Chocolate And Other Sweets
Sometimes you have to have it. And you may not be able to stop. Don’t feel bad — foods high in carbs, fats, and sugar can affect your brain just like drugs do. Jonesing for an occasional milkshake doesnât mean you’re hooked. But your sweet tooth can get out of control and lead to other health problems.
How Are Medicines Used To Treat Opioid Addiction
Methadone, when administered properly, is included in treatment with counseling and is always provided in a clinic setting. It helps to block the effects of opioids and to reduce cravings.
The medicine buprenorphine also helps opioid cravings without giving the same high as other opioid drugs. Prescribed by many physicians, this is typically a daily dose placed under the tongue and can also be delivered as a once-a-month injection or through thin tubes placed under the skin every six months.
These medicines both activate opioid receptors in the body that suppress cravings, and are effective and similar in safety and side effects and typically used for maintenance treatment. They can be used as a taper agent as well but some patients relapse, and we need to try something different with those patients who relapse several times. Patients who are highly motivated and have good social support have a tendency to do better.
Important Parenting And Screen Time Issues In Screenagers
The impact of screen time on kids and teens. According to a study done by the movies authors an average child spends about 6.5 hours a day at screen and more than 11 hours a week playing video games . Among the problems being addressed in the movie are:
- general phone addiction
- teens obsessive desire to take photos of themselves for social media and their worry about how they look
- how too much screen time at a certain age can cause damage to the development of some brain functions
- kids being distracted at school because of their smartphones
- problems associated with multitasking and self perception even though kids were performing worse and worse they were sure that they were actually doing well and even improving
- parents and other relatives noticed many times that some kids almost literally turn into a different person while playing computer games
- computer and video game violence and similar issues it is interesting, that some kids think the video game experience is more important and relevant for their future than things like math or school in general.
Parental authority and the way you should assert it, especially in questions of screen time is another important topic of the documentary. This includes exploration of:
Protect your kids
Screen addiction: the Black Mirror lesson
Too much screen time?
Why this plot is crucial
Technology is not guilty. Marie is guilty
Digital education
Limit screen time
AAP
The hard slog
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Avoid Gambling After Alcohol And Drugs
Its much easier to go over the limit after taking drugs or drinking alcohol. The chemical substances tend to amplify the feelings you get from gambling as well. The enhanced experience can lead to you getting addicted way quicker than normally. Moreover, most often one doesnt really think straight when under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Its a straight way to going in with money youre not supposed to spend on gambling.
Why You Should Avoid Detoxing From Meth At Home
Symptoms such as severe depression, hallucinations and psychosis can easily lead you to harm yourself, and even mild withdrawal symptoms are enough to push many recovering addicts to relapse. When you detox in an addiction treatment facility you can do so safely, with as much comfort as possible, while simultaneously working on your addiction issues in ways that support long-term success.
So how long does it take to recover from addiction to meth? Expect at least a month for the complete withdrawal process. Once you have successfully detoxed, pat yourself on the back, but continue to get counseling, attend meetings, and take good care of yourself physically and emotionally. Recovery needs to be nurtured to last.
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What Is Samhsas National Helpline
SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.
Also visit the online treatment locators.
Are All Addictions The Same
Is addiction to shopping or texting the same as being hooked on drugs or alcohol? We know these things can affect your brain in many of the same ways. But experts don’t yet agree about how far those similarities go. If you feel you have a habit that’s out of control, talk to your doctor or a therapist.
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Identify Your Personal Triggers First
Each persons triggers are unique. For some people, getting high or drunk is the direct result of stress. For others, it is the result of just being in the vicinity of a club. Ask yourself:
- When do I think about drugs or alcohol the most?
- Which situations make me more likely to abuse a substance?
- What does using substances give me? Stress release? The ability to forget about responsibilities?
Once you identify what the triggers are, you can then begin to plan a way around them. In other words, you can learn to identify a trigger situation when it occurs and take steps right at that moment to move yourself from the risk.
How Long Does It Take To Break An Addiction To Cocaine
Cocaine in its most basic form is already highly addictive, and crack cocaine is one of the three most addictive drugs there are. While cocaine withdrawal symptoms are not usually life-threatening, seizures are possible for some individuals, and anyone who is abusing cocaine and alcohol at the same time is at risk of arrhythmia or heart attack during detox.
