery

Relationships are stressful. Even in the most harmonious pairings, there is occasional dissent. Also, at some point, the conflict will arise. During your addiction treatment, you will learn how to manage and resolve conflict. 

However, in order to build positive relationships, you need to be sober and serious about your addiction recovery. 

Related article: The Importance Of Nutrition During Drug Addiction Recovery

Avoid New Intimate Relationships

New relationships can be fraught with tension before you add addiction to the mix. This is especially true of intimate relationships. Before you start to date new people, you need to be confident in your level of recovery. Furthermore, you need to be sure that the new relationship will not detract from the work you are doing to fix your existing relationships.

Learn From The Past

One of the best things you can do for yourself as a recovering addict is to look at your past patterns of behaviour. This way, you can avoid replicating them. It is sometimes said that the best predictor of future behaviour is relevant to past behaviour.

As you are learning how to build positive relationships during recovery, you can examine this past behaviour and look for opportunities to improve.

Work On Communication

No relationship can work without healthy communication. This applies in good times, when the relationship is going well, and during the not-so-good times when things are tense. 

Your relationships can be positive and productive if you understand how to talk about things that are bothering you. Also, they are great if you know how to respond when confronted with a problem, and how to manage conflicts.

Manage Your Expectations

If you break any object and glue it back together, you might repair the object, but it will always show signs of having been broken. It might be functional, and in some cases, the repair process will make the object stronger than it was before. However, that object will never go back to being exactly the way it was before it was broken.

The same applies to relationships. Understanding this concept is the key to learning how to build positive relationships during recovery.  You should have the expectation of being able to build healthy relationships in addiction recovery.

However, be aware that things are unlikely to go back to the way they were before. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if the relationship was dysfunctional, to begin with. Manage your expectations!

Set Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries are important in any relationship. However, when addiction is involved, the lines can become blurred. During the course of your addiction treatment, your counsellors will help you through the process of being clear about your needs. Also, they will show you how to respect the needs of your friends and family members.

Focus On Your Recovery First And Foremost

During the early stages of addiction rehab, your primary focus is on your sobriety. It is important to focus on the relationships that are going to be a positive part of your life going forward. 

In lieu of this, avoid relationships that have contributed to your addiction in the past. Also, avoid relationships that may increase the risk of relapse.

Focus On Your Recovery

It’s Not Always The Addict’s Fault

As you are trying to build healthy relationships in addiction recovery, you may forget that you are not the only person in the relationship. Like many addicts, you may be spending so much time and energy focusing on your own negative behaviour. So much so that you forget about how the other person may have contributed to the problems.

A relationship involves two people, and both people need to put in some effort to create a stronger relationship. While it is true that many relationships break down as a direct result of the addiction, the opposite can also be true. 

We often talk about loved ones enabling the behaviour of an addict. However, sometimes, the addict enables the other person by excusing bad behaviour and turning a blind eye to dishonesty, manipulation and abuse.

The harsh reality is that not all relationships are meant to be saved. Therefore, you may be faced with having to make a difficult decision. If continuing a relationship with someone can jeopardize your recovery and put you at risk of a relapse, it may be better to let that relationship go. 

Getting Started With Addiction Treatment

The first step in learning how to build positive relationships during recovery is to actually commit to recovery. At 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre, we provide a safe, compassionate environment that is conducive to healing. We offer a place where you can learn how to cope with the stresses of life without having to use drugs or alcohol. 

Also, we offer plenty of support for loved ones. As part of the addiction treatment process for residents in the USA and Canada, we will guide you and your friends and family members through the process of building healthy, happy relationships. To get started, call us at 855-601-0555.

Related article: How Alcohol Abuse Affects Family Relationships And Friendships

Categories
Marijuana Addiction

Top Reasons Young People Use Marijuana

Is marijuana as good as it’s cracked up to be in modern social media, or were the parents and teachers of days gone by right to be concerned?

Why do young people use marijuana? The legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes in various parts of the world has undoubtedly hastened a shift in public perceptions about the drug. Just a few short decades ago, cannabis abuse among youths was strongly discouraged. 

