Author: Charlie Carlson

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How to Avoid Drug Use in College

Group of students having fun, to show How to Avoid Drug Use in College

If you’ve watched a lot of movies about college students, you might be under the impression that everyone experiments with drugs when they’re in college. But this simply isn’t the truth. Because of this, we’ve decided to highlight exactly how to avoid drug use in college, and reasons to consider it.  

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, some college students do admit to using drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. But surveys have shown that only about one out of every five college students uses illicit drugs regularly.

Are you concerned that drug use in college could potentially be a problem for you? Whether you’re a recovering drug user who wants to steer clear of drugs in college or someone who has never used drugs and wants to keep it that way, there are steps you can take to avoiding using drugs during your college years.

Check out the things you can do to avoid drug use in college below.

Pick a College That’s Not Known for Its Party Scene

Every year, a variety of print and online publications put together lists of the top party schools in the entire country. These schools are very popular among those who are focused on spending a lot of time partying during their college careers.

But if your goal is to avoid drug use in college at all costs, these schools are not going to be for you. The last thing you want to do is put yourself in the middle of a place where you’re going to be subjected to heavy drinking and drug use all the time.

This doesn’t mean that you need to enroll in a school that has a “dry” campus. You can if you want to, but you don’t have to go to that extreme if you don’t like any of the schools with dry campuses.

You should, however, try to find a school that has little to no party scene, if possible. You won’t have to duck and dodge parties where drugs are being used all the time if you’re at a college where parties are few and far between.

Make the Right Living Arrangements

There is something to be said for spending at least a year or two living on-campus at college in a dorm. You can learn a lot about yourself and how you interact with others by setting up shop in a dorm.

But if you think that living in a dorm might expose you to drugs and increase your chances of using them, you don’t have to do it. You can either get an apartment off-campus or, better yet, live at home with your parents as a commuter student.

If you choose to move into an off-campus apartment, just be careful about who you move in with if you decide to live with roommates. You could end up putting yourself into a position where you’re living with someone who uses drugs and exposes you to them every day.

Fill Your Academic Schedule Every Semester

One of the most effective ways to avoid drug use in college is by staying busy as often as you can. Rather than taking the bare minimum number of college credits each semester, jampack your schedule so that you’re always either in class or studying.

Outside of helping you stay away from drugs, filling up your academic schedule will also allow you to graduate sooner than expected. This could cut down on your college tuition and make it easier to pay off student loans if you’re planning on taking them out.

Get Involved With the Clubs on Your College Campus

While it’s good to stay busy when you’re in college in an effort to avoid drugs, you shouldn’t spend your whole life sitting in the library. If the only thing you do is study, study, and then study

some more, you’re going to burn yourself out.

Why not give yourself a break by joining one of the many clubs that are available on college campuses? Every college campus is obviously a little bit different, but you can often join:

  • Cooking clubs
  • Community service clubs
  • Religious clubs
  • Sports clubs
  • Music clubs

Joining clubs will help you to meet new people who share interests similar to yours. You’ll often form longer-lasting friendships with people when you meet them at clubs as opposed to meeting them at parties, bars, or nightclubs.

Choose Your College Friends Wisely

If you want to stay as far away from drug use in college as you can, it’s going to be important for you to pick and choose the friends that you make wisely. You don’t want to spend your days hanging out with a habitual marijuana user if you’re trying your best to avoid drugs.

When you’re in the process of getting to know new people in college, look out for the signs that they might be a drug user. You might want to reconsider hanging out with someone if you know that they’re using drugs on a regular basis.

Let People Know You’re Not a Drug User in No Uncertain Terms

Peer pressure is something that’s often associated with high school students. In fact, one recent survey suggested that about 90% of high school students admit to experiencing peer pressure.

But peer pressure can affect college students, too! Since college students are still trying to forge an identity for themselves, it’s not uncommon for them to succumb to peer pressure at the start of their college years.

You should mentally prepare yourself for this when you head off to college and vow to stick to your strict “no drugs” policy. You should also go out of your way to let those that you meet in college know that you’re not someone who is interested in using drugs under any circumstances.

This won’t prevent people from asking you to use drugs altogether. But it will make it easier for you to turn them down when people ask if you’re interested in taking drugs.

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Speak With an Advisor About Any Struggles You Face in College

When most people think about going away to college, they think about how much fun they’re going to have when they do it. What they don’t always realize is that, while college can be fun, it can also be very stressful.

About 75% of college students say they’re stressed out a lot of the time. Additionally, about 20% say they’ve thought about committing suicide in college due to the stress, anxiety, and depression they feel while in school.

Many students turn to drugs and alcohol to manage the stress that they feel in school. They take this approach instead of trying to find better ways to cope with the stress that comes along with being a college student.

Rather than doing this, you should set up meetings with your school advisor when you feel stressed out and talk to them about your struggles. They can provide you with ways to manage your stress more effectively and help you avoid turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with your feelings.

There are so many people who find themselves addicted to drugs or alcohol because they utilized them as a coping mechanism in college. Do everything in your power to avoid falling into this trap.

Remind Yourself of Why You’re Choosing Not to Use Drugs

You likely have a great reason for wanting to avoid drug use in college. What is it?

Some people choose not to use drugs in college because they want to make sure they’re able to get good grades. Others decide not to use them because they want to graduate as quickly as they can and pursue a career that they’re passionate about.

You need to come up with a reason for wanting to stay away from drugs and write it down. Put it on a piece of paper and hang it up next to your bed if you have to.

Keep your reason in mind at all times, especially when you’re feeling pressured to use drugs. Your reason will help you say no each and every time that you’re offered drugs at a party or another event.

Over time, you’ll find that it will become easier and easier to avoid drug use in college. You won’t have to remind yourself about your reasoning once you see how much better your college experience is when drugs aren’t in the picture.

You Can Avoid Drug Use in College and Still Have a Great Time

Just because you’re choosing not to use drugs in college does not mean that you can’t still enjoy yourself. You can meet a ton of people, get awesome grades, and soak up every bit of the college experience—all without drugs.

By avoiding drug use in college, you’ll keep yourself on the right path and hit your academic goals before it’s all said and done. In four years (or maybe less!), you’ll leave college with a diploma and a great understanding of where your life is headed next.
Are you a college student who suspects that you might have a drug problem? Stop letting drugs hold you back. Contact us today to find out how we can help you get clean and stay clean so that you can get back to focusing on your studies.

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Why Strong Relationships in Recovery are Important

“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety; the opposite of addiction is connection.” This quote from British journalist Johann Hari has become a popular saying in recovery communities over the past few years, and connections forms ‘Why Strong Relationships in Recovery are Important.’

There’s a good reason for that. This quote reinforces what addicts in recovery have known for decades. Connecting with other people, especially other addicts, is essential to maintaining sobriety.

Why is it so important for addicts who want to stay sober to develop strong relationships in recovery? Here are a few good reasons.

Accountability

Steering clear of that first drink or drug is the hardest thing to do once an addict leaves rehab. In rehab, they were protected from alcohol and drugs. They were also protected from the realities of their lives and the real world.

Once the addict returns to their regular life, the temptation to drink or use is everywhere. This is especially true if the addict is going back into the environment where they drank or used before rehab.

How can the addict who wants to stay sober avoid this temptation? The best way is to have another person who’s holding them accountable for staying sober. Without anyone holding them accountable the addict may think that they can get away with drinking or using and avoid the consequences. This mindset makes avoiding temptation difficult, maybe even impossible.

But if someone is present in the addict’s life to hold them accountable for their choice to drink or use, this person can provide a mental deterrent. The addict knows that someone is holding them responsible for their actions. And more importantly, they know that someone will care if they choose to relapse.

In 12-step programs such as AA and NA, people get sponsors. These sponsors help guide the newly sober addict through the rough early days of sobriety. They also hold them accountable for staying sober.

But getting a sponsor isn’t the only way to create accountability. Anyone can be an accountability partner for a new addict.

Any addict leaving rehab who wants to stay sober should find someone they trust to hold them accountable for their recovery. If that other person is another addict all the better.

Knowing that You’re Not Alone

Another popular saying in recovery communities is that addiction is the disease of loneliness.

And anyone who has dealt with addiction knows loneliness on a level that few others can comprehend.

Addicts are notorious for hurting the people they love the most. And even the most loyal family

and friends will eventually leave after being hurt over and over. So, the addict experiences the loneliness of being cut off by those they love.

Addicts also experience a kind of existential loneliness. This is created by the mentality that no one is going through what they’re going through and that no one understands what they’re going through. Most active addicts believe that they are the only ones facing the struggles they are facing. They also believe that they’re the only one who has ever felt as bad as they feel.

But this is far from the truth.

Addicts who go to rehab quickly find that everyone else there has been through very similar struggles and has felt very similar things. Addicts who choose to attend 12-step meetings as part of their recovery regularly hear stories from people who went through exactly what they went through. And they hear stories about people who felt the same feelings and thought the same thoughts.

