How Family Can Help a Drug-Addicted Loved One

When a member of your family is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the effects can be hard to deal with. On one hand, it pains a family when one of their own suffers. You’ll do anything to help them because you love them. On the other, deep down, you know that enabling their substance abuse is only harming them further. Unfortunately, when you’re close to a situation, you may not realize how subtle enabling can actually be.

There are many ways that a family can help a drug- or alcohol-addicted loved one. From helping to pay for rehab to simply being tough when it’s called for, you can make a difference in the life of your family member.

Do Not Enable Addictive Behaviors

Addictive behaviors include a myriad of phases and techniques which an addict will use, sometimes without even realizing they are doing it, to get what they need. These techniques include:

• Guilt
• Manipulation
• Anger or withholding of affection
• Sympathy-seeking behavior

One of the most difficult but effective ways to help your loved one is to not buy into these maneuverings. For instance, if your addicted family member states they need a few hundred dollars to keep their power on, chances are they have spent money on their addiction rather than paying their electric bill. Paying the bill for them will only serve to tell them they have done nothing wrong by not living up to their responsibilities. There is also the chance they will use the money loaned to them for a legitimate purpose to buy drugs or alcohol to further their addictive behaviors.

Instead, offer to help them pay for treatment.

Do Not Assist the Addict

When your child, parent, sibling or other person close to you is unwell, it is difficult not to offer assistance. When they fall down, we want to pick them up. When they are in withdrawal, in the case of addiction, we want to help them through it any way we can.

While a licensed detox facility will medicate an addict in withdrawal to wean them from the effects of their preferred drugs, it is unwise for a layperson or family member to use this technique while the addict is simply unable to “score” their drugs for the moment. Giving a heroin addict your prescription pain meds when they ask for them to “get them through” is a crime. It is also unhealthy for the addict and only serves to remind them that you can be counted upon to enable them.

Intervention

An Intervention is the process through which the family and friends of an addicted individual confront the addict to get them help they need. By uniting forces, each member of the intervention group can speak their mind to the addict to let them know several basic facts:

• That they are loved
• That they are ill and need help
• That they have an opportunity to get help immediately
• That the intervention group will support them emotionally throughout the process

The notion that an addict must hit his or her own personal “rock bottom” in order to effectively seek recovery has been modified through the intervention model. It is possible for family members to “raise the bottom” for the addict by showing them in a structured setting, under strict control parameters, the effect their drug use has had on them, as well as their entire family.

Celebrity Deaths at Age 27 Related to Substance Abuse

There has been much speculation about the coincidental deaths of several prominent, famous or infamous musicians who have died under drug- and alcohol-related circumstances at the age of 27.  These artists include:

• Brian Jones. The former member of the Rolling Stones who drowned in 1969. Drugs and alcohol were suspected to be a major contributing factor to his drowning.
• Jim Morrison. The lead singer and front man for The Doors, a 1960s counter-culture rock band known for its psychedelic sounds and fantasy-like aura.
• Janis Joplin. The charismatic young woman who made her mark in a world dominated by men, only to suffer the effects of drugs and alcohol a mere three years after reaching stardom.
• Kurt Cobain. Arguably the godfather of Grunge, his band, Nirvana, took the down-to-earth garage band sound of Seattle around the world.
• Jimi Hendrix. The master of the “controlled-distortion” guitar riff who defined the 1960s in terms of music, funk, jazz and rock.
• Amy Winehouse. The incredibly talented vocalist and musician most famous for her hit song “Rehab” who died under confusing circumstances that led many to speculate alcohol may have been involved.

Fans of these amazing artists have often pondered what wonderful lives they must have had.  Others consider how distraught they must have been, how tormented by their respective art.  Over the years, writers and bloggers have make excuses for them, citing how the world would have been robbed of the masterpieces of creation born of the “Club 27″ had they not been so tormented, artistic and soulful.

The truth is entirely different.