Teens were warned of the inevitability of falling into a life of crime if they smoked cannabis. They were told that they were in danger of frying their brains, or of opening up the gateway to more serious addictions.

Today, the messaging they get is very different. Teenagers scrolling through their social media feeds are exposed to multiple messages that range from “Marijuana is not as bad as cigarettes” to “Marijuana is good for you”. When you consider the challenges that face young people today and add in this kind of feedback about cannabis, it is not difficult to see why teenagers smoke so much weed.

Before we get into specific reasons young people use marijuana, let’s answer the question on many people’s minds. Is marijuana as good as it’s cracked up to be in modern social media, or where the parents and teachers of days gone by the right to be concerned?

Marijuana

Is Marijuana Dangerous?

Medical cannabis aside, there are some reasons to be concerned about the use of marijuana in young people. Some factors to consider are the sheer numbers of marijuana strains that are produced these days. 

Also, there is the fact that some marijuana contains up to 200 times the THC levels of typical weed in days gone by. Furthermore, consider that as the teenage brain develops, it is in a constant state of flux. For some teens, smoking weed can be the equivalent of throwing a match into a chemical soup that is already undergoing complex reactions.

Some of the primary risks of cannabis use include the following:

Increased risk of addiction as an adult

Not only are teens who smoke weed at risk of becoming addicted to the weed, but they are also at higher risk of becoming addicted to other, potentially more harmful substances during adulthood.

Increased risk of respiratory complaints

Most teens who use marijuana ingest it by smoking it. Contrary to what many people believe, marijuana smoke contains many of the same carcinogens and toxins present in cigarette smoke. This leads to an increased risk of some cancers, as well as bronchitis and other respiratory infections.

Changes to brain function

Some teens who use marijuana even a single time can experience psychiatric problems. These include psychosis (losing touch with reality) and delusions (potentially dangerous false beliefs). Also, cannabis abuse among youths can lead to sensory challenges, impaired cognitive functioning, and loss of coordination.

Changes to brain function

Related article: Clearing the Smoke on Marijuana: Is It Harmless After All?

Potential for high-risk behaviour

To begin with, many teenagers have trouble with impulse control. Worse, smoking weed can exacerbate this problem, particularly if marijuana is used in conjunction with alcohol. This can lead to participation in potentially dangerous activities, such as driving under the influence and having unprotected sex. 

What About Medical Marijuana?

“What about medical cannabis?” is the rallying cry of many people who argue in favour of recreational marijuana use. And this is a valid question. There are people who may derive some benefit from moderate use of marijuana, without necessarily having to get a medical prescription for it. 

But these are adults, whose brains are fully developed. And it should be noted that there are risk factors that they should be aware of as well.

When it comes to the use of medical marijuana, it is important to note the following:

  • There are only a few strains of medical marijuana that have been developed and produced for the treatment of specific conditions and symptoms
  • Medical marijuana is generally not recommended for use in children and teens
  • Medical marijuana is like any other medication: when used in incorrect doses, or when used by someone for whom it is not prescribed, it can be very dangerous.

Top Reasons Why Teens Use Marijuana

As a preventative and educational measure, it is helpful to know about some of the biggest reasons young people use marijuana. Everyone is unique. We all have our reasons for doing the things we do, and every case of teenage marijuana use should be examined on its own merits.

Mental Health

Teenage Anxiety and depression are on the rise. Up to a third of teens show symptoms of depression, and the majority of these do not seek help because they fear the stigma of mental illness. 

What makes teenage mental illness particularly troublesome is that it is often written off as “typical teenage behaviour”. Teens may try to numb their pain by using marijuana. Contrary to what they expect, marijuana actually exacerbates their symptoms. 

Mental Health

Bullying

Bullying of teenagers is a tragic reality that has been with us for as long as we’ve had teenagers. The nature of the bullying evolves with the times. Recent years have seen a sharp rise in cyberbullying, which has cost lives. Teenage victims of bullying who feel that they don’t have anyone to talk to may resort to smoking weed.