In recovery communities, this is called identifying with others. For addicts who have felt alone and isolated, finding out that others have experienced the same struggles is a glorious reprieve from loneliness.

Identifying with other addicts provides the opportunity to build relationships based on shared experience. These relationships ensure that the addict will never have to go through anything alone. And these relationships provide the newly sober addict with people who can help them stay sober by sharing how they have stayed sober.

Addicts who feel like they are alone and that no one cares about them or their recovery are more likely to relapse. So, creating strong relationships in recovery based on shared experience is another way to help newly sober addicts stay sober.

Experience, Strength, and Hope

Rehab gives addicts a lot of good information about staying sober. Addicts who go to rehab learn new coping mechanisms that help them to avoid drinking and using. They also learn how they can change their lifestyle to avoid drinking and using.

But once the addict leaves rehab, putting the things they’ve learned into practice can be difficult. Without someone supporting them regularly and providing them with advice about how to stay sober, the addict is likely to succumb to temptation and use.

That’s why addicts need to create relationships with people who have stayed sober for a long time. These people with long term sobriety have a lot of experience with what it takes to stay sober. They’ve stayed sober through whatever life has thrown at them.

This “experience, strength, and hope” as it’s called in the rooms of 12-step programs, is essential wisdom for any addict looking to stay sober. When they run into a situation they don’t know how to handle, the addict can reach out to people with long term sobriety to get advice.

When you’re newly sober, it can feel like you have to relearn how to do life daily. People with long term sobriety can help newly sober addicts with this relearning process. This helps prevent relapse when the newly sober addict has to deal with something difficult. It also helps newly sober addicts deal with the sometimes overwhelming tasks of everyday life.

Creating strong relationships in recovery with people who have long term sobriety is one of the best things a newly sober addict can do for their recovery.

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Sounding Board for Stinking Thinking

In recovery communities, the phrase “stinking thinking” refers to the constant, negative inner monologue that most addicts have. This inner monologue is like a broken record telling the addict that they aren’t good enough, that they’ll never succeed, that no one likes them, so they might as well drink and use. Many addicts drank and used to avoid this negative inner monologue.

When addicts get sober, they are no longer getting the relief from this inner monologue that drinking or using provided. For many, the negative broken record in their brain becomes overwhelming without a drink or a drug to silence it. Many addicts who want recovery relapse when they cannot overcome their “stinking thinking.”

Addicts are also masters of lying and denial. Most addicts have spent so long lying to themselves and others and perfecting their denial that they can barely distinguish what’s true and what’s false.

Creating strong relationships with other addicts can provide relief from the addict’s negative

inner monologue and a “fact check” on what’s true and what’s not.

When the addict is having a tough time with their thoughts, they can reach out to another addict and tell them how they’re feeling. The other addict can identify with them and assure them that they are valuable and worthy. When the addict is trying to justify bad behavior through lying or denial, another addict can help them distinguish the truth, so they can take a sober action instead of one that leads toward relapse.

When addicts are left alone with their thoughts and their own decision-making processes they are bound to drink or use again. Creating relationships with other sober addicts gives the newly sober addict someone to talk to and someone to help them sort of their thinking and decisions.

Learning to Have Fun in Sobriety

Most addicts believe that they’ll never have any fun again once they get sober. This makes sense because everything they’ve seen as fun for years has involved drugs or alcohol. They can’t imagine going to a restaurant or a concert or a work party or any event without drinking or using.

Since all their fun has been associated with drinking and using, the addict needs to discover ways to have fun sober. This is where sober friends come to the rescue.

People who have been sober for a while have learned how to have fun in sobriety. They’ve often learned how to do the same things they used to do while drinking and using without a drink or a drug.

Making sober friends who can show the newly sober addict how to have fun sober is essential to preventing relapse.

Creating Relationships in Recovery

For many newly sober addicts, creating relationships in recovery is extremely overwhelming. Most addicts aren’t used to interacting with others without the buffer of drugs and alcohol.

Talking to new people when you’re newly sober is very uncomfortable, but that discomfort is necessary for learning to live sober.
For more information about how addicts leaving rehab can build relationships that support their recovery, check out our blog.

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7 Ways to Avoid Drinking and Driving

Every day 29 people die in car crashes involving a drunk driver. There are over 111 million people that self report that they drove under the influence. To help avoid as least some of these needless deaths, we’ve listed our top ‘7 Ways to Avoid Drinking and Driving’ in the form of a handy resource.    

Alcohol is very prevalent in our culture and media images. This makes drinking and driving is a big problem in the United States that causes significant damage to property, reputations, people and in the worst cases death.

Read on to learn ways to avoid drinking and driving.

Consequences of Drinking and Driving?

If you drive drunk or impaired, there can be legal, financial, professional, and personal, ramifications.

Legal Ramifications

Assuming that no one was injured, you will probably have to forfeit your license for a period of time, but in some cases, you may face mandatory jail time. At a minimum, you should expect community service.

If there are significant damages or loss of life, then you probably face jail time.

Individuals with commercial drivers licenses (CDL’s), may lose their license permanently.

Financial

Some employers have requirements where if you are convicted of an offense, like drinking and driving, that you may lose your job. This is especially true for jobs where you drive as part of your employment.

Employers who hire CDL drivers may also be liable for the actions of their driver.

You should expect your insurance to increase after a drunk driving conviction and some insurance companies refuse to pay for injuries associated with a drunk driving accident.

You should also expect fines and costs of mandatory drunk driving awareness training.

There will also be significant legal costs for representing you through the process.

Personal Implications

Individuals struggling with addiction often feel out of control in other aspects of their life. Even if they don’t get “caught” drinking, addiction can impact job performance and personal relationships.

Think long and hard, and determine if the risk of a wild night out is worth all of the potential pain.

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How Do Drunk Drivers Behave?

It is a good idea to make sure you know what behaviors are common in drunk or impaired drivers. This will help to prevent you from getting in a car with a drunk driver, yourself. If you see an impaired driver, give them plenty of space and contact law enforcement.

Drunk drivers typically make wider than necessary turns and may swerve, weave or drift across the road. In some cases, there are near misses of parked cars, or other objects, drunk drivers then slow down and drive at a very slow speed.

The best way to prevent drinking and driving is to not drink. But if you choose to drink follows these recommendations to keep yourself and others safe.

7 Ways to Avoid Drinking and Driving

Below is a shortlist of ways to avoid the ramifications of drinking and driving.

1. Give Your Keys to Someone Else

If you don’t have keys you can’t drive. Find a trusted friend and give them your keys if you feel tempted to drive after a few cocktails.

Signs that you have had one too many is a change in speech or balance. Individuals with high blood alcohol levels may have a hard time keeping their balance and may run into people or walls.

2. Pace Yourself

There are some online calculators that will give you an idea of how much alcohol you can safely drink. These are not perfect calculations but will give you a starting point. You should also be conscious of how you feel when you drink, as other factors can affect how much you can safely consume.

Most people can metabolize one drink an hour. A drink is considered 12oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1 shot of liquor. It is a good habit to follow each alcoholic drink with water. There are also gender differences in how you metabolize alcohol.

Avoid drinking games if you plan on driving and don’t drink on an empty stomach.

Having food in your stomach slows your body’s ability to absorb the alcohol, being dehydrated does the opposite and speeds up alcohol absorption rate. Mixing your liquor with diet drinks does the same and speeds up alcohol absorption rates.

3. Stop Drinking 90 minutes to 2 Hours BEFORE You Plan to Leave

If you feel pretty confident in your numbers above, consider picking a time in the night to stop drinking and switch to water. Use the power of your phone to set an alarm so you don’t lose track of the time.

Plan ahead and count backward from when you want to leave. Be sure to make sure you are counting the number of drinks you are having while you are out.

If you drink mixed drinks, for example, keep a lemon or lime on your glass for every drink you have consumed.

Note: you will still have alcohol in your system, so you may want to consider a portable breath analyzer to check to make sure you are really ok before you leave.

4. Spend the Night

If you are having a house party, consider spending the night. Some hosts think ahead and set up guest bedrooms or air mattresses. This allows you to have a good time and eliminates the need to drive home.

It also creates a great morning opportunity to recap about the evening’s adventure. This also works if you have a designated driver. Consider having a sleepover at their house after the party has ended.

If you or a friend is blackout drunk, stay away to ensure that you don’t get sick and choke on your own vomit. You can get alcohol poisoning if you are considered about the amount someone has consumed say something or call 911. Always better to be safe than sorry.

5. Pick a Designated Driver

If you are out with friends pick someone to be the Designated Driver (DD). You can spend the night having a great time and know that you will make it home safely.

If you spend time with the same group of people while you enjoy the nightlife, make sure to take turns on who is willing to play DD on any specific night. Some groups even pay for the DD’s appetizers or dinners as a thank you for getting them home safe.

If you DD decides to drink, for whatever reason, find an alternative way home.

