5 Ways People Enable Their Addicted Loved One

Posted on October 23, 2017 by dr-admin

Far too often, family members of addicted individuals become enablers, that is their actions actually make it easier for a substance-abusing lifestyle to continue. Examples include being in denial, making excuses for a person or covering up for them, taking on extra responsibilities, certain types of financial assistance, and using or providing the substance.

Watching A Family Member Go Through Addiction Can Upend Your Life

When addiction overtook your family member’s life, your world suddenly turned upside down. You may be experiencing an array of confusing and intense emotions, ranging from betrayal, blame, shame, resentment, fear, anger, and sadness. But despite this, you still love them deeply and find that you want to help them.

Within all of this, you might question your role, both before and during the addiction. These emotions and thoughts are understandable and experienced by many within these situations. It’s how you handle them which makes the difference, both within your life and your family member’s.

5 Ways People Enable Their Addicted Loved One

It’s our nature to love and seek love. We do this by words and actions of affirmation and by offering support when someone is in need. But when a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the line between helpful and healthy and damaging and enabling becomes easily blurred. So what is enabling?

When you enable a drug abuser you’re preventing them from experiencing the full effect of their addiction and making it easier to keep using. By doing so, it becomes difficult for them to see why they need to change and also prevents them from developing the acceptance and motivation to do so.

Below are five ways people end up enabling a loved one.

1. Feeding Denial

While denial can be a natural part of accepting a person’s substance abuse, when it continues past a reasonable point, it can become profoundly enabling. Looking the other way only serves to harm both them and you.

Examples include:

Blaming it on yourself. Convincing yourself that something you did drove them to drink or use in the first place and continues to do so. This can be part of a larger problem, but it’s often intertwined with denial.
Ignoring family and friends when they implore you to recognize the addiction.
Ignoring signs of addictive behavior and the damage it’s doing to a person’s life (finding hidden bottles and leaving them there or throwing them out without saying a word).
Lying to yourself (when a person’s sick or volatile from the substance, saying it’s the flu or a bad day).
Believing them when they say they can beat it on their own. Addicted people have the highest chance of success with comprehensive treatment.
Suppressing your emotions. Not allowing yourself to feel the toll of the addiction is a form of denial.

Being aware and proactive about your loved one’s addiction can help you to help them get treatment faster and make it more obvious to them that they need help.

2. Making Excuses And/Or Covering Up For A Person

This often stems from denial, codependency, or even just exhaustion and frustration.

Examples include:

Calling in sick to work for them if they’re drunk, high, hungover, or sick from using.
Covering up for them so they don’t get in trouble at school or with the law.
Covering up their actions to avoid a fight or other loved ones finding out/getting angry at them.
Making excuses for their substance abuse (they’re stressed out, school or their job is tough, etc.).

It can wear you out to watch a loved one fall into the depths of addiction, and sometimes it just feels easier to do things yourself. But know that in the long run these, and other actions like them, are only serving to perpetuate the vicious cycle that is the addictive lifestyle.

3. Picking Up The Slack

When a person is addicted, responsibilities at home or at work often become ignored. This can place a lot of extra stress on you, both mentally, emotionally, and even financially.

Examples include:

Doing extra chores around or outside of the house.
Taking over their responsibilities with children or elderly parents.
Working extra hours so they can cut back on their job responsibilities (or even quit).

While it’s important that you support them, don’t do things for them that they should do on their own. Doing so not only gives them more time to use, but this form of enabling takes away a major incentive for change as a person’s insulated from seeing and feeling the adverse effects of their drug-seeking and using.

4. Financially

We don’t ever want our loved ones to suffer, and when you see your family member losing the battle to addiction, it can be easy to lend a helping hand without realizing the full impact.

Examples include

Giving them money for food, bills, or utilities. They can use this money for drugs. Or, even if they use it for these things, it still gives them more resources to purchase drugs.

If you want to help out financially, consider pitching in for treatment costs, should you be able to afford it.

5. Using With Them Or Providing The Substance

Now this may be alcohol, a legal and highly social drug; marijuana, which is legal in limited places; or an illicit drug. Just because a drug is legal or socially acceptable doesn’t mean it’s not harmful or that it’s okay to do with an addicted person.

Examples include:

Using the substance with them even when you know they have a problem, because you want to have a “fun time” with them.
Buying the substance for them (beer, wine, marijuana, etc.) because you figure they’ll do it anyways and at least you know what/how much they’re using.

Keep in mind, using around a person can be bad too. Some people in recovery can tolerate this, but many cannot. For these people, seeing and smelling a substance can be an intense trigger for relapse. And any time you’re using a drug (even alcohol) you’re exposing yourself to risks too.

If you recognize any of these enabling patterns in yourself it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate how you interact with your family member.

Ways To Overcome Enabling And Give Them The Help They Need

If you’re caught up in unhealthy patterns of enabling, or if you’re concerned you might fall into them, here’s some ways you can offer healthy support. Being mindful of your thoughts, emotions and behaviors, and the ways by which they affect you and your loved one, can help to protect you both.

Be Patient, But Not Lenient: Addiction makes it difficult to think clearly and prioritize healthy behaviors. Try and understand this as you encounter your loved one, but don’t let them take advantage of your understanding, or use it as an excuse.

Be Proactive Instead Of Reactive: When faced with a situation where you could resort to enabling, stop and think. Rather than reacting in an emotional way, take time to think about your actions. Ask yourself: “If I do this, am I really helping them? Or am I making it easier for them to continue using?” In these moments, think of ways you could support them so that they find inner strength or have access to tools to take control over these situations themselves.

Be Real With Them: It’s easy to think we need to sanitize our emotions and reactions in tough situations. But if they see the adverse effects of their addiction on you, it might help them to recognize that they have a problem and that they need help.

Do Healthy Things Together: During treatment this may mean taking part in a counseling session or recreational activity. And after, it could be as simple as taking a walk after dinner, going to a movie, or working on a do-it-yourself project together.

Don’t Offer A Solution, Build One: Instead of creating the solution, help your loved one learn how to take more positive steps to find one on their own. For instance, instead of giving them money when they ask, sit down with them and help them prepare a resume, look for a job, and/or create a budget.

Get Support: Consider joining a support group. If you take steps to help yourself, you’re providing inspiration and a proactive example for change to your loved one. This might help them become more ambitious to do the same. Counseling can be immensely beneficial as well.

Practice Tough Love: In these situations, while saying “no” can be the hardest thing, it’s the best thing. Forced to deal with the repercussions of their addiction, a person will be more apt to take strides to seek help and start changing.

Research Treatment Options: The best way to support your loved one in living a drug-free life is to help them get the treatment they need. With our help, you can research their drug of abuse, find the best treatment options, and even examine ways to cover the cost of treatment.

Take Charge And Stop The Cycle Of Enabling Today

Fortunately, it’s never too late to help, or to learn more healthy ways to look out for your loved one. If your family member is addicted, they need your love and support now more than ever. Let DrugRehab.org help you with these things. Contact us today.

For More Information Related to “5 Ways People Enable Their Addicted Loved One” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

5 Signs Your Loved One Is Using Cocaine

Posted on October 17, 2017 by dr-admin

In 2014, there were an estimated 1.5 million people using cocaine in the United States, but finding out if your loved one is using cocaine can be tricky, especially if you don’t know what to look for.

Cocaine is a white powder that people can snort up their nose, or mix with liquid then inject into their bloodstream. Cocaine’s dangerous. It’s a central nervous system stimulant that overstimulates the brain’s reward circuit. Cocaine can increase a person’s heart rate to an alarming level.

There are several signs that may give you a better idea, if you believe that someone is using cocaine. It’s important to know what to look for, because your loved one might need help quitting cocaine. Many people find freedom from cocaine in the safety of a rehab center.

1. Lack Of Money From Cocaine Use

One of the first signs of cocaine use will appear when an individual runs out of money. Cocaine is one of the more expensive drugs, and the high from it doesn’t last very long so one binge can be costly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “snorting cocaine produces a relatively slow onset of the high, but it may last from 15 to 30 minutes.”

A cocaine binge can cost 150 dollars per gram, and can last for several days, weeks, or months. Some people spend so much on cocaine that they’re unable to support themselves, or their family on an otherwise substantial income. Cocaine use has been known to ruin lives, and may even cost a person their job. In this respect, a person abusing cocaine may constantly need to borrow money, whether they have a job or not.

2. Drug Paraphernalia Used For Cocaine

Another sign of cocaine abuse is the appearance of drug paraphernalia, which refers to objects, and miscellaneous articles needed to use the drug. Here’s a list of paraphernalia used for cocaine:

Tightly rolled dollar bills
Straws
Tubes
Pens with the ends cut off
Sandwich baggies
Flat surface with white residue:
- Piece of glass
- Mirror
- Tray
- Book
- Countertop
- Magazine
Burnt spoons
Unexplained needles or syringes
Glass pipe
Concealable containers with white residue

Some of these items won’t show up, because your loved one may keep it well hidden, or clean up after using the drug. It can also depend on when and where an individual uses cocaine. If you decide to confront someone about their cocaine use, they might not be honest with you—at least not at first. It may be helpful to have them take a random at home drug test, if you suspect your loved one is using cocaine.

3. Behavioral Changes From Cocaine Use

Changes in behavior may be the next sign to appear. When someone starts acting strangely, or constantly sneaks around, it may be due to cocaine use.

The teenage years may present a dilemma, because during this time, people are changing anyways. Teenagers might act out or show aggression towards authority. Similarly, someone using cocaine may do a lot things that seem out of character like become violent, or recluse.

Someone using cocaine might stay up later than usual, sleep at odd times during the day, spend a lot of time alone, and excessively use the bathroom without good reason. Suspicious activities may also include anonymous phone calls, and when you answer. when the person hangs up.

Using large amounts of cocaine may increase a person’s euphoria, but at the same time it can lead to erratic, bizarre, and sometimes violent behavior. Cocaine use can lead to paranoia, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and panic. Your loved one may seem energetic, talkative, euphoric, mentally alert, and be sensitive to sight, sound, and touch (NIDA).

Some may even develop an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a result of their cocaine use—this occurrence of both mental and substance use disorder is referred to as a co-occurring disorder. With consistent results from epidemiological studies by the National Library of Medicine, subjects actively using cocaine (and also marijuana) were found to be at an increased risk for OCD.

4. Social Changes From Cocaine Use

Your loved one may stop spending time with lifelong friends as a result of their cocaine use. A teenager might even stop enrolling in extracurricular activities like sports, or academic clubs, and replace those social circles with other people who use drugs. An adult may avoid social situations with the exception of night clubs, bars, and other scenes where drug use is more widely accepted.

The people who aren’t using cocaine may not like their friend’s new found activity, and as a result stop hanging around them. The choice to cut ties with someone because of cocaine use can work from both sides. Sometimes it’s the person using cocaine who stop responding to their friends or family; maybe from fear of being rejected, or judged.

