Category: Recovery Tips

Posted on

How to Help a Loved One with Cocaine?

Help a Loved One with Cocaine

When Drug Abuse Runs in The Family

It can be a hopeless feeling to have a loved one dealing with drug abuse. I’ve dealt with addiction firsthand, as well as within my own family. My own addiction nearly killed me, but Best Rehabs In Arizona gave me my life back. When I witnessed a family member dealing with a similar situation, I knew that I had the tools to help a loved one with cocaine. The primary hurdle was getting to the point where they could hear and accept my advice.

I struggled with cocaine addiction in my twenties but was able to get a handle on it and now I have been sober for ten years. My cocaine abuse never led me to a life of crime or homelessness, but I know plenty of people who went down that path. When I noticed the signs of addiction within my own family, I had to jump into action.

I’ve had several family members struggle with addiction. Alcoholism and mental illness run in my family, so I have had plenty of experience with that situation. A little bit of education and compassion goes a long way.

Keep reading to find out how to help a loved one with cocaine or other addictions, and how the story played out in our case!

Help a Loved One with Cocaine: Identifying Addiction

Because I had my own history of cocaine addiction, I learned what to look out for when it comes to cocaine use. I have several siblings, a couple of which have never drank or tried drugs. I knew that my oldest brother drank occasionally, so I was always afraid that he might fall into substance abuse of some kind or another. It wasn’t long ago that I began to notice the signs of potential cocaine addiction.

Cocaine users have a tendency to alternate between high highs and very low lows. I began to notice this trend with my older brother after he started going to college. There were times that I would see him where he would seem on top of the world. Full of energy, talking a mile a minute, and then other times when he would barely be able to hold a conversation without showing signs of irritation.

The red flags were pretty obvious for me having dealt with my own cocaine use in the past. Drug use is often hard to identify at first, as users can do a pretty good job of hiding it from the people they want to hide it from. After a while, the signs of drug abuse become too hard to control or hide. Being addicted to cocaine myself, I had learned how to pick up on the subtle clues left by cocaine users.

The Mental And Physical Effects Of Cocaine Abuse

The Mental And Physical Effects Of Cocaine Abuse

When you abuse cocaine, the warning signs will present themselves eventually. Because cocaine has such a great effect on your brain chemistry, a cocaine addict will often always present the signs. Cocaine makes your entire body speed up and it’s very difficult to control your impulses. Abusing cocaine can make you feel intense feelings of happiness and excitement, but once those effects wear off, you feel the exact opposite.

Common physical symptoms associated with cocaine addiction include restlessness, not getting enough sleep, dilated pupils, and increased heart rate. There are many more physical symptoms, but these were the ones that stood out to me the most when trying to identify my brother’s addiction. Common mental effects include depression, anxiety, mood swings, and risky behaviors.

Drug use of most types will lead you to engage in risky behaviors as a result of lower inhibitions. Cocaine addiction can easily lead to a life of crime as it did for me. When I didn’t have the money for cocaine, I would do whatever I needed to do to get out, including pawning my things or stealing from people to support my habit.

When A Cocaine Addiction Gets Out Of Control

It was increasingly obvious to me that my brother was dealing with a worsening cocaine addiction. When he dropped out of college and began living with my parents, he was unable to hide his addiction any longer. The signs were all there, and we all knew it. Despite his denials, I would find little bags of white powder and my parents would notice valuables missing. When finally confronted with all of this evidence, my brother freaked.

Cocaine use can cause you to say and do a lot of horrible things, even to family members. When we finally had an intervention with him, he stormed out and we didn’t see him for two weeks. We were terrified that we would get a call from the police that he was found dead. There’s a great unknown associated with drug addiction, and things can spiral out of control very easily.

Your brain is not your own. Prolonged cocaine use changes your mental makeup and just about turn you into an entirely different person. When your brain chemistry is altered so vastly, your mental health suffers a great deal. When we finally found my brother, he was living in a crack den and beginning to freebase cocaine. There wasn’t much we could do other than let him make his own choice.

Getting A Family Member Into Addiction Treatment

Getting A Family Member Into Addiction Treatment

 

It would be another year at least before my brother finally entertained the idea of addiction treatment. We waited around that whole time wondering if he would ever see the light, or if his cocaine addiction would lead to an early death. He continued his drug use until he was arrested for shoplifting and placed on probation. He couldn’t pass a drug test to save his life. With prison time hanging over him, he finally made the decision to seek therapy and look into drug rehab centers.

When he finally decided to give recovery a shot, he asked me to help him navigate it and be his support. It was a task I had waited my whole life for. I was more than ready to try and save him, but I made it clear that he needed to save himself. I could help guide him along the way, but ultimately his sobriety was his choice. I can’t take the straw or crack pipe from someone’s hand and tell them not to do it.

Knowing that Best Rehabs In Arizona was one of the best rehab centers around, I encouraged him to give it a try. I didn’t know if he was fully ready to get clean. Sometimes it takes people multiple tries. There are addicts that never get clean even after going to treatment over and over again. It’s an extremely difficult process to commit to, and I know from experience that the intense struggle to not go back to cocaine is brutal.

What are the Withdrawal Symptoms Of Cocaine?

Because of my past history of cocaine addiction, I was able to let my brother know what he was in for as far as the withdrawal is concerned. Cocaine withdrawal is unlike many other forms of drug withdrawal. It isn’t so much physical as it is mental. To treat cocaine addiction, you have to do a lot of mental gymnastics. The intense high from cocaine is a tough one to let go.

Withdrawal from cocaine includes a lot of agitation and restlessness. Fatigue, intense cravings, and depression are very common. I assured him that these uncomfortable feelings were nowhere near as bad as the discomfort associated with lifelong cocaine use. You can’t lose track of the possibilities that are in your future. Every addict has the ability to get clean and do great things with their life, even if it seems impossible to the addict.

My brother went through the same inpatient treatment that I did, and luckily for all of us, he navigated his withdrawal symptoms with as much grace as possible. In order to get effective treatment, you have to be prepared to deal with a lot of your demons when you come out on the other side of withdrawal. Once you’ve passed that initial hurdle, the real work can begin.

Treatment And Recovery Requires Lasting Support

Treatment And Recovery Requires Lasting Support

The first step to ensuring a long-term recovery is support. Although addiction requires a lot of individual effort in order to overcome, we all need a helping hand from time to time. Family support is very important, and my family has done a great job not just in supporting me in my recovery, but my brother as well in his newfound sobriety.

We attend support groups together and are open about the family struggles that we endure. It’s helpful to hear from others who are also navigating their own recovery. There’s something very powerful about being able to connect with others who are in similar situations as you. It isn’t just about your success in recovery. My approach to sobriety is to celebrate other people’s success just as much as my own.

Reaching Out for Effective Cocaine Addiction Treatment

I play the main role in my recovery, but there are a lot of supporting players as well. When I go to meetings and group therapy, I feel a sense of comfort that I could never find during my own addiction. It’s important to look out for each other.

Drug addiction is a massive thing to overcome in life, but with the right attitude and a positive mindset, there’s no reason it can’t work for you. When I talk about my recovery with others, I feel like I am paying it forward. I want others to know that no matter how bad it gets, there can be light at the end of the tunnel with effective help.

I know I found just such a source of support at Best Rehabs In Arizona. For me, it made all the difference, and I bet it can for you as well. Why not reach out today, and at least get options for a different tomorrow?

Posted on

Best Ways to Regain Custody After Drug Abuse

Regain Custody After Drug Abuse

Dealing With Substance Abuse as A Parent

Substance abuse is an all-consuming situation. Even if you are a good parent or come from a good family, the power of drug addiction can tear it all apart. I have been there before, and I’ve nearly lost my family several times. Today, with the help of Best Rehabs In Arizona, I am sober and have my family back. It took a lot of work and child custody battles to regain custody after drug abuse, but the power of forgiveness can’t be understated.

First, you have to forgive yourself. Even though I am clean, I still have moments where I am hard on myself for putting my children through my drug abuse. I try not to be too tough on myself, but I know that I lost precious time that I can’t get back. I dedicate my entire life now to making new memories with my children, and not taking anything for granted.

Parental substance abuse creates deep wounds that take a long time to heal, if ever. The children of addicts are often at risk of becoming addicts as well. My parents struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and I had to grow up fast in order to fend for myself. This created a lot of resentment as a young adult, and it led me to become an addict myself.

Keep reading if any of this sounds familiar, because I’ll tell the depths of how far my addiction took me and how our family finally found help and a way out!

Losing Child Custody Because Of Drug Or Alcohol Addiction

I was in a codependent relationship with the mother of my children. We were both alcoholics and dabbled a bit with opiates. When we had our first son, we assumed that the love for our child would help us get our act together. We were both prepared to give it our all and be the best parents we could be. We both got sober briefly, but it didn’t take long before the stress of being new parents got to us.

I’ve suffered from alcohol abuse since my teenage years. My parents drank, as well as many of my other family members. I have cousins who were subjected to child abuse as a result of their parent’s addictions. One of my cousins was emancipated, and another cousin was put in child protective services multiple times before they were ten years old.

I Never Thought it Could Happen to Me

Child custody

Losing custody of my own children never crossed my mind. It seemed like a foreign concept that only happened to other people. Although my wife and I suffered from alcohol abuse, we were functioning alcoholics. We both had jobs and paid our bills. After our son was born, she became pregnant again with our daughter. The stress of having one child was bad enough, and my drinking continued.

My wife was able to quit drinking during her pregnancy, but she continued using opiates. When our daughter was born, the doctors knew immediately that there was an issue. We ended up losing custody of our daughter, and child protective services were also trying to take our son away from us. The stress of the whole situation made my drinking worse, and I was drunk during an interview with CPS. This led to our son being taken away from us as well.

When Child Protective Services Take Your Kids

When I was finally living with the reality of losing my kids because of my addiction, I had a huge decision to make. I could wallow in my sorrow and let my addiction kill me, or I could fight with everything I had to save myself and get my family back. Even though I still loved my wife, it was necessary for us to separate at the time. We had enabled each other’s addictions for so long that we didn’t know how to even approach getting clean.