Fatigue and depression usually hit after 24 hours, and although recovering addicts sleep often and deeply for the first 72 hours, they may not feel rested. In the first week, other symptoms will appear, such as:
- Agitation
- Bad dreams
- Drug cravings
During that first week and leading into week two, youll develop symptoms that can last for up to ten weeks, including:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood swings
- Depression and anxiety
Drug cravings will continue throughout, and may actually worsen a few weeks after the initial detox. It is important to handle stress with exercise, counseling, and other healthy coping mechanisms during this time, to prevent relapse.
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Experience Emotions Instead Of Avoiding Them
Often when we engage in addictive behaviors, it is to escape uncomfortable feelings. To fully heal, we need to confront those feelings. Instead of hiding, face down those feelings head-on. Explore issues that you are trying to cover up to gain a better sense of self-awareness.
Sakichi Toyoda, the Japanese industrialist, inventor, and founder of Toyota Industries, developed the 5 Whys technique in the 1930s. The goal of 5 Whys is to uncover the root cause of a problem by continually asking why like a curious four-year-old. Something like this:
Notice how this method helps me dig deeper into the root cause of my feelings? I start from being stressed about something that seems out of my control to something that I can manage. By using this technique youll begin to feel more empowered over your life. Believe it or not, many of lifes problems can be ironed out, but the first step is addressing the problem head-on. If you keep throwing them under the rug for them to pile up youll eventually trip and fall.
Establish An Upper Limit
If you manage to get ahead of the house and make a profit, its easy to put all of the money back in and, ultimately, lose it. Setting an upper limit if you get ahead lets you walk away with a profit. To clarify, if you find yourself $50 ahead and you set your upper limit to $30, you can bet $20 more, and still profit. While you probably enter with a mindset that youll be spending your full budget, it feels great to leave a casino even with a small gain.
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A List Of Examples Of Enabling Behavior That Lead To Codependency
To help explain what it means to enable someone with a drug or alcohol problem, it might be most helpful if we provide a list of examples of enabling behavior. Here are some scenarios where friends, family members, and co-workers might be guilty of enabling:
These are just a few of the most common examples of enabling behavior, which leads to codependent relationships. If you are engaging in any of these examples of enabling, you are hurting NOT helping.
When an addicted person is enabled by family and friends, it will inevitably drive them deeper into chemical dependency and rob them of experiencing the devastating repercussions of their own consequences.
Helping Someone Quit Drugs
Watching someone you care about use drugs is stressful. Their behaviour can be erratic and talking to them about their problem is challenging.
Here are some tips on how you can help:
- Learn about the effects of drugs this will help you understand why quitting can be hard.
- Show that you care without judging being calm and respectful may encourage them to be open and honest with you.
- Be positive and encouraging rather than negative and nagging remember relapses may happen, but they dont mean the person cant try again, and succeed.
- Offer practical support sometimes just being there is enough, but you can offer to go with them to parties or join them for a walk or run.
Find more tips on helping someone quit drugs on the Alcohol and Drug Foundation site.
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Why Am I Not Addicted To Cigarettes
Dear Stanton:
I am 30 years old and essentially a non-smoker. Most everyone I know is a non-smoker. The other night I was in a bar with some friends, all except one non-smokers. Because the one smoker was smoking, two of my non-smoker friends had a cigarette, as did I. On talking, I discovered that these two people, like my wife and I, occasionally smoke a cigarette in social situations, but have never been addicted smokers or had any trouble quitting.
In college I smoked a cigarette or two most days, and sometimes more. I never consciously quit smoking, never had cravings and never had any trouble not smoking when it didnt fit in with my surroundings. Both of my sisters smoked when they were younger, both more than I did, but they each quit in their mid-20s with no special effort. I believe each of them will still occasionally have a cigarette in social situations.
I have seen some rather extreme statistics, that 90 % of smokers are addicted and that a person who smokes 4 cigarettes is not likely to quit until he/she smokes 400,000 more.
While I am certainly aware of the addictive power of cigarettes, it seems from my own experience and those of so many people I know that these statistics must be exaggerated.