5. Physical Changes From Cocaine Use

Sometimes the physical changes from cocaine use are the last thing people notice before they realize it’s a problem. Using cocaine temporarily decreases a person’s need for food and sleep. So as a result, they may lose a lot of weight, or even seem gaunt, or malnourished. Cocaine use may also come with the appearance of dark circles around the eyes.

Cocaine can also result in a lot of adverse health consequences. Some of these aren’t as easy to determine as others, but may include:

Constricted blood vessels
Dilated pupils
Cardiovascular complications
Increased body temperature
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Heart arrhythmia
Heart attack
Frequent headaches
Seizures
Gastrointestinal complications
Nausea
Stomach pain
Respiratory complications
Slowed breathing
Coma
Death

So repeated cocaine use not only puts a person at risk of becoming addicted or dependent upon the drug, it can also lead serious physical and mental health complications, and emergencies. In 2011, “cocaine was involved in 505,224 of the nearly 1.3 million visits to emergency departments for drug misuse or abuse,” (NIDA). If you believe someone you love is using cocaine, don’t give up on them, get help today.

Find Help For Cocaine Addiction And Dependence

It’s helps to remember that cocaine addiction is considered an disease, and even after a person changes from it, they’re still the same person. They just might need more help now. Contact DrugRehab.net today to speak to someone who understands addiction, and can tell you more about how to find cocaine addiction treatment for you or your loved one.

For More Information Related to “5 Signs Your Loved One Is Using Cocaine” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

National Institute on Drug Abuse – What Are The Short Term Effects of Cocaine Use?
National Institute on Drug Abuse – What is the Scope of Cocaine Use in the United States?
U.S. National Library of Medicine – Cocaine
U.S. National Library of Medicine – Cocaine Use and Other Suspected Risk Factors for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Crohn’s Disease And Addiction

Posted on October 13, 2017October 13, 2017 by dr-admin

Crohn’s disease causes your digestive tract to become severely inflamed. Its often incapacitating symptoms lead some individuals to self-medicate by substance abuse. Some even become addicted to their prescribed painkillers because of this. Whether it be alcohol or other drugs, these substance can lead to addiction and aggravate the disease.

Crohn’s disease currently has no cure. For an individual with Crohn’s, this prognosis can seem quite dim, especially when paired with the life-altering symptoms the disease produces. But with the proper lifestyle, therapies, and treatment, Crohn’s can be successfully managed, and so can an addiction.

What Is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This inflammation causes distress to a person’s digestive tract, specifically the small intestine and colon. Sometimes the symptoms temporarily subside, this is called remission.

While symptoms can be mild, in its most extreme manifestations, “Crohn’s disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications,” according to Mayo Clinic.

This reality may lead some individuals to self-medicate their pain or emotional symptoms with drugs or alcohol. Doing so will only complicate matters further, and in many cases it will intensify the symptoms even more.

Is It Dangerous To Have Both?

Crohn’s can mask certain symptoms of substance abuse and vice versa. This can make it difficult to identify the root of the problem in some individuals and forestall treatment.

Depending on the drug of abuse, both diseases can create similar symptoms, such as abdominal cramping, diarrhea, weight loss, a suppressed appetite, malnourishment, and dehydration, among others. Individuals with Crohn’s may try to blame the side effects of their drug abuse on it in an attempt to hide their addiction.

These effects (especially malnourishment and dehydration) can become dangerous when compounded by chronic drug use and Crohn’s. Both diseases have also been linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide.

The Emotional Strain Of Crohn’s Can Lead To Substance Abuse

It can be difficult to cope with a serious disease like Crohn’s and the many ways it alters your life. Over time, a person’s mental and emotional health can become seriously compromised, in a way which fosters substance abuse.

Mental Illness

Crohn’s can cause or worsen certain mental illnesses, especially depression and anxiety. One study found that instances of these disorders are highest within the first year of diagnosis.

These findings were in line with other research which “found depression and/or anxiety to be more common in patients with IBD than in the general population or in patient groups with other chronic diseases.”

Isolation And Loneliness

During an active state of Crohn’s, the unpredictability of the disease can make it difficult to socialize. A person with Crohn’s may feel so unwell, or grow to fear the onset of their symptoms and the difficulty of managing them, that they simply stay home.

To self-treat these states, a person may begin using drugs or alcohol, which can actually make these states more severe. As they worsen, a person may continue to drink or use drugs, to the point they become dependent and addicted to the substance.

How Are Crohn’s Disease And Substance Abuse Related?

Alcohol abuse is especially harmful to people with Crohn’s. It irritates an already inflamed digestive tract and increases the odds of further damage to these sensitive tissues.

Some research does show that marijuana may be helpful in treating certain symptoms of Crohn’s, but if a person self-treats their condition they do run the risk of becoming addicted.

Opioid painkillers may be used to treat the pain associated with Crohn’s or after surgery for the disease. But certain individuals may begin to use their medication improperly, which could lead to severe addiction.

What Factors Of An Addicted Lifestyle Can Aggravate Crohn’s?

The following lifestyle factors can aggravate Crohn’s Disease:

Diet: Addicted individuals are more apt to make poor dietary choices, which are speculated to aggravate Crohn’s.
Immune System: Substance abuse can decrease your immune system, which can trigger an episode, and make it harder for your body to fight Crohn’s.
Smoking: Smoking makes Crohn’s disease worse. Certain forms of substance abuse, for instance alcohol, make certain people more apt to smoke.
Stress: An addiction can destroy important aspects of your life such a your health, family, career, and educational pursuits. These happenings can increase stress which inflames Crohn’s.

Individualized Care Is Crucial When Treating Crohn’s Disease And Addiction

If you have Crohn’s disease and addiction, you need to ensure you’ll be in a treatment environment which is sensitive to the needs of both diseases (addiction is, itself, a disease).

Full-spectrum, individualized care is critical for patients who have both a chronic disease and addiction. Behavioral therapies, counseling, and other modalities should be adapted to help you heal on a physical, mental, emotional, and social level from both diseases.

Advanced Medical Care

When the disease is an active state, you may require additional medical care, nutritive support, and even counseling. Certain B vitamins may be administered as they are used to treat both diseases.

Dual Diagnosis Care

Dual diagnosis care is an important element of treatment for those with a co-occurring mental health disorder. Non-addictive medications may be used to treat anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness which you suffer from.

Pain Management

For those in need of pain management, certain non-addictive medications or alternative therapies may be used.

Family Therapy And Support

Chronic disease and addiction can take an immense toll on your family members too. A comprehensive program should offer family therapy and support to help you grow and heal together within the face of such adversity.

Mindfulness And Stress Management Practices

Because stress can cause a flare-up of Crohn’s, it’s important to learn how to manage it in a healthy way. Mayo suggests the following techniques:

Biofeedback
Breathing exercises
Meditation
Yoga.

Many facilities offer these holistic therapies.

Fitness And Nutrition

A program may offer exercise facilities or classes which can help you to channel your stress in a healthful manner, all the while strengthening your body.

Even though experts are still learning about the role diet has on Crohn’s, it’s still important to be mindful of how you eat. A good facility will prepare meals which take into account any dietary restrictions you may have.

Relapse Prevention Training

Since Crohn’s is a lifelong disease, you must be prepared to deal with flare-ups, both mentally and physically. Without relapse prevention training, an active state could become a trigger for addiction. Enhanced coping skills will be taught to help you cope with these challenges.

Battling Crohn’s disease and addiction isn’t an easy task by any means, but it is possible to develop positive and healthy behaviors which can support a drug-free life and better overall physical health.

Even though there isn’t a cure for Crohn’s, the right combination of therapies can decrease the severity of symptoms and/or lead to long-term remission. Recovery from addiction is also something you need to commit to for life, but the right treatment program can make all the difference by preparing you for this journey.

Get Help For Chrohn’s Disease And Addiction Today

If you or a loved one has Crohn’s, you can still seek treatment. Protecting your body from the effects of drugs or alcohol is especially important with this concern, and DrugRehab.org wants to help you reach this goal. Contact us today to learn more about your treatment options.

For More Information Related to “Crohn’s Disease And Addiction” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Medications To Manage Alcohol Withdrawal

Posted on October 9, 2017 by dr-admin

Alcohol is the most commonly abused drug in the United States. Alcohol can form an intense physical dependence for individuals that drink heavily on a regular basis. When they stop drinking, a severe withdrawal can occur.

In mild cases, alcohol withdrawal symptoms may be only uncomfortable. The individual could experience minor symptoms such as shaking or sweating. The most serious withdrawal problem from alcohol is when a person has delirium tremens (DT’s). Individuals can die from a seizure from having delirium tremens so it should never be taken lightly.

A professional medical detoxification in an inpatient treatment setting manages these concerns safely, by aid of various medications. Benzodiazepines and anticonvulsants are most commonly used for this purpose.

Why Does Alcohol Withdrawal Occur?

Like other drugs, the moment you begin using alcohol it goes to work changing the way your brain functions. As use becomes more frequent and intense, these changes become more severe and lasting. One of the largest impacts is felt within our neurotransmitters, specifically one called GABA. These important brain chemicals are responsible for regulating critical functions within our bodies, including the autonomic nervous system, cognition, and mood.

In the presence of a constant influx of alcohol, as within an addicted state, your brain drastically cuts back on its own production of neurotransmitters. This reliance is termed a physical dependency. Should a person stop using alcohol, or radically reduce their consumption, their body experiences an intense state of shock called withdrawal.

When you drink alcohol, it increases GABA’s effects, which reduces the amount of excitability within your brain, as explained by the American Family Physician (AFP). During withdrawal, without alcohol, your brain becomes excessively excited, which leads the sense of unease and edginess which accompanies withdrawal.

What Are The Signs Of Alcohol Withdrawal?

After the last drink, symptoms of withdrawal may occur in as little as a few hours, or it may take up to several days for certain individuals to encounter these effects. The severity of withdrawal is influenced by:

How long a person has been drinking for.
The amounts regularly consumed.

Withdrawal from alcohol can cause:

Anxiety
Brain fog
Confusion
Cravings
Depression
Insomnia
Nausea and vomiting
Rapid heart rate
Sweating
Tremors or shaking

For long-term, heavy drinkers, withdrawal can become severe. Drinkers of this sort are far more common to experience delirium tremens (DT’s), a severe and dangerous form of withdrawal. According to MedLinePlus, symptoms typically begin two to four days after a person stops drinking, but in certain cases they may not occur until day seven or ten. This state is marked by:

Agitation
Extreme confusion
Fever
Hallucinations
Mood swings
Seizures
Stupor

The risk of withdrawal-induced fatality is heavily increased by DT’s. The AFP warns that one to five percent of individuals who progress to these states experience fatality. This reality strongly increases the need for a specialized medical detox for certain individuals.

Is Detox A Necessary Part Of A Treatment Program?

Detoxing from alcohol at home or anywhere other than under medical care is never recommended. Doing so can be very dangerous and life-threatening. for most individuals, alcohol addiction treatment is best begun by a medical detox.

During unmonitored withdrawal symptoms and cravings can become extreme and debilitating. Many people retreat back to substance abuse to stop these effects. Medications can be a life-saving tool during this time.

