Overcoming Drug Addiction

Recovering from drug abuse is difficult. There are a lot of challenges to overcome and this can be your way to relapse – you do not want this from happening.

Good thing, there is always a way out. Changing yourself for the better is not an easy thing and that is what you should do to overcome drug abuse. In many Los Angeles rehabilitation center, health professionals work hand-in-hand to ensure that every drug abuse victim is completely recovered. However, it is in your willpower to make sure that you will live a life of sobriety.

Deciding to Make a Change

It is true when people say that the only permanent thing in this world is change. Change should be done for the better and this time, you need to do this for the betterment of yourself.

There are several factors that can affect your perspective of change. The way you deal with stress is a common factor, especially when your body craves for a substance, or when you need to handle personal problems. You also need to take into consideration the people you allow to change your life. These people should create a positive impact on you – like a support system you can rely all the time.

To ensure that you are getting the most out of your positive change, you need to determine what you can do during your free time. This will occupy your mind to do better things instead of wallowing yourself of using drugs. This will reflect on how you think about yourself. Being able to confidently accept who you are is a major step of change. This will determine what you can do and possibly unleash your potentials.

Appling Changes to Your Life

The first thing you should do is to observe how you were addicted. This will help you in avoiding any addiction in your life. Also, it is good to talk to someone whom you trust and see how it affects your relationship to others. Set a specific goal, remove all reminders of your addiction, and be willing and ready to face a life of sobriety.

Being able to change is an accomplishment. To know more on how to cope up with drug substance use, be sure to visit one of the most respected Los Angeles rehabilitation centers.

Knowing Alcohol’s Harmful Effects

Alcohol is one of the most addictive substances in the world. Too much of it, especially when taken repeatedly, can cause serious effects to the body. Millions of people are now victims of substance abuse and they have gone intensive treatments just to cope up with it. It is best to prevent this from happening not just be avoiding the influence of peers, but by also knowing what it can do to damage your body. Many California drug treatment centers have initiated actions just to educate the public of the harmful effects of alcohol.

Brain Effects

Alcohol interferes the function of the brain. It affects how the brain signals the whole body and so an intoxicated person is not able to think clearly. This is obviously manifested a person shifts from one mood to another. Commonly, it is accompanied by poor body coordination and slurred speech. When alcoholism is prolonged, a person may acquire other diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver problems and many more.

Cardiovascular Effects

The cardiovascular effects of alcohol happen over time. It can damage the heart resulting to high blood pressure, stroke, irregular heart beat and cardiomyopathy. It is good to know that the caloric value of alcohol is equivalent to 7 calories per gram. This is just below the calories of fat, which is 9 calories per gram. Too much of it will eventually lead to fat deposits, obviously seen on the adipose area and commonly called as beer belly. However, science proves that alcohol does beneficial effects in the body, only when taken in moderation.

Liver Effects

The liver acts like a sponge. It filters the unwanted substances and eliminates them out of the body. When a person drinks too much alcohol, the liver will have a hard time filtering the excessive substances and so it could acquire damages. Some of the liver problems associated with alcohol abuse are alcohol hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease and fibrosis.

Too much intake of alcohol may also result to pancreas and immune system problems. Worst, it can cause cancer. It is best to be aware of its harmful effects so that you can better avoid drinking too much. If you want to start living an alcohol-free life, visit known doctors at a California drug treatment center.

Common Substance Proven to Be Addictive

They say that too much of anything is bad. Food, drugs, and other substances can be so addictive that a person cannot stop beyond any effort. This is true to people who suffer from substance abuse. With their continuous use of substances, their brains are now in full control of everything and so they could not get enough of having to succumb to addiction. This results to behavioral, mental, and psychological problem. In California rehabilitation, the experts do not only treat patients, they make sure that they educate more people so substance abuse is prevented. Here are the most common substances proven to be addictive:

Nicotine—nicotine is a common ingredient in cigarettes. Even those alternatives like electronic cigarettes are said to contain nicotine, and some brands have higher doses of it. Millions of smokers are now dependent on nicotine and it does impose health risks. These include leukemia, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and many more.

Alcohol—some alcohols, like those found in wine, actually has beneficial effects to the heart. However, when the intake exceed what is only necessary, then addiction is possible. Acute effects of alcohol are drowsiness, sexual dysfunction, emotional instability, and even vomiting. When it goes long term, a person can develop cardiovascular disease, depression, hypertension, and liver problems.

Cannabinoids—cannabinoid examples are marijuana and hashish. Marijuana is more common but both substances become dangerous when a person is addicted to it. These are often smoked or swallowed. When a person is under the influence, effects of distorted sensory process will set in. The health risks are respiratory infections and mental problems.

Opioids—the most common substances under this category are heroin and opium. Heroin is usually injected and it causes a good knock of euphoria to the user. Opium is either swallowed or smoked. It has the same effects with heroin. With continuous use, these substances can cause hepatitis and even HIV.

Other substances are stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, and methamphetamines. Club drugs also are on the list including MDMD, GHB, and flunitrazepam. To know more about these drugs and how it affects health, visit Pax House,  California rehabilitation center.

