Prescription drug medications are crucial for keeping a person safe from the debilitating agony caused by a variety of health problems. Unfortunately, many pain medications come with a heavy price: addiction. Some, such as Dilaudid (also known as hydromorphone), are opioids. Frighteningly, over 33 million people in the country use these types of substances.

As prescription drug overdose deaths continue to rise across the nation (over 20,000 every year, according to the National Institute On Drug Abuse), it is important to understand how Dilaudid addiction begins and to have the ability to spot signs and symptoms of its abuse. The following information will give you a guide for spotting this addiction in yourself or your loved one.

What Is Dilaudid?

Dilaudid is one of the many drugs classified as “schedule II,” a classification that means it possesses the abilities to impact the pleasure centers of the brain. This makes it an opioid, and one that runs a high risk for severe psychological and physical dependence.

However, doses of two to four milligrams (in either pill or liquid form) are often used for their pain-relieving effect. In cases of serious accident, it is often given intravenously to people in comas and is particularly useful for treating the pain associated with cancer and severe burns. When taken at a safe level, it dulls the mind and central nervous system and generates a comfortable sense of ease, both physical and mental.

Unfortunately, when it is taken at high levels or for sustained periods (longer than a few weeks at a prescribed level), abuse and addiction are likely. The addictive nature of Dilaudid and its effects on the mind and body make it a particularly problematic drug to abuse.

Dilaudid is also offered under the brand names Exalgo, Palladone, and Dilaudid-hp. When it is purchased through illegal vendors, it goes by other names, including Peaches, M-80s, and Dillies.

Likely Physical Symptoms

Taking Dilaudid causes a variety of changes in your body that should be obvious quickly. When a person takes Dilaudid, their pupils will dilate, their movements will become slower and more deliberate, and they may start slurring their words. Dilaudid is a depressant, so its immediate effect is similar to alcohol or marijuana.

However, it is important to separate Dilaudid symptoms of use with those of abuse. Many of these symptoms are likely whenever a person uses Dilaudid, and when properly used, they should pass in a few hours. When a person shows a continual occurrence of the following symptoms, then they may be abusing Dilaudid:

• Drowsiness
• Lethargy
• Slowed breathing
• Blood pressure changes
• Heart palpitations
• Tremors
• Nausea
• Problems with digestion
• Dizziness and balance problems

These symptoms will come and go depending on the severity of Dilaudid abuse. For example, light use isn’t likely to cause severe heart problems, but prolonged and heavy doses could cause severe heart palpitations that could be life-threatening.

Behavioral Symptoms That Can Be Disturbing

People who are addicted to Dilaudid often go through a troubling array of personality changes that may be hard to understand. For example, they may suddenly become very angry or aggressive when you ask about Dilaudid or may obsess over their next dose. These behavioral indicators suggest that their mental focus has shifted almost entirely to using and obtaining Dilaudid.

It’s not uncommon for a person suffering from addiction to Dilaudid to change in this way. In fact, they may start ignoring or avoiding friends completely and become isolated in their own little world. Sadly, they may even get caught stealing prescription medications from other people’s cabinets or even get arrested trying to buy Dilaudid on the street.

One of the most common behavioral issues associated with Dilaudid addiction is “doctor shopping.” This is the act of going to several doctors and trying to get a prescription. If your loved one is continually complaining about and changing their doctor because they won’t prescribe them Dilaudid, they may be doctor shopping.

Withdrawal Symptoms To Watch

Your loved one may suffer from all the above symptoms without a physical addiction to Dilaudid. A true physical addiction is most notable when a person suffers from withdrawal symptoms after not using for several hours. Dilaudid withdrawal symptoms that indicate your loved one is suffering from addiction include:

• Severe and unexplained sweating
• Runny nose
• Muscle and bone pains
• Cramps
• Nausea and upset stomach
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Racing heart

If your loved one is suffering from these symptoms, rush them to the hospital right away. Don’t give them a dose of Dilaudid in these instances. It may be tempting to give them some, as you may think it would take the edge off of the problem a little.

Unfortunately, this type of withdrawal self-medication could easily cause the body to shift into an overdose reaction. Once at the hospital, your loved one can be put on a low-dose of safe replacement medicine and works through their withdrawal in a controlled manner.

Disorders That May Contribute To Dilaudid Addiction

Simply using Dilaudid doesn’t ensure that a person will become addicted. In fact, when taken as prescribed, addiction can be easily avoided. However, people with certain mental health disorders often turn to using Dilaudid due to the way it helps calm the symptoms of their disorder. If this use turns into addiction, a co-occurring disorder has developed.

As a result, people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are often discouraged from taking Dilaudid. People who have suffered from other substance use disorders in the past (particularly alcohol or opioid addiction) should also be careful about their use of Dilaudid.

Unfortunately, many people suffer from undiagnosed mental health disorders and may fall into Dilaudid abuse as a way to self-treat their illnesses. Once the claws of co-occurring disorders sink in, it can be hard to pry them loose. Thankfully, it is possible to reach sobriety when a user commits to completing drug rehab.

You Can Beat Your Addiction

Addiction to Dilaudid can feel like a hopeless problem. However, you aren’t alone, as there are people all across the country who need treatment for this substance. Please contact us today at DrugRehab.org to learn more about how we can help you beat your Dilaudid addiction and regain the life of sobriety you deserve.

For More Information Related to “Signs of Dilaudid (Hydromorphone) Abuse and Addiction” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

• Heroin and Opioid Addiction Statistics
• The Most Commonly Abused Opiates
• Is Tramadol An Opioid Analgesic?
• Using Naltrexone To Treat Opioid Addiction
• Co-Occurring Disorders: Anxiety And Addiction
• Co-Occurring Disorders: Autism And Addiction

One of the least discussed problems that often plagues drug addiction is the creation of codependent relationships. If you’re in a relationship with someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you need to understand if your relationship falls under this banner.

It’s also important that you understand how to break the codependency cycle and get your loved one into a recovery environment. This process is not only important for your loved one, but for you as well, as it can create a more stable relationship environment and help you live a happier and more fulfilling life.

What Are Codependent Relationships?

Relationships that are codependent are highly dysfunctional and emotionally manipulative. Basically, they are relationships in which both people rely heavily on one another for emotional stability. You might think that all relationships require a balance of emotional attachment, but codependent relationships go a step further.

A typical codependent relationship consists of one person who uses the other to achieve their own personal needs. For example, in a relationship with drug addiction, the person addicted might manipulate their partner to get drugs or provide a place in which to live. It goes beyond merely getting help, though, and becomes a way to justify and enable negative behaviors, such as continued drug use.

The second person in this relationship is the “giver” and they do everything that the other person asks. Usually, they have problems with self-esteem and want to help people in any way they can in order to feel loved. As a result, they enable their loved one’s continued bad behavior in exchange for still having them as a partner.

If this sounds like you, you aren’t alone. Millions of people across the nation are currently in codependent relationships, including relationships that involve drug abuse and addiction. Not only is there a way out, but there are ways to break free from codependency while maintaining a relationship. First, it’s important to identify whether or not your relationship truly counts as codependent.

Behaviors Typical Of Codependent Relationships

People who enable drug abuse in a codependent relationship often follow a series of personality traits and behaviors, including:

• Heavy guilt
• Drive to please or “fix” others
• Difficulty setting boundaries
• Ridiculous and excessive emotional reactions
• Problems with rejection
• Control-freak personality traits

Basically, enablers are willing to put the needs of others before their own and are desperate to stay in the relationship. As a result, they will bend over backward to help a loved one continue their drug use and even ignore the negative consequences of their actions.

