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

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

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

There is a way out of this situation. But – and there’s always a disclaimer, isn’t there? – it won’t be easy and it will take time. Of course, there’s no guarantee the urges and cravings won’t come back, but when and if they do, you’ll be in a much better position to cope with them.

Cravings and Urges – What Are They?

You certainly know what you feel, but what are cravings and urges, really? What is the physical and/or psychological basis for them? Do they happen to every addict? How can they appear months and years after you’re clean and sober? Will they ever go away for good? These are excellent questions that frequently come up during treatment for addiction.

Cravings and urges are best described as strong memories that are linked to the effect of drugs (alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription drugs used for nonmedical purposes, etc.) or addictive behavior (such as compulsive gambling, spending, or sexual behavior) on the neurochemistry of the brain.

Using brain imagery techniques, researchers have been able to pinpoint intense brain activity when addicts are shown pictures of crack pipes, alcoholic drinks or other visual images of addictive substances or behavior. Research shows that these images or cues can be as brief as 33 milliseconds before they activate the brain’s “go” circuit – even before the person is even aware of it happening.

What actually happens is this: The brain remembers the intense relief or pleasure of the previous drug experience or addictive behavior. It is a kind of programmed response to past association with drug use that activates the cortical areas of the brain by just the sight, sound, smell or thought of the drug itself. You don’t have to be using the drug to experience the craving or urge. Simply seeing or hearing or smelling a trigger – a beer commercial, the sound of ice tinkling in a glass, the sweet aroma of marijuana – makes you relive the experience and produces a strong emotional reaction. This is the craving or urge that you feel.
Tied to memories of such intense pleasure and relief, cravings and urges are both very powerful and tough to ignore. As to whether all addicts have them, the consensus is that they do, although how they react to them is very much individualized.
Some addicts can have the urge and not act on it. Maybe their addiction wasn’t as deep-seated, or they didn’t have any genetic predisposition to addiction (family history of alcoholism, for example). Their addiction may have been more of an environmental and social nature than a hard-core, chronic manifestation of the disease.

Even so, there are many hard-core addicts who successfully overcome their addiction – and are able to combat cravings and
urges effectively. That is not to say that the ability to cope with cravings comes easy or that it doesn’t require conscious effort – especially in early recovery when the memories are the most vivid and insistent.

What Happens in a Craving?

You know you’re experiencing a craving when you start to feel a tingle of anticipation. You hear, see, or smell the trigger and your thoughts center on the memories of using. You can’t get it out of your head.

Cravings aren’t something that you can schedule around, since you never know when they are going to occur. You can get a craving just by watching television or going to the beach, while you are trying to work or go to sleep. All you know is that your body is telling you how much better you’d feel if only you took that drink, smoked that joint, used that drug, went to the casino – you get the picture. Actually, that’s the point: You do get the picture and now you need to know what to do about it.

Help to Deal with Cravings

Isn’t it ironic that most cravings seem to come to you when you’re by yourself, overwhelmed, stressed out, feeling blue – in other words, when you’re alone and miserable? It’s as if the area of your brain – the limbic area – knows when you are the weakest and picks that moment to strike. Chances of you succumbing to the craving are generally higher when you are in early recovery. This is the time when you are fresh out of treatment and may not yet have your offensive and defensive coping strategies firmly in place. You haven’t had enough practice yet to feel comfortable in dealing with the cravings. You feel helpless, anxious, depressed, angry that you have these urges, desperate to hold onto your sobriety.

There is help to deal with cravings. It all begins with you. Here are some tips that may prove useful – as they have for countless others.

• Recognize the feeling – It’s important that you recognize the craving for what it is. Some addicts in recovery refer to the craving as a kind of freebie, something that you get without having to pay for it – in the sense of consequences. That’s not to say that many treatment professionals would refer to it this way, but the fact of the matter is you know what that pleasure feels like, so acknowledge it, recognize it – and then you can deal with it.

• Don’t be afraid of cravings – When cravings occur, don’t allow yourself to feel fear – or guilt or shame or regret. You don’t have any say over when cravings hit, and it certainly isn’t anything that you consciously do that prompts them. Don’t give the craving power by giving into it. By not fearing it, you are less likely to act out and use.

