How the Brain Changes and the Psychosis of Drug Addiction

 

To understand an addict, you need to look beyond behaviors or the source of addiction. Substance abuse goes far below the surface, and actually causes a transformation in the brain. When an addict says they can’t quit, it’s the truth. The brain has been altered through addiction and prompts a compulsion to get more of the drug of choice in order to function. It’s a Catch-22. More of the drug is needed to get through each day, the more abusive substance is used, and the more damage is done to the brain until it gets to the point of no return. Only professional help at an outpatient drug rehab facility can turn an addict’s life around.

 

How the Brain Changes through Drug Addiction

You can identify an addict when you see someone who has an intense need for the source of an addiction to the point that living revolves around that drug. A victim of addiction no longer has any control over substance abuse and will do anything to get more, regardless of the consequences. All of these behaviors are due to changes that have taken place in the brain. It begins with how the brain registers the feeling of pleasure. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released in the brain when positive feelings are experienced. It makes a person feel good, and that is the key to addiction. Drugs cause a surge of dopamine to be released, providing intense pleasure. Through repeated use of a drug, the brain is trained to like the drug and want more of it until it becomes a need to feel those same chemicals.

 

The Psychosis of Addiction

As the brain becomes altered through addiction, psychosis is common as well. Those who are under the influence of any form of drug over a prolonged period of time may experience a gamut of psychological issues. Changes in personality, intense anxiety, the inability to focus, and gaps in memory are par for the course for victims of addiction. When the brain is changed in any way, it will be exhibited through behaviors and alterations in thought processes. In order to address these problems with addiction, it is necessary to get professional help in a medical facility. Drug rehab assists an individual in breaking free from the source of addiction and retraining the brain to function normally once again.

 

Changes in the brain pull victims of addiction back in for more abuse time after time. It is important to understand that substance abuse is beyond the control of the individual. Drug rehab can establish new patterns in the brain and assist an addict in finding the path to sobriety once again.

 

Categories: addict, addiction, Brain, Drug, drug addiction, drug rehab, drugs, Mental Health, nbsp, physchosis, substance abuse

How to Embrace Pain as a Way to Overcome Addiction

The path to overcoming addiction is a long and arduous one and is an emotionally draining experience for both the patient and their friends and family. The vast majority of addicts begin abusing substances as a way to mask pain or anxiety about some event or trauma that may have occurred in their lives. Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol is a common technique that many people use when going through difficulties, but the addictive nature of these substances can quickly grab hold of a person and begin to dominate their lives. When attempting to quit drugs or alcohol, the pain that was being suppressed will rise to the surface once the patient becomes sober, and it is often far greater the second time around. Rather than attempting to mask this pain, embracing it will allow you to finally come to terms with any deep-rooted emotions you may have and will also teach you some valuable coping skills for the future.

 

Forgive Yourself

 

Wallowing in self-pity does not help the situation and will only make it harder to move forward. Accept your past mistakes and realise that what’s done is done, and vow to start rebuilding your life a piece at a time. Overcoming addiction does not happen overnight, and will take huge amounts, of strength, endurance and patience from both you and your support network.

 

Seek Help

 

There are many different rehab programmes that use various approaches to help patients overcome addiction. The traditional 12-step program is the most well-known, but many consider this method of rehabilitation to be outdated. Non-12-step programs such as Non12StepRehabs.org have been found to have a greater chance of curing addiction and helping patients to remain sober years later. Complementary and alternative therapies have also been found to increase a patient’s chances of recovery, so look for any yoga classes, acupuncture clinics, drumming therapy groups or meditation workshops in your area.

 

Begin Rebuilding Relationships

 

It is important to remember that your loved ones have suffered just as much as you have during your addiction, so extending some compassion towards them is vital to begin repairing your personal relationships. Arrange to sit down with each of your friends and family separately to listen to anything they have to get off their chest. You do not have to grovel or beg for forgiveness during this time. An acknowledgment of how your actions have affected your loved ones and a simple apology will be greatly appreciated.

