Addiction has plagued civilization for thousands of years, pre-dating the legendary conqueror, Alexander the Great, and the Greek and Roman empires. As long as there have been grapes for wine and ingredients for other liquids for imbibing that brought about an altered state of consciousness – or unconsciousness – addiction has been with us. It’s only in the last few decades that any serious attention has been paid to overcoming addiction. But are we any closer to finding a cure? Is it within the realm of possibility that we can ever cure addiction? And, if we can, will we?

All Addiction Is Not the Same

When you talk about addiction and finding a cure for it, the problem is magnified by the fact that all addiction is not the same. That is, the disease of addiction affects each person in unique ways and depends upon a multitude of factors. Genetics, family history, physical and mental condition, the environment, and a host of other factors play a contributing role in who becomes addicted and who doesn’t.

There’s also the difference between substances abused. Some are literally more addictive than others. For a vulnerable individual, the first encounter with an illicit drug may result in them being hooked – locked into a never-ending drug-seeking, using, and attempting to recover from the effects of the use, and then repeating the pattern all over.
Furthermore, many addicts suffer from multiple addictions, such as alcoholism, illicit and prescription drug abuse, or co-occurring disorder, which is substance abuse and mental health disorder. Combating just one addiction won’t overcome the others.

There’s also the problem of replacement addiction. When one addiction is overcome through treatment, without continuing counseling and an effective support network, those in recovery may quickly fall into a substitute addiction.
Relapse is very common, especially during the first six months of recovery.

Given all this, it’s no wonder that searching for a “cure” for addiction is difficult. If and when a cure is discovered, it will likely be for a narrow subset or a particular addiction. Such a cure will need to go through lengthy clinical trials for efficacy, safety, and effectiveness. Follow-up studies will be required before such a cure can be marketed or made available to the general public.
None of this should deter scientists, medical professionals, addiction specialists, and researchers from continuing to search for ways to unlock the secrets of addiction. But it is a reality that they all recognize.

Smoke and Mirrors

Throughout the past three decades or so, there have been a number of so-called cures for various types of addiction. Some have failed miserably, while others apparently work for a small number of individuals, only later to be proven ineffective or impossible to sustain. Some medications developed to counteract certain effects of withdrawal have been shown to have promise longer term, working, for example, to ease anxiety or depression during the early stages of recovery and enhance the individual’s ability to practice recovery strategies.

There have been potions, extracts from exotic plants, vitamins and herbs that have been touted at one time or another as a cure for everything from gout to anxiety to alcoholism to drug abuse. Before drug regulation and strict controls on advertising claims, if someone had a good idea to promote a product, they could pretty much do what they wanted. The result was a lot of smoke and mirrors – and no real progress toward a cure for addiction.

That all changed, specifically within the last 10 to 15 years. That’s when federal agencies such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://www.nida.nih.gov/), of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stepped up their efforts to support and help fund research on addiction. NIDA’s stated mission is: “to lead the nation to bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction.”

No more smoke and mirrors. Now the search for effective treatments and medications to end addiction is serious stuff.

The Search Goes On

Addiction is also, without a doubt, a big business. Pharmaceutical companies play a huge role in funding and supporting research (for their products, naturally) that brings promising drugs or therapies closer to marketability. Leading universities, medical professionals, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), private organizations and foundations are all heavily involved and invested in looking for ways to overcome addiction.

Research into alcoholism is conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/), which is also a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAAA’s mission is to lead in the national effort to reduce alcohol-related problems by:

• Conducting and supporting research in many scientific areas including genetics, epidemiology, neuroscience, health risks and benefits of alcohol consumption, prevention, and treatment

• Coordinating and collaborating with other federal programs and research institutes on alcohol-related problems and issues

• Collaborating with international, national, state, and local agencies, institutes, organizations, and programs engaged in alcohol-related work

• Getting the word out about research findings to the general public, policymakers, researchers, and health care providers
The NIAAA celebrates its 40th anniversary this year (2010), from its beginnings with the Hughes Act of 1970, subsequent growth and establishment as an independent institute in 1974, and highlighting its significant accomplishments, such as the first Fetal Alcohol Syndrome workshop, passage of minimum legal drinking age laws, and launch of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

If you want to know what’s going on in the area of clinical trials, check out the lengthy list of clinical trials underway at any given point through ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/). This is a registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. The site gives information about a trial’s purpose, who may be eligible to participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. Studies can be searched by condition, drug intervention, sponsor, and location. During a recent search, some 92,530 trials were underway in 174 countries.

Latest Research

While there’s no cure for addiction yet available, there is promise to report in a number of different areas.

Genes that Influence Brain Wave Patterns

NIAAA scientists have recently identified new genes and pathways that influence a person’s typical pattern of brain electrical activity. This is a trait that may serve as a useful surrogate marker for more genetically complex traits and diseases. One of these genes, for example, is associated with alcoholism.

The study, which was reported in the May 20, 2010 edition of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is summarized in the NIAAA Spectrum (http://www.spectrum.niaaa.nih.gov/newsfromthefield/GenesBrainWave.aspx). The news magazine reports that one of the paper’s authors, David Goldman, M.D., chief of the NIAAA Laboratory of Neurogenetics, said, “While our main findings are for genes that influence EED wave patterns, this study represents an important step towards the use of EEG as a surrogate marker for alcoholism. It also reveals new molecular pathways involved in addiction processes.” The abstract of the original article, “Genome-wide association identifies candidate genes that influence the human electroencephalogram,” can be found on PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20421487).

NIH-supported Finding on Cocaine Addiction

A recent study funded by NIDA, a component of the NIH, has discovered that a specific and very small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction – and may also protect humans. The study, which was published in the journal Nature is summarized on the NIDA news section of its website (http://www.drugabuse.gov/newsroom/10/NR7-07.html).

In essence, the study findings suggest that microRNA-212 plays a pivotal role in regulating rat intake of cocaine, and, perhaps, in the rodent’s vulnerability to addiction. What greatly interests scientists is the fact that the same microRNA-212 is found in the human dorsal striatum, a brain region linked to drug abuse and habit formation (addiction). Paul J. Kenny, senior study author and associate professor at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, is even more upbeat, commenting: “The results of this study offer promise for the development of a totally new class of anti-addiction medications. Because we are beginning to map out how this specific microRNA works, we may be able to develop new compounds to manipulate the levels of microRNA-212 therapeutically with exquisite specificity, opening the possibility of new treatments for drug addiction.”

Search for Cocaine Vaccine Has Mixed Results

Another NIDA-supported study on a cocaine vaccine shows promise, but also some mixed results. The study, published in the October 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry is also summarized on the NIDA website (http://www.drugabuse.gov/newsroom/09/NR10-05.html), which says it is “the first successful placebo-controlled demonstration of a vaccine against an illicit drug of abuse.” NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow is quoted as saying: “Provided that larger follow-up studies confirm its safety and efficacy, this vaccine would offer a valuable new approach to treating cocaine addiction, for which no FDA-approved medication is currently available.”

The study’s principal investigator, Dr. Thomas Kosten, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, said that immunization did not achieve complete abstinence from cocaine use in this study. He did add that, “Previous research has shown…that a reduction in use is associated with a significant improvement in cocaine abusers’ social functioning and thus is therapeutically meaningful.”

The Washington Post, reporting the story January 5, 2010, identified the vaccine as TA-CD and said that, according to Dr. Kosten, “the vaccine…shows promise but could also be dangerous; some of the addicts participating in the study of the vaccine started doing massive amounts of cocaine in hopes of overcoming its effects”.

The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 2.1 million Americans used cocaine in the month prior to the survey. After media reports of TA-CD hit, one researcher was deluged with calls from people desperate to get their family members off the cocaine addiction downward spiral. According to the Washington Post story, Margaret Haney, a professor of clinical neuroscience at Columbia University Medical Center who has been researching the cocaine vaccine (although not part of Kosten’s study), said: “They have a mistaken view of how a vaccine might work, thinking of it as magic, where what it’s doing, at best, is blunting the effects. They get very excited, and it’s heartbreaking.”

Anti-Smoking Vaccine on the Near Horizon

Nicotine addiction causes nearly a half million deaths annually in the United States, and many more millions worldwide. After years of research and development into finding effective treatments to help people stay off cigarettes, a promising new anti-smoking vaccine, NicVAX, by Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (http://www.nabi.com/pipeline/pipeline.php?id=3) of Rockville, Maryland, entered the first pivotal Phase III trial stage in November 2009. In March 2010, NicVAX entered the second Phase III study.