• Understand control – The fact that you recognize the craving for what it doesn’t mean that you can control it. You can’t. Cravings will occur regardless of how you feel about them. Everyone has cravings of one sort or another. It isn’t the existence of the cravings, but what you do about it. So there are two issues of control here. You can’t control when cravings occur, but you can control what you do about them. Always remember that you are the one in control. You are the one who determines what you will do or not do.

• When you’re overwhelmed – Sometimes the cravings are just too much to bear. You feel as if you’re destined to fail, to relapse. It’s as if you’re falling into an abyss and you can see yourself slipping back into your habit. This is a particularly vulnerable time for you – and, don’t you know it – it probably occurs when you are least able to handle it. Now’s the time to activate your coping mechanisms. Get in touch with your 12-step sponsor immediately. Don’t worry that it’s the middle of the night or Easter Sunday or whenever. Your sponsor has pledged to help you through such difficult times – that’s what he’s there for. One day you may be able to help another recovering addict in the same situation, but for now, you need the help. Reach out and take it. If you don’t have a 12-step sponsor, make sure there’s someone else you can trust. This may be your therapist, counselor, parent, spouse, other loved one or trusted friend. It doesn’t matter who it is, just that you have complete trust in the person – and know that they will be there for you when you need them most.

• Learn about craving triggers – Do yourself a big favor and become educated about the triggers that produce cravings. Write down situations, circumstances, events, people, sounds, smells, even thoughts that occur just before you’re aware of the craving. These are your triggers. Rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest or most intense craving. Now, write down next to each type of craving the techniques or things that you have done that seem to minimize the cravings. Do you notice a pattern? Are the coping mechanisms you use for little cravings the same as for the more intense ones? Are there ways that you can modify the effective ones to work on all your cravings? You don’t have to be an expert at this for it to have some benefit. The point is that you are teaching yourself to see the relationship, the cause and effect, of triggers and cravings – and how what you do can help reduce, minimize or eliminate the craving. You will, in effect, be learning how to manage your cravings, and this is a big part of recovery.

• Utilize the 5-minute rule – While cravings are different for each individual, they do have one thing in common. They tend to last only for a short time. One of the most practical ways of dealing with cravings, then, is to get through this brief period. Addiction treatment professionals refer to this as the “5-minute rule” or “5-minute contract” or “anti-craving behavioral strategies.” Basically, you pledge to yourself that you will not act on the desire – the craving or urge – for 5 minutes. In the interim, distract yourself with some activity that requires your complete concentration, or do mind exercises, crossword puzzles, counting, or physical exercise – whatever works to pass the time. Keeping your brain and your body occupied will help you get through this period of craving – without acting on it.

• Get professional help – You may benefit from professional counseling to help you better manage your cravings. If you have aftercare as part of your treatment program, you have access to a counselor or therapist who can help you with behavioral techniques to manage cravings. If aftercare is not part of your treatment program or if you haven’t been through treatment, look for counselors and therapists that may be available through federal, state or community addiction treatment resources. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one technique that has proven very effective in helping addicts to manage cravings – but this is something that you need professional help to learn. There are other behavioral techniques that may also be employed, in conjunction with CBT or separately.

• Anti-craving medication – If your cravings persist, your therapist or physician may recommend anti-craving medication. Some cravings, particularly for certain types of addictions, can occur so rapidly and feel so overwhelming that, without medication, you may not be able to get through them – even with your arsenal of coping strategies and techniques. The point of anti-craving medication is only to get you to the point where you are better able to work through the craving without acting on it. It is not to get you dependent on medication. In fact, anti-craving medication has been the subject of a great deal of recent research. Medications to combat nicotine cravings and those to counter cocaine and methamphetamine cravings are currently in development and show great promise. If your therapist or physician does prescribe anti-craving medication for you, be sure to take it exactly as prescribed. Note any disturbing side-effects and alert your doctor immediately. Your dosing may need to be reduced or another medication substituted. Use medication only as part of multi-faceted therapy, including counseling, and when appropriate, your doctor will gradually wean you off the medication.

