Monday, April 28, 2014

Why Is Opium Dangerous?

 

Anyone who is in the hospital due to an illness, surgical procedure or emergency situation could be in quite a bit of pain. Generally, the hospital staff will take care to administer something that will be able to help relieve the pain and get rid of a lot of the discomfort that you may be experiencing. Sometimes, this can be a powerful drug such as morphine to help limit the pain and keep you as comfortable as possible. However, this can be a dangerous situation, especially if you are a person who could be prone to addiction. When it comes to morphine, it is important that you realize that it is closely related to opium, which is another drug that comes with addictive properties.

Someone falling into an opium addiction will often start to crave it right after the first couple of uses. When you are addicted to opium, you will often find that your body will become completely worn out and you are going to spend a lot of money to keep the addiction up. Depending on how severe the addiction is, people who take opium could fall victim to issues with the liver, heart attacks or even death.

Addiction to something such as opium can take a massive toll on both your health and your finances. Because you need to keep up with the drug to feel good, you will start to go through any reserve funds that you may have. During the downward spiral, you could end up falling into debt and even losing a lot of the things that you have in your life from your vehicle and home to your family and your friends.

If you or anyone that you know is starting to struggle with an opium addiction, it is important that professional help is sought immediately. Only with the proper counseling and knowledge of the drug will someone be able to successfully kick the opium habit.

Not Only Is Using Opium and Opiate Drugs Dangerous, Quitting Opium Can Be Dangerous If Not Done In a Drug Addiction Treatment Center!

drug addiction treatment

Friday, April 18, 2014

Getting Help For Hydrocodone or Pain Med Addiction

Conquering an addiction to Hydrocodone or other opioid pain meds can be very challenging.Many people fail on their first try and the failure rate is greater if the addict tries to do it all on their own with no help.  Most people have no idea where to begin, except for simply quitting cold turkey and that can lead to problems. So here is some advice about what to expect so that you can deal with it better.

The first and most pressing issue about quitting is the withdrawal and detox time. For about a week after quitting, the addict will feel like that have the most severe case of flu possible. There will be nausea, headaches, body aches, anxiety, irritability, shakiness and many other unpleasant effects that can last for about a week. The effects are so unpleasant that many addicts relapse because they cannot take the miserable feeling any longer.

This is why consulting a doctor who is experienced with addiction is helpful. They can prescribe medications to lessen the effects of withdrawal from Hydrocodone or pain meds. They can also prescribe meds to deal with the underlying problems that may have contributed to the addiction to opioids in the first place, such as chronic pain issues, mental issues.

This is a crucial part of breaking free from pain meds. You have to deal with the situation that led to the addiction. Whether it was a painful injury/ illness or a combination of stress and unresolved mental issues, it has to be dealt with so that it does not continue to put you at risk. Your doctor can help you develop a plan to treat such issues and to deal with them. So seek help from a medical professional and get started on the path to sobriety and the rest of your life.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Understanding An Addiction To Pain Meds

There are a lot of people who will end up taking different pain medications without realizing just how addictive they can actually be. Believe it or not, there are a lot of medications that you can buy over the counter that can lead to an addiction even in cases where there is no pain to be treated. Individuals who are dealing with joint afflictions and arthritis can end up at high risk of becoming addicted to over the counter drugs just as they could become addicted to painkillers such as oxycodone. It is all a matter of realizing the signs of addiction and knowing when too many pain medications are being consumed.

The frightening thing about becoming addicted to pain meds is that you do not even have to be someone that has a history or any sort of addiction or abuse. Painkillers are often prescribed after a patient becomes injured in some way or with the treatment of psychological disorders, cancer and more. A patient can easily slide into an addiction without even realizing it simply because they start to go too far while trying to manage the pain that they are feeling.

It goes without saying that any time you mix alcohol with pain medications such as oxycontin or oxycodone, you can end up facing enhanced problems. Once a patient starts to slide down that slippery slope of pain medication addiction, it can often be difficult to come back out of it without professional help or treatment.

If you or anyone that you know is dealing with some sort of addiction to painkillers, it is good to talk to someone who can help. When a proper treatment plan is in place, there is hope for recovery and living a happier, healthy lifestyle that is free from the addiction.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Cleaning House Keeps a Clean and Sober Lifestyle

 
 It has been said that a clean house provides a clean conscious -- meaning that cleaning and organizing your life will lead to contentment and happiness.

Contentment and happiness are the main goals of every recovering addict who is trying to stay sober. Though it feels good to be off the drugs and alcohol, a recovering addict still may have issues with their own contentment with sobriety. Often these feelings will come on quickly and in a very strong fashion, during which time the risk of a relapse becomes very great. 

During these times, the recovering addict will have a great urge to use drugs, alcohol, or engage in other unhealthy behaviors in order to seek comfort and contentment. It is important to know that these feelings will pass soon enough, and you just need to keep both your mind and body occupied until the feeling passes. Cleaning is often the best remedy for these urges to once again use drugs and alcohol. Not only is it a task that needs to be completed anyway, but once completed, the task will have brought contentment to your mind and body, and this will allow you to continue on through your sobriety.

If You Get Urges to Use Drugs or Alcohol, Or If You Fear You May Relapse, Try These Healthy Activities Around the House:
  • Mopping Floors
  • Watering and Pruning Plants
  • Dusting Electronics
  • Clean the Oven
  • Re-arrange Your Closet
  • Go Through Old Clothes to Donate
Really any activity that you can engage-in when the moment an urge hits, is the best activity for you. Take this list, and experiment with other activities and find out which activities work the best for you to feel that feeling of contentment long enough for the cravings to disappear. 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

All You Need To Know About An Addiction To Sleeping Pills

 

A person who suffers from insomnia will wholeheartedly agree that an inability to get a good night's rest is one of the most draining and destroying experiences.  This inability to sleep at night is often the cause of requests for prescription sleeping tablets from a GP.  While sleeping tablets do carry a risk of addiction, those who follow the doctor's instructions have a relatively low chance of developing this.  With this being the case you may wonder how people become added to sleeping pills, the different signs of addition, as well as how this can be treated.

Firstly, the majority of people who use sleeping tablets as a sleeping aid do not obtain the prescription with a view of future addiction.  This dependence is often unforeseen and occurs due to the individual developing an immunity and a need to increase the dosage or frequency of administration.  Some will enjoy taking some medications like Ambien or Lunesta to enhance the effects of other substances.  Users have stated that they enjoy the feeling of tranquility that sleeping pills bring.

Abusing sleeping tablets is a highly dangerous and damaging addiction.  The longer a person uses this medication, the greater the chance of larger doses being ingested and the higher the risk of overdose.  One common side-effect of sleeping pill addiction is depression, which contributes to the heightened risk of suicide among users.  It is also seen that coordination is negatively effected which can lead to accidents.  The chemical structure can also cause irreparable damage to your internal organs.  Sleeping pill addiction can also lead to negative societal consequences as an you may break the law or engage in other unethical behaviors to acquire more tablets.

An addiction to sleeping pills may be identified in those who show the following symptoms.  It should be noted that while these symptoms are common among individuals addicted to sleeping pills, a therapist will need only two or three to be present in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

- a loss of interest in previous hobbies
- a decline in personal hygiene
- aggressive and defensive responses when questioned about drug use
- denial of potential sleeping pill addiction
- an inability to function on a daily basis without the sleeping pill
- a denial of being addicted to the sleeping pill

If you feel you are aware of someone who is suffering from an addiction to sleeping tablets, it is in their best interest to seek out professional treatment.  In mild cases, the individual should be able to reduce their dosage and eventually remove themselves from sleeping pill usage; however, those with severe cases of drug addiction will need treatment in a rehabilitation facility.  Irrespective of the severity, all sleeping pill addicts will require support to live a drug-free life.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Breaking A Crystal Meth Addiction

Crystal meth is considered to be one of the most dangerous drugs out there.  This is because those who are addicted often lose everything that they care about.

Methamphetamine addiction starts when a person tries meth for the very first time.  If it goes well, he or she will enjoy the experience and want to try it again.  Eventually, their body will become accustomed to the drug.

When a person whose body is reliant on meth stops taking drugs, their system goes into withdrawal.  The symptoms of withdrawal can be described as unpleasant at best.  Addicts in withdrawal experience nausea, fever, anxiety and much more.

Withdrawal can be so painful that addicts simply keep taking drugs to ward it off.  When this happens, they start putting their addiction before their work and personal life.  The end result is that they lose their job and personal relationships.  In some cases, addicts turn to crime to make enough money to buy meth.

At some point addicts will realize that they need help.  This is where an inpatient treatment facility will be helpful.

An inpatient facility is a rehab center where patients check in for a specified number of days.  During their stay they go through detox, undergo counseling and learn how to avoid temptation in the future.

Now, attending rehab will not always be successful.  Some people will need to attend more than one time to kick their addiction for good.  In this situation, family members need to be patient and supportive.

Rehab is not cheap - especially inpatient treatment.  However, this is the most effective way to get an addict off drugs.  While there are cheaper options out there, they all have a lower success rate than inpatient facilities.  If families can afford it, they should pick inpatient care over its alternatives.