Curiosity

Adolescence is an age of intense curiosity and experimentation, which is fine as long as it is safe. A simple reason teens use marijuana is simply that they want to know what it is like. 

Unfortunately, this does not always stop with marijuana. If left unchecked, some teens will go on to experiment with far more dangerous substances.

Peer Pressure

By the time someone reaches adolescence, their primary influences are peers rather than parents. Time and time again, teenagers explain erratic or dangerous behaviour by saying, “Well, everyone else is doing it…”.

Cannabis use among youths is no exception. A lot of teenagers will smoke weed just because their friends are. There is an element of social acceptance of this. Hence, young people may fear social ostracization if they decline. 

Boredom

Boredom is a normal part of life, especially for children and teenagers. Some childhood development experts are of the belief that the youth of today are under immense pressure to always be busy. 

As a result, they may not develop the skills to cope when they are not. And a lot of them will start experimenting with marijuana in order to fill their time.

What Can Be Done About It?

Knowing the reasons young people use marijuana is a critical first step in developing plans to counteract this. Some steps we can take to help our teenage community members include the following:

  • Ensure that teens have open lines of communication with parents and guardians. This way, they can talk about things that are troubling them. They can do this without fear of judgment or repercussion
  • Ensure that children and teenagers have access to mental health services
  • Ensure that children and teenagers are educated about the safe use of the Internet. Hence, they have the ability to report incidents of bullying safely, and that such reports are appropriately handled
  • Educate teenagers about the dangers of marijuana and other substances. More importantly, provide them with safe ways to satisfy their curious natures
  • Be aware of the signs of marijuana abuse in your teenage children. Also, be prepared to take action on helping them through addiction recovery if needed

What Can Be Done About It

Marijuana Addiction Treatment

No matter how hard parents and teachers try to steer their children away from drugs and alcohol, the sad reality is that cannabis use among youths will sometimes lead to addiction. The sooner addicted teens get help, the better.

By being put into a marijuana addiction treatment program as early as possible, teens can learn the skills and techniques they will need to cope with the stresses of life and work towards a promising future. 

At 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre, we provide a safe place for teens to overcome their addictions and start their adult lives on the right footing. We also provide support for loved ones, and guidance through the process of mending damaged family relationships. To get started, call us at 855-601-0555.

Related article: How to Recognize Marijuana Addiction

Categories
Cocaine Addiction

How to Stop Cocaine Addiction

How to Stop Cocaine Addiction

If you must understand how to stop cocaine addiction, you need to know what cocaine actually is. The drug is also referred to as benzoylmethylecgonine, or coke if you’d rather not bite more than you can chew. It is gotten from coca leaves and can alter a person’s brain function after a while of consistent use. Above all, cocaine is an incredibly addictive drug. 

Unfortunately, despite the dangers to your health, you can’t just “turn off” a cocaine addiction. More often than not, you need a series of consistent actions alongside professional help if you must win the battle against coke. However, as challenging as it may be, it is not entirely impossible.

To prove that to you, we’ll be sharing a few insights on how to stop cocaine addiction in this article. 

How Do You Stop Cocaine Addiction?

Stop Cocaine Addiction

You should know that there isn’t any “ultimate” guide to stop taking cocaine. Of course, you can still go to the internet to learn how to stop cocaine addiction. However, in reality, everyone’s situation is peculiar, and what works for Jerry may leave Tom stranded in a bind.

Alongside that, due to its brain-altering capabilities, stopping cocaine abruptly can really hurt you. As such, at some point, the chances are that you may need professional cocaine addiction rehab. Nevertheless, you should still give yourself a head start on the journey by following these five tips for getting rid of cocaine addiction:

Inform those who matter about your decision to quit cocaine

We understand that this part might be a bit difficult. It’s even worse if you promised your loved ones that you’d quit before only to relapse later. But it is still necessary. You cannot learn how to stop cocaine addiction or even implement these tips if you choose to go through the journey alone. So, you must inform someone about your decision to quit.

