Cravings Can Sometimes Turn Into Binges
When acting on cravings, the brain gets a reward a feeling of pleasure associated with the release of dopamine. The reward is what cravings and food addiction are all about.
People with food addiction get their fix by eating a particular food until their brain has received all of the dopamine it was missing.
The more often this cycle of craving and rewarding is repeated, the stronger it becomes and the greater the quantity of food thats needed each time .
While four scoops of ice cream were enough 3 years ago, today it may take eight scoops to experience the same level of reward.
It can be almost impossible to eat in moderation when satisfying an addiction-driven craving.
Thats why its often impossible for people to just have a small slice of cake or a few M& Ms. Its like telling a smoker to only smoke one-fourth of a cigarette to cut back. It simply does not work.
Summary
Cravings and food addiction can lead to overeating, binging, and obesity.
Signs That You Need Help For Food Addiction
It can be very tricky to figure out if you have a problem with food addiction. This is because, for many people, eating is such a natural and normal part of life. However, there are some warning signs that you can look out for which might indicate that you need help with your relationship to food.
Some of the signs that you might be struggling with food addiction include:
- Eating more food than you intended to or feeling like you cant control how much you are eating
- Feeling guilty or ashamed after eating
- Frequently thinking about food or planning your next meal even when you are not hungry
- Eating to the point of discomfort or feeling sick
- Avoiding social situations or events because you are afraid of what or how you will eat
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back on certain foods
If you are struggling with any of these signs, it is important to seek help. Food addiction can be a very difficult thing to overcome on your own.
Dry Infrared Sauna Therapy
Our infrared sauna at The River Source is a client favorite, especially during detox. It produces a gentle warming and calming atmosphere perfect for de-stressing and meditation. An infrared sauna will help the body detox naturally, helping clients speed up the withdrawal process and reduce withdrawal symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue. It also helps to lower blood pressure and increase blood flow.
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Iv & Oral Vitamin Therapy
Drug and alcohol addiction can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies due to malnutrition. Vitamin therapy at The River Source is used to help replenish essential vitamins and minerals needed to repair the body more quickly than through diet alone. Oral and IV vitamin therapy during recovery can help boost the immune system, support mental health function, and reduce fatigue. During medical detox, vitamin therapy can also ease withdrawals and cravings.
Drug Treatment Program Results
While efficacy rates can vary, research has shown that substance use disorder treatment programs are effective and that recovery is an achievable outcome. Treatment has been shown to reduce drug use as well as improve health and social functioning. Additionally:
- Treatment leads to significant reductions in DUI arrests and intimate partner violence.
- Every dollar spent on drug treatment saves $4 in healthcare costs and $7 in criminal justice costs.
However, it is important to recognize that individual treatment outcomes can vary widely depending on many factors, including the individual’s specific issues, the appropriateness of the services and treatment they are receiving, and the quality of the interactions between the individual and their treatment providers.
Drug addiction relapse, regardless of treatment method, is common, with research showing that 85% or more relapse within a year of treatment. That may sound like a poor success rate, but it’s actually in line with treatment for other chronic diseases. For example, people being treated for hypertension and asthma have relapses of those conditions about 50% to 70% of the time.
This suggests that drug treatment programs are equally as effective, if not more so, than many of the health-based programs used to help patients manage other health conditions.
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How Does Therapy For Addiction Work
Therapy is at the heart of every level of addiction treatment. Its a multi-purpose tool in your recovery toolkit that can help you:
- Learn what contributed to the development of your addiction
- Address the issues in your life that led to the problems youre having
- Identify risk factors and triggers in your life that increase your risk of relapse
- Make effective plans for how to avoid or address triggers and stressors and
- Heal the issues underlying your substance use, whether those might include trauma, untreated depression or anxiety, or issues in your home life or environment.
In both mental health and substance abuse treatment, therapy serves two primary purposes:
What Does Therapy Help You Do?
Part of therapy is problem-solving. Thats the insight-oriented, intellectual part. This aspect of therapy helps you analyze yourself and your life and come up with solutions to the challenges you face.
Relapse prevention is one of the problem-solving techniques used in addiction treatment. Its a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that can help you connect the dots between substance use and the thoughts, feelings, environments, and events that trigger it. After youve learned your relapse triggers, you can develop plans for how to limit exposure to them and how to cope when you cant avoid them.
What Can You Do With A Degree In Addiction Therapy
Because there are so many types of addictions and so many career paths for therapists, addiction therapy offers many avenues for developing a career.
