Working With Others

“We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.” - pg. 84 from the chapter entitled “ Into Action” from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

After we have gone through Above It All Treatment Center, AA, or drug addiction detox and have picked up the tools needed in order to live a sober life it is imperative that we “pay it forward” and start helping others. When we start feeling uneasy or our character defects start cropping up then nothing will insure immunity from the first drink like extensive work with a newcomer. Through providing alcohol detox to someone else we are able to get out of ourselves and are able to see things from a different perspective. Through working with others we are able to recall where we came from as well as provide hope to people with less experience , or time sober than us. When we approach life from an altruistic angle we are able to have gratitude for the things that we have as opposed to focusing on the things we don’t. When we take contrary action we are able to start over and change our perception

Circulation Issues Caused By Alcohol

Alcohol often contributes to a variety of life’s ills, including liver disease and car accidents. What many people don’t know is that it can also negatively impact our body’s circulation, resulting in issues such as stroke and high blood pressure. Though moderate alcohol intake has been shown to reduce these risks, excessive use only serves to exacerbate them. 

Moderation

Studies performed by the National Stroke Association reveal that moderate alcohol consumption (2 drinks per day) can effectively reduce stroke risks. However, consuming additional quantities will ultimately triple one’s chances of a stroke experience later in life.

Effects

When used in moderation, alcohol works to dilate our body’s blood vessels, removing stress from the heart. Consuming 3+ alcoholic beverages requires the heart to work harder, making us vulnerable to circulation issues.

Blood Pressure

Excessive alcohol intake places users at risk for high blood pressure – The leading cause of stroke.

Red Wine

Studies have show that moderate consumption of red wine actually serves as a preventative measure in heart disease prevention. In fact, European countries who consume red wine more frequently, show lower heart disease rates.

Considerations

Alcohol can often conflict with medications, including those used for circulatory issues. Make sure to consult with your physician regarding alcohol use prior to taking with prescription drugs.

Need Help?

Looking for an affordable rehab solution? Pick up the phone and call Above It All treatment center today! With a team of seasoned drug and alcohol specialists available to address your individual needs, you can count on Above it All to have you clean, happy and on track towards the healthy, happy lifestyle you deserve in no time. Call today!

Your Addiction Combat Guide

Addiction is basically defined as a perpetual relapse. The effects of addiction on learning and decision-making may help explain why so many individual struggle to overcome it. Recovery is a lifetime commitment, requiring consistency and dedication to ensure healthy decisions are made.

Instructions:

1 – Ask for support. Take a close look at area organizations and groups who offer support to individuals in recovery. Consider the possibility of counseling, and understand that medication may aid your goals.

2 – Dedicate yourself to change. Commit to a path that supports your desire to fight off addiction. Take a long hard look at yourself and pick out the areas that require change to support your recovery.

3 – Take charge and responsibility! Though change is often difficult in the early stages, with enough time and dedication, the new will become routine. Onward and upward!

4 – Map out a list of values to help ward off addiction. Write out what’s most important to you and make statements that declare their value. Values often include healthy, family, achievement, self respect, community and consciousness.

5 – Take some time to get to know yourself again! It’s not uncommon for addicts to lose themselves within the addiction. Pay close attention to your emotions, how you react to difficult situations, and the feelings that occur afterward. In order to move forward, you must first move inward.

6 – Consider drug rehab options. In many cases, it just simply isn’t enough to “want” recovery. By choosing to seek professional help for your addiction, you stand a much higher chance of achieving and maintaining sobriety, while learning to combat the trials and emotions it commonly evokes. 

Getting Sober - Now

 “ If he is not interested in your solution, if he expects you to act only as a banker for his financial difficulties or a nurse for his sprees, you may have to drop him until he changes his mind. This he may do after he gets hurt some more. If he is sincerely interested and wants to see you again, ask him to read this book in the interval. After doing that, he must decide for himself whether he wants to go on. He should not be pushed or prodded by you, his wife, or his friends. If he is to find God, the desire must come from within.” - pg. 95 from the chapter entitled “Working With Others” from The Big Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous

In order to get to the place where we are open to receiving inpatient drug rehab most of us have to first get to the place where we are so desperate that we are able to surrender. When it comes to drug and alcohol abuse it is more than a matter of not having enough will power it is an allergy of the body and a disease that centers in the mind therefor most of us are not successful when it comes to trying to quit on our own. Through the help of a drug addiction detox, or AA we are able to recover from this seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. This is a self-diagnosed disease. Only you know if drugs and/or alcohol are a problem and only you can decide to take the steps towards getting the help that you need.

Heroin Addiction: Aversion Therapy

The final model of psychological drug rehab treatment to be considered for the treatment of heroin addiction is aversion therapy. Aversion therapy is an effort to apply “punishment” as a means of reducing the frequency of unwanted behavior. This is a misapplication of learning-theory principles which have consistently found that “punishments” do not cause behaviors to disappear, but rather cause them to stop temporarily while preventing their extinction.