 

Recovering from addiction is a different process for each and every addict, and what works for the majority may not work for you. Don’t be afraid to try different rehab programs until you find one that works for you, and occasional relapses or difficult periods are all part of the recovery process and should not be viewed as failures. With the support of trained counsellors and a strong support network of family and friends, you will be able to get your life back on track in no time, and you might even consider putting your experience to good use and assisting others on their journey to sobriety.

 

Laura Richardson is an experienced psychologist. She frequently blogs about effective strategies for dealing with difficult situations.

Categories: addiction, drug addiction, Family, nbsp, overcome, overcome addiction, overcoming addiction, Pain, support network, time

Why Abuse-Resistant Versions of Addictive Drugs Don’t Work

Addiction can have a strong grip on your mental health and wellbeing, which is why manufacturers of addictive prescription painkillers work hard to find an alternative medication that won’t get users so hooked. This was the case in August 2010, when makers of the prescription painkiller OxyContin released a abuse-resistant form of the drug that deterred drug addicts from crushing the substance and inhaling or injecting it. According to a letter published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), it worked; OxyContin went from being the primary drug of abuse for 36% of prescription-drug misusers to just 13% about 21 months later. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t the end of the story.

 

Instead of drug users quitting when they stopped getting high on OxyContin, they simply switched drugs. Other opioids moved in to fill the gap left by OxyContin, with drug users choice of high-potency fentanyl and hydromorphone rising from 20% to 32%, the NEJM survey showed. Even though, when drug users were asked about the substances they used to “get high in the past 30 days at least once,” OxyContin fell from 47% of respondents to 30%, the use of heroin nearly doubled. The survey authors quoted one respondent who said, “Most people that I know don’t use OxyContin to get high anymore. They have moved on to heroin [because] it is easier to use, much cheaper and easily available.”

 

For the study, the scientists researched almost 2,600 people who had been involved in treatment programmes throughout the US for prescription opioid addiction between July 2009 and March 2012. When they gathered their data, the authors were forced to conclude, “[A]n abuse-deterrent formulation successfully reduced abuse of a specific drug but also generated an unanticipated outcome: replacement of the abuse-deterrent formulation with alternative opioid medications and heroin, a drug that may pose a much greater overall risk to public health than OxyContin. Thus, abuse-deterrent formulations may not be the ‘magic bullets’ that many hoped they would be in solving the growing problem of opioid abuse.”

 

If you know anything about how addiction affects your wellness, you won’t be too surprised by the findings. There’s something to be said for how reducing the supply of particular drugs can help to prevent some new cases of addiction, but the strategy doesn’t do anything for existing addicts, and just replaces one object of addiction with another, potentially more harmful, one. This is due to the fact that addiction doesn’t lie in the drug itself, but rather in a dysfunctional coping strategy for the widespread human desire to manage emotions. On a more superficial level, it’s like taking cupcakes away from someone who’s trying to lose weight, but has a problem with emotional eating. That person wasn’t addicted to the cupcakes, they were relying on the dysfunctional coping strategy – the emotional eating – and so will simply switch to chocolate or ice-cream.

 

Therefore, doctors who simply cut off addicted patients’ supply of prescription drugs, or pharmaceutical companies who introduce abuse-deterrent formulas, do not address the underlying need that drives the addiction. In fact, it just pushes these people into the market for street drugs, which makes the situation so much worse. They lose contact with the medical system, purchase drugs that are more likely to be adulterated or even poisonous, and don’t know the exact dose they’re getting, which increases overdose risk. Though it may seem counterintuitive, we should be bringing as many opioid addicts as possible into the medical system and using opioids themselves in treatment when necessary, instead of driving them out and into the hands of the illegal heroin market.

Categories: abuse, abuse deterrent, abuse resistant, Abuse-Resistant Drugs, coping strategy, deterrent formulation, Drug, drug addiction, drug users, dysfunctional coping, emotional eating

Lasting Health Effects of Drug Addiction

A few moments of pleasure can easily turn into a lifetime of pain for unsuspecting drug addicts.Even after an addiction has been treated, the health effects of drug addiction can linger. Sadly, many drug users will inject, ingest or inhale a substance without giving any serious thought to the consequences. Outside of lost jobs and ruined relationships, drug addicts will also face setbacks when it comes to their health.