Medications Used To Manage Alcohol Withdrawal In A Detox Setting

The primary aim of pharmacotherapies (medications used within treatment) during detox is to stabilize and begin to normalize a person’s brain chemistry. Detox seeks to make withdrawal as comfortable and painless as possible. While some medications address physical concerns such as nausea and shaking, work to address issues which trouble a person on emotional and mental levels.

Using Benzodiazepines During An Alcohol Detoxification

Anxiety and agitation can run high during withdrawal. During this time a person may also be fearful of their future, as they’re intimidated by the prospect of living a life without alcohol as a form of self-medication.

To counter these and other states, benzodiazepine medications may be used, either as needed, or on a fixed-schedule regimen. These medications have a sedative and calming effect, which can be of great benefit during this time.

The following benzodiazepines are frequently used for these purposes:

Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
Diazepam (Valium)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Oxazepam (Serax)

They also note that within “a fixed-schedule regimen, doses of a benzodiazepine are administered at specific intervals, and additional doses of the medication are given as needed based on the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.”

Benzodiazepines widely impact the functioning of your central nervous system (CNS), as does alcohol. This is yet another reason why you should never detox on your own. Should you attempt this on your own, and be taking these medications while you relapse, the CNS depression could lead to overdose and death.

Other Medications Are Used To Treat Alcohol Withdrawal

The following medications may also be used to treat alcohol withdrawal:

Atenolol (Tenormin)
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)*
Clonidine (Catapres)
Gabapentin (Neurontin)*
Haloperidol (Haldol)
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)*
Valproic acid (Depakene)*

Anticonvulsants are also widely used during this time (these are marked above by an asterisk). They do caution that in most cases these medications should not be used as “monotherapies,” or medications used as standalone treatments.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse asserts that Acamprosate (Campral) works on GABA, and “is thought to reduce symptoms of protracted withdrawal, such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and dysphoria.” They also note that topiramate is believed to impact GABA, and for this reason may be used off-label as a treatment.

Individuals with other medical conditions may require special considerations when using medications. For example, the AFP suggests that phenytoin (Dilantin) may help individuals already prone to seizures, whereas individuals diagnosed with coronary artery disease may benefit from beta blockers.

The toll of withdrawal is further compounded by the way alcohol abuse depletes your body of vital hydration, nutrients, and vitamins, leaving you malnourished and dehydrated. Intravenous (IV) hydration may be used to boost a person’s fluids and electrolytes. Multivitamins and B vitamins (especially thiamine) may be administered to balance any malnourishment caused from abuse.

Detox Safely From Alcohol Today

If you’re considering treatment for an alcohol addiction, contact DrugRehab.org today. We will find the right program that fits both your needs as well as your budget. All calls are 100 percent confidential.

For More Information Related to “Medications To Manage Alcohol Withdrawal” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

American Family Physician — Outpatient Management of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome
MedlinePlus — Alcohol Withdrawal
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism — Complications of Alcohol Withdrawal
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism — Alcohol Dependence, Withdrawal, and Relapse

Seizures from Alcohol Withdrawal

Posted on October 4, 2017 by dr-admin

Seizures may occur during acute alcohol withdrawal, and are characterized by convulsions, muscle spasms, and twitching. Alcohol withdrawal can range from anxiety, nausea, insomnia, hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens. A supervised medical detoxification may be the safest way to treat the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

What Does Alcohol Do To The Human Body?

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that has stimulant properties as well. It has stimulant properties, because as a person drinks, certain neurotransmitters in their brain are flooded with adrenaline or norepinephrine. Most other drugs only work as either stimulant or depressant, but alcohol is different.

Alcohol is a small molecule that interacts with a lot of different neurotransmitters in the brain, including: GABA, endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate, and adrenaline. Alcohol causes dependency, partly because as a person drinks, the dopamine in the reward pathway of the brain is increased.

When a person feels any kind of pleasure, it’s because of that release of dopamine. Similarly, the endorphins produced by alcohol are what cause a person to feel “high.” When the glutamate system is affected by alcohol, it causes slurred speech, staggering, and blackouts.

So what happens when a person stops drinking? With repeated use of alcohol, the dopamine levels remain at a constant high in the brain. When alcohol is removed, the brain, which has learned to expect the heightened level of dopamine to remain constant, and in turn stopped producing it naturally, begins to go into the withdrawal stages. The most severe of which includes seizures and delirium tremens.

Most adults in the United States have experienced the calming effect produced by alcohol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that “86.4 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime.” Keep in mind that not every person who drinks alcohol will become dependent upon it. There are factors that play a role in alcohol dependency, they may include a person’s: age, weight, height, and alcohol intake.

Alcohol dependency is characterized by craving, loss of control, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol abuse can also result in certain cancers, other health risks, and consequences. According to the National Library of Medicine, heavy drinking “can cause damage to the liver, brain, and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Alcohol also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, homicide, and suicide.”

What Is The Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline?

Alcohol withdrawal is commonly experienced by a person who regularly abuses alcohol then stops suddenly. Someone doesn’t necessarily have to be alcohol dependent to experience withdrawals, but the chances will be greater in these cases.

There are three stages to alcohol withdrawal, the first of which can begin as early 6 hours after a person’s peak intoxication. The stages go from mild to moderate to severe, and can last anywhere from 5 to 7 days. Generally after a week, the majority of withdrawal symptoms will have subsided, however, some may persist for several weeks without proper treatment.

Not everyone will experience each of these symptoms with the same severity either, but the alcohol withdrawal timeline will look something like this:

Stage 1: nervousness, insomnia, depression, nightmares, anxiety, fatigue, tremors, foggy thinking, mood swings, nausea, loss of appetite, and heart palpitations; 6 to 24 hours after peak intoxication.
Stage 2: high blood pressure, increased body temperature, headache, clammy skin, profuse sweating, rapid breathing, worsening mood swings and irritability, unusual heart rate, and confusion; 24 to 72 hours after peak intoxication.
Stage 3: fever, seizures, delirium tremens—hallucinations, severe mental confusion, and disorientation come with this stage; 72+ hours after peak intoxication.

Approximately 10 percent of patients will experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The mortality rate among patients exhibiting delirium tremens is anywhere from 5 to 25 percent.

Risk factors for prolonged or complicated alcohol withdrawal include lifetime or current long duration of alcohol consumption, lifetime prior detoxifications, prior seizures, prior episodes of delirium tremens, and current intense craving for alcohol (NIAAA).

What Are Seizures From Alcohol Withdrawal?

Seizures during acute alcohol withdrawal are characterized by muscle spasms, contractions, twitching, and convulsions. Seizures that begin locally with the twitching of a limb suggest a co-occurring disorder and need to be fully investigated (NIAAA).

A co-occurring disorder can refer to when an alcohol use disorder such as alcohol abuse, or alcoholism, occurs at the same time as a mental disorder like generalized anxiety, or depression. Co-occurring disorders seldom just disappear, and treatment may include a medical detoxification, or behavioral therapy to help someone stop drinking.

Similar to other alcohol withdrawal symptoms, not every person will experience seizures. Regardless, seizures occur in more than 5 percent of patients with acute alcohol withdrawal.

“More than 90 percent of alcohol withdrawal seizures occur within 48 hours after the patient stops drinking. Fewer than 3 percent of such seizures may occur 5 to 20 days after the last drink. Clinical data suggest that the likelihood of having withdrawal seizures, as well as the severity of those seizures, increases with the number of past withdrawals,” (NIAAA).

In other words, the number of detoxifications and withdrawal complications can increase the likelihood of seizures. The development of each is “ascribed to as cumulative long-term changes in brain excitability,” and is referred to as the kindling hypothesis.

Alcohol withdrawal can be a dangerous situation, and may need more than just an at-home detoxification. The seizures, and delirium tremens resulting from alcohol withdrawal can actually result in permanent brain damage.

Another result of delirium and cognitive impairment is called Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, which is a chronic memory disorder that results from a nutritional deficiency, and can be completely debilitation, .

How Do I Safely Detox From Alcohol?

The first step in getting sober for most drinkers is a supervised medical detox. Alcohol withdrawal can be deadly, and should never be attempted alone.

When a person drinks heavily, they may become gaunt, malnourished, and not be able to process fluid or food normally.

During a medical detoxification at an inpatient rehab, a person can have nurse practitioners and physician assistants guide them through the process, which can include:

safely removing alcohol from their body
watching for seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens
monitoring of:
- blood pressure
- body temperature
- vitamin, fluid, and food intake
- heart rate
- blood levels
- different chemicals in the body
some require fluids or medicines intravenously
medication-assisted therapy—sedative medicines until withdrawal is complete

After detoxification, the withdrawal symptoms should be pretty well taken care of, but other behavioral treatment programs should be considered. Detoxification merely takes care of the physical addiction to alcohol, but what a person is left with is the mental addiction.

Some of the different evidence-based treatments for a mental addiction to alcohol include:

Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Motivational Therapy
Support Groups
Individual and Group Therapy
Aftercare Support

No matter the route that a person chooses, freedom from an alcohol addiction starts with the first step, and those who receive treatment are on the path to success. Alcohol addiction doesn’t necessarily have a cure, but it’s still treatable.

We Want To Find The Right Treatment For You

Alcohol use disorders can manifest themselves after quitting alone is no longer an option. If you or someone you love is suffering from alcohol abuse or alcoholism, please reach out to us and we can work out a solution together. Contact us today.

For More Information Related to “Seizures from Alcohol Withdrawal” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – Alcohol Facts and Statistics
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – Complications of Alcohol Withdrawal
U.S. National Library of Medicine – Alcohol Withdrawal

Signs of Speedball (Heroin with Cocaine) Use

Posted on September 26, 2017October 12, 2017 by dr-admin

When a person mixes heroin with cocaine, they may seem anxious, uncoordinated, stupored, and drowsy. This mixture of depressant and stimulant is referred to as a speedball. A lot of people concurrently use heroin and cocaine to counter any side-effects from either drug, but it can also result in consequences such as respiratory failure, overdose, and coma.

What Is A Speedball And Why Is It Dangerous?

A speedball refers to a mixture of depressants and stimulants; it’s a form of polysubstance abuse. A few examples of a speedballing are alprazolam with methamphetamine, alcohol with amphetamines, or the most common speedball, heroin with cocaine.

People may use heroin with cocaine for the intense rush, or to minimize the negative side-effects or “come-down.” But the reality is the effect that mixing heroin with cocaine has on the body is unpredictable, and can be fatal.

How Cocaine Works

Cocaine works by stimulating a person’s central nervous system. It causes a flush of dopamine in a their brain, and increases their heart rate. The euphoric effect makes the user feel energetic, extremely happy, and often sleepless. Cocaine also acts on the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for regulating a person’s fight or flight response.

How Heroin Works

Heroin, on the other hand, works by depressing the central nervous system. Once it’s in the blood stream, heroin rushes to the brain and binds to opioid receptors—these are responsible for feelings of pain and pleasure, but also affect breathing, sleeping, and heart rate. Unlike cocaine, heroin affects the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s rest and digestion.

