Tips To Help With Cocaine Addiction
Popularly known as coke, cocaine is a highly addictive drug that is snorted, smoked, or even injected. It is extracted from coca leaves found in Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia. Consuming the drug affects the central nervous system, releasing high dopamine levels that control pleasure in the human brain. The dopamine buildup causes intense euphoria and alertness in the user, referred to as a high.
The unique property of cocaine addiction is that people who consume it might not even realize its severity. Because of its high abuse potential, people get addicted to cocaine in a short period. It can be challenging to deal with its abuse because by the time one knows of its addiction, it could be late to be sober.
Develop Your Emotional Coping Skills
One of the main reasons we typically struggle with addiction is because we dont have the necessary emotional coping skills to handle our life problems.
Typical emotions such as anxiety, stress, anger, overwhelm, frustration and fear all take a toll. Specifically, they feed on our willpower and thereby weaken our level of self-control as the day wears on.
Our willpower is, of course, a limited resource. We typically have more willpower early in the morning, but it quickly fades as the day wears on due to our emotional baggage. Every negative emotional experience we have depletes our willpower. And the less willpower we have, the more likely we are to succumb to instant gratification and indulge in our addictions.
To avoid falling into this trap, its important that we take the time to develop our emotional coping skills. When we learn to handle difficult emotions in optimal ways, we subsequently protect the pool of willpower we have at our disposal. And as a result, we are more likely to resist daily temptations and addictions.
For more information on how to cope with painful emotions, please read about How to Master Your Emotions.
When To Contact A Doctor
Anyone using substances, even socially, should discuss them with a doctor to ensure safe use and monitor for signs or symptoms of addiction.
However, a person with addiction may not be ready or willing to seek professional medical help, regardless of the negative impacts it is having on their health and wellness.
If a person experiences a substance overdose, those around them should seek emergency medical assistance immediately. A person who has recovered from an overdose may want to seek professional help to treat their addiction.
When a person is ready and wants help with their addiction, they may wish to contact a medical professional to discuss options for treatment. These options include rehab, therapy, detox, and medication.
Medicinal advances and progress in diagnosis have helped the medical community develop various ways to manage and resolve addiction.
Some methods include:
- medical devices to treat withdrawal
- treating related psychological factors, such as depression
- ongoing care to reduce the risk of relapse
Addiction treatment is highly personalized and often requires the support of the individuals community or family.
Treatment can take a long time and may be complicated. Addiction is a chronic condition with a range of psychological and physical effects. Each substance or behavior may require different management techniques.
A person with addiction can find many organizations that may help them. A person can also call a hotline for help with their addiction.
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How To Get Rid Of Your Addiction
We all like the occasional drink. Or two. Or three. We also know when to stop. Well, most of us, anyway. But for some of us who have an addictive personality, three isnt enough. And then, it doesnt stop at alcohol. In 2009, the Narcotics Control Bureau estimated the number of addicts in the country at 7.5 crore. If you have any stereotyped notions of what an addict is, now would be a good time to banish them. We got three men and women, all former addicts, to tell us their storiesRehan, Cough syrup addictI am an addict. I didnt have issues when growing up. In fact, it was a happy, upper-middle class childhood. Neither was there any alcoholism in the family. My dad drank every day but in moderation.
Ritesh, Marijuana addict
Ruby, Drug addictI came from a small town. There were a lot of problems in the family when I was growing up. Money was never enough there was a lot of mental, physical, sexual abuse. I didnt have a normal childhood.
At the rehab centre
Detoxification: To counter initial withdrawal and drastic mood swings, you need to detoxify the patient with vitamin supplements and lots of fluids.
Abstinence: The toughest part of rehab is to keep patients motivated to give up the addiction. You monitor their psychological behaviour and teach self-control. It is also important to make them confident so that they do not succumb again. Sometimes, group therapy is needed, and in severe cases, medication.
Opioid Dependence Medical Management
Opioid addiction, like alcohol abuse, induces chemical changes in the brain and disrupts normal reward pathways. Opioids include both illegal medications such as heroin and prescription opioids such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, and morphine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription medication addiction has garnered considerable attention in the United States, with drug abuse becoming the leading cause of injury mortality in 2012, with 51.8 per cent of overdose deaths involving pharmaceuticals and 71.3 per cent of fatal pharmaceutical overdoses involving opioid analgesics.