The Truth About Club 27

Each member of what has been called “Club 27″ (because each of the individuals died when they were 27 years old) was addicted to or heavily abused drugs and alcohol. In each of these cases, the addict died as a result of their drug use, with the exception of Brian Jones and Amy Winehouse, where drugs and alcohol are strongly suspected.

Each of these young talents could have survived, continued to create amazing works of art and lived long, healthy lives entertaining the masses and establishing a greater catalog of works to leave behind for future generations.

While Amy Winehouse had attended rehab as recently as a few months before she died, many of the others had made no attempt to seek help.  In fact, with the counter-culture drug movement of the 1960s, several members of the club probably didn’t see that any problem existed.

There Is Nothing Romantic About a Drug-Related Death

There are only two manners in which an addict can use drugs for the final time.  The first is to enter rehab - to make the final choice to never use drugs or alcohol again.  The second manner to stop using drugs became the involuntary choice for the members of Club 27 as well as thousands of other people each year.  It doesn’t take a scientist to realize that the first option is the better of the two.

The artists who make up Club 27 are gone forever.  With them, untold numbers of artists, doctors, mothers, children, musicians and everyday Joes have been lost to the illness of addiction.  If you’re suffering from addiction, don’t rob the world of the artistic masterpiece that is you.  Choose life.

Tips on Avoiding and Preventing Relapse

Once an individual has completed rehab and entered the maintenance phase of recovery, the real test begins.  Instead of being surrounded by fellow recovering addicts, counselors and strong family support, the recovering addict finds himself in a brave new world of temptation, pressure and obstacles.  This is true for anyone but these challenges can present difficulties to the newly recovering addict.

Here are a few tips to remember as you begin your new life, clean and sober:

Stay in the Program

Just because you’ve left the rehab treatment center or you are no longer attending daily outpatient therapy sessions does not mean you are on your own.  By staying in a support program, perhaps for years, you can continue to reinforce the skills you’ve learned along the way.  You can apply the principles of recovery to your daily life by consistently reminding yourself there are people to help you. Attend NA or AA meetings every day on your lunch hour or on your way home from work.  You’ll make friends who understand who you are and where you come from, and you can support each other as you face the temptations of everyday life.

Stay Away From Harmful Influences

It is not uncommon for the recovering addict to want to share their new lifestyle with friends or family members who have not yet made the leap into recovery.  Unfortunately, these same “friends” who shared the addiction experience with you may, in turn, bring you back into a lifestyle you would rather avoid.

It is better, at least until you are firmly rooted in your recovery, to refrain from contact with people and locations that bring your former life back into the forefront of your new world.  In order to increase your chances for staying clean, create new connections and new friendships in a healthy community.

Change Habits and Routines

Do you drive to work through a neighborhood where you have used or purchased drugs?  Find a new route to work.  Do you spend every Friday night at a local club because you enjoy the atmosphere and music?  Find a new hobby.  Is your favorite section of the beach a local hangout for the high-powered executives who like to unwind a little on the weekends?  Find new waves.

Making changes in your life is difficult.  Saying goodbye to old ways of doing things and former activities you’ve enjoyed can bring on feelings akin to grieving.  It is perfectly acceptable to grieve for these losses, but it is important that you make the changes you need in order live your life without the everyday temptations that these former aspects tend to bring.

Surround Yourself With Healthy People

One of the most important rules of a drug-free life is that the life is, in fact, drug free.  A zero-tolerance policy concerning drugs is essential to making sure your life is unaffected by the choices of others.  It is easy to believe that everyone has a choice - that you have no right to make choices for others.  If they wish to use casually, they have that right.  As true as this statement may be, you also have rights.  You also have choices.  You can choose to not allow these individuals into your life.  You are not a casual user.  You are a recovering addict. Your life is more important than your friends’ desire to get high.