Mixing Heroin With Cocaine

When cocaine and heroin are mixed, their opposite effects can create a system debacle. This is because when both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems mentioned above, are attacked, the brain responds by sending a mixed signal of what to do. Another, perhaps more practical danger is that the effects of cocaine wear off much faster than heroin, which can easily result in respiratory failure.

Most of the time heroin and cocaine are diluted with non mood altering substances such as starch, sugar, flour, powdered milk, talcum powder, or even rat poisoning. So there isn’t always a way to tell what either drug has been cut with, thus the purity of each drug isn’t always clear. An amount that proved to be “safe” last time someone mixed heroin and cocaine, could be a fatal dose this time.

In 2015, heroin alone killed 12,989 people. That same year, cocaine killed 6,784 people. From 2010-2015, heroin and cocaine related deaths more than doubled with a combined total that escalated from 8,408 deaths in 2010 up to 21,823 deaths in 2015.

Mixing cocaine and heroin isn’t only dangerous, it’s part of a growing epidemic in the United States. Without a serious change, and the right help, a lot more lives may be lost to addiction.

Signs Of Speedball Use

Some of the signs of speedballing will be harder to point out than others, but it may help to be able to recognize the signs of heroin and cocaine abuse.

That’s because many of the side-effects of heroin and cocaine are, “associated with the abuse of either one individually,” (NIDA for Teens).

The side-effects of speedballing heroin and cocaine may include:

anxiety
high blood pressure
strong or irregular heartbeat
drowsiness
suppression of breathing
general confusion
incoherence
blurred vision
stupor
drowsiness
paranoia
mental impairment
uncontrolled and uncoordinated motor skills
risk of death from:
- stroke
- heart attack
- aneurysm
- respiratory failure

Why Mix Heroin With Cocaine?

The reasons that someone mixes heroin with cocaine can vary, but there are a lot of people who inject a mixture of the two to chase the perfect euphoria. Others may combine the heroin with cocaine to counter the drug side-effects like anxiety, depression, or even a crash.

Heroin is a mentally and physically addictive drug that can be extremely difficult to quit cold turkey. A lot of people are met with the challenge of intense mental and physical withdrawals when they finally do stop using heroin.

Everybody’s different, and there so there’s no clear-cut reason that people will mix depressants and stimulants. There are also people who use cocaine as a sort self-medication for heroin withdrawal.

Heroin withdrawal can include the following symptoms:

restlessness
severe muscle and bone pain
sleep problems
diarrhea and vomiting
cold flashes with goose bumps
uncontrollable leg movements
severe heroin cravings

(NIDA)

Treatment For Addiction To Heroin And Cocaine

Finding an evidence-based inpatient rehab center is the usually the best first step to get help for someone struggling with an addiction to heroin and/or cocaine.

Some of the unique treatment programs offered at rehab centers include:

Evalulation
Detoxification
Medication-Assisted Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Contingency Management
Individual and Group Therapy

Find An Addiction Treatment Program That Works

If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction to cocaine and heroin, contact DrugRehab.org to speak to an addiction treatment specialist about how to get help. Your recovery is important to us, and your call will be completely confidential.

For More Information Related to “Signs of Speedball (Heroin with Cocaine) Use” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

National Institute on Drug Abuse: National Center for Health Statistics – Overdose Death Rates
National Institute on Drug Abuse – Cocaine
National Institute on Drug Abuse – Heroin
National Institute on Drug Abuse – How Effective is Drug Addiction Treatment?
NIDA for Teens – Real Teens Ask About Speedballs

The Dangers of Mixing Xanax and Oxycodone

Posted on September 12, 2017 by dr-admin

Mixing a benzodiazepine like Xanax with an opioid like oxycodone can increase the chance of respiratory depression, slowed breathing, slowed heart rate, overdose, and death. Benzodiazepines and opioids are highly addictive substances that can be difficult, and dangerous, to stop using alone. Professional treatment can help someone quit by teaching them to replace unhealthy habits and behaviors with healthy ones.

Understanding Xanax And Oxycodone Abuse

Xanax is the most popular brand name of alprazolam and belongs to a class of medications known as benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines (benzos) are a type of sedative most commonly used to treat anxiety disorders and panic disorders. Xanax works by slowing down a person’s central nervous system and helping them feel relaxed.

Opioids like oxycodone are also known to slow down the central nervous system (CNS), and are commonly used in medicine to relieve moderate to severe pain. Oxycodone is the generic version of OxyContin. Because of the potency of oxycodone, physicians will regulate the amount of the drug that’s prescribed.

The problem is that both benzodiazepines and opioids often elicit a feeling of well-being and euphoria. It’s because of that feeling that people abuse each medication to get “high.” Opioids can make a person feel numb, drowsy, and elated. Mixing opioids with benzodiazepines causes that high to be intensified. This can be a dangerous combination, even with a small amount of each drug.

You may be wondering, “if these drugs are so dangerous, then how and why are people getting them?” Oftentimes, after a person starts abusing prescription medications, they start doctor shopping, and lying about symptoms. It can be very difficult for a physician to tell who’s telling the truth and who isn’t.

The predicament is actually getting worse. “The number of patients prescribed both an opioid pain reliever and a benzodiazepine increased by 41 percent between 2002 and 2014. That translates to an increase of more than 2.5 million opioid painkiller patients also receiving benzodiazepines,”(CBS News).

What Are The Consequences Of Prescription Drug Abuse?

Mixing opioids and benzodiazepines is incredibly dangerous, so much that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned physicians and patients about mixing the two. The FDA stated, that “healthcare professionals should limit prescribing opioid pain medicines with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants only to patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.”

The FDA went on to say that “patients taking opioids with benzodiazepines, other CNS depressant medicines, or alcohol, and caregivers of these patients, should seek medical attention immediately if they or someone they are caring for experiences symptoms of unusual dizziness or lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness.”

In other words, mixing benzodiazepines and opioids increases this risk of overdose, and death. In 2015, there were 6,872 overdose deaths from benzodiazepines, and 5,826 of those deaths involved opioids.

Not only can abusing prescription drugs result in overdose, it can cause a mental addiction, or physical dependence as well. Mixing benzos and opioids can also lead to serious health problems with the liver, heart, brain, and stomach.

Opioids can be dangerous without the help of Xanax, and according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “opioids killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, more than any year on record. Nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.”

What Are The Symptoms Of Withdrawal?

Whether they’re taken for a legitimate medical purpose or not, prescription Xanax and oxycodone can lead to a physical dependency. This essentially means that when a person stops taking the drugs, their body continues craving the active chemical.

Because opioids and benzodiazepines are both mentally and physically addictive, most people will experience physical and mental withdrawal symptoms when they stop. When opioids and benzos are mixed, the results are often unpredictable.

When a person quits using oxycodone, they may experience withdrawal that has potential to cause them to relapse. These withdrawal symptoms, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, may include:

restlessness
watery eyes
runny nose
sneezing
yawning
sweating
chills
muscle or joint aches or pains
weakness
irritability
anxiety
depression
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
cramps
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
loss of appetite
fast heartbeat
fast breathing

Stopping benzodiazepines cold-turkey can be very dangerous as well, and often intensifies withdrawal. It is for this reason that a physician will gradually decrease dosage. The withdrawal symptoms of Xanax, according to NLM, may include:

seizures
headache
blurred vision
increased sensitivity to noise or light
change in sense of smell
sweating
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
difficulty concentrating
nervousness
depression
irritability
aggressive behavior
muscle twitching or cramps
diarrhea
vomiting
pain
burning
numbness
or tingling in the hands or feet
a decrease in appetite
weight loss

A medical detoxification can help a person safely remove a drug from their system while managing the symptoms of withdrawal. Detoxification may be required to properly treat an addiction to both benzodiazepines and opioids.

How Do People Become Addicted To Prescription Drugs?

Even when a person takes Xanax or oxycodone as a prescription, they’re at risk of becoming addicted to them. What usually happens with oxycodone, is someone starts out with an injury that requires pain relief. They take the medicine with no intention to abuse it, but overtime, with continued use, they begin to build up a tolerance and then become dependent.

At this point, they might enjoy the feeling oxycodone gives them. Many people who become dependent on opioids continue taking the drug just to avoid relapse, and might even switch to street drugs like heroin, because it can be less expensive while creating a more intense euphoria.

This is only a potential scenario, and doesn’t apply to everyone—the point is that though not everyone abuses prescription drugs for the same reason, all of our minds are wired the same way to crave things that make us feel good.

It can be really hard to understand why prescription medicines are so dangerous, but still used. The fact is that some people suffer from serious mental disorders while others have severe pain. These types of people still need medicine to help them deal with their illnesses or conditions.

NIDA for Teens described how addiction works, by stating that “prescription drugs that effect the brain, including opioid pain relievers, stimulants, and depressants, can cause physical dependence that could lead to addiction.

Medications that affect the brain can change the way it works—especially when they are taken over an extended period of time or with escalating doses. They can change the reward system, making it harder for a person to feel good without the drug and possibly leading to intense cravings, which make it hard to stop using.”

There are other factors that can play a part in addiction as well. These may include environmental, biological, or psychological variables. Some people suffer from mental disorders that require a medication like Xanax. This can be a difficult situation, because as a they continue using Xanax, they’re at a greater risk of becoming dependent, but if they stop using the drug they’re mental condition could worsen—this is where millions are met with a dilemma.

Not everyone’s addiction is the same either, so treating the addiction will be different for each person as well. There are behavioral and physical symptoms that usually need to be tended to in order for a treatment to be successful.

At the end of the day, addiction to benzodiazepines and opioids is not easy to overcome, but it’s still possible. Some of the different treatment programs that can help along the path to recovery include:

Medical Detoxification
Medication-Assisted Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment
Motivational Interviewing
Mindfulness and Stress Management

Find Treatment For Substance Use Disorder And Addiction

If you or someone you love is struggling with prescription drugs, please don’t wait to reach out to us. Contact an addiction specialist at DrugRehab.org today to learn how to overcome addiction and build a solid foundation to lifelong recovery.

For More Information Related to “The Dangers of Mixing Xanax and Oxycodone” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Opioid Overdose
National Institute on Drug Abuse – Overdose Death Rates
U.S. National Library of Medicine NLM – Alprazolam
U.S. National Library of Medicine NLM – Oxycodone

National Recovery Month

Posted on September 7, 2017September 7, 2017 by dr-admin

In an effort to raise awareness surrounding addiction and recovery, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has made September National Recovery Month. Every September, SAMSHA assigns a theme to the campaign and promotes their mission in communities across the country in an attempt to bring more understanding and erase the stigma surrounding addiction.

National Recovery Month 2017

This year’s theme is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Strengthen Families and Communities”. The basis around this theme is uniting families and communities together to fight addiction and support recovery. SAMSHA has chosen to focus on uniting families and communities in the wake of the opioid epidemic that has been sweeping across the nation in previous years.