6. Take the Night Off

Volunteer to be the DD and stick to it. Think of all the stories you will have on your friends from their drunken antics.

If you begin to feel pressure to drink by the end of the night, order a tonic with a lime in a short glass. It looks like a gin and tonic and typically deflects the “don’t you want to have just one mentality”.

If you are struggling with staying sober when you want to, there are also options.

Why Stopping Drinking Can Be Difficult

Often times drinking is associated with other health issues. If you feel like your drinking is out of control, this may be part of the reason.

This is called a dual – diagnosis. Your alcohol consumptions may be part of a way to mask underlying issues.

It is quite common for individuals with addictions to also have a mental illness, significant life traumas, other health issues. These contribute to your desire to drink-making stopping much harder

Don’t be put off by the thought that there might be 2 issues versus one. This can often relieve the pressure. You want to make sure you seek treatment programs that can help you address all of the issues you face.

7. Find Another Way Home

Depending on where you live, there are options to get home after a night out beside driving.

The cheapest is to call a friend. Have conversations with your friends to see who is willing to pick you up, if you get overserved. Sometimes, local teenagers who can drive, but don’t drink are willing to be your chauffeur for some extra cash.

The bus is the second cheapest option compared to taking the bus or mass transit is to walk, if you are close enough to home.

Uber and Lyft are other great options if you end up drinking more than you planned. Make sure to download the app and set up your payment option before you go out for the night. A cab is another good option, your local bartender can give you a number.

Are You Ready to Make a Change?

If you need help to stop drinking and driving, contact us. We would be happy to help you get the help you need.

If you do decide to drink, don’t drive. there are a lot of other options available to you.

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Reasons to Avoid Sharing Prescription Drugs

Is it illegal to take another person’s prescription? The simple answer is yes. No matter the circumstances, you are taking a medication that wasn’t prescribed for you by a medical professional. It may seem obvious to some, but here’s our complete list of ‘Reasons to Avoid Sharing Prescription Drugs,’ in case you shared any reservations on the matter.   

Sharing prescription drug laws are not the only issues raised by the decision to take medicine without prescriptions.

Taking other people’s medications can put your physical and mental health in jeopardy. Plus, you may be depriving the prescription holder of the resources they need to stay healthy and balanced.

Maybe you know deep down that it isn’t a good decision. We encourage you to keep reading so that you may understand how harmful of a decision it is.

Consider Why You Are Debating Taking Medicine You Aren’t Prescribed

As a first step, we’d like to ask that you do a bit of reflection. What is it that you are hoping to achieve by taking someone else’s prescription drugs?

It could be that you’ve been experiencing a great deal of pain or mental anguish and you are seeking relief. There’s no shame in asking for help, but you need to approach it the right way.

If you feel that you are in need of prescription medication, make an appointment with your doctor or psychiatrist. Together, you can determine the right medication and dosage to suit your needs.

Maybe you have been prescribed the same medication before and ran out. It’s the same stuff, right? A doctor prescribed it to you before, so what harm is there in taking it again?

There is a reason why doctors have to verify your need for a refill. Some medications are only meant to be temporary solutions. Long-term use can have negative side effects. Plus, you are exposing yourself to the risk of taking the wrong dosage of a medication, which we will talk more about later on.

Finally, it’s possible that you are curious about what a certain medication feels like. Studies have shown that the most commonly abused drugs in the United States are opioids, depressants, and stimulants.

These medications have beneficial uses for those prescribed to them. However, they are often viewed as recreational drugs with the ability to alter the state of mind of those who do not need them for medical reasons.

If you fall into this last category and find yourself craving or addicted to these medications because of the altered states they can produce, you may need to take serious action and seek help to overcome your dependency on them.

Reasons Not To Take Medicine Without Prescriptions

You have considered why you are interested in or have been taking medications you don’t have a prescription for. Now we would like to address some of the most important reasons why you should never do this.

We’d like to remind you that yes, there are prescription drug laws that render this action illegal. However, that is not our only or even our biggest concern. What matters most is your health and safety.

You Don’t Know All the Side Effects

Unless you have spoken with a medical professional about the possible side effects of a medication, you may not know what those side effects are.

If those side effects are internal–for example, some medications can be potentially harmful to the kidneys or liver–you won’t notice the effects right away. If you can’t feel it and you aren’t aware that it’s a possibility, you could be creating serious health issues that could worsen down the road.

If those side effects are more palpable–for example, some medications cause light-headedness, nausea, or insomnia–you may come to the conclusion that those side effects are their own disorders that need medical attention. In reality, they would go away if you stopped taking the medication you aren’t prescribed.

You Don’t Know What You’re Actually Taking

Unless a medication has come into your hands from the hands of a pharmacist, you can’t be sure that what you’re taking is what you’ve been lead to believe it is.

The bottle you found in your roommate’s medicine cabinet may be empty of what it originally contained and repurposed to hold something else. The friend who’s promising you one thing may be intentionally giving you something else. Maybe you’ve confused the name of two different drugs and accidentally took something you didn’t intend to take.

There’s no real way to know, and that’s not a risk worth taking.

You Don’t Know What Dosage You Are Taking

This is an important one, especially for anyone who thinks that because they’ve been prescribed a medication in the past, it’s okay to take again without their own prescription.

The dosage a doctor prescribes is not a one-size-fits-all amount or an arbitrary number. The correct dosage depends on a myriad of things, from the severity of the disorder the medication is prescribed for to the physical build of the patient.

In other words, dosages are catered to each prescribed user. If it isn’t your prescription, it hasn’t been catered to you.

Plus, many medications need to be taken in small increments before working up to a full dose

Without these instructions, you may unknowingly take more of a medication than your body is prepared to process

Other Medications You Take Could Interact Negatively With the One You Aren’t Prescribed

Not all medications interact well, and some combinations can cause serious problems. These are things your doctor can keep in mind when changing or adding to your prescribed medications, but you may not have all of that information off the top of your head.

Even herbal supplements and over the counter medications can have bad reactions with prescription drugs. Even if you aren’t taking any other prescription medications, this is is still something you need to be aware of.

You can do some research online to make sure that the combination of drugs you take aren’t deadly. We understand that it can take time to seek the help you need to stop taking medicine without prescriptions altogether. If you aren’t ready to ask for help, at least make sure that you are not putting your life in serious danger.

You Could Be Allergic to the Medication

There are a lot of different ingredients and components that go into a single medication. Even if you believe that you are knowledgable about a prescription drug, it is unlikely that you know what it’s made from.

If your allergies are known to your doctor, they won’t prescribe something that will trigger those allergies. If they aren’t, your doctor will be able to monitor your reaction to a medication and determine if it’s safe for you to take or if you need to stop taking it immediately.

By taking medicines without prescriptions, you are exposing yourself to the possibility of an allergic reaction, which could be severe enough to be life-threatening.

You Could Be Harming Someone Else

Maybe you’re sneaking prescription medication from someone in your household. Maybe you’re giving someone money in exchange for a portion of their prescription. Maybe you’ve discovered someone who is willing to give away their prescription for free.

No matter the circumstances, if someone has been prescribed a particular amount of a medication, it’s because a doctor believes that amount to be necessary. This means the whole bottle and for the entire time allotted on the prescription.

Whether people are unknowingly or willingly giving you their prescription medication, taking it from them could be harmful to their well-being.

In the Event of an Emergency, Medical Professionals Will Not Know What Drugs Are in Your System

One of the worst-case scenarios of taking medications without prescriptions is a medical emergency resulting from an overdose or bad reaction.

If you are taken to the emergency room due to a medication you do not have a prescription for, the medical professionals trying to help you won’t know what it is that they need to treat. This is especially concerning when a patient has been rendered unconscious or is too afraid of repercussions to communicate about the drugs in their system.

Don’t risk your life for a medication you don’t have a prescription to.

If You’re Already Taking Medications Without Prescriptions, Take Action

If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to prescription medications or taking medicine without prescriptions, reach out for the help you need. We are not here to judge you for the decisions you have made, only to help you move forward.

It can be a lonely and difficult journey overcoming addiction. We understand that, which is why we offer treatment specifically for prescription pill addiction. It requires more than strength to battle drug addictions, and it is never a sign of weakness to ask for help.
To talk to an addiction counselor today or find out how much your insurance will cover when you enroll in one of our treatment programs, call 877-651-3366. If you’d rather not call but still want to get in touch with us, visit our contact sheet and send us a message. Let us help you in your journey towards recovery.

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When to Go to Rehab

“Should I go to rehab?” When you are concerned about this need, it makes sense to review our short article on the matter, ‘When to Go to Rehab.’ 

If you suspect you might be addicted to drugs or alcohol, you’re probably asking yourself this very question right now.

In theory, it seems like it should be simple enough for someone to see that they need to think about checking themselves into a rehab facility to get help with addiction. But when addiction has its claws in you, it’s not always easy to admit that you need a helping hand.

