Drug Abuse: 5 Tips to Help Loosen the Grip of Addiction

 

Addictions have such powerful holds on people because they attack them from various angles. Addictions cause people to have emotional, physical and psychological strongholds. First, an addicted party has to deal with painful withdrawal symptoms that occur inside the body. Next, the individual has to suffer with a psychological dependence. Drug addiction can cause a person to commit crimes and get involved with drug offenses, as well. Lastly, an addicted person may deal with emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and irritability. The good news is that an addicted person can overcome even the most difficult problem. The following are five tips for helping to loosen the grip of addiction:

 

Admit That a Problem Exists

The first step to overcoming addiction is recognizing that an addiction does exist. Signs of addiction include fluctuating moods, a decline in work performance, altered personal relationships, physical withdrawal symptoms and strange sleep patterns. Once a person admits that at problem exists, he or she can try to combat it.

 

Find Support Through Loved Ones

Friends and family members can provide assistance for an addicted person. They can give that person a loving and non-judgmental ear when that person needs someone to talk to. Family members can help to support the person through cravings, as well.

 

Secure Rehabilitation Services

Securing reliable rehabilitation services is an excellent way to break the cycle of addiction. Local rehab centers can offer services such as detoxification, counseling, individualized therapy and alternative therapies.

 

Use Mind Over Matter

The mind over matter concept is one that works. A person can find strength if he or she focuses the mind on something bigger and more important than a drug high. Filling the mind with positive and healthy thoughts is an excellent way to remove recurring thoughts of seeking drugs and experiencing the mind’s “reward” system.

 

Change Your Lifestyle

Finally, changing one’s lifestyle can remove that person from the cycle of addiction. An environmental change to a non-depressing area can lower the person’s tendency to gravitate toward depression activities. Changing one’s friends will prevent the addicted person from getting involved with drugs repeatedly. Picking up some hobbies such as artwork, pottery, writing or playing a musical instrument can help to divert one’s attention to positive activities. Theorists suggest that it takes approximately 21 days to create a new routine. Therefore, an addicted person can start to create a new life within three weeks.

 

Starting the recovery process with the previously mentioned tips can help a person to grow out of addiction.

 

Categories: addicted person, addiction, addiction nbsp, addictiona, drug buse, family members, nbsp, person, problem exists, rehabilitation services, Tips, withdrawal symptoms

Tics and Tells: Four Physical Signs of Addiction

Addiction is an alarmingly common problem, affecting millions of people in the United States. To make matters worse, addiction doesn’t just cause harm to the addicted individuals themselves. Friends and family members also suffer. It could be your teenage son or daughter, your brother or sister, or even a parent who suffers from substance addiction. Nobody wants to watch someone they care for destroy their life and their self. If you suspect that someone you love has a problem with addiction and you want to help, here are four physical signs to look for:

 

Significant Weight Loss

Substance abuse often results in a diminished appetite, which can trigger dramatic weight loss over a short period of time. People with severe addictions may rapidly lose muscle mass and body fat, causing them to appear as though they’re wasting away. In extreme cases, they may develop a bony or skeletal appearance.

 

Scabs and Scars

Several commonly abused substances will cause crawling burning feelings in the skin or excessive itching upon withdrawal, which may cause the addicted person to scratch and pick at themselves until wounds develop. These injuries are typically located on the face and arms but may also be on hidden areas of the body. Restlessness due to over-stimulation may also trigger this behavior.

 

Another physical sign to look for is needle tracks, which appear as elongated, reddened marks on the inner forearm or other common injection sites. These occur from repeated use of injected substances and are the result of venous collapse, which renders those veins useless for injection. Eventually, this can drive addicts to inject in increasingly bizarre areas, like between the toes and in the neck. In some cases, these injuries may become infected, requiring immediate medical attention.

 

Withdrawal Symptoms

One of the most noticeable indicators of drug addiction is the presence of withdrawal symptoms. These are often obvious, even when no other signs are present. Someone who is addicted to a substance will be unable to go for long periods without another fix. When they don’t get another dose, any number of behavioral or mood changes will occur. The person may suffer from unexplained panic attacks or anxiety, which may make them try to avoid all interaction. They may also become uncharacteristically irritable or hostile, sometimes to the point of losing their temper or getting into legal trouble. In addition, you may notice profuse sweating, tremors, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, depression, and sometimes seizures.

 

Haggard Appearance

An individual with a severe addictions may exhibit a worsening of their appearance over time. Substance abuse is very harsh on the body and addicts are often lacking in healthy lifestyle habits. Someone with a drug problem may appear haggard and worn, often looking significantly older than they are.

 

Addiction is a difficult hurdle to overcome, but with your help and support, there is hope for your loved one. Sit down and have a talk with them, then suggest some reputable drug rehabs they could to to for professional treatment. Rehabilitation is made much easier when the addicted individual has the support of loved ones to bolster them through recovery.

Categories: addicted, addiction, nbsp, physical, physical signs, severe addictions, signs, substance, substance abuse, tells, tics, Weight Loss, withdrawal symptoms

Gender Differences Extend to How We Smoke and Quit

We’ve long been aware that the male and female bodies are affected by things in different ways, but did you know that the way in which we smoke is yet another to add to the list? In 2001, a study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that women and men are affected by smoking, and likewise quitting, differently. After lighting up, women collectively rates their cigarettes as less satisfying than men did. In another study, women who sampled both standard and low-nicotine cigarettes noted less of a difference in their enjoyment and their perceived nicotine intake than male participants did. These are just some of the findings from this research, which suggests that there is a gap between male and female smokers. The research found suggests that men smoke mainly for the nicotine, whereas women tend to care more about the smell and taste, the hand-to-mouth sensation, the boost to their mood and the weight control. Studies show that both sexes have around the same rate of success with smoking cessation drugs, but nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as the patch of nicotine gum, reveal surprising differences. NRT seems to help both men and women get through the first few months of difficulty on an equal level, but after six months women tend to slide back into the habit at a higher rate than men do.

These differences between gender in smoking addictions may also account for an interesting exception to the NRT gender gap – the inhaler, which is a small, plastic cigarette-shaped device that provides a dose of vaporised nicotine when you take a drag from it. A study carried out in 2001 found that inhalers were more effective for women than men, in the short term, whereas men had more success with gum, patches and sprays. When women stop smoking, they lose both the nicotine and the sensory cues which can make things difficult for them. Replacing these cues with an inhaler rather than with a patch which doesn’t resolve the issue can help them to cope more easily with giving up.

More than half of female smokers state in such studies that their weight concerns are a major issue when quitting. This isn’t surprising but research suggests that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be well suited to women as it helps them to take the leap over the psychological hurdle, accepting that they may well gain a little weight when they quit.  Women may well benefit from combining CBT with a glance at their menstrual cycles as well. Studies suggest that menstruation has a unique effect on tobacco withdrawal symptoms. Women shouldn’t exacerbate hormonal mood swings with their withdrawal symptoms by trying to quit during the middle of PMS. It’s advised to wait until after the first day after a period starts to quit, so as not to make either problem worse.

If you’re struggling to quit smoking, there are a number of resources available to help you. From helplines to smoking cessation devices, you should be able to find plenty of information on how to quit in a way that suits you. Quitting is always the healthier option – smoking causes a number of health concerns, from increasing your risk of lung cancer and heart disease, to accelerating ageing and causing gum problems. Speak to your GP about ways to quit smoking and cut cigarettes out of your life as soon as possible.

Categories: female smokers, Gender, new study, nicotine, quit, quit smoking, Smoking, smoking cessation, withdrawal symptoms, Women, women tend