• Alternative treatments – You may also wish to consider alternative treatments to help put you in a better mindset to deal with cravings. Some addicts in recovery have found acupuncture or acupressure to help, while others report success with therapeutic massage, hypnotherapy, meditation, or other approaches. Look at it this way: If it makes you feel better, restores your strength, peace of mind, and gets you through the craving, why not make this part of your coping mechanism toolkit?

• Get out and get physical – Many experts in the field of addiction recovery recommend physical exercise to their clients. Why? The reason is simple: When you exercise vigorously, your body produces the natural feel-good chemical that helps elevate mood, reduces anxiety, stress and depression. It’s also great for your physical well-being in that it helps improve cardiovascular systems, tones muscles, helps you sleep better, aids in digestion, even cognitive abilities. In fact, rigorous physical exercise is like a highly-competent utility player – good at any position. Besides, when you’ve engaged in a vigorous bout of physical exercise, you feel a good kind of fatigue – the kind that makes you feel good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself, you’re better able to tackle everyday issues and challenges, including cravings that may pop up uninvited.

• Remember nutrition – In line with taking good care of your body with adequate physical exercise, remember your nutritional needs as well. Eat a well-balanced diet that consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, good oils such as olive, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), and reduce your intake of sugar and empty calories. Keep to a regular mealtime schedule. This is important because cravings can occur if you are hungry (or when you are sleep-deprived or stressed out). It’s also important to keep your body fueled with the nutrients it needs in order to ward off illness, maintain strength and vitality.

• Celebrate victories – As you grow more confident in your ability to fight off the urge to use, give yourself the credit you deserve. It’s not easy overcoming cravings, as you well know. Give yourself a reward for your victories. When you have reached milestones (weeks, months, years, etc.) of sobriety, have a little celebration – minus alcohol or drugs, of course. By celebrating your sobriety you are reinforcing your mastery of successful coping techniques – and the fact that you’re getting stronger in recovery.

• About relapse – What happens if you relapse? Well, it happens, and to some in recovery, it happens several times before they develop sufficient coping skills. But it isn’t the end of the world. You just pick yourself up and move on. Don’t beat yourself up over it. That won’t do any good. There’s no shame in relapse – so don’t even let that thought come into your head. Recovery is not a straight-line process for everyone. There are victories and set-backs, some major, some minor. Remember that it isn’t what happens that counts, but what you do about it. Re-double your efforts. Re-examine your strategies. Get help to deal with the problems. And keep moving forward in your recovery. You will have learned from your relapse and will be stronger as a result of the knowledge. Think of it this way: You have accumulated even more wisdom about what triggers affect you the most – and what to do to counter them.

Will Cravings Ever Go Away?

Chances are, no, but they will diminish over time. The key point to keep in mind is that the more knowledge you amass about cravings, what triggers them, what works best to eliminate them or get through them without acting upon the craving, the less they will trouble you when they do occur. Over time, you will find that cues or triggers that used to cause you great distress either no longer bother you with the same intensity, or they don’t bother you at all. You are able to recognize them, distract yourself while they pass, and get on with your life.

Alone and Miserable – Fighting the Urge to Use is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Don’t worry. You can get past this. Here are some things to keep in mind.

First Things First

It’s important to recognize yourself first for the incredible achievement you’ve attained. At this stage of the game, you’ve completed your treatment – however personally challenging that may have been – and are now in recovery. This accomplishment alone is reason to celebrate. Sure, it would be great if your loved ones stood up and gave you credit for this, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that you did it. So, before you think about anything else, give yourself high marks for reaching this milestone.

Count Your Blessings

Now, while you are still giving yourself kudos for reaching the recovery stage, count your blessings for all the positive things that you have in your life. Loved ones notwithstanding, you do have them. Here are some that should rate high on your list. You now have a healthier physical condition, due to the fact that your body is no longer full of the harmful substances you previously ingested, or the addictive lifestyle you once maintained. You’ve made a lot of progress in understanding the roots and underlying causes for your addiction, learned how to identify triggers and how to avoid giving in to them. You worked hard on your self-esteem and self-confidence, learning that you have contributions that you can make to society. Even if you never felt that you made much of a difference before, you now know that each person can impact the lives of many around them, and that you have a tremendous opportunity to not only benefit your own future, but those of others as well.

These are all terrific blessings – and they don’t cost you a penny. While you’re at it, you can probably rattle off a few more. Include the fact that you now sleep better, are less depressed and anxious, look forward to each day rather than dreading what it will bring, and others.

How Bad is the Relationship?

Still, you need the love and support of those closest to you. Whether this is your spouse or partner, children, siblings or parents, the relationships mean a lot and are definitely worth preserving or repairing. Before you attempt to make any amends, however, you should first look at how bad the situation is with your loved ones. What do you see is the biggest obstacle to being whole again in their eyes? In other words, what will it take for them to forgive you – if you know? Maybe you think it is one thing, when, in fact, it may be something else altogether. Don’t just assume. Sit down and really try to figure it out.

Let’s say you’re the husband of a working wife who’s been struggling to keep the family together while you were in treatment. If there are children involved, magnify that struggle by increments depending on what shape (financially, emotionally, socially, etc.) the family was in prior to your entering treatment. Chances are, the inability of your loved ones to forgive you have a lot to do with heavy-duty emotional turmoil. Your spouse, for example, shouldered the burdens while you were away. She had to make many decisions on her own, not being able to get your input, or the situation demanded immediate attention. For a wife used to sharing decisions with her husband, this can take a tremendous toll.

Perhaps she had to scrimp to help pay for your treatment, since your insurance coverage either only covered part of it or you didn’t have any coverage. Having to sacrifice comforts the family has come to rely on or even pare necessities to the bone will build up resentment in the strongest and most caring person. Add that to the list of perceived grievances.

Being the sole parent also meant she shouldered dual roles in your absence. It’s tough to show love, dole out discipline when necessary, keep up appearances and try to ensure the children still have fun when you’ve got so much riding on the situation. She may have begun to wonder if the family would be better off without you. This thought, which is certainly understandable, would likely be instantly quashed as out of the question or a sign of betrayal (although it could still lurk beneath the surface). As you know from your own treatment, when you bury your emotions, they come back to haunt you or, at the very least, make growth more difficult.

While the above is just one example, the point is that you should make a list of the things that you believe stand in the way of your loved one forgiving you for your addiction. Once you have the list, you can go on to the next step.

Figure Out What to Do About It

Work down your list and try to come up with solutions to the problems. Again, this is something you do on your own even before having any conversation with your loved ones. Taking financial concerns into consideration, perhaps you can address how and when you will be able to alleviate this concern. Can you go back to your previous job? What are your employment prospects?
Did you get training in a new vocation or skill while you were in treatment? How willing are you to take any kind of job to
immediately start contributing to the family’s well being?

Recognize that you may have to start from scratch. You may have burned your job bridge behind you if you were fired for your addictive behavior. Or, your prospects upon your return may be limited for some time to come. In either case, start where you are and work your way back up. It’s really the only option you have, since you do have obligations and need to resume your role within society.

If you need training, look into how you can get it. Take any job and go to school at night, or learn a new trade or skill in an apprenticeship. Another advantage to tackling the financial concerns that may stand in the way of your loved ones’ forgiveness is that you will be doing something positive for yourself as well. Now could be the opportunity to ditch the old job you found boring or distasteful, or not reflective of your true talents or desires. Figure out what it will take for you to get where you really want to be – and then draft a plan to make it happen.

No, this goal won’t be realized overnight. It may take years for you to complete your degree, build up your own business, or become profitable, for example, but it is a positive first step toward eventually achieving the goal.

Speaking of time, it may be that you’ll need to prove yourself to your loved ones by being on your own for a while. It may be too painful for them to have you home on a full-time basis for now. You will need to accept that and really work at making the kinds of changes that can turn that around.

As for the emotional barrier that undoubtedly puts a strain on your relationship moving forward, this, too, requires time. Your loved ones may miss the financial security and feeling of self worth that came from having things in control – prior to your problems with addiction. A drastic drop in self confidence and self worth inevitably follows in the path of addiction, affecting everyone in the family. In fact, emotional turmoil is difficult for loved ones to overcome without some form of family treatment or counseling. They often are not able to see past barriers without professional help. Fortunately, such counseling is relatively easy to access – either as part of your aftercare treatment program, or through community services or self-help groups such as Al-Anon/Alateen, Nar-Anon, and others.

Remain Positive and Upbeat About the Future

Although it seems hard to look at a future without your loved ones in it, for now just keep as upbeat and positive as you can. Reach out to your support network of 12-step members and step up your meeting attendance. This is especially important at time in your life when your family environment may be severely constrained or restricted.

Your 12-step allies also include your sponsor. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your sponsor, since he or she is ready, willing and able to give you the kind of encouragement and support you need, 24/7. You already have a pretty good familiarity with the 12-step process through contacts during your treatment program – if you went through a formal treatment program. If not, you do have a ready-made support network available to you through 12-step fellowships. There are 12-step groups for every kind of addiction. They are free to attend and have no memberships or dues. All they ask is for voluntary donations if you are able.
While the philosophies are similar and all are based on the 12-step principles, each has its own original focus and personality, if you will.

Here are some of the 12-step groups:

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Cocaine Anonymous
• Crystal Meth Anonymous
• Debtors Anonymous
• Gamblers Anonymous
• Marijuana Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Sexaholics Anonymous
• Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
• Sex Addicts Anonymous
• Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
• Workaholics Anonymous

Besides in-person meetings, 12-step groups often offer online and phone meetings, blogs, and chats. Each group has its own website which provides access to articles, news, books, CDs, DVDs, and other resources, as well as helpful links for additional help. When you’re feeling down or lonely in the middle of the night, go online and check out some literature that may help – or get in touch with your sponsor or other 12-step group member with whom you have established a connection.

Make a Plan – and Stick To It

Besides continuing counseling, keeping an upbeat attitude and seeking the support and encouragement from your 12-step groups, what else can you do? The best advice is to make a plan, and stick to it. What do we mean by that? What kind of a plan are we talking about? It doesn’t matter what your plan is, or how simple or detailed. The point is that you will be doing yourself a great service by sitting down and designing a plan for your future.

Note the emphasis on your future. Here we are talking about what it is that you want for yourself one year, 5 to 10 years, or longer down the road. Make a list of your short-term (1 to 2 years), intermediate term (3 to 5 years), and long-term (5 to 10 years and beyond) goals. In the next column, jot down what you may need to do in order to reach the particular goal. This may include going to school, getting training, learning a new language, becoming proficient at a sport, joining a recreational or travel group, or something else. In the next column, write down everything you can think of in the way of resources available to help you get started. Include websites, organizations, advice or recommendations from friends, scholarships, grants, community, state or federal programs, etc.

Once you have your list, get started on the short-term goals, things you can tackle right away. Keep in mind that you should strive to make some progress each day or week toward your intermediate and long-term goals as well. This can take the form of gathering information, checking out websites, filling out applications, taking a class, and so on. Remember that your list of goals is only a guideline. Nothing is written in stone. Keep it flexible and always consider it a work in progress. Once you achieve a goal, take time to acknowledge your achievement. Give yourself the credit you deserve.

While you are pursuing your goals, and especially when you reach milestones in your sobriety (first year of sobriety, for example), take a moment to reflect how much differently you feel now than at the beginning of your recovery. Each small step you take toward the future means that much more progress that you have made. Your overall outlook will change as well. You will look forward to each day as a new opportunity to make a difference.

During this time, if not before, you may have been able to repair your relationship with your loved ones. If they have not forgiven you, they may have at least accepted your sincere expression of wanting to make amends. You will find that you will be able to move on. To do this most effectively, you need to be able to forgive yourself. Forgiveness from others, including your loved ones, has more of a chance.

There is an old expression, When one door closes, another opens. This is true in recovery from addiction as well. Open your heart to be able to receive love, as well as give it.

What If Your Loved Ones Cannot Forgive Your Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment