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The Link Between Alcohol and Anxiety: What You Need to Know

Did you know that there’s a strong link between problems with alcohol and anxiety disorders? Here’s what you need to know about these two issues.

Alcohol is a staple of American culture and business. People drink for many reasons, but the overarching idea is to have a good time and relax. With most things, though, alcohol has a dark side.

One part of this side is the way the substance interacts with anxiety. Anxiety and alcohol have a complicated, comorbid relationship. There are situations where alcohol can provide relief from anxiety, so it isn’t that it’s impossible to drink responsibly if you have anxiety.

That said, people should use caution when mixing alcohol and anxiety. We’ll go into detail about anxiety disorders and alcoholism in this article, hopefully giving you a good framework to think about the topics and how they relate.

Alcohol and Anxiety

We’ll cover a little bit about alcohol’s role in the United States. Being such an integral part of a lot of communities, it makes sense that there’s a positive side to the substance. There’s also a great deal of abuse and misuse of alcohol, which we’ll talk about as well.

Anxiety is another prevalent issue in the United States. We’ll give an overview of anxiety disorders as well. Once those ideas are laid out, we’ll shed some light on how they interact and what to look out for.

Alcohol in the United States

The most recent data states there were over 65,000 bars in the United States in 2012. You’d be hard-pressed to find a town without a bar, and this traces back to our country’s origins.

Settlers on the Mayflower brought along more alcohol than they did water. Colonists did believe that becoming too intoxicated was a sin, but they continued to drink at nearly every occasion. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that Benjamin Rush, a physician, suggested that over-consumption of alcohol was a disease which could be treated by avoiding the stuff altogether.

Very few listened. Public intoxication developed into a real issue, one that seemed to be withering the moral fabric of the population. Prohibition came as a result, with the Volstead Act banning the consumption of alcohol. The population worked around the Act, frequenting speakeasies and fostering an environment for organized crime to shine.

The point is, alcohol is, and will probably always be, something people enjoy.

An Overview of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disease leading to many adverse, destructive consequences on a person’s life. There are both physical and mental effects which come as a result of alcoholism.

While the majority of people who drink don’t have an issue with alcohol, it holds that there are roughly 18 million people in the U.S. with an alcohol use disorder. The qualification for a drinking use disorder is that a person’s consumption causes harm and distress.

Physical Symptoms

Physically, there are also a few indicators of alcoholism. The first is the person has a strong craving and need to drink alcohol. Cravings can get confused in justifications and reasonings that a person should have a drink, but this thinking is rooted in a physical urge for alcohol.

The next sign is a person can’t stop drinking once they’ve started. A healthy drinker should be able to call it quits when they’ve had enough, but an alcoholic doesn’t have an off-switch. They will often keep drinking until a bar is closed, and even continue on throughout the night and the following day.

An extension of loss of control is the development of tolerance. Everyone who drinks will develop a tolerance, but alcoholics may have a hard time feeling the effects because their tolerance is so high. Further, this person is likely to have withdrawal symptoms if they don’t drink.

This is a sign of physical dependency. The descriptions above are just general and the reality of alcoholism will usually take on some version of them.

Behaviors Associated With Alcoholism

The physical symptoms we’ve listed are usually coupled with behaviors to match. Alcoholism leads people to act in ways that aren’t in line with their values, interests, or wants. In many cases, relationships and lives are damaged.

This involves avoiding responsibilities to drink, drinking while taking care of important responsibilities (like watching children or working), and acting in ways they don’t remember. Anger is often a side-effect of alcoholism, and this can turn into a nasty problem.

This anger can easily turn into abuse. Emotional, verbal, and physical abuse are commonplace for those who are deep in the throes of alcoholism. Further, behavior can become inherently dangerous, risky, hurtful, and erratic.

Anxiety Disorders in the United States

Anxiety disorders are extremely common among adults in the United States. Almost one-fifth of the adult population suffers from an anxiety disorder every year.

“Anxiety disorder” is a term which encompasses a whole lot of specific issues and symptoms. It would be impossible to go into detail about each one in this article, but we’ll touch on some of the most prevalent ones. Issues like general anxiety, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder are all anxiety disorders.

The causes of these issues are widespread and difficult to identify in many cases. Environmental, genetic, and personal factors all play a part in the development of an anxiety disorder. While the immediate experience of these things is difficult and painful, treatment is possible and many people do recover.

Living a happy, productive life with an anxiety disorder is entirely possible. A lot of those who suffer claim to use the disorder as a valued part of their identity, being a part of what made them who they are.

Identification and Treatment

Mental disorders are often very hard to identify and come to terms with. Even if a person shows clear symptoms of a specific disorder, that person might have absolutely no desire to get treatment or seek help. Further, two disorders might share symptoms, making it hard for professionals to identify the root cause of the behavior.