It really does not have to be a lot of people. As long as they’re understanding and they are truly invested in helping you change, they should make your list. 

As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid people who will judge every chance they get or try to invalidate your struggle. Even if they mean well, they may end up doing more harm than good.

When you inform your loved ones about your decision to quit cocaine, ensure that you let them know that you want them to actively assist you in the journey. This is because you need to remain accountable to someone if you must quit cocaine abuse. 

What you’ll gain from following this tip is a reliable support system. They’ll check in on you every now and then to monitor your progress. Alongside that, they’ll help if you fall/falter and assist in getting you back on track.

Related article: Cocaine Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, Effects

Modify your habits and social circles to fit your new goal

Modify your habits and social circles

This tip regarding how to stop cocaine addiction is arguably one of the most important of them all. Don’t understand why? Well, let’s break it down from the first half.

Usually, when you’re very inclined to do something, it doesn’t happen in isolation. It often comes with a habit that you’ve built over time. For example, some people can hardly go through a movie without a snack, and some can’t eat without watching something. This may not be so bad compared to cocaine addiction, but you should get our point. In their case, the movie is tied to the meal and vice versa. 

In the same vein, taking cocaine may be tied to some of your habits. Do you find yourself snorting every time you down a bottle of alcohol? Have you built a doping habit around your study periods to help you remain alert/efficient? 

When you identify those habits that bring you back to the white, powdery arms of cocaine, you need to modify them. Adjust or eliminate those habits so that you don’t have to go back to being a user.

Concerning the modification of your social circle, it’s not very likely that you’re a solo doper. So, if you have friends that induce your snorting, you may want to reevaluate those friendships. While it might be challenging, you can start by politely turning down invitations to hangouts with the friends you used to do cocaine with.

Fill up your schedule

When you’re still figuring out how to stop cocaine addiction, your worst enemy is idleness. This is because you’re likely to go back to cocaine when you have nothing meaningful to do. 

When your mind is less busy, it begins to wander. Except when asleep, this fact rings true for everybody. When your mind starts its random journey across different memories or scenarios, it may accidentally stop by at the last time you snorted coke. You’ll feel a little tingle in your nose. 

Gradually, the urge to go back to coke will start creeping in. It keeps growing until it’s much harder to ignore than the initial tingle. Eventually, you may find yourself using it again. 

To prevent all these from happening, just do something else. When you keep your mind occupied with another activity, you’ll be less likely to start thinking of coke or craving it. A few activities to try include exercising, volunteering where necessary, doing chores, etc.

However, if you want to go a step further, you can discuss with a professional who can help you learn how to stop cocaine addiction. They’ll be particularly helpful in assisting you to come up with a strategy to make those activities a part normal routine. 

Fill up your schedule

Find inspiration in other people

Conquering an addiction is an incredibly serious business. The stakes are even higher when the addiction you’re dealing with is something as strong as cocaine. In fact, it requires an effort that leaves most people feeling overwhelmed. 

One way you can get over this overwhelming feeling is by getting some inspiration from other people. We don’t think we need to try too hard to convince you that you’re not the first person who has had to deal with a cocaine addiction before. There have been many others before you, and you can read about them or listen to them at will.

Among other things, even if you don’t know them directly, their stories will give you strength. Different things work for different people. But, seeing how other people were able to pick up their lives instead of letting cocaine be their end can work wonders for you.

Surfing the web for their stories may not be the best idea, though. Our two cents on the issue is that you should join a support group. There, you’ll see humans like yourself who are making progress in their journey against your common foe. 

Understand and handle what’s causing your addiction

All these points on how to stop addiction are pretty effective if you follow them properly. We have no doubts about that. However, if you don’t discover and deal with what caused the addiction in the first place, you might not achieve much. 

You see, this situation is like wanting to cut down a tree because it attracts way too many snakes for safety. You can cut off its branches for as long as you live. But, they’ll merely grow back prettier, and maybe even stronger. The only way to take care of the problem is to remove the tree from its roots.