NicVAX is an injectable vaccine that is intended to help people quit smoking and keep them from relapsing. Successful completion of the trial will bring the vaccine closer to final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has already given the drug fast-track status. In order to reach fast-track status, a medication or treatment must first pass the regulatory hurdles showing the proposed drug or treatment is sound.

How it works: Like other vaccines, NicVAX works by boosting the immune system. Here, the goal is to generate antibodies that bind to nicotine. In smoking, normally nicotine is a small molecule that travels quickly through the lungs, bloodstream, and into the brain. NicVAX, by trapping the nicotine in an antibody, makes it too large to get into the brain, thus subverting the effects of the nicotine.

Scientists know that nicotine, once it reaches the brain, activates the release of dopamine, a chemical linked to pleasure and addiction. Once addicted to nicotine, it is very difficult to achieve and sustain abstinence. Complicating matters and triggering relapse are withdrawal symptoms, environmental cues, and stress.

A vaccine that lasts for 6-12 months gives smoker’s a chance to end the addiction/relapse cycle and quit smoking for good. In the future, NicVAX may prove helpful in preventing smoking in the first place.

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, which has been actively researching and developing the anti-smoking vaccine, received a $4.1 million grant from NIDA in 2005, which partially offset the company’s funding requirements for the vaccine development program. In September 2009, Nabi received an additional $10 million in funding from NIDA to continue development. In March 2010, Nabi entered into a worldwide optioning and licensing agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals.

How Much Longer?

In the search for new medications and treatments that may prove effective for addiction to substances, it is easy to become excited and then disappointed at the progress or stalling of development. It takes many years to get through the rigorous FDA approval process. Safety, efficacy, and effectiveness are primary considerations. That takes years of post-marketing follow-up as well.

Perhaps it’s best to look at a cure for addiction in smaller increments. The potential anti-smoking vaccine may be one of the first to hit the market, thus helping millions of motivated smokers kick the habit for good. Following its release to the public as an anti-smoking cessation aid, further studies into its use for prevention of smoking may follow.

Another potential vaccine that may come to market in the coming years – after further testing and validation of effectiveness in helping cocaine users abstain and sustain abstinence – is the so-called cocaine vaccine.

As for other substances of abuse, as well as process addictions such as compulsive gambling, sex, work, and eating disorders, among others, the outlook for a vaccine or “cure” is quite a bit cloudier.

This is not to say that research won’t continue into many of these areas. But it will take a resounding success in the effectiveness of one “cure” before others may potentially receive funding and/or attention from researchers and developers. After all, R&D costs many millions of dollars and takes years – often without success.

Can we cure addiction? Will we cure addiction? Only time will tell. In the meantime, there are effective treatments that can help motivated individuals overcome their addiction – although they will have to be vigilant for the rest of their lives in order to maintain sobriety in recovery. As addiction treatment professionals say, overcoming addiction is the beginning of a lifetime in recovery.
In other words, if you or someone you love is currently addicted to drugs, alcohol, or compulsive behavior, don’t wait for the “magic bullet” or “cure.” Get into treatment and take charge of your destiny. Should a cure come around in the future, you’ll be that much further ahead.

Can We Cure Addiction? is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Sometimes being the take-charge individual who has to do everything on his or her own is not the way to go. This is particularly true when it comes to trying to overcome addiction on your own. Chances are you’ll face an uphill battle. But it’s actually more than just a tough road to go: it may be impossible. Here are some things to think about, possible consequences of not getting treatment for addiction.

You Aren’t Your Best Counsel

First of all, let’s be upfront about one thing. If you have an addiction – whether your substance is alcohol, illicit drugs, or prescription drugs used nonmedically, or a compulsive behavior such as gambling, shopping, work, sex, or an eating disorder – you aren’t the one that’s best equipped to give yourself advice. You simply don’t have enough information, aren’t trained in how to overcome the challenges and hurdles, aren’t certified and licensed to treat addiction, and so on.

And, even if you are an addiction professional, if the patient is you, all the more reason why you shouldn’t try to take matters into your own hands.

Again, you aren’t your best counsel. It’s too hard to be able to follow the necessary steps, adhere to appropriate schedules, analyze your own thoughts and motivations, or teach yourself how to cope. That’s why people who really want to get clean and sober and change their lives go into treatment. Why put yourself through unnecessary – and pointless – frustration by trying to do it on your own? Go into treatment. It’s the best chance you will ever have to put your life back in order.

Access to the Facts

Let’s say that you are a strong-willed person who is used to doing research, making educated decisions, following things through to a conclusion. These are terrific skills, but it still doesn’t mean that you should avoid going into treatment. You can access a wealth of information through various means, the Internet being the most readily available, and still have nothing but a lot of facts – without context. It takes a licensed and certified professional – actually, a staff of professionals – to do the necessary interviewing and assessment, create a personalized treatment plan, and get you into detoxification, if required, and progress to active treatment. There’s also relapse prevention training and preparation of a recovery plan – none of which you should do on your own.

What you can do, in preparation of getting treatment, is to research addiction treatment facilities in your area. Find out the specifics, including whether they specialize in treating your particular addiction, multiple addictions (such as drug and alcohol abuse), or co-occurring disorder (such as substance abuse and a mental health disorder). Make a list of the treatment facilities (residential and outpatient) within easy access and go to their websites to learn more about their treatment philosophy, staff, licensing and credentials of personnel, go through the Q&A, find out about costs, how much insurance pays for, whether or not the facility offers sliding-scale or ability-to-pay arrangements or other financial assistance, including scholarships or grants.
Where should you start to find an addiction treatment facility? The best place is the Treatment Facility Locator (http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/) maintained through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). You can also call their toll-free treatment facility referral helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. There is no charge for this service, and all calls are confidential. When you are serious about getting treatment for your addiction, streamline the process by doing this important fact-finding step first. That is very much something that you can do on your own. Then, you need to put yourself into the capable hands of the professionals.

Tomorrow Is Not Always Another Day

We are such an incredible species. We are intelligent, resourceful, curious, stubborn, independent – and prone to self-deception, procrastination, denial, finger-pointing and a few other negative traits along the way. While every person is unique in both their addiction, there is one thing each has in common: addiction is something we really don’t want to deal with. We tell ourselves that we’re not addicted, that we have it under control, that it really isn’t that big of a problem, that we’re not hurting anyone, and a dozen other excuses. And that’s really what they all are. There’s no truth to any of it. Telling ourselves these distortions of the truth, half-truths, and outright lies is just another way to put off doing what we need to do – and that is, to get into treatment.

When it comes to facing reality, most addicts, and those dependent on a particular substance or compulsive behavior, find many other pressing duties or activities that demand their time and attention. Taking care of themselves, getting sufficient momentum going to actually do something positive to overcome addiction, just isn’t in the cards. Maybe tomorrow, we tell ourselves, only half believing the words.

Here’s what happens the longer we avoid facing the reality: We get worse. Statistics show that, without treatment, addiction is a progressive and debilitating disease that may result in death. If you think that’s out of the realm of possibility, think again. Whether the addiction is alcoholism (where you can die from cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, or other physical complications and conditions), or prescription drugs used nonmedically (where you overdose or suffer drug interactions), or gambling (where you may become so distraught and filled with self-loathing, remorse, and despair that you commit suicide), or any other addiction, death – or serious and debilitating complications – are a very real potential outcome.

Others Will Undoubtedly Suffer

Addiction treatment professionals say that addiction is a family disease. What does this mean? It doesn’t mean that everyone in the family is an addict – although in many instances, there are numerous addictions within the same family. It does mean that when one family member has an addiction, everyone else in the family suffers as well.

Let’s take a look at how this works. Perhaps the wife and mother is an alcoholic, or pops pills to be able to get through the day. Originally, she may have needed prescription medication as the result of an accident or injury, or to combat depression or anxiety. She may have found that a cocktail helps ease the stress and tension of work and taking care of the family. Maybe she combines alcohol and medication without thinking.

Over time, the combination of alcohol and medication, or too much of alcohol or medication, isn’t enough to dull the pain, take away the anxiety, smooth out the stress. She takes it more often, and increases the amount. Pretty soon – sooner than you think – she’s so dependent on the alcohol or pills (or both), she can’t function without them. After more time passes, she’s completely addicted. She may want to, or try to, wean herself off them, but can’t take the withdrawal (nausea, pain, headaches, jitteriness, anxiety, depression – the list goes on). She goes right back to her drug(s) of choice.

