Author: dev

How to Help Someone with Alcohol Addiction

Written by dev on March 21, 2023. Posted in Addiction, Alcohol. No Comments on How to Help Someone with Alcohol Addiction

Practical Advice

Quick Overview of the Article

In this article, you’ll find practical ideas to help you:

Understand the biggest needs of someone suffering from alcoholism
Distinguish between helping vs enabling
Encourage a loved one to seek treatment

Before discussing this topic in detail, it’s important for you to understand a hard truth about having a loved one suffering from alcoholism: It is not within your power to fix or cure this person. Recovery requires cooperation on the part of the person dependent on alcohol, a decision that things need to change radically. Once someone has become addicted, the goal of “cutting down” on alcohol is a lie that often enables the person to continue alcohol abuse and all its painful consequences. Accordingly, breaking addiction begins when a person recognizes his or her alcohol dependence and agrees that it needs to end.

The Biggest Needs of a Person with Alcohol Addiction

It goes without saying that the biggest need of an alcoholic is recovery. Alcoholism not only damages the health of the addicted but risks financial problems stemming from the behavioral problems (e.g. inconsistency at work, excessive absenteeism, etc.) associated with the disease. The problems of alcoholism also extend beyond the person suffering from the addiction. Common alcoholic behaviors such as drunk driving put the welfare of others in harm’s way.

Substance abuse in any form is a health risk. With respect to alcohol, addiction can produce a variety of medical problems from high blood pressure and heart disease to problems with liver function. An alcoholic may begin to skip meals or otherwise eat poorly. If an alcoholic has not yet agreed to treatment, you should still encourage a health diet, proper nutrition, and regular medical check-ups.

An understanding of alcoholism is another extremely important need for an alcoholic. Family and friends who have self-educated on alcoholism will avoid:

Blaming themselves for an alcoholic’s drinking
Making excuses for a loved one’s drinking or covering it up
Believing common lies alcoholics tell themselves (and others) to justify their drinking
Behaving in a way that is problematic around an alcoholic (such as drinking in their presence or leaving alcohol in a place where it is easily accessible)
Financially supporting an alcoholic so he or she may continue drinking despite losing employment due to compulsive drinking

The Importance of Self-Care for the Family & Friends of an Alcoholic

Alcoholism, like many other illnesses, affects not only a person who suffers from the condition but also the loved ones within his or her life. Addiction can manifest itself in innumerable ways that hurt those around the person dependent on alcohol. Most notably, typically loved ones spend an extreme amount of effort and energy on the alcoholic to address consequences of drinking and perform obligations that the alcoholic failed to perform. In this scenario, self-care can fall by the wayside.

If you have someone in your life struggling with alcoholism, remember to maintain a self-care routine to preserve your physical and emotional health. Consider the following self-care practices:

Attending a support group for people with alcoholic loved ones (e.g. Al-Anon)
Getting regular sleep
Exercising
Regularly pursuing activities you enjoy (e.g. movies, concerts, museums, sports events)
Obtaining therapy if you struggle with feelings of depression or regret or fear
Writing your feelings in a journal
Maintaining a healthy diet

Understand Alcoholism Goes Beyond Drinking

Alcohol addiction has a host of negative behaviors associated with it because alcohol affects the way the brain functions. Some of the activities that may occur during alcoholism include:

Spending money on alcohol that was meant for the family (e.g. food, gas, insurance, savings, etc.)
Lying about quitting alcohol or lying about the extent of drinking
Failing to control anger or impulsive behavior
Engaging in reckless behavior such as drunk driving
Losing inhibitions while drunk and engaging in promiscuity
Acting in a manipulative or secretive manner

During therapy, alcoholics are encouraged to recognize these behaviors and work on replacing them with healthier ways of behaving that preserve important relationships and build trust.