So, if you’re learning how to quit cocaine, figure out why you started in the first place. Did you do it to get away from negative emotions such as depression or uncontrollable anger? If so, you may need to see a therapist so you can learn how to handle those emotions better. 

Did you do it to get away from all the chaos at home? You have to deal with that too. Did you do it out of a need for validation from your friends? You’ll have to deal with that feeling of inadequacy as well. Whatever the cause, if you don’t deal with it, you might end up going back to cocaine.

Potential Challenges While Trying to quit Cocaine

Potential Challenges While Trying to quit Cocaine

If you’re wondering how to stop cocaine addiction, you should know the potential pitfalls. The major things you’ll have to deal with are withdrawal symptoms. This is where professional help comes into play. 

Depending on how far gone you are, your body may not be able to handle losing cocaine so abruptly. So, you may experience such withdrawal symptoms as depression, exhaustion, mild to intense cocaine cravings, hallucinations, imbalanced appetite, etc.

In Conclusion

Learning how to stop cocaine addiction takes gut and a determination to make positive changes. However, the real work comes when you have to put what you’ve learnt to practice. At that point, you’ll need consistency, determination, and all the support you can get. Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.

Related article: How to Quit Cocaine Addiction

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Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine Withdrawal: What To Expect

Cocaine Withdrawal: What To Expect

Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant. Due to its impact on the central nervous system, cocaine withdrawal can be highly unpleasant. This substance generates a euphoric high and an energy rush in anyone who uses it. 

Furthermore, it is popular as a recreational drug because it creates a feeling of confidence. Shy people become sociable. Anxious students are able to endure exams; overwhelmed executives can get through a long day of gruelling work. But as cocaine withdrawal sets in, the user starts to experience unpleasant symptoms, such as confusion, depression and exhaustion. 

This drives them to seek out more of the drug. The deeper the individual falls into the pit of cocaine addiction, the more uncomfortable the cocaine withdrawal symptoms become.

The Dangers Of Cocaine Abuse

Dangers Of Cocaine Abuse

Regular long-term use of cocaine can have serious repercussions on your physical, mental and social health. By seeking cocaine addiction treatment sooner rather than later, you can reduce these impacts and set yourself on the path to a healthier, more positive life. 

The risks of cocaine abuse include the following:

  • High blood pressure, irregular and/or rapid heart rate, and cardiac arrest
  • Stroke
  • Kidney failure
  • Mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression
  • Paranoia
  • Mood swings
  • Aggression and/or an increased propensity for violent behaviour
  • Inability to manage relationships and/or finances
  • Increased risk of HIV and hepatitis from the use of shared needles
  • Increased risk of respiratory disease from ingestion through smoking
  • Sores and blisters around the nose and mouth from ingestion through snorting
  • Collapsed veins and track marks from intravenous use

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms And Timelines

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

Cocaine withdrawal comes with some uncomfortable symptoms that may make this difficult. These appear at different phases of the withdrawal process and vary in severity from one person to the next. Typically, what to expect from cocaine withdrawal is based on

  • The individual’s original state of physical and mental health
  • The circumstances surrounding their addiction
  • Whether any other substances are involved.

When exploring what to expect from cocaine withdrawal, there are three major timelines to this process.

The crash 

The crash happens 24 hours or less after a period of sustained cocaine use ends. Many addicts who are in this phase are not intending to quit: they are simply caught in the cycle of cocaine use. 

For those who are attempting to quit, this phase presents a high risk of relapse, as the discomfort of the withdrawal symptoms may drive you to seek out more of the drug.

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms that happen during this phase include: 

  • Lack of energy
  • Deep depression and a sense of demotivation
  • Hunger
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability and agitation
  • Fatigue

Withdrawal

The second phase of cocaine withdrawal starts a few days after the last use of the drug, and it can go on for as long as ten weeks. The risk of relapse during this phase remains high, largely because of the persistence of symptoms. 