What do you think happens in the family when all this is going on? The husband and children gradually notice that something’s not right. Things aren’t being taken care of like they should be: meals aren’t on time, or are haphazard, the house isn’t clean and orderly any longer, the wife/mother’s appearance begins to suffer, and emotional outbursts may become common, and so on. When questioned, the wife may lie to her husband about drinking or taking pills. She probably hides the booze and medicine all over the house and will become hysterical if it is discovered and destroyed.

The children no longer want to have their friends over, fearing their mother will embarrass them or create a spectacle. They may no longer trust their own mother, since she begins to act in more bizarre ways, can’t be relied upon, and shouts and screams at them. The husband probably notices a distancing on the part of his wife. She’s no longer loving and receptive sexually. She may exhibit coldness or an aloofness, or suspicion and jealousy. Money may start disappearing. Bills are no longer paid on time. The family may suffer financial collapse, especially if another addiction that’s been added to the wife/mother’s list is gambling.
It’s easy to see that one person’s addiction, in this example, has an adverse effect on all the members of the family. Again, it doesn’t matter who has the addiction – husband/father, wife/mother, child, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle – if the person who’s addicted resides in the household, everyone suffers. It also doesn’t matter what the addition is. Addiction is a family disease: everyone in the family suffers. Without treatment, they will not only continue to suffer, but the suffering will get worse as addition progresses.

Time Is Not On Your Side

Another negative consequence of not getting treatment for addiction is that time is not on your side. Without treatment, you more than likely can’t overcome your addiction on your own. That’s not to say it’s totally impossible – some people can and do overcome addiction without going into formal treatment. They may make do with self-help books, going to 12-step meetings, and sheer strength of will. But it very rarely happens.

Do you want take that chance? After all the heartache and self-doubt and anxious nights and tortuous cravings and urges, do you really want to go through this alone? Worse yet, are you willing to allow your life – and that of your family – do continue to spiral downward as a result of your addiction?

Sure, it takes time to go through treatment. Depending on your type of addiction, how long you’ve been addicted, how frequently and how much you use, your physical and mental health, family history, environmental, genetic, and other factors, it may take 90 days to six months to a year before you are in recovery. Actual treatment times vary greatly. Since a treatment plan is tailored to each patient, there is no one-size-fits-all type of program. This is true whether the treatment takes place at a residential addiction treatment center, an inpatient hospital setting, or an outpatient facility.

Some types of addiction can be effectively treated on an outpatient basis. Those patients who require detoxification should have that done only under close medical supervision at a licensed detoxification facility. Many residential treatment centers have detox facilities on-site. You can’t go into the active treatment phase until you are clean of the addictive substance (alcohol or drugs). In some cases, medication may be prescribed to help ease the withdrawal symptoms you may experience during detoxification. This is another reason why you need close medical supervision and why you should never attempt detox on your own. You can’t prescribe yourself medication and you likely won’t go through detox by yourself if you have to suffer the withdrawal symptoms – which can range from mild to moderate to severe (and life-threatening, in the case of alcoholism).
Can you afford the time away from your job, family, and friends? Naturally, this would be high on your list of reasons why you can’t go into treatment at this time. But it’s not a good enough reason. If not now, when will be the right time? In fact, when you look at it that way, you’ll never find the time is appropriate to go into treatment. Frankly, you need to get over yourself and your own obsession over controlling what happens. You obviously aren’t in control of your addiction right now. It’s controlling you, and it will only get more demanding as time goes on.

You don’t have time on your side. The sooner you make the decision to go into treatment – and go through with it – the sooner you can resume your life on a clean and sober basis. You need to go through a little pain and discomfort, learn how to cope with cravings and urges, make healthier behavior choices, and plan for and embark upon a new life. You can do all this. But you need to take the all-important first step. You need to admit you have a problem and accept treatment.

You Lose Everything

No one wants to be alone. The thought of losing our family, our friends, and our way of life scares the living daylights out of all of us. When we are the instrument of our own demise, it’s all the worse. The rest of our lives will be spent in self-hatred, self-recrimination, anger, self-destruction, and downward spiral.

Who in their right mind would wish such a future upon themselves? No one would, of course. But it happens all the time when someone pretends their addiction isn’t that bad, that they have it all under control, and that they’ll just gradually cut down or taper off or… fill in the blanks.

The truth is that the longer addiction has a hold on you, the less likely you’re able to think and act clearly. You will find yourself saying and doing things that you’d consider reprehensible if you witnessed it in anyone else. But watching someone else self-destruct and doing it yourself are two different things. When it happens to you, you often never see it coming until it’s too late.

You don’t want to lose everything, do you? Stop what you’re doing and get busy figuring out how to get the help you need.

Next Steps

Once you make the determination that you want to overcome your addiction, you need to take action. Start by doing your research on where to find treatment that may be appropriate for you. Get your finances in order. Talk with your family – your significant other, your parents, siblings – whomever you need to and who will be your immediate support network. Tell them that you have a problem and you want to get help for it. Ask for their encouragement and support as you go through the treatment process and into recovery. The fact is that you can’t make it without support – and a loving family is the best support network you can have.

If there’s a time delay or waiting period before you can get into treatment, don’t let that stop you. Buy books or take them out through the library on overcoming your particular addiction. Learn all you can about the disease. Look up 12-step groups in your area and attend meetings. Start with their websites. Every addiction has a 12-step group, everything from Alcoholics Anonymous to Narcotics Anonymous to Marijuana Anonymous to Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, and so on. These people are committed to one thing: recovery – yours and theirs. They know what it feels like to be engulfed in compulsive behavior or locked in an endless drug-seeking way of life. They can offer encouragement and support that’s nonjudgmental and asks nothing in return – except for the same type of encouragement, support, and understanding when they may need it. It’s at least a good way to get started on your own personal journey to recovery.

Will you ever be normal again? This is a question many people ask, usually when they’re new to recovery (after they’ve completed treatment to overcome their addiction). It’s perfectly understandable to be anxious and wonder if your life will ever get back to normal. The first few months of recovery can be pretty scary, since this is the time when you’re putting into practice all the things you learned during treatment on how to avoid the people, places, and things that caused you to use, how to cope with cravings and urges, how to establish better communication with family and friends, and how to live a healthier life.

The good news is that you will get better. The longer you are in recovery, the stronger you will get. There will be good days and bad days at first. Over time, you will gain more self-confidence in your abilities, more trust in your decision-making, more pride in your accomplishments. You will look forward to your future, a future that will be of your making according to the plans you’ve put into place.

Will you ever be normal again? For many in recovery, this is the time when they first started to feel normal. For others, it’s the best time in their lives. Why not make this your plan for your future?

Remember the saying from Confucius: “The longest journey begins with the first step.” While it’s appropriate for many things, it’s really apropos with respect to getting treatment for addiction. Begin your recovery journey today by taking that first step. Make the decision to get treatment. Your future awaits you.

Possible Consequences of Not Getting Treatment for Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The interesting thing about drug addiction is that it does not play favorites. We may think we can identify the drug user or addict by a specific stereotype, but such an approach will often return erroneous results. Instead, it is better to look for specific signs.

In the case of elderly individuals who are on a number of medications, they could be at a heightened risk for addiction. Let’s examine 20 different signs of addiction that can help loved ones identify a problem that may just be at its start or one dangerously controlling a life.

1. Control in Quantity

A true sign of addiction is when an individual needs more of a substance to achieve a desired effect. The alcoholic will fill a glass more frequently and the drug addicted individual will run through a prescription faster. In the latter example, the increased speed is generally blamed on a physician or pharmacist error or some other excuse rather than an increase in dosage.

2. Hidden Substances

The individual who is using medication prescribed by a physician has nothing to hide. The individual who is drinking when they should not be or consume more of a drug than prescribed will take to hiding medications or bottles of alcohol in odd places. It is important to check in obscure places, but be prepared for tempers if the loved one feels their privacy has been invaded.

3. Things Disappear

It isn’t unusual for things around the house to disappear when there is an addict living within the home. This is especially true for items that hold any type of value and can be sold for cash to acquire more medication. The need for money will appear desperate without obvious cause.

4. Drinking Ahead of Time

It isn’t unusual for the alcohol addicted individual to drink ahead of time before festivities get going. This is often done to make it appear as though they are dinking the same amount as everyone else, when in fact they have consumed far more over the course of the evening.

5. Throwing You Off the Track

Manipulations are not uncommon for those individuals who want to throw people off their scent. Alcoholics will drink alone to show they are not drinking more than others and teen drug users are known to admit to lesser drugs – like marijuana – when bigger drugs are the true issue. What appears to be honesty is really just an attempt to divert attention away from the true problem.