 

 

On Lindsay Lohan and Her Dance With Drugs

Lindsay Lohan is no stranger to controversy, stirring it up wherever she goes, but one might think that she has had her fun when she checked into a California rehabilitation center, most of her friends think that she is indeed on the real road to recovery.

Well, perhaps that’s a statement made way too early and too boldly as she has been spotted hanging out with an old friend whose bout with drugs go way deeper than hers and the way she’s defending the decision makes a host of people think that she is in a real danger zone for a relapse.

The ‘friend’ we are talking about is Vikram Chatwal who was busted for drugs just last April, a measly 4 months prior and only avoided jail when he agreed to a year of rehabilitation.

Lindsay thinks that Vikram is actually ‘good company’ since he’s been through what she went through and like her is in recovery and perhaps she’s thinking that they can support each other. Here’s the problem with that reasoning though, how can the blind lead the blind right? No reputable counselor will agree with her and according to TMZ she is really cutting it by hanging out with friends who are connected with her partying ways. A lot of counselors from reputable California rehabilitation centers will say that, it is not their recommended path to hang out with addicts when you are just recovering and still in the process of completely healing. Think about it, Lindsay has only been out of rehab for 22 days and Vikram, should still be receiving treatment plus the fact that neither of them entered rehab voluntarily may give you a big pause, if the real desire to quit and change is there, so maybe it’s not or the resolve is not that strong and lure of drugs and partying with friends is still forefront on her priorities.

So regardless perhaps of how Lindsay will put it, it just isn’t right for her to hang out with individuals who might and will make her fall again. As one rehab counselor puts it, why hangout with an individual who’s commitment to quit and change is not solid? She might be wanting another stint at a California rehabilitation center and perhaps Lindsay’s resolve to quit and change her ways is not so airtight after all.

Understanding Why Drug Abuse Happens

A lot of people fail to see why a lot people turn to drugs and other substances to alleviate whatever they are feeling. A few people judge and deem that these ‘abusers’ just lack morals and/or the willpower to simply stop using and ‘choose’ to change their behaviors or check themselves immediately to California rehab in order to get it out of their systems.

What we need to understand is that, drug addiction is not entirely by choice, it is a very complicated disease that quitting is not as easy as it sounds. We need to understand that the drugs permit changes in the brain that do not allow easy quitting even for those who are willing. Although these days, advances in medicine allowed us the knowledge on how these drugs work within the person and we are learning that with proper care, treatment and support, an abuser can indeed be totally healed and be re-introduced to the society and live normal lives.

Addiction: the Basics

Addiction can be defined as a chronic brain disease that causes one to actively and compulsively seek and use drugs regardless of the known consequences that can harm the individual and those around him/her. Yes, initial drug use maybe voluntary for most but as the use progresses, the brains internal work up changes that the individual’s self-control is compromised and the ability to resist the ‘desire’ to use is significantly disadvantaged. When an individual continues to abuse drugs, the brain’s ‘normal’ communication system is disrupted by the drug’s ability to imitate the brain’s natural means of receiving stimulus and interpretation as well as overly stimulating the brain’s “reward circuit”.

Drugs like marijuana or heroin for example has the same chemical make up as that of the brain’s neurotransmitters and as such the brain’s receptors are triggered and nerve cells are activated to send various abnormal messages.

Cocaine and methamphetamine causes the brain to release a significant amount of dopamine or to prevent the normal in and outflow of the naturally occurring chemical within the brain functions. Dopamine is actually a neurotransmitter that allows for brain communications within the area of movement, motivation, emotions as well as feelings of happiness or pleasure. Having a significant amount of dopamine in that part of the brain creates usually a euphoric event triggered only by the intake of the drug, which sets a reinforcing pattern that makes the individual seek for the same euphoric feeling felt when the drug is taken. Now, the problem escalates when the abuser begins to require more and more drugs to get to that particular feeling since the adaptation occurs and the brain gets used to the amount of dopamine in the system thereby requiring more to give the abuser that ‘rewards benefit’.

So, they just want the high, what’s wrong with that? The thing is, as the abuse goes on, the drug changes other brain chemical systems as well as other circuits and affects it as well. So in the end, all brain activities begin to get impaired including cognitive functions, ability to make critical judgments, learning, memory and control of behavior.

Can Abuse Really Be Treated and Healed?

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, so prevention is still the best way to go, but don’t despair for anyone who is already ‘there’ and needs help, there is indeed help and a California rehab center can indeed be the best solution just in case, a cure is now needed.

Prevention

Information dissemination and educating the youth is key to reducing the number of drug abusers. It is important for community leaders to do their part in helping the information drive to get the message across that indeed drugs can kill.

Healing and Treatment

The good news is that, it is never too late, no matter how deep you are into drugs, you can still be healed! As long as you are still breathing, you can still be helped. A good combination of behavioral therapy and addiction therapy medications is the best way to go in order to really help patients. An abuser who undergoes treatment that is customized for their particular addiction and needs allows for a sustainable means of recovery and ultimately a life outside of the rehab center without abusing drugs.

Just like any other chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma, drug addiction is a manageable disease and as with such diseases, relapse can occur and as such it is not a sign of failure but a sign that more treatment is needed or an alternative therapy be provided by a California rehab center to allow for the person to control themselves again and finally fully recover.

 

 

 

 

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