What do you know about non-addicted smokers? How many of us are there? Why have we, without any special effort, been able to do what the popular press thinks is impossible?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
John
Dear John:
Stanton
Dear Stanton,
Thanks again.
Dont Trust Your Thoughts
As human beings we have a brilliant capacity for bullshitting ourselves.
It can take years of spinning our wheels in the mud before we realize that we arent making any progress in a certain area of our lives.
Some people think that sex addiction isnt a real addiction. Some people say dismissive things like, Well, if thats what sex addiction is, then every guy I know is a sex addict. As with many process addictions, sexual addiction is a commonly misunderstood one.
So what is sex addiction, and why is it so frequently misunderstood?
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Quitting An Addictive Behavior
Quitting is a different experience for everyone. Some find the process liberating and empowering, and feel they can achieve anything. Others find it painful, difficult, and frustrating, sometimes needing many failed attempts before achieving their goal. Still others discover new sides to themselves during the quitting process .
There is no “right” way to feel while you are quitting. But if you are feeling depressed or find yourself constantly wanting to return to the addictive behavior, you should seek support and treatment.
Digital Addiction: How To Know You’re Hooked And How To Prevent It
Is it a bad thing to watch Netflix instead of talking to your partner? And is it weird that you always bring your mobile phone to the bathroom with you?
A lot of people spend most of their spare time in digital worlds, with studies showing an increase during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some find it hard to tear themselves away from gaming, streaming, social media, or chatting. But when can you say someone’s addicted to digital devices, media, or platforms, and how do you become an addict?
“It’s really serious if you neglect other areas of your life, such as your friends, family, hobbies, and at some point personal hygiene too,” says Martina Haas, a psychologist specializing in media and online addiction.
These people are so occupied with digital devices that they hardly eat, sleep, or shower. Although they’re aware that their behavior has adverse consequences, they can’t stop, she says.
“What’s more, they keep increasing the ‘dose’ and experience withdrawal symptoms if they try to stay offline.”
They don’t like to talk about it and feel guilty towards their family, Haas adds, and some immerse themselves even deeper into virtual worlds to escape the stress.
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Find A Sponsor To Help You Stay Sober
A sponsor is not a friend, but someone who will be there in times of need and hold you accountable. A sponsor should have a couple of years of sobriety under their belt and therefore be a reliable resource during the first few months of sobriety. The most common way to find a sponsor is at a local support group. The purpose of a sponsor is to be a mentor and help you through the difficult first few months and during a difficult time thereafter. Unlike friends and family, sponsors will be honest with you and not merely tell you what you want to hear but what you need to hear. They can relate to your experiences and understand the importance of keeping your sobriety in check where family and friends might not.
S You Can Take To Overcome Addiction
There is a ton of information out there about addiction recovery, and there are always new theories and science that lead to new programs. Recommending the best program or way to recover from addiction is a loaded topic because each individual will respond to something different. Its important to know that there is no right or wrong approach in fact, the only right approach is the one that works for you!
Its also worth mentioning that there are many stories of recovered addicts who quit using without the help of any recovery programs! Some have turned to their churches or have received paid incentives for clean drug tests. Some have received psychiatric help or used cognitive behavioral therapy. And there are even people who simply outgrew their addictions. These people are usually those who used drugs and alcohol in their teens and 20s and then found a life that was more fulfilling, either through meaningful relationships, work, or other interests.
With all that in mind, here are some steps that you can take to help with recovery:
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Ways To Reduce Or Quit Drugs
There is no treatment that works for everyone. Just as drugs affect each person differently, treatment needs to be individual. Its important to find a program that works for you.
Treatment options range from counselling through to hospital care it depends on which drugs are involved and how serious your dependence or addiction is. They include:
- going cold turkey you stop taking drugs suddenly, with no outside help or support
- counselling and lifestyle changes individual or group therapy can help you learn to cope without drugs. This can be successful if your drug use has been mild. Peer support groups are often run by recovered addicts their personal experience can be helpful to others
- detoxification you stop taking drugs and have medical treatment while your body clears the drug from your system
- rehabilitation this is a longer term treatment where you stay in a hospital or clinic, or at home. It also involves psychological treatment to help you deal with issues that may have contributed to your drug use
If you have mental health issues your treatment will need to address that at the same time for your overall treatment to be effective.