When I lost custody of my kids, it was the wake-up call that I needed. My substance use disorder had finally taken every last thing I cared about. Why would I continue to feed my habit, knowing that it ruined my entire life? I had my moment of clarity one morning after a night of heavy drinking. I thought of my son and realized that if I didn’t start trying to get clean immediately I would miss years of his life, if not the whole thing.

I entered substance abuse treatment at Best Rehabs In Arizona and began the long process to rebuild my family. Thinking about my children ending up in foster care was terrifying, but I knew that ruminating on this would not help my mental state. I worked very hard to keep myself in check and not get too low thinking about my children’s situation. I tried to keep my mind on getting better one day at a time.

How To Regain Child Custody After Drug Abuse

Regaining child custody following drug rehabilitation can be a long, drawn-out process, but if you chip away a little at a time it will be to your benefit. Attending a treatment program and sticking to it is a good way to show the courts that you are committed to your recovery. When I began seeking custody of my children, I made sure that I went to alcoholic support groups several times a week.

When I finally began working on my substance abuse problems, I began to understand what I had been putting my children through. For a long time, I assumed that I was capable enough of having physical custody of my children. Sure, I was an alcoholic, but they weren’t starving or suffering. Little did I know there was a lot of internal suffering.

Children pick up on everything their parents do. Every little mistake or outburst, they see it, and it affects them silently. Parental addiction can have long-lasting effects on a child’s safety and mental health. I finally began to understand why once I began going to meetings and hearing from other children of addicts.

Honesty and Transparency: What a Judge Wants to Hear About Custody

Honesty and Transparency in Court

I was able to use this knowledge in court and give myself an advantage. I admitted my mistakes, I talked about what I was doing to address them, and I did not make it all about me. I made it about my children. A selfless approach will go a much longer way than talking to the court about yourself and your own needs. I went in there and talked about the needs of my children.

At first, the Judge was reluctant to award joint legal custody, but over time and many appearances, I was able to get back my kids and rebuild our family. When my wife continued using, I was even given sole custody, which never

Is Parental Addiction Child Abuse?

No parents want to believe that their addiction is in some way linked to abuse, but there are many cases where this is true. A parent’s substance abuse never happens ‘in a vacuum.’ When you are an addict, the addiction is number one. The needs of the child are put on the pay-no-mind list. Even though I provided for my children, and they were in good physical condition, my wife and I were creating developmental problems and mental health issues within them.

My alcohol abuse often led me to be irritable and prone to outbursts. It never got physical when my wife and I would argue, but our son witnessed all of it and it created fear in him. He was afraid of us at times and would withdraw from normal activities. I didn’t realize this was because of our addiction until I finally began learning about the complexities of substance abuse.

When Child Protective Services take your children away, they are not trying to punish you. Their number one concern is child safety. They know that the children of addicts are oftentimes at great risk. Anything can happen, and the damage can be deeper than just the affect child custody services might be concerned with.

You can be driving drunk with your kid in the back seat and cause them great bodily harm or (I never let myself consider it when drinking) even death. You can easily lose them in a mall if you aren’t in your right mind. There are many scenarios that can happen that often lead to great danger.

Sharing Joint Legal Custody Following Rehab

My wife and I did not get back together following my addiction treatment. She continued abusing drugs but eventually got clean. During her time in recovery, I was given sole custody of my children. It felt like a gigantic weight was lifted, and we could continue our lives again. There was no better feeling and the reason I stay clean today is because of how magical that feeling was and still is.

After my wife was clean for several months, we entered into a custody dispute. I was completely fine with her seeing the kids, but I needed to know that she was on the right path before I allowed her to regain custody. She soon proved that she was capable of taking care of them, but it did take a while. I was very nervous to allow for joint custody, but I personally saw the strides that she made in her recovery.

Sharing physical custody still gives me certain concerns, as I’m sure it does for her. What if one of us relapses? What if one of us is hiding it? I often wonder if my kids are safe when they are with her. It’s not that I don’t trust her, I just know the power of addiction and what it can make people do. I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, as she does me. We check in with each other and often talk about our recovery journey together, which eases both of our concerns.

Being A Parent Again

Being A Parent Again

Dealing with family court, custody disputes, and constantly meeting with lawyers and CPS investigators was grueling, but every step of the process was worth it now that I have my children back. A child’s life is precious and requires a parent with a stable mind. Having one parent addicted to drugs is bad enough, having two almost gives the child no chance.

There aren’t a ton of success stories when it comes to drug addicts losing child custody. I continue to submit to drug testing randomly and I am totally ok with it. You can’t be too careful with a person who has a history of drugs or alcohol. At any time, you can slip back into your old ways if you aren’t actively working on your recovery.

You don’t realize what drug abuse will make you do until you are deep into it. No matter how much love you have for your children, a substance use disorder will make you throw it all away for one high. This is why I talk openly about my drug use and attend as many meetings as I can. I don’t take my sobriety for granted. Drug rehab helped me, but lasting recovery takes continued effort.

Forgiving Yourself So You Can Thrive

You won’t thrive in your recovery unless you are kind to yourself. We all make mistakes in life, sometimes huge ones. Living in the past is an easy way to fall back into your old habits. Being mindful of the present and taking things day by day is a good mindset to have in order to continue your sobriety and be a good parent along the way.

I set goals for myself and put a big emphasis on relapse prevention. Recovery allows me to keep myself in check and understand the warning signs of relapse. I know that I am not immune to relapse, as no one in recovery is. It’s always right there, but you don’t have to be terrified of it. Giving in to the fear of relapse can often make you put off the work required to stay clean, never mind regaining custody of your children. Don’t give in to fear.

Reaching Out for the Opportunity at Best Rehabs In Arizona

I treat my situation as if I have an active addiction right below the surface. My substance use doesn’t define me, but it is a part of my makeup. I accept that now and don’t try to hide it or run from it. I let people know that everything I have now in life is because I am sober. I try to remind myself of that every day I get to wake up with my children under my roof.

If you are struggling with alcohol or drugs, or both, and you want your kids to be a part of your life again, I would recommend seeking help at Best Rehabs In Arizona. I know it made a world of difference to our family and made me realize just how close I had been to losing them.

Don’t wait as long as I did to get support for staying sober, why not reach out to Best Rehabs In Arizona now and get options? All calls are confidential, and it will never affect your custody rights to find out how to get help!

Posted on

How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Urine?

How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Urine

The Duration of Cocaine in Drug Test Methods

Cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. Possession of cocaine is a crime in the United States since it is a Schedule II controlled substance. A schedule II controlled substance can cause severe psychological or physical dependence and have a high potential for abuse. Medical uses of cocaine are limited and only permitted under tight guidelines from doctors.

Cocaine is an exceptionally potent stimulant drug with a high addiction potential. The National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA) reports that about 1.7% of Americans aged 12 or older used cocaine in 2021.

The intoxicating effects of cocaine effects wear off quickly. Therefore, users frequently re-dose or engage in bingeing to maintain the high. This destructive pattern usually leads individuals to develop a dependency on the drug. If you have been using cocaine and face a drug test, you may be wondering how long does cocaine stay in urine?

Keep reading to find out more about the timing to test positive for cocaine, and how to find cocaine addiction treatment if you would prefer to have fewer worries in the future!

The Effects of Cocaine Addiction

The method of use affects the time it takes for cocaine effects to kick in:

  • The effects of snorting cocaine might kick in within a few minutes and linger for up to half an hour.
  • The effects of smoking cocaine can be felt within 10 seconds and last 5 to 15 minutes.
  • Cocaine use by injection yields a more intense and immediate high at the expense of shorter duration compared to other administration routes. The time of the effects is 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
  • Cocaine ingestion has the same onset time as snorting the drug.

 

Most cocaine users snort the drug. This route of administration increases the rate at which the drug’s effects kick in. Users may experience a powerful and rapid high within minutes. Cocaine has a rapid onset but a short duration of about 20 to 30 minutes.

Cocaine’s immediate effects include:

  • Boosted energy
  • Reduced hunger
  • Lack of sleep
  • Anxiety and agitation
  • Taking unnecessary risks
  • Increased body temperature
  • Hypertension and rapid heartbeat
  • Sweating
  • Stroke
  • Convulsions

 

After the effects of cocaine have worn off, the psychological damage it caused may still be evident. Cocaine abuse can have long-term consequences such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Psychosis
  • Insomnia
  • Emotional instability
  • Paranoia
  • Addiction

 

Cocaine use is associated with a potential “crash” the next day. The signs of a cocaine comedown might vary from person to person and depend on how much cocaine was consumed. However, excessive exhaustion, melancholy, and anxiety are the most often reported side effects.

Drinking alcohol with cocaine can also be fatal, as it produces a specific metabolite called cocaethylene that can be quite damaging to the liver and body.

After How Long Does Cocaine Stop Being Detectable During Drug Tests?

After How Long Does Cocaine Stop Being Detectable During Drug Tests

Cocaine rapidly stimulates the release of dopamine, a reward-related neurotransmitter, in the brain. Cocaine’s temporary high from dopamine releases triggers a positive feedback loop that promotes further usage and leads to dependence.

How long the effects of cocaine persist may change based on factors such as the user’s age, the health of their liver or kidneys, and the presence or absence of any contaminants substances. Because the kidneys and liver are responsible for flushing cocaine out of the system, problems with either organ can extend the drug’s effects.

The half-life of cocaine is approximately one hour. This means that the average human body needs about an hour for the body to eliminate half of the cocaine in the bloodstream.

It is essential to note that long-term use may cause longer elimination times, enabling some tests to detect cocaine in the system for extended periods.

Cocaine usually stays in the system for about 1 to 4 days in a urine drug test, but it is detectible for up to weeks or months in some individuals. Detection timeframes for cocaine vary widely depending on the type of test.

Average Cocaine Detection Times

Below are some of the most typical detection times:

  1. Urine Test: Up to 4 days
  2. Blood Test: Up to 2 days
  3. Saliva Test: Up to 2 days
  4. Hair Tests: Months to years

 

Cocaine or its metabolites can still be found in blood and saliva at least two days after the last dose, while it may be detectible in a hair sample months or even years after quitting.

Metabolites of cocaine are detectible in urine for about three days, but they can last for up to 2 weeks in repeated cocaine users.

While there are other options for testing, the most common form of testing is a urine toxicology test.

To avoid a positive cocaine test, users should weigh the risks of continuing to use cocaine against the benefits of abstaining. You may be suffering from a cocaine use problem if you feel that you are unable to quit the drug.

Factors that Can Affect How Long Cocaine Remains in Your System

Factors that Can Affect How Long Cocaine Remains in Your System

The length of time that drugs like cocaine stay in your system could be affected by the following factors:

  • Dosage
  • Use frequency
  • The last dose
  • pH of urine
  • Urine concentration
  • Kidney or liver damage
  • Total body mass

Common Tests for Cocaine Use

Some employers regularly use drug tests to detect cocaine use. Cocaine testing is usually a prerequisite for entry into several industries and professions.

Once a candidate has been offered and accepts a position, the employer may request a drug test before the candidate starts working. The job offer will be rescinded if the applicant doesn’t pass the test.

Failing to pass a drug test may signify that it’s time to seek treatment at a cocaine addiction treatment center. If you cannot pass a cocaine drug test, you should consider getting help for cocaine addiction.

Medical experts use different methods for detecting cocaine in samples. The tests are sensitive enough to pick up benzoylecgonine, a chemical marker for cocaine.

Urine Testing

Testing urine samples is the most affordable test for cocaine use. Urine drug tests are sensitive enough to detect recent cocaine use within the past week and chronic use longer than seven days. The cutoff concentration for a positive test result is 300 ng/ml. You may need to take another test to confirm after a positive test.

However, the cutoff for a positive test result is 150 ng/ml for subsequent samples. Some people have tested negative for cocaine after using minimal amounts of the drug. Many people drink a lot of water or try to swap urine samples with someone else before taking a drug test.

Saliva Testing

Companies often use saliva testing for drug detection. Saliva tests for cocaine are faster than urine tests and produce results faster.

Since these tests can detect whether or not someone has injected, smoked, or eaten an illicit substance within up to 72 hours before testing, professionals consider a saliva test is more reliable than others. One drawback of saliva testing is that it can only detect use during the past 72 hours.

Hair Drug Testing

Only a little snip of hair is needed from near the scalp area. Standard hair follicle screening usually covers about 90 days. But this time frame might vary greatly depending on hair growth.

You can still collect hair from other body parts if no hair is found on the head. Many people consider hair testing more reliable than urine testing for detecting chronic, low-level drug usage.

Drugs enter the hair through cocaine metabolites produced by the human body. Drugs and metabolites enter the hair follicles as they enter the body.

Blood Testing

Blood Testing

Blood tests are among the most invasive method of cocaine testing. It entails performing blood tests in a lab setting. Blood tests can detect trace quantities of cocaine up to 48 hours after usage.

Many users try to fool these tests, but they usually work. Cocaine abusers frequently struggle with addiction or drug abuse. Dismissal from employment is among the many unfavorable outcomes that might result from cocaine use.

Detoxing from Cocaine

Cocaine detox should be done in a medically supervised setting to ensure maximum safety and comfort throughout the process.

People who develop a dependency on cocaine often struggle with withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit using the drug. Cocaine dependency happens when someone takes cocaine regularly, to the point where they need it to carry on with daily life.

Most people get dependent on cocaine at different rates, and a person’s genetic makeup significantly affects how quickly dependence develops after one’s first experience with the drug.

Cocaine’s effects on the brain’s dopamine neurotransmission explain some of the events associated with both dependence and withdrawal. Cocaine usage has been linked to significant dopamine activity levels in brain regions associated with motivation and reward.

What are the Signs of Cocaine Withdrawal?

Below are some of the signs of acute cocaine withdrawal may display the following symptoms:

  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Depression
  • Unable to focus
  • There was a slowing of both mind and action
  • Fatigue
  • Disruptions to regular sleeping habits
  • Augmented hunger
  • Urge to use cocaine
  • Paranoia

The Dangers of Depression During Cocaine Detox

The Dangers of Depression During Cocaine Detox

Although most people do not have severe physical symptoms during stimulant withdrawal, those who are particularly sensitive to the drug are at risk for experiencing severely debilitating dysphoria.

Suicidal ideation or attempt, and relapse to cocaine use, have been linked to this profoundly dysphoric stage in certain patients.

Some persons have a more protracted or lengthy withdrawal course and have withdrawal symptoms for several weeks after stopping cocaine. However, many withdrawal symptoms diminish within a few days after quitting.

When withdrawal symptoms from a particular substance continue for far longer than expected after the person has stopped using, this is known as protracted withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms can vary significantly in intensity from one person to the next. A person’s age, general health, the quantity and frequency of their cocaine usage, and the length of their addiction all play a role in the severity of these symptoms. Additional elements to consider are how the drug was administered and whether or not other medications were mixed in.

Those experiencing withdrawal may be tempted to start using again to alleviate their distress.

How Long Does Withdrawal Last?

The severity and length of cocaine withdrawal may vary depending on the type of cocaine used. The average duration of acute cocaine withdrawal symptoms is three to four days. But some people may experience continued withdrawal symptoms for up to four weeks.

A higher likelihood of relapse is associated with more severe episodes of cocaine withdrawal. High scorers on a test measuring the intensity of cocaine withdrawal were found to be four times as likely to repeat drug usage as low scorers.

A person’s risk of relapse during and after withdrawal from cocaine can be reduced by receiving medical and social assistance as part of a medically managed withdrawal program.

Find Effective Cocaine Addiction Treatment at Best Rehabs In Arizona

If you or a loved one have a cocaine use disorder, the substance abuse professionals at Best Rehabs In Arizona can help you get your life back on track. We offer many detox and cocaine addiction treatment programs to match your requirements.

Contact us today for professional medical advice about cocaine detox and rehab services. All calls are strictly confidential, so please reach out now!

Posted on

Meth and Alcohol

Meth and Alcohol

Falling Into Meth and Alcohol Addiction

When dealing with an addiction to multiple drugs, recovery can be an even bigger hurdle. Luckily, there are a lot of people who have been able to find peace and healing as a result of substance abuse. I will outline how it worked for me, and perhaps you will find the strength to make it work for you.

I arrived at Best Rehabs In Arizona recovery center following several years of meth and alcohol addiction. My alcohol abuse began in my teenage years and led me to try a bunch of different drugs. I began mixing meth with alcohol after I graduated high school and these two substances quickly overtook my life. I tried a lot of other drugs during my substance abuse, but nothing overtook me like meth and alcohol.

I wasn’t ready to enter the real world after school, and in order to cope I turned to meth and alcohol. My binge drinking in high school was originally only limited to parties and social gatherings. Soon enough, I was mixing meth into my alcohol abuse and couldn’t leave my house without one or the other, usually both in combination.

Stay reading if you want to hear more about my story, how bad things got with meth and alcohol, and how I eventually got help with the support of Best Rehabs In Arizona!

Mixing Alcohol And Other Drugs

My addiction to meth and alcohol led me to a lot of awful choices and years of regret. I try not to dwell on my past failures now that I am sober, but it’s hard to not look back on those days and wonder how I got to that point. A lot of people who engage in drug abuse start with alcohol because it is so readily available and socially acceptable.

When you start drinking alcohol, you aren’t thinking of where it can lead you. I remember watching videos about alcohol dependence in health class in middle school. All the warning signs of alcohol use were right there, but I didn’t take any of them seriously. When I had my first drink, I was at a party and having a great time. My alcohol intoxication only amplified my good time. My young brain became accustomed to needing it.

So what was there to be afraid of? My alcohol abuse slowly got worse and worse, but I still had a good time. Slowly but surely, the signs of my alcohol use disorder began to pop up. When I didn’t have alcohol, it made me irritable. I needed a drink in social situations. I couldn’t be without it if I had to interact with other people. Eventually, I felt that I needed more than just booze. This is where meth abuse came into the picture.

Mixing Meth And Alcohol: When It All Goes Downhill Fast

Mixing Meth And Alcohol

I had no idea what meth was when I first tried it. I was drunk the first time I used meth and was looking for something else to lift up my buzz. Marijuana didn’t do a whole lot for me. It usually just made me tired. I learned later on that I was much more interested in upper like methamphetamine to keep the party going.

Methamphetamine rapidly increases the brain’s output of dopamine, so in combination with alcohol, I felt like I was on top of the world. When I mixed meth and alcohol, it gave me a sense of freedom and power. This was all internal. I can only imagine what I looked like from the outside. After several years of mixing meth and alcohol, I didn’t exactly resemble someone with a lot of power or control over any situation.

Only later did I learn from the staff about how the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes the mix of alcohol and meth as being particularly dangerous, causing psychosis for many users.

Combining alcohol and meth lulled me into a mental fog and allowed me to avoid the issues that I was avoiding. I was bullied a lot growing up, and didn’t really know how to process the pain that it caused. We live in a society where people don’t feel very open to discussing their mental and emotional issues. My drug and alcohol dependence helped me avoid the reality of my situation.

How Do You Make Yourself Want Help?

I didn’t want to get help. My self-esteem was non-existent. I didn’t feel like I had it in me to deal with my problems. The effects of alcohol and meth created a void in me, where all that mattered was both methamphetamine abuse and alcohol-related sedation. This sedated feeling helped me avoid the rest of the world and all reality in general.

Because alcohol is such a commonly abused substance, there is always an increased risk of abuse. This abuse almost always leads to risky behaviors, and the desire to try other drugs as well. Alcohol’s effects lull you into a deceiving form of comfort. The numbness that alcohol makes you feel can easily lead you into a negative headspace and change the way that the brain processes information.

The idea of sobriety is distant and seemingly unattainable to those who are in the middle of alcohol addiction. It’s very easy for people of all personality types to fall into excessive drinking. There is always the risk of increased alcohol intake. As your tolerance builds, you need more alcohol to feel the way you want to feel. The cycle is very similar with other drugs such as methamphetamine.

When Meth and Alcohol Abuse No Longer Cures The Pain

Years of mixing alcohol and meth ruined my brain chemistry and my body. I had no positive people in my life who could pull me aside and tell me that I needed help. Would I have listened to them anyway? Probably not. My addiction to both alcohol and meth consumed every part of my life, and I only associated with people who would enable that.