If you begin to feel as if this feeling will never end, it’s possible to seek escape by using the drug. Symptoms that you may experience during this phase include:

  • Depression, anxiety and paranoia
  • A persistent sense that all is not right with the world
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Intense cravings
  • Mood swings
  • Fatigue and low energy

Extinction

Once you reach this phase, your risk of relapse is significantly lower. Although extinction can last for up to six months, it is marked by a gradual but steady decline in the severity of most withdrawal symptoms. 

You may continue to experience some cravings, and depression, while improved, may linger. Some individuals experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), which is marked by the persistence of impulse control difficulties.

Related article: Why You Should Not Attempt Cocaine Withdrawal On Your Own

Is Cocaine Withdrawal Dangerous?

Cocaine Withdrawal

It is important to understand the withdrawal risks of any substance before abruptly stopping the use. Some substances such as alcohol and certain opioids can have potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. 

Although cocaine withdrawal can be uncomfortable and frightening, it is generally not dangerous. However, some circumstances can create a higher risk.

  • If you are addicted to both alcohol and cocaine, withdrawal from either one – or both together – can result in cardiac arrest
  • If you have a condition that makes you prone to seizures, you are more likely to have seizures during withdrawal, and these can result in injury 
  • For some people, particularly those with preexisting mood disorders, cocaine withdrawal can lead to serious depression. This carries a risk of suicidal intent, suicide attempts and self-harm. This is exacerbated in cases of polysubstance abuse.
  • One of the signs of cocaine withdrawal is an increased tendency to behave in a violent manner. This puts the cocaine addict at risk of harm, but it also increases the risk for other people.

How To Stay Safe Through Cocaine Withdrawal

Stay Safe Through Cocaine Withdrawal

Medical Detox

Cocaine withdrawal treatment is available through medical detox. Through this process, the cocaine user is supervised by medical professionals while the cocaine is working its way out of the system. 

Medical detox can accomplish the following:

  • It allows for immediate treatment of withdrawal symptoms as they arise
  • The patient is kept safe and as comfortable as possible throughout the withdrawal process
  • The patient is protected from the immediate risk of relapse
  • A cocaine addiction treatment and rehab plan is formulated in preparation for the end of the detox

Although most medical detox is done on an inpatient basis, some people are able to withdraw from cocaine at home. Then, they attend medical appointments to monitor progress. 

In order for this approach to be safe and effective, the patient must have no access to cocaine or any other substance. Also, they should have a strong support network consisting of family members and close friends.

Management Of Cravings

If you choose not to attend an inpatient or outpatient cocaine withdrawal treatment program, there are still some steps you can take to manage cravings:

  • Ensure that your other lifestyle habits, such as nutrition and exercise, are strong enough to support you through the rigours of withdrawal
  • Have someone you can call if you are in immediate danger of relapse
  • Develop healthy habits and hobbies that you can use to distract yourself from cravings – for example, go for a walk, do some gardening, or take art classes
  • Create new routines to end associations with cocaine use
  • If possible, avoid the people and places associated with your use of cocaine
  • If you used cocaine at home, reconfigure the space to make it new
  • Avoid all substances – not just the one you are addicted to

If you do suffer a relapse, try not to be too hard on yourself. Relapse during the early stages of cocaine withdrawal is extremely common. However, it does not represent failure. Instead, it is a temporary setback that you can learn from and move on from. 

Medication

Medication for cocaine withdrawal treatment should not be considered without prior consultation with your doctor. Although no medication has been developed to minimize withdrawal or reduce cravings, some medical relief may be available for specific withdrawal symptoms. 

For example, if you are already undergoing medical treatment for depression, your doctor may temporarily adjust your doses for the duration of your withdrawal. Some sleep aids with low addiction potential may also be used to treat insomnia.

What Comes After Cocaine Withdrawal?

What Comes After Cocaine Withdrawal

Cocaine withdrawal is an important first step to recovery. It gets the cocaine out of your system and gets you past the period during which your risk of relapse is at its highest. Most important, it sets you up for the next phase of your recovery: cocaine addiction treatment and rehab. 