These medications are highly addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can be painful on both a physical and emotional level. Several medications for addictions have been licensed to help with withdrawal symptoms and cravings and help with detox and long-term maintenance therapy.
These Include:
- Naltrexone
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Find The Solution In Minds Google
After reviewing the first point, you may have realized that you are addicted, now lets find a way to get rid of it. You can delete all social media applications and other time-consuming software from mobile, but research has shown that it is not very effective. You cant remove addiction in one night.
Once a philosopher said, Who says cigarettes cant be given up? I quit that 158 times!
Similarly, if you want to get rid of addiction effectively, you need to set aside time to use the Internet. Suppose, you used to be on Facebook for 3 hours daily, now you have decided not to stay for more than 2 hours in any way.
And, after doing this continuously for a week without any issue, then try to stay 1.5 hours each day .
And after a couple of weeks, you will see you have only 1 hour or 30 minutes to use that particular social site, then your mind will persuade you to use this time efficiently.
In this way, it will come under full control one day.
Exercise In Addiction Recovery
The benefits of exercise have been scientifically proven to improve mental health, which is directly correlated to your urges. Regular exercise reduces stress, increases energy and mood, helps you sleep better, and protects you against diseases. Regardless of the long-term effects on your health, you will feel immediate effects from exercise within your first week.
Exercise doesnt have to be marathon training or heavy weightlifting. In fact, during the first couple days of recovery exercise will not sound fun but over time I promise it gets easier
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Why 21 Days Isnt Enough
The assumption that it takes 21 days to break a habit comes from a book called Psycho-Cybernetics. In the book, author and plastic surgeon Dr. Maxwell Maltz noticed that his patients need about 21 days to get used to their new faces. But addiction is more powerful than an ordinary habit, and recent studies show that for most people, 21 days isnt enough time to see any substantial change.
Research shows that it takes about 66 days to change repetitive behavior patterns. One landmark study conducted by researchers at the University College London discovered that the time individuals needed to change their behavior patterns varied from 18 to 254 days. The study also concluded that most people take at least 2 months to develop new behavior patterns.
Be Accountable To Someone
In the professional world, people who want to stop procrastinating and boost their productivity and performance use accountability partners. These partners keep them sober and accelerate their rate of recovery.
You also need an accountability partner to help you beat your addiction. You should communicate with your accountability partner at least once or twice a week. Youll share your thoughts, emotions and your progress.
Before you go to the bar, smoke a cigarette or gamble your money remember that youll be accountable for your actions. Your accountability partner should be someone whom you respect and is willing to tell you the truth no matter what.
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Getting Help For Addictions
Addiction is a treatable condition. Whatever the addiction, there are lots of ways you can seek help. You could see your GP for advice or contact an organisation that specialises in helping people with addictions.
You can use the following online directories to find addiction treatment services in your area:
Get Professional Help And Support
When addictions get out of hand, they not only put you in harms way but also put the people you care about in danger.
If your addictions are getting out of control, then the best course of action is to seek professional help. Counselors and Therapists are trained to handle addictions and can become a great support mechanism on your road to recovery.
Also Check: Can You Get Ssi For Drug Addiction
Meditate To Relieve Stress
If there is one thing you take away from this article it would be the power of meditationif you were to start with one thing this would be it. Here are just some scientifically-backed benefits of meditation:
If there was ever a panacea for the brain I think this would be it. And the best part about it? Meditation can be done anywhere and anytime.
If you are unsure where to start, there are a variety of meditation videos on . There are also a variety of apps like Headspace and FitMind that offer a free trial for the first couple of sessions. There are certain guided meditations with different purposes like reducing anxiety, self-empowerment, or inner peace. Whatever your goal is, you can find a meditation for you. Starting out, guided meditation apps and videos are helpful to gain an understanding of how meditation works. After a couple of sessions, youll have to power to meditate anywhere you want!
Turn Your Phone Off When You Get Into The Car
This should be a law. Im waiting for the day that it is. Just as in an aircraft you are asked to power off your electronic devices and cell phones, this should be the law of the road. It is impossible for your mind to be at two places at once. It is a law of physics: no one thing can occupy the same space at the same time, and if your mind and eyes are on your phone, they are not on the road. Driving is one of those places where you do not want to mess around. Sometimes I hear the excuse Well, I need my phone for directions, my GPS is on it. To that I say: what did people do five years ago? You would carefully map out your route before you left the house, or you would pull off to the side of the road as you looked at a map. The same rule should apply today. When drivingclose off your phone so that you are not even tempted to look at it. Your life and other peoples lives are at stake.
