Jon Arnold asked:


Alcohol abuse and drug abuse are reaching all time highs in this nation. Many people do not even realize or acknowledge that they are an addict. The term “addict” conjures up images of someone who has reached the bottom of the barrel and is not a pleasant picture, yet many of the alcohol abusers and drug abusers are at that place, or if their affliction is left untreated, will soon find themselves in that place. Many of these people take the position that “that could not happen to me” but it can and it will if they do not seek help before the situation gets totally out of control.

Drug abuse is rampant and at the same time, it is probably the more difficult of the two addictions to convince someone of or make them aware of. Drug abuse is not limited to the illegal drugs like ***** or heroin or cocaine. While these can indeed be considered addictive drugs that can represent a drug abuse problem, drug addiction can also occur accidentally via legally prescribed pharmacy drugs. These are drugs that have been prescribed by a real doctor to treat a condition or a pain, but the user keeps on taking them long after the original cause has gone away, because they have become addictive. There is really very little difference between these two types of drug addicts, since an addiction is an addiction.

The most difficult task in getting someone into a drug rehab program is to convince them that they are indeed a drug addict. Most people, especially if the addiction is due to legal prescription medication, are unwilling to accept the label of “drug addict”, and many have even convinced themselves that they can quit any time they want to, they just have not had an occasion to “want to” yet. This is a potentially dangerous situation, and can only get worse over time.
Almost all drug rehab programs have the detox phase. In this phase, the addict’s body is detoxified, or in other words, the drug is no longer given and the person may even go through withdrawal symptoms. Depending on the particular drug that the person was addicted to, this is determined to either be cold turkey, or it can be with gradually reduced doses to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms. The important point is that the person’s body is given less and less of the drug to where they begin to live normally and realize that they can live without the drug.

Withdrawal symptoms are real and should not be minimized. When the body has become used to a particular chemical substance being in the body and that substance is suddenly or even gradually taken away, the body reacts, sometimes severely. Some people think that withdrawal symptoms are all in the mind, but you need to know that withdrawal symptoms are indeed real and can be very painful for the person going through it.

If someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the best thing you can do for them is to get them into an alcohol rehab program or drug rehab program. The programs are very good and are usually at minimal or even no cost. At least have that person agree to talk with a counselor about it. This is certainly a preferable option to watching them destroy their lives bit by bit over time.



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illumistream asked:

Over 76 million people worldwide are currently affected by drinking disorders, from alcoholism to binge drinking. Learn more at College.Healthguru.com?YT

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David B Smith asked:


There’s regularly a lot of perplexity over what actually defines addiction to alcohol.

People tend to think in terms of the total of alcoholic drinks they consume in an evening or think it is a matter of how consistently they drink. Alcoholism is defined neither by the amount a person drinks nor by the regularity of alcohol . Alcoholism is an alcohol dependancy. If the person is reliant on alcohol, they are by definition alcoholic, regardless of how much or how often they drink.

‘Alcoholism’ is a disease, and a disease that affects many people around the globe. Moreover, it is a horrific disease that is chronic, progressive and regularly fatal. The disease first attacks the physical health of the victim and then disturbs emotional and mental equilibrium by effecting the alcoholic person’s family and social life.

It is a disease that is usually found amongst men, and sadly, most especially amongst young men. Consistent with the distinction we made above, medical practitioners distinguish between two types of alcohol-related problems – namely, ‘alcohol abuse’ and full-blown ‘alcoholism’.

‘Alchol abuse’ refers to specific events where individuals over-indulge in alcohol consumption and so damage their health, but do not necessarily become addicted to the substance such that these incidents become a regular and unavoidable.

‘Alcoholism’ refers to that state of being where the consumer of alcohol has become dependant. They have surrendered all control over their intake, such that they continue to consume compulsively, despite the obvious inflictions the drug is doing to their physical and mental well-being.

There is a straightforward medical explanation as to how alcohlism . Regular heavy-intake of alcohol leads to chemical imbalances in the brain or leads to depletion of certain chemicals, which makes the body desire alcohol. Having said that, assorted factors generally combine to lead someone into alcoholism – both social factors as well genetic and psychological ones.

In terms of genetics, it has clearly been shown that persons with a history of alcoholism in their families are far more likely to become alcoholics themselves that those without such a family history. Moreover, general high stress levels or a particular intense emotional trauma can lead a person to drink excessively, as the alcohol has a direct effect on the stress hormones.

In terms of the more expansive psychological factors, a low self-esteem and depression regularly contribute to increased alcohol consumption, which can result in alcoholism. In terms of friends and peer group, if a person mixes frequently with alcoholic persons, this will clearly make them more open to the disease.

Ironically, this can be a problem at both ends of the social spectrum. It is regularly the culture of high-powered business people to drink numerous cocktails and highly-alcoholic drinks at social gatherings, and certainly continuous alcohol consumptions can become the norm for young working class males who make it each day to the pub after work.

There is no quick and easy cure for alcoholism. Distinctive from other diseases, neither drugs nor surgery can do anything to remove the problem. One curious discovery though that researches have made about alcohol addiction is that the person indulging in the habit feels better, not while indulging, but at that instant the decision is made to indulge! This suggests that the most successful way to deal with alcoholism may require zooming in on that moment when thought of indulging enters the brain. If an alcoholic can will himself such that he can divert his attention when the introductory thought arises, this may be the simplest path to a cure!

Of course, given the numerous of contributing factors and differing levels of self-discipline, every case of alcoholism is going to be unique, which is why treatment is generally best handled by specialized health-care professionals.



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Alter Sage asked:


Alcohol and drug addiction counselling is widely used for treating drug and alcohol addiction. Popular belief views a drug addict in an extremely negative light. The terms ‘drug addict’ and ‘alcoholic’ conjure up images of a hopeless junkie who steals to support their habit, or a middle aged alcoholic who starts drinking at six in the morning to stop their limbs from shaking.

However, now that more is known about the nature of substance abuse and other addictions, many people are diagnosed as being drug addicts who would previously never have believed they had a problem. When does drug and alcohol use become distinguishable as addiction?

Drug and alcohol abuse is the term used to describe the behavior of individuals who take drugs and drink too much alcohol. If one considers their own past, or the habits of those around them, many people fall into this category of over indulgence. Most students spend their weekends drinking too much, often consuming drugs as well. However, is this merely a phase or a sign that there is a problem?

What is addiction?

Addictive behaviours are based on an obsessive and compulsive need to consume mind altering substances. The using may have begun as a ‘bit of fun’ or experimentation, but the problem becomes clear when the person in question carries on using these substances when their peers have stopped. The difference between these individuals is something known as the disease of addiction. An individual with the disease of addiction will require alcohol addiction and drug addiction counselling to help arrest the problem.

The disease of addiction

The disease of addiction is not a proven fact, but nevertheless it is widely considered as an explanation for the reason people become drug addicts and alcoholics. Many believe that addicts are born addicts and are thus born with the disease. Many addicts and alcoholics describe feeling like an outsider from a very young age, as well as other feelings of unease and hatred of reality.

The disease of addiction is defined as being an allergic reaction to any type of mind or mood altering substance. This reaction causes the individual in question to lose all control over their drinking and using. From the first sip or hit, a person with the disease becomes “powerless”.

It is common knowledge that it is the first drink or drug that the alcoholic or addict consumes that leads them to their downfall – once they have the first taste, even after being abstinent for a time, they cannot control their using. There is a common saying to which recovering addicts and alcoholics refer – “one is too many and a thousand is never enough” which summarises perfectly this lack of control and constant need for more, no matter what the cost of these actions is.

Abuse or addiction?

The disease concept creates a noticeable distinction between abuse and addiction. Many professional counsellors and therapists will not diagnose a client as being an addict until they are over 20 years old as many teenagers experiment with drugs and alcohol. Puberty accompanied by peer pressure, finding one’s place in society and experiencing intense situations and feelings for the first time make adolescents ripe candidates for drug and alcohol abuse.