Conversely, the “users” in a codependent relationship have their own set of traits and personality behaviors, including:

• Childishness
• Emotional neediness
• Constant need to know where their partner’s whereabouts
• Jealousy and anger control
• Manipulative and controlling personality traits

“But,” you say, “my loved one never had those traits before they started using drugs.” That doesn’t matter. If your addicted loved one is using right now, it may be changing his or her behavior. Remember that people who are addicted to drugs are often desperate to continue their use and can become entirely different people as a result.

How Drug Use Can Fuel Codependent Relationships

Drug use and addiction can cause a variety of situations that can lead to codependency, including the following problems and how you solve them:

• Loss of job (creates a need for funds for drugs)
• Home loss (makes your home an important place to stay)
• Driver’s license suspension (need for a driver)
• Isolation from other friends and family members (no one else to whom they can turn)

Basically, drug use forces your loved one to become reliant on you in an almost child-like way. You need to buy them food (and drugs), give them a place to live, drive them where they need to go, and provide constant companionship. They will want to know where you’re at at all times and are likely to demand difficult things from you in order to make you “prove your love.”

Your role in this relationship is just as complex and difficult. Likely, you want to help your loved one get out of the rut of drug addiction and back on their feet. So you’re willing to do anything you can to help. However, you may also have been embarrassed by their addiction and work hard to try to cover it up. Rather than alienating you from your loved one, it will make you feel like a parent and a caregiver.

As a result, you’ll start enabling them to do anything they want as they become something like a spoiled brat. Part of you feels satisfaction at helping them, but also frustration at their helplessness, fear from their addiction, and depression in regard to them not getting any better. As their addiction increases in severity, they may become abusive and treat you in an awful manner as a result of these codependency issues.

Unfortunately, abuse like this often makes people feel worthless and keeps them stuck to the abuser for a long time. And that’s the major truth about codependency. Codependency is a form of two-way abuse that hurts both members equally. While you’re being taken advantage of by your loved one, your behaviors are only enabling them to stay addicted. That’s why you need to break the cycle.

Breaking The Codependency Cycle

Codependency is a bad cycle that can seem impossible to break. If you’re in a codependent relationship, you know the kind of emotional and even physical bonds they impose. Breaking through a codependent cycle is the first step in getting your loved one help and the initial phase in that process is identifying the causes of codependency. Codependency has a wide variety of causes, including:

• Self-esteem problems
• Anxiety in social situation
• Abuse (verbal, emotional, or even sexual)
• Emotional attachment to a person or situation
• Actual physical need for a person (such as need of a home or food)
• Feeling like you need to take care of a person

These influences can be present in one or both parties, but codependency requires both partners actively supporting it. For example, you may feel that your loved one would die of a drug overdose without you there to monitor their use or buy them safe and clean substances. On this same note, perhaps your loved one relies on your money to buy their drugs or alcohol.

So how can you break the cycle of codependency? You need to have the personal strength to stand up to your loved one and tell them you’re no longer going to support their drug habit. Tell them they have to either quit using and get back on their feet or you will walk out the door. You are creating a sense of consequences for their actions and you have to go through with them.

This isn’t going to be easy! They are going to cry, wheedle, beg, and try to manipulate you into not going through with it. They will be desperate to both keep you and their drug and will make a lot of promises and excuses. You need to hold them accountable for it and go through with your consequences if they fail.

What you’ll find is that your loved one will immediately commit themselves to recovering from addiction. This is a major first step for both of you. Not only have you finally said “no” and broken the cycle of codependency, but they are willing to break their own cycle by getting help. Now the next step requires actually getting that help.

Helping Your Loved One Get Help

Once you’ve got your loved one ready to accept help for their addiction, you need to do what you can to help keep them out of the rut of addiction. This is also crucial for your personal needs as you have to identify the traits that allowed you to fall into this type of relationship and how you can avoid it in the future.

The process of treating a dual diagnosis may be necessary for this situation. Dual diagnosis applications of treatment apply to both mental health disorders and addiction at the same time by assessing both in one patient and utilizing powerful treatment methods, such as psychological counseling, withdrawal treatment, and behavioral adjustment techniques.

Due to the unique relationship dynamic, you will be heavily involved in your loved one’s recovery. It can help teach both of you how to avoid falling victim to codependency in the future. It might even be able to save your relationship. However, neither of you can fall back into the groove of codependency or all that help will be for nothing.

Turn To Us For Help

Breaking codependency can help you get the self-confidence you need to say “no” and can get your loved one into the treatment they need to life a healthy and drug-free life. To learn more about the process of dual diagnosis and anything else involved with rehab, please contact us at DrugRehab.org today. We can get you the help you need to fuel recovery.

The nature of addiction is one that has plagued medical experts for decades. Experts now understand that it is not a moral failing, but a disease that can be treated. But debates have raged about whether it is a disease that can be prevented. Many prevention programs have suffered in finding an appropriate approach and have been either defunded or no longer operate.

However, a major blow was dealt to prevention skeptics recently when President Obama announced that he and the nation were going to do their part in helping to prevent the disease of addiction. We are happy to hear this, as we’re major believers in prevention.

That’s why we’re going to help you understand why the president’s investment in prevention is worth it. It can also help you understand how to keep your children free from drugs.

How Prevention Is Being Increased

Obama’s statement came after he announced the way he plans on boosting the presence of drug prevention in the country. For example, he plans on  providing $11 million dollars to states to help increase their medication-assisted treatment effectiveness. This money is going to focus especially on treating opiate and opioid addiction and used primarily to help withdrawal symptoms.

Other methods he is planning on utilizing include:

• Increasing the number of patients a doctor can treat with buprenorphine (an opiate withdrawal medicine)
• Giving $11 million to help states boost their use of naloxone (reverse the effects of opiods)
• Creating a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Take Force

We’re not interested in dwelling on the political reasons for this decision and how it might impact the current economy. However, it is worth noting that the president (and other drug experts) are convinced that addiction is preventable. But is this true?

The Difficulties Of Drug Prevention

We believe that addiction is fully possible, but it has to be approached properly. Many prevention programs focus on trying to scare people away from drug use by using over-the-top claims or scare tactics that are a little too hard for most people to believe. This is especially true of children and preteens (the primary focus of most prevention efforts): while some very young children will be afraid, others will simply laugh it off.

That’s why anti-drug television ads that portrayed drug pushers as literal snakes have become infamous Internet memes: they go too far. They are too silly. However, it’s also true that simply listing the health problems caused by drugs may be too abstract or oblique for many people to understand. Being told that heroin use will increase your risk of heart disease is scary, but not threatening enough.

So where does that leave us? We’ve dismissed scare tactics as being too simplistic and unbelievable to be effective. And yet, we also believe that dryly stating drug statistics and side effects is too underwhelming. How in the world can you prevent addiction? By understanding where it originates and working against those impulses, you can help your child avoid the dangers of addiction.

The Influences On Addiction

There are a variety of reasons that people turn to drugs and alcohol. While occasional use may not be a problem, that can quickly turn to abuse and addiction due to the following problems. Dealing with these situations is a major challenge, but it can go a long way towards preventing addiction:

• Genetics – If people in your family have struggled with drug use in the past, your child may run into the same patterns. Set a good example by avoiding drug and alcohol use: children learn by watching your behavior and you can help keep them clean.
• Trauma –  Childhood can be a traumatic place and your child may turn to drug to alleviate trauma symptoms. So if they’ve experienced a traumatic incident (such as a fight, sexual, verbal, or physical abuse, neglect, natural disasters, or a car accident), immediately get them psychological help.
• Peer pressure – Everyone wants to fit in with their friends and your children may feel the pull of drug use from their friends. Teaching a child independence of opinion and self-respect goes a long way towards combating peer pressure.
• Depression and anxiety – Psychological problems impact a wide range of children and their immature minds don’t know how to process these emotions. As a result, they often turn to drugs to self-medicate. Offer your children a support system and counseling, if necessary.