6. Spending Patterns

Both drugs and alcohol are expensive substances and most individuals do not have the disposable income to support a full blown habit. It is important to look for unusual money behaviors, especially frequent trips to payday loan establishments and spending sprees.

7. The Vodka Trick

Vodka is a powerful drink and not always pleasant upon first intake. It remains one of choice, however, as it looks like water. It is also easily added to soft drinks and juice without changing the color or smell of the liquid.

8. Irregular Attendance

The maintenance of addiction takes considerable time, which usually leaves little for socializing or a busy lifestyle. A person who misses an important event or is unreliable and secretive about their activities generally has a problem bigger than an inability to keep appointments.

9. A Narrow Focus

Those dealing with an addiction will have a very narrow focus on life and tend to block out other interests and activities that once held significant pleasure and fulfillment. A subtle change may happen at first, which makes it harder to detect over time.

10. The Magic Bottle

It is not uncommon for the individual living with an alcoholic to check the liquor cabinet to monitor bottle levels. If there is a “Magic Bottle” that appears to never be empty or one that has a level that goes both up and down, it is likely the individual is trying to hide his or her liquor intake.

11. The Diet Promise

The body image is one area that can be especially dangerous. Certain “uppers” like crystal meth and cocaine stimulate energy and people find they rarely need to eat. This results in rapid weight loss, which is erroneously viewed as a positive thing.

12. Cleanliness

While the saying makes us believe cleanliness is next to godliness, an overuse of certain hygiene products is a sign that someone is trying to hide something. Is the person constantly spraying a perfume or using gum or breath mints? Eye drops come in handy to hide reddened eyes and going through bottles quickly should be a sign something is wrong.

13. Check the Bathroom

Prescription medications generally belong in the bathroom. If the bathroom cabinets have no supplies, users are generally quick to check other people’s bathrooms. The sound of extended water running is a hint the person is trying to hide their activities.

14. Managing the Mood

The stark contrast between ups and downs should be a sign that something is aloof. Loved ones should also look for moods that go from numb and calm to extremely aggressive in as little as a few minutes.

15. Dead Asleep

The individual that is sleeping so hard they won’t wake up is a sign something is wrong. Alcoholics and addicts consuming “downers” will sleep very heavily and will also fall asleep at inappropriate times; giving a signal something is wrong.

16. Never Ending Pain

Back pain is a common complaint– people use to get prescription painkillers. Back pain is hard to diagnose and even harder to treat, making it easy to pull the wool over the doctor’s eyes in attempting to get a prescription. This pain also never tends to wane and needs more and more medication to treat.

17. Unfounded Sickness

Vague illnesses are common with addicts as they are seeking an excuse to duck out of work or simply to be left alone to abuse their substance of choice. These individuals also tend to appear sick, without any real diagnosis or cause.

18. Panic

Pot, drugs and alcohol can cause attacks of paranoia. At times, the symptoms are temporary, but over time can completely change the personality of the individual. When the substance is cocaine, it alters the brain and can cause psychological symptoms that greatly impair the individual.

19. A Good Story

The user and abuser know they have a problem, but they don’t want anyone else to know it. They will use a variety of stories that seem to be very believable to throw attention away from them. Keeping close track of these stories is likely to reveal a pattern of deception.

20. Laying the Blame

Alcoholics and addicts are known for pointing the finger at someone else, not wanting to take ownership of their problem or its causes. This tendency increases the conflict level and will take a formally peaceful person to a war zone participant.

20 Signs You May Be Living With an Addict is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

If you have a loved one who needs or is getting treatment for addiction, you probably have already learned that addiction involves more than just the addict. When one person in a family is addicted, everyone is affected. That’s why they call addiction a family disease. Other family members who have ignored, denied, justified, and enabled the addict are known as codependent. But what, exactly is codependency and how do you stop it? Here are some points to consider.

Codependency Definitions

There are a number of definitions of codependency from various sources.

Some define codependency as a personality disorder, a dysfunctional relationship with the self characterized by living through or for another, attempting to control others, blaming others, a sense of victimization, of trying to fix others, as well as intense anxiety around intimacy.

Another definition of codependency is that it is habitual behaviors that are ultimately self-destructive.

Codependency is also considered by some as a psychological condition in which one person exhibits too much (and often inappropriate) caring for and about other people’s problems and issues.

Still others classify codependency as a disease, one that can be every bit as deadly as alcoholism, drug addiction, or eating disorders.

One site, WiseGEEK (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-codependency.htm) says codependency “describes a situation in which a person literally becomes emotionally addicted to another person’s addiction.”

The Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/889897/codependency) defines codependency as “a psychological syndrome noted in partners or relatives of persons with alcohol or drug addiction. Not a formal psychiatric diagnosis, codependency has become a useful term for discussing aspects of family dysfunction, particularly among participants in recovery groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://archives.drugabuse.gov/txmanuals/IDCA/IDCA11.html), “codependency occurs when another individual, perhaps the addict’s spouse or family member, is controlled by the addict’s addictive behavior.” Some codependents are adult children of alcoholics or addicts. Their codependent behavior is the result of growing up in this environment of addiction. NIDA further says that “enabling behavior occurs when another person, often a codependent, helps or encourages the addict to continue using drugs, either directly or indirectly.”
Whatever the definition, codependency is a serious and debilitating condition that wreaks havoc on the lives of the codependent person and all those around him or her.

Characteristics of Codependents

How can you tell if you are codependent? What are some of the characteristics of codependents? While the following is not an all-inclusive list, and individuals who are codependent may not display all of them at one time, it is a good place to start.
People who are codependent have certain characteristics or traits involving caretaking, low self-worth, obsession, and repression.

As codependents, they may feel that they’re responsible for another person’s (especially the addict’s) actions, feelings, thoughts, well-being or lack of it, even their destiny. Frequently, when another person has a problem, the codependent feels a sense of anxiety, pity, or guilt. They may feel compelled to help the person or to somehow fix the problem – even if it is out of their ability to do so. Codependents will get angry when their attempts to fix the problem aren’t effective. They try to anticipate what other people need and constantly wonder why the same thing doesn’t happen for them. They don’t really know what they want or need, say yes instead of no, submerge their own interests and enjoyments in order to be caretakers to another, over commit, take on too much, and ignore their own well-being. Attracted to needy people, needy people are also attracted to them. It’s like a pull of gravity. If the codependent isn’t fixing a problem or handling a crisis, they often feel bored, worthless, and empty. At the heart of all this, the codependent feels angry, victimized, underappreciated, undervalued, and used. They also blame others for the spot they’re in and say that the reason they feel the way they do is because of other people.

Low self-worth is another key characteristic of the codependent. Often, the individual comes from a troubled or dysfunctional family – one which they adamantly deny was so. They also often have been victims of sexual or emotional abuse, violence, alcoholism, abandonment, or neglect. They actually feel like victims, take things personally, fear rejection, and are afraid they can never do anything right. Filled with self-blame for everything, the codependent constantly engages in self-criticism: They don’t look, act, feel, think, or behave the way they’re supposed to. Rejecting compliments or praise, codependents nevertheless secretly yearn for admiration from others. When they don’t get it, they become depressed. Ashamed of whom they are at their core, codependents have intense guilt. Since they think their own lives aren’t worth living, they valiantly attempt to help others instead. No one can possibly really love them, so they’ll settle for being needed.

Codependents may also suffer from repression and obsession. Afraid to let themselves be who they are, they may appear rigid and controlled, pushing their own thoughts and personal feelings aside due to guilt and fear. Their obsessive traits are quite obvious to anyone who pays attention. They worry over everything, constantly check up on people, aren’t able to sleep because of worry over other people’s problems. They constantly talk about other people, find something to worry about over meaningless things, and are always anxious about other people’s problems and issues.

Healing from Codependency

Healing of the entire family necessitates using many different strategies, getting professional help, and developing and maintaining a strong support network.

Actually, healing from codependency is a process, just like overcoming addiction is a process. It is often painful, as the codependent person has to wade through a lot of denial and self-survival tactics and unhealthy coping mechanisms that he or she has developed over time. Sorting through all this takes time, and professional help.
One way to start the healing process is to learn all you can about codependency. Read books on the subject (see the list of titles below as a place to start).

Another suggestion is to join a 12-step group. Go online and check out 12-step groups that are affiliated with the big 12-step organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous. The affiliate family/friends group for A.A. is called Al-Anon/Alateen. There are similar 12-step family/friend groups for virtually every addiction (alcohol, drugs, gambling, overeating, overwork, compulsive sex, and so on).

You may also wish to check out Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) (http://www.codependents.org/). As the website states, this is a fellowship of men and women whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for membership is a desire for healthy and loving relationships.