There are situations where parents find their teenager using drugs and send them to rehab immediately for alcohol addiction and drug addiction counselling when the adolescent does not have the disease of addiction – they are experimenting. Sending a person to rehab who is not an addict but merely an abuser can be extremely harmful.

Even habitual use of drugs does not necessarily mean that the person in question has a problem. Often when extreme emotions such as grief, stress or jubilation are experienced, many people turn to drugs and alcohol to numb painful emotions or celebrate good emotions. Those with the disease of addiction will begin their addiction as everyone else does – experimentation and having fun with friends. As the disease of addiction is a progressive and incurable illness, the drug use may not be particularly worrisome at first. However, as the disease progresses, so will the use of drugs and alcohol.

The disease is all encompassing; other compulsive behaviours such as *** addiction, eating disorders, gambling addiction, cutting and co-dependence are frequently acted out by the sufferer. The disease pushes the addict to escape their feelings and surroundings, and they will find themselves swapping different forms of addictive behaviours, interspersed with their drug and alcohol abuse.  

It must be made clear that an addict is not a ‘bad’ person or someone with a moral failing – they have an illness, however this illness is their responsibility to manage.

A Twelve Step Programme

A Twelve Step Programme is a successful way of arresting the disease of addiction. The Twelve Steps can be seen as the ‘medicine’, helping an addict stay clean one day at a time through providing a support system and tools for coping with life in a normal state, instead of the altered states which addiction prefers.

Abuse and addiction are two very different types of behaviour. Abuse defines drug and alcohol use on a social level and even though addiction often begins as such, the disease takes hold of the addict and progresses them to a level where they cannot stop using drugs and alcohol, even if they want to and stand to lose everything. An abuser will not engage in this type of behavior and when faced with great personal loss will be able to stop unlike an addict who will progress to a stage where alcohol addiction and drug addiction counselling is needed.



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Todd Lange asked:


One of the most difficult roadblocks faced by medical personnel dealing with alcohol users all over the world is denial of addiction. Quite unsurprisingly, this problem is also found in the scenario of treatment for alcohol abuse in Georgia. The problem lies with the positioning and branding of alcoholic drinks and beverages. In some countries and cultures, alcohol still remains a drink for the mature, a drink for the manly, and a drink for the achiever.

The correlation between alcohol and machismo comes as a startling revelation in each and every nanosecond of media that we see related to alcohol advertisements. The situation of alcohol abuse in Georgia is definitely like that.

People will find it quite difficult to understand that their stamina to glug one last one has long waned. Then, medical personnel dealing with alcoholism have to combat the commercial and open use of alcohol. Though alcohol is as dangerous and fatal as any illegal drug, its sales are still a major boost to any country’s economy. People will find it difficult to argue that every government, in fact, does turn a nelson’s eye to alcohol advertisements because alcohol brings in the economy. Therefore, medical personnel are dealing with a socio-political concept; the only unfortunate aspect is that this socio political concept has damning effects on the human body and health.

Social drinking is another problem connected with alcohol abuse in Georgia that is faced by people trying to combat alcoholism and alcohol dependency. How many individuals do we know who never touched drink until they went into that sales job, it is a researched fact that alcohol and tobacco usage increases as the stress levels of the work increases.

Therefore, it is extremely necessary that a physical and mental program is conceived to tell people about the dangers that they are facing with their alcohol dependency. Most alcohol dependents require an external intervention to tell them that they are seriously deep into trouble due to their drinking ways. Mostly, none of the individuals with a drinking problem would want to voluntarily go for a treatment for their addiction. There are several groups of people who can provide an intervention program for alcoholic person. Here is a brief list of the kind of people who would do good intervention work.

Family Intervention

The most successful type of intervention is the family intervention. It is a fact that a person’s family is the first group of people who are affected by a person’s alcoholism. Also, the family is the best suited institution for intervention because it has the highest emotional, physical and mental influence and connection with the individual. In the case of family intervention, a group of individuals who are the closest to the person will come forward and motivate the patient to get into treatment.

