PARENTAL TOOLBOX:

ADDICTION

Why can't someone who is addicted stop on their own?

Almost everyone who has suffered from addiction has believed that they could controll their use or stop without assistance. In fact, the defining characteristics of addiction is the compulsion to use alcohol or drugs despite adverse consequence.

Not only is psychologically difficult to stop an addiction, changes in brain chemistry that result from substance abuse cause physiological problems that can be fatal if one abruptly stops using on their own.

It is important that individuals seeking treatment for chemical dependency receive professional assistance to determine the safest way to stop their addiction.

 

What if a person has an addiction and a psychiatric problem at the same time?

Chemical dependency causes changes in the way the brain functions. Because of these changes , individuals who are dependent on substances often experience psychiatric problems, such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Confusion Mood Swings
• Hallucinations
• Irritatability
• Insomnia
• Memory Loss
• Poor Impulse Control

 

Some individuals struggling with chemical dependency report psychiatric problems prior to their first use of alcohol or drugs. For these individuals, alcohol or drug use may have began as a solution for their psychiatric problems.

Whether the psychiatric problems began before or after the addiction, both problems are treatable while in residential treatment.

 

What if someone has tried alcohol or drug treatment before?

Addiction is a chonic and relapsing biologically based disease. As such, it is not unusual for a person to experience multiple treatment episodes prior to achieving long term recovery. Most individuals that experience long term recovery have relapsed at some point in their addiction recovery process, and that relapse has prompted them to persue further treatment options.

 

What if an addicted person doesn't feel they have a problem?

Denial is certainly part of the recovery process and is to be expected. Denial is a defenseive mechanism that protects us from perceived harm. For those addicted to alcohol and drugs, denial can be a reaction to the perception that harm will result in abstinance or change.

It is always advisable to seek the assistance of a licensed professional when helping someone understand their addiction and treatment options.

 

TREATMENT

Why Residential Treatment?
Residential treatment for chemical dependency provides a supervised group living environment for individuals who have been unable to abstain from alcohol or drugs while in their own home environment. Common reasons that individuals are not able to abstain while in their home environments include:

• Abusive Relationships
• Anxiety and/or Depression
• Lack of Community Resources
• Lack of Healthy Support Systems
• Multiple Life Stressors.

Most often, individuals seeking residential treatment engage in substance abuse to the extent that dangerous consequences are inevitable. Patients who participate in residential tretament are exposed to a variety of therapeutic services designed to teach the patient how to intervene in his or her relapse cycle.

Is family involvement important in alcohol and drug treatment?

Family involvement during the treatment process is of paramount importance. Years of alcohol and drug abuse greatly affects many dynamics within the family unit. Issues relating to coping, communication, trust and trauma, are just a few examples.

During the course of treatment, families ca learn about th addiction process, and how to help their loved ones prevent relapse.

 

METHAMPHETAMINE

What can you do to help a friend who is using meth?
Be a real friend. You might even save a life. Encourage your friend to stop or seek professional help.

Isn't methamphetamine less harmful than crack, cocaine, or heroin?
Some users get hooked the first time they snort, smoke, or inject meth. Because it can be made from lethal ingredients like battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel, and antifreeze, there is a greater chance of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or serious brain damage with this drug than with other drugs.

Why is methamphetamine addictive?
All addictive drugs have two things in common: they produce a inital pleasurable effect, followed by a rebound unpleasant effect. Methamphetamine, through its stimulant effects, produces an initial positive feeling but later leaves the user feeling depressed. This is because it suppresses the normal production of dopamine, creating a chemical imbalance. The user physically demands more of the drug to return to normal. This pleasure/tension cycle leads to loss of control over the drug and addiction.

Isn't using methamphetamine like using diet pills?
No. Though it is easily attainable, methamphetamine is dangerous and addictive.

What can you do to help a friend who is using meth?
Be a real friend. You might even save a life. Encourage your friend to stop or seek professional help.