Naturally, the type of degree a person has will impact his or her job outlook. For example, a person that has a doctorate in addiction therapy will have more opportunities than someone with a bachelors degree in psychology with some additional training in working with people that have an addiction.
Having said that, workers that have less education will typically find lower-level jobs in this field. For example, a person with a bachelors degree might work as an orderly at an inpatient addiction treatment center. A person with a masters degree might work as a therapist at that same addiction treatment center. Still further, a person with a doctorate might serve in an administrative capacity and oversee the daily operations of the inpatient treatment center.
Addiction therapists also often work in institutions like public health clinics or hospitals. Usually, these jobs involve helping individuals find the services they need to overcome their addiction.
For example, an addiction therapist might work with a team of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to devise a detoxification program for someone addicted to heroin. Likewise, an addiction therapist might coordinate services for a person thats got a sex addiction.
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Individualized Treatment: The Key To Recovery
A unique combination of traditional, holistic, and experiential therapies can help each patient to address his individual experience prior to addiction and during active drug use, learning new coping mechanisms that will improve his ability to remain sober for the long-term. Each persons treatment plan and schedule of therapies will be different as a result and patients are encouraged to speak up and have a voice in the direction of their therapeutic choices in treatment and beyond.
The therapies that are effective in helping patients to progress in drug rehab may also be effective tools in helping them to remain sober as they transition home. Aftercare treatment should include a range of therapeutic options to empower the persons ability to remain actively engaged with her recovery and connected to the principles and positive coping mechanisms that will help her to avoid relapse.
To learn more about the specific addiction therapies that may benefit you or your addicted loved one in treatment, contact Orlando Recovery Center today.
How To Get The Most Effective Treatment
Addiction affects each person differently, so it is important for treatment to be individualized as well. Just because something works for one person, doesnt mean it works for everyone. Over time, needs will change, and so should treatment plans.
Still unsure if you would like to attend a detox or rehab program? Take our free, 5-minute substance misuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance use. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
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Creating A Safe Environment
One technique I teach clients who are newly sober is I.C.E. This stands for Identifying feelings Clarifying feelings Expressing feelings. This process aids in managing the new feelings that come up. I encourage clients to journal their feelings, and remind them that its normal for their initial feelings to be negative. Its especially important to honor and process those feelings. Difficult memories are also important to process when the time is right, which simply means when the client feels ready. Creating a non-judgmental, empathetic therapeutic environment allows clients to bring shameful, deeply painful and uncomfortable memories into the room.
How Are Medications And Devices Used In Drug Addiction Treatment
Medications and devices can be used to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, and treat co-occurring conditions.
Withdrawal. Medications and devices can help suppress withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. Detoxification is not in itself “treatment,” but only the first step in the process. Patients who do not receive any further treatment after detoxification usually resume their drug use. One study of treatment facilities found that medications were used in almost 80 percent of detoxifications . In November 2017, the Food and Drug Administration granted a new indication to an electronic stimulation device, NSS-2 Bridge, for use in helping reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. This device is placed behind the ear and sends electrical pulses to stimulate certain brain nerves. Also, in May 2018, the FDA approved lofexidine, a non-opioid medicine designed to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Relapse prevention. Patients can use medications to help re-establish normal brain function and decrease cravings. Medications are available for treatment of opioid , tobacco , and alcohol addiction. Scientists are developing other medications to treat stimulant and cannabis addiction. People who use more than one drug, which is very common, need treatment for all of the substances they use.
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Is Telehealth A Good Fit For Me
When you are seeking treatment for a SUD, it is essential to make sure you pick a program that fits your needs, schedule, and values. The following four factors may indicate that telehealth is a good option for you.
#1. You Do Not Have Access to a Traditional Facility
Telemental health is an excellent option if you do not have access to inpatient or outpatient treatment facilities. If you live in a rural area and cannot travel long distances to see a provider, telehealth may be a good fit for you. This factor is especially important if you cannot afford to relocate to inpatient treatment in another town or state. Telemental health is a cheaper option that will allow you to stay home and effectively treat you for your SUD.
#2. You Have a Good Internet Connection
Telehealth can only work if you have a secure internet connection. Additionally, you will need access to a working phone or computer that will allow you to meet with your provider, and you will need a basic understanding of how to use the technology. If you do not have a secure internet connection but cannot travel to an in-person facility, there are other options. If there is a local library near you with a private area that offers free wi-fi, telehealth may still work for you.