During this phase, you will be guided through the process of delving into the causes that lie beneath your addiction. Together with an expert, you can explore topics such as trauma, bullying, bereavement, or stress that comes with a major life event. By resolving certain issues, you can develop techniques for coping with those that you can’t.

The most effective cocaine addiction treatment programs are ones that are customized to the needs of the individual. Everyone is unique, and no two addiction journeys look the same. It is important to account for these individual differences in treatment.

Treatment programs can include a combination of methods and modalities, including:

  • Group, individual and family therapy
  • Creative therapies such as art, music and dance
  • Yoga, meditation and mindfulness training
  • Life skills training
  • Nutrition and exercise coaching

At 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre, we don’t treat addictions, we treat human beings. We do not see you as someone with a substance abuse problem. Instead, we see substance abuse as a symptom of deeper issues that are affecting your life. 

Under our gentle, compassionate guidance, you can find your way out of addiction and on the road to a happy, healthy, productive life. To get started, call us at 855-601-0555.

Related article: Cocaine Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, Effects

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Addiction Recovery

How To Avoid Alcohol After Recovery

Rehab is not a vacation, it is hard work, and you got through it. And if you spend some time thinking of how to avoid alcohol after recovery, you can set yourself up for long-term sobriety.

Graduating from alcohol addiction rehab is a big deal. You have worked hard to build up the life skills and stress management techniques that will enable you to stay sober moving forward. 

You have focused on your relationships and your own personal development, and you have the confidence to rejoin the real world. You feel proud of yourself – and you should. 

But how do you maintain sobriety? How do you say no to a bottle when you get out in the real world? Keep reading to find all the answers you need!

Why Does Relapse Happen?

Relapse
In order to avoid relapse, it is helpful to understand the factors that may put you at risk. The first thing to know is that your first month out of alcohol addiction rehab is your highest-risk period. 

If you can get through those first weeks without having a drink, your chances of staying sober long-term vastly increase, and these odds continue to improve with each passing week.

Leaving the protection of rehab

When you are in an inpatient rehab facility, your life is mapped out for you. You have a clearly defined schedule, you know what you’re eating, you don’t face any barriers when it comes to getting to your therapy sessions. You can follow your treatment program without having to think about the logistics of it all. Perhaps most important, you don’t have access to alcohol. 

Even if you had the worst possible craving for a drink, you would not be able to get it, and the facility staff will support you through that craving. In rehab, avoiding alcohol is no concern, simply because you don’t even have to think about how to stay sober. It just happens.

Once you leave, it’s a completely different story. Being back in the real world can be scary, for these reasons:

  • You have the freedom to determine your own timetable
  • If you are unemployed or not scheduled for an immediate return to work, you will have a lot of time on your hands
  • Alcohol is legal and very easy to obtain

Real-world stress can be overwhelming

stress

Whenever you learn something in an artificial setting, it can be challenging to practice that information in the outside world. For example, you may ace a class at university, and be lost applying the knowledge from that class in an actual real-like setting. 

The same thing goes for the life skills and stress management techniques that you learn in alcohol addiction rehab. The whole point of being in an inpatient program is to be protected from the stresses of the outside world.

But at some point, you have to leave rehab, and the stresses of the outside world are still going to be exactly where you left them. For a lot of people, the idea of coping with this stress is too overwhelming, and alcohol may seem like an easy solution.

Falling back into old habits

Falling back into old habits

For all of us, life is filled with little reminders and associations. We have friends we’re used to going to the movies with, family members we run with or go to the gym with, places we go when we want to relax, do some work, or spend time with loved ones.

If you are a recovering alcoholic, you have places and people you associate with drinking. Conventional wisdom dictates that you simply avoid these people and places, but there are plenty of alcoholics who do most of their drinking with their spouse in the comfort of their own living room.  For those trying to figure out how to stay sober, complete avoidance of reminders may not be realistic.

The Stages Of Relapse

Stages Of Relapse

A lot of people think of relapse as a single event in time. The physical act of using alcohol again is merely the last phase of relapse; it is the culmination of a process. 