Why is participation in a 12-step group important or helpful? Look at it this way: It’s free, and anonymous, and these groups are comprised of people just like you who are trying to be healthy and whole and are living with a person either in recovery, in treatment, or who is dependent or addicted but not yet getting treatment.

You can’t possibly figure your way out of codependency on your own. First of all, you’re too steeped in your own habits and behaviors, processes and coping mechanisms that were years in the making. You need to stop trying to make things better, stop excusing and justifying and taking the blame for the behavior of the addict in your life. You may need to overcome your own addictions as well. Codependents often have an addiction to one or more substances or addictive behavior, things they use as a means of coping with pressures and stresses of living with an addict. As you are most likely aware, numbing yourself or trying to escape from the reality of your life only means that the problems and issues will still be there when you lose the high, wake up, or come back to reality. That’s really the beauty of allies in 12-step meetings. They’ve all been through exactly what you’re going through. They will offer you unconditional support and encouragement, and through listening to their stories about how they were able to stop being codependent, you may find the strength and strategies to figure out how to create your own path to recovery.

Counselors say that healing from codependency involves utilizing the four recovery power concepts. These are acceptance of our own powerlessness, finding and communicating with our own higher power (whether God or our own idea of a higher power), creating our own personal power, and learning how to share power by participating in healthy relationships.

Tips on Recovering from Codependency

Don’t let the idea of the process of recovery scare you. Sure, it’s a little disconcerting. After all, you’re going to be dealing with a lot of heavy baggage you’ve lugged with you for a long time. Learning to let go, to detach yourself from unhealthy thoughts and feelings may be painful at times. But the end result – stopping codependency – is worth it. Here are some tips that may help you in your journey toward recovering from codependency:

• Give yourself a new identity. Start to identify yourself as a recovering codependent. Instead of seeing yourself as a victim, acknowledge that you are codependent and are in the process of recovery.

• Ditch old coping mechanisms. Learn to see how your old coping mechanisms were self-destructive and self-defeating.

• Start to set goals. These should be goals for your own self-development and rediscovery. Do not make them goals for the good of other people. This is about your recovery, and it needs to focus on you.

• Practice detachment. Although it has already been mentioned, it’s worth repeating here. You need to learn how to detach yourself from the problems of others. Stop letting other people’s issues and problems consume your every waking thought. This will take quite a bit of practice, but things like meditation, vigorous exercise, being with others, and developing a sense of spirituality may help immensely.

• Learn new and different ways of caring for yourself – and your emotions. This means getting better at dealing with emotions like anger, guilt, shame, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.

• Take care of your physical well-being. You’ve probably been so exhausted taking care of others, trying to figure out solutions to other people’s problems, that you’ve sorely neglected your own well-being. Get adequate sleep. Pay attention to your nutritional needs by eating a balanced diet. Engage in some form of vigorous physical exercise daily, even if it’s simply taking a walk in the neighborhood. If you have a medical condition, get it attended to. You can’t heal emotionally if you’re physically unwell.

• Begin to learn how to have fun. This may seem difficult at first, since you’ve ignored your own wants and needs for so long you’ve probably forgotten what it feels like to have fun. How do you learn how to have fun? Start by experimenting. You must remember some things that you once liked to do. Try doing them again. Maybe it’s a hobby that you once enjoyed like quilt making or cabinetry. Perhaps you loved to ski or play basketball or read or go to the movies. You may have loved to create extravagant desserts or had a yen for gardening. Whatever it was, give it another try. If you don’t find any of your previous interests exciting or to your liking, let your mind grasp the possibility of getting involved in something entirely new. Then investigate what it will take (instruction, equipment, time, etc.), and go for it. Learning how to have fun is really all about doing something you enjoy – and immersing yourself in it.

• Practice meeting new people and your conversational skills. You’re probably pretty rusty in this department. After all, you’ve spent so much time watching and being critical of others instead of listening to what others have to say and offering positive feedback. Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it. If you find yourself starting to be a savior to another person’s problems or issues, stop yourself. Concentrate instead on widening your circle of acquaintances and beginning to develop friendships based on mutual interests. For example, in your pursuit of activities that you find to be fun, you’ll meet many different people. This is an excellent place to start building new friendships.

• End relationships that have proven self-destructive or draining. This may not always need to happen, but there may come a time in your recovery when you realize that the relationship you’ve clung to for so long really isn’t working any longer. The other person, who may or may not be an addict, isn’t committed to growth and your recovery. When it’s time to move on, don’t allow another person to guilt you into staying. This also applies to so-called friends. The old saying of “Misery loves company” is certainly apropos here. When you are in recovery, the last thing you need is to surround yourself with people who are stuck in self-destructive and negative paths.

• Start to dream and hope again. This is all about your journey of self-discovery. For some, it is a rediscovering of hopes and dreams long buried. For others, who have come from such a dysfunctional and unhappy family background, it may mean creating dreams and a future never thought possible. Remember, however, that this is your personal and private journey. It isn’t about someone else’s hopes and dreams. Forget about what someone else says you should do or what’s good for you. This is something that you need to determine for yourself. Sure, it may be scary and confusing at first. But you will only succeed if you listen to what’s really right for you. And, over time, that will become more and more apparent.

Final Thoughts

Stopping codependency, finding and maintaining your own recovery, is not a fixed or time-limited process. It’s a fluid process, a journey that will continue the rest of your life. Some days, especially in early recovery, may be filled with ups and downs. You may frequently be confused, fearful that you may not make the right decisions. Rely on your support network, your counselors and 12-step allies, strong and caring family members and friends.

You will be able to overcome the initial difficulties, fears and confusion if you genuinely commit to the process. Recognize that healing takes time. Attend 12-step meetings. Get all the education you can by reading books, going online, attending seminars and workshops. Remain honest, open, and willing to try something new to change your life for the better. Work through your frustrations and discomfort at the thought of embracing change. Accept the new you, the person you are becoming, and continue to work on creating the kind of future you want and need for yourself. Believe in yourself and that you can find the happiness that you deserve. Start today.

Resources

Books and other resources can provide valuable insights on the subject of codependency and how to overcome it. Most are written by individuals who have, themselves, been codependent and have learned how to stop the destructive behavior. Others are written by professional addiction counselors and provide tips that may help you or another family member to stop being codependent.

Check out the following publication titles, most of which are available through Amazon or local bookstores and libraries:

• Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring For Yourself, by Melody Beattie. The author says this book is about stopping the pain and gaining control of your lives.
• Beyond Codependency: And Getting Better All the Time, by Melody Beattie. This book is about continuing on the path of recovery and delves into the core issues of recovery for the codependent individual.
• The Language of Letting Go (Hazelden Meditation Series), by Melody Beattie.
• The New Codependency, by Melody Beattie.
• Breaking Free of the Codependency Trap, by Janae B. Weinhold and Barry K. Weinhold.
• Love is a Choice: Letting Go of Unhealthy Relationships, by Dr. Robert Hemfelt.
• Confessions of a Codependent: How to Identify and Eliminate Unhealthy Relationships, by Jacqueline Williams.
• Please Don’t Say You Need Me, by Jan Silvious.
• Break Free From Boomerang Love Relationships, by Lynne Melville.
• Breaking Free: A Recovery Workbook for Facing Codependence, by Pia Mellody, Andrea Wells Miller.
For a list of more titles on recovery from codependence, see Recovery Web’s Codependency Bookstore (http://www.recovery-man.com/books/codependency.htm).

How To Stop Codependency is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Set Your Resolve

You know all about making a decision that may be the toughest one you’ve ever made in your life. You went through that process before you went into treatment. It took a lot of courage – some would say guts – to admit you had a problem and accept treatment. Your genuine commitment to achieving sobriety is a testament to your ability to set your resolve.

Now that you’re in early recovery, you need to set your resolve again. This time, however, you’re resolving to do something positive with your life. To begin with, you only need to instill this thought in your mind. You resolve that you will put forth your best effort to achieve the kind of future that you decide is the path you want to follow. Included and inherent in this resolve is the type of lifestyle that embodies clean and sober living.

Resolve too that you will seek to find the answers to questions that may appear too difficult. Resolve that you will not cave at the first sign of difficulty, or when your emotions threaten to do you in and cause you to relapse. Resolve that you will seek help and support when you need it, instead of being too proud or afraid to ask.