With the opioid epidemic beginning largely with prescription opioids, SAMSHA is urging parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of medications, including prescription opioids, and educate families on keeping their prescription medications locked up and out of reach to children. For more information on this year’s National Recovery Month theme, visit https://www.recoverymonth.gov/.

What’s New This Year?

While drug addiction is not a new ailment to our country, we have seen some recent changes in trends across the United States. With a growing number of individuals affected by the opioid epidemic, experts have noticed increasing trends in addiction among rural and non-city residents. This is a newer trend that makes it more difficult to detect and track the distribution and sale of the drug. Many rural areas have far fewer people per square mile than cities do, leaving miles of un-patrolled roads and communities open for trafficking.

Previously, anti-drug campaigns were centered around inner-city schools, community centers, churches, and other city-wide organizations. However with the increase in addiction rates in rural communities, National Recovery Month is urging communities to work together in fighting the opioid epidemic, among other addictions, as it potentially creeps into their communities and schools.

Education is one of the best methods for fighting opioid addiction. Beginning drug education with kids, even at a young age, can be key to helping them make the right decisions down the road. However, kids are not the only ones who can benefit from drug education. Many grown adults are unaware of the dangers that some unsuspecting drugs, such as prescription medications, can carry with them. When communities are educated on drug addiction, they are better equipped to handle situations like the opioid epidemic.

Be Socially Inclusive

SAMSHA is fighting hard to remove the stigma associated with drug addiction and abuse. For this year’s National Recovery Month, SAMSHA challenges communities to be socially inclusive in their efforts to educate residents on the dangers of drug use, as well as celebrate those who have made it to recovery.

SAMSHA takes the time to highlight individuals who may suffer from mental illness, urging communities to involve them in their fight against drug addiction. Providing support and education to individuals suffering from mental illness could help prevent them from reaching for drugs in the future, or encourage them to reach out if they already struggle with a drug addiction. Did you know: One study done by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that over 50% of individuals suffering from a mental illness also struggle with a substance abuse problem?

Being socially inclusive also includes supporting individuals who are currently struggling with a substance abuse issue, and celebrating with those who are in recovery. Instead of shielding children from the facts and faces of drug abuse, it is important to include everyone in educational efforts throughout the community. Even allowing an individual who has previously struggled with drug addiction to be a part of the education process can be immensely beneficial, both for that individual and for the community they are educating.

Getting Everyone Involved

It is important to put a face to addiction, especially in communities that think “that never happens here”. Often times residents are shocked to learn that it does happen here, and it happens to people just like you and I. Removing the stigma associated with drug addiction can help bring people forward to tell their stories share in their recovery success.

Community organizations can help too. Schools are a great place for drug education to begin, but it doesn’t have to stay there. Fire departments, police departments, local churches, food banks, homeless shelters, and even book clubs and country clubs can join in on the mission. Addiction affects everyone, not just the shadowy figures depicted in movies. Supporting drug education in your area means you are supporting the entire community, not just a select group of people. Everyone has a chance to get involved and make a difference!

Get Help Today

Have you suffered from an addiction in your past? Do you have a loved one that is suffering from addiction? We are here to support you, your loved ones, and your community, and want to answer any questions you may have about addiction or treatment. Our goal is to get clients set up with the professional help and support they need to treat their addiction.

Our addiction treatment specialists are specifically trained to help you find treatment that fits your needs or the needs of your loved one and their addiction. Our addiction treatment specialists are available around the clock, and your call is always confidential. Give us a call today and let us help you.

For More Information On “National Recovery Month” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

American Psychiatric Association – Implementing Dual Diagnosis Services for Clients With Severe Mental Illness

The Dangers Of Mixing Alcohol With Crack Cocaine

Posted on August 30, 2017 by dr-admin

Alcohol decreases a person’s fundamental ability to make sound decisions. As judgment, reasoning, and inhibition drop, a person is far more apt to make poor choices like using crack for the first time, or using large amounts within shorter periods of time.

Crack cocaine is intensely addictive, so much so, that according to CESAR a “A person can become addicted after his or her first time trying crack cocaine.” With this toxic drug cocktail your risk of overdose will always be higher, as is the chance that your body will experience other harm.

What Does Alcohol Do To Your Body?

Even though alcohol may make people initially feel more energetic, it’s actually a sedative or “downer.” When you consume alcohol it goes to work on your central nervous system (CNS) and begins to depress it or slow it down, hence why it’s also referred to as a CNS depressant.

As this occurs, your heart, breathing, and blood pressure rates all start to decline. The more alcohol you use in a shorter period of time, the more pronounced these effects. Alcohol greatly taxes a person’s liver and also affects their heart and brain.

How Does Crack Effect You?

Crack is a powerful stimulant. When a person uses crack their CNS speeds up (the opposite effect of alcohol) and their brain’s chemistry is immediately altered. Here, two things happen. First, as the CNS quickens, a person’s heart rate and other cardiac functions increase. Secondly, as their brain’s chemistry changes, and because crack is so powerful, they quickly begin to crave the drug.

Crack is far more potent than powdered cocaine, and thereby carries an even greater risk when abused. Despite this intense effect, the high or “rush” from crack is relatively short-lived (only about five to ten minutes).

To counter this brief effect, crack, like powdered cocaine, is often used in binges. This means a person keeps using the drug in rapid succession after the first dose, a practice which increases the risk of addiction, heart damage, and overdose.

Why Do People Use Alcohol And Crack Together?

The reasons are similar to most which fuel polydrug abuse. Some users ingest both because alcohol intensifies the high associated with crack. On the other hand, alcohol is often used to moderate the come-down associated with a crack high, or certain unpleasant side effects of the high itself, like twitching, tremors, or anxiety. Regardless of why a person chooses to use these drugs together, they are placing their life and health in a precarious position.

What Happens When You Use An “Upper” And A “Downer” Together?

Due to the opposing nature of each drug’s basic characteristics (one being a stimulant and the other a depressant) the drugs seem, at certain points, to cancel out the effects of the other.

This may lead a person to drink more because they don’t feel the intoxicating effects of the alcohol as acutely. Or a person may use more crack because the alcohol seems to balance out the heightened states associated with it.

Many users take these to be positive effects, when in reality they are anything but. This does not at all mean that your body is immune from the effects of the additional alcohol or crack. While certain effects may wane, the impact on other parts of your body and brain remain.

When you use both your CNS is caught in the middle of a dangerous tug of war which overburdens this critical system, as well as your heart. As your body is pulled quite literally from one extreme to the next in this way, your life is in jeopardy.

Alcohol And Crack Increase Your Risk Of Death

Both alcohol and crack, can, alone, cause overdose. Using these two drugs together increases the risk. As a person uses crack more frequently to fulfill their cravings, their CNS system becomes even more taxed, increasing the risk of overdose. This hazard is high when a person is binging on the drug, behaviors which increases when alcohol is present.

For individuals who aren’t accustomed to consuming alcohol with crack, the potential for a fatal overdose skyrockets. Alcohol can actually make it easier for your body to absorb cocaine, which increases the concentration of cocaine within your blood by 20 to 30 percent. From this effect, a person could overdose if they take an amount they are typically used to when using the drug alone.

In the instances where crack seems to “cancel” out alcohol’s effects, a person may continue to consume alcohol in pursuit of a buzz. The problem is that even though they don’t feel the alcohol, their body is still taking large amounts of it in.

Once the crack begins to wear off a person may become very intoxicated quickly, to the extent they get severe alcohol poisoning.

Also, research shows that cocaine as a whole has been linked to an increased risk of suicide when used with alcohol.

What Is Cocaethylene And Why Is It So Toxic?

When alcohol and crack cocaine enter your system within the same period of time their chemical components begin to react together, forming a new chemical called cocaethylene.

Cocaethylene itself has psychoactive properties that many users seek out even if they don’t realize it. This chemical has a longer half-life by three to five times compared to cocaine, which means it remains in your system longer, lengthening the euphoric state of the crack.

Cocaethylene has been associated with an increased risk of:

Cardiac complications: Various cardiac processes can malfunction from this chemical. The risk of heart attack climbs (especially in those under aged 40).
Liver damage: Since your liver metabolizes the two drugs to create cocaethylene, this organ can suffer substantial damage.
Seizures: Seizures can lead to bodily injury and head trauma, which could cause death.
Sudden death: Cocaethylene “carries an 18- to 25-fold increase over cocaine alone in risk for immediate death,” according to the Journal of Addictive Diseases.
Immune system: A compromised immune system makes it harder for your body to fight disease and infection and maintain an altogether healthful state.

Even though a user may feel the pleasurable effects for a more substantial period of time, the longer cocaethylene is in your system, the greater the opportunity it has to damage your body.

It is possible to treat two addictions at once. In these instances, inpatient drug rehab is typically the best choice for treatment.

Get Help For Alcohol and Crack Cocaine Abuse Today

If you or a loved one is addicted to both alcohol and crack, or experimenting with one while addicted to the other, don’t delay. Contact DrugRehab.org now to begin exploring your treatment options today.

For More Information Related to “The Dangers Of Mixing Alcohol With Crack Cocaine” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

US National Library of Medicine — Effects Of Concurrent Use Of Alcohol And Cocaine
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics — Cocaine and Alcohol Interactions in Humans: Neuroendocrine Effects and Cocaethylene Metabolism

Is Alcoholism Genetic or Hereditary?

Posted on August 14, 2017 by dr-admin

Affecting over 1.5 million adults in the United States, alcoholism is one of the most prevalent addictions in the country. Alcoholism can be a fatal disease, sometimes ending in liver disease or cancer of the mouth, esophagus, larynx, liver, and breast. The fatality of alcoholism claims close to 90,000 lives each year, making it the fourth preventable cause of death in the United States.

With statistics as grim as these, many individuals are left wondering what factors influenced their alcoholism in the first place. Like many drug addictions, alcohol abuse can be triggered by a traumatic life event or major stressor, as well as environmental factors and elements of habit. But what about genetics? Genetics do play a role in influencing alcoholism in the next generation, however it may not be as large of a role as you would think.

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a serious disease that affects millions of Americans. It can be defined as addiction to alcohol, or the inability to control the amount or frequency of alcohol consumption. Generally stemming from a history of alcohol abuse, alcoholism is on the most severe end of the spectrum of alcohol use disorder, as defined by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Alcohol abuse, which is generally a more manageable stage of alcohol use disorder, can lead into alcoholism if a lifestyle change or intervention is not taken at this point. Alcohol abuse is defined as reckless or risky behavior associated with drinking, heavy drinking or binge drinking, and planning events or activities around the consumption of alcohol. At this stage, a physical dependency may not be present, but a behavioral dependence and habitual addiction can quickly define your lifestyle. It is much easier to quit drinking at this stage than it is once alcoholism takes its toll.

Like alcohol abuse, alcoholism is not defined by the amount or frequency of an individual’s alcohol consumption, but rather the behavior associated with it. People who suffer from alcoholism may find that they are unable to control how much and how often they consume alcohol, and they may feel withdrawal symptoms after they stop drinking for a short period of time.

