New Years Resolution : Quit Drinking!

Is your New Years Resolution to quit drinking?  Do you find yourself often times craving a drink even though it wouldn’t be an appropriate time to drink (or drug)?

Here are 150 things you can do INSTEAD of drinking alcohol or getting involved with any illegal substance.  Some of these may be goofy or down right not something you would do - but it may be good for some people.

Can you think of other things to do?  Post your comments below and add more to this list!  Be creative.
1. Read a book
2. Take a walk
3. Play a musical instrument
4. Knit
5. Clean your closets
6. Research your genealogy
7. Cook a gourmet dinner
8. Write an article for your local newspaper
9. Go take some pictures
10. Clean the mildew in your bathroom
11. Start writing that book you’ve been planning
12. Plan a garden
13. Plant a garden
14. Play with a pet
15. Read to a child
16. Visit someone in an old folks’ home
17. Watch a news special on TV
18. Set up a family budget
19. Make a web site
20. Take up archery
21. Exercise
22. Go to an online recovery meeting
23. Surf the internet
24. Call your mom
25. Learn a foreign language
26. Write a poem
27. Play golf
28. Take a bubble bath
29. Draw
30. Teach a parakeet to whistle
31. Take a nap
32. Listen to music
33. Paint
34. Clean your desk
35. Start a stamp collection
36. Go window shopping
37. Browse in a book store
38. Go to an art gallery
39. Go for a drive
40. Paint a room
41. Watch the clouds go by
42. Play darts
43. Do target shooting
44. Do home repairs
45. Clean your garage
46. Sort your photographs
47. Make a scrapbook
48. Climb a tree
49. Plant a tree
50. Make marmalade
51. Make a list of things to do
52. Write a letter to the editor
53. Volunteer somewhere
54. Take a hike
55. Take a college class
56. Try yoga
57. Meditate
58. Get a massage
59. Make fruit smoothies
60. Bake cookies
61. Do a crossword puzzle
62. Go to the gym
63. Plant a color bowl
64. Sharpen your pruning tools
65. Change your engine oil
66. Sew
67. Groom your dog
68. Go see a play
69. Write a sonnet
70. Sort your recipes
71. Play solitaire
72. Go bird watching
73. Write a letter to a friend
74. Read a poetry book
75. Repot your houseplants
76. Go to a movie
77. Mow your lawn
78. Put up (or take down) your Christmas lights
79. Make pickles
80. Go jogging
81. Watch sitcoms
82. Plan menus for a diet
83. Do a jigsaw puzzle
84. Play chess
85. Write a country-western song
86. Watch a video
87. Go for a bike ride
88. Plant an herb garden
89. Start an online journal
90. Dye your hair
91. Go to a restaurant
92. Lift weights
93. Bake some bread
94. Learn a martial art
95. Polish the furniture
96. Make a flower arrangement
97. Read the newspaper
98. Start some seeds
99. Sort your magazines
100. Do some laundry.
111. Take a nature walk
112. Play with your kids
113. Volunteer at a homeless shelter
114. Volunteer at a school
115. Pick up garbage in a park
116. Tickle your kids
117. Play basketball
118. Volunteer at an animal shelter
119. Read to a child or pet
120. Sign up for obedience training with your dog
121. Take a walk and pick up litter you see on the way
122. Spend time at the library
123. Sort all your digital photos and make an album to print for holiday gifts to family.
124. Help your kid organize his closet.
125. Figure out the melody and chords to your current favorite tune on the piano.
126. Practice your holiday cookie recipes
127. Make crackers from scratch (that one didn’t go so well).
128. Make tortillas from scratch (better).
129. Reread a book you haven’t read for years.
130. Tango
131. Learn about someone else’s religion.
132. Reread one of your college textbooks.
133. Key out a wildflower.
134. Do your nails.
135. Do word puzzles.
136. Play a board game.
137. Burn CD’s of some of your favorite music for a friend.
138. Plant a bonsai.
139. Play Mad Libs.
140. Speak only in heroic couplets for an hour.
141. Read poetry online.
142. Ride a stationary bicycle.
143. Set up a domino topple.
144. Play backgammon.
145. Build a house of cards
146. Make an entry in Wikipedia.
147. Read a world almanac.
148. Publish a family newsletter.
149. Throw cards at a hat.
150. Go to bed.

151. Post a comment on this website.

New Years Resolution : Stop Taking Prescription Drugs

January 1, 2009 and you are thinking of quitting prescription drugs for good?  It is your New Years Resolution?  Follow these quick tips and get yourself off those nasty prescription drugs and start a new year fresh!

Often times people are prescribed drugs for a problem or injury and don’t realize the prescription addiction that may follow.   It is best to consult with a doctor or rehab facility if that is required but many times it just takes you putting down the medicine – and stop getting the medicine refilled if you feel a dependency towards the prescription.

If you are a victim of prescription addiction it is best to consult with a doctor for the best results for YOU – but overall you know you can do it!  You are stronger then the addiction – we know it.  We’ve seen it a thousand times and we know that humans have the capability to overcome addiction with determination.
This New Year’s Resolution is up to you and we know that if you feel  you have a prescription addiction or are in need of a drug rehab – YOU WILL GET BETTER!
Here is some tips to sticking with your New Year’s Resolution:

-    Be Realistic.
-    Do it with a friend or family member.
-    Set a calendar and track your progress.
-    If your New Years Resolution involves drug addiction, consult a doctor for the best path for you.  Often times they will personalize a program for you to wean you off a prescription medicine.

*This is not medical advice and we are not your professional doctor.  If you are interested in professional medical help that is familiar with your medical history please consult your doctor.*

12 Steps Explained

12 Steps Explained

So many times people will say “the 12 steps” but many times people don’t even know what those steps are.

Here are those twelve steps.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood
Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Many people also ignore or do not respect the 12-Step Program traditions.

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

TV Shows about Drug Rehab / Addiction

It is a fact that television is bring more attention to drug rehabs then ever before. It is without a doubt that you can turn on many of the popular television shows and witness the realities that people live with everyday. Shows such as INTERVENTION or CELEBRITY DRUG REHAB are two prime examples. Do these shows do justice and show us what really is going on?

In a recent article released 12/15/2008 from a prominent rehab facility in Malibu, California says

The success or failure of a rehab program is ultimately a function of the environment in which it’s administered. A treatment center that fails to maintain an atmosphere conducive to the healing process will generally fail to help its clients get where they need to go. A treatment center that aims to preserve the privacy and dignity of its residents while ministering to their individual needs, on the other hand, will typically affect real and lasting recovery.

Therefore, if the success is determined by the enviornment is a TV-show a good enviornment to seek rehabilition for your drug addiction - experts would easily say no.  But - in all fairness if it changes just 1 person - in our opinion at Drug Rehab Costs.com is that it did its justice.

Other types of Addictions

Other types of addictions that may be in need of a rehab:

When people think of the term addiction what most likely comes to their mind are drugs or alcohol. However, individuals can be addicted to a variety of substances and behaviors. Some of the most common ones besides alcohol and drugs are gambling, sex, pornography, video games, food, smoking, the Internet and even shopping. Because people are so different and there is so much availability, people can turn something that isn’t bad if used in moderation, into an addiction. People can conceivably be addicted to almost anything. In this article we will discuss a few of the major addictions, specifically gambling, sex, pornography, video games, food, smoking, the Internet and shopping.

Gambling Addiction: More and more people are becoming addicted to gambling. This is partly because it’s now available online. People who love to gamble often enjoy the rush and the thrill that’s associated with a potentially winning a lot of money.

Sex Addiction: This addiction has been getting more and more attention lately. It involves persons that have a problem controlling their sexual impulses. Subsequently, they are pretty indiscriminate about who they have sex with and where they do it. This can be a very damaging addiction because it can break up families and put people at risk for serious and even fatal diseases.

Pornography Addiction: The Internet has contributed to a lot of people, both men and women, becoming addicted to photography. Because it’s so readily available and free, lots of people begin viewing it and find them selves unable to stop. T

Video games Addiction: Video games and video-game systems are extremely popular. Some kids and adults play it much more than is acceptable or even safe. Some experts believe that video game addiction is partly the reason that many young people are overweight and obese. Because they are sitting in one place it is very easy for them to gain weight.

Food Addiction: Food addictions are pretty common. Often times, people who suffer from this are overweight. However those that binge and purge may be thin but have a dangerous and potentially deadly food addiction.

Smoking Addiction: Smoking is so addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. It is a very hard addiction to break and it takes some smoking addicts, years.

Internet Addiction: The Internet can be a great thing in moderation. But if people find themselves having a hard time getting off of the Internet or are constantly thinking about getting on it then they may have a problem.

Shopping Addiction: A shopping addiction is another one that is pretty common. People who suffer from it spend tons of money purchasing things that they don’t need and often times don’t use.

Who needs Rehab?

Rehab is designed for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. In many cases, their lives are out of control because of their addictions and they need outside help. Many people will try to quit drugs numerous times before they are finally able to do so. It does not matter whether or not they try on their own or need to enter several rehabilitation programs. While this can be frustrating for the addict themselves and also for people who love and care for them, this is typically a part of the process of getting clean. Very few people are able to quit cold turkey the first time they attempt to do so.

There are many types of rehabilitation programs, designed to treat different addictions. People find them selves addicted to not only drugs but also all gambling, sex and even pornography. If a person finds themselves out of control or getting out of control, they may be interested in getting some type of intervention and rehab offers this.

Rehab facilities are organized differently. Some are residential where persons actually get to stay in the group home or building. Others are outpatient programs where individuals are allowed to visit the facility for meetings and/or counseling. Some rehab programs take the form of support groups, giving individuals the opportunity to talk about their addictions, their successes and their struggles.

Individuals who need rehab may not necessarily be at a point in their lives where they are out of control. They make just be concerned with some of their behaviors and want to stop themselves before they end up in trouble or addicted. In this sense, it is a preventative measure. It is much easier to nip a problem in the bud before it gets out of control, versus waiting until you feel overwhelmed.

Mostly, rehab is for people who need professional help and who have not been able to stop a certain behavior by themselves. They recognize that they need someone outside of the situation to help turn things around.

Persons who are in an environment that is not conducive to getting clean may also choose to go to rehab. This gives them an opportunity to focus on their sobriety and to get away from people or situations which make it easy or enticing to take drugs, drink alcohol or engage in behaviors that are unhealthy and that they would like to quit.

Myths about Rehab

There are many misconceptions and myths surrounding rehab. Some of the most common ones are that there is only one right way to treat addicts, drug rehab doesn’t work, involuntary rehab is a waste of time and that if you have been to one rehab, you have been to them all. While some of these myths may hold a grain of truth, they are largely false. We will discuss each one in more depth below.

1. There is only one right way to treat addicts: This is patently untrue. Because people are different and the situations that have contributed to their drug or alcohol abuse is likely different, the help they require to get off drugs will likely be different for each person. A program that may be very effective in treating 30% of addicts, may fail miserably treating the other 70%. This is one reason why it takes individuals several attempts at rehab before they find one that works. Because ultimately, to free themselves from the addiction, they will need to find a program that speaks to them and helps uncover why they started taking drugs and continue to do so.

2. Drug rehab doesn’t work: People become addicted to drugs for both psychological and physical reasons. Because drug use affects the brain, it becomes very difficult to stop without help. Sometimes this even requires medical intervention. Because there are also psychological and social factors that contribute to why a person takes drugs, it may take the more than one try before they figure everything out and they are able to break the ties that keep them using.

3. You have to be desperate in order for rehab to be effective: While this is true in some cases, it’s not true in all of them. Some people recognize early on that if they continue their behavior they will end up having long-term problems with drugs. Therefore, they check themselves into rehab so that they can do the work necessary to stop taking drugs. This can be very effective and people can successfully turn their lives around. A person doesn’t have to hit rock bottom, although it is necessary for some people, before they finally get the help that they need and respond to rehab.

4. Involuntary rehab is a waste of time: This is also another myth. Some people are forced into rehab by family and friends and others by the courts. If they find a good program and if somewhere deep inside they’re ready to stop drugs and then they can do so. It doesn’t necessarily have to be their idea to enroll into rehab program. But if they have the opportunity to and they respond, then they can get off drugs.

5. If you have been to one rehab then you have been to them all: This is another huge myth. There are different types of rehab with a variety of philosophies. It is very important that when a person is looking into rehab for themselves or a family member that they really take the time and see what’s out there. It is best to find a program that will best fit themselves or their loved one’s personality and temperament.

Drug Rehab Costs Statistics

According to a study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental-Health Services Administration it typically costs a little over $1400 for outpatient treatment, nearly $4,000 for residential drug rehab treatment program and a little over $7,000 for individuals getting outpatient treatment with Methadone. Treatment centers which offer Methadone are typically more expensive.  On the high end, you may find that a drug rehab stay costs $30,000 for one month.

As you can see, there is a very large range when it comes to drug rehab costs. An  individual will simply need to take the time to investigate their options, figure out how much their insurance will pay (if they have insurance) and then look for a treatment center that they believe be able to best address their needs and help them get off drugs at a price that they can afford.

Paying for Rehab

The cost of drug rehab can be a deterrent for many addicts when it comes to getting help for their disease. They simply may not be able to afford it. Thankfully, there are options for most individuals. State-funded rehab facilities which are much less expensive or even free are available.  Some hospitals also offer drug rehabilitation programs. While the less expensive options typically are out-patient facilities and programs, there are some which allow individuals to stay for both short and long lengths of time.

There are two primary ways to pay for drug rehab. Some individuals will find that their health insurance will cover it, while others will have to pay for the expense out-of-pocket. There are free programs for people who have absolutely no money but who need treatment. These may be offered through local not-for-profits, state funded programs or churches.

More expensive drug rehab programs typically offer more of a spa-like environment.  Patients may have their meals prepared by a highly esteemed chef, have their own room and nicer amenities.  Cheaper or free drug rehab centers will often have more than one person to a room, the meals may not be as fancy and they may have far less amenities.  However, simply because a drug rehab program costs more does not mean that it will be more effective in helping individuals get off of drugs. There are a number of factors that contribute to people to being able to quit using drugs.  Probably most important is that person’s willingness and readiness to quit the drug and also whether or not they find a drug rehab program that fits their needs.

Drug Addiction

When most people begin to experiment with drugs they never think that they will one day be addicted to them.  However, emotional, psychological and physical factors can make some individuals more susceptible to drug addiction then others.

Some symptoms of drug addiction include a dependence on a particular drug or drugs, going to great lengths to obtain drugs and get high, physical cravings and the willingness to take risks to obtain the drugs even with there are negative consequences.  Persons who become addicted to drugs have constant cravings and thoughts about buying and taking drugs.

Persons can be addicted to both legal and illegal drugs. The number of individuals who are taking legal drugs, those prescribed by their doctors and over-the-counter, to get high is growing at an alarming rate.

When there is long-term use of drugs, pathways in the brain become altered. It is at this point that the drug addiction becomes a disease.  When the pathways and nerve cells in the brain become changed, physical addiction occurs. The brain reacts differently to the types of drugs that are taken and will be altered accordingly.

Drug addiction can be influenced by both genetics and the environment in which one lives. A person can be pre-disposed to drug addiction based on their family history.  The environment can also play a major role in drug use and drug addiction.  Individuals who have a lot of life stressors or who are around people who abuse drugs may be more tempted to use them themselves.  Some drugs are also much more addicting then others. Heroine and cocaine are two such drugs that often quickly entrap the persons who try them.  Others are less so such as marijuana.

One’s personality type may also influence whether or not they become addicted to drugs.  Individuals who have problems with depression or anxiety may use illegal or legal drugs to self medicate and may become addicted in the process.

It is believed that nearly 20 million people in the United States over the age of 12 have taken some sort of illegal drug.  24% of men and 16% of women in the U.S. have used drugs, with marijuana being the one most commonly taken. Drug-Rehabs.org reports that one in four Americans between the ages of 26-34 have tried cocaine. According to the Mayo Clinic 19,000 deaths from drug use occur every year in the United States.

Most people recognize that drug addiction can take a serious and even deadly toll on an individual.  It can cause them to lose the things that are most important to them such as their family, friends, job and money. Some people are more susceptible to drug addiction and everyone who takes drugs does not become addicted to them. There are individuals that are able to only take drugs socially. The problem is, one doesn’t know until after they have become addicted if they are one of those individuals. By then, it is impossible to turn back the clock.

Whether or not an individual becomes addicted to drugs depends on several factors.  A person’s genetic makeup, their environment and what is going on in their lives will either contribute to or insulate one from drug use. Drug addiction is very serious and can be a very ugly disease because it robs the individual, the people that they love and those who love them of a whole and healthy human being.  Family and friends suffer because they have to watch, often helplessly, someone that they care about deteriorate right before their eyes. Drug addicts suffer because they often alienate and hurt those people closest to them.

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