 

Weakened Immune System

Drugs that are inhaled will cause damage to the nose, throat and lungs. This will lead to increased risk of lung infections and upper respiratory tract infections. Methamphetamines contribute to decreased immune function by drying out the mucous membranes. Defective mucous membranes are not able to help the body in its removal of harmful bacteria. This will allow foreign bacteria to wreak havoc on the addict’s body. Even when a drug is used just a few times, the health effects of drug addiction are plentiful, and chilling.

 

Brain Dysfunction

A number of drugs contain chemicals that are structured similarly to those created by the brain. Using such drugs will send those chemicals to the brain and activate nerve cells under false pretenses. Other drugs trick the brain into releasing high amounts of neurotransmitters that stimulate the reward center of the brain. In order to compensate for this release, the brain begins producing less and less of these chemicals. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult for drug addicts to experience feelings of joy and pleasure.

 

Damage to the Cardiovascular System

Drugs like marijuana and cocaine will create an irregular heart rate and constrict the blood vessels. This will force the heart to work at an elevated intensity. If the heart is forced to work too hard for too long, then it will not be able to supply adequate amounts of oxygen to the rest of the body. This can result in chronic muscle fatigue, stroke and cardiac arrest.

 

Infertility

Long-term drug use can have an impact on a couple’s ability to conceive children naturally. Male addicts may experience low sperm count, poor sperm mobility and low amounts of seminal fluid. Female addicts may experience disruptions in their menstrual cycles and destruction of mature eggs in the ovaries.

 

Tooth Decay

Drugs like ecstasy and meth can cause dry mouth. Without enough saliva in the mouth, harmful bacteria will have free reign on tooth enamel. In other cases, tooth decay occurs in response to cravings brought on by drug use. For example, marijuana use produces cravings for junk food. The additional sugar will eat away at enamel.

 

Toxic Neuropathy

Putting drugs into the body will interfere with how the body communicates with itself. When nerves are unable to communicate, it is often the result of toxic neuropathy. This disorder produces tingling and numbness in various parts of the body.

 

Addicts who receive treatment may be able to regain some nerve functions. Treatment centers like the Action Recovery Group, for example, will be able to implement a safe 12-step recovery program that will help restore the mind and body of drug addicts.

 

Addicts are constantly chasing the euphoric feeling of their very first high. As they continue to search, they end up taking their bodies down in the process. Once they decide to get help, they can begin taking steps towards reversing some of those damages.

Categories: carcinogens, dangers of drugs, Drug, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug addicts, harmful bacteria, health effects, Health Risks, Infertility, mucous membranes, nbsp addicts

Mental Combat: How to Strengthen Your Addiction Action Plan

Categories: abusing drugs, addiction action, avoid places, drug abuse, drug addiction, group support, temptation

Mental Combat: Strengthening Your Addiction Action Plan

Categories: abusing drugs, addiction action, avoid places, drug abuse, Drug Addiciton, drug addiction, hobbies, nutrition

How Does Methadone Work As A Heroin Replacement?

For drug addicts, giving up cold turkey can be incredibly hard, and even impossible for some. When you stop taking heroin, methadone can be a useful way of preventing or reducing the unpleasant side effects of withdrawal. A lot of heroin addicts stay on methadone for a long time but some people gradually reduce the dose so that they can become clean from drugs. It’s important to not take any street drugs or consume much alcohol when you’re taking methadone. For those addicted to heroin, withdrawal symptoms develop within a day or so from the last dose. If you need a regular hit of heroin in order to feel normal, you will be classified as an addict. The symptoms of withdrawal include sweating, feeling hot and cold, yawning, a lack of appetite, runny eyes and nose, stomach cramps, tremors, feeling sick or vomiting, poor sleep, restlessness, and general aches and pains. The symptoms tend to pass within five days, but by then you may have a persistent craving for heroin and be extremely tired. Methadone is a drug which is similar to heroin but it lasts longer within the body, so it can be prescribed and you will be unlikely to get withdrawal symptoms from the heroin. Doctors can prescribe methadone because you will then be less likely to continue on the drug scene, more likely to feel better in yourself, and more likely to get off drugs. Most GPs will refer you to a community drug team in order to be assessed. After this assessment, a member of the community drug team will make quick contact with your GP in order to ensure you get a dose of methadone. However, if your GP is specially trained they will be able to assess your case without the need for a referral.