Figuring out how to avoid alcohol after recovery will be a lot easier for you if you put plans into place for each stage of relapse.

Stage I – Emotional relapse

Negative emotions start to develop, triggered by a bad day at work, an argument with a loved one, or simply a memory of something from the past. This leads to a lapse in self-care, which can take several forms, like self-isolation, poor eating habits, skipping a workout, or spending too much time playing video games.

Stage II – Mental relapse

This is when you may be starting to worry about how to stay sober. You’re still intending to abstain from drinking, but you may start to think about “the good old days” when you could simply grab a beer when you felt stressed. At this point, sobriety feels less like a lifestyle and more like an emotional and mental effort.

Stage III – Physical relapse

This is the culmination, the point at which you break down and drink. Whether you have one drink or many, the act of drinking can be emotionally devastating. 

Recovering alcoholics often feel a sense of failure or disappointment in themselves after physical relapse has occurred. It is important to know, however, that physical relapse does not mean that alcohol addiction rehab has failed: you have simply suffered a temporary setback that you can recover from.

Related article: How Alcohol Abuse Affects Family Relationships And Friendships

Recognizing The Warning Signs of Relapse 

A big part of knowing how to stay sober is the ability to recognize the early signs of emotional relapse. The sooner you can stop relapse in its tracks, the more successful you are likely to be.

Early signs that you may see in yourself or a loved one include:

  • An increased desire to be alone
  • A sense of feeling down
  • Neglect of exercise routines
  • Abandonment of healthy eating patterns
  • A sense that you are “letting yourself go”

Tips To Avoid Alcohol In Recovery

Avoid Alcohol In Recovery
Now, you know what the causes of relapse are and what the process of relapse looks like. Therefore you are in a better position to know how to avoid alcohol after recovery. 

It’s not simply a case of refusing to pick up a drink. Instead, you need to take steps to ensure that you will not want or need to.

Environmental factors

You may not be able to move to a new house or avoid every single person you associate with drinking. However, you should make the environmental changes you can. People who were a negative influence on you “back then”, or those who do not support your sobriety efforts now, should be avoided. Alcohol and drugs – even those you were not addicted to – should be removed from your home.

Therapy

Continue the therapy that you found useful during alcohol rehab should be continued to whatever extent is possible. This may mean that you will seek out a psychotherapist or a family counsellor, or you may want to look for an art therapist or dance teacher in your area. By continuing the work you started in rehab, you can help yourself stay grounded and more able to cope with stress.

Group support

Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can be a very effective tool for people who don’t know how to stay sober. Group support can serve a lot of purposes. For one, it gives you access to a community of people who understand the challenges. As you eliminate former “friends” from your life, you have new friends to fill the void. Also, by finding a sponsor within that group, you have someone you can call if you are in immediate danger of drinking.

Take care of yourself

Self-care takes many forms. For some people, it means keeping up with a regular exercise program. For others, it can mean time set aside to sit down and read a book. 

If you feel physically and mentally healthy, and you are well-grounded in your relationships, you are far more likely to be able to withstand the stresses of life without needing to drink.

Have a relapse prevention plan

One of the most important factors in avoiding relapse is deciding exactly how to stay sober when things start to look shaky.

A relapse prevention plan should include the following:

  • A commitment from a trusted individual who will talk to you and give you the support you need if they notice that you appear to be suffering an emotional relapse
  • Someone you can call if you are at immediate risk of drinking – this could be your AA sponsor or your rehab centre support line
  • A list of activities you can perform if you start to feel that you are slipping into relapse
  • A plan of action to follow in the event that you do drink. This way, you can recover and move forward

Final Words

Knowing how to avoid alcohol after recovery is not an exact science, because everyone is different. Your biggest tools in this journey are an awareness of what relapse really is, the tools and support to prevent it and, if necessary, to help you through it, and the knowledge that if you do relapse, you can recover.

At 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre, we believe in all of our clients, and we offer a comprehensive aftercare service that will support you after your time in rehab is over. For more information, give us a call at 855-601-0555.

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

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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

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

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