Stigma is also a reality in the mental health community. Those with anxiety disorders are often silent about them for fear they’ll be deemed “crazy” or seen differently by their friends and family.

It’s a real fear among many people because not everyone understands mental illness enough to be compassionate. Take obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), for example. People with OCD often have intrusive thoughts of horrifying things.

If someone with OCD were to describe the thoughts they were having to someone who didn’t understand the illness, that person might think very poorly of them. While the person with OCD is in no way deranged or harmful, their intrusive and random thoughts might tell them otherwise.

This is just one example, but the fear of others’ opinions is a huge reason mental illness goes untreated.

Interplay Between Anxiety and Alcohol

Now that we’ve gone over alcohol and anxiety individually, let’s talk about how they mix together.

Those with anxiety disorders are often excited by the idea of a substance which can temporarily ease symptoms and allow them to enjoy a night out. It’s true, alcohol removes inhibitions, allows a person to stop overthinking, and is readily available at almost all times.

It’s natural to want to have a night or two away from an anxiety disorder. At the same time, the release alcohol provides can quickly lead to dependence. The behavior becomes a sort of avoidance of mental illness.

This is certainly not a healthy way to combat mental illness and those with anxiety disorders should be acutely aware of their consumption until their latent illness is treated and they’re in control of it. First, drinking to combat internal troubles only prolongs the presence of the illness.

Alcoholism Leading to Anxiety

On the other hand, the development of alcoholism could lead to the presence of an anxiety disorder. Alcohol can contribute to anxiety in a couple of ways.

First, as alcohol consumes parts of your life, there will be general anxiety about those things. Responsibilities, relationships, finances, and more are all likely to be affected by a dependency on alcohol. As those problems mount, the stress will internalize in the form of anxiety.

Second, the physical symptoms of alcoholism are directly related to anxiety in the body. This is especially true for withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms of withdrawal affect anxiety because alcohol works on the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin which are what our brains use to regulate emotion.

The chemical imbalance alcohol provides can make a person’s mood extremely low, their ability to interact and engage very poor, and remove the energy needed to deal with the changes happening.

The interplay between alcohol and anxiety is direct, harmful, and should be monitored carefully.

Need to Find Help?

You or someone you know may be suffering from an anxiety disorder that’s feeding into alcoholism, or visa versa. If you can see any of the patterns of behavior listed above, it may be that alcohol and anxiety are playing a negative part in their lives.

Contact us to see what can be done to benefit the lives of you and those around you.

Methadone Treatment for Heroin Addiction: Pros and Cons to Consider

Methadone treatment is a common strategy for dealing with heroin addiction, but it has its pros and cons. Here’s what you need to know.

As much damage as any illegal drug can do to your life, some seem to get a tighter grip on their victims than others. One that’s particularly notorious is heroin.

There are around 9.3 million people around the world today struggling with heroin addiction. Most of these people have tried to quit in the past but haven’t been successful. The cravings and withdrawals are too much for many people to endure.

One way some addiction treatment centers are helping is with methadone treatment. If you’re considering methadone to treat your own addiction or a loved one’s addiction, here’s what you need to know.

What Is Methadone Treatment?

Methadone is an opiate, which means it’s similar to heroin. It’s a far milder opiate, however. In addiction treatment, some doctors use methadone as a type of substitute.

When you take methadone, it satisfies your body’s need for opiates so you don’t have intense withdrawal. It’s not strong enough to give you a “high,” though, and it’s less dangerous than heroin.

There’s an ongoing debate about methadone treatment for heroin addiction. It’s all a matter of your individual situation, but here are some of the key pros and cons to consider.

Pros of Methadone Treatment

Methadone has been used to treat heroin since the 1960s. It offers plenty of benefits that can help heroin addicts around the globe.

Higher Success Rates

For most heroin addicts, the most attractive part of methadone treatment is its success rate. Those getting methadone treatment have a reported 60%-90% success rate for heroin recovery compared to the typical average of 5% to 10%.

Heroin recovery isn’t easy in any situation. When an addict makes the choice to seek treatment, they want to recovery once and never return to the tough early stages of sobriety. Methadone is more likely to provide that experience.

Established Program

During methadone treatment, patients need to take the medication once per day. To prevent drug abuse, doctors rarely prescribe methadone for patients to take at home. Instead, most patients need to go to a methadone clinic each day for their treatment.

This is important because it provides structure and accountability. You always know that if you relapse, your treatment providers will know. You also have a structured and predictable plan. Routines like these can help addicts remodel their lives into more stable structures.

Withdrawal Relief

For those with heroin addiction, withdrawal symptoms can be intense and even dangerous. For that reason, few people who try to quit heroin “cold turkey” are successful.

For an addict, the most noticeable benefit of methadone is withdrawal relief. Getting away from heroin without the intense withdrawal can help patients get past the early stages of detox and get back to living a healthier life.