Define Your Goals

Now that you’ve resolved that you will do something positive with your life, you need to define your goals. Having a future that you chart for yourself is probably something that you gave up on long ago, believing that you were somehow unworthy or that anything you really wanted was impossible. Now that you’ve overcome your addiction and are in early recovery is the perfect time to re-examine long-buried hopes and dreams. Resurrect those childhood scenarios of the future when you imagined yourself trekking off to the Himalayas or discovering a cure for cancer or becoming a dancer or having your own business or… You get the idea. Dust off the cobwebs from your childhood dreams and see if there’s something there that you can or want to build on now.

While you’re looking at the kaleidoscope of possibilities running through your mind, jot down on paper anything that jumps out at you as something really exciting or that has promise. It doesn’t matter at this point if it’s only a passing thought. If it intrigues you, that’s something to look closer at later on. Right now, you’re just capturing the essence of what interests you.

For some, defining goals is all about making statements about what they want to achieve in a certain time period. Goals can be short-term or long-term or anywhere in between. In fact, it’s always good to have a mix of both. Short-term goals can be interim steps in pursuit of long-term goals. If your goal is to obtain a college degree, for example, short-term goals would include successful completion of individual classes, semesters and years. Goals can be tangible, such as the purchase of a home, or intangible, such as the satisfaction and love of having children and caring for your family.

Getting your life back in recovery necessitates defining your goals. You can’t move forward with any sense of resolve or purpose if you don’t have goals. So, set your mind to it now and write down your goals.

Make a Plan

Now that you have a few goals written on paper (or in a computerized document), you need to do some more work to help you jumpstart your journey to achieving them. This entails making a plan.

You will need a plan for each of your goals and some plans will be more involved and detailed than others. If your goal is to buy a house, your plan would include accumulating sufficient savings for a down payment, applying for and obtaining a home loan, making an offer to purchase a home, going through the mortgage process all the way through closing, and finally moving into your home. Each step along the way toward achievement of your goal involves following a plan. Much research and hard work will likely be required. Again, some goals will involve more work and take longer to achieve than others.

It isn’t necessary when you begin making your plan that you have all the answers. No one ever does. But when you do think of points that pertain to your plan, jot them down.

Take Action on the Plan

If you make your plan but never take any action, it’s a little like the greatest story never told. But more than that, if you fail to act on your plan, you’ll fall into the trap of never getting your life back in recovery.

Having a plan implies that you do something with the plan. You need to act on it. Your plan to get a college degree (undergraduate or graduate) means you need to enroll in college, obtain financial aid, if necessary, sign up for classes, buy textbooks and other required course materials, attend classes, do homework assignments, take exams, and keep going for each semester.

It’s important to note here that follow-through is critical to the success of any plan. Being in recovery, you know that staying on top of your schedule is something you need to pay attention to.

Along with taking action on your plan, be sure to factor in your recovery needs as well. You don’t want to get so involved in plans and goals that you neglect the important steps in your recovery. In fact, your recovery needs very much to be a part of your action plan, since your overarching goal is sustained recovery. A recovery plan is probably something you worked on in the final phase of your active treatment. Most recovery plans include regular attendance at 12-step group meetings. Make sure you adequately parcel out your time so that you always have room in your schedule for your 12-step meetings. This is one of the most effective ways to help you get your life back in recovery.

Network Like Crazy

With your accumulated knowledge about your addiction and knowing that you have to steer clear of people, places and things that prompt you to use, you’ve no doubt already moved away from problematic relationships. Loneliness in early recovery can be a particularly troublesome emotion. The only way to guard against loneliness – which can easily sabotage recovery – is to make new friends. How you make new friends is to network like crazy.

Start with your 12-step group meetings. There are many different group meetings that you can attend, and there’s nothing that says you can’t attend as many as you like. In fact, until you find a particular group where you feel most comfortable, you’ll probably switch around your meeting attendance quite a bit. Eventually, you’ll settle on one meeting group and this one will become your “home” location, the one you return to weekly – no matter how many other meetings you attend elsewhere. In your home group or the other groups, there are countless people with whom you may find you share things in common.
Acquaintances may become friends. Even if you just listen to the stories of other group members, you may find that you learn something that can help you – in your sobriety, to overcome emotional difficulties, something that pertains to your plan or goals.
Your 12-step sponsor can really prove useful to you throughout your early recovery when you are in the process of getting your life back. Bounce ideas off your sponsor. Ask for feedback. Your sponsor will provide the kind of support and encouragement that you can’t get anywhere else.

Other areas to network include school, work, and recreational and sports venues. As you pursue your goals and carry out your plan, you will come into contact with dozens of people. This offers you endless opportunities to widen your circle of friends. Your expanding network may even lead to additional avenues with respect to your long-term goals.

Get Out and Socialize

Beyond networking, it’s important that you take time to socialize. This is being with friends for the pure sake of enjoyment. It’s not about finding someone who can help you get a promotion, or secure a better interest rate on a loan. You need to exchange conversation and laughter in the normal course of human interaction.

Some individuals in early recovery retreat into a self-imposed isolation, thinking that they need to punish themselves for their past misdeeds. They may also feel that they need to hide themselves away for fear that they may not be able to withstand the temptations of being out in society. Both are ineffective. While residual guilt, shame and remorse may still be prevalent, it’s important that you work through these negative emotions. Do so with your counselor and 12-step sponsor. But do get out and be with friends. Don’t let the fact that you’re a bit rusty hanging out with others who aren’t drinking or using keep you from making the attempt. It will get easier the more often you do it. And who says you have to be the most scintillating conversationalist? Just be yourself. Put your best foot forward. Be open and honest (but don’t spill your guts about your past to every person you meet) and the rest will fall into place naturally.

Pay Attention to Family

Your most important allies – next to your 12-step sponsor and fellow group attendees – are your family members. Perhaps your addiction led to strained relationships with one or more family members, or you may feel saddled with guilt over the pain you’ve caused a partner, children, or others in your close family. Part of your plan to get your life back in recovery has to involve rebuilding these critical relationships.

Even if your family stuck by you through your darkest days of addiction and through treatment, they still need – and deserve – your love and presence in your recovery. Now, in fact, is the most appropriate time to begin to share with them how much their support and encouragement has meant to you. You’d be surprised at how important this kind of acknowledgement can be when expressed to those who love you and whom you love.

After your own needs in recovery, your family should come first. Always pay attention to family. It is another essential part of getting your life back in recovery.

Analyze Achievements

As you move along with your plan, coincident with working your 12-steps in recovery, take some time periodically to analyze how far you’ve come. Look at the achievements you’ve made in the past 3, 6, and 9 months. In terms of your sobriety, attaining your 30-day, 3-month, and 6-month chips, and one-year medallion are terrific achievements that should be high on your list.

Refine Your Plan as Necessary

You may find that you’ve discovered a niche area where you’ve excelled, despite having no prior realization that this was something that really interested you. Being tops in your class in foreign languages or math or science, for example, may lead you to want to pursue other classes in this area. You may even wish to change your major, or add this new field of study as a minor.

Things happen in the pursuit of goals that require alteration of plans. Some goals open up new avenues that may prove more desirable.

Be flexible enough to modify and refine your plan as necessary. Remember that recovery is a lifelong journey. How you get there is very much a matter of being true to yourself and following your dreams. If that means altering your course to include discovery of new things, then that’s all the better. It means you are in charge of your life and firmly rooted in recovery.

Make Room for Love

Thinking about getting your life back in recovery wouldn’t be complete without including love. It takes a wholeness of mind-body-spirit to allow for the possibility of love, and that is definitely something to look forward to. Of course, you can’t go looking for love. If you try to do so, you’ll usually chase it away.

In the purest sense, love comes naturally, when two souls meet and the chemistry – gradually or suddenly – brings them together out of an innate desire to give to each other without thought for themselves. There’s physical love, consummated by two partners, and platonic love, which has no sexual union. There’s also fraternal, paternal, maternal, sibling, and familial love. You can love nature, love God or your higher power, love life.

Whatever your definition and concept of love, make room for it in your life. Love enriches the spirit and makes life brighter and full of promise. In your quest to get your life back in recovery, therefore, make room for love and allow love into your life. You do deserve it. We all do.

How To Get Your Life Back In Recovery from Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The style of motivational interviewing differs from other types of counseling because it is directed toward the goal of resolving conflicting attitudes or feelings. First developed to help people with alcohol addictions, the therapy is now used across a spectrum of behaviors and addictions and shows promise toward successfully encouraging a change in behavior.

Experts describe the central premise of motivational interviewing with several key characteristics, such as a desire to bring about specific changes in the patient’s attitudes and goals, which will be reflected in changes in behavior. There is also the belief that it is up to the client, not the therapist, to explain and rectify the clash between two sets of feelings, such as elation and guilt – also known as ambivalence.