It is not uncommon for alcoholics to lie to close friends and family regarding their alcohol use, and often times they are able to function very well in their lives, even while drinking heavily. Physical dependence will be present at this point, and alcoholics will often tailor their lives to work around their alcoholism. The destructive behaviors of an alcoholic will often present themselves before the physical side effects can take their toll on the body.

Alcoholism is considered a disease, and for good reason. It not just a bad habit or lack of willpower, but rather an illness that can completely consume an individual, leaving them little control over their own lives. It is seen more frequently in adults with a history of childhood abuse or trauma, however can affect an individual of any background, race, age, or gender. It is also seen more often in individuals with a family history of alcoholism or alcohol abuse, however this can be traced back to environmental influence as well as genetics.

The Four Symptoms Of Alcoholism

There are four main symptoms of alcoholism that define the boundary between alcohol abuse and alcoholism. While these symptoms can have varying levels of severity, they are indicative of a chemical dependency the body has developed to the drug. These four symptoms include:

Cravings

A craving is a strong urge or desire to do or consume something. With alcohol, this urge can become more intense during times of high stress or emotion. This type of craving would be considered a coping mechanism, which means your brain responds to certain triggers with a desire to drown them out with alcohol. Cravings can make alcoholism difficult to overcome, as many emotions are tied to them and it is usually not as simple as saying “no, I will not drink that”.

Tolerance

Tolerance is generally a sign of the over consumption of any drug, as it indicates that the body has adjusted to a certain level of drugs in your system. When consuming alcohol for a period of time, your body will consider a certain level of alcohol to be the new ‘norm’, requiring more alcohol to reach a feeling of drunkenness. This can be a difficult cycle to break, as more alcohol is required to obtain the same feeling that brought an individual to drink alcohol in the first place.

Loss of Control

Loss of control can also be a sign of severe alcohol abuse, but is especially prevalent in alcoholism. With alcoholism, the chemical and behavioral dependency on alcohol is too great to overcome with willpower alone. It is not uncommon for alcoholics to report the inability to control their drinking despite a strong desire not to.

Physical Dependence

Last but certainly not least, alcohol is a physically addictive drug. It is so physically addictive that in some cases, withdrawal symptoms from stopping the consumption of alcohol can be severe enough to be fatal. While many aspects of alcoholism can be attributed to emotions and behavior, physical dependence is entirely chemical and cannot be helped through therapy or counseling. Often times, medical detox is recommended to help an individual detox from alcohol safely with as few health risks as possible.

Inheriting Genes vs Inheriting Habits

There have been many studies conducted in the United States regarding alcoholism and its relationship to genetics. While many of these results have been inconclusive, it has been established that alcoholism is indeed a genetic disease, but cannot be measured statistically like other genetic diseases because environmental, behavioral, and emotional factors play such a large role in the outcome of an individual.

According to a study done at the Indiana University School of Medicine, children with one or more alcoholic parents have a 2-4 fold higher chance of becoming an alcoholic as an adult. However, surveys performed by this same study indicate that less than half of these children actually develop alcoholism. According to Howard J. Edenburg who lead the study, the risk of alcoholism is shaped by two facts:

Risk is affected by genes
Risk is affected by choice

Arguably, the second fact is indicative of environmental factors chosen by the parent, as we agree that no one willingly chooses to become an alcoholic. Children of alcoholics not only share the same genes as their parents, but also the same environment. If a child sees a parent drinking openly and often, this can influence their perception of the role alcohol plays in the life of an individual.

It is not uncommon for children of alcoholics to come from a dysfunctional home, sometimes leading to abuse or emotional distress. These traumatic emotional triggers can contribute to the chances of developing a substance abuse issue or addiction down the road. Children of alcoholics are also more likely to partake in underage drinking, which can greatly increase the chance of developing alcoholism as an adult.

So is alcoholism genetic? The short answer is yes – to an extent. There has been a gene isolated that has a strong association with alcoholism. However, the effect of gene-environmental interactions must also be taken into account when considering the impact of alcoholism and genetics.

Get Help Today

If you are concerned for yourself or a loved one when it comes to alcohol abuse or alcoholism, the sooner you reach out for help the more likely you are to make a full recovery. Especially when taking a family history of alcoholism into account, professional intervention is often necessary to assist with safe detox from alcohol as well as inpatient therapy to treat the emotional and behavioral aspects of alcohol addiction.

Our addiction treatment specialists are experts when it comes to choosing an alcohol treatment program that fits your needs and expectations. Many of our programs can be custom tailored to fit you, which can lead to better outcomes and a full recovery. Our specialists are available to talk around the clock, and your call is always confidential. Call today and let us help you get started with your recovery.

For More Information Related to “Is Alcoholism Genetic or Hereditary?” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

DrugAbuse.gov – Genetics of Alcoholism
Journal of Molecular Psychiatry – Genetics and Epigenetics of Alcohol Dependence
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – A Family’s History of Alcoholism
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – Drinking Levels Defined
National Institute of Health – Genetics and Alcoholism

Understanding A Needle Fixation

Posted on August 7, 2017August 7, 2017 by dr-admin

Needle fixation occurs when the act of injecting becomes compulsive, rewarding, and equal to or more important than the actual act of using the drug itself. Certain experts actually consider needle fixation to be a separate addiction, with some referring to it as a behavioral addiction. A needle fixation can increase the already present risks which accompany injection drug use, such as infection, transmissible disease, and death.

Not every individual who injects drugs will develop a needle fixation. But those who do, entertain thoughts and engage in behaviors increasingly shaped by this compulsion. The Public Sphere reports that “Estimates suggest that needle fixation is observed among a quarter of injecting heroin users.” So how does a person develop a needle fixation and what does it entail?

Intravenous (IV) Drug Abuse: The Basics

Injecting drugs is the most invasive, and dangerous, way a drug abuser can administer a drug. To do this, an individual fills a needle or syringe with the desired drug of abuse. Intravenous drug users (IDUs) inject drugs the following ways:

Intramuscularly: Into the muscle
Intravenously (IV): Into the vein
Subcutaneously (“Skin-popping”): Right below the skin

Some of the most addictive drugs known to man are used this way, including heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and morphine, among others.

What Is A Needle Fixation?

In short, it’s when a person compulsively uses needles. Further, the individual’s fixation on needles either equals or surpasses their desire to use the drug. The act of injecting, in and of itself, provides a sense of reward which is separate from the “rush” or “high” of the drug.

A more technical definition, sourced from a research report published in the journal Addiction, cites that is is “Repetitive puncturing of the skin with or without the injection of psychoactive drugs via intravenous, subcutaneous or intra-muscular routes, irrespective of the drug or drugs injected or the anticipated effects of the drug.”

Considering the fact that addiction, especially an addiction to hard drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, overrides a person’s desire for most anything else, this is pretty extreme. This is why some experts refer to a needle fixation as an addiction itself.

The Public Sphere notes that three themes lead certain people to develop “an addiction to the injecting process,” including:

Previous obsessive traits
Irrational superstitions
Insecure attachments

These individuals harbor perspectives and reactions to needles and needle use which can endanger their health and even those around them.

What Behaviors And Thoughts Are Associated With A Needle Fixation?

Like other harmful behaviors surrounding substance abuse, a needle fixation is steeped in some very unhealthy and negative thoughts and behaviors, such as those outlined by the Addiction report:

Ritualization: A person becomes obsessed with preparing the needle for injection.
Relishing the skill of injecting: User’s claim that their skill at injecting increases their self-esteem.
Substitution of other drugs or water: Some people may fixate on the injection so much that they turn to these substances if their drug isn’t available, just so they can inject.
Pleasure at injecting: The injection itself creates a sense of well-being and enhances the rush of the drug.
Pursuit of pain: Certain individuals report liking the pain associated with the injection (masochism).
Linked to deliberate self-harm: Some individuals inject as a means to purposely harm or punish themselves.
Association with sex: Injection is linked to sexual pleasure and as a way to create intimacy.

Specifically, a person with a needle fixation may:

Feel a rush or “buzz” simply by using the needle, even before the drug hits their system.
Become sexually aroused by injecting, or being injected by, their partner.
Find that they replace sex in increasing instances with the ritual of injection.
Believe it would be harder to give up injection than the actual drug of abuse.
Feel the process of preparing the needle for injection is as, or more, important than the high.
Feel calm or more relaxed after they inject water.
Enjoy the pain that results from the injection (either when injecting their self or when injected by others.)
Become infatuated with the needle because of how they equate it to this pain.
Pull blood in and out of the syringe prior to or following injection (“flushing”).

These behaviors can put a person in harm’s way. For instance, when a person is injecting a partner, especially if they equate a sexual feeling to the act, they are more apt to share needles. This practice drastically increases the risks associated with injection. As these behaviors accompany drug abuse, comprehensive treatment should be sought which addresses both concerns.

What Are The Dangers Of Injecting Drugs?

A needle fixation can jeopardize an IDU’s health and life. When this desire becomes so strong, coupled with the already overwhelming urge to use, a person may resort to sharing needles, using dirty needles, or using old needles, all of which increase the risk of infection, transmissible disease, and as a secondary effect, death.

Injecting drugs can lead to:

Abscesses
Addiction
Cellulitis
Collapsed veins
Cotton Fever
Hepatitis B and C
HIV/AIDS
Limb amputation
Necrotizing fasciitis
Organ failure
Sepsis
Track marks

Many of these conditions can accelerate into critical stages and lead to death.

Recognizing a needle fixation, and educating an IDU on it, is key to preventing these risks and opening the conversation up for treatment.

Why Is It Important To Understand Needle Fixations?

Some findings illustrate that individuals with a needle fixation are more impulsive than their IDU counterparts who don’t have a fixation. Some research even posits that a needle fixation should be classified as a behavioral addiction and treated as such.

In keeping these concerns in mind, treatment should address any issues which relate to impulsive and/or ingrained negative behaviors. Effective treatment should treat both the drug addiction and the dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors linked to the needle fixation.

Does A Needle Fixation Alter A Person’s Treatment Needs?

Yes. A BMJ Journals article explains how a needle fixation can influence treatment:

“When treating injection drug users it is important to simultaneously assess needle fixation because this would influence the treatment outcome…Understanding needle fixation as deliberate self harm can encourage testing pharmacological interventions in addition to behavioral therapies.”

Any time an individual enlists in rehab, to optimize treatment results, the facility’s staff should seek to understand a their unique situation as fully as possible. Understanding a person’s perspectives on drug abuse is important and can help to inform an individualized treatment approach.

How Do You Treat A Needle Fixation?

Many of the same modalities used to treat drug addiction may also benefit a person’s pursuit of overcoming their needle fixation. Behavioral therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be impactful methods for treating matters of impulse control, self-harm, abnormal sexual proclivities, and dysfunctional behaviors.

On this subject, one paper asserts that “Consequently, current evidence-based treatments for behavioral addictions could be modified to address the inherent difficulties of impulse control in those identified as needle-fixated injecting drug users.”