Living in a constant state of alcohol toxicity and meth-induced psychosis is a unique situation. You ride the highs as long as you can, but once the alcohol and meth wear off, you find yourself in a pit of utter despair. Many times I contemplated suicide. Methamphetamine and alcohol use had sapped my brain of dopamine and left me in a hollow rut.

The effects of alcohol slowly began to go away the longer I drank. I needed more and more alcohol to get to where I needed to be. This was the same with meth. After ending up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, I knew that I needed a change. But where to even start? Having two addictions to overcome seemed absolutely impossible until I checked in at Best Rehabs In Arizona.

What are the Health Risks Associated With Meth and Alcohol?

Health Risks Associated With Meth and Alcohol

After years of substance abuse, my body was in bad shape. My meth and alcohol use had caused cardiovascular disease, tooth decay, insomnia, and an overall sense of dread on a daily basis. I had wounded my brain and body so much, but I didn’t stop to think about my safety or my well-being.

Long-term meth and alcohol abuse will lead you to avoid focusing on your health in pretty much every aspect. I lived in a daily cycle of impaired judgment and anxiety. It was intensely distressing and scary to think of the reality of where I was at. That’s why people continue to abuse drugs for so long. Eventually, you forgot about everything but the drug.

Meth users like myself will usually deal with hallucinations and paralyzing anxiety. A drug like crystal meth will keep you awake for days on end. Because of this, you begin dreaming while you are awake. You lose touch with reality, and you think everybody is out to get you. You think people are following you, trying to kill you. Is this any way to live? When you are deep into an alcohol and Tina addiction, you don’t know any other way.

Help Is Always There When You Need It

When I began my recovery journey, my drug abuse was at an all-time high. Mixing meth and alcohol, as well as any other substances I could get my hands on had left me a fragile being. My substance abuse had tricked me into thinking I couldn’t get better, but I knew of people who had done well in addiction treatment, so I was willing to give it a try.

There are a lot more treatment options out there than one would expect when they first enter recovery. There are dual-diagnosis treatment programs that focus on individuals who have multiple addictions, as well as mental health problems. It was a huge relief to know that I could use the same tools to deal with my crystal meth addiction as well as my alcoholism. I just had to get through the withdrawal symptoms first before I could get to work.

My withdrawal was uncomfortable, but the good people at Best Rehabs In Arizona made it as easy as possible for me to come out on the other side. I was dealing with my alcohol withdrawal and meth withdrawal at the same time, which caused a great deal of physical and emotional pain.

The stimulating effects of these drugs were no longer there to comfort me. I had to get through it without them, and this planted the seed in my brain that I didn’t need these drugs to live my life. The intense discomfort was tough, but I knew I was doing the right thing. The negative effects of the withdrawal were worth it.

Is Lasting Recovery From Meth and Alcohol Possible?

Recovery From Meth and Alcohol Possible

When you enter the world of recovery, you have a lot of work to do. I knew that a treatment provider alone wasn’t going to keep me sober. It was going to take a lot of therapy and group counseling, which I embraced immediately. There are a lot of people in recovery who are still struggling on a daily basis. In order to seek the peace of mind needed to stay clean, you must actively engage in recovery and make it a top priority in your life.

It’s encouraging to me to talk to others in recovery, and learn about the tips and tricks they use in order to stay on the right path. I know there is always a risk of relapse, but if I stay one step ahead and keep my eyes on the prize, I can navigate through recovery in a positive way.

I am doing a lot of my own addiction research and trying to learn as much as I can in order to help others and perhaps work in addiction treatment someday. I want to help others the way that I was helped. I know what methamphetamine users go through. I know what it’s like to be an alcoholic with no hope. I’ve got a lot of great people around me who inspire me to be the change in the world that I want to see.

Reaching Out for the Help with Drug Abuse and Relapse

You can go to multiple treatment centers, get sober, relapse, and get sober again. The only way to truly achieve lasting recovery is to practice it every day. You need to connect with others and be a positive force in the world. I can’t influence anyone to get clean, but I can help plant the seed.

I can give my own personal experience, which is that Best Rehabs In Arizona is a facility that has worked wonders for so many people. I can use my knowledge and experience with someone who was in the same situation I was in during my addiction. That’s what keeps me going.

If you want a little help in keeping going, why not reach out to them today and see what options they can give you and your family? It can make all the difference to know someone’s supporting you every step of the way in getting clean!

Posted on

Does Cocaine Cause Hair Loss?

Does cocaine cause hair loss concept pic

Investigating the Side Effects of Cocaine

Many people are already familiar with the side effects that often accompany a cocaine addiction. They know how to look for the physical symptoms or withdrawal and the mental health disorders that can sometimes accompany drug use. However, there are also several lesser-known side effects of cocaine that you should be on the lookout for: namely, does cocaine cause hair loss?

Best Rehabs In Arizona is determined to help you combat drug addiction. If you or a loved one is experiencing some of the symptoms associated with illegal drugs, we can customize a treatment plan specifically for you.

Cocaine and Hair Loss: What’s the Connection?

The truth is that you might experience hair fallout from extended cocaine use. Drug abuse can impact the body in unexpected ways, and this is often one of them. Cocaine can halt hair growth in a number of different ways as well as contribute to hair that falls out before it is truly ready.

Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect from the hair growth cycle when you use substances like cocaine. These lesser-known side effects can take a real toll on your body and here’s how they work.

Lack of Nutrition Leads to Hair Loss

Lack of Nutrition Leads to Hair Loss

In order to understand hair loss with cocaine addiction, it is important to note some of the other symptoms you will experience. The physical repercussions of drug abuse are serious. Perhaps one of the easiest symptoms to spot is a lack of appetite or rapid weight loss. When you stop consuming a well-balanced diet, you are depriving your body of needed nutrients.

Of course, there are other issues that stem from cocaine use as well. For example, your body is unable to absorb the nutrients that you do take in, however minimal these may be. Combined, these nutritional deficiencies make it less likely that your body will be able to generate healthy hair growth.

The body will prioritize its most important functions when nutrition is ignored. That means that it goes toward repairing the body, keeping organs functioning, and more. The last place that these precious nutrients will go is your hair growth. It simply is not a necessary function, and your recreational drug use is to blame for the hair loss you experience.

Stress-Induced Hair Loss with Substance Abuse

While lack of nutrition makes hair growth a challenge, hair loss is just as common due to the stress of cocaine use. Hair loss is common following a radical change to the body’s system, such as that caused by cocaine usage. Any time you use crack cocaine or other recreational drugs, you start to induce stress-related hair loss.

Combine this stress to the bodily systems with your poor nutrition and you have a recipe for disaster when it comes to your hair.

Unfortunately, you might struggle with even more hair loss when you decide to give up your crack cocaine usage. Getting the drug out of your system is equally stressful, both mentally and physically. As a result, you might find that your hair loss gets a little bit worse before it starts to improve.

If you notice that your hair is thinning or you have difficulty with hair regrowth, it could be a sign that your cocaine use is taking a toll on your body. It moves from invisible to visible fairly quickly, especially as far as your temporary hair loss is concerned. Reach out for help if you want to get through the early days of sobriety and start to get your hair healthy again.

Prioritizing Important Body Systems Means Hair Growth Takes a Backseat

One of the hallmarks of cocaine addiction is an interruption to normal and healthy sleep patterns. You may spend very little time asleep, and even the quality of that sleep is minimal. You need certain stages of sleep to keep the body functioning at its best.

During the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of your sleep, your body is primed to repair itself. Disrupted REM sleep means that you body has less time to focus on making the necessary repairs to important body systems. In turn, it will focus on the most important systems first.

This often means that your body will relegate hair growth or hair loss to the bottom of the list. Hair, while it may be beautiful, is not the most important thing for your body to focus on repairing when REM sleep is at a premium.

As a result, the less sleep you get, the more likely it is that you will experience substantial hair loss and have difficulty when it comes time to regrow hair.

Lack of Proper Hair Care Leads to Hair Loss

Taking hair care

One of the issues with cocaine addiction is that you tend to neglect some of the daily care activities that your body needs to be fully functioning and healthy. Personal appearance and hygiene tend to be the first things to go when you are coping with a substance use issue. To this end, you will find that your haircare routine is likely lacking.

When you stop taking care of your hair, it is only normal to find that you have hair loss or issues with regrowth of the hair follicles.

Perhaps the easiest way to minimize hair loss from taking illegal drugs is to reprioritize the daily care of your hair. Purchase quality shampoo and conditioner, making every effort to wash and care for it on a regular basis.

Will You Suffer Permanent Hair Loss Due to Cocaine Use?

If you are concerned about the connection between cocaine and hair loss, you might be wondering if anything can be done about it. Maybe you are ready to conquer your addiction once and for all but are concerned that your hair may never recover. Fortunately, most of the hair loss is only temporary.

It will take some time for your body to catch up and move toward healthy hair growth once more. You will need to maintain good nutrition, healthy sleep habits, and decrease the overall stress in your life. Taking care of your hair will also help to restore hair follicles and make it more likely that you can regrow hair that you have lost.

Cocaine use allows the body to transition into a constant state of shock where hair is the least of the body’s priorities. You can help it reestablish equilibrium by stopping your substance use and seeking treatment with a qualified rehab center.

What Does Cocaine Addiction Treatment Do for Hair Loss?

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Through treatment for cocaine use, we will help you establish healthy habits once more including both eating balanced meals and sleeping. Both of these can have a dramatic impact on stress-induced hair loss and make it more likely that you hair will regrow. Residential treatment also keeps you sober and away from substance abuse, guiding you along the path toward healing.

In some instances, a doctor may even be able to prescribe a medication aimed at helping hair regrow. Be sure to ask your doctor if you would qualify for one of these treatments if your hair loss is particularly significant.

Getting Help for Hair Loss and Cocaine Use

Many people find that the health of their hair suffers when exposed to illegal drugs. The good news is that you can combat this lesser-known side effect with treatment at Best Rehabs In Arizona. We will start with a medical detox, allowing you to rid the body of leftover cocaine and helping you to step into your recovery.

Addressing the root cause of your hair loss is essential. Allow our team of experienced medical professionals to create a customized treatment plan that will have you looking and feeling your very best. Contact Best Rehabs In Arizona today to learn more about our treatment programs!

Posted on

Meth Sores

Meth Sores

The Effect of Crystal Meth on a Person’s Health

My drug abuse finally caught up with me after over a decade of meth use. I was nearly dead when I arrived at Best Rehabs In Arizona to begin my recovery process. Luckily in my case, I was able to beat my meth addiction and live a normal life again.

Recovery is possible for anyone who is willing to make it work. Read more to find out how to make it work for you or someone you love. The effects of substance abuse are crippling, particularly with a drug like meth.

I began using crystal meth when I was in my early twenties and used it regularly for 12 years. One of the most obvious signs of my abuse was my meth sores. Meth is a drug that creates a lot of mental and physical symptoms. The more you use meth, the easier it is to develop meth sores.

Keep reading to find out more about meth sores, meth mites, and how to get help if you or a loved one are struggling with meth now!

What Are Meth Mites?

What Are Meth Mites

Meth does a lot of damage to a person’s skin, and meth sores can take on a variety of appearances. Meth sores, meth mites, and meth mouth are all easy ways to tell if someone is dealing with a meth addiction. I’ve suffered from all of these conditions, so I am well aware of how to spot when a person’s body has been affected by meth abuse.

Meth use disorder damages your entire body, and the signs of meth use present themselves very clearly. Meth sores form for a variety of reasons, and can typically happen in people who use meth long-term. One common occurrence is meth mites. When you engage in meth use long enough, it can cause extreme paranoia and hallucinations.

You get a crawling sensation that feels like you have bugs running around under your skin. This can cause the user to pick at the skin in order to try and get rid of these imaginary bugs. For someone who hasn’t used meth, this sounds like a living nightmare and it absolutely is.

What Does Meth Do To Your Mind?

When I would smoke crystal meth, I would stay awake for days on end. when you suffer from sleep deprivation, you actually begin to dream while you are awake. Consistent meth use can cause users to stay awake for weeks at a time.

This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. The body needs sleep to stay regular. Sleep deprivation can lead to a weakened immune system, minor infections, and poor blood flow.

Usually, when you are in the middle of a meth addiction, you aren’t going to seek medical treatment for these issues. Consistent meth abuse will only make the skin-picking and meth mites continue.

Other Forms Of Meth Sores

Other Forms Of Meth Sores

Meth mites aren’t the only way that one can develop meth sores. If you smoke crystal meth, the heat from the pipe can cause burns around your mouth. These types of meth sores typically don’t heal very quickly, particularly for meth users who smoke it on a regular basis.

When I was abusing meth, my lips were in a constant state of being cracked and burned. I also suffered from meth mouth, which is a result of the damage done to your teeth and gums caused by long-term meth use. Cold sores were another common form of meth sore for me.

Meth and Your Skin

Unhealthy skin is a common trait among meth users as well. Meth users tend to sweat at a higher rate, and because meth is water-soluble, it comes out through your pores. This irritates the skin and can be another cause of meth sores. Since meth causes poor blood flow, it makes the blood vessels contract, which can lead to dry, scaly patches on the skin.

When you abuse meth, your personal hygiene suffers as well. On top of al the other things that can lead to meth sores, having poor hygiene makes it even worse. The only thing I was concerned about was getting high, so I would never treat meth sores. I had poor hygiene on a consistent basis. It’s impossible to lead a healthy and satisfying life when you engage in this kind of drug abuse.

Health Problems Associated With Methamphetamine

Beyond meth sores and skin infections, meth can do a lot of unseen damage to the body. If you have open sores on your body, which many meth users do, it can be easier to develop infections. Some people who use meth use it intravenously, which can be another cause of meth sores. Sharing needles also increases the likelihood of contracting infections such as HIV.

I lost a lot of my teeth as a result of my meth mouth, and after several very painful surgeries, I was able to save some of them. Most of my teeth are fake now. Mouth sores and damaged gums can lead to oral infections. Such infections can be very damaging and lead to a multitude of other oral issues, and these infections can spread to other parts of the body.

For some, the withdrawal symptoms from meth can be very scary. In order for your body to heal and begin to go back to normal, you have to deal with these symptoms and do your best to push through the discomfort. Withdrawal symptoms from meth include chills, intense cravings, depression, anxiety, and fatigue to name a few.

Getting Treatment For Meth Addiction

Getting Treatment For Meth Addiction

After over a decade of dealing with paranoia, hallucinations, meth bugs, and constant meth sores, I finally reached a point where I needed to try and get help. I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle, but I had no idea what that looked like. People who use meth long enough start to lose their grip on reality. You can’t imagine not using the drug. The concept of sobriety is totally foreign.

Going through my initial meth detox was the most uncomfortable feeling I can remember. Even with all of the physical issues I had during my methamphetamine abuse, the detox felt worse. After several days going through detox, I was finally able to come out on the other end of my meth withdrawal. Because meth is such a highly addictive drug, your mental health takes a big hit as a result of your addiction.

When someone stops abusing meth, it takes the brain a long time to recover. You are wired to need the drug at all times, and you have to retrain your mind in a variety of different ways. Even though I have been clean for a few years, I still seek professional treatment and put a high priority on my mental health.

Recovering From Meth Abuse Through Support Groups

Your meth sores will eventually heal, but there is long-term healing to be done in order to completely overcome methamphetamine use. The best way to approach recovery is to go all in. Being addicted to meth not only hurts you, but it can tear your family apart as well. When a loved one would address their concerns regarding my methamphetamine use, I wouldn’t listen. I did a lot of damage to the people I love because of my addiction.

I have learned to forgive myself for the way that I became, but it took a lot of behavioral therapy and constant self-awareness. I know the health risks and what stimulant abuse can lead to. Even though I am aware of the dangers, I am still not above relapsing.

The Importance of Sober Support and Social Connections

The Importance of Sober Support and Social Connections

The support group I am a part of gives me a lot of comfort and hope. I’ve met a lot of wonderful individuals through recovery, and I try to help them stay clean the same way they do it for me.

The risk of relapse is always there, but it’s not something that I allow to control me. My overall health is much better these days, and I will do whatever I have to do to not face the meth sores and the open wounds. My sobriety is the most important thing in my life, and I will do whatever I need to do to protect it. That’s what it takes.

Finding Your Path to Recovery from Meth

For anyone who is struggling to overcome meth, issues with meth sores may actually help you decide to get treatment. I know for me it became important to be able to look in the mirror and recognize myself once again. Best Rehabs In Arizona played a huge role in making this happen.

If you or a loved one also needs a change from a meth-fueled lifestyle, consider giving a call to Best Rehabs In Arizona for a confidential chat. I know it was one of the best calls I ever made, and it can be for you as well!

Posted on

How to Help an Alcoholic

How to Help an Alcoholic

Helping Someone with a Drinking Problem

Alcohol and drug use not only create a lot of problems for the user but for the family members as well. I did a lot of damage to my family through my alcohol dependence, and it took a lot of healing and bridge-rebuilding in order to make up for it.

I never realized the pain I caused until I got clean. After I attended Best Rehabs In Arizona Recovery for treatment, I learned how to love myself again and work on the issues that caused my addiction. When does alcohol abuse become a problem? Read more to find out how to pick up on the signs you should be looking out for.

Alcohol problems are a persistent issue in our society. Alcohol is a socially acceptable drug, so it is one of the easiest substances to get hooked on. Alcoholism can lead to serious life consequences and fractured relationships. It also takes a huge toll on your mental health. There is no way to understate how alcohol affects emotional and behavioral health.

Keep reading to learn more about how to help an alcoholic, from someone who struggled themselves and is able to speak from personal experience about the programs at Best Rehabs In Arizona.

Don’t Enable Their Behavior

If you have an alcoholic in your family, it is easy to enable their behavior. We don’t want to push people away, so often we will try and overlook certain issues. It’s important to try and offer emotional support, but you have to set healthy boundaries about alcohol for yourself. It’s hard to watch a loved one suffer, but you have a choice in taking on that suffering. You are only in control of your own life, and you can’t fix another person’s pain.

An addicted person will often feel threatened or judged if you push them too hard. It’s a difficult issue to bring up for someone who is suffering from an alcohol problem. You can’t change a loved one’s life unless they are willing to accept that change. It’s very tricky to guide someone through the process of getting clean.

Unfortunately, not everyone who suffers from alcohol abuse will get clean. This is just a fact of life, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up. Drinking alcohol to excess can greatly affect the brain and decision-making. You have to keep this in mind when you are trying to console an addict. You never know what can set someone off and feel triggered.

Knowing the Signs of an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Knowing the Signs of an Alcohol Use Disorder

There is certain behavior that people with an alcohol addiction will exude. People’s drinking habits will eventually show that they have a problem. If someone you know often drinks to excess, and their behavior changes for the worse when they are drunk, this is the beginning of a potential issue.

Alcoholics will often lie about their drinking as well. When you’re suffering from alcohol addiction or any form of an alcohol use disorder, for that matter, you will often try to hide it at the beginning. You will eventually get really get at hiding it as well. Alcoholics will go to great lengths to hide their drinking. This dishonesty can weigh heavy on your mind.

I always felt bad about myself when I was abusing alcohol. I was constantly lying and making people think I didn’t have as big of a drinking problem as I did. My family members knew something was wrong, but I never let them get close enough to see just how bad I had gotten. Closing yourself off can create a lot more issues and make it even harder to reach out when you finally do want to get help.

Binge Drinking: The Beginning of More Problems

I began binge drinking in college, and eventually developed an alcohol use disorder that slowly got worse and worse. I would only drink at night at first, but it was every night. Then I slowly began drinking earlier and earlier. By the time I was in my late twenties, I was waking up with a beer in my hand. It felt like it happened quickly, but it didn’t. Before I knew it, I needed alcohol to get through every hour of each day.

My alcohol abuse came on slowly. This is very common with all types of substance abuse. You don’t start off as a full-blown addict. The amount gradually increases and before you know it, you need the drug just to get by. My drinking problem eventually started affecting my personal and professional life as well.