There are, however, some signs that you can look out for if you’ve been wondering whether or not rehab might be beneficial for you. If you spot any of these signs, there’s a good chance that you should strongly consider checking yourself into rehab right away.

Take a look at ten signs that’ll show you need to go to rehab below.

1. You’re Relying on Drugs or Alcohol to Get You Through Every Day

When you first start experimenting with drugs or alcohol, you might only use them once in a while. But as people become addicted to them, they tend to begin using them more and more often.

Before they know it, they’re using drugs or drinking alcohol every single day and have a hard time imagining their lives without them. They’re consumed by the thought of using drugs or alcohol and can’t function normally without them.

If you struggle to abstain from drugs or alcohol for more than 24 hours, it’s a sign of a serious issue. You should entertain the idea of trying to go to rehab to get a handle on your drug or alcohol problem.

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2. You Experience Physical Withdrawal Symptoms When You Don’t Use Drugs or Alcohol

How does your body feel when you’re not able to use drugs or drink alcohol for a day? Those who have become addicted to them often go through physical withdrawal symptoms that can send them crawling back to their drug of choice.

Drug users will usually experience some or all of these symptoms when they’re going through withdrawal from drugs:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Chest tightness
  • Heart palpitations
  • Muscle tightness
  • Sweating

Alcohol users, meanwhile, may have to combat withdrawal symptoms like:

  • Headaches
  • Anxiety
  • Restlessness
  • Heart palpitations
  • Nausea
  • Agitation

There are also some more serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms like tremors, seizures, and alcohol hallucinosis that can kick in.

If you try to deal with drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms on your own, you could put your health at risk. It’s better to do it with help from a professional at a rehab facility.

3. You’re Dealing With Drug or Alcohol-Related Health Issues

Speaking of health issues, there are all kinds of health problems that you might encounter if you continue to use drugs or alcohol over an extended period of time.

Initially, using illicit drugs on a regular basis can cause problems like:

  • Changes in appetite
  • Weight gain or weight loss
  • Increased heart rate and blood pressure

But those health problems will be nothing compared to the problems you might be forced to face down the line. Long-term drug users are often susceptible to:

  • Heart attacks and strokes
  • Mental health issues
  • Different types of cancer

Those who abuse alcohol, on the other hand, increases their chances of suffering from:

  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Liver disease
  • Different types of cancer

If your doctor has told you that you might be suffering from a drug or alcohol-related illness, it’s time to go to rehab. Otherwise, you could jeopardize your health even further by continuing to use drugs or alcohol.

4. You’re Lying to People About Your Drug or Alcohol Use

It’s hard to lie to your doctor about drug or alcohol abuse. Many times, they’ll be able to connect health issues that you’re having with addiction.

But it’s not always that difficult to lie to the important people in your life about your drug or alcohol problem. There are many full-blown addicts who are able to disguise their drug or alcohol problem so that those around them don’t notice.

Do you fall into this category? If you’re going out of your way to hide your addiction from other people, that likely means that it’s more serious than even you might believe.

Take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself why you’re lying about your drug or alcohol use. It could very well be because you’re ashamed to admit that you have a problem.

5. Your Relationships Have Suffered Due to Your Drug or Alcohol Use

Is the relationship that you have with your parents strained at the moment because they know you’re using drugs all the time? Or have your old friends stopped hanging out with you because they don’t enjoy being around you when you’re drinking?

These are both clear-cut signs that it’s time for you to go to rehab. They show that drugs or alcohol have taken a toll on some of your closest relationships.

It’s very hard to use drugs and alcohol all the time and maintain the relationships in your life.

You become so consumed with acquiring drugs or alcohol and using them that you can’t invest much time into nurturing your relationships.

If you value these relationships, think about seeking professional help for addiction.

6. You’ve Lost Interest in Things You Used to Enjoy

As we just mentioned, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to devote time to anything other than drugs or alcohol when you’re battling addiction. Drugs or alcohol will be just about all that you think about on a daily basis.

It’s not uncommon for those with a drug or alcohol problem to completely lose interest in things that used to bring them joy. They’ll stop playing sports, put their video game controllers down, and skip the gym in favor of using drugs or alcohol.

If the only thing you’re doing these days to keep yourself entertained is using drugs or drinking alcohol, there is no question that you need to see about enrolling in a treatment program at a rehab center.

7. You’re Struggling to Keep Up Your Grades in School or Hold Down a Job

There are certain people who are able to do well in school or hold down a job—even an important job in some cases—without allowing their addiction to get in the way. These people are referred to as “high-functioning addicts.”

But the vast majority of people cannot keep up their grades in school or do their best at work when drugs or alcohol are always on their mind. Their school or work performance will start slipping eventually.

If you’ve stopped turning in work at school or made a habit out of calling in sick from work due to your addiction, it’s yet another sign that you should go to rehab right away.

8. You’ve Run Into Legal Trouble Because of Drugs or Alcohol

Most people who abuse drugs or alcohol will encounter legal trouble at some point in their lives. There are many different drug-related crimes that people are arrested for every year.

When someone is addicted to drugs, they’ll often steal—both from strangers and from those they know—to fund their addiction. They’ll also engage in things like prostitution to get their hands on the money they need to buy drugs.

Alcohol abusers have also been known to break the law as a direct result of their addiction.

Public intoxication and driving under the influence are two of the most common crimes among those who abuse alcohol.

If you’ve been arrested even once because of either drugs or alcohol, it could be an indication that you have a problem and need help. The last thing you want to do is create a long rap sheet for yourself that could make your life harder than it has to be later on.

9. You’ve Attempted to Quit Drugs or Alcohol on Your Own and Failed

Oftentimes, people who abuse drugs or alcohol will say things like, “I can quit anytime I want,” when they’re confronted by others about their addiction. But quitting is easier said than done.

If you’ve tried to quit drugs or alcohol cold turkey in the past and come up empty, it should show you that it’s going to take more than sheer willpower to break your bad habits. Go to rehab to give yourself a better chance of quitting drugs or alcohol for good.

10. You’re Surrounded by People Who Are Telling You to Go to Rehab

Has your parent, your sibling, and your best friend all told you that you have a drug or alcohol problem? Listen to them.

You might not think that you have an issue. But clearly, they’ve seen a change in you that they don’t like.

At the very least, consider what they’ve said to you and evaluate your relationship with drugs or alcohol. You might need to go to rehab more than you realize.

So, Should You Go to Rehab?

It’s not easy to make the decision to go to rehab. Many people who could benefit from it put it off for years and sometimes even decades before getting the help they need.

If you’ve seen any of the troubling signs discussed here, you should give some serious thought to going to rehab. It could help you get your life back under control and prevent health problems in the future.

Contact us today to find out if our rehab center might be a good fit for you.

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Steps to Overcome Addiction

If you or someone you love has had an addiction problem, you know that the most challenging part is trying to overcome it. Whenever you start using drugs, you may believe that you may stop at any time. You may also think that addiction problems are myths and that you will be an exception to the rule. This is unlikely to be the case, and in case you do find yourself battling substances, we’ve written these ‘Steps to Overcome Addiction,’ to help.

Overcoming addiction is a journey, and you have to have the right mindset to be able to go through the journey. You need to be determined to use all the resources available to you to overcome your addiction.

Steps to Overcome Addiction

So now that you want to go through this journey, where do you start? Here are some steps you can follow to overcome addiction.

Acknowledge You Have an Addiction

The first step you need to take is being honest with yourself. Acknowledge and accept that you have an addiction. Since you’re well aware of your addiction, you need to:

  • Find out what you are addicted to
  • Know what causes or triggers your addiction
  • Determine how the addiction is affecting your life
  • Identify what actions or decisions led you to it

Having a personal evaluation will help you determine what the source of your addiction is and what causes it. Once you identify this, you will be able to overcome it.

Accept Responsibility for Your Addiction

The next step in the journey to overcoming addiction is taking responsibility for your actions. You should start by taking away the blame you often place on other people or circumstances for your addiction. You should also stop justifying actions you take to engage in your addiction.

The most important of all is to stop always making excuses for your behavior. Accepting responsibility for the actions you took and the decisions you made to get you to your addiction is vital to overcome it.

Since you are only human and as humans, we are prone to make mistakes, forgive yourself for being an addict and strive to change.

Make a Conscious Decision to Change

Accepting to take responsibility not only makes you have the right mindset for recovery, but it also helps you make conscious decisions to change. You are now able to set a precise goal for what you want. Your target could either be quitting all addictions, removing some addictive behaviors or substance, or lessen the amount of money and time taken engaging in this habit.

Once you set a precise goal in your mind, it is always advisable to share this with someone close to you. This person becomes your accountability partner. You should ensure that she or he will not judge you, but will be there to support you and remind you of your goal.

Being able to quit an addiction entirely is the best option for your wellness. Nevertheless, if you can reduce the most harmful substance use or behavior, you are setting yourself on the right path. Recovery from addiction is a process, and as so, you should strive to get to your goal gradually.