Helping an Alcoholic vs. Enabling an Alcoholic

Loved ones wish to protect an alcoholic from the dangerous consequences of this addiction. This is especially true when the alcoholic is a son or daughter, though it can equally apply to a spouse. Unfortunately, this protective instinct can transform into enablement of addiction because it creates an environment where the personal costs of addiction are reduced for the person dependent on alcohol.

Loved ones can enable alcoholism when they:

Deny that problem drinking has become alcoholism
Believe they are capable of curing another person’s alcoholism
Take over the responsibilities (e.g. financial, parental, etc.) of the person dependent on alcohol
Make excuses for an alcoholic’s drinking and drinking-related problems

There are a variety of online educational materials on alcoholism and local meetings for the loved ones of alcoholics. These resources can not only help people steer clear of enabling addiction but also help them cope with the emotional burdens attending the alcoholism of a loved one. They can also provide practical guidelines for dealing with an alcoholic. For example, instead of offering money to pay the bills when an alcoholic loses employment, you can offer to pay for a stay at a detox center.

The Need for Dialogue

The road to recovery begins with open and honest conversations. Since an alcoholic may be ashamed of his or her behavior, telling them what to do (“Stop drinking now”) may not be as effective as asking a series of questions that can lead to an honest discussion about recovery. Begin with openness and end with a discussion of treatment options including detox. Below is an illustration of how these questions can progress.

When you started drinking, what did you like about it?
What kept you drinking?
What are the things about drinking now that you dislike?
What would make you want to quit drinking?
What are the hardest things about being sober?
What are the things you would appreciate in a treatment center if you went to one?
If I get some information on different treatment centers, will you be willing to review the materials with me?

Phone & Email Help

For more information on our detox services and how we can help a loved one begin recovery, call us at (615) 488-5311

Drug Withdraw Symptoms

Written by dev on March 21, 2023. Posted in Addiction. No Comments on Drug Withdraw Symptoms

Withdrawal Symptoms by Addiction

Overview

Withdrawal symptoms can vary by the substance to which a person is addicted. Other factors affecting withdrawal symptoms include:

The number of years a person has abused a substance
The purity of the substance being used
The degree of intoxication typically reached when using the substance
How severe the state of addiction is

Below are some of the major withdrawal symptoms specific to various addictions. Cravings for the substance previously abused is perhaps the most common withdrawal symptom experienced across the variety of addictions and, thus, it is not included in the individual lists.

It is important to remember that not every person experiences the same withdrawal symptoms. Just because a particular symptom is listed in conjunction with withdrawal does not mean it definitely will happen to you.

Some people suffering from substance abuse avoid treatment because they fear the discomfort of withdrawal. However, medical professionals are trained in treating withdrawal symptoms during detox so the discontinuation of alcohol (or drugs) is tolerable and detox is successfully completed. For example, medications such as Clonidine or Lofexidine may be used to treat stomach cramps, anxiety, tremors, and excessive sweating. Other medications are used to control cravings.

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may involve tremors, mood swings, headaches, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and nausea. More severe symptoms may include hallucinations and seizure. For some, the first symptoms may present themselves within a few hours of discontinuing alcohol consumption. Peak intensity of symptoms may take up to a few days to occur.

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

People going through heroin withdrawal may experience sweating (including cold sweats), muscle pain, insomnia, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. More rare but serious withdrawal risks include seizures and stroke.

Heroin withdrawal symptoms may last a few days or over a week.

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms include depression and suicidal thoughts, fatigue, anxiety, reduced concentration or slowed thinking, and insomnia. Both heart attacks and seizures, while possible, are rare during cocaine withdrawal.

OxyContin (Oxycodone) Withdrawal Symptoms

As an opioid, OxyContin withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, muscle pain, anxiety, vomiting, chills, and insomnia.

Meth (Methamphetamine) Withdrawal Symptoms

The symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal encompass dry mouth, fatigue, dehydration, chills, irritability, headaches, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms, and insomnia. People in methamphetamine withdrawal may also exhibit psychosis and hallucinations.

Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal from fentanyl may evidence itself in dilated pupils, nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle pain, aggressive behavior, irritability, insomnia, stomach cramps, high blood pressure, and fatigue.

Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms

Headaches and mood changes are among the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. Depression, sweating, sleep problems, reduced appetite, and stomach pain are other symptoms associated with marijuana withdrawal.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier, medical research has produced a variety of interventions to make withdrawal more tolerable. If worries about withdrawal pain have prevented you from seeking recovery, reach out to a substance abuse physician so he or she can explain what remedies are available to address your concerns.

What Is Drug Addiction?

Written by dev on March 21, 2023. Posted in Addiction. No Comments on What Is Drug Addiction?

An Introduction

In its simplest form, drug addiction is a dependence on a chemical substance, whether that chemical is accessed through pill taking, smoking, snorting, eating, or other form of consumption. This chemical dependence has psychological and physical dimensions. A person suffering from drug addiction (also known as substance abuse disorder) has a compulsion to continue taking a drug even when the person understands the physical harm resulting from this behavior.

Drug Addiction Questionnaire

Drug addiction has a variety of signs. Some signs, in isolation, do not necessarily indicate addiction but when present together point to a substance abuse problem.

The questions below are intended to identify behaviors potentially associated with addiction and, if answered “yes,” encourage the reader to seek out medical assistance to explore the matter in greater depth. The questionnaire is not meant to diagnose addiction but provide some commonsense questions to illuminate the character of a person’s drug use.

One of the obstacles facing many addicts is self-deception. Because of the social stigma associated with addiction, a person’s psychological defenses may de-emphasize the significance (or extent) of behaviors that may indicate an addiction. Likewise, a person may not recognize drug dependence because they have a narrow definition of addiction (e.g. “Drug addiction is craving drugs all the time. I just have fun doing drugs.”) that is mistaken.

Question #1: Have other people commented on how much or how frequently you use drugs?

Friends and family often have a more objective perspective on the frequency and quantity of drug use than the person using drugs. Someone suffering from substance abuse may ignore his or her drug use patterns because the behavior has become so habitual that it is paid little attention. Likewise, if substance abuse is triggered by pain avoidance, mental focus is placed on the discomfort to be prevented rather than the severity of the addictive behavior.

Question #2: Have drugs ever affected your reliability at work?

Drugs can have a variety of negative effects on work performance. For example, drug use can contribute to health problems and excessive sick leave. Some drugs interfere with normal sleep habits making a person late for work and lacking the mental focus to perform job duties. Such unreliability (with respect to the delivery of quality work delivered on time) may persuade your employer to pass you over for promotion, demote you, or fire you.

Question #3: Does getting high take more drugs now than when you started drugs?

Sustained drug use over time can lead to a high drug tolerance. In other words, your body becomes less sensitive to a drug. Decreased drug sensitivity creates a dangerous situation where more of a drug is used to achieve the intoxification experienced at the beginning of addiction.

Question #4: Do you find yourself thinking about drugs when you’re not using them?

Drug addiction isn’t necessarily a constant craving. For some people, part of addiction manifests itself as a preoccupation. This preoccupation with drugs may express itself as thinking about when you’ll get high next or imagining what it will feel like the next time you get high.

Question #5: Have you ever tried to reduce your drug use and failed?

Trying to reduce your drug use and failing illuminates two important issues. First, you recognize the amount of drugs taken is significant. Two, your intention to use less drugs was insufficient to lessen your usage.

Question #6: Have you been less social with friends or family since you started taking drugs

One of the isolating effects of substance abuse is decreased socialization. Drugs can replace the pleasure once found in spending time with friends or family. In some cases, the effects of drug use can make socialization unattractive since you feel shame because people recognize you are under the influence of drugs.

Your Answers & Next Steps

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, it is wise to talk to a medical professional about your drug use. Our offices can be reached at [phone number] between [hours] Monday through Friday.