#3. You Have a Place That Is Private and Safe
#4. You Have a Busy Schedule
What Will Our Experience Using Multidimensional Family Therapy Be Like
âThis is an intensive and immersive type of treatment. Unlike any other typical therapy model, it concurrently and thoroughly links treatment methods in the domains of the adolescentâs life, the parents’ functioning, the family system, and the community. This treatment is demanding and requires a significant amount of buy-in and commitment by all individuals involved in the work,â says Romanoff.
According to youth.gov, trained therapists work with the individual teen, his or her parents, as well as other family members during this form of treatment. The length and intensity of therapy sessions are tailored to each participantâs needs. Treatment sessions may occur 1-3 times per week, typically over 4-6 months.
Multidimensional family therapy has three phases, and each phase comes with distinct objectives and goals.
Outpatient therapy sessions are usually done in the familyâs home or a clinic. Some sessions may also be held at community locations. These include juvenile detention or jail centers, religious youth centers, or drug treatment facilities.
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Tip : Take Back Control Of Cravings
Sometimes it feels like the urge to binge hits without warning. But even when youre in the grip of a seemingly overpowering and uncontrollable urge, there are things you can do to help yourself stay in control.
Accept the urge and ride it out, instead of trying to fight it. This is known as urge surfing. Think of the urge to binge as an ocean wave that will soon crest, break, and dissipate. When you ride out the urge, without trying to battle, judge, or ignore it, youll see that it passes more quickly than youd think.
Distract yourself. Anything that engages your attention will work: taking a walk, calling a friend, watching something funny online, etc. Once you get interested in something else, the urge to binge may go away.
Talk to someone. When you start to notice the urge to binge, turn to a friend or family member you trust. Sharing what youre going through can help you feel better and discharge the urge to binge.
Delay, delay, delay. Even if youre unsure if youll be able to fight the urge to binge, make an effort to delay it. Try to hold off for 1 minute. If you succeed. Try to stretch it out to 5 minutes. If you delay long enough, you may be able to avoid the binge.
What Medications Are Available To Help With Substance Use Disorder
Medication may be part of your treatment plan. Your care team figures out the best medications for you. Medication-assisted treatments are available for:
- Opioids: Methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone are FDA-approved for the treatment of opiate use disorder.
- Alcohol: Three FDA-approved drugs include naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram .
- Tobacco: A nicotine patch, spray, gum or lozenge can help. Or your doctor might prescribe bupropion or varenicline .
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Types Of Treatment For Addiction
There are many different types of addiction treatment programs for people who are struggling with alcohol use disorder or drug addiction. These are some of the most common types of treatment for addiction:
Although there are many treatment options to choose from, the best type of addiction treatment for an individual will depend on the severity of the addiction, treatment history, financial ability, and other personal circumstances. A doctor, therapist, or licensed addiction treatment professional can help you determine a treatment plan that is right for you.
Other Signs Of Addiction Include:
- Strong cravings for drugs and alcohol
- An intense focus on obtaining/using addictive substances
- Strong need to use the substance daily or multiple times a day
- Spending money on an unaffordable substance habit
- High tolerance for a substance
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms once use is stopped/reduced
- Turning to addictive substances to cope with personal problems
- Exhibiting high-risk behaviors while high
- Failing to stop using despite previous attempts
- Continuing to use despite the negative consequences
If the family member you are concerned about demonstrates any of these behaviors, they could be struggling with addiction. Nows the time to consider getting professional addiction treatment at a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center.
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Find Help And Support At Prairie Recovery Center
If you are struggling with addiction or mental health issues, Prairie Recovery Center is here to help. We offer a variety of treatment options, including EMDR therapy, that can help you heal the underlying causes of your condition and give you the tools you need to live a fulfilling life.
EMDR therapy is a safe, effective treatment for addiction and other mental health conditions.
Contact us today at to learn more.
Emdr Therapy And Addiction Treatment
Addiction is often caused by trauma, such as childhood abuse or neglect, or a traumatic event that occurred in adulthood. These traumatic experiences can lead to negative beliefs about oneself, such as I am not worthy or I am not good enough. These beliefs can fuel addiction as individuals turn to substances to numb the pain or escape from reality.
EMDR therapy and addiction treatment can help to address these underlying issues and help individuals to heal the trauma that is at the root of their addiction. This therapy can also help to break the cycle of addictive behaviors and give individuals the tools they need to stay sober.
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