Prepping Your Path to Overcoming Addiction

Since you have set a clear goal in your mind, there are actions you need to take to ensure that you get to your goal. It means taking away any triggers for addiction from your life or home. Meaning that you:

  • Take away all the things that remind you of your addiction
  • Have just enough money for your bills
  • Cut off ties with people who serviced or engaged you in your addiction
  • Stay away from stressful situations
  • Leave an abusive relationship

Getting rid or reducing contact with triggers of your addiction will help you to overcome it gradually.

Take It a Step at a Time

Gradually taking positive steps is the healthiest way to overcoming addiction. You will be working towards changing your behavior in small ways until it becomes a habit. Doing this is not easy. There will be moments where you will relapse and go back to your old habits.

In those moments, acknowledge and accept that you made a mistake and try to avoid repeating it.

Beating yourself up over a mistake can easily cause you to fall back to old patterns. Therefore, being compassionate and forgiving yourself in such moments is crucial for this journey.

Remembering that this is a process that will take time and effort will keep you from being too hard on yourself. It will also ensure that you keep pushing even in the face of difficulties and self-doubt.

To keep you motivated to get to your final goal, always remember to reward yourself when you succeed in making any small step forward.

Finally Quitting

After all the preparation, changing your mindset, setting your environment for the new you, and taking gradual steps to the goal, you get to quit the substance use. It could be the most liberating or empowering time or the most painful and frustrating time.

Getting rid of an addiction, especially one of substance use can be difficult. You may experience withdrawal symptoms which could be unbearable. In times like these, you need to seek treatment from your doctor.

How Do You Cope With Withdrawal Symptoms?

The most challenging aspect in the process of overcoming addiction is the withdrawal symptoms. Some symptoms may pass within a week or two when you quit substance use, yet others could take months or even years.

Just as people experience different symptoms, there are various ways to cope with withdrawal.

No coping mechanism will work for everyone. Some of these coping methods include:

  • Engaging in physical activities
  • Having close people such as friends and family around to talk to
  • Getting prescription to medication that helps with withdrawal

At this stage, you may also experience an intense craving for the drug you decided to quit as your brain needs time to recover from changes you are making. You can keep away these cravings by:

  • Staying away from the crowd you used to abuse substances with
  • Avoiding the places you used to frequent like clubs
  • Exercise caution when taking prescription drugs
  • Involving in distracting activities such as watching movies, exercising, etc.

Relapse Occurrence

Although you have put in the effort and are doing well after quitting substance use, you may find yourself relapsing. No one ever wants to fail, but these moments are very common on this journey to overcome addiction. You may need to try several times before you finally get it right.

The most common reasons for relapses are cravings, which are common during withdrawal.

Sometimes they may manifest after a few weeks, months, or even years after you quit. Knowing that you can manage these cravings when they arise is vital during this process.

You may also believe that you have control over substance use and that having a drink or a smoke won’t make you relapse. This is another common reason that people relapse and could lead to overdose or even death.

Coping With Relapse

When you relapse, it doesn’t mean that you have failed or that you don’t need to continue on your journey to overcoming addiction. It is a common setback that most people face. The best thing to do when this setback occurs is to understand what triggered you to relapse. Also, get to know what you would have done differently.

Once you realize and recognize this, you can put measures in place to ensure that you don’t relapse again. You can learn from your mistake and be successful on your next try.

Don’t Replace Your Addiction

It may be tempting to replace your substance addiction with another. For instance, chronic drinkers and smokers, after quitting, usually start overeating and gaining weight. It is quite common for people trying to overcome addiction to replace these bad habits.

Enjoying the calmness of life without that high you get off addiction, may sometimes be more rewarding. Meditation and maintaining a gratitude journal can be ways to help you avoid replacing your addictive behavior.

Overcoming Addiction Using Treatment

Since you are committed to overcoming your addiction, you may explore what treatment options are available to you. Addiction treatments may vary with the drug you used. These treatments include:

  • Medication
  • Detoxification
  • Counseling
  • Outpatient treatment
  • Partial hospitalization
  • Behavior therapy

When you make up your mind to overcome addiction, you need to understand that addiction is more than a character flaw. Also, it’s not a sign of weakness and, therefore, requires willpower and commitment to overcome it.

addiction-support

Support is Essential during This Process

However you decide to take on your journey to overcome addiction, you need assistance. Your chances of recovery are better when you have people around you to share your experiences with.

You could lean on close family and friends, have a social network with other people going through recovery, or attend the 12-step program support groups.

All in all, you should ensure to be committed to your goal and remember to forgive yourself when you have a setback.

If you or your loved one wants to take on the journey to overcoming addiction, contact us today or fill out this intake form to get specialized assistance.

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7 Signs to Identify Addiction

Walking down the road of addiction is a life-changing event. It’s no easy path to tread, yet such an easy path to stumble onto. With this knowledge in mind, we’ve identified ‘7 Signs to Identify Addiction,’ and assist in recovery.  

Addictions come in many shapes and sizes and go by many names. Regardless of what the addiction is centered on, however, it has the horrific potential of ruining your life. Addictions can be the root cause of destroyed relationships, lost jobs, financial problems, health issues, and more.

Do you understand how to know if you have an addiction?

It’s almost guaranteed that everyone on the planet is addicted to something, even if it’s minor and somewhat inconsequential – food, sex, pornography, videogames, TV, etc.

However, 1 in 7 Americans will deal with substance addiction. Substance addiction, unfortunately, has a far greater ability to become destructive in and around someone’s life.

Shockingly, even people suffering drug and alcohol addiction can remain oblivious to their own condition. Sometimes it’s because of fear or denial. Sometimes, people simply don’t know or recognize the signs.

We’re here to provide answers and guidance. Keep reading to understand and recognize the vital signs that point to addiction.

How to Know if You Have an Addiction

To be honest, if you’re wondering how to know if you have an addiction, there’s a strong likelihood you’re already there.

Don’t worry, however, the fact that you’re asking means you’ve already covered one of the first steps – recognizing there’s a problem. After you read the rest of this article, you can take the next step. If necessary, you can admit you have an addiction.

Before we get there, though, it’s important to read through these 7 important signs. Take each of them seriously and be honest with yourself. While reading this, set excuses and doubt aside.

In the end, have an honest conversation with yourself. If you recognize that you have an addiction, reach out to your family and friends, people you trust.

Then, with or without their help, start looking at recovery programs. Find a place with professionals who know how to treat addictions and put people back on their feet.

Now, let’s take a look at how to know if you may have an addiction.

how-to-know-if-you-are-addicted

1. You Have Mind Consuming Thoughts and Cravings

Everyone has wants, desires, and even cravings. However an addicts cravings are overwhelming. They’re consuming.

A traditional sign that an addiction is forming or has formed already presents itself in your mind.

When you’re addicted, once the idea of using pops into your head, you won’t be able to think of anything else. Until you satisfy that craving, whether it takes a day or a week, the thought will be there.

These thoughts start “innocently.” In your mind, you’re just “thinking” about it. It may even start out with you thinking about how it needs to stop.

However, the more you think about it, the more it starts to sound appealing. Before long, the appeal turns into a craving. Finally, the craving turns into a necessity.

Addicts go down this very train of thought all the time, sometimes every day. That’s why it’s so important to seek help. As an addict, you can’t trust your own mind.

It hurts to hear, but it’s a sincere truth.

2. You Make Broken “Last Time” Promises

The sincere truth mentioned above is validated if you’ve made and broken endless promises to never use again. Sadly, it’s an incredibly common behavior among addicts of all types.

As you begin to recognize that your substance usage may not be entirely in your control, you start making “last time” promises. In fact, you’ll often use these promises to justify one more relapse. In your mind, you honestly believe you’ll use one last time, and then your road to recovery will start.

Unfortunately, however, this is a form of denial. The fact is, there will always be an opportunity for “one more use” and addicts, by definition, can’t say “no”.

If you’re wondering how to know if you have an addiction, taking note of broken promises of last time substance use is a clear place to start. If you do find yourself making these promises, start making them to someone who can help keep you accountable. Additionally, this is a good time to seek counseling and other forms of professional help.

3. You Take Risks, Keep Secrets, and Lie to Cover Up Your Substance Use

As painful as it may be to hear, being an addict changes your behavior. Don’t misunderstand, being an addict doesn’t change who you are or make you a bad person. However, it does influence you to make bad decisions.

Although not everyone understands or accepts it, addiction is a disease. Similar to depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, it is a disease of the mind. While the path to becoming an addict is often within our control, substance abuse after the fact is not.

Once you’re addicted, you begin taking risks to satisfy your cravings. These risks include buying from drug dealers, stealing, using while at work, driving while intoxicated, and causing serious damage to your health. During your craving, these bad decisions all seem worth it.

Additionally, as an addict, you will find yourself lying to those around you. Addicts will lie to explain a missed an appointment, to get out of something to go home and use, to explain missing money, or to explain a change in behavior. Unfortunately, once you begin down a path of lies, it’s hard to stop.

Finally, along with lying comes keeping secrets. If you’re wondering how to know if you have an addiction, ask yourself if you’re keeping secrets. A common behavior of addicts is keeping their substance use and everything around it hidden from the people in their lives.

4. Your Friends, Family, or Co-Workers are Starting to Notice

One way to know if you have an addiction is if other people start pointing it out.

People who are close to you will know if something’s off. They may not come out and directly ask you if you have an addiction, but they will notice changes in your appearance, mood, and behavior.

Your instinct will be to lie and hide your substance abuse. Additionally, bringing it up and asking for help is incredibly difficult. If someone who loves you has noticed and is offering you their help, take this opportunity to come out of hiding.

Having just one person on your side who knows about your problem can make all the difference in the world. Don’t let pride or shame stop you from getting the help you need and beginning the process of recovery.

5. Your Addiction Interferes with Your Life

By now, you’re beginning to understand how to know if you have an addiction. Perhaps you are recognizing changes in your behavior or lies you are telling to yourself and others.

However, to drive the point home, let’s take a look at how your addiction is likely interfering with your life.

Addictive substance abuse, as discussed, often leads to poor decisions. This could be calling into work or just skipping a shift entirely. It could also mean falling behind on bills, distancing yourself from friends, or allowing yourself to adopt an unhealthy lifestyle.

Even temporarily, these behaviors can be detrimental to your well-being. However, if continued for long periods of time, these behaviors could lead to unemployment, lost relationships, homelessness, and even serious health problems. The final and most permanent repercussion could be a fatal one.

6. You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms

Learning how to know if you have an addiction may present itself when you try to stop using.

Addictions plague both the body and the mind. Not only can you become mentally and emotionally addicted to substances, but your body can become physically addicted as well.

Withdrawal symptoms take place when your body goes without the substance and it becomes distressed. These symptoms will be stronger based on the depth of your addiction. The sooner you realize you have a problem, the easier it will be to recover from it.

Withdrawal symptoms are also determined by what substance you’re addicted to. They range from irritation and anxiety to muscle soreness, seizures, and hallucinations.

There are multiple and unique symptoms for each type of addiction, however, the typical responses are as follows:

Alcohol withdrawal – a few days to a few weeks of tremors and/or seizures

Heroin and pain killers – 5 days of flu-like symptoms

Cocain – Up to 10 days of depression and restlessness

Benzodiazepines – Several weeks or months of seizures and anxiety

7. You Can’t Stop, Regardless of Negative Consequences

Finally, if you know a substance is causing negative consequences in your life but can’t stop using it, it’s a clear sign that you are addicted to it.

People are smart. Being an addict doesn’t change that. Therefore, whether you can stop yourself from using or not, you know it’s a problem and you’re aware of how dangerous it is.

However, intelligence and the ability to make good decisions can sometimes be stunted by pride and shame. Not wanting to admit they’ve lost control mixed with the shame of being labeled an addict prevents many people from seeking the help they need.

Change Your Circumstances Today

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, if you’re wondering how to know if you have an addiction, you probably do.

Please, before your problem gets worse, seek help. Our treatment staff is well-trained and willing to help. Start turning things around now.

Contact us today and learn how we can help you take your life back.

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5 Ways to Prevent Drug Abuse

Prevent Drug Abuse

RAISING AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ON THE PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Statistics provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2017 show that approximately 19.7 million Americans aged 12 years and older suffered from a drug addiction disorder.

Other statistics show that of all 21 million people who suffer from substance abuse, only 10% of these individuals actually receive treatment. What is even more shocking is that drug abuse has resulted in over 700,000 deaths from 1999 to 2017.

This makes drug abuse awareness, education, and preventative measures all the more important. Having a family member or a close friend suffering from substance abuse often leaves you with one thought: how to help beat their addiction and reclaim the person you love.

But what if you can find ways to prevent drug abuse before it becomes a problem? Drug abuse prevention starts with looking at what triggers this use. This is a key part of preventing substance abuse: being aware of its causes.

SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS

Although many people use drugs and alcohol, not all of them end up becoming addicted to these substances. However, as the statistics above indicate, a good number of substance users end up being emotionally and physically attached to the drugs.

Just like in other diseases, there are several psychological, environmental, and physical risk factors that may cause certain individuals to be more likely to develop addictive habits. In many cases, knowing these indicators can help prevent substance abuse.

GENETICS AND FAMILY HISTORY

GENETICS AND FAMILY HISTORY Of Addiction

Having family members who have struggled with drug abuse in the past can significantly increase a person’s chances of developing these habits themselves. Of course, this is not a destined eventuality.

Knowing all the information on your familial addictions can help you better avoid forming your own addictive behaviors. This can also be helpful should you choose to start your own family, through maintaining a balanced family life and setting good examples for your children.

Community prevention programs can also often lend assistance and resources for reference in this regard. If you are unable or unsure of how to keep yourself and your loved ones away from harmful substances, it can help to seek professional assistance in preventing substance abuse.

MENTAL ILLNESS

Psychological problems such as depression and anxiety can lure one to drugs in the hope of self-medicating the emotional pain these mental conditions can cause. This mostly happens with teens and young adults, whose minds may not know how to process difficult emotions yet.

Mental illness can be a significant risk factor for the later development of a substance use disorder. This is why it is so important for the parents of adolescents struggling with mental health problems to check in with their child about their emotional state.

Knowing how to healthily and effectively talk about difficult subjects can be essential for helping children to be aware of the dangers of substance abuse, and communicate their emotional needs.

Furthermore, adults with mental illness will also be more likely to develop a substance addiction from using drugs or alcohol as a form of self-medication. In these cases, it is highly recommended to get professional help in learning how to live a well-balanced life.

Common mental conditions found amongst adults struggling with addiction are general anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various other personality and mood disorders.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS

Friends and peers have a great impact on one’s life. Sometimes, this impact can have negative consequences. In many cases, people start using illicit drugs or abusing alcohol to better fit into their social circles.

To minimize this risk in children, teaching them the power of independence and ensuring they are aware of the various health risks that come with using drugs can help them more easily make healthy choices.

If they are already using or are ‘at-risk,’ then reaching out to community prevention programs and resource centers that aim to prevent substance abuse can be a great way to provide support to these struggling youths.

Amongst older individuals, their abuse of alcohol or other drugs may also be influenced by environmental or social factors, such as living with an abusive or addicted individual, peer pressure from negative friend groups, or high-stress work, school, or home responsibilities.

Ways to prevent these external influencers from having a major impact on your own life may be to start talking to a counselor, surrounding yourself with good friends, or seeking support from other family members and acquaintances.

STARTING DRUG USE AT AN EARLY AGE

STARTING DRUG USE AT AN EARLY AGE

If someone goes through a traumatic childhood, they may turn to drugs to try and alleviate the trauma effects. Some common traumatic experiences that can result in mental illness or substance abuse include sexual harassment, neglect, harassment, accidents, and others.

If your child experiences any of these hurtful experiences, it is important to get them professional help. Adverse childhood events or ACEs are increasingly being linked with drug use and mental health disorders that arise later in life.

One of the most important ways to prevent substance abuse is to be a good example of parental support and help your child maintain a well-balanced life through getting them the help they need after a traumatic experience.

REASONS WHY PEOPLE RISK DRUG ADDICTION

Whether involving illegal drugs, prescription medication, alcohol, or any other form of addiction, there are various reasons as to why someone may risk their health by abusing these addictive substances.

CHASING THE RUSH OF A HIGH

Many drugs can produce euphoric highs, making the person taking them feel powerful and confident. These feel-good effects can be brought about by other behaviors, including gambling, which gives you financial gains.

One can also get excited after receiving social media notifications, resulting in smartphone addiction. The most common forms of addiction, however, are those involving addictive substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, opioids, and various others.

AS A WAY OF RELIEVE STRESS AND SADNESS

REASONS WHY PEOPLE RISK DRUG ADDICTION

People who suffer from social anxiety, stress, and depression may turn to substance use with the hope of overcoming stress. Facing stressful situations may also prompt people to continue using or relapse even after going through successful treatment.

TO IMPROVE CONCENTRATION AND INCREASE PERFORMANCE

Some people, especially those who engage in sporting activities, take stimulants to increase their performance. Others, and especially students, take sleep-alleviating drugs to study for more hours.

While these behaviors may give you short-term gains, the long-term side effects are far worse and often can result in permanent damage. Furthermore, for many forms of drug use, no conclusive evidence has been found to confirm that these are, in fact, performance-enhancing.

When there is more than one risk factor involved, the chances of developing a substance use disorder are higher. However, many individuals can still form an addiction, even without any risk factors playing a part.

5 WAYS TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE

Just as substance addiction is possible, so is prevention. When it comes to preventing substance abuse, there are various factors that go into making better decisions for the mental and physical health of both yourself and others.

Here are a few effective ways to raise awareness of the abuse potential of drugs, the underlying causes of addiction, and ultimately how to help prevent drug abuse.

1. FIND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HANDLE PEER PRESSURE

Human beings have a habit of not wanting to be left out, especially by their friends and peers. For this reason, you will find that most teens and some adults start abusing drugs as a way to fit in with their friends.

If you find yourself in this situation, try finding the courage to say no. Or, you can find more positive friendships that will not pressure you or push your boundaries. If you find yourself being pressured to try drugs, finding a good excuse to leave the situation can help prevent temptation.

2. FIND BETTER COPING MECHANISMS

WAYS OF PREVENTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE

A good number of people who abuse drugs do so as a coping mechanism for the negative things they are facing in life. It is important to note that there is nothing wrong with experiencing negative emotions.

Instead of turning to drugs for solace, find better ways of dealing with them. Some effective coping mechanisms include:

  • Talking to someone
  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Writing it down
  • Exercising

Trying out any of these mechanisms takes your mind off drugs. Even practicing mindfulness can help make what seems unbearable a bit easier, even for younger individuals by learning how to ‘observe’ thoughts without acting on them.

3. CHOOSE YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS CAREFULLY

Making healthy friendships plays a major role in your overall health and well-being. However, you need to choose your friends wisely as socializing with the wrong crowd can easily lure you into drug use, and you may find yourself abusing drugs in no time.

Make sure you hang out with people who show you love and support and discourage you from attempting unhealthy substance use. Such people also provide a safe environment where there is less likelihood of triggering drug abuse risk factors.

4. ALWAYS ALLOW YOURSELF TO REST

Ways to Prevent Drug Abuse

Imagine spending all day in the office handling difficult clients or workmates, then going home to find family duties and social obligations waiting for you. All these responsibilities expose you to a chronic state of stress, leaving you no time to rest.

In the long run, you might find yourself turning to drugs to help you keep up. But guess what, if you fell ill and took an emergency break today from all those responsibilities, this would not be seen as unacceptable.

So, rather than sacrificing your happiness and risk getting physical and mental illnesses, consider taking time off and taking care of your wellbeing. There are some great activities that you can engage in during this time, including:

  • Getting a massage
  • Reading your favorite book or magazine
  • Taking a hot bath
  • Switching off your smartphone and taking a break from social media

Taking some time off may seem like a hard thing to do, but it goes a long way to preventing drug abuse. In the long run, this can also help reduce the likelihood that you will need to take more time off in the future in order to receive treatment for a substance addiction.

5. ANALYZE ANY POSSIBLE RISK FACTORS

Having prior knowledge of any possible drug abuse risk factors makes it easy for you to overcome them. For instance, if you have a family history of substance abuse, then you can make a promise of abstinence to yourself and plan ahead to avoid following in their footsteps.

Also, if you are friends with someone who abuses drugs, it may be a good idea to help them seek professional addiction treatment services. If this is not an option, making the decision to distance yourself from or end this friendship can keep you from forming these habits, as well.

CHOOSE LIFE OVER DRUG ABUSE

Although the potential to abuse drugs may be in your genetics, the choice on whether to use them or not is entirely yours. By actualizing the above tips on how to prevent drug abuse, you avoid not only addiction but also other risks that come with substance abuse.

If you have an addiction problem or fear that someone close to you is using in excess, you do not need to suffer in silence. Enrolling in a research-based treatment program can provide assistance in addiction prevention and help you eliminate substance abuse risk factors.

MAKING AN ACTION PLAN TO TACKLE DRUG ABUSE

Take the bold step to change your life now by contacting the Best Rehabs In Arizona team. We offer alcohol and drug addiction diagnosis and effective, evidence-based treatment that can help you or your loved ones prevent and overcome addiction.

Just by reaching out to a Best Rehabs In Arizona representative, we can help you avoid the consequences of addiction and learn how to maintain a happier, healthier, and substance-free life, today!

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5 Support Tips for Friends and Family of Drug Addicts

There is are some things which are important enough to seek information about. Dealing with a drug addict you care about is one of those things. With this in mind, we’ve made a top ‘5 Support Tips for Friends and Family of Drug Addicts.’ Read on to find out crucial information to help your situation.  

We want to help you with some vital information you may need for yourself and any of the family members of drugs addicts you know or have in your life.

Everyone has many uncertainties about what to do next when you are dealing with not only the drug addict but other family members and friends.

What do you say about the drug addiction someone you care about is dealing with? What can you do to help?

There are four types of drug addiction which is raging across the United States. You may recognize a couple of the below drug abuse issues:

  • Excessive alcohol abuse is rampant right now in the United States.
  • Alcohol abuse costs over $249 billion dollars each year in lost productivity, health care, and law enforcement.
  • Marijuana may now be legal in several states but it is still linked to distorted perceptions, problem-solving issues and loss of motor coordination.
  • Long-term abuse of marijuana can lead to; agitation, anxiety, insomnia, and more.
  • Opioids are now in epidemic proportions. There were over 42,000 deaths from opioids in 2016. 40% of those deaths involved prescription opioids.
  • Some of the effects of opioids include mental confusion, nausea, euphoria, and more.

How to Deal with a Drug Addict

There are ways you can tell if someone you love or care for is using drugs. If you find out they are, they are also ways on how you can deal with them.

Here are five ways you can effectively deal with a drug addict in the most constructive way you can.

  1. Find out what you can about drug addiction. Keep finding out more. Learn about drug addiction and how it interfaces with the cells inside the brain.
    • Understand drug addiction is a disease. It is not something your loved one chose for themselves.
  2. Try to connect with others going through the same thing. Al-Anon is a good place to start.
    • Every family member or friend may feel stressed when they try to help the addict.
    • Connecting in a non-judgemental format allows you to vent your feelings and be with people who understand your thoughts and feelings.
  3. It begins with family therapy. Everyone and almost every family can benefit from family therapy. When you are dealing with a loved one who is a drug addict, family therapy becomes almost essential.
    • Family therapy is designed to break down feelings of distrust. It is also designed to build up feelings of support.
  4. Participate in family and friend activities as simple as having dinner together. It has to start somewhere. Start by sharing a meal.
    • Go to the park together and walk a bit. Quality time even in loving silence can mean a lot to the person in need.
  5. Keep your expectations simple. Don’t expect miracles and don’t demand perfection.
    • Try to enjoy the positive steps you see happen. It takes a long time to beat down drug addiction sometimes. Be patient but don’t enable.

Help for Families of Drug Addicts

There is always help for families of drug addicts. All you have to do is to know where to look.

We are here 24-7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Since one in seven people suffer from drug addiction, we have learned to be ready no matter when we are needed.

We know drug interventions, family meetings, friends who confront the drug addict will need us. We are always here for you.

Family members of drug addicts sometimes start blaming each other or the addict for having the addiction.

Drug addiction does not come from weakness or choice. It is not your loved one being stubborn or defiant when they won’t quit.

Sometimes they cannot quit. They need help to quit drugs because drug addiction has never been about what they want. Drug addiction is a disease. It stems from changes in brain chemistry and electrical impulse alterations.

helping-an-addict

What Causes Drug Addiction?

To this day, no one knows what causes drug addiction. Some scientists say it is genetic. Some scientists say it is the environment. Some scientists say it is a combination of genetic variations to environments.

There are various factors which scientists think may contribute to the development of drug addiction. They are:

  • Environmental factors consist of things like your family’s beliefs or attitudes. It is any family member or peers encouraged you to use drugs.
  • Genetic factors revolve around when you start using a drug, you are predisposed to having a drug addiction because people in your family also have this issue. It is an inherited trait which runs in your family.

Since no two addicts or addictions are alike it is difficult to surmise and prove why some people can use drugs and never become addicted and others cannot.

But we do know a tailored therapy based on the addict’s needs gives them the best chances of recovery.

Treatment Plan Information

There are several types of treatment plans for drug addicts. It is important to remember whichever treatment option you choose should be designed to increase an addict’s coping and communication skills.

Drug addicts need to know how to manage high-risk situations so they can avoid substance abuse. Treatment options need to help them focus on their psychosocial rehabilitation needs.

Family Members of Drug Addicts

If you are a friend or family member living in the midst of addiction you may feel traumatized.

It is common for friends and family members of drug addicts to feel overwhelmed and angry.

They feel they have been lied to and betrayed.

Yet, these same family members will sometimes try to overcompensate for the addict. They may play a protector of the addict. Sometimes they blame the addict. Or they can even abuse the addict.

It is essential therapy is sought not just for the drug addict but for the family members of the drug addict. You cannot treat part of a wound. You have to treat the entire wound as well as the skin around it.

Help for Family Members of Drug Addicts

There are treatment options for the drug addicts which are quite detailed and inclusive of everything they may need.