The prevention programs prescribed by the president are planning on helping you and your child identify these problems and to find healthy ways to implement them in their life. However, as a parent, we believe you are the most important step in prevention and that you can keep your child clean and healthy by showing them the love, respect, and support they deserve.

Preventing Your Own Addiction

What, though, if you are worried about preventing your own addiction. As an adult, you have access to a wide range of addictive substances, and might even occasionally use. That’s not a major problem (though you should quit), but if you’re worried that addiction is threatening to impact your life, it’s worth taking a moment to understand why you turn to substances.

Are you trying to deal with stress in your life or do you suffer from emotional problems? Be honest here: we know it’s hard, but it’s crucial. Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol is a problem at any age and you need to help nip that problem in the bud by following a few simple steps:

• Cope with stress in a healthy way, such as meditating, exercising, or keeping a journal
• Meet with friends and loved ones in a healthy and sober environment
• Visit a counselor or psychiatrist to express your emotional problems>
• Find something you care deeply about and focus your life on it (such as religion or art)
• Discover what makes you happy and maximize it in your life
• Talk to friends or family members who have recovered from addiction
• Visit addiction coping groups to build an understanding support group

With these simple steps, you can reverse your abuse and stop it from turning into an addiction. There’s no better way to prevent addiction than respecting yourself and surrounding yourself with people who love and respect you. The lure of drugs will be virtually non-existent at that point.

Living A Drug-Free Life

By following these steps, you can gain the drug-free life that you deserve. For more information, please contact us at DrugRehab.org. We can help you prevent addiction in yourself or a loved one.

For More Information, Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

• Environmental Risk Factors for Developing an Addiction
• Gene Therapy For Addiction
• What Is Pseudoaddiction?
• Social Learning Theory Of Addiction Treatment
• Am I Addicted?
• The Effect Of Addiction On The Family

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental condition characterized by phases of elevated energy levels (mania), and severe depression. These phases can last weeks or even months. These debilitating symptoms drastically interfere with the function of those living with bipolar disorder, often leading sufferers to self-medicate with illegal drugs. Unfortunately, this can hinder treatment and further complicate this agonizing condition.

Mania And Depression

A person with bipolar disorder often swings between two extreme states of mind and body: mania and depression. In mania, they are full of excessive energy and feel powerful and full of life. Depending on the person, this state may be positive or negative. Often, people feel an overwhelming impulsiveness that pushes them to do dangerous things, such as use drugs.

By contrast, a person with bipolar will feel depression. In this state, they lack energy and feel exhausted with life. They often long to regain the excitement they feel during their “manic” phases. As a result, they may self-medicate with illegal substances.

Substance Abuse With Bipolar Treatment

In conjunction with specialized therapy, symptoms of bipolar disorder can be alleviated with medication. While there is no known cure for bipolar disorder, sufferers may find relief in physician-aided treatment. When treatment is met with mind-altering substances, it is difficult to properly treat the condition.

Many substances cause bipolar-like symptoms, such as: mania, anxiety, irrationality, or depression, Additional substances can also cause adverse effects if taken with bipolar medication, making the condition more difficult to manage.

Addiction Takes A Toll On Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder varies in symptoms and severity. Some people with bipolar disorder function fairly well with treatment and medication, but others struggle in spite of diligent effort. Many are predisposed to impulse control and addictive behavior. These symptoms can amplify any desire to find relief through illegal substances. Some effects of substance abuse with bipolar disorder include:

• Amplified highs (mania), sometimes resulting in psychosis.
• Uncharacteristically deep depression, and heightened risk of suicide.
• Intensified withdrawal symptoms – agitation, headaches, etc.
• Prescribed medication and therapeutic treatment interference.
• Disengagement from friends, family, and community.
• Financial duress.

Bipolar comes with its own set of adversities. Many people suffering with bipolar disorder experience feelings of isolation and displacement as a result of the illness. Addiction alone can have the same effect. The hardships often become completely unmanageable when the two afflictions are combined.

How To Help

When a loved one is suffering from bipolar disorder, treatment is a positive step towards recovery. If you suspect a loved one is struggling with addiction, there are ways you can help them get back on track:

• Observe your loved one. Listen for sudden changes in mood and behavior, as uncharacteristic behavior could be a sign of trouble.
• Create an open line of communication. Allow your loved one to open up about any problems that could be causing these changes.
• If a loved one opens up about drug use, do not guilt, scold, or lecture. Instead, try a proactive approach. Ask questions, and offer to help find resources. Support change, but never be sworn to secrecy.
• Ask help from trusted family and friends, mentors, clergy, or clinicians. If intervention is necessary, consider the stability of your loved one and never try to fix this problem alone. Offer well-researched options for a solution.

The best way to regain control of the situation is to find a solution, and follow through with treatment. When someone with bipolar disorder is struggling with addiction, the support of loved ones can make all of the difference in rehabilitation.

We Can Help

Addiction does not have to be a “way of life” for anyone. If you or someone you know is struggling, many options exist to help regain control. The caring staff at DrugRehab.org is here to listen, answer questions, and offer solutions to get you on the path to recovery. Contact us today.

Drug and alcohol abuse inflicts a great deal of damage on a life. In addition to the ways it disrupts your social and professional spheres it can devastate your body, damage your health, and even cause an array of illnesses or diseases.

How Drug or Alcohol Abuse Damages Your Immune System

Your immune system is the body’s foremost line of defense. The use and consumption of drugs or alcohol offsets this important system, paving the way for illness and disease to take root. Substance abuse begets a pattern of use that exerts a toxic burden on your body, compromising your body’s balance.

Substance abuse often leaves an individual suffering from malnourishment—the body is depleted of vital nutrients and chemicals from the prolonged exposure to the drug. Additionally, with the poor diet and sporadic eating habits that often accompanies substance abuse, a person is left without many of the additional nutrients and chemicals that should be obtained through proper eating and nutrition.

This malnourishment depletes a person’s levels of anti-oxidants which are elemental in helping the body combat stress and cellular damage, while also strengthening the immune system. Anti-oxidants are essential in fighting carcinogenic compounds; alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are all responsible for introducing carcinogens into the body.

Alcohol Use

Consuming alcohol on a regular basis can upset your body’s natural equilibrium. According to the CDC, even moderate drinking can increase your risk of disease, including breast cancer. Alcohol use can cause nerve damage, anemia, rosacea, gout, erectile dysfunction (ED), alcoholic gastritis, and hepatitis. Some of the more severe diseases caused by drinking include:

• Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD): The liver is at the forefront of your body’s systems for processing alcohol. After years of heavy drinking, inflammation and scarring can occur, followed by cirrhosis. If this disease has not progressed to cirrhosis, the liver can heal if the drinking ceases. However, in its worst stages, cirrhosis of the liver may require a liver transplant. ALD can be more common in women.
• Cancer: Alcohol flushes your body with toxins and impairs proper blood circulation, which in turn deprives your body of the crucial oxygen and nutrients it needs to maintain cellular health and function. In addition, it is believed that the risk of cancer increases the body’s conversion of alcohol into the carcinogenic compound acetaldehyde.
• Cardiovascular Disease: Both heavy and binge drinking increase the body’s risk of high blood pressure and also the production of blood clots. Cardiomyopathy, atrial, and ventricular fibrillation can also result from heavy drinking.
• Damage To The Nervous System and Brain: Alcohol disrupts the transmission of impulses within both the brain and nervous system and can cause: psychological issues, trembling, anxiety and reduced intellectual capacity. Prolonged exposure to excessive alcohol causes severe vascular impairment, brain atrophy, and a drastic reduction in levels of vitamin B-1, an essential nutrient for proper brain function.
• Diabetes: Alcohol is rich in calories and consuming excess amounts increases obesity risk and the risk for diabetes. Excessive drinking decreases your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which can create a predisposition to Type 2 diabetes. Severe alcohol abuse can also create chronic pancreatitis, which impairs the body’s ability to produce adequate levels of insulin.
• Pancreatitis: Continued alcohol abuse can result in intense and sometimes irreversible damage to the this organ, including disrupted digestive processes due to inflammation, malabsorption and jaundice. In the worst case scenario, chronic pancreatitis can increase your risk factor for pancreatic cancer and diabetes.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Alcohol, if consumed during a woman’s pregnancy can cause damage in utero, resulting in a group of conditions called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe of these and is one of the leading causes of birth defects in the U.S.

