Sober Resources

Millions of Americans are right now being treated for addiction. In the case of alcoholism, majority of the treatments was never verified by clinical trials, but nevertheless has been effective – these include medications; social, psychological, and behavioral methods; and self help groups – all designed to achieve abstinence from drinking alcohol.

Facilitation Therapy (12 Steps)

This is a peer-support approach that encourages people to become involved in a 12-step program complementing professionally supervised therapy. There are programs like Women for Sobriety, SOS, Smart Recovery, and Alcoholics Anonymous that provides individuals with a supportive and encouraging environment.

These support group meetings usually fosters your spiritual, mental, and physical health. They focus on abstinence and discipline.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Comprising of therapeutic approaches, cognitive-behavioral therapy will help you relieve your alcohol dependency by letting you acquire the skills not just to cope, but also to change your drinking problem behaviors.

A therapist will try to understand what needs are being filled by drinking, and then work with you to find new ways in addressing your needs which does not include drinking. During the therapy sessions, you will be taught essential skills to:

· Change friendships or social outlets to focus on something else other than drinking
· Manage emotional vulnerabilities and negative moods
· Recognize what will trigger your urge to drink

Motivational Enhancement Programs

These programs are designed to raise your awareness regarding the impact that alcohol has in your life and in the life of your family, co-workers, and society in general. You will be encouraged to accept personal responsibility for your actions in the past and then make a commitment to change your future behavior.

Therapists can help you accept and understand the benefits of drinking abstinence, review current treatment options, and design a treatment plan that you can commit to.

Behavioral Couples Therapy

This approach combines alcoholism recovery with repair or improvement of couple relationships. There are different strategies used if both couples are alcoholic or if only one spouse is alcohol dependent. In the latter case, the therapy will provide training on support and communication strategies to the non-alcohol dependent partner to facilitate sobriety and treatment.

If you are alcohol dependent, your partner’s participation can truly increase your treatment success. Along the way, you strengthen your relationship.

Drugs and Physician Intervention

You can also receive counseling from physicians and trained nurses to help you with your alcoholic addiction. Some drugs might be prescribed such as Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Acamprosate. Even though these drugs can reduce alcohol drinking, it is still recommended that you enter into a prop up group or aftercare program to prevent relapse.

Research supports the use of drugs (since it effectively decreases alcohol craving), but it must be combined with the use of behavioral therapies to successfully recover from addiction.

The problem of drug addiction has become so prevalent in the past few years that it has become a cause of alarm for governmental agencies as well as ordinary people in society. To date, there are millions of people using illicit drugs in the world. An accurate statistics has yet to be determined because of the nature of substance abuse as something illegal. Drug dependence is a physical and also a psychological disease that affects the user and society. Drug dependence stems from the feeling of the user that its continued use could produce a feeling of well-being. A physical dependence on drugs is manifested through the heavy tolerance of the user and subsequent withdrawal if the drugs are not used.

Drug dependence have long since stopped from being a mere street thing with tattooed gangs dealing and using them. It has now reached over to the clean and manicured lawns of the suburbs across the country. More and more people are using them on a daily basis. Even more troubling is the regular use of professionals of drugs. There are various reasons for this and some of them are the following:

Stress reliever
People who are in the professional field like doctors, lawyers and teachers are the most stressed people in the world. Pressures from work, family and outside commitments often lead to breakdowns and physical manifestations of headaches, body aches, hypertension and other cardiac problems. Drugs like tranquilizers and analgesics often have a calming relaxing effect. Most of these substances are legal and can be obtained over-the-counter making professionals more dependent on them.

Increased energy
Because of the stress and pressure of work and family as well as the fast-paced society that we live in today leads to lack of adequate sleep and rest. Recreation becomes a non-priority with people engaging in work-related activities more and more. Stimulants (coffee in its most innocent form) have the effect of increasing energy affording professionals more work time even without rest. Other often resorts to marijuana and uppers to help them go through another workday.