Therapy and counseling work to restore positive and healthy thoughts, emotions, and behaviors which build up sobriety and undue the damage done from the needle fixation and addiction. Additionally, these behavioral therapies are key components of treatment for any co-occurring mental health disorders, like depression or past trauma.

Begin Building Healthy Behaviors For Sobriety Today

A good treatment program can work to treat needle fixation and as well as addiction. If you’re interested in learning more about how inpatient drug rehab can help you in these ways, let DrugRehab.org help. Your call is one hundred percent confidential. Contact us today.

For More Information Related to “Understanding A Needle Fixation” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

The Long-Term Effects of Taking Suboxone

Posted on June 22, 2017June 22, 2017 by dr-admin

Suboxone is a drug commonly used to help treat different types of opioid addiction in adults. It is actually a combination of two different types of drugs; buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a type of opioid medication, often prescribed for pain control, while naloxone is actually a medication prescribed to block the effects of opioids.

If this sounds contradictory to you don’t worry, it’s supposed to. Buprenorphine is in a drug class known as an agonist, while naloxone is in an opposite category known as an antagonist. Together, this drug combination can help an individual who is addicted to opioids cope with symptoms of withdrawal and cravings.

While this combination may sound like a positive drug all the way around, the possibility of ‘too much of a good thing’ does exist with Suboxone. Like any drug, there are potential side effects that can be dangerous, along with addictive qualities after prolonged use.

How Does Suboxone Work?

As mentioned above, Suboxone is a combination of two different types of drugs. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist, meaning that while it does activate some opioid receptors in the brain, it does not activate nearly as many as a typical opioids such as hydrocodone.

Taking an opioid while trying to recover from opioid addiction may sound a bit counterproductive, but there is a method behind it. While buprenorphine is a partial agonist, it is also a partial antagonist meaning that it can also attach to opioid receptors in the brain and block other full agonist opioids from reaching them.

On the opposite side of the ring, naloxone is actually an antagonist that blocks opioid receptors by sticking to them without activating them. Naloxone on its own is a common drug used by emergency medical respondents to reverse potentially lethally overdoses on drugs such as heroin.

With naloxone and buprenorphine working together to block full agonist opioids from being received by opioid receptors, the buprenorphine is still able to produce some amount of opioid effect on the individual. This slight opioid effect helps with opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms without presenting as many of the depressant dangers of full agonist opioids.

Is Suboxone Addictive?

So far we have overviewed many of the positives regarding Suboxone, however there are some negatives that should be addressed. Can drug that was created to help treat addiction become addictive in the long run? The short answer is yes.

While there are many positive outcomes that can come with an addicted individual taking Suboxone, addiction is still a very real possibility with this drug. While the naloxone in Suboxone helps to block some of the opioid receptors through its antagonist qualities, the buprenorphine is still able to attach to some receptors.

As an opioid, buprenorphine can be very addictive. While it may be less addictive than other full agonist opioids, it still holds the same addictive traits that its opioid cousins have. Because of this, it is possible to build a dependence on Suboxone, which can quickly turn into an addiction.

What Are The Side Effects Of Suboxone?

Even when taken short-term and exactly as prescribed, Suboxone comes with its own list of possibly dangerous side effects that can happen to anyone. Before anyone is prescribed Suboxone, the doctor must assess for a history of liver/kidney disease, lung or respiratory illnesses, a history of drug abuse, enlarged prostate or bladder issues, past brain injuries or trauma to the head, and current prescriptions for sedatives such as Xanax.

This comprehensive medical history is not asked in vain, as these underlying diseases and ailments can cause many issues when combined with Suboxone. Some side effects of taking Suboxone can include:

Insomnia
Increased sweating
Heart palpitations
Numbness or pain inside your mouth
Dizziness and excessive drowsiness
Nausea relating to constipation, vomiting
Swelling in hands and feet
Aggressive migraines or headaches

Even in individuals with no medical history as mentioned above, these side effects can present themselves immediately or after a period of taking the medication. It is always important to check with your doctor if you have any underlying issues in your medical history, or if any of these side effects present themselves after taking Suboxone.

Signs Of Long-Term Suboxone Abuse

As with many drugs, including prescription drugs, the body will eventually build up a tolerance to the drug Suboxone. Because of this, dosages and frequencies should be closely monitored by the prescribing physician. Taking the exact amount and frequency prescribed is the best way to ensure the medication will help with the underlying addiction and not create a new one.

For some individuals, they may choose to combat this tolerance through higher or more frequent doses, along with alternative methods of taking the drug. It has been reported that some individuals abusing Suboxone choose to dissolve it into water and inject it, crush it into a fine powder and snort it, or chew it before swallowing for a quicker effect.

All of these methods of taking Suboxone are considered to be abusing the drug, which can be indicative of long-term use. Other signs and symptoms of long-term Suboxone abuse include:

Taking Suboxone outside of prescribed directions
Getting Suboxone prescriptions from multiple physicians
Craving Suboxone when not taking it
Mixing Suboxone with other drugs to magnify its effects
Symptoms of withdrawal when not taking Suboxone

Get Help Today

As innocent as starting to take Suboxone can be, it has the potential to hold devastating and long-term side effects. If you or a loved one believes Suboxone is no longer being utilized for the use it was prescribed, it it important to seek professional help today.

Contact one of our addiction specialists to get started on the road to recovery. No one should have to battle addiction alone, get help today.

For More Information Related to “The Long-Term Effects of Taking Suboxone” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

Drugs.com – Suboxone
Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence – Suboxone: A Harm Reduction Approach

The Benefits Of A Women’s Only Drug Rehab Center

Posted on June 21, 2017July 14, 2017 by dr-admin

Effective treatment for addiction should work the same way for everyone, right? Not necessarily. Treatment needs are as unique as the individuals who have them, and treatment has to be adjusted to meet these individual needs.

Different people have different needs when entering treatment. Some people have more than one substance abuse problem, for instance. Some come to treatment with a co-occurring mental health disorder. Still others may have a history of abuse that requires even more diligent treatment, or traumatic events in their lives that affect the way they approach and respond to treatment.

These are just a few examples; we all need different things from treatment and seek specific outcomes. While our end goals for drug rehab may be quite similar, the way we get there has to work for us, and that means drug rehabs must offer a variety of methods to ensure our best chance at success in recovery.

For some women, seeking treatment at a women-only drug rehab center may provide great benefits. Some women may flourish in a gender-specific treatment center, and find it to be the deciding factor that pushes them to complete treatment.

Which Women Benefit From Women-Only Drug Rehab Centers?

So who benefits most from women-only drug rehab centers? Research at this time is too limited to show who all could benefit from gender-specific addiction treatment. However, research in the last few decades does show that women who have struggled with certain circumstances or who have certain conditions may strongly benefit from women-only rehab.

Women who have suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for example, may see better treatment outcomes in a women-only environment. The National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism (NIAAA) explains, “substance-abusing women with post-traumatic stress disorder may benefit significantly more from gender-specific programs designed to address PTSD and addiction problems simultaneously.”

Women who are pregnant, or who are in the last few weeks before or after pregnancy (perinatal), may also do better in a women-only treatment program. Victims of sexual, physical, or mental and emotional abuse are more likely to seek treatment in a women-only environment.

What Is The Difference Between Integrated Drug Rehab And Women-Only?

Really, anyone can benefit from gender-specific treatment. It’s not about separating men and women, but recognizing that each group has differing needs. The NIAAA reports the following factors that differ among genders, and “affect treatment outcomes in very important ways”:

Children in the home
Education
Employment
History of sexual abuse
Income
Marital status
Mental health conditions
Self-efficacy, or the belief in your ability to succeed in certain situations
Substances of abuse

In other words, every person who enters treatment brings with them different physical, emotional, and mental burdens and responsibilities. Treating each person means adapting to the needs that are generated by these differing factors.

The NIAAA states, “this suggests that addressing risks differentiated, by gender, may help improve both the treatment process and outcomes for men and women.”

What Treatment Methods Are Offered At Women-Only Drug Rehabs?

Because of women’s unique needs, a multidisciplinary approach is needed for a comprehensive treatment outcome. The following are proven effective methods for helping women through addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health conditions, troubling thoughts and emotions from conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and other treatment needs:

Counseling: for one-on-one support
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), for learning to shed negative lifestyle habits and replace with new, positive ones
Dual diagnosis treatment: to address any and all co-occurring disorders
Mental health treatment: to treat co-occurring conditions that may affect each other
Physical components of therapy: adventure therapy, wilderness therapy, and other skill-building activities which teach fulfilling activities to avoid and manage overwhelming cravings and triggers
Aftercare support, to teach you to cope and manage in recovery long-term

All of these methods and more are offered at our women-only drug rehab centers. If you’re a woman who has suffered from a traumatic event, domestic abuse, been a victim of a crime, or are affected by another hardship that keeps you from wanting to enter treatment, we can help.

Women-only treatment provides a welcoming, safe environment for women in a nurturing, peaceful setting. With these programs, you’ll not only be able to relax enough to heal, but you’ll find the strength and support you need to complete your treatment goals.

Is Drug Rehab Treatment Effective?

Many men and women never seek treatment at all. Women may be in fear of seeking treatment due to a variety of traumatic factors, and men may have a hard time seeking help due to societal pressures they feel. Yet overwhelmingly research finds that those who seek treatment see great outcomes.

The National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that treatment, “enables people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on the brain and behavior and to regain control of their lives.” People who go to rehab and complete it are more likely to stop drug abuse, decrease or stop criminal involvement, and see better outcomes in work and personal affairs.

Find A Women-Only Rehab Center Today

If you’re struggling today, know you are not alone. Millions of others struggle every day not just with addiction, but with the many driving forces that affect it. No matter what burden you carry, it’s never too heavy to overcome with the right well-rounded approach.

We’d like to help lighten your load, and help you learn to lead a fulfilling life, starting with successful completion of treatment. To learn more about women-only drug rehab, our rehab centers, or our evidence-based methods, contact us today at DrugRehab.org.

For More Information Related to “Women’s Only Drug Rehab Center” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Sources

Mayo Clinic—Drug Addiction: Risk Factors

Sepsis From Intravenous (IV) Drug Use

Posted on June 13, 2017July 14, 2017 by dr-admin

While drug abuse of any kind can be dangerous, certain routes of administration can cause greater damage than others. Intravenous drug use, the act of injecting a water-soluble drug into one’s body, is one of the most invasive and dangerous ways an individual can administer a drug. Through continued use and repeated trauma to the injection site, IV drug abuse leads to many hazardous health effects, including sepsis.

What Is Sepsis?

While many people think sepsis is an infection itself, it’s actually a complication caused by an infection. As explained by Mayo Clinic, “sepsis occurs when chemicals are released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body.”

The type of infection which can cause sepsis varies. Sepsis is most heavily linked to bacteria, though certain forms of fungus or viruses may also cause it. Sepsis is commonly referred to as “blood poisoning,” as the bacteria or toxins produced by them overtake the bloodstream.

What Are The Stages Of Sepsis?