Cigarette Use

Sadly, cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. This number is more than the combined totals of: HIV, illegal drug and alcohol use, and injuries sustained from motor vehicle or firearm-related accidents. Smoking is responsible for: increased blood pressure, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, stroke, coronary heart disease, COPD, and various cancers.

According to the CDC, smoking is responsible for increasing the risk of death from all causes, and causes 90% of lung cancer deaths and 80% of deaths from COPD.

Cocaine can cause an increased risk in heart disease, due to the constant overexertion of the heart muscle. It can also cause high blood pressure and tachycardia, which in turn increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks. The risk of cancer increases particularly for those that freebase.

Benzodiazepines have sedative properties and are generally prescribed for anti-anxiety purposes. Overuse and abuse can cause fatal blood clots, which may lead to stroke, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction (ED), and birth defects in children born from addicted and pregnant mothers.

Ketamine is a powerful narcotic and long-term use can cause vacuoles to form in the brain, which affect cognitive, learning, and memory processes. These are known as Olney’s lesions.

LSD and Ecstasy can both cause depression and Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), which produces flashbacks and a dysphoric state. Unfortunately, it may persist for months or years.

PCP can cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and chronic use may cause seizures or even paralysis.

Inhalant Abuse can to lead chronic bronchitis, grand mal seizures, heart complications, tachycardia, damage to other major organ systems. Other problems include damage to the brain, bone marrow, lungs, liver and kidneys, and most severely, Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome.

Marijuana can hold an intense psychological addiction. Smoking this drug can increase your chances of depression, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.

New studies show that its linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, as it contains at least 50 of the same harmful carcinogens as cigarettes. There has been some evidence to suggest that smoking cannabis increases your risk of bladder, testicular, mouth, throat, or esophagus. Additionally, pairing this drug use with alcohol and/or cigarettes can increase your risk even more.

Opiate Addiction has been known to cause: depression, with an increased risk of suicide, infections such as cellulitis, seizure, and heart troubles. It can also include infections of both the valves and lining of the heart, endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart’s lining that causes the valves to rupture, atrial fibrillation, and an increased risk of heart attack.

Using these drugs while pregnant can cause great distress to the fetus with a higher instance of stillbirth. When the child is born, they will likely suffer neonatal abstinence syndrome, which is essentially when the newborn struggles with withdrawal symptoms. These children also may suffer from reduced birth weight, seizures, problems feeding, an exposed spinal cord, hydrocephaly, glaucoma, gastroenteritis, and different heart defects.

Injection of these drugs hosts a myriad of complications, including but not limited to: abscesses, collapsed veins, and sepsis. Also, HIV and hepatitis can be transmitted from the needle-sharing that occurs within use of these drugs.

Amphetamine Addiction causes serious disarray to a wide-variety of the body’s systems. Damage occurs in the following ways: degradation of your eyesight, anorexia, insomnia, hyperactivity, hypertension, stunted growth, increased urinary tract infections and dermotasis. Both liver and heart disease have been linked to prolonged amphetamine use.

Meth Addiction is implicated in heart disease, stroke, liver damage, and lung disease; it can cause hypertension and suppresses the immune system in a capacity that makes a person more susceptible to various illness and diseases, including cancer. Users may also experience intense depression and manic episodes.

Contact Us For More Information

Alcohol and drug use, whether recreational or habitual, carries an increased risk of harm to your body. If you have any questions about these drugs, or the subsequent illnesses or diseases that may result from their use, please don’t hesitate to contact us at DrugRehab.org today.

In the early stages of rehabilitation, those in recovery can experience a great deal of adverse symptoms. Unfortunately, sleep can be severely interrupted as a result of the changes that detox entails. While medically-assisted detoxification can help ease some discomfort, rebound insomnia can still be a challenge in early recovery.

How Do Drugs Cause Rebound Insomnia?

Over time, drug dependency disturbs the production of normal hormones in the body that promote sleep. As a result, your body can become dependant on these substances for sleep. And when you stop taking these substances, you may fall into an insomniac state known as “rebound insomnia.”

The sedative qualities found in drugs such as sleeping pills, marijuana, alcohol, opioids, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines can cause rebound insomnia. The body is forced to rest without the aid of substance sedation, creating a lapse in the body’s natural sleep cycle.

Symptoms Of Insomnia

Insomnia can be identified as transient (lasting a few nights), short-term (less than 10 nights), and chronic (months or years). Trouble falling or staying asleep, broken sleep, or staying awake for days can lead to many additional ailments. Some of the significant symptoms of insomnia include:

• Loss of concentration and memory
• Fatigue
• Weight gain due to decreased activity and calorie overcompensation
• Increased anxiety and depression from exhaustion
• Headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and agitation

Beyond these problems, sleep deprivation can be a serious detriment to overall well-being. In addition to good nutrition and exercise, adequate rest can greatly improve the quality of life during treatment. Identifying the symptoms of insomnia can help the sufferer take steps to find relief.

Treatment And Care

Rebound insomnia can cause relapse and while personal changes in daily life can be beneficial, medical and psychological intervention may be necessary. Relaxation can be difficult when recovering from addiction and withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable, making it very hard to rest. Some of the recommended treatment methods for insomnia include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety
• Restful yoga and meditation
• Daily exercise
• Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine
• Start to “wind down” an hour before bedtime (shut off TV/computer/phone) screens, dim lights, play soft music, etc.)
• Check prescription medications for side effects – consider alternatives with your doctor if medications cause excitability
• Limit sugar intake throughout the day
• Avoid eating or drinking before bed
• Stay hydrated
• Eat small meals throughout the day to curb reflux or gastrointestinal discomfort
• Create a reasonable sleep schedule
• Avoid rewarding yourself with things like television or surfing the internet when you can’t sleep
• Make your sleep space comfortable
• Take a warm bath before bed
• Massage, acupuncture, or acupressure

Finding relief from insomnia can make all of the difference in recovery. Over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids can cause dependency when used long-term, but may be considered if rebound insomnia is interfering with treatment. Be sure to discuss any medications with your doctor before use.

We Can Help

The rehabilitation process can be greatly improved with adequate rest. If you or a loved one is suffering from rebound insomnia, you may need help finding relief. The caring staff at DrugRehab.org is here to help you find the right treatment options for a good night’s sleep.

Our understanding of the correlation between mental health and substance abuse has greatly improved over the years. In the event that drug use is accompanied by suicidal thoughts, specialized treatment is essential. Understanding the relationship between drug use and suicide can help decipher the necessary level of care and intervention.

Altered Perception

Addiction creates many biological changes in the chemistry of the brain and can can cause altered perceptions. This distortion of reality can both amplify depressed feelings and convince someone that suicide will fix the problem.