Thus, the behavior returns at a later point with considerable intensity. The most famous advocate of aversion therapy is the author William Burroughs whose addiction to heroin was treated with apomorphine in Great Britain. Aversion therapy has not been attempted widely in this country, and there are no data which support the general efficacy of aversion therapy in any of the drug abuse syndromes.
The practice of aversion therapy is fairly straightforward. The patient is exposed to self-administered heroin which is immediately followed by an injection of apomorphine or succinyl choline. If he is given apomorphine, his heroin injection becomes associated with violent retching and vomiting. Because the apomorphine is paired to the heroin injection, the use of heroin is theoretically associated with an unpleasant experience.

The injection of succinyl choline causes an immediate paralysis of all voluntary musculature including the muscles of respiration. The patient experiences a frightening feeling of being unable to breathe which becomes paired with the heroin.

Experimental psychologists have found that the effective way to cause extinction of a behavior is to prevent the reinforcement of that behavior. The use of succinyl choline includes some risk of accidental death as well as extreme unpleasantness. There is no evidence that either of these treatments works better than the other. They have been paired to the sight and use of the needle as well as the heroin injection, but there is no evidence that aversion therapy is valid. In general, there is no indication for the use of aversion therapy in the treatment of the addict, although there is a need for the continued experimental application of learning theory principles to the treatment of heroin addiction and other drug abuse syndromes.

Contact Above It All Treatment Center for the right rug rehab facility for your loved one suffering from addiction.  We will do all it takes to start them on the road to a successful recovery.

Understand The Characteristics Of Addiction

 Understanding the characteristics of addiction is the first step in knowing whether you or someone you love are struggling with drug or alcohol dependency. Studies show that many addicts often attempt to conceal their use from family, friends and medical professionals. In this entry, we will discuss some of the more common things to watch for when you suspect a problem.

Internal

The internal characteristics of addiction include regular cravings, difficulty or inability to stop use, ensuring easy access to the drug, and a feeling that the substance will help you sort out life’s problems. These characteristics are generally similar, regardless of the substance in question.

External

 Though each substance brings about it’s own specific set of symptoms, a number of external characteristics are shared, regardless of the drug type. Friends and family members will often notice psychological, physical and behavioral changes:

Psychological – Wild and sudden personality changes, outbursts, mood swings, and periods of both decreased and increased activity.

Physical – Bloodshot eyes, lack of personal hygiene, large or small pupil sizes, impaired coordination, and weight shifts.

Behavioral – Sudden need for money, chances in friends or interests, decrease in work performance, secretive behaviors, and an increase in dangerous activity, such as traffic accidents or legal issues.

Teens

Understanding the difference between typically teenage behaviors and addiction characteristics can be difficult. Common abuse symptoms in teens include lower grades, an increase in disciplinary action at school, ditching class and missing money. Sudden changes in appearance, behavior and health issues can also signal potential substance abuse issues.

Physician’s Office

It’s not uncommon for addicts to visit multiple physicians’ offices to obtain prescriptions for their chosen substance to avoid detection. Characteristics in the doctor’s office can include assertive and aggressive personality, agitated waiting room behavior and a somewhat unusual appearance. When speaking with physicians, addicts will make specific requests for particular drugs, exhibit an extensive knowledge of substances, and offer up exaggerated or vague responses to questions concerning their medical history and symptoms.

Need Help?

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, our Above It All treatment center is the place to call. Pick up the phone today, and let our team of addiction specialists help you back on track towards the healthy, happy lifestyle you deserve. 

Substance Abuse Causes

When it comes to substance abuse, it can be difficult to place blame on any one factor. However, some factors are often repeated so regularly they form patters of behavioral, emotional and biological reasons for the abuse. In this entry, we will discuss some of the more common reasons people fall into the grips of substance abuse.

Curiosity

Humans are curious creatures by nature. As such, it’s no wonder that many people often base their initial use on curiosity. Once the user discovers the euphoric effects of the substance, the abuse cycle takes hold – typically in young adults and teenagers.

Low Self Esteem

A great number of people begin dabbling with drugs early in life in an attempt to fit in with peers. Those who lack a social confidence in themselves are often more prone to drug use as a means of gaining acceptance.

Tolerance

Drug tolerance is developed once a user requires an excess amount of the same substance in order to achieve the same level of intoxication reached previously with less of the same drug. As a result, the user may begin using larger amounts of the substance, and using more frequently, in an attempt to enjoy the satisfaction level experienced previously.

A Change In Motive

Some addicts start out using prescription medications to address pain, gradually becoming emotionally and physically dependent over time. These types of addicts are typically law abiding, hard working citizens who grew into their addictions accidentally.

Hereditary

The term “Family Disease” is often used when discussing addiction causes due to the available evidence suggesting that hereditary factors play a role in which people will become addicts and alcoholics, and which will remain social drinkers or recreational users. Studies show a strong tendency for the offspring of addicts, or alcoholics, to also become addicted to alcohol and drugs.

Need Help?

If you or a loved one are experiencing difficulty with a substance abuse problem, our California drug rehabilitation facility is available to help. Give us a call today, and let our team of addiction specialists help you back on track towards the healthy, happy lifestyle you deserve.