Mayo Clinic explains that sepsis is typically broken down into three stages:

Sepsis

Sepsis is diagnosed only when there is reasonable suspicion or verification of an infection, in addition to two of the following symptoms:

Body temperature above 101 F (38.3 C) or below 96.8 F (36 C)
Heart rate higher than 90 beats a minute
Respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths a minute

Severe Sepsis

Within this state, a person must have one or more of the following symptoms:

Improperly working heart
Respiratory (breathing) struggles
Pain in the abdomen
Platelet count begins falling
Rapidly altered mental states
Urine production drastically drops

Any of these symptoms indicate potential organ failure.

Septic Shock

As a person’s condition advances to this state, they will display the above signs and symptoms. But, in order to qualify as septic shock, a person’s blood pressure must remain low despite attempts to increase it with fluid replacement.

Sepsis becomes more dangerous as it progresses through these stages. To avoid the greatest danger, treatment should begin as early as possible.

How Does IV Drug Use Cause Sepsis?

Intravenous drug use can introduce numerous toxins and pathogens into a person’s veins and body at large, which pave the way for infection. Pathogens include bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Staphyloccus aureus, or MRSA as it’s better known to most of us, is the bacteria most frequently responsible for IV drug infections.

Transmission of these pathogens often occurs due to improper and unhygienic handling of needles. As a person becomes addicted, the need to use becomes so intense that they disregard their health. Because of this, some users share needles. This behavior increases the risk that a pathogen will be transmitted by blood-to-blood contact.

Even if you never share needles, you could still be at risk. Far too many drug abusers repeatedly use the same syringe. Doing so allows bacteria to grow on the needle, which could then be transmitted into your tissue and blood. Even with new needles, a person can still get an infection if they don’t properly clean the injection site. Research has found that bacteria from a person’s skin presents a greater risk than that which is present on shared needles.

Intravenous injection requires a vein, which leaves drug abusers with only so many options. Because of this, many users will repeatedly inject at the same site. This can create abscesses, track marks, or ulcers, all of which can lead to serious infection. Sometimes, a user will actually miss the vein and inject the drug into their muscle or right under the skin, raising the risk of infection in these regions. Lastly, it’s suspected that using black tar heroin increases a user’s risk of infection.

What Types Of IV Drug-Related Illness Or Disease Cause Sepsis?

Intravenous drug abuse causes a range of infections, many of which can become deadly. One of the biggest reasons why these infections endanger a person’s life is because they cause sepsis.

The following infections can lead to sepsis:

Cellulitis: This infection affects both the skin and underlying tissue, and can spread outwards across the limb.

Endocarditis: This occurs when bacteria, fungus, or viruses cause an infection within your heart’s inner lining and valves.

Necrotizing fasciitis: Often referred to as the “flesh-eating disease,” this rare but serious infection is extremely aggressive and causes your body’s soft tissues to die.

Whether you inject sporadically or chronically, you’re exposing yourself to danger. While it’s true that prolonged and chronic use increases your risk over time, it is possible to contract an infection from even one use.

What Are The Complications And Dangers Of Sepsis?

Sepsis poisons your blood and body. The more time that passes without treatment, the greater the risk of complications and fatality. Sepsis can become so severe that your organs struggle to function properly. This can lead to organ damage and/or failure. Combined with the dangers of the infections themselves, these effects even further increase the risk of death.

A person’s veins can become septic and develop blood clots, inflammation, and bacteria throughout. Injecting into the jugular or other central veins increases this risk. These states could develop into sepsis and septic emboli (bacteria and pus-filled embolisms), both of which can be life-threatening conditions.

As outlined by the Sepsis Alliance, individuals who recover from sepsis often face serious long-term effects, such as:

Amputated limbs
Chronic pain
Chronic fatigue
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Organ dysfunction

How Is Sepsis Treated?

If you suspect you have or are developing sepsis, seek medical help immediately. Left untreated, sepsis can progress rapidly to the point of threatening your life. As soon as you seek treatment, medical staff will likely administer a broad-spectrum antibiotic. This medication can address various types of infection and the bacteria which cause them. Once tests determine the specific bacteria, a more focused antibiotic may be used.

Through these stages, Mayo writes that other treatments may be initiated, such as:

Corticosteroids
Drugs to stabilize the immune system
Insulin (to stabilize blood sugar)
IV fluids
Oxygen
Painkillers (staff should proceed accordingly with opioid-addicted individuals)
Sedatives
Vasopressor medication to raise blood pressure

Advanced stages of sepsis may require:

Breathing support
Kidney dialysis
Surgery

Mayo Clinic cautions that “people with severe sepsis require close monitoring and treatment in a hospital intensive care unit. If you have severe sepsis or septic shock, lifesaving measures may be needed to stabilize breathing and heart function.”

While sepsis can be treated, we urge you to consider preventative measures to avoid this risk. Effective drug rehab can help you to overcome your IV drug addiction. Here you’ll encounter counseling, behavioral therapies, and if needed, medication-assisted treatment. Along with other dynamic modalities, these things can help you overcome your addiction.

Don’t Let IV Drug Abuse Destroy Your Health Or Claim Your Life

Contact Drugrehab.org today if your or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Our treatment specialists can help find a program that is tailored to your needs. If you suspect that yourself or a loved one may have sepsis or another serious infection as a result of intravenous drug use contact your doctor or go to a hospital immediately.

For More Information Related to “Sepsis From Intravenous (IV) Drug Use” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

Cotton Fever From IV Drug Use

Posted on June 12, 2017July 14, 2017 by dr-admin

When an intravenous (IV) injection drug user prepares their drug of choice, they may have to filter the substance before they fill the syringe with it. To do this, many people use makeshift filters made from cigarette filters or cotton balls. The latter material is associated with causing a flu-like illness marked by fever. Many IV drug abusers refer to this as “cotton fever.” Cotton fever hits a user 15 to 30 minutes after injection, with symptoms typically subsiding in 12 hours.

What Is Intravenous Drug Use?

People inject drugs a number of ways. The most common way is by injecting the substance directly into the vein. Many users prefer IV drug injection because it causes the most rapid effect. To do this, a person dilutes or liquefies the drug, often by heating it. After the drug becomes liquid, it’s then loaded into the syringe. Certain drugs must be filtered before this step can occur, due to the number of impurities in the substance. This is a common practice with heroin.

Again, cotton balls are commonly used for this purpose since they are so cheap and readily available. Once a drug is in liquid form, a person draws the substance through the filter and into the syringe. The forearm is a primary injection site for many users, however, other locations may also be used to “shoot up” or inject the drug.

What Is Cotton Fever?

Heroin is most closely associated with cotton fever. But a Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) article notes that hydromophone or a combination of pentazocine and methylphenidate have also been linked to the condition. The article continues, reporting that “injection drug users estimate the incidence of cotton fever to about 5 % per year of use.”

Unlike many of the other medical risks associated with IV drug abuse, cotton fever is considered to be a benign syndrome. This means that the condition doesn’t become severe or life-threatening over time, even without treatment (though certain medications can be used to alleviate symptoms). Cotton fever also resolves on its own, with symptoms typically dissipating in six to twelve hours. More severe cases may last one to two days. But this does not mean that you shouldn’t seek treatment.

Intravenous drug use is associated with a host of illnesses and disease. Many of these, like cellulitis, endocarditis, and even pneumonia can cause symptoms which are similar to cotton fever. This similarity can cause two problems.

Cotton fever can be overlooked or misdiagnosed, leading to unnecessary and prolonged medical care. The JGIM article comments on this, noting that “The importance of recognizing cotton fever is paramount, as early suspicion may reduce expensive secondary evaluations and the length of hospitalization.”

Secondly, other illnesses could be misdiagnosed as cotton fever. While this is fairly rare in a medical setting, it’s important that other more serious conditions are ruled out by with appropriate testing. Also, some users may be quick to think their symptoms are only cotton fever and fail to seek medical help. Should these symptoms be tied to a different condition, a person could greatly be jeopardizing their health or even life. Without the proper treatment, certain other IV-related conditions can become quite dangerous or even deadly.

What Are The Symptoms Of Cotton Fever?

Symptoms of cotton fever hit quickly and often occur as soon as 15 or 20 minutes after using the drug. As we noted, cotton fever resembles the flu, with symptoms including:

Abdominal pain
Abnormally fast heartbeat (tachycardia)
Chills
Elevated white blood cell count (leukocytosis)
Fever
Headache
Mild distress
Muscle aches and pain
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Vomiting

According to the article “Cotton Fever: A Condition Self-Diagnosed by IV Drug Users” a patient may meet systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria, a set of symptoms which include many of the above. These criteria could point to an underlying infection. For this reason, sepsis or other infections should be ruled out.

What Causes Cotton Fever?

While the IV drug user community has long been familiar with cotton fever, medical research is still somewhat sparse on the subject. Researchers and medical professionals are still not entirely sure what causes it.

Any contact with cotton as a drug filter is suspected, but another practice is thought to increase the risk. When a person becomes addicted to a drug, they experience an intense need to use it. Because of this, they will often go to great lengths to find the drug and will even do so in ways which could become harmful to their health. Some users report trying to extract the drug from used cotton balls when they can’t find heroin any other way. This practice has been coined “shooting the cottons.” After sitting out for some time, these cotton balls could harbor bacteria or other pathogens.

Beyond this, the aforementioned article does propose three theories which discuss possible explanations of why this cotton fever occurs:

Immunologic theory: Users have antibodies for the cotton which cause a reaction after injection

Pharmacologic theory: When the drug enters a person’s bloodstream it contains substances from the cotton which cause fever (pyrogenic substances). These substances are water-soluble, so the liquid form of the drug has a tendency to dissolve them.

Endotoxin theory: Certain Gram-negative bacteria live on the cotton plant. These bacteria produce an endotoxin which is carried through to drug and subsequently to the patient, causing fever. Blood cultures do support this theory, as certain bacteria have been found in the used cotton which was linked to the illness.

The latter theory appears to be recognized as the most probable, and the JGIM article asserts that “no evidence has been found to support the immunologic or pharmacologic theory.” Even though cotton fever will resolve on its own, it’s still important you seek medical help to confirm that this is the correct diagnosis.

How Is Cotton Fever Treated?

When a patient is first admitted or examined for cotton fever, blood tests and cultures should be done. While waiting for these results, broad-spectrum antibiotics may be administered in case the symptoms are caused by another more serious condition. Depending on the severity of the person’s substance use disorder, they may require withdrawal management during this time.

Certain over-the-counter medications may be administered to control the fever, muscle aches, nausea, and/or vomiting. If a person has become severely dehydrated they may also receive IV fluids.

Like any other illness or disease caused by IV drug use, cotton fever can be avoided. Good drug addiction treatment can help a person achieve sobriety and learn how to live a fulfilling drug-free life.

Live A Healthier Drug-Free Life

Heroin and other drugs which are injected are highly addictive. These addictions can be very hard to beat on your own. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this alone. DrugRehab.org’s compassionate staff can help you to set treatment goals and begin building a plan to obtain them. We have access to phenomenal treatment programs all across the nation. Contact us now for help.