Family and friends of addicts also need help. We are going to suggest some great family support systems for family members of drug addicts. They are;

  • We talked a bit about Al-Anon or Nar Anon. These free programs are held in almost every major city or area.
  • They are dedicated to providing group support to drug and alcohol addicted individual’s family and friends.
  • We offer treatment to the drug addict but also incorporate and build family therapy sessions into our treatment programs.
  • We assist the drug addict and their support system understand what a sober social network is about. As well as what this network will provide to them and each other.

Through it all, we work on improving the family, friends, support network and drug abuser with their communication skills. Communication can be effective and efficient in reducing conflict and fights.

Drug Addiction Help

Drug addiction help starts with the addict. Unless they want help, it is a long, uphill climb. But we will help no matter where the starting point is with your drug addict.

Every decision-making tool we teach is one which both the drug addicts and family members can use. Because every decision-tool we teach, use, and try to grow in our drug addicts helps them become stronger.

It lets them and their families begin to make healthy decisions. It successfully combines the best of therapeutic and developmental therapy so growth can occur.

There is no substitute for us or our treatment center. We make sure your loved one has the tools they need and the knowledge they can draw from to take positive first steps in their recovery.

What Does My Family Need to Do Now?

Call us or reach out to us today. That is what we are here for. We have the treatment program you need for drug addiction. What’s more, we can help with family members of drug addicts too.

The decision to go to rehabilitation for the drug addict in your family may be the easy part. The hard part is every step after that. That’s why we are there for you every step of the way.

The road is a long one in drug recovery. Sometimes there are setbacks and bumps along the way you thought you were behind you.

But they don’t have to be bigger than they are if you get help when you need it and not months or years later.

Give yourselves and your loved one who suffers from drug addiction a way forward. They will have to do the heavy lifting, but you can be there with support and love.

If we work together through family therapy and support groups we become healthy together.

Which means we can become the family we always knew we were but never had the chance to be.
Call us now so we can be with you as you take the first step.

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8 Helpful Tips to Prevent Drug Abuse

In 2017, more than 70,200 Americans died from a drug overdose. In 2020, initial statistics point to more than 93,000 perishing, another huge increase.  With this terrible truth in mind, we want to look at ‘8 Helpful Tips to Prevent Drug Abuse,’ so that fewer families have to grieve their loved ones.  

Oftentimes, people who suffer from substance abuse refuse to believe they are ill and continue down the dangerous path of addiction, which can end in a fatal overdose.

But what if you’ve decided it’s time to take back your life and stop using drugs and alcohol? How can you prevent drug abuse and live a sober life?

Recovery is not an easy path, but it’s a necessary one. Keep reading for some important tips on staying sober.

What Qualifies as Drug Abuse?

The first step in recovery is admitting that you have an addiction. This might seem like a simple step, but oftentimes addicts can’t see that they have a destructive and harmful drug habit.

So, what exactly qualifies as drug abuse? When does one cross the line from occasional use to addiction?

Health officials agree that casual substance use becomes substance abuse when one or more of the following things occur as a result of repeated drug use:

  • Health issues
  • Failure to meet normal responsibilities (missing work, school, etc.)
  • Putting yourself or others at risk
  • Relationship/social issues
  • Disability
  • Impaired control

These are just a few of the ways addiction can change your life. There are many other ways drug and alcohol abuse can affect you and the people around you. And if you feel unable to continue through the day without using your drug of choice, you have an addiction.

Now that we’ve laid the foundation of what drug abuse actually is, let’s jump into how to prevent substance abuse moving forward.

Sober

1. Understand the Risk Factors of Substance Abuse

One of the most important steps of staying sober is investigating what led you to abuse drugs in the first place.

While the causes of substance abuse can vary vastly from person to person, we should talk about and understand the common risk factors that lead to drug use.

Genetics

Do you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse in your family? This isn’t by accident. Biology and your genetics play a huge role in the likelihood that you develop an addiction.

But while genetics play a huge role, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed from the start just because both of your parents have addiction problems. It just means you’re at a higher risk than someone who has no family history of drug abuse.

Environment

The environment we grow up in and the people we surround ourselves with play a huge role in addiction.

Environmental factors can include family and friends’ behavior, social or economic status, quality of life, stress, and more.

Mental Illness

There is a strong correlation between mental health disorders and substance abuse. This is likely due to people using drugs and alcohol to cope with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.

In fact, one in four adults living with serious mental health disorders also suffer from substance abuse.

This means that if you suffer from mental illness, it’s important to seek help to treat the illness so you don’t use drugs and alcohol as a crutch.

Trauma

There is also a strong correlation between trauma and substance abuse, especially among women.

It is estimated that as many as 80 percent of women who abuse drugs and alcohol also report prior sexual and/or physical abuse.

2. Seek Help for Mental Illness

As mentioned above, there is a strong correlation between substance abuse and mental illnesses or trauma. That fact makes it especially important for people to see a therapist or psychiatrist to treat these issues.

Without treating mental health problems, preventing addiction becomes an almost impossible battle. This is because when things get difficult, you will likely turn back to your drug of choice if you don’t have other means of working through it.

Mental health professionals not only give you space to safely talk, but they also give you ways to make it through those tough times. After seeing a professional, you’ll have a toolbox full of healthy ways to cope with mental illness.

3. Be Honest with Yourself

Addiction is a lifelong illness and it doesn’t just go away after being sober for an extended time period. The addiction will always be with you, and it’s important to be honest with yourself about that.

Once you can admit that you are an addict, you’ll know that there are certain things you should avoid if you want to stay sober.

For example, if you’re a recovering alcoholic, you shouldn’t go to a bar with friends you used to get wasted with. The temptation will be too strong and you might succumb to it.

So, be honest with where you’re at in your recovery and keep away from any potential temptations.

4. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences

Just as it’s important to keep away from bad influences that might tempt you into using again, it’s also necessary to surround yourself with positive influences.

This doesn’t mean you can only hang out with other sober individuals. It means you should be around people who will support and respect your sobriety. Keep friends who understand the struggle you’ve gone through, and will motivate you to stay sober.

You should also have a group of sober peers — for example, an NA or AA support group that you can turn to when you’re feeling vulnerable.

5. Live a Balanced Life

When your life is in shambles and causing you immense stress, it becomes more difficult to cope with and stay sober. That’s why addicts need to take extra care to make sure they’re living a well-balanced life.

What does this mean, exactly?

A well-balanced life means that your days are full, but you’re not overwhelmed. You spend time completing your responsibilities, but also have time to enjoy yourself and others. You eat healthy foods and exercise your body and your mind.

By practicing these habits, you will be in a better place physically and mentally and you won’t feel as strong of an urge to use again.

6. Communicate with Loved Ones

As an addict, you need to be comfortable sharing your emotions with your loved ones.

If you start feeling overwhelmed with daily pressures or have recently dealt with a life trauma (death in the family, loss of a job, etc.), you can’t bottle that up because it’ll build up and explode into destructive behavior.

By learning to communicate with your family and friends, you can work through these issues before they build up. Loved ones can provide valuable insight and, most importantly, let you know that they’re there for you and will help you through it.

7. Find Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Addicts often use drugs to cope with mental illness and stress on a daily basis. So when you quit using, it’s vital to have healthy alternatives to cope with these same issues.

Seeing a therapist can help you in the long-term, but you should have a way to work through triggers right now so you don’t turn to drug use.

So, what are some helpful coping tools you can use? Here are a few:

Meditation

When you first start to meditate, you might not notice a big effect. But if you practice meditation on a daily basis, you will start to notice the ability to shut off your thoughts and ground yourself.

Once you reach that point, you can start using meditation to get you through stressful or emotional moments in your life. If you feel yourself getting upset, take a step back, sit down, and meditate for a few minutes to reset.

Exercise

Exercise is a wonderful way to deal with stress because it releases endorphins, just as a drug will.

By simply going for a run when you’re feeling upset, you can alter your brain chemistry and start feeling a lot better.

Hobbies

Do you enjoy going on hikes, painting, or gardening? These types of hobbies are a great way to stay grounded and distract yourself from dangerous thoughts when times are rough.

Even if your hobbies keep you distracted enough until you can meet up with a sponsor or support group, that might be all you need.

8. Respond to Relapse by Checking into Rehab

The unfortunate part of recovery is the possibility of relapse. Between 40 and 60 percent of people in recovery relapse at least once. And while that’s a scary thought, it’s important to know it’s a normal part of recovery.

If you relapse, you can’t be too hard on yourself. You need to take responsibility and get treatment so you can get back on track again.

By checking into rehab, you can get clean and understand what led to the relapse so you can develop a deeper understanding of your addiction.

Prevent Drug Abuse and Gain Control of Your Life

If you want to prevent drug abuse and live a sober life, following these tips is a great start.

Recovery and sobriety is a life-long journey and requires dedication and honesty from yourself.
If you have recently relapsed or fear you might, reach out to us today. We can help get you back on track so you can live a happy, healthy, and drug-free life.

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