Motivational interviewing does not involve direct statements that the person must change their behavior, nor does the technique allow for specific treatment recommendations to the patient. The approach, instead, relies heavily on client feedback and input as the counselor tries to guide the patient toward ending a destructive behavior pattern.

A large part of the process is the patient talking about the benefits and the consequences of their confusing conflicting feelings. For example, the client may say that if they quit indulging in emotional eating they may lose weight, but they will also have to learn to work through life stress in a new way. Direct urging or persuading the client to stop a behavior is avoided, believing that this may trigger a negative response. Instead, the counselor calmly encourages the patient to weigh the pros and cons of a behavior until they arrive at a workable conclusion. This assumption is that patient indecision toward a behavior can be resolved with the patient’s input.

Due to the client-centered nature of motivational interviewing, the process can take longer than other more direct methods of resolving unwanted behaviors. Therapists are also encouraged not to move too quickly beyond the patient’s pace, as this could deter the likelihood of change.

Despite its relatively lengthy approach, other techniques for drug or alcohol addiction have stemmed from the motivational therapy practice. The Drinkers Check-Up is a relatively quick question/answer strategy for people with addictions to alcohol or other problems, relying on feedback from the client to explore drinking patterns and comparing this feedback with standards that are considered norms.

Motivational Interviewing Helps Substance Abusers Resolve Confusion is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

According to a post in the Telegraph Journal, armed robberies are half of what they were before a methadone clinic opened in the city. When proponents lobbied hard for the clinic, crime reduction was one of the promises.

In the city of St. John, methadone is given to those with an addiction to drugs such as Dilaudid, OxyContin or heroin. Methadone is known to ease the cravings for these opiate-based drugs. This newest clinic provides methadone with forced counseling as an alternative to other treatment options.

There is currently a waiting list of roughly 100 people seeking access to the clinic, although the government plans to make further investments so that those needing the methadone treatments will be served.

Those advocating the clinic argue that waiting lists are not a good thing to have as the aim is to provide individuals with the necessary steps and treatment to empower them to change their behavior. This is demonstrated in the reduction of armed robberies in the area by 55 percent.

Data shows that those individuals involved in the armed robberies are heavily addicted. As a result, many of them do not care about the consequences that come in response to their actions. This indicates a desperate situation for the individual, who may do anything to get the money to support a habit.
 

Methadone Clinic Contributes to Reduction in Robberies is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Eric Roberts has tweeted about his stint in Celebrity Rehab, posting the message that he is doing the show. He also tweeted, “I’d like to move out of the weed garden & into a place where things can blossom & grow.” Roberts, according to his wife, quit alcohol and other drugs about 15 years ago, but then became hooked on medical marijuana. He reported uses medical marijuana to deal with anxiety.

Participants in the show receive treatment at Pasadena Recovery Center under the auspices of Dr. Drew.

There has been some controversy around the show because many of the participants are at a low point in their lives, and some argue they are not in the right frame of mind to give permission to follow their treatment and recovery.
 

Celebrity Rehab Launches Fourth Season is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Talk to Someone

This may take a great deal of courage on your part, but you need to talk to someone to tell them that you are in trouble. There must be someone in your life that you trust, someone who hasn’t violated your boundaries or personal space, and someone who has no ulterior motive. If you have a spouse or family member – who is not part of nor condoned the sexual abuse that you experienced – begin with this person. If, however, your sexual abuse occurred at the hands of a family member, you will need to go outside to find a trusted individual to talk with. Contact your priest, minister, or spiritual advisor. Speak with your doctor. If you have a friend who is a confidant, talk with him or her.

What should you say? At this point, you don’t need to get into the nitty gritty specifics of the abuse or your substance abuse. But, depending on the nature of your relationship with the person you speak with, he or she may already know or suspect what’s bothering you. What the person may not know, however, is the extent to which your past sexual abuse and current substance abuse are causing serious disruption and problems in your daily life.

Choose a mutually convenient time when you can have a private conversation with this person. Start out by thanking them, in advance, for their consideration and request that they keep the discussion confidential. Tell him or her that you feel that you need outside help in order to deal with some problems in your past and present that are undermining your ability to function properly at home, work, school, or socially. Naturally, your family member, friend, or trusted other will ask what is wrong. This is so they will know how they may be able to help you. You should not expect that just talking with this person will solve your problems. This is only the first step in acknowledging that you are experiencing a problem and need help. You need to start somewhere, and the best place is with people you know and trust.

The old saying that “Two heads are better than one” holds true here. By speaking with others who have your best interests at heart (either because they know you or because they are in a profession or calling where their life’s work involves helping others) you will receive valuable insight and support as you work toward taking the next step – getting professional help.

One thing you can ask for from whomever you talk with is their support. You want them to be part of your support network as you work through your difficulties. You need trusted allies all along the way and into your recovery. Getting by with a little help from your friends is very apropos here.

Accept No Blame

One of the biggest reasons why victims of sexual abuse fail to get help is that they blame themselves for what happened. It must have been my fault, they conclude. They may have even been told it was their fault over and over again by the perpetrator of the sexual abuse. The closer the relationship between abuser and abused (such as a parent) and the younger the abuse began, the more deeply the self-blame is embedded in the victim.

Get this into your mind right now: You are not to blame. No matter what the circumstance, you did not deserve to be sexually abused. Not the first time, nor any subsequent time. It is not due to anything you did or said or failed to do or say. Sexual abuse is a crime that is punishable by law, and the perpetrator is the one who is guilty – not you. It is never you.

Why is it so important that you accept no blame? First of all, blame is a dead-end street. No one ever moves forward by blaming themselves for their thoughts, actions, or words. Blaming others is another ineffective means of dealing with powerful and destructive emotions as blame, in and of itself, is extremely negative. Before you can begin to heal, you need to say to yourself, almost in a mantra, “I am not to blame for what happened.”

You may not believe it now, but you will in time. It will require professional help, but you will begin to realize that you are, indeed, blameless for the sexual abuse.

What it Takes to Heal

Some victims of sexual abuse construct very elaborate coping mechanisms in order to wipe the tortured memories from their consciousness. Daily rituals involving alcohol and drugs are just one of many such self-destructive patterns of behavior. You may have created what you believe to be effective means of coping when, in fact, they are anything but.

What does it take to heal? What will you actually be required to do? While every individual’s circumstance is different, and every person’s path to healing is unique, two elements are constant in the healing process. You need to commit yourself to overcoming the effects of the trauma and substance abuse, and you must give the treatment process time to work.

Committing yourself to overcoming the effects of sexual and substance abuse is more than just words. It means that you actively search out and go into treatment. This involves finding the appropriate treatment facility that can deal with dual diagnosis – in this case, the psychological effects of sexual abuse and substance abuse. Such commitment extends to a willingness and determination to see treatment through to the conclusion, and participating fully in whatever therapies or modalities are recommended as part of your customized treatment plan.

Recognize that things won’t get better overnight. You won’t just wake up in a week or a month and be rid of the nightmare of sexual and substance abuse forever. Your memories that have been so deeply buried and the negative coping mechanisms you have used just to get through the day will need to be looked at, and worked through, one by one. You will learn about the disease of substance abuse, how to identify triggers to using, and develop healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and unwanted memories of past abuse instead of resorting to substance use.

Treatment for Sexual and Substance Abuse

The most effective treatment for sexual and substance abuse occurs simultaneously. When you are admitted to a treatment facility that deals with co-occurring disorders, the treatment professionals will do a thorough interview and assessment. They will then create a personalized treatment plan to accommodate your situation and circumstances. If you need to obtain financial assistance, or get a scholarship or grant, if available, through the facility or treatment center, this will need to be done prior to going in for treatment.

If you have not abstained from drugs or alcohol prior to entering the treatment facility, you will have to go through detoxification. This is simply clearing your body of the traces of alcohol or drugs and is a required first step before active treatment begins. Detoxification may take place on the premises of a full-services addiction treatment facility or may be handled in a hospital setting or other location staffed by medical personnel who monitor your condition on a 24-hour basis throughout the detoxification period. The amount of time detoxification takes depends on the substance of abuse. Some detox periods are as short as 1 to 2 days, while some chronic and debilitating drugs of abuse may take 10 days to 2 weeks to clear out of your system.

Why not just go through detox and be done with it? Think of it this way. You’ve been using drugs as a way to not deal with your underlying psychological problems. Sure, you can become drug- and alcohol-free for a short period of time, but if you don’t deal with the reasons why you’re using these substances, you’ll go right back to them as a means of coping with what is the underlying cause: an inability to overcome the effects of sexual abuse.