Additionally, the “highs” experienced during drug use can create an altered perception of happiness. If the body needs an unnatural boost in serotonin to stay happy, the lack of this boost (once the drug has worn off) will feel unnaturally low. Initial withdrawal from any given substance also cause severe side effects, altering their overall mental health.

Interpersonal Struggle

Relationships and interests often struggle as a result of addiction, intensifying the “lows” experienced in drug use. Things that were once important become significantly less fulfilling and behavior toward others can cause significant guilt. When this guilt is too much to handle, drug use is often intensified. This cycle may lead to suicidal tendencies.

Identifying Risk

Drug use can trigger many mental health issues, such as mania, anxiety, depression, or psychosis. The best way to determine if a loved one is at risk of suicide is to observe and listen for signs, such as:

• Threats of suicide
• Focus on death and dying
• Giving items away
• Preexisting mental health disorders
• Past attempts at suicide
• Hopelessness
• Increased substance use
• Impulsive, promiscuous, or dangerous behavior
• Loss of job or home
• Emotional vacancy
• Increased use of drugs or alcohol

If you suspect that a loved one is at risk for suicide, it is important to find help as soon as possible. Substance abuse can cause unpredictable behavior, increasing the risk of suicide.

How To Help

When a loved one is living with addiction, they may experience intense feelings of desperation and hopelessness. Opening up may be very difficult, but it’s very helpful if openly approached. If suicide is a concern, there are ways to help:

• Take any indication or threat seriously
• Refrain from guilt, blame, lecture, or judgment
• Encourage communication
• Offer reassurance
• Acknowledge the realness of suicidal thoughts

Never hesitate to share your concern about your loved one with someone who will help (e.g. therapist, mentor, clergy, etc.). Remember that the impulsive effects of drug use can increase suicide risk. So even if your interpretation is wrong, it is better to be safe than sorry.

We Can Help

Suicide and substance abuse are commonly connected. This unfortunate reality may leave loved ones struggling for answers. Thankfully, our caring staff at DrugRehab.org is ready to offer you guidance during this difficult time. Contact us today.

If you are struggling from an opiate addiction, you are not alone. In 2013, 2.4 million people abused or were dependent on opioids such as painkillers and heroin. Many people have turned Suboxone to recover from addiction. This medicine helps safely simulate the sensation provided by opiates and can help you slowly and safely withdraw. However, the side effects of suboxone mean that you can’t use it forever.

Side Effects

Although Suboxone is a useful medication for those suffering from opiate addiction, some find the side effects associated with the drug unpleasant. Some common side effects are: sleep disturbance, dizziness, confusion, nausea, headaches, and stomach pain. While these side effects are rare and usually tolerable, it’s important to keep track of their severity. Discuss it with your doctor to help create a timetable for lowering your doses.

Finding The Right Dose

Before quitting suboxone, the first thing that is recommended is talking with your doctor about your dose. The goal of Suboxone therapy is not to keep you on the lowest dose, but the correct dose. Talk to your doctor about what the proper dosage should be for you, and if you are talking a lower dose, see if you can increase your dose. Have a doctor monitor your progress with an increased dose and see if it helps with your overall well-being.

But how do you know if you are taking the right dose? Doctors mention that the way to tell if you are taking the right dose is that you feel the same both before and after taking the medication. If you feel any difference in your dose, then it’s not the proper dosage and should be adjusted accordingly. An average dose of Suboxone (buprenorphine) is about 16mg each day and some patients need 24mg per day.

Tapering Off

Doctors will generally start lowering your dose of dose of Suboxone once you start feeling normal and balanced. Generally, you can stay on Suboxone for lengthy periods of time without suffering from too many negative side effects. However, you should start tapering off your dosage if you fit the following criteria:

• You are over 30
• Your confidence is higher
• Employment has become stable and consistent
• A support system has been put into place for you emotionally
• Cravings have become almost absent

As Suboxone treatment and addiction is so individualized, there’s no general timetable for quitting. Some people may only need it a few months, while others may require it for a year or more. It’s important to play the situation by ear.

How Can I Get Off Suboxone?

Once you and your doctor have decided to wean you off Suboxone, you need to take the situation slowly. Your doctor will need to monitor your progress: in fact, you may need to be monitored anywhere between four to six weeks or five to six months as your doctor lowers your dose.

During this time, your doctor should meet with you weekly to monitor your progress. And after you are completely off Suboxone, your doctor should check in with you two months after your last dose to make sure everything is going well.

Attend an inpatient or outpatient treatment facility is often a good idea for many people getting off Suboxone. There you can receive more counseling and psychosocial treatment for your addiction. At some clinics, you can taper your dose down to 2mg within 8-10 days. While at an inpatient facility, they may give you a monthly Suboxone injection to prevent relapse.

Contact Us

Struggling from an opiate addiction or with a Suboxone treatment can feel frustrating. Be sure to talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns regarding your Suboxone treatment. Or contact us at DrugRehab.org. We can also help you find alternative treatments to help you recover from your opiate addiction.

Naloxone (also referred to as Narcan) is a synthetic drug that is similar to morphine and is used to treat opioid overdosing in emergency situations. This has been the drug of choice to treat overdoses in ambulances and hospitals for many decades.

Currently, there is an opioid epidemic nationwide. In 2013, 100 Americans died each day due to overdoses. Over 44,000 Americans die each year due to accidental drug overdosing and most of these deaths are attributed to opioids. Naloxone, however, has fortunately saved many lives. But can this life saving drug be bought without a prescription?

Know The Facts

When a person uses an opioid, the drug binds to certain receptors in the central nervous system. Once taken, the drug has a pain relieving effect, which can result in an addictive high. Some examples of opioids include prescription drugs such as oxycodone or hydrocodone and even illicit drugs such as heroin. Opioid addiction is described federally as a progressive yet treatable brain disease.

Drug addiction is a mental health issue because drugs change the way our brain functions and this is why reaching out for professional help is absolutely necessary. Addiction needs to be treated the same way other brain disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, or PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) also need to be treated professionally.

Here are some fast facts you need to know about drug addiction and opioid addiction in America:

• 24.6 million people 12 or older (which accounts for 9.4 percent of the population) struggle with any form of substance dependence or abuse
• 1.9 million Americans have prescription opioid abuse or dependence
• 517,000 Americans have a heroin addiction
• Opioid addiction can happen to anyone. Opioid addiction occurs in every U.S. state, socio-economic status, county, and ethnic group
• 46 Americans die each day due to prescription opioid overdoses which accounts for 17,000 deaths per year

How Does Naloxone Work?

When an opioid attaches to receptors in the brain, it blocks brain signals that control breathing. After Naloxone is administered to an overdosed individual, the drug kicks the opioids out of the receptors and allows the patient to start breathing again within minutes. Naloxone also reverses the effects of a patient’s loss of consciousness, slowed breathing, or even extreme drowsiness.

Do I Need A Prescription For Naloxone?

Can you buy Naloxone without a prescription? The answer is either yes or no depending on which state you live in currently. While Naloxone can be obtained by a prescription, CVS Pharmacy just announced in September 2015 that they are expanding access of the opioid antidote and will be offering it over-the-counter in more states.

It used to be that only residents in Rhode Island and Massachusetts were able to buy Naloxone over-the-counter. However, CVS believes that by expanding the number of states that offer Naloxone over-the-counter, they can help save lives. Naloxone can be administered through a nasal spray and also in an injectable form. Prices of the injectable form and nasal spray vary between states.