Isn’t methamphetamine less harmful than crack, cocaine, or heroin?
Some users get hooked the first time they snort, smoke, or inject meth. Because it can be made from lethal ingredients like battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel, and antifreeze, there is a greater chance of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or serious brain damage with this drug than with other drugs.

Isn’t using methamphetamine like using diet pills?
No. Though it is easily attainable, methamphetamine is dangerous and addictive.

 

OxyContin

What is OxyContin?
OxyContin is a semisynthetic opioid analgesic prescribed for chronic or long-lasting pain. The medication's active ingredient is oxycodone, which is also found in drugs like Percodan and Tylox. However, OxyContin contains between 10 and 80 milligrams (mg) of oxycodone in a timed-release tablet. Painkillers such as Tylox contain 5 mg of oxycodone and often require repeated doses to bring about pain relief because they lack the timed-release formulation.

 

ALCOHOL

What are alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence?

Alcohol abuse means having unhealthy or dangerous drinking habits, such as drinking every day or drinking too much at a time. Alcohol abuse can harm your relationships, cause you to miss work, and lead to legal problems such as driving while drunk (intoxicated). When you abuse alcohol, you continue to drink even though you know your drinking is causing problems.

If you continue to abuse alcohol, it can lead to alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is also called alcoholism. You are physically or mentally addicted to alcohol. You have a strong need, or craving, to drink. You feel like you must drink just to get by.

You might be dependent on alcohol if you have three or more of the following problems in a year:

Alcoholism is a long-term (chronic) disease. It's not a weakness or a lack of willpower. Like many other diseases, it has a course that can be predicted, has known symptoms, and is influenced by your genes and your life situation.

How much drinking is too much?

Alcohol is part of many people’s lives and may have a place in cultural and family traditions. It can sometimes be hard to know when you begin to drink too much.

You are at risk of drinking too much and should talk to your doctor if you are:

If you think you might have a drinking problem, take a short quiz to check your symptoms:

What are some signs of alcohol abuse or dependence?

Certain behaviors may mean that you're having trouble with alcohol. These include:

Alcohol problems may be diagnosed at a routine doctor visit or when you see your doctor for another problem. If a partner or friend thinks you have an alcohol problem, he or she may urge you to see your doctor.

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and past health, and he or she will do a physical exam and sometimes a mental health assessment. The mental health assessment checks to see whether you may have a mental health problem, such as depression.

Your doctor also may ask questions or do tests to look for health problems linked to alcohol, such as cirrhosis.

How are they treated?

Treatment depends on how bad your alcohol problem is. Some people are able to cut back to a moderate level of drinking with help from a counselor. People who are addicted to alcohol may need medical treatment and may need to stay in a hospital or treatment center.

Your doctor may decide you need detoxification, or detox, before you start treatment. Detox flushes out the alcohol in your body. You need detox when you are physically addicted to alcohol. When you go through detox, you may need medicine to help with withdrawal symptoms.

After detox, you focus on staying alcohol-free, or sober. Most people receive some type of therapy, such as group counseling. You also may need medicine to help you stay sober.

When you are sober, you've taken the first step toward recovery. To gain full recovery, you need to take steps to improve other areas of your life, such as learning to deal with work and family. This makes it easier to stay sober.

You will likely need support to stay sober and in recovery. This can include counseling and support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. Recovery is a long-term process, not something you can achieve in a few weeks.

Treatment doesn't focus on alcohol use alone. It addresses other parts of your life, like your relationships, work, medical problems, and living situation. Treatment and recovery support you in making positive changes so you can live without alcohol.

What can you do if you or another person has a problem with alcohol?

If you feel you have an alcohol problem, get help. Even if you are successful in other areas of your life, visit a doctor or go to a self-help group. The earlier you get help, the easier it will be to cut back or quit.

Helping someone with an alcohol problem is hard. If you're covering for the person, you need to stop. For example, don't make excuses for the person when he or she misses work.

You may be able to help by talking to the person about what his or her drinking does to you and others. Talk to the person in private, when the person is not using drugs or alcohol and when you are both calm. If the person agrees to get help, call for an appointment right away. Don't wait.