Of course, this group should come together and discuss the best way to get their loved one’s life back on track. They should meet several times and come up with the best possible way to get the patient in an agreeable state for alcohol rehabilitation. Also, to put preaching into practice, they should also sit down and decide what their physical and material contribution for the alcohol rehabilitation would be. They may have to emotionally induce the patient to go ahead with alcohol rehabilitation.

Work Place Intervention

These are times when people are spending more time with their workmates than their families. Therefore, it can be said that the workplace friends and colleagues are a second family to the person. Therefore, they are a very good bet for intervention when the person is addicted to alcohol. Also, it should be noted that these individuals would be the same group that would be the person’s drinking partner. So, it is possible that they may have a deeper influence on the person than others. Also, workplaces have various sops for anyone who wishes to opt for alcohol rehabilitation. The employer assistance program, a program found in every organization that believes in best practices and human resource management, is one of the best ways to opt for alcohol rehabilitation.

Also, the workforce interference would give the individual an idea that their professional life is taking a tumble because of their alcohol addiction.

This has an advantage to the company also, because putting a valid and talented alcohol addicted employee through an alcohol rehabilitation program will cost them much lesser than recruiting another employee instead.

For the employers, intervening in their employees’ addiction treatment becomes a better option because they can save themselves the hassle and the cost of having to recruit and train another employee in their stead.

These were two of the most important forms of intervention used in treatment for alcohol abuse in Georgia. There are definitely several more kinds apart from these two popular ones.



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Daniel Marcus Manson asked:


Alcohol addiction is taking its toll every year in America. About 25 million people are being affected every year. The worst case is that even the immature youth of 13 or 14 years of age consume alcohol without knowing the consequences. Sooner or later, they become addict to alcohol. Alcohol addiction recovery and treatment periods are the worst time that they have to face in their life time. It is not that easy to come out of the habit so easily. One needs to be mentally strong to win the battle. People who are in dire need of alcohol addiction recovery program have got umpteen numbers of choices from which they may select accordingly. Recovery programs must cater to the specific needs of the individual and it must not be generic. A good physician and a trained expert may help the person to find the best suited program for the addiction recovery.

Options To Ponder About: The program might generally consist of 3 general kinds. These 3 steps are intervention, detoxification and rehabilitation. People who are addicted to alcohol will not accept the fact that they need rehabilitation program to revive the life style. They still justify their attitude towards alcoholism to be right. Hence they do not make up their mind to opt for a recovery program. Intervention is more confrontational since the drinkers would confront their excessive drinking. Alcohol abuse must be confronted with greater care. More of caring, understanding and counseling must be offered to the addicts. Excessive use of alcohol may wreck lives and ruin their personality. Family members and close friends must initiate the process for the addicts and give them the confidence to regain their lifestyle. The consequences of the addiction must be explained well. They should be taken to a healthcare professional to seek more advice on how to be addiction free.

Choosing the best alcohol treatment program is an important step and hence take adequate time to do it. A good rehabilitation center must be chosen and it is a daunting task. It is never easy to find out the best center. Make a comparative study on the kind of features and the modus operandi on treating the addicts. The center must have good and trained experts those who can offer better care and affection to the addicts. There should be various levels of treatment and sessions. The detoxification process is very important and doctors have to give their best in this stage. The person should stay in the hospital to be properly monitored.

Alcohol abuse must be followed by alcohol addiction recovery procedures and then by a good treatment program. The patient must make up his mind to undergo the treatment successfully. All these steps go hand in hand. The entire process is the road less travelled by many addicts and they can be successful if they have the mental toughness to fight odd battles of life.



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Paul Courtney asked:


Depression and Addiction: How Are They Related?

The old question of the chicken and the egg and which came first applies to this conundrum. Recent studies suggest that depression and addiction recurrently go hand in hand.

There is a strong correlation between depression and addiction and the problem is often approached in 2 different ways.