After detox, you will enter the active treatment phase. During this time, you will be counseled by therapists on an individual and group basis. You will attend lectures and discussions to learn about the disease of addiction, and other lectures and discussions dealing with the negative consequences of sexual abuse. There will be 12-step group meetings that you will be introduced to so that you can learn the philosophy and how such support networks work. This will prove crucial to you once you finish treatment and return to your normal life. The most successful treatment for sexual and substance abuse involves aftercare services, a strong and readily available support network, and practice of healthy coping strategies.

Where to Find Treatment Facilities for Sexual and Substance Abuse

Your doctor, minister, family or trusted friend may be able to help you with a referral or to find an appropriate treatment facility that deals with persons suffering from sexual and substance abuse. Another way is to do your own research.

Go to the Treatment Facility Locator (http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/) maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or call their toll-free confidential referral helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Here you can find a detox, rehab, halfway house, clinic, or counseling center anywhere in the United States. The online resource center is an excellent place to start to locate alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs.

When you enter the site, click on the state in the map, enter city, and click continue. You can be more specific, but these (city and state) are required. The search results will show treatment facilities within a radius (100-mile, etc.) that you specify. Using Malibu, California, look at the search results here. The information displayed will be similar for any city/state you select and includes the name, address, phone number, helpline and website (if applicable), primary focus, services provided, type of care, special programs/groups, forms of payment accepted, and special language services. If you have any questions about the type of services, programs, or forms of payment accepted at any of these facilities, contact the facility directly.

You may also wish to check out the State Substance Abuse Agencies at this link (http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ufds/abusedirectors).

What Does it Cost?

For many victims of sexual and substance abuse, the barrier of cost all but eliminates the possibility of getting treatment. This is not necessarily true. While it is true that treatment facilities, especially residential treatment facilities, are expensive, there are options available to prospective patients. You should never allow the issue of money to stand in your way of getting treatment. If you sincerely want to overcome your sexual and substance abuse, you can do it. There are ways that you can be helped.

Inquire about the costs for the dual treatment. Ask what is included in the treatment plan, and whether aftercare services (additional counseling, referrals, other support, etc.) are included, what services are extra costs. If you have insurance, make sure to ask if the facility accepts your insurance. If it does, find out from your insurance carrier what portion of the treatment expense you will be responsible for.

Suppose you have no insurance and no savings. You may be jobless or not make enough money to afford the cost of the treatment. You may have children that you support and no one to take care of them while you are in treatment. What should you do then? Are you out of luck with respect to getting treatment? The answer is, again, there is always a way to get some form of treatment. Here’s what to do.

Ask the treatment facility that you would like to enter what kind of financial assistance they may be able to offer. Inquire about scholarships, grants, or special programs they may be part of through various federal, state, or local agencies. Ask for referrals to such agencies, if you are the one who needs to submit an application or paperwork to get such financial aid going. See if the treatment facility accepts sliding-pay or ability to pay terms. Perhaps the treatment facility offers low-interest loans that you may qualify for. Here is an answer to the question “Where can a person with no money and no insurance get treatment?” from the SAMHSA site (http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/faq.htm).

If you have children, and no one else will be able to care for them while you are in treatment, look for treatment facilities that accommodate mothers with children. If there are none in your area, inquire what kind of treatment you can obtain and where it is located so that you can proceed further in your investigation of treatment facilities.

12-Step Organizations

Let’s say that you really need help now, and you want to talk with someone who’s been in your situation and been able to overcome it through counseling and fellowship support. You are in the process of applying for and trying to get into a treatment center, but you feel like you’re going crazy in the meantime, unable to sleep, tortured by nightmares and finding yourself slipping deeper into addiction. What can you do?

Look up the appropriate 12-step fellowship organization that’s nearby or that you can get to on a regular basis. Go online and immerse yourself in their website to learn about the fellowship, its philosophy, how meetings work. Download and thoroughly read the brochures, pamphlets, Q&A, and other information. Go to the library or buy books on the subjects of healing from sexual abuse, addiction, and other subjects recommended on the fellowship’s website. When you feel comfortable that you know as much about the fellowship as you can reasonably be expected to know from your research, now it’s time that you go to a physical meeting. You can also augment in-person meetings with online and telephone-based meetings. Most 12-step organizations offer these. So, there’s never a reason not to participate in a meeting.

What you will find at 12-step fellowships is a group of committed, nonjudgmental individuals who have been in the same place you are now at one time in their lives. They’ve lived through the horror and the addiction and the feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, rejection, and despair. Through the support and encouragement of other group members, they have come to feel stronger and more secure in their ongoing recovery efforts. They can definitely help you. Remember, though, that 12-step groups are not treatment. They do not substitute for treatment. Rather, they augment and complement treatment. But it’s a good place to start when you are grasping for any help possible and right now.

Here is a listing of some resources and 12-step groups for victims of sexual abuse:

• Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (http://www.ascasupport.org/)

• Pandora’s Project (http://www.pandorasaquarium.org/)

• Incest Resources, Inc. (http://www.incestresourcesinc.org/)

• Incest Survivors Anonymous (http://www.lafn.org/medical/isa)

• Survivors of Incest Anonymous (http://www.siawso.org)

These are listings of and links to 12-step fellowships for various addictions:

• Alcoholics Anonymous (http://aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash)

• Narcotics Anonymous (http://www.na.org/)

• Cocaine Anonymous (http://ca.org/)

• Marijuana Anonymous (http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/)

• Crystal Meth Anonymous (http://www.crystalmeth.org/)

These lists are not all-inclusive. They should just serve as a starting point to get you thinking about networking with others who have survived sexual abuse.

Start Your Healing Today

There is no one who can make you forget your past. Professional treatment can help you accept and realize that you are not to blame for the sexual abuse that happened to you. Nor are you to blame for engaging in substance use that may have led to abuse. You will, however, need to accept responsibility for your actions and behavior that occur as a result of abusing substances or taking your anger out on others.

Treatment can help you heal the wounds. You can become clean and sober and learn how to manage the stress and challenges of daily living. Your memories of sexual abuse, the humiliation, shame, self-guilt, and worthlessness you felt at the hands of another will become less painful. No, you won’t forget them, but you will learn that you can go on and live a productive and happy life. You will no longer be debilitated or paralyzed by negative emotions as a result of sexual abuse.

Yes, this journey does take courage. But isn’t living a life of hope and being able to dream and work toward achieving goals you set for yourself a worthwhile endeavor? You know you don’t want this pain to continue. So, give yourself the opportunity to heal by looking into getting treatment for sexual and substance abuse today.

Maintain hope and give treatment time so that you may heal physically and emotionally. Build up your support network and practice your newly-learned healthy coping skills. Be open to the possibility that you may even one day be able to experience love and to be loved for the beautiful, whole, and deserving human being that you are. Each of us is fully deserving of such a future. Some of us have encountered terrible things in our past, things that take a great toll on us in ways others cannot even imagine. But for each of us, also, there is a path that we can choose to follow that will result in a more fulfilling life. Which path do you choose? Start your healing journey today.

Waking Up From the Nightmare of Sexual and Substance Abuse is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Alcohol consumption increases the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine into the brain, which creates a pleasurable feeling. The dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) seems to be involved in reward-seeking behavior, and previous research suggests that people who carry a variant of this gene (one that includes seven or more repeats of a certain section of the gene) may be more prone to experiencing cravings caused by drinking cues.

In the study, participants were brought into a makeshift pub and were asked to rate a series of commercials. After rating some commercials, participants were told there would be a 30-minute break and that they could have any alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks at the bar. Those who knew what the study was about (confederates) were told to order alcoholic drinks immediately, and the researchers looked at which participants followed their lead. Saliva samples were also taken from participants for DNA analysis.

The researchers found that when the confederate was seen having three to four alcoholic beverages, participants with the 7-repeat form of the gene drank twice as much alcohol as those without the gene. But when the confederate had only one drink, there was no difference in consumption between those with the gene variant and those without. This suggests that people with the DRD4 variant gene may be more influenced by social drinking cues, which would increase the risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder.

The authors noted that the risk is especially higher for those with the variant gene when spending time with peers who drink heavily.

Sources: Science Daily, Can I Buy You a Drink? Genetics May Determine Sensitivity to Other People’s Drinking Behavior, July 23, 2010

Psych Central, Rick Nauert, PhD, Genetics Influence Drinking Decisions, July 23, 2010

Genes May Determine Susceptibility to Social Drinking Cues is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment