Rehab Articles
1. Avoid Medications with High Abuse Potential- One of the most common relapse prevention tips for drug addiction and alcohol abuse is to avoid any medications that may be habit forming or that have a high addiction potential unless these drugs are absolutely necessary. Many people who have a substance abuse problem may trade one substance for another, and these medications have a high potential for abuse and addiction.
2. Change Your Habits and Hangouts- Find new friends and new places to spend your time. One of the biggest causes of relapse is slipping back into old habits, and going to the same places or hanging out with the same crowd can cause a relapse to occur.
3. Find Sober Activities and Substance Free Events- Recovering from drug addiction or alcohol abuse does not mean staying locked up in your home, but you must be careful about the events and activities that you take part in. Find sober activities and substance free events to stay social without risking a relapse at the same time.
4. Create a Support Network-Your support network can not be too large, and you should make sure that this network includes people and organizations that you can contact 24/7 when you are feeling low or need encouragement to stay on the road to recovery.
5. Know When and Where 12 Step Meetings are Held in Your Local Area- 12 step meetings can help you avoid temptation, and many cities and areas have places which hold this meetings frequently. In larger cities it is possible to find these meetings 7 days a week, and that can be beneficial if you feel a relapse coming on.
Hopefully these relapse prevention tips for drug addiction and alcohol abuse help you stay sober and reinforce your recovery goals.
Rehab Articles
Alcohol detox is important for several reasons, and this step offer many benefits for anyone who has a problem with alcohol addiction. Some top reasons why alcohol detox is necessary include:
1. A Better Chance of Permanent Recovery- Alcohol detox is often needed in order to gain a permanent recovery. Going cold turkey without any support usually leads to a relapse, especially when the withdrawal symptoms start. Alcohol addiction can be extremely difficult to overcome permanently without the right detox programs and methods.
2. Eliminate Any Medical Risks Possible During the Withdrawal Period- Alcohol detox programs are designed to eliminate any medical risks that you may face while you are withdrawing from this substance. In severe cases alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous or even deadly, and a medically supervised alcohol detox program can prevent these problems.
3. Clean Alcohol From The Body Before Starting Alcohol Addiction Treatment- Before you begin alcohol addiction treatment it is important that you are clean and sober, and this means alcohol detox in some way.
4. Fewer Or Less Severe Withdrawal Symptoms- Alcohol detox can help minimize the severity and number of withdrawal symptoms that you experience. Programs that involve medical supervision can provide medications which help to control withdrawal symptoms and keep you more comfortable during the alcohol detox process.
5. Alcohol Detox Usually Provides Better Treatment Results- When you enter an alcohol detox program before receiving alcohol addiction treatment you will generally get a much better outcome. Until you are completely clean you can not focus on the issues that you must work through to address your substance abuse problems.
Rehab Articles
Substance abuse treatment setbacks and addiction relapse are usually expected when you are struggle to overcome drug or alcohol abuse, and there are some things you should know and understand. An addiction relapse and substance abuse treatment setbacks are common, especially when the right facility and program are not carefully researched. There are several warning signs that indicate an addiction relapse may occur. These include:
-
Attitude changes, which cause your recovery and sobriety to lose importance in your life.
-
An increase in the amount of stress that you experience on a daily basis.
-
Denial to the point that you refuse to admit that the stress is becoming too much or even that you have a substance abuse or addiction problem.
-
Changes in behavior and daily routine
-
Avoiding social situations and occasions. When you start to relapse or experience substance abuse treatment setbacks you may start to isolate yourself from your social contacts.
-
Addiction relapse often begins with the initial withdrawal symptoms that you experienced before substance abuse treatment. You may start to think about drugs or alcohol more frequently, and you may start to experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other common withdrawal symptoms.
-
Substance abuse treatment setbacks and addiction relapse typically includes a lack of good judgment and poor impulse control. You start making bad decisions and acting without thinking things through.
-
Eliminating options and narrowing choices is also typical right before addiction relapse. 12 step meetings, counseling visits, and other treatment and therapy activities are discontinued and avoided.
Rehab Articles
12 step programs are often used for individuals who have alcohol abuse or addiction problems, but how effective are these programs and do they actually work? Every individual is different, and will consume alcohol in different amounts and for different reasons. 12 step programs involve a series of steps intended to help a recovering alcoholic work their way back to permanent sobriety, and these programs include a belief in a higher power. Christian alcohol abuse treatment programs also involve a belief in god, but these also address the underlying causes of the alcohol abuse on an individual case with many programs. 12 step programs can be highly effective for some individuals but others may not get the same results because of the lack of individual counseling that is involved.
The specific 12 step program being considered may offer significant help if you have a problem with alcohol abuse or addiction, or you may find that the expected recovery never materializes no matter how many meetings you attend. If you have an issue with alcohol abuse or addiction then you want a program that actually works, and you should consider a facility that provides inpatient care at first and individual counseling sessions several times a week. A 12 step program is best used after leaving inpatient treatment for most individuals who need help for alcohol abuse or drug addiction. The inpatient facility can help you through the initial detox and recovery, and then a 12 step program can ensure that you stay on the right road to recovery once you are back home again.
Rehab Articles
Are bipolar teens at a higher risk of substance abuse? According to research that was recently completed by Dr. Benjamin Goldstein the answer is yes! The research study was published in the medical journal Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the results show that a bipolar teen has a one in three chance of substance abuse and possibly addiction before they reach their twenties. The study involved 167 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17, and the results show that many teens turn to substance abuse to help medicate the extreme mood swings and other symptoms of bipolar disorder. Data that was taken from the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth database and used for this study as well.
The teens that were involved in the study were periodically interviewed over the course of a four year period, for an average of 7 times. In addition there were additional factors that may also contribute to substance abuse. These other factors included a family history of substance abuse, no antidepressant treatment, oppositional defiant disorder, a lack of family cohesion, and panic disorder. These factors were determined to be predicting factors in a higher risk of future substance abuse, the same as bipolar disorder. According to Dr. Goldstein who oversaw the study these findings are important in order to develop more effective preventative strategies that reach bipolar teens. The National Institute of Mental Health funds the COBY study, and this is the biggest study for bipolar in teens.