In addition to Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the new states added to the antidote expansion that are currently permitted to buy Naloxone over-the-counter (without a prescription) include the following:

• Arkansas
• California
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• New Jersey
• North Dakota
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Wisconsin

What If My State Is Not On The List?

If you currently live in a state that does not offer Naloxone over-the-counter, you will still need to obtain it by a prescription for the time being. However, CVS Pharmacy stores are looking to expand their over-the-counter program to even more states.

And some smaller and independent chains such as Walgreens are also selling Naloxone without a prescription. Ask your local pharmacist if you have any questions if Naloxone can be obtained by a prescription or over-the-counter in your area. The list of states and areas that offer Naloxone over-the-counter will continue to expand and be updated accordingly.

Contact Us

Struggling from an opioid addiction is a journey you don’t need to walk alone. Reach out to us today and we’ll help you find the best treatment that is right for you. While Naloxone can be used in emergency overdosing situations, it should not be the only form of addiction treatment.

Treatment needs to include professional help to end addiction and start a sober lifestyle. Treatment should encompass healing of a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and maybe even spiritual aspects of their lives as well.

Don’t wait for an emergency situation. Seek help today. Contact us now at DrugRehab.org.

Roughly 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs, but only 11% with an addiction get the treatment they need. Drug abuse is on the rise today in the United States and addiction can happen to anyone. Maybe your friend has been addicted to drugs and is crying out for help. Or maybe a significant other or loved one is battling drug addiction and you just don’t know what to do. How can you help someone stop using drugs? Your role is very important and there are many things you can do to help someone stop using drugs.

Observe Their Behaviors

If you haven’t done so already and just suspect substance abuse, you may want to observe the behaviors of the individual first. (Note that if your situation is an emergency, don’t observe behaviors, but act and contact your local emergency room or contact us now).

A part of observing behaviors is also educating yourself on the signs and symptoms of substance abuse. If you are unsure that substance abuse is taking place, be sure to share your observations with friends, family, or a counselor. If they agree they have also seen the individual engage in similar behaviors and are concerned, an intervention/conversation is now necessary.

Some common signs of drug abuse include:

• Smell of drugs on clothing or breath
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Loss of interest in favorite activities they once enjoyed
• Hanging out with people that influence them negatively
• Showing up to work or other events intoxicated
• Stealing money from others to fund their addiction
• Making excuses for their behaviors
• Struggling with work, home, or school life
• Struggling with relationships
• Having problems with finances
• Being secretive
• Unkempt appearance
• Having others cover for their behavior
• Using drugs as a poor coping mechanism to numb the pain of abuse or other negative life events

Start A Conversation

Once you have observed their behaviors, it’s time to talk with the struggling individual and express your concerns. Since you have noticed their behaviors, you will have specific examples to provide if they individual denies abusing drugs. Be sure to talk to the individual privately and without distractions. Also be sure that when you have your conversation that the struggling individual is sober. Talking to a person about your concerns while intoxicated will not bring positive results.

You may want to consider having a friend or other loved ones attend your conversation to ensure safety for everyone. One of the best ways to address the problem is with a counselor present in the room. A counselor can help professionally guide the conversation between you and the struggling individual. The counselor can also help provide a safe environment where everyone can feel comfortable.

The Earlier, The Better

It’s a common myth in movies and TV shows that struggling individuals have to hit “rock bottom” before they should seek help. That is farthest from the truth. The earlier you intervene and can get help for the individual, the better. Research has shown that early identification of the problem can yield better results in providing a more effective solution to drug addiction.

Early identification happens before a major traumatic event (such as losing a job due to drug abuse, dropping out of school, overdosing, etc.). Identification can be done through screening by a local counselor, family member, or medical professional. The sooner the drug addiction is addressed, the better.

Don’t Wait

You might think you should wait until the person asks for help on their own before taking action. This is not true. Many people struggling from addiction do not recognize there is a problem or deny something is wrong. While under the influence of alcohol and drugs, the mind behaves differently. Addiction clouds the thoughts of struggling individuals and they may never openly ask for help. This is why your attention to the problem is necessary. Don’t wait for the individual to ask for help. Discuss your concerns and let them know you will be there for them as you look for treatment centers together.

Look For Treatment

After you have discussed your concerns with them, it’s time to look for treatment options together. Remember that no one type of treatment works for everyone. Each situation is unique and what might have worked for someone else, may not work for their specific situation. If you are unsure of where to begin, we suggest looking into inpatient rehabs. Inpatient rehabs require patients to stay from 30-90 days, depending on their addiction. The CDC recommends patients stay the full 90 days in order to reap the most benefits out of treatment. Patients also will double your rate of success if they stay at an inpatient facility.

If you are considering outpatient facilities, these are typically better as aftercare options, after an individual has completed an inpatient stay. Outpatient facilities do not require individuals to stay overnight at a facility and only require patients to meet a few hours a day, a few days a week. If an individual is worried about missing work or home responsibilities, an outpatient program might be a great place to start, depending on the severity of the addiction.

Observe Your Behaviors

You also need to observe your own behaviors. Are you engaging in anything that is enabling your friend or loved one? Do you give the struggling individual money for their addiction if they ask? Do you cover for their behaviors? Do you attend events with the struggling individual that involves drugs? Are you forgiving the individual too easily when they make mistakes regarding drug abuse, only to have them repeat the behavior? Do you ignore the problem?

If you are engaging in these behaviors or others, stop immediately. Letting the individual know that you will stop enabling them will help push them to seek help. Supporting a sober lifestyle is a great way to be a positive influence in that person’s life. And you never want to ignore the problem. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away and will not make things better. Face the problem and seek help.

Contact Us

While you can’t force someone to go to rehab, there are many things you can do to help someone stop using drugs. Your decision to help support them through their recovery journey is paramount to their success. Your friend or loved one will look to you for encouragement and support. Right now, you might be feeling overwhelmed, but we can help. Our staff is ready to answer any questions you have. We can help you find the right treatment option for your friend or loved one. Contact us now.

Drug addiction is a problem that impacts a wide spectrum of people. It isn’t limited to just the cliched “drug addict” trope you see on bad television and in movies. It is a real medical problem that must be treated carefully and one increasingly popular method is checking into a luxury rehab center. These facilities offer people like you the chance to recover in a more luxurious environment.

Ways Luxury Drug Rehab Is Different

Luxury drug rehabilitation offers a lot of comforting services you don’t find in other inpatient or outpatient clinics. They are designed for people who want to relax and experience extreme comfort during a difficult and trying period. Typical services you might find in a luxury rehab center include:

• Tennis courts
• Swimming pools
• Business centers
• Mobile phones
• Gourmet food menu
• Up-to-date rehabilitation equipment

Many luxury rehab centers are designed to cater to upwardly mobile people who happen to suffer from a debilitating addiction. They offer business owners and other people the chance to stay on top of their career, while learning how to live a drug-free lifestyle.

That’s what makes luxury rehabilitation centers a popular destination for many people. Often, these upscale treatment facilities feel more like a country club or vacation experience than they do a medically-necessary procedure. However, there are real medical benefits to attending a luxury rehab center.

Other Luxury Rehab Center Benefits

Beyond the diverse amenities you’ll find in luxury rehabs lies multiple other benefits. These benefits create a more comfortable, relaxing, and beautiful visit. The following examples are just a small sample of what you can expect:

• Smaller patient number – this means you’ll have more individualized care by highly-trained professionals. Expect no more than a dozen people in a typical luxury rehab center.
• Higher number of treatment specialists – luxury rehabilitation centers often have as many as five specialists on staff for each resident.
• Amazing locations – luxury rehabilitation centers are usually located in surprisingly gorgeous locations, such as in the mountains or on a sprawling ranch.

These amenities can actually work towards making your recovery more successful. Studies have shown that people recover more fully when they are in a relaxing and comfortable environment. Essentially, this comfort helps alleviate stress and strain. And lower levels of stress have been connected with greater healing and, more importantly, increased rehabilitation success.

Being Treated In A Luxury Rehab Center

It’s important to remember that staying at a luxury rehab center is a very serious situation. You will be recovering from a difficult drug addiction and will be going through several different treatments. Luxury rehab centers are designed to offer you multiple options, to ensure you get the care that you want and deserve. Typical treatment options in a luxury rehab center include:

• Inpatient and outpatient therapy
• Chemical detoxification
• Dietary care
• Psychological care
• Physical health treatments
• Personal and group therapy
• 12-Step meetings
• Outdoor and adventure therapy
• Dance and drama therapy
• Yoga and medication
• Drug abuse education courses
• After care when you’ve checked out

Usually, luxury rehab centers will let you work with your rehabilitation specialist in order to create a personalized plan that works for your needs. This helps take the strain out of the situation and makes it less strenuous.

Typical Cost Of A Luxury Drug Rehab Center Visit

For many people, the cost of luxury rehab may seem impossible: a typical 90-day program can cost as much as $18-$25,000. People with more disposable incomes, such as company CEOs, may be able to foot this bill with no problem. However, it likely feels out of reach even for people who make good money, but simply can’t afford that kind of investment.

Thankfully, there is hope: thanks to The Affordable Healthcare Act, every insurance policy must cover some portion of drug addiction and mental health rehabilitation. So, if you have some form of insurance, you may be able to check into a luxury drug rehabilitation program. Even with a relatively inexpensive Bronze level program, you may only need to meet a copay of $6,000 before the rest of your treatment is covered.

And even if you don’t have health insurance, you may still be able to afford a program by utilizing a payment plan. Luxury drug rehab centers are usually more than willing to work with you to create a repayment program that works for your finances.

Don’t Be Afraid To Get The Help You Need

Many people are embarrassed to admit that they have a drug addiction problem. There is nothing to be ashamed of: in fact, if you admit you have a problem, you can take the next step by getting it treated. Contact us at DrugRehab.org to learn more about luxury rehab centers and how they can help you regain a drug-free life.

You’ve decided to enter a rehab for your drug addiction. That’s great news! But thinking about going to a drug rehab center may be overwhelming to you. You may be feeling fearful, anxious, or even upset that you are entering a drug rehab. While those feelings are understandable and normal, you realize it’s time for the next steps. Don’t let fear hold you back. At this point, you may start to wonder: what is the admissions process for a drug rehab center? We’re here to help guide you through that process so you have a better idea of what to expect.

Am I Addicted?

An addiction to drugs is serious and can affect all aspects of your life including your finances, current career performance, and relationships. If you are unsure whether or not you are addicted, you can use our website: DrugRehab.org. Towards the top of the screen you will see a question mark icon that reads, “Am I Addicted?” Click on this icon. It then will bring you to a page where you can take our quiz (it’s free and confidential) to see whether you or your loved one has a drug addiction. Remember that this quiz is confidential and no information is shared or stored, so answer the questions honestly. You can also send us an email, or give us a call if you have any questions. If you have taken the quiz or already recognize that you need help, your ready to move on to the next section.

The 4 Steps To Admission

Step 1: Call The Addiction Helpline And Talk With Our Specialists

The journey towards sobriety starts with a phone call! The first step begins with calling our helpline at: 833-473-4227. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So whether you need to reach out to us by day or by night, we’re here for you. DrugRehab.org can connect you to the right addiction treatment for your individual needs, nationwide. We’ll be able to discuss which treatment plans are right for you. We’re here to provide immediate help and talk about your current situation. Calling our helpline is the first step to getting the help you need.

Step 2: Complete Phone Intake Evaluation

Our understanding and compassionate admission counselors will want to gather some information about you. They will administer a quick and easy intake evaluation over the phone to begin finding the best treatment options for you. They will collect information on:

• Types of drug(s) abused
• If you have had any past treatments
• Length and frequency of drug use
• Other medical conditions/complications
• Employment and current living environment

Step 3: Give Insurance Information

We will help you choose the best drug rehab. In this step, we will ask if you have private insurance. If you do, we will ask for your insurance information so that we can contact your provider to look into what benefits they have to offer for your treatment. If you are worried about the financial aspects of rehab, don’t be afraid about this step or let it hold you back. Most rehabs accept many different types of insurance, and several rehabs offer payment plans that will fit your budget.

Step 4: Make Travel Plans

You have decided on a drug rehab program that is right for you. Whether the rehab center is near or far, you are now ready to make travel arrangements. Whether you book a flight, travel by car, or have someone drop you off, be sure that travel arrangements are taken care of ahead of time. If you are going away for an extended period of time, you may also need to consider contacting a friend or neighbor to care for any pets, plants or yard work, and any mail that comes to the home. Travel arrangements can be stressful and the sooner they are taken care of, the more you can focus on your recovery.

Just 4 Easy Steps And You’re On Your Way

The admissions process is just 4 easy steps. If you are feeling overwhelmed, just remember to take one day at a time. Struggling from a drug addiction can make you lose hope, but don’t give up. There is hope and there is help. We understand what you are going through and we’re here to assist you in getting your life back on track. Contact us today at DrugRehab.org to start your new life.

Working as a bartender can be a very fulfilling career for people that like a fast-paced and personable job setting. Unfortunately, it can be a hard environment for many people recovering from alcohol addiction. If you have a career as a bartender, but are trying to beat alcoholism, you don’t need to feel helpless: there is a strong chance you can keep your career while in recovery.

Is It Possible?

Maintaining a career as a bartender during recovery is possible, but it isn’t necessarily easy. You’re obviously going to have to utilize out-patient rehabilitation care, as opposed to in-patient. Out-patient centers let you live at home, attend work, and live your life like normal. You’ll still have to attend regular meetings and detoxify, but there will be no one to guide you through the process.

For many bartenders, this will be a major challenge, but it can be incredibly liberating for others. Being able to maintain a normal lifestyle may help give them the motivation they need to live a sober life. Remember: in an out-patient program, you are your own boss and are in control of your own actions. The only person you have to answer to is yourself.

In fact, for many people recovering from an alcohol addiction, going back to work as a bartender can serve as an important personal challenge. Being surrounded by alcohol and drinking will certainly test their self-control, and many people will relish in the chance to prove to themselves that they are capable of handling it. In that way, working as a bartender may be a positive boon.

Are There Any Legal Problems?

If you are currently under probation for an alcohol-related offense, there may be some legal concerns associated with working in a bar. Many people on probation for a DUI or related alcohol problems are usually banned from drinking during their probation period. In some cases, they can’t enter any establishments that serve alcohol.

If you’re in court-ordered rehabilitation under such terms, you may not be able to bartend. However, there is hope: you may be able to change the terms of your probation to allow you to work specific shifts at the bar. For example, you may be allowed to work during the day, when alcohol consumption is lower.

It’s also possible that you and your lawyer can argue a “career-based” exemption. After all, if you’ve spent 20-plus years as a bartender, you have built a lifelong career. Being banned from it would put you under undue financial stress. And voluntary attendance at a rehab center can also be used as a bargaining tool.

Does It Offer Treatment Benefits?

Actually, working as a bartender during recovery may benefit your recovery due to what is known as “Cue Exposure Therapy.” This therapy centers on regularly exposing people to their triggers to help desensitize them to their negative influence.

This treatment is an off-shoot of Exposure Therapy, which exposes phobic people to their panic triggers. Many specialists noted that the emotions during cravings mirrored panic attacks: sweatiness, a racing heart, serious agitation, paranoia, and intense fear. They theorized that intense cravings create a form of panic.

Working as a bartender exposes you to multiple drinking cues and if you can get through multiple shifts without drinking, your cravings should decrease in intensity. It is important to remember that Cue Exposure Therapy is not yet recognized by many addiction experts as a viable treatment option.

And, naturally, there is a risk that being surrounded by so many cues could trigger a relapse. However, an increasing number of studies reveal the promise of this therapy.

How Do I Stay Sober As A Bartender?

If you are dedicated to working as a bartender during your recovery, you need to master ignoring your drinking cues. This will be a major challenge on your sobriety, but if you can meet it, there’s a strong chance you can create a new sober lifestyle. A few simple tips on how to stay sober as a bartender include:

• Write your daily intentions to stay sober before each shift and read them out loud every few hours to keep them in mind
• Stay busy filling drinks, cleaning glasses, or working the floor to avoid downtime
• Work in a place that doesn’t serve your favorite types of drinks, such as winery or whiskey distillery if you prefer beer
• Avoid serving people who have bought you drinks in the past or honestly discuss your recovery with them
• Find a sober work partner who will keep you on track during your shift

These tips will give you the tools for success and should be easy enough for most people to handle. Just remember to take it one day at a time. Once you’re over the first day, aim for staying sober a week. After a week, shoot for a month. Hitting that milestone will give you an amazing feeling and inspire you to stay on track for the upcoming years in your career as a bartender.

Learn More Today

If you are interested in learning more about how working as a bartender or anything else during recovery, please contact us at DrugRehab.org today. Our friendly and informative counselors can give you the help you need to live a sober life while working in your chosen career field.

Common knowledge (and countless studies) have warned pregnant women against alcohol and drugs for decades, as it can have harmful effects physically and psychologically on the baby and the mother. But are babies predisposed towards addiction if their parents or relatives suffer from addiction?

There are two ways to look at this question: nature versus nurture. Nature argues that children of people who suffer from addiction have may have a genetic predisposition to drug addiction, while nurture argues that drug predispositions arise based on how the child was raised. However, a third possibility exists: that both of these factors help determine a child’s predisposition towards drug addiction.

The 50/50 Split

Are babies predisposed to drug addiction? The answer is: it’s a 50/50 tossup. Experts believe that addiction is influenced 50% by our genes and family history and 50% due to poor coping skills. And studies have shown that if a parent suffers from an addiction, their child is eight times more likely to develop an addiction than if their parents didn’t.

However, the bare fact is that all of us have genetic predispositions for addiction: our brains are wired to get us to repeat pleasing behavior as much as possible. But some of us are more predisposed to addiction than others.

Many people immediately begin using drugs or alcohol in large quantities, which leads to quick addiction. However, others may start modestly and develop their addiction over time. Whether you have a high or low genetic predisposition, we are all at risk of developing an addiction.

Even if no one in that child’s family history has abused drugs or alcohol, drug and alcohol use will still rewire the child’s brain. Each time the child reaches for a pill or the bottle, they are rewarding their brains, which can eventually get wired to need a substance. Thus, addiction develops.

It’s Not All About The Genes

Our genes and family history do not determine our outcome or destiny and we are not doomed by our family’s past mistakes. But, it’s still important to be careful if your family does have a history of substance abuse: just don’t let it paralyze you.

Remember: many people who have a family history of addiction and are struggling with their own addictions have sought help and recovered successfully. Learning stronger coping skill is a big part of this success. Remember that addiction is 50% predisposition and 50% coping skills. You may not be in control of your genes, but you are in control of your coping skills. And you are also in control of the choices that you make.

While some babies may have a higher genetic tendency for addiction, this does not determine their outcome as children or adults. The choices you make, the environment you are in, and the coping mechanisms you have will shape and determine your destiny.

Cross Addiction: Don’t Be Fooled

Maybe you are a single parent and your child’s other parent suffered from addiction to alcohol or meth. Don’t think that your child only has a predisposition to these substances. This is simply not the case.

In cross addiction, if any of your family members had an addiction, your child may become addicted to any drug. This is just how our brains work. Addictions, whether it’s a drug addiction or an alcohol addiction, occur in the same place in our brains. If a child’s brain is wired and genetically predisposed to one addiction, they are genetically predisposed to any addiction.

Start Your New Life

If you or your child has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, it’s time to get help. Reach out to a doctor or psychologist today to help determine the best plan of action. If it’s an emergency, always go to your nearest ER or hospital. Struggling with an addiction can be tough for anyone. If you have questions about this topic or others, reach out to us online at DrugRehab.org. We’re here to help you make the decision for a new life.

Abusing drugs or alcohol in any capacity can lead to an addiction and understanding the various ways you can become addicted is important. There are three major ways drugs are taken: snorting, smoking, or injecting. Each of these methods are highly addicting. But which is the worst? Understanding this can help you gauge the dangers you or your friends are in if you are using drugs.

Fastest Way To Addiction

Snorting, smoking, or injecting: Which gets you addicted the quickest? A recent study from the University of Montreal has found that the way an individual snorts, injects, or swallows a drug could increase the risk of addiction. Different types of drugs react and move differently in our bodies. This is what pharmacokinetics is all about: studying the speed at which a drug enters our bloodstream; how quickly it travels throughout our body and to our brain; how fast it is broken down and metabolized; and finally how it gets excreted.

Researchers have found that smoking or intravenously injecting a drug intravenously are is the fastest ways for it to travel to the brain. For example, those who inject cocaine reach their peak high in about 1 to 5 minutes. By contrast, those who snort cocaine reach their peak high in about 15 to 20 minutes. And the researchers of this study concluded that the faster a drug travels to the brain, the faster you can become addicted.

Smoking Is The Quickest, Followed By Injection

Now that we know that smoking or injecting are the fastest ways to get addicted and the fastest ways for drugs to travel to your brain, we can break it down a little further. Studies have shown that smoking is the quickest way for a drug to enter the brain.

Think of cigarettes: Their addictive nature is heavily tied into the fact that they are smoked. When a person smokes a cigarette, they are inhaling nicotine into the lungs. The lungs then absorb that into the blood, which quickly travels to the brain.

After smoking, the quickest ways to get addicted include (in descending order: Injection, followed by snorting, and ingestion. Think of the delay that might occur when you drink alcohol: it can take several minutes, as opposed to seconds, to cause changes in your brain.

Another example of this occurs when consuming cannabis baked in a brownie. Your high will occur more slowly and last longer than if you smoked it.

Consumption Rate Also Matters

Speed isn’t the only important factor in addiction: drug consumption rate can also be used to predict its addictive properties. How fast a drug reaches the brain and how fast brain levels rise and fall while intoxicated also influences addiction.

In one study, mice were split into two different groups. The first group were injected with cocaine about every five seconds. This is roughly the equivalent of how fast cocaine travels to the human brain when smoked. The second group of mice were given cocaine once every 90 seconds. This roughly equates to how fast it takes if a human were to snort cocaine.

The group of mice that were given cocaine rapidly developed an obsessive addiction to the cocaine. So not only does the manner in which drugs are consumed affect us (ie: how fast they travel to the brain), how often a drug is consumed plays a large role to determining addiction as well.

Recovery Is Only A Phone Call Away

Maybe you have developed a drug or alcohol addiction due to certain circumstances in your life. But you can be stronger and tougher than your addiction. Your body needs rest and wants to be healthy and revitalized. Imagine yourself free from your addiction. What can you gain if you lose your addiction? Only you know the answer to that. Contact us at DrugRehab.org to learn more. Act today and start a new life.