Customizable Program

Everyone with heroin addiction is unique, and their addiction treatment needs to be unique too. That’s one of the benefits methadone treatment provides.

A doctor can evaluate a patient’s health, discuss their typical heroin use, and use this to determine their methadone dosage. There are also different ways doctors can use methadone.

In some cases, methadone is a step-down treatment. It gets patients past the heroin detox and then the doctor prescribes less and less methadone. Eventually, patients can live a fully drug-free life.

In other cases, methadone is more of a long-term management approach. These patients may need to take methadone for the rest of their lives to keep heroin withdrawal at bay.

It’s also important to recognize that methadone is rarely the only treatment a heroin addict gets. It’s usually paired with various types of talk therapy. Methadone is just one piece of the puzzle for addiction recovery.

Lower Fatality Risk

As families of heroin addicts know all too well, every time you use heroin there is a risk of death. Heroin has a particularly high risk for overdose, and it’s even higher for patients who are relapsing after recovery.

Methadone, on the other hand, makes that relapse less likely. The heroin recovery process is less risky overall. Even for patients who do relapse, those who have taken methadone don’t feel as deprived as those who didn’t. This makes them less likely to go overboard and overdose.

Cons of Methadone Treatment

As with any medical treatment, there are downsides to consider. Methadone treatment isn’t the best choice for everyone due to several important issues.

Potential for Swapping Addiction

The biggest reason methadone treatment is controversial is that in some cases, you’re just swapping one addiction for another. As an opioid like heroin and prescription painkillers, methadone is an addictive medication.

There are a few other facts to know about this, though. First, a doctor’s supervision can lower a person’s risk of getting addicted the methadone. Even still, between heroin and methadone, methadone is certainly the lesser of the two evils.

No Guarantees

Another potential problem with methadone comes from a misunderstanding of the treatment. Some people with heroin addiction think methadone is an “easy way out.” They expect that it will take away all their cravings and temptations.

In truth, that isn’t the case. Addiction happens on two levels: the physical and the mental. Methadone keeps the physical withdrawal symptoms to a minimum, but it doesn’t break the mental habit of heroin use.

Patients who get methadone treatment still have the mental stress that can make them turn to heroin. Without overcoming the habit and dealing with the emotional issues that often accompany addiction, you’ll still be at risk for a relapse.

Employment Impacts

Part of recovering from addiction is finding drug-free stability and a sense of purpose. For many people, that comes in the form of a reliable and rewarding job.

Methadone can present some problems on the job, though. In some cases, it may appear in employers’ drug screenings. While most employers use a less expensive test that doesn’t check for methadone, others do more extensive testing.

Another potential issue is finding time around your work schedule to get to the methadone clinic. Depending on the hours you work, it can be tricky to balance both a career and addiction treatment.

Side Effects

As with any medication, methadone does have some potential side effects. They tend to be minor especially compared to the side effects of heroin, but they’re still a factor for patients to weigh.

Everyone’s body reacts to methadone differently. Some of the most common side effects include nausea or vomiting, constipation, restlessness, itchy skin, and excessive sweating.

Serious side effects from methadone are rare but possible. This is one reason it’s so important for a doctor to continuously monitor patients receiving methadone. As crucial as addiction recovery is, you don’t want to swap one health risk for another that’s just as dangerous.

Not Suitable for Everyone

Speaking of reasons why doctors must evaluate methadone patients, here’s another one. Like most medications, methadone can react poorly with certain medical conditions.

Just months of drug addiction can have a serious impact on your health. For a recovering addict, it’s important for a doctor to look for signs of illnesses before prescribing methadone. You may have been perfectly healthy a year ago but that year of addiction could have caused organ damage.

In particular, conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and liver disease aren’t compatible with methadone treatment. A doctor should evaluate you for signs of these illnesses before establishing a treatment plan.

If you aren’t a candidate for methadone, don’t get discouraged. There are plenty of other ways to get on the road to recovery. In fact, you should use your health as a motivating factor to get clean and stay sober.

Potentially High Price

Of course, no medical discussion is complete without a mention of price. Many addicts have become financially devastated due to their addiction. Unfortunately, recovery can be expensive, and methadone is no exception.

There are many factors in the cost of methadone. In some areas, there are government-funded methadone clinics. These clinics often provide income-based pricing, so you may be able to get methadone at little or no cost.

In other areas, though, heroin addicts aren’t so lucky. As you’re talking to a doctor about your recovery treatment options, be sure to discuss the price you can expect to pay for methadone.

Another important note: if you start taking methadone and then need to stop due to the cost, talk to your doctor. They may be able to step down your dosage or monitor you because you are likely to have withdrawal symptoms.

Considering Methadone Treatment for Heroin Addiction

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when you’re thinking about methadone treatment. It isn’t suitable for all heroin addicts, but it isn’ the only option either.

In the end, addiction recovery is all about finding a solution that works for you. Addiction treatment specialists can help you evaluate your options and come up with a plan for a drug-free life.

If you’re ready to start on that journey or you want to help a loved one, contact our addiction recovery center today.

Feeling Down? 10 Drug-Free Ways to Boost Endorphins

When you’re living sober, you need to find other ways to enjoy your life and improve your mood. Try these great ways to boost endorphins.

Committing to a sober lifestyle is hard, there’s no doubt about that. Recovering from drug addiction is a life long journey. Some days will be a lot harder than others.

One of the most difficult things about recovering from drug and alcohol addiction is finding things that can make you feel happier when you’re having a down day. Other people (and the old you) may turn to drugs or alcohol as a crutch when feeling down.

But there are much healthier ways to boost endorphins and feel happy, even on the more difficult days. Read on for some healthy and drug-free ways to feel happier every day.

1. Exercise

Research shows that regular exercise actually eases the symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is because exercise releases endorphins that lift your mood for the rest of the day.

Have you heard of getting a “runner’s high”? This refers to the elated feeling people get after going on a nice run. It literally feels like you’re experiencing a high because you are.

Try going on a run a few days a week and see how it changes your overall mood. Also, the next time you’re feeling especially down or stressed, try going on a run to release the tension instead of staying in and getting even more upset.

If you’re new to working out, start out small so you don’t get discouraged. Here are some great exercise apps that will help you along your journey and encourage you to stick with it!

2. Yoga

Yoga connects your mind and body and is a great way to reduce stress and release endorphins naturally. Yoga teaches us to stay calm, relaxed, patient and focused. These skills are helpful when we are faced with stressful situations.

If you practice yoga and you’re experiencing a stressful event, you’re more likely to step back, digest the situation, and act in a positive way. This is a great alternative to acting reactively and impulsively.

Start your days off with twenty minutes of yoga to boost your happiness and prepare you for the events of the day.

Here are some great yoga apps to get started with. Youtube also has some wonderful yoga videos you can try as well.

3. Meditation

Meditation allows us to let go of any negative thoughts and feelings that are occupying our mind and causing us pain. When you meditate, you’ll acknowledge these harmful thoughts and release them, allowing you to move on.

By practicing meditation each day, you’ll become a much happier, more positive, and easy going person.

It can be difficult to get into meditation, which is why people tend to give up on it after a few tries. It’s important to stick with it, even if you’re having a lot of trouble focusing.

Meditation takes time and practice before you start seeing results. But when you do, your mental health will improve and you’ll feel much happier day-to-day. Try meditating first thing in the morning, or after a long day of work (or both).

There are some really great meditation apps that are made for people just getting started with meditating. Try one out and stick to it for at least two weeks and see how much your focus and mood improves!

4. Decrease Sugar and Caffeine Consumption

You may need to start making sacrifices in your diet to help keep the chemicals in your brain more level, to reduce any negative mood swings. Two things that can cause mood swings are sugar and caffeine.

Both sugar and caffeine cause a spike in energy, but that spike is short-lived and followed by a decrease in dopamine levels. This is why we crash after having a morning cup of coffee or eating a lot of sugar.

You don’t have to completely eliminate sugar and caffeine from your diet, but be more conscious of these things. Try to avoid foods with added sugars and stick with fruits if you’re craving something sweet.

If you need your caffeine every day, try to avoid coffee and black tea, and opt for green or herbal tea. Green tea provides plenty of energy and improves your mood, but doesn’t make you crash as coffee does.

5. Volunteer

The feeling of giving back and helping your community is like no other feeling. Volunteering gives you a deep sense of satisfaction because you’re making a positive impact on others.

Research supports the idea that helping others makes us happy by releasing endorphins. Giving to others actually activates the same part of our brain that eating good food and having sex activates.

You can try something small like volunteering once a week at a homeless shelter or animal shelter. Or, you could give back in a more drastic way by dedicating your career to giving back. You could start working for a non-profit organization.

6. Eat Foods That Boost Endorphins

Certain foods can actually release endorphins in your brain and lift hour mood. If you’re a chocolate lover or you’re into spicy foods, you’ll love what’s coming.

Dark chocolate releases endorphins that which lead to pain relief and pleasure. It also is healthy for your overall health. Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and reduces inflammation, blood pressure, and bad cholesterol.

Spicy foods actually cause us pain due to the heat of the foods. But this pain is offset by the body’s reaction to the pain, which is to release endorphins! That’s why people enjoy eating spicy foods-your brain is literally rewarding you for eating spicy things.

7. Take Supplements

Supplements are important for our overall health. But some supplements are especially important for mental health, happiness, and well-being.

There are actually quite a few supplements linked to happiness, but two of the most important supplements are magnesium and vitamin D because humans are often lacking in these necessary vitamins and minerals.

Magnesium is a mood-stabilizing mineral and also eases stress. If you find yourself having trouble dealing with stress, leading to mood swings, start taking magnesium every day.

If you work indoors all day or live in an area with little sunlight, you’re probably lacking in vitamin D. This is actually what leads to seasonal depression. So if you aren’t getting enough vitamin D, it’s time to start taking a supplement to boost your overall happiness.

8. Get the Right Amount of Sleep

You should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. If you aren’t sleeping enough, this could lead to decreased mood the next day. If you sleep too much, it could also lead to decreased mood and energy.

Something as simple as getting a good night’s sleep can increase the release of endorphins and leave you feeling great the next day.

Getting plenty of sleep will also help your overall mental and physical health. If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, look into all-natural sleep aids to help promote a good night’s sleep.

9. Have Consensual Sex

Sex releases a ton of endorphins and can help people become happier when they’re feeling down. Sex can help combat depression, anxiety, release stress, and increase dopamine in the brain.

In addition to sex releasing endorphins, there are also a ton of other health benefits associated with having sex.

Of course, make sure you practice safe and consensual sex!

10. Surround Yourself with Positive and Happy People

Try to surround yourself with friends and family that are positive, happy, and supportive in your sober living lifestyle. Being around people that have a positive outlook on life can have an incredible impact on how you view the world.

Have you heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine”? This phrase is actually true because laughing release endorphins in our brain and makes us feel happy. Be around people who make you laugh and smile, and there will be no shortage of endorphin release for you.

If you have lost contact with loved ones while battling addiction, try to rebuild those relationships. Having a strong support system is vital on the path of recovery and staying sober.

Use These Tips to Get Through the Tough Days

When you’re on a sober journey, you will undoubtedly have days that are more difficult than others. But by doing something as simple as going for a run or eating chocolate, you can boost endorphins and feel happier.

If you or someone you love is still battling addiction, please contact us today to learn more about our recovery programs.

The lucky alcoholics who find their way into recovery will hear plenty of suggestions and certainly a plethora of pontificated advice. The programs of alcohol addiction are filled with slangy slogans and eye-catching acronyms.
There are also a bunch of interesting quotes that while they may certainly confuse you, they’ll get you to thinking. Here are a few quotes passed around between recovering alcoholics that you may find motivational in your own journey.

It’s the first drink that gets you drunk.

This first quote has baffled many a newcomer staring at an alcohol addiction. Anyone with the slightest concept of biology or chemistry would immediately commence to emphatically debate the validity of this quote.
How can the first drink, just one drink mind you, ever be the drink that gets you drunk? The medical community has attempted for decades to pinpoint what causes some individuals to be alcoholic, while others can drink with impunity.
There seem to be two consistent characteristics in most every alcoholic, however. The first is an unexplained mental obsession with the next drink. Coupled with this baffling mental abnormality, there is some kind of an allergic reaction.
When an alcoholic finishes just one drink, there is an uncontrollable urge to have another, and another, and another. So in fact, it really is the first drink that gets you drunk. This is why the sentiments of total abstinence echo through the walls of the halls of recovery.

I know why we’re all here. We’re all here because we’re not all there.

This is a favorite among those who have been around recovery for a while. It is without reservation that most alcoholics eventually come to the conclusion that drinking is but a symptom.
The best recovery plan will work towards treating the multiple symptoms that actually the engine that drives the alcoholic to drink to obsession. It’s uncover the cause of your addictive behavior, you may be doomed to repeatedly repeat it.

Minds are like parachutes. They function better when they’re open.

Working towards successful recovery requires an open mind. Open-mindedness is a cornerstone to change. Without the ability to accept something different from what you have always thought, you’ll be doomed to repeat the same behaviors.
This quote is a direct plea to anyone hoping to recover from alcoholism. It is the perfect analogy to impress upon you the need to open your mind to change. Armed with an honest willingness to be open-minded, you’ll be amazed how much you change.

Alcohol gave me wings, and then slowly took away my sky.

The disease of alcohol has destroyed countless dreams and many lives. It can start at any point in your life. Some fall prey to this debilitating sickness early in life, while others avoid consequences and drink for years into adulthood. The one thing that is invariably the same is that at some point alcohol grounded your life.

You’re either working on your recovery, or you’re working on a relapse.

This quote adds substance to the idea that recovery from alcoholism is a lifelong journey. It doesn’t need to be an arduous journey, but you do need to work at staying sober, if only for one day at a time to begin with. It’s also said, that if you walk 10 miles into the woods, you’ll need to walk the same distance back to get yourself out. Recovery only works if you work it.
You may have direct experience with a few of these quotes. If you haven’t already looked into the possibility that you may have a problem with alcohol, do so before it’s too late. There are outstanding treatment facilities and programs where you can begin your lifelong journey of recovery.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Treatment

The lifelong consequences of addiction require the commitment of unlimited resources. Inpatient and outpatient programs each have their benefits for different stages of the recovery process. The only reason why you may have to choose between the two is solely for financial reasons or other external obligations.

If you have to care for someone, maintain a particular career status, or complete an educational course, you may have no choice. If anyone had the opportunity to stay at an inpatient drug rehab Phoenix AZ, they would jump on it like a free vacation. Arizona presents a beautiful atmosphere away from your former life to enjoy that childlike wonder again.

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment requires you to check into a secure facility where you receive support and medical assistance 24-hours a day. This residential treatment program offers the best chances for success because you are separated from the lifestyle and temptations that lead people back into their habits.

Your entire stay may be anywhere from a month to a year. You should view your residential treatment as a vacation and a chance to fully understand the addiction mechanisms fueling your destructive behaviors.

The entire concept of addiction is irrational when anyone considers the harsh consequences. The ability to feel pleasure from the simple things in life again and regain that natural sense of well-being are what keep sober people pleased with sobriety.

The first step is to complete the detoxification process when you enter into our drug rehab Arizona. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to 3-months for your body to rebalance.

Drugs and alcohol destroy your natural sense of well-being by overstimulating pleasure centers and forcing your body to send all sorts of chemicals to suppress these nerves while simultaneously ceasing production its own natural stimulation.

Withdrawing from alcohol, opiates, and benzodiazepines can be extremely dangerous without the supervised medical assistance of an inpatient program.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment allows you the flexibility to maintain your current lifestyle or to develop a new one after your release. Outpatient treatment provides you with all the support and treatment that inpatient treatment provides but only part-time (10 to 20 hours a week).

This means that you will be tempted at every turn by former drug friends, old haunts that remind you of drug use, and stress that can wear away at your willpower. If you have situational addictions that are not part of a party lifestyle, it may be easier to succeed with outpatient care alone.

Inpatient vs Outpatient Alcohol Treatment

Alcohol additions are some of the most difficult to treat. This is because they can be ingrained even deeper than lifestyle. They may be linked to eating behaviors, social situations, and even religion. For this reason, inpatient care is always recommended.

If you try to recover from alcohol using an outpatient program, there are just far too many situations to trigger the cravings in the pleasure centers of your brain. You will be tempted when you go to eat anywhere, when you turn on your television, or when you see someone drinking anything that looks like a mixed drink.

If you escape to an alcohol rehab Arizona, you will have this virtual desert oasis to begin associating alcohol with poison. Although alcohol is socially acceptable and everywhere, the key is temperance in all things and moderation.

For alcoholics, they have crossed that threshold, for whatever reason, and should avoid even mouthwash with alcohol in it. Although not the preferred choice of treatment, it is possible to quit using our outpatient alcohol rehab Phoenix. The better choice is to follow up your inpatient care with the outpatient aftercare program.

It’s important for you to rebuild your relationships once you get out of rehab. The moment you entered alcohol rehab Arizona for addiction is also the moment when you wanted to have a fresh start. But, you probably realized you ruined relationships with your friends, family members, romantic partners, and your colleagues. Here are some ways you can rebuild those relationships.

Communicate Honestly

The most important step to repairing relationships after addiction is to communicate honestly and effectively. Remember that communication is a two-way street. Not only should you apologize, but you should listen as well. Start out by letting them know that you sought help for your addiction and that you completed treatment.

Let them know that you want to repair your relationship with them. Communicate your message as clearly as possible, but listen to their side as well. If you can’t communicate with them, send them an email, text message, or letter. Opening up this form of communication on your end could lead to a possible reconciliation.

Ask for Forgiveness

Most addicts struggle with denial. In order to life an honest lifestyle, you must acknowledge that you made mistakes and hurt those closest to you. Instead of harboring the guilt and shame from your past, apologize to those who you hurt. Ask for their forgiveness, even if they’re hesitant to forgive at first.

Apologizing and asking for forgiveness is part of freeing yourself from your past mistakes. Be honest about your mistakes, but also be honest about your current mistakes and actions. Prove to them that you can earn their trust and that you can stick your promises.

However, it’s not all about you. It’s important to let them vent. They need to let you know how they felt when you hurt them, so be an active listener as well as an honest communicator.

Put in the Effort

It’s important that you put the effort into rebuilding your relationships after rehab. When you’re struggling with addiction, your friends and family took a backseat to your demons. You weren’t as active in your relationships. You have the opportunity to make a fresh start, so don’t put your relationships to the waste side again.

If your marriage suffered because of your addiction, spend more time with your spouse. If your relationship with your best friends became broken, show an interest in their lives. Just showing up can help repair the damage that was done. Be active and intentional with your relationships.

Attend Regular Meetings

Attending meetings is an important part of pathfinders recovery. Joining local groups or seeking outpatient treatment following rehab shows you’re serious and committed about your sobriety. It also help you find support from others who are going through the same process of repairing their relationships. Seeking advice and support during this challenging time can help you stay on track of your sobriety.