I lost more than one job because of my drinking. I worked in a restaurant at one point and got fired for stealing alcohol. Even though my boss was angry, he tried to help. He told me I had an alcohol use disorder and it would only get worse if I didn’t stop drinking. You never want to believe the obvious when you are in that position. I knew he was right, but I lied to myself and blamed others for my issues. An alcoholic will look at everyone else as the problem before themselves.

The Red Flags that Your Loved One Has a Drinking Problem

I had one family member who had overcome their alcohol abuse through rehab and support groups. They noticed that I was going down the same path, even though I believed I was doing a good job of hiding it. It was hard for me to hide my desire for alcohol. If I didn’t have booze, I was a different person. I was irritable. I didn’t want to deal with any of life’s obstacles,

The signs are always there, and they are easy to pick up on for people who have a history of alcohol dependence. My other family members didn’t see what alcohol was doing to me, but this one person who had experience with alcohol abuse saw it right away. They were careful not to push me away, but they were blunt and honest about how bleak my future would be if I didn’t seek treatment.

There is no manual for how to help an alcoholic, but we do have effective ways of preventing drug abuse and getting help. Even with prior experience being an alcoholic, you never know what the best approach is. Every addiction is unique. Because I had mental health issues, this made my addiction much more tricky. Alcohol misuse already affects your brain in a negative way, so if you have a mental health disorder, it can require a lot more work.

Understanding Alcohol Addiction

Understanding Alcohol Addiction

Dealing with a loved one’s addiction is an emotional rollercoaster. You want to help them, but you often don’t know how. There are no magic words to get someone to quit drinking. Your loved one’s behaviors can be heartbreaking and extremely difficult to accept. A codependent relationship can make things even harder to work through.

You don’t want to enable your loved one’s addiction, but you can fall into it easily. It’s easy to start making excuses for a loved one’s alcoholism. You can begin to view them as a victim. The most important thing to come to grips with is it isn’t your fault. Alcohol abuse is a personal issue and it’s up to the alcoholic to seek treatment options.

Your loved one may get angry with you if you push them too hard to seek help. The most successful way to help them is to do some research. If you understand alcohol addiction, you will be better equipped to help someone get the help they need. If you have a family member who is addicted, you should learn a little bit about the dynamics of alcohol and drug abuse.

What Not To Say to an Alcoholic Loved One

Pushing someone too hard to seek professional treatment is the wrong approach. You can lightly nudge people, but you can’t be aggressive about it. If a friend or family member has an addiction, you need to respect their journey. People who want help will get help. You can’t force anyone to go into alcohol treatment.

Tough love is important, but it needs to be done cautiously. You have to take into consideration that an alcoholic’s mental health is usually a big factor in their suffering. Substance abuse comes from somewhere, and it is often the result of people trying to cover up past trauma or pain. The key is to engage in careful conversations.

My family always stressed to me that they weren’t trying to change me, but if I was ready to change myself, I could always seek addiction treatment no matter how bad my addiction was. I always appreciated that support and let them know that after I got sober. Encouraging a loved one to get help can be uncomfortable, but it can pay off big too.

Checking Insurance Coverage for an Alcohol Rehab

There are a lot of things to navigate when you decide to seek help. Figuring out your insurance and getting financial support is one of the worries that many people in recovery deal with. You go through many major life changes when you seek treatment, and it doesn’t have to all be so overwhelming.

There are a lot of ways to find financial assistance if you aren’t in a position to afford rehab. It’s much better to try and figure those things out than just deciding to not get help because you can’t figure it out financially. A lot of times legal trouble can get in the way too.

Finding effective treatment is possible as long as you are all in on getting clean. Stay calm and remain calm. You can get through this with a good head on your shoulders. The people at Best Rehabs In Arizona did a great job of helping relieve stress and get me through the process as comfortably as possible.

Supporting Your Loved One’s Recovery

Supporting Your Loved One's Recovery

When a loved one is seeking professional help, it’s important to be in their corner. Alcohol abuse usually requires intensive treatment and medical supervision during a detox. Alcohol detox is one of the most uncomfortable forms of detox. Alcoholism affects the body so greatly that alcohol detox can be deadly.

My alcohol withdrawal was brutal, and the symptoms nearly broke me. Luckily, I have a great family behind me who are extremely supportive and were my cheerleaders along the way. Even after the initial detox, my alcohol cravings were intense. Alcohol use disorder takes a big toll on your mind, so addiction treatment requires a lot of support.

I was greatly encouraged during my treatment, not just by my family, but by the medical professionals who helped me while I was recovering. All of the support I received was crucial in my recovery. With all the help I got, I was able to get back into a good place and use my platform to help others the way that I was helped.

What Happens in an Alcohol Rehab Center?

When you go to treatment, you have to expect the first few days to be uncomfortable. The detox is tough, but with the right people around you, you will be able to make it through to the next step of the process. Once you get through the detox, you’ve done a lot more than other people have.

The next part of the process revolves around getting your mental health back to where it needs to be. You have to start facing all of the problems that got you to where you have gotten. Substance abuse changes your brain and you need to pay a lot of attention to rebuilding a healthy, positive attitude.

A big part of recovery is speaking to others in recovery. Support groups make a world of difference on your journey. Even when you are out of treatment, finding the right support group is very important for your continuing recovery. You don’t get out of treatment completely healed. When you attend therapy and support groups, you up your chances of long-term recovery.

Avoid Bringing Alcohol into the Home

Developing coping mechanisms is crucial to your long-term recovery. During your initial sobriety period, you will need to avoid being around other people who are drinking. You should avoid bringing alcohol into your home and also let your loved ones know not to drink around you. This is the least they can do for you. If someone in your life doesn’t want to abide by this suggestion, then they are not willing to help you get clean.

It can be hard to end friendships or relationships that you had when you were drinking, but it’s just a part of life and the journey toward sobriety. You should only have relationships that benefit you. As hard as it can be to stop associating with friends who drink, it’s a lot harder to relapse and have to rebuild your sobriety.

Treating the Underlying Issue Before You Start Drinking Again

Treating the Underlying Issue Before You Start Drinking Again

One of the underlying issues that lead to relapse can be finding yourself in these social situations. You can be tempted to drink if you are around people who are drinking and having a good time. You have to remind yourself that you’re not the kind of person who can have a good time drinking.

I know that my drinking was causing problems for me. I know that I can’t drink and have fun. If I drink, it will lead me down a dark path. Drinking is not something that I can associate with. Now that I’ve been sober for a while, I can be around a little bit of drinking, but I have to keep myself and check and remove myself from the situation if I feel triggered.

Supporting a Loved One Into Treatment

Family therapy sessions can go a long way in helping loved ones through alcohol use disorders. Addiction recovery is a very personal thing that requires a lot of individual therapy, but family therapy can give you a better idea of how your drinking affects everyone else around you.

Peer support groups and individual therapy keep you on track. When I go to a group meeting, I listen to everything my peers have to say. I also try and be as honest as possible about my own issues. There are days when I don’t feel great, and I may be more likely to relapse. Going to meetings reminds me that I can stay clean if I put in the work.

Alcoholism is selfish. A lot of alcoholics don’t understand this until they get clean. Professional treatment goes a long way in helping you realize what your drinking does to everyone else around you. Recovery is an ongoing process, and a learning process as well. When you are in therapy, talk honestly. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.

The Right Destination for Help with Alcohol

If you or a loved one are struggling with an alcohol use disorder, consider looking at the treatment option. I know for me, Best Rehabs In Arizona in Colorado was where I was finally able to find my footing and get sober.

You or your loved one may want to reach out and get options as well, after all, it only takes a few minutes to get options for putting all the consequences of drinking in your rearview mirror for good. Give them a confidential call to find out more today, I know my life has changed since I did!

Posted on

How Much is a Gram of Cocaine?

How Much is a Gram of Cocaine

Understanding The Financial Impact of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse creates a lot of self-inflicted issues for the addict. In this article, I will help you understand the emotional, physical, and financial damage done by addiction. Through my cocaine addiction, I threw away relationships and opportunities that I will never get back. I also threw away a lot of money, which you will better understand when you know the answer to how much is a gram of cocaine.

My cocaine use was so drastic, that by the time I entered recovery at Best Rehabs In Arizona, I was nursing a three-hundred-dollar-a-day addiction. I found that even though I was stealing from other people to fund my drug abuse, I didn’t feel bad about it. The only thing I cared about was the drug, and I would get it by any means necessary.

Drug use is a crippling scenario no matter what addiction you have. I began smoking crack cocaine in my late teens and continued using cocaine through my entire twenties. When you have an addiction to a drug like cocaine, the purity levels will always vary. I’ve had cocaine that was so cut it barely had any cocaine in it.

Keep reading to find out more about my own descent into cocaine addiction, and how Best Rehabs In Arizona Recovery can help you launch your own recovery journey!

How Drug Prices Shape Your Addiction

When you have as fierce of a crack cocaine addiction as I did, you will do anything to finance it. The street prices for drugs can change depending on the drug. Some drugs are much more expensive. The street prices of opiates have skyrocketed in recent years, but drugs like crystal meth, heroin, and crack cocaine are usually much cheaper.

One of the reasons crack cocaine became such a popular drug in the 1980s is because of the price. Powder cocaine is typically a more luxurious drug. People will pay big money for a single gram of coke. A common price for one single gram of cocaine is around a hundred dollars these days. The market is different depending on multiple factors.

Depending on where you live, availability plays a big role in street prices. Cocaine prices can be hard to determine based on multiple factors. If you live closer to a country like Mexico, cocaine is usually cheaper. If you live further north, you will probably be paying a bit more because there is less supply.

The Varying Degree Of Cocaine Prices

The Varying Degree Of Cocaine Prices

The quality is also something to consider. Because cocaine is normally sold in powder form, it’s easy to cut with other drugs. Depending on the source, you won’t be able to know what you’re ingesting until you ingest it. The supply is always deceiving.

When you have a high level of cocaine addiction, you’re typically not getting it from one place. I had multiple dealer numbers on my phone, and they were all my lifeline. When I began using crack cocaine, the street price was around forty of fifty dollars for one gram.

Sometimes, if there was less crack available on the street, the price would be between sixty and eighty dollars a gram. Because an addiction to crack cocaine is so intense, you will pay whatever you need to. I’ve overpaid for cocaine at many points and didn’t even think twice about it.

The Relationship Between Crack Cocaine and Crime

Because cocaine prices can vary, you will do whatever you have to do to get high. I can remember a long period during my addiction when there was less availability of cocaine in my neighborhood. The law enforcement officials in my town had really cracked down on the amount of cocaine coming in, so it was harder to attain.

The sources that I had were arrested and taken off the street. By this point, I was already spending several hundred dollars a week to fund my habit. I was taking crack cocaine every hour. I was using it with more frequency, but I wasn’t getting any higher. My tolerance level was so high that I needed more and more crack to get the feeling I required.

When you have a bad drug addiction, you are only thinking in the short term. Long-term consequences don’t come into play. Very often you will engage in petty crime to fund your addiction. I began committing burglary in order to fund my crack habit. Life on the streets is cutthroat. I was willing to risk decades behind bars in order to continue to get high on a regular basis.

How To Curb Drug Addiction

How To Curb Drug Addiction

I finally had a moment of clarity when I was arrested. I had stolen over a thousand dollars of merchandise from a nearby business over the course of a year, and I was caught red-handed. I was given the opportunity to go to recovery or face years in prison. I considered my options and realized that this could end up being an effective way for me to get clean.

My crack addiction had destroyed me financially. I would spend up to fifty dollars for one gram of crack, and smoke it all within two hours. When your addiction is at a level as high as mine, it isn’t crazy to smoke three hundred dollars worth of crack in one day and still want more. Inflation, demand, high tolerance, and other factors will make you spend whatever you need to spend to get high.

The percentage of people who recover from crack addiction is low. It’s such an intense drug that it takes extreme methods to get clean. My crack addiction continued to increase even when I knew it was ravaging my body and mind. I overdosed multiple times, yet the drug still had a massive grip on me. In the USA, cocaine is responsible for one in five overdose deaths.

Relapse Doesn’t Have To Be The End Of Your Story

When I finally entered recovery, I was still in crack mode. I didn’t really want to involve myself in treatment. All I wanted to do was break out and call my dealer. I already knew the dangers associated with my drug abuse, but I did not care. I wasn’t making any progress.

I didn’t want to give up my drug use. In the past year, I made the decision that I was going to use crack until I died. I didn’t have any interest in getting clean. I relapsed soon after my initial treatment, and it would be another six months before I gave recovery another shot. I got to a point where I finally couldn’t stand it anymore.

The increase in the price of the drug, my high tolerance, and the overall hopelessness of my situation finally made me break. My cocaine use had broken my mind and my spirit. I finally decided to seek help, and at this point, I was actually doing it for myself. I wasn’t doing it so I could avoid jail time. I wanted to get clean once and for all.

This is the mindset you must have when you try to get clean. You aren’t going to get clean for anyone else but yourself. You have to make up your mind that you are sick and tired, and you are ready to put in the work required to achieve sobriety.

Embrace Your Journey of Cocaine Recovery

Embrace Your Journey of Cocaine Recovery

The cost of my habit had led me to do unthinkable things to other people. I truly felt like I had sold my soul in order to continue my addiction. It was a horrible feeling when I finally came to this realization. Drugs are always going to be a part of your past, and it’s wise to embrace that and use it in your recovery journey. You can’t shy away from the past.

I’ve since run into a couple of law enforcement officials who had at one time arrested me, and it was a unique reunion. They told me they didn’t think I would live to see forty. They told me I was one of the worst users they had ever encountered, and it gave them a lot of hope to see my work through recovery.

It’s moments like this that make it all worth it for me. I now speak to groups of young people about the dangers of addiction, and I take this position very seriously. I can’t prevent someone from using drugs. It’s up to the individual to make that choice. What I can do, however, is let people know the consequences. Doing that makes me feel like my journey was all worth it.

Save Money on Cocaine the Right Way: Choose Treatment

If you are getting sick of the highs and lows, not to mention how expensive supporting a cocaine habit is, consider attending treatment with Best Rehabs In Arizonas. Beyond the cost of the drug itself, I found myself paying for coke and crack use in so many ways that I didn’t even realize until I got some clean time.

I know for myself, the team at Best Rehabs In Arizona was able to help me find a new life. If you or a loved one are struggling too, give them a call. In a few minutes of a confidential consultation, they can and will give you options and resources for recovery. Why not reach out now?

Posted on

How to Help Someone into Rehab

Help Someone into Rehab

Guiding a Loved One Toward Addiction Treatment

Getting clean was never on my radar. I was pretty far gone. At the darkest point in my substance abuse, I thought that I never even wanted to be clean. I wanted to do drugs until I died. Because of my family members, I finally sought treatment at Best Rehabs In Arizona and it saved my life. This can work for you too if you have even a little bit of fight in you. Keep reading for my hard-earned experience on how to help someone into rehab!

If you want to get help for a loved one with a drug or alcohol addiction, there are a lot of hurdles. Ultimately, getting sober is up to the individual. Substance use disorder tricks you into thinking you can never get clean. You think that your addiction will last the rest of your life. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope.

We tell ourselves a lot of things when we are in despair. To get over your substance abuse, it’s going to take an entire attitude change. Addiction recovery is possible if you are ready to give it a shot. When you finally get sick and tired of being sick and tired, an addiction treatment center like Best Rehabs In Arizona can save your life.

Stay tuned here for my own story of being helped to rehab, and how Best Rehabs In Arizonas helped me do what I could never manage on my own!

How Do You Leave A Drug Or Alcohol Addiction Behind?

Substance abuse therapy

I began using drugs in high school and was a regular users into my thirties. My brain was wired to need drugs. Substance abuse treatment was the last thing on my mind. My family members tried to convince me to get help, but I was dead against it. The idea of drug treatment never entered my mind.

My substance abuse completely changed my brain and my personality. Drug addiction will do a lot of things to your body, but the mental aspect of it is the most difficult thing to get past. Getting clean requires a lot of emotional support and an emphasis on your mental health. If you’re not mentally prepared, substance abuse seems impossible to get over.

Even if you are at your weakest point mentally, recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is still possible. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that you can change your perspective whenever you want. You don’t have to always be a victim to your substance use. I finally realized this when I began the recovery process.

Substance Abuse Hurts More Than Just You.

I put my family through a lot of agony because of my substance addiction. I had multiple addictions that ruined my life and made me a shell of myself. I engaged in alcohol abuse and heroin addiction for so long that I was sure I would die. What finally made me decide to go to a treatment facility? A big part of it was for my family.

This sounds great, but it can also be the wrong approach sometimes. Ultimately, you have to get sober for yourself. You want to do it for your loved ones, but you’re the one that has to live with yourself. I finally was ready to face my drug abuse when I overdosed and nearly died. A family member found me after I overdosed and because of their quick thinking, I was able to get medical help quickly enough.

When finally came out of it, I was ashamed of what I had subjected my family to. It finally dawned on me that I needed to find a way to repay this relative for literally saving my life. That is where my recovery journey began. My family members set up an addiction intervention, and luckily I was willing to listen to them.

Embracing Drug And Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Drug And Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment seems terrifying when you first try it. If you find the right rehab program that works for you, you will find that you can greatly benefit from it. These days, there are many different treatment options depending on your specific addiction. The treatment program at Best Rehabs In Arizona offered me the ability to work on my issues head on and develop a treatment plan tailored to my addiction.

When you make the decision to accept treatment, you’ve already done more than many others. The success rate in recovery is unfortunately not very high. A lot of addicts never make the decision to get professional help. A lot of addicts get clean for a short period, but long term recovery is very tricky.

The rehab program that I went into didn’t just help me. There are many benefits for the people around you as well. I had many loved ones who attended family therapy around the same time that I was in addiction recovery. I had no idea that I had put them through so much pain until I finally started to clear my head of the drugs.

Warning Signs Of An Active Addiction

I was able to fool people for a long time. A few people close to me knew that I engaged in substance misuse, but most of my family had no idea that I was using drugs regularly. An addicted person is an expert in lying. Not just to others, but to themselves. You begin to believe your own lies after a while.

I was sure that I didn’t have a problem. No professional intervention or involuntary commitment was going to convince me otherwise. At this early point in my struggle, I was able to hide my addiction issues. This usually never lasts. The longer your addiction goes on, the more signs of addiction you begin to show.

The withdrawal symptoms can’t be hidden. Especially if you have a heroin addiction. Withdrawal symptoms from heroin include paranoia, stomach issues, agitation, and extreme cravings. If you go without heroin for too long, you become physically ill like you’ve never felt. At first, I was able to convince my family that I had chronic stomach issues, but they eventually saw through it.

How Do You Get Someone Into Rehab?

This is a question that family members of addicts struggle with mightily. Getting someone into rehab is more involved than just taking them to a rehab facility and dropping them off. Helping a person suffering requires a lot of care and patience. Building a support system around an addict is the first step. You have to let them know they are loved and supported.

It’s very hard to get clean if you have no support system. Some people have no family support. Luckily, once you get into the rehab process, you can find a lot of like-minded individuals who will take you under their wing. I had a lot of family support, but I also had a lot of support from the people in my treatment program. I stay sober because I have built great relationships with others in recovery.

You can encourage a loved one to get help, but you can’t force them. Being impatient with an addict will only push them away. Having a positive attitude and not passing judgment is the best option. Figuring out your loved one’s needs can be tricky, but you want to try and understand their struggle as much as possible.

How To Speak To An Addict

Support Groups For Substance Use

Most people struggling with addiction don’t want to talk about it with outsiders. It’s easy to confide in a fellow user because they have first-hand experience. You aren’t going to get an addict to open up to you if they sense any judgment. You’re not going to guilt anyone into getting clean. You can encourage them to seek treatment, but you have to be careful how you choose your words.

Identifying what kind of tone you use is also very important. Offering support to someone suffering requires a high level of understanding and a calm demeanor. There is so much denial in addiction, that just getting an addict to open up and be honest is rare. A lot of family members of addicts choose tough love.

Sometimes you will get so fed up that you will cut someone off and not allow them back into your life until they are clean. This can be a tricky approach to take with an addicted loved one. Cutting someone off with a substance abuse problem can go either way. With some people, it’s just the push that they need. With other people, it can be the end of a relationship.

Support Groups For Substance Use

Staying sober is just as hard as getting sober. Whether you have a drug or alcohol addiction, the day-to-day recovery process is a combination of highs and lows. Drug use changes the brain. That is one of the clearest signs of addiction. All you care about is the drug. When you have to retrain your brain to go through each day without the drug, you have to find different ways to cope.

The treatment center at Best Rehabs In Arizona had some really incredible group therapy sessions that completely changed my attitude. I had an intervention plan put in place to set me up for success, and I followed it as rigidly as possible. During my early days in recovery, I attended group therapy as well as individual counseling.

There is no step-by-step guide for everyone struggling with addiction, or even for the ways to prevent drug abuse in the first place, but if you find yourself in the right rehab center, you can develop a plan that will help you find the most effective way to get and stay clean. Excuses don’t hold much weight in recovery. You are expected to take personal responsibility for your actions, and develop the knowledge and skills that you’ll need to face your addiction head-on.

Mental Illness and Addiction

Family Support

A very challenging aspect of recovery is how you discuss your mental health. A lot of individuals who are suffering from addiction are also suffering from some type of mental illness. How you approach these issues in recovery charts the course of your future. Substance misuse can greatly affect the way that we participate in talking about our struggles.

Many rehab programs offer dual diagnosis, so that you can work on your mental health issues and your addiction simultaneously. It may sound like a lot to take on at once, but it’s been proven effective in many situations. Committing to the process is the first step. If you commit to seeking help, you will find your confidence built as you work through the process.

When you’re in a group setting, it can be scary to discuss the issues that you never wanted to admit to yourself, let alone to a group of strangers. Putting yourself out there in this way may be uncomfortable, but this discomfort is what helps you grow. I was terrified to talk about what I was struggling with. When I finally opened up and started doing it, I found it to be the best way to begin healing.

The Basic Needs of A Recovering Addict

Once you get someone into rehab, it’s up to them to figure out whether they will make it work. We all have basic needs as human beings. For people struggling with addiction, those needs include support, compassion, and love. Every family member that I wronged was still there for me, even though they were fed up with my antics.

It’s important to set up healthy boundaries in addiction recovery. You still have to be yourself, and you can’t try to be something someone else wants you to be. I had family members who thought that I would be a flawless person once I treated my addiction. We are all still flawed, no matter what challenges we overcome. When you set boundaries, you maintain your individuality.

A Treatment Center with a Program Built Around You

Treatment begins and ends with you. It takes a lot of help to get and stay clean, but ultimately it’s up to you to make it work. When you go to rehab, there is a lot of unexpected outcomes. The best approach is to stay in the moment.

Respect the process and embrace the struggle. This approach will very likely save your life, and it’s one I learned at Best Rehabs In Arizona. If you or someone you love is struggling as I did, give yourself (or them) a fighting chance and reach out to their Admissions team. I know I’m more than glad I made that call, and that if I had not I might never have been able to claim sobriety or even still be alive.

Posted on

Alanon vs AA

Alanon vs AA Therapy

AA and Al-anon as Recovery Support Groups

Alcohol addiction was my downfall and led me to not only let myself down but all of my family members as well. I’ve struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse for much of my adult life, and by the time I sought treatment at Best Rehabs In Arizona, I was willing to do anything to get my life back. My family suffered greatly as well until they discovered Al-Anon.

Having a drinking problem is one thing, being a full-blown alcoholic is a whole other world. I started drinking when I was in high school, and by the time I reached the legal drinking age, I was already suffering from serious alcohol abuse. My family had no idea what to do with me, and it tore them apart inside.

My first time going to Alcoholics Anonymous was scary, and I learned quickly about AlAnon vs AA. Going to any alcoholism support group for the first time is nerve-wracking. I didn’t want to feel judged. I initially started going to private meetings, but I was led to believe that group-based meetings would give me a lot of good perspective from others going through addiction treatment.

Keep reading if you too did not know about Al-anon vs AA, and if you or a loved one are struggling with substances and alcohol, you can find the same sort of help I did with Best Rehabs In Arizona Recovery.

What Can You Expect From Sober Support Groups

Although I expected to be judged, I had a completely opposite experience going to Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcohol addiction affects people from all walks of life. It doesn’t discriminate. I met people from all across the social spectrum. Going to AA meetings gave me the strength to speak up and share my story with others, no matter how awkward it was at first.

A typical AA meeting is fairly simple. You go around in a circle and discuss your alcohol problems. Going to AA meetings slowly gave me the confidence to open up about my substance abuse and also my mental health disorder. I’ve struggled my whole life with my mental health, which has led me to drug abuse and alcohol dependence.

AA focuses on what led you to where you are at and how you can avoid succumbing to alcohol use disorder. I first began going to open meetings, and once I joined the program, I switched it up between open meetings and closed meetings. Open meetings refer to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are open to anybody. Closed meetings are for people who have been in the Alcoholics Anonymous program for a longer period of time.

Al Anon Meetings Vs AA Meetings

AA Meetings

There are many different types of AA groups. Your average Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is for the alcoholic. The main difference is that Al Anon meetings are directed specifically toward the family members of alcoholics. My substance abuse and alcohol use disorder put a great strain on my family members. My parents, siblings, and other family members were greatly affected to the point where they needed to seek treatment for themselves. Al-Anon gave me the space to deal with these issues.

We don’t often talk about the effects of drug addiction, and alcoholism on our family members. Substance use is a community issue. There are more people struggling than just the drug abuser themselves, everyone around them gets affected as well. Once my family began going to Al-Anon meetings, I could see the strain lifted off of them almost immediately.

They always questioned if my addiction was because of something they did wrong. This question tormented my parents especially. I had one family member in particular who was skeptical of support groups. They wanted to try and deal with it on their own. Once they began going to Al-Anon meetings, I noticed it was very beneficial for them in their own healing.

Treatment Programs For Family Members

It was vital for my family’s well-being that they attend Al-Anon meetings. As I began the process of going to regular meetings, so did they. The other Al-Anon members were extremely supportive and uplifting, much like they are in AA and NA meetings. It’s roughly the same concept across each group. The focus is on learning what you can do to apply the same principles that alcoholics use in their own treatment.

I was so much more driven to stop drinking permanently when I saw the work my own family was putting into their recovery. My drinking problem was something that I needed to fix on my own, but I was much more inspired to do so when I saw them putting in their own work.

Alcoholics Anonymous taught me that there is only one way to stop drinking. You must recognize that there is a higher power, and you yourself are powerless against your disease. The circumstances may differ from person to person, but that higher power aspect is a big part of recovery.

Although Alcoholics Anonymous is thought of as a faith-based program, you can benefit no matter what your religious affiliation is. The religious aspect may be part of it, but it doesn’t have to be the entire focus. AA refers to itself as ‘spiritual and not religious’ and there is truth to the fact you can define your own Higher Power in the program. The main objective of these support groups is to help you get better, however, that process may look.

Al Anon Support Groups And Other Meetings

The families of alcoholics suffer just as much as the alcoholic. My alcohol problems led my family members to a lot of their own problems. Stress, anxiety, you name it. My drinking problem affected everyone around me. It’s a very helpless feeling for families to watch a loved one suffer without knowing how to stop it.

Al Anon Support Groups

AA and Al-Anon make it possible for everyone to get better together. These days, the treatment options for the alcoholic and the family are abundant. AA is an international support group. AA and Al-Anon meetings seek to provide treatment programs to everybody affected by this disease. The two groups work in conjunction to offer support and recovery across all meetings.

When my family first began going to these Al-Anon meetings, it gave them the tools to better support me in my own recovery. I had to learn how to be self-supporting on my own, but having your family in your corner gives you the extra push that you need. A lot of alcoholics aren’t lucky enough to have family members rooting for them. I feel that my recovery from alcohol is directly related to my family going to Al-Anon meetings and knowing how to better deal with my addiction.

Continuing Support For Alcohol Recovery

Recovery from alcohol addiction is an ongoing process. There is no magic cure for addiction. There is a lot to be said about the term ‘one day at a time’. If you think you are cured at any point from your addiction, you certainly need to take personal inventory and be honest with yourself.

You can have all the support in the world, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t recognize that your addiction is right there beneath the surface. In my experience, recovery is only possible if you work on it every day. It’s more than just going to support groups. You need the right attitude. If you attend a meeting or engage in support groups, you give yourself a much better chance.

Either way, there is work that is required outside the group setting. AA and Al-Anon meetings give you a great base from which to work, but you need to also be self-supporting. The great thing about AA and Al-Anon is there are no age or education requirements. If you are directly affected by addiction, you automatically qualify. There is no gatekeeping in these groups.

Recovery Through Al Anon Groups

My family greatly benefited from Al-Anon. Their recovery from my addiction has been very inspiring for me to watch. As they go through their own personal recovery, I do as well. Going through recovery together makes us push each other to be at our best every day. When I attend a meeting, I feel like I’m doing it’s mutually beneficial to all of us, and I know they feel the same way when they attend meetings.

Recovery Through Al Anon Groups

My addiction used to be a hush-hush situation in my family. It was always too painful to talk about. When you find the right support group such as AA and Al-Anon, you learn to talk about it without feeling shame. Al-Anon taught my family that they are not unique. Countless families deal with these issues and many of them benefit from Al-Anon. Unfortunately, some don’t ever take that leap and give al anon a shot.

Finding Your Path to Recovery

I’m proud to have such a supportive and encouraging family, and I certainly have Al-Anon to thank for that. These days there is much more support for families of addicts. Al-Anon groups make it possible for families to heal the right way. Everyone in my family learned from Al-Anon, and they try to put what they’ve learned into practice every day. It’s a wonderful thing to witness.

If you or a member of your family is struggling with alcohol and needs help, reaching out to Best Rehabs In Arizona is a solid first step. Give them a call and let them provide options, so that you or a person you love does not have to battle booze any longer. I know picking up the phone for treatment made a world of difference for me and my family, and it can for you and yours too!

See how much of your treatment is covered by insurance

877-651-3366 Addiction Counselor Available 24/7