1. Some conventional psychiatric treatment procedures focus on treating depression as the root cause contributing to the drug or alcohol abuse problem,

2. Others consider depression as a symptom typically revealed after a person gets addicted into substance abuse.

As an addict travels along the ever descending road, whilst experiencing their high, they are in a euphoric state of mind in which they simply become numb to any sort of pain sensations, both emotional and physical. In most cases, addicts are in a worsening or poor state of health. Long-time drug and alcohol abusers also suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Therefore addiction is a progressive complication.

Due to prolonged addiction problems, addicts face variety of emotional, social and physiological problems such as job loss, broken relations, and discontinuation in studies, financial bankruptcy, legal problems and many others, which lead to recurrent episodes of depression. So in one way or other, depression and addiction is highly correlated with each other, especially considering the consequences of addiction.

Depression Often Leads To Relapse

Depression is a critical mental health condition that most frequently coexist with substance abuse disorders. If left untreated depression can hinder the addiction recovery process and may lead to relapse. On the other hand, an untreated addiction problem may also develop depression in the patient and consequently lead to relapse. Hence, this vicious cycle of depression and addiction needs to be recognized and requires simultaneous treatment.

The ideal treatment must focus on the deepest root of the addiction and its consequences incorporating a thorough understanding of the relation between addiction, recovery, depression and relapse. The treatment must be based on a clear understanding of the bio-psychosocial model of addiction and depression. The fundamental principle of treatment will only be established by treating depression coexisting with addiction. The recovery plans need to address the administration of signs and symptoms of both depression and addiction.

Few Essential Facts

In practice, chronic depression is an integral part of the hard reality that addicts face especially during their recovery. When they feel depressed seeing the destruction they have caused in their life. Prolonged usage of drugs alters the brain programming in such a manner that they inevitably search for an escape from the hard reality they face. This depression may again entice them to use drugs all over again. Some people describe the syndromes of depression and addiction as a married couple who can not exist without each other.

Although the addicts’ brain is programmed for quick relief and instant gratification, therefore one should not use anti-depressants even when he feels depressed during recovery. Anti-depressants offer nothing more than a temporary solution. It is better to seek family support at the time of depression or ask for help from volunteers who are continuously contributing in the field of addiction.



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Michael asked:


The term alcohol detox is used for describing the treatment for addiction to alcohol, which is done in alcohol detox centers, and is intended to rid the body of the addictive substances. These alcohol detox centers provide for physiological and mental readjustment which is followed by the process of leaving alcohol and refers to the physical withdrawal symptoms of alcohol abuse. The alcohol detox centers help you to get over alcohol dependence, alcoholism or alcohol addiction and cope up with the psychological symptoms.

These alcohol detox centers also help in getting over alcohol withdrawal, which happens when the person’s body becomes dependant upon alcohol but the consumption of alcohol is discontinued. Hence because of the intensity and severity these withdrawal symptoms there are physical and mental problems including increased hand tremors, insomnia, nausea, physical agitation, anxiety, and various other problems. Alcohol detox centers help in coping up with these physical and emotional symptoms. The alcohol detox centers are easily available on the internet and you can take the help of a local social group for the same.

It should be kept in mind that the withdrawal of alcohol may be extremely severe depending on the alcohol abuse history and hence alcohol detox centers are vital to deal with these problems. The alcohol detox centers offer various kinds of alcohol detox programs, which are medically monitored treatment facilities to help the person get over alcohol dependence. These alcohol detox centers safely assist the patient through the alcohol withdrawal period and help them to emerge as better individuals. Many of these alcohol detox centers also provide for various kinds of other medication programs that can help them to get over the issues of alcohol abuse and other related problems with it. The detox program also helps the individual to emerge physically fit and mentally strong.



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Roberta Groche asked:


Alcoholism is identified as one of the chief wreckers of our society. It starts from one individual, but the collective harm all the alcoholics can do to our country is simply astonishing. It may suffice to say that history is strewn with the remains of such civilizations that failed to control the fatal habit of alcoholism among their citizens.

Addiction treatment starts with understanding what alcoholism is. In some parts of the world, alcoholism is directly related to the work of devil, which restricts the scope for treatment. But progressive societies have understood the reasons for this malady percolating into the society and have found some effective ways to treat alcoholism. The several alcohol rehab centers working amongst us are proof enough that our civil society has caught on to the threats cast by this problem.