Give it Time

Don’t expect your relationships to be repaired overnight. It’s going to take your family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones to trust you again. While you were recovering in rehab, most of them went on with their lives.

Just as recovering from addiction took time for you, repairing relationships after rehab will take some time as well. Don’t be surprised if they hesitate at first. They might have a tough time believing what you say or trusting your actions. Practice patience and realize it’ll take time to rebuild their trust.

Work on Rebuilding Trust After Addiction

Not only should you practice patience, but you should also work on rebuilding trust after addiction. This one of the most important factors in building a healthy relationship. If there’s no trust in your relationship then there’s no relationship. But, you can rebuild that trust slowly.

Don’t let your friends and family down. Stick to your promises at all times. Support them and communicate honestly about what you’re going through. When you open up, people will trust you more. Being secretive or living a double life will make it harder for them to regain their trust again.

You’re probably wondering, “Do relationships get better after rehab?” As you can see, rebuilding relationships after addiction aren’t always easy. It’s going to take some time. You probably ruined a lot of relationships when you were an addict. That doesn’t have to be the case now. Be patient, take your time, and be there for them as you work to repair your relationships.

Parents of Addicted Adults

If you are a parent of an addicted adult, you want to find help for your son or daughter. Parents of addicted adults need to have a good read on the right rehab for their adult child. If you live in the western portion of the United States, you’ll want to look at drug alcohol treatment programs in the west. Arizona provides a scenic, warm and lovely place for your adult child to attend rehab. Arizona provides an excellent quality of successful rehab treatment for your adult child.

How to Deal with a Drug Addict Daughter

Our program allows your daughter to safely get off the drugs that have been holding their lives hostage. During a medically supervised detox, your daughter will receive closely monitored assistance during the drug withdrawal portion of their treatment program. Depending on your daughter’s drug of choice, she may be given legal medications to lessen the pain and discomfort of the withdrawal process. Within a week or two, her body will be free from chemical dependency, and she will be able to continue her journey of drug-free living through counseling. Encouraging and supporting your drug bound child is how to deal with a drug addict daughter.

How to Help a Drug Addict Son

Drug recovery is no different for a son than a daughter, in terms of how long it takes to recover. How can you help a drug-addicted son? By encouraging them to attend rehab and supporting them in their efforts to get clean from drugs. It takes about two weeks for an adult child to go through the detox phase of drug rehab. After having eliminated the substance from their bodies, your adult son will next attend group therapy and individual therapy to learn more about dealing with their addiction. Your adult child may also be diagnosed with a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Mental health problems are a frequent cause of drug and alcohol use and abuse. Once the mental health issue has been dealt with medically and psychologically, your addicted son stands a much higher chance of remaining clean and free from continued drug use.

Good Advice for Parents of Addicts

Advice for parents of addicts needs to come from those who are well trained and experienced in successfully dealing with families with a drug or alcohol addicted child. The best type of truly helpful advice comes from those who have dealt with addiction issues. The 12 step program is also a crucial component for recovering from drug addiction for both the adult child and his or her family. Twelve-step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous offer help for both the drug and alcohol abusers and their families. No one can be strong enough to fight drug and alcohol abuse without support. Our twelve-step meetings provide addicts and their families the support they need while they heal.

Help for Parents of Drug Addicts

Parents of drug addicts, there is help for both you and your adult addict child. At Best Rehabs In Arizona, we have helped many individuals and their families find their way back from drug and alcohol addiction. We offer tips to help your adult child stay sober for 90 days and beyond. Using these tips for success and with our assistance, you don’t have to deal with your child’s addiction issues alone. There is help for the parents of drug addicts and for their adult children. Please contact us today for more information and get help for your adult child who is addicted to drugs.

People spend thousands of dollars on alcohol. But over time, the effects of alcohol can ravage your looks. If you think you’re getting away with something by hiding your drinking, you’re wrong. You won’t be able to hide the outward effects that alcohol has on your body. Here is how alcohol affects your appearance.

Hair Loss

Alcohol depletes your hair follicles of essential minerals, including zinc. Zinc deficiency leads to hair fallout. The effects of alcohol on your hair don’t take years to show up, either. If you continue drinking, you’ll begin to notice strands of your hair falling out more frequently. If you do nothing to stop drinking, you’ll eventually have thinner hair, with noticeable scalp showing in your part line. Your hair will lose its luster and you won’t be able to style it as you used to. You might think that your hair loss is genetic, but in fact it could be due to alcohol use.

Lines and Wrinkles

Alcohol dehydrates your body, including every organ. As your body’s largest organ, your skin shows the effects of dehydration in a very obvious way. Lines and wrinkles will first start to appear where the skin is thinnest, around the eyes. As you continue to drink, your skin will develop even more lines and wrinkles, causing you to have the appearance of a much older person than your actual age. Going to alcohol rehab could be the real answer to a youthful appearance.

Sagging Skin

Because alcohol depletes vitamins and nutrients, your skin won’t be able to produce as much collagen as it needs. Collagen is the substance that is responsible for keeping your skin supple and firm. As collagen stores are depleted, the skin on your face will sage, giving you that sagging, jowly look that is usually only seen on the elderly. A Scottsdale rehab center can help you get your life back.

Yellow, Dull Eyes

When your body is healthy and you eat and drink plenty of water, the eyes are bright and shiny, with the whites of your eyes sparkling. However, because drinking alcohol severely dehydrates you, your eyes will look dull and the whites of your eyes will look yellowish instead of white.

Weight Gain

Alcohol is full of empty calories. One glass of red wine is about 125 calories. Many beers have at least 100 calories in each bottle. If you drink liquor with mixers, you not only get the excess calories from the alcohol, but from the mixers themselves. Alcohol is also full of sugars, which your body turns to stored fat. All in all, alcohol affects your appearance by making you gain weight. Some people gain all the weight in their stomach, giving them the dreaded beer gut. Others gain weight all over, including in the thighs hips and legs.

Broken Capillaries

Drinking alcohol often leads to flushing, which is when excess blood rushes to the face. This can result in overall temporary redness. Often it results in broken capillaries, particularly around the nose and cheeks. It’s almost impossible to get rid of broken capillaries, so this may be a permanent kind of disfigurement from alcohol abuse. You don’t have to fight your battle against alcohol alone. Best Rehabs In Arizona Recovery can help.

Bloating

Alcohol contains toxins that your body is not designed to handle. Your kidneys have a hard time processing the alcohol that you drink. As such, fluids build up in your body and face, causing a bloated look. This can happen even to relatively slim people. The eyelids look swollen and the whole face takes on the appearance of being bloated. This condition may continue and worsen as alcohol use continues. In Arizona at an alcohol rehab center, you can get the help you need to get off alcohol.

If you were wondering how does alcohol affect your appearance, now you know. These effects of alcohol on appearance are devastating. Even if you think no one knows about your excessive drinking, the proof is in the way you look. Alcohol makes you age faster and can cause irreversible damage over time. Contact the alcohol rehab Arizona professional recommend now.

Finding A Solution For Your Pain

When you have reached the point where you’re ready to start seeking help with your alcohol addiction, you may feel that you’re boxed in and unable to receive that help because you’re without insurance. You’re not alone. Many alcoholics and drug addicts find themselves short on money and don’t have a job that provides insurance for them. However, even without insurance, treatment is possible. You may just have to swallow your pride in order to receive the funds you need to pay for that treatment. Even that shouldn’t matter, however, when your health and your family’s stability is on the line. To find out how to attend rehab for alcohol with no insurance, read on.

1. Borrowing From Family And Friends

Treatment for alcoholism without insurance can be pricey. However, if you’re devoted to finding a way out of your pain, so you can provide a stable life for yourself and family, then you should be able to commit to the path of finding a means to pay for the rehab without insurance. One method is to borrow money from your family and friends. It may be difficult to approach them, but if they’re friends that you can count on, then they should be willing to help you out, so you can have a chance of returning to sobriety. Once sober, if you’re unemployed, you should be able to land another job and pay them back quickly. Everyone is left happy.

2. Choose The Right Rehab Center

Another to afford alcohol treatment without insurance is to do a bit of research into the centers around you. Rehab centers are typically broken down into three categories. There are the luxury rehab centers, the executive rehabcenters, and the standard rehab centers. As you might imagine, the price range differs from each one. However, they all do the same thing which is to detox your body and equip you with the resources, therapy, and tools to maintain a sober life. The only differences rest in how fancy the rehab centers are on the inside. As you might imagine, the luxury rehab centers offer a lot of plush and luxurious furniture and activities. If you’re desperate to get yourself help, then you don’t need the extra cushion. You just need a bit of guidance through your detox and therapy. As such, opting for a standard rehab center may be the best option for you. They’re certainly more affordable.

3. Look For A State-Funded Rehab Center

In addition, you can find help for alcoholics without insurance that’s provided by state-funded rehab center. These treatment centers are funded by the government, so those who seek help from them typically don’t have to pay a lot–if at all. As you might imagine, there are qualifications as to how much one may or may not need to pay, so you should check your state’s funded rehab centers and see if it fits for your situation. Typically, all you need to qualify is have proof of residence, income status, legal residence in the US, and personal information on your addiction history. Each state has their own personal requirements, too, so check to see what else you need to bring to the table.

3. Other Payment Options

Finally, you may just need to take out a loan or put the payment on a credit card to pay later. With a sober life, you can become more stable and pay for the rehab treatment with ease once you have a reliable source of income.