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What Quitting Drugs Feels Like
When you reduce or quit using drugs your body goes through a detoxification process or withdrawal.
Symptoms vary between people, and between drugs, and range from mild to serious. They can last from a few days to a few weeks it’s different for every person but they are temporary. Cravings for the drug will sometimes be weak and at other times very strong. Learning how to manage them is important for staying drug-free.
Find out what withdrawal symptoms are for specific drugs.
Explore Your Addiction Treatment Options
Once youve committed to recovery, its time to explore your treatment choices. While addiction treatment can vary according to the specific drug, a successful program often includes different elements, such as:
Detoxification. Usually the first step is to purge your body of drugs and manage withdrawal symptoms.
Behavioral counseling. Individual, group, and/or family therapy can help you identify the root causes of your drug use, repair your relationships, and learn healthier coping skills.
Medication may be used to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, or treat any co-occurring mental health condition such as depression or anxiety.
Long-term follow-up can help to prevent relapse and maintain sobriety. This may include attending regular in-person support groups or online meetings to help keep your recovery on track.
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Time To Assimilate These Concepts
Did you gain value from this article? Is it important that you know and understand this topic? Would you like to optimize how you think about this topic? Would you like a method for applying these ideas to your life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Im confident you will gain tremendous value from using the accompanying IQ Matrix for coaching or self-coaching purposes. This mind map provides you with a quick visual overview of the article you just read. The branches, interlinking ideas, and images model how the brain thinks and processes information. Its kind of like implanting a thought into your brain an upgrade of sorts that optimizes how you think about these concepts and ideas.
Use Coins To Mark Your Progress
You can pick up a bunch of 30 coins and label them 1 to 30 with a washable marker. After you do this, you can pop one coin in a jar of water for every day that you go without indulging in your addictive substance or behavior. The more you proceed without backsliding into your old addiction, the more your coins you are able to collect in the jar. If you slip up on one day, you have to pour all the coins out of the jar and start again. The activity of starting again is psychologically painful. It makes you see how much progress you are undoing. Consequently the token method is highly effective in helping you to get rid of any addiction in 30 days or less. The coins are highly effective because when you make it to thirty days, you can use them to buy yourself something special to mark your recovery.
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How I Overcame Sexual Addiction
My name is Jordan, and Im a sex addict.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt like a total impostor.
The men and women seated around me, legs crossed and arms folded, draped over orange plastic chairs, would see right through me any second now. Even though I was staring down at the floor, I could feel their eyes burning in to me.
These people had real addictions my problems felt so entry-level by comparison. They had serious problems, not me.
I mean, sure, Id slept with countless women who I felt no emotional connection to.
Sure, Ive felt a deeply permeating sense of shame at the core of my being after compulsively acting out sexually.
And, if Im being honest with myself, Ive probably cumulatively spent weeks of my life watching porn, scanning sex ads, and frequenting massage parlours and sex workers in multiple countries.
Fuck. Who am I kidding?
The more I listened to the stories of the people around me, the more I realized that I was in the right place.
Action Steps For Quitting An Addiction
Because change is so difficult, it’s useful to have a guide when attempting to kick an addiction to drugs, alcohol or behavior. Research shows that the following steps can help you move toward your recovery goals. You have the greatest chance of success if you adopt all five steps.
1. Set a quit date. It might be helpful to choose a meaningful date like a special event, birthday, or anniversary.
2. Change your environment. Remove any reminders of your addiction from your home and workplace. For example, separate from those who would encourage you to be involved with the object of your addiction . If you are trying to quit drinking, get rid of any alcohol, bottle openers, wine glasses, and corkscrews. If you’re trying to quit gambling, remove any playing cards, scratch tickets, or poker chips. Also, don’t let other people use or bring reminders of the addiction-related substance or behavior into your home.
3. Distract yourself. Instead of giving in to an urge to use, come up with alternative activities, such as going for a walk or calling a friend or family member to talk, so that you keep busy until the urge passes. Be prepared to deal with things that trigger your cravings, such as being in an environment where others are using.
4. Review your past attempts at quitting. Think about what worked and what did not. Consider what might have contributed to relapse and make changes accordingly.
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