Ask for Help

Perhaps the most important tip of all, remembering to ask for help can literally save your life.  Especially in the early days of recovery, temptations to use will come in many forms.  Got your job back?  Let’s celebrate!  Your childhood pet passed away?  You may be tempted to escape the pain, as you have in the past, through the use of drugs or alcohol.

It is in these moments that asking for help is so vitally important.  There are several ways you can ask for help:

• Call your AA or NA sponsor, regardless of the day or time.
• Call your pastor or deacon if you’re a member of a church.
• Call a trusted family member.
• Call your rehab facility or get in touch with your counselor.
• Visit a local emergency room and explain the situation.

Before you choose to use, make sure you think about the strides you’ve made and what using will really cost you.

Can You Cope With Withdrawal Symptoms Without Medication?

The detoxification process in early drug rehabilitation can be a difficult time for many addicts.  Depending upon the drugs used, an addict may experience many severe symptoms that can bring great risk to the individual sufferer.  Because of these factors and the overall painful side effects of withdrawal, many facilities use medication-assisted detoxification as the first step in the recovery process.

Not all addicts wish to introduce more medications into their systems.  There are ways to cope with the serious symptoms of withdrawal without using prescribed or over-the-counter medications.  However, choosing to undergo detoxification without the help of medical professionals and medication can be unnecessarily harmful in some cases.

Meditation

One of the most basic truths about the human condition is that the human mind is a powerful instrument. Focusing attention and creating an atmosphere of quiet can bring an attitude of calm to an individual through the use of meditation techniques.  It is important to remember, however, that someone not experienced with meditation might have more difficulty implementing it during the difficult detoxification process.  Many facilities that offer alternative therapies will have meditation guides and experts on hand to help the addict through the difficult moments.

Relaxation Techniques

There are many forms of relaxation techniques that have been shown to help individuals suffering withdrawal.  Reiki, therapeutic massage and other techniques can help soothe the person going through withdrawal, combating the sleeplessness and restlessness that are common during the first few days of detoxification.

The individual addict should make the decision of whether to use medication or relaxation techniques based upon how well they know themselves.  However, the individual should listen to the advice of others based upon the addict’s history of drug use and the memory lapses that may have occurred. Many addicts do not know themselves as well as they might like to simply because they have been operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Education and Understanding

It has been said that knowledge is power.  Learning as much as possible about their addiction can help an addict fight through those first, intense days of life without drugs.  Understanding that the withdrawal phase is temporary and that once the drugs have metabolized out of the body, the immediate and acute illness will pass, can give can them strength to make it through.

The choice of whether to use medication during the detox period is a very personal one.  The important aspect is that the addict receives the treatment that is right for them.  If they are more likely to successfully complete detox through the use of medication, it is important that the option is available. If they are adamant that they will defeat their personal demons without that help, it is still important that the properly trained experts are available for assistance and guidance.

None of these alternatives to medication will completely alleviate the symptoms associated with withdrawal. Like medication, unfortunately, they can only help the individual sufferer make it through those harrowing hours.  Rather than eliminating medications altogether, an option may be to prepare a contingency plan for specific withdrawal symptoms and how each should be addressed-either with or without medication.

How to Spot Prescription Drug Abuse in Your Teen

Drug abuse among teenagers has been a problem for many decades, however the use and abuse of prescription drugs by school-aged children as young as the 8^th grade is becoming of greater concern in recent years.  The most important tool in the fight against teen drug addiction comes from a society willing to recognize the signs of abuse and addiction.

Types of Prescription Drugs Popular for Abuse by Teens

When many parents think of drugs and teenagers, they may think of marijuana or even harder drugs like heroin or cocaine.  However, prescription drugs, in part because of the ease with which teens can obtain them, are a more likely alternative.  Teens generally have easy access to:

• Stimulants for ADHD/ADD or other stimulants
• Blood pressure medications
• Pain medication such as Vicodin, Lortab and other opiates
• Depressants such as Valium or Xanax

Many of these drugs sit innocently in a family medicine cabinet and create a huge temptation for teens looking to fit in with their peers or seek relief from the stress of school or family problems.

Symptoms of Prescription Drug Abuse

Being moody and operating under the influence of mood swings is every teenager’s right. Hormones are raging and the process of growing up can be confusing and stressful.  However, these mood swings can also be a sign of prescription drug abuse and addiction, so it is important to take circumstances and normal behavior patterns into consideration.

The physical symptoms of drug use and abuse can include the following:

• Redness of the eyes
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Confusion
• Inability to speak or slurring of words
• Depressed breathing
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Hyperactivity
• Impaired memory
• Constipation
• Nausea

The type of symptoms depends upon the types of drugs ingested.  For instance, abuse of opiates can cause constipation, drowsiness and slowed breathing.  Stimulant use, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, can cause irritability, hyperactivity and nervousness.  Taking in context with the psychological symptoms of drug abuse, and you may want to consult your doctor and arrange to have your teen checked for the use and abuse of drugs.

Emotional Symptoms of Drug Abuse

When a teenager experiences the effects of drug abuse, they will most likely suffer the non-physical effects of that use.  These lifestyle changes are not life-threatening.  They may indicate problems not associated with drug use, however, if they occur in conjunction with any of the physical symptoms mentioned, it may be a good idea to find out, one way or the other, if your child is using drugs.

Lifestyle changes may include:

• Slipping grades in classes they have previously enjoyed and passed
• New group of friends and a reluctance to let you meet them or get to know them
• Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
• Lack of interest in hobbies that previously enthralled them
• Disobedience such as breaking curfew and not following well-established rules.

Teens who are addicted to or use prescription drugs will obtain these drugs from their own homes first.  A huge red flag concerning the use and abuse of prescription drugs by your teenager can be found in your own medicine cabinet.  If there are missing prescriptions, do not assume you have misplaced them.  Watch carefully and confront your teen if you suspect any misuse of prescription drugs.

Why Heroin Abuse Is So Dangerous

When we think of drug abuse, there are several drugs that immediately come to mind as being exceptionally dangerous.  One of those drugs is heroin.  It is a powerful opiate, the use of which can lead to addiction, severe medical conditions and even death.  The reasons that heroin is so incredibly dangerous has to do with several factors, including:

• How it is used
• The effect it has on the brain of the user
• The lengths that people will go to get it
• The great difficulty associated with quitting

Understanding the risk factors are important for anyone interested in seeking help for a loved one who is currently addicted to heroin.

How Is Heroin Ingested?

Injecting heroin is one preferred method for taking the drug that offers its own dangers.  The drug is liquefied through a process known as “freebasing.”  The liquid heroin is pulled into a syringe and injected directly into the blood stream.  Sharing and reuse of needles are common during this practice.  This sharing of needles can easily spread blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis from one addict to another.

Another form of heroin use is snorting or sniffing.  Finally, heroin may be smoked.

The Effect of Heroin on the Brain

The human body contains opiate receptors throughout the anatomy.  Some of these opiate receptors control pleasure, pain and emotional reward.  These are the receptors that an opiate addict is trying to engage when they use heroin.  Pain is reduced and the brain offers a new sense of pleasure or euphoria.  This is the “high” that drug users find as a result of the drugs they ingest.

There are other opiate receptors in the brain stem that control involuntary functions such as blood pressure and breathing.  When an individual uses heroin, the drug is converted to morphine which attaches to all opiate receptors, including those that control something as simple as breathing.  There is no way to know how much heroin will cause these receptors to overload and cease operating at any given time.

The Lengths to Which an Addict Will Go to Obtain Heroin

Because of the highly addictive nature of opiates like heroin, an individual suffering from addiction will go to great lengths to obtain either the drug or the cash to buy drugs.  The addict may engage in risky behavior like prostitution or armed robbery, placing their lives in danger.   Even if they have enough money through legal means, they can place themselves in harm’s way simply by visiting locations that are rife with violence and corrosive illegal activity to obtain their drugs.

The Difficulty Associated With Quitting

In order to successfully stop using heroin, many addicts must receive long-term rehab services.  Even then, the chance of relapse still exists.  Because of the fear that they will be unsuccessful, some addicts are afraid to try to improve their lives.  Others are fearful that they will be deprived of a drug they feel they need to survive from day to day.  This mentality is dangerous because every time an addict refuses to try, they place themselves at risk of the other dangerous factors.

It is possible to stop using heroin with the help of trained, experienced professionals.  The dangers of heroin use can be greatly reduced simply by taking the first step towards recovery.

Do People Need to Go to Rehab for Marijuana Addiction?

The definition of addiction as it applies to marijuana has been hotly debated for decades. If one defines addiction in terms that the removal of a drug from the body causes physical symptoms, one may claim that there is no need for marijuana addiction treatment within the rehab setting. However, if one considers that there is more to addiction that the physical need of the body for a specific substance, the answer becomes less clear.

The Symptoms of Addiction

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a relapsing brain disease that manifests with the compulsive need to seek and use drugs, regardless of the harmful consequences that surround it. Marijuana use and abuse can meet this definition because:

• Users tend to need more of the drug to obtain the euphoric effects as the body builds a tolerance.
• Marijuana use is illegal, therefore causing the abuser to engage in risky activity simply by using it.
• The use of marijuana causes impaired judgment which can lead to riskier behaviors.

Because of these factors, it is reasonable to treat addiction to marijuana as seriously as any other addiction. However, marijuana also brings with it the psychological addiction aspect that makes quitting incredibly difficult.

The Benefits of Rehab for Marijuana Addiction

When an addict chooses to seek help in a treatment facility or outpatient rehab, they gain several benefits. A marijuana addiction can often mask a lack of coping skills for the stress of everyday life, for instance. With the help of trained professionals who understand that the need for a drug to cope with stress is very real, the addict can learn better ways to handle the challenges they face.

In a study conducted by Dr. Alan Budney of the University of Arkansas, 90 adult men and women diagnosed with marijuana dependence were split into three groups. The first group received only cognitive therapy. A second group received vouchers for clean urine specimens, while a third group received both vouchers and therapy. At the end of the 14-week “rehab” period, the group that received only vouchers for negative drug tests results performed the least well. The group that received both therapy and vouchers received the best overall scores.

At the end of a 12-month review period, the numbers remained the same in terms of overall benefit. The group that received cognitive therapy and vouchers for retail goods and services had the highest success rate with 37 percent of participants still clean at the end of the year.

This study suggests that professional help including the type of therapy available at a good rehab facility greatly increases the chances that a person addicted to marijuana, whether it is a physical or psychological addiction, will remain sober.

What Is the Human Cost of an OxyContin Addiction?

Prescription drug abuse is one of the most common types of drug abuse today. People of all ages, from school children to the elderly, are susceptible to the use and abuse of prescription drugs like OxyContin. The definition of prescription drug abuse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Maryland, is the “taking [of] a prescription medication that is not prescribed for you, or taking it for reasons or in dosages other than as prescribed.”

The description of prescription drug abuse is fairly broad. When we think of a drug addict, we generally think of someone who is out of control and making poor decisions, sacrificing everything to obtain more drugs. With the use and abuse of prescriptions like OxyContin, the stereotype is lifted. Abuse is just as likely to occur with an elderly grandmother who would never dream of breaking the law yet finds herself content to take her pain medication more often than she should.

The human cost of an OxyContin addiction can be measured in varying degrees across every walk of life and includes:

• Changes in quality of life
• Disregard for health
• Destruction of family relationships
• Legal problems and more

Why Is OxyContin Abuse a Problem in the United States?

Many times, an individual who is prescribed a powerful drug like OxyContin has no idea how dangerous the drug can be. Even when taken correctly with strict adherence to the directions and prescription, the drug is powerful enough to create a physical dependence.

OxyContin is in a family of drugs known as opiates. Opiates are opium-based narcotics that affect the opiate receptors in the brain. These receptors have control over emotion, pain, and automatic features such as breathing and coughing. One of the reasons that OxyContin and other opiates is such a huge problem in the United States is because it prescribed for so many varying medical issues, including:

• Severe cough
• Chronic pain
• Acute pain
• Post-surgical pain

Even short-term use of a drug like OxyContin can create a physical dependence. Once dependence has been established, the human costs begin.

Changes in the Quality of Life

Because OxyContin and other opiates create a euphoric, sleeping feeling, an individual addicted to them may tend to sleep far more often than is necessary. The vicious cycle of abuse is one that convinces the addict they are simply “taking medicine” – that they are ill.

The addict may discover they are no longer enjoying activities that meant a considerable amount them, like playing with their children or participating in hobbies with friends and family.

Disregard for Health and Health Effects

The OxyContin addict, especially one who has become dependent through legally prescribed medication, is well aware of the long-term risks of opiate use. However, because of the euphoria caused by use of the drug, and the pain that comes from discontinued use, they are more willing to risk the long-term health effects.

Destruction of Family Relationships

Normally well-adjusted, law-abiding citizens can become desperate to obtain OxyContin and other opiate-based drugs. They will often cut off ties with important members of their family, or begin to lie and steal property or money to obtain more drugs.

Legal Problems Associated With OxyContin

Obtaining prescription drugs without a legal prescription is a crime; however, many addicts choose to write prescriptions or otherwise forge a means to obtain the drugs they need if their doctor is unavailable. The addict is often willing to risk jail in order to relieve the pain caused by withdrawal, as well as to achieve the euphoria that comes from overuse.

Drug Rehab Programs Los Angeles

Alcohol Drug Rehab Los Angeles

Millions of people become addicted to drugs all over the world. This is true even in the United States. Fortunately, many people who suffer from addictions enter drug rehab programs. Los Angeles drug rehab programs are known especially for helping people get off drugs, both celebrities and everyday folk. Not only do they often service people in this part of the United States but they also help those from other places in the country get off of drugs. Individuals will find some of the best drug rehab centers in the country (and even the world) in Los Angeles. There are all types of programs. Some are designed to help people get off illegal drugs while others focus on aiding people kick their prescription drug habits.

Los Angeles is a beautiful city with gorgeous surroundings and can make for a very good place to get clean if one enrolls in the right drug rehab program. There are many different types of programs available. Individuals need to look around and make sure that they find one that best fits their individual personality, drug use and personal problems.

Alcohol drug rehab Los Angeles centers are also available for those who suffer from both alcohol and drug abuse or one or the other. Again, addicts must look for programs that they feel will work best for them.  If they have trouble doing so initially, it’s simply a matter of commitment and focus on finding the right one. Some rehab centers can be quite costly. Others are more affordable and still others, are free.  Price will obviously be something that persons take into account.

Prescription Drug Abuse Rehab

“Street” drugs are not the only ones that can be addicting. In fact, medications prescribed by physicians can be just as dangerous and can turn regular folks into addicts or take those that have an inclination toward addiction (or are already addicts) and cause them to become dependent on prescription medications. Thankfully, there are prescription drug abuse rehab programs available.

Prescription drug abuse rehab helps individuals who have become addicted to legal medications, kick their habit. This process of getting off these types of drugs will be very difficult and just as tough to beat illegal drugs. Because of this, many people will need to work with professionals.

It can be quite hard for individuals to quit prescription drug abuse on their own. A well established, well planned program can be quite effective if people are ready to kick the habit. Persons that live in big cities (near one), will likely find drug rehab programs in the area that will either specialize in prescription drug abuse rehab or at least offer such services in addition to their regular drug rehab programs.

It is possible to beat one’s addiction to prescription drug abuse rehab. In most cases, it will require support and a good rehab program.

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