An assessment generally involves taking details of your health and current circumstances, details of your past and current drug taking, and examination, a urine test to confirm which drugs you’re taking, and an assessment of what you think you need at the time. If you’ve been injecting the drug, it’s also common to do a blood test to check for HIV or hepatitis, as well as offer immunisation against hepatitis if you’re not already. Methadone is generally started with a timescale in mind so that the results can be assessed. The aim of this drug is to prevent withdrawal symptoms, so your circumstances will be taken into account before your dose is prescribed. Usually, the first dose will be low so that you can get used to it, then it will be increased if need be later on. It usually takes between two and four hours to take effect, and it accumulates within the body so you will feel a greater effect a few days after taking it even though you’ve not increased the dose. it may take your GP a few weeks to determine which dose is appropriate for your needs. It’s important to remember that you may have some or partial withdrawal symptoms until you’ve found the right dose, and this varies from person to person. If taken correctly though, it can offer an effective way of getting off drugs. This drug is usually prescribed as a once-daily dose which is in a liquid form. You will need to take it under the supervision of a pharmacist who will dispense it to you. It’s vital that it’s taken regularly, as any missed doses may mean that you lose the ability to break down your tolerance to heroin.

Categories: drug addiction, heroin, methadone

Five Natural Ways to Detox

The main goal of detoxing naturally after drug addiction is to get rid of the toxic remnants that have built up in your body while you were abusing drugs. You can choose to detox naturally to make sure you get as many toxins out of your body as possible. Your liver is the organ that processes and stores drugs that enter your body. If there is a significant drug buildup in your liver, it can cause toxicity. Leftover drugs in your system can also cause residual cravings or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, there are several natural things you can do to safely detox after drug addiction and Find a rehab right for you.

Water

The first thing to do is start drinking 72 to 96 ounces of water each day. Drinking lots of water will flush the drugs and toxins out of your liver and kidneys. It will also help you to sweat more toxins out of your skin.

Exercise

Engaging in at least one hour of aerobic exercise a day is another component of natural drug detoxing. Activities such as running, swimming and hiking will strengthen your liver and other organs. You will also release toxins by sweating.

Supplements

Ingesting natural supplements can help to cleanse your organs and increase overall health. Sodium alginate is a natural compound found in seaweed that will join with toxins in your digestive system, thus preventing them from being absorbed into your bloodstream. To be effective, you should eat two to three ounces of seaweed every day. Inulin is a substance that increases bile flow and helps your liver to detoxify. To get the proper amount of inulin, take 500 milligrams of a dandelion flower supplement once a day with a meal. Another great supplement for natural drug detox is ginger. Simply drink one cup of ginger tea each day. The gingerol in the tea will encourage sweating and cause toxins to be released through your skin. To make the tea, cut up one ginger root, and then put it in a cup of boiling water and honey. Allow it to steep for about 10 minutes before drinking.

Fasting

Fasting is another way to detoxify your body naturally. However, it is not recommended for people in poor health or who are underweight. Fasting increases the rate of detoxification because your body no longer needs to use energy to digest food. It uses this extra energy to heal itself. It is usually safe to fast for one or two days on your own, but longer fasts need to be approved and supervised by your doctor.

Author Bio: Annette Hazard wrote this along with Stanley Martinson. Annette often writes about health and is a mother of one and avid runner.

Categories: body, Drug, drug addiction, exercise, Fastiong, Liver, Natural, Natural Detox, natural drug, Supplements, toxins, Water