Human mind is like a horse. Once let uncontrolled, it may get into non-chartered territories. Alcoholism is caused by an uncontrolled mind. Alcohol addiction treatment basically tries to address the waywardness of the mind. Once the addict admits that he has a problem, he is firmly on the path to success.

Alcoholism affects vital organs of our body and destroys our immunity too. Long years of alcohol abuse simply drains the alcoholic and leave him like the shell of a ****** out mussel. Just a flicker of life is left outside buy a dying system inside. The family members also are forced to put up with the physical downfall as well as the different mood swings and tantrums induced by the weakened brain.

Alcohol rehab is a time consuming and hard process which requires the cooperation of the patient and family members to attain maximum success. The best of our alcohol rehab centers tries to educate the addict and others around them as to how they can prevent relapse once the addict is discharged from the center.

The role of an alcohol rehab center in alcohol rehab process cannot be discounted on any account. Make sure that the rehab center you approach has the infrastructure to provide personalized psychological as well as physical therapy according to the needs of the alcoholic. The best treatment centers follow the natural path in de-addiction using a combination of yoga, acupuncture, equine therapy and Chinese medicines. The reputation of the center should also be checked before getting admission.

The frayed mind of the alcoholic needs a comfortable atmosphere to get healed quickly. This makes is doubly important for alcohol rehab treatment centers to provide such an atmosphere to its inmates. A harmonious atmosphere where the addict is subjected to the caress of nature and its enthralling beauty can act as a catalyst to bring back that longing in life which had left him or her years before.



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Daniel Marcus Manson asked:


Addiction to anything is harmful. Some kind of addictions is less harmful, while some others can assume life threatening proportions. Alcohol addiction and drug addiction falls in this category. Alcohol abuse is a very common malady that is affecting even the best talented persons in our country. However, holistic addiction treatment methods are found to be fruitful to lead addicts on the path of recovery.

Most of the unfortunate souls caught in the tentacles of addiction never realise its dreadful impact till very late. Many end their lives as total wrecks. Another very pathetic aspect of alcohol or drug addiction is that it is not only the addict that suffers, but his family members, friends etc are forced to suffer the brunt. They never get a peaceful and fruitful life when such an addict is part of their life. This makes it all the more important to try addiction recovery treatment as early as possible.

Addiction is like quicksand. Once somebody falls into it, there is no recovery without any outside help. This outside help can come in the form of addiction treatment and rehabilitation centres. There are basically two types of addiction treatment. The effectiveness of these two differs vastly due to their varied approaches. The older type addresses only the physical aspect of addiction, while the new holistic approach treats the mind as well as the body of addict and rehabilitates him or her back into the society.

The speed of recovery depends on the level of cooperation from the addict himself. The emphasis is on self education. The addict is made to understand the pitfalls of addiction so that he willingly stays away from drugs or alcohol. The induction of holistic addiction treatment methods has greatly increased the reliability of rehabilitation. The number of recovered addicts in our midst vouches for this fact.

In most addiction cases, it has been observed, that the human mind plays an all important role in making a person an addict. Most people resort to alcohol and drug abuse to escape from the painful realities of life. So it is very important to help the addict gain a certain level of mental strength to cope with everything that comes before him. Holistic addiction treatment gives more emphasis to this.

Addiction treatment starts with the analysis and detox stage. Detoxification is a stage where the body of the addict is cleansed of any harmful remains of chemical toxins induced due to prolonged addiction. These toxins make the addict crave for more intoxicating substances all the time. This craving disappears after detoxification.

However, the real challenge starts here. If the addict is discharged at this stage, it is hundred percent sure that he or she would again relapse into addiction as the main culprit, the mind, is still not cured. The second stage, which is designed to address the mind, starts now. Proper counselling, group activities and the likes help the addict to gain self confidence, courage and wisdom. It is heartening to note that most addicts who went through this step of addiction recovery have found a new life after graduating from the asylum.



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