Pain reliever
Professionals, because of the high demand of their work often have to contend with physical pain which they depend on drugs to alleviate it. Painkillers are the first line of defense and the more that they are used even for the mildest pains, the more addictive it becomes. Doctors and those in the medical profession have the ready access to drugs and they are the most likely to develop drug dependency. They are also often the ones who are led deeper into addiction through the use of higher dosages and controlled substances like morphine.

Bill Watson and Dr. Bob Smith first tried to find a solution for the scourge of alcoholism through the setting up of a program called Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935. It has since grown to millions of members since its inception. The group is guided by the twelve step program which was formulated by Watson and Smith. Working the twelve step program involves six principles for an alcoholic to properly control his or her alcoholism.
Here are the Principles and some discussion:

Admitting that one cannot control one’s addiction or compulsion.

Admission, as any psychologist would tell is always the first step in solving your problem. Having identified the problem and realizing that this is something that you have will enable you to deal with the problem more thoroughly. The twelve step program strives to treat the underlying problem of alcoholism not only for the member to retain sobriety in a long-term basis but also to make their lives better as a whole, without alcohol dependence.

Recognizing a greater power that can give strength.

The second step is a matter of belief. The member must learn to accept that there is something bigger than himself or herself that can help them overcome alcoholism. This area explores the possibility of external influences vis-à-vis mental and physical influences. During the steps involved here, two minutes is suggested for discussions and fifteen minutes for speaker meetings.

Examining past errors with the help of a sponsor (experienced member).

A sponsor for the member is taken into account which in the AA Big Book is described as a helper is needed to “walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress”. Sponsors are people who have considerable experience in recovery who can help guide the aspirant in terms of spiritual progress. Members who are new to the program are encouraged to find a sponsor who can join them in literature discussion, meditation and/or study.

Making amends for these errors.

This part begins the problem-solving process by listing down resentments, turnarounds, fears, sex and assets. Members are guided on how to find ways to overcome these through analysis and positive thinking.

Learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior.

After careful analysis of the underlying causes of the alcoholism and finding the root of the problem, healing begins during this stage. The number one code should be sobriety and the member is given advice as well as him giving personal input on how this can be attained on a permanent basis and making him or her aware of the consequences if this code is violated.

Helping others that suffer from the same addictions or compulsions.

Paying it forward is required in this program. Graduates can move on to become sponsors for aspirants or moderators in speaker meetings and discussions. It is advisable to always have a support group even if you have graduated from the program.

For more help on alcoholism visit us at Recovery Works or The Sober Village.

Cocaine – what is it?
Cocaine is an illegal drug which is used in most inner cities. This drug is widely used. Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the two products of cocaine. The powder cocaine is regarded as the drug of middle class families and is always associated with good money.  The punishments for possessing crack cocaine is severe than that for possessing powder cocaine.

Crack cocaine – What is it?
The chemical cocaine is crack. When the cocaine is chemically processed to remove the hydrochloride it cracks or snaps due to heating and smoking so it is usually called as crack cocaine and the name of the process is called as freebasing.  Crack is usually sold in small cylindrical glass and in small quantities (300-500mg). Each of these vessels can be used for 2-4 inhalations which last for 10 to 20 minutes. Its wide availability, ease of concealment and low cost has increased its use. The powder cocaine is usually mixed with sodium bicarbonate or ammonia, which can be snorted or smoked.

What does it do?
Crack disturbs the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. It increases the neurotransmitter’s level which creates a heightened sense of pleasure, euphoria and increased energy.

The Human Brain and Addiction
The brain is one of the most vital organs of our body. It is the center of command. For a normal human the brain weighs about 1400gms. The brain has different centers which are designated for different purposes. Lobes which are present in the brain process the information that is sent by the sense organs for instance the occipital lobes receives information from our eyes. The thinking center is called the cerebral cortex which is at the top of the whole brain. Here all the information like language, math and strategies are processed. It is also responsible for survival, memory and things like appetite and thirst. The brain stem at the base controls the heartbeat rate, breathing, sleeping and it also does things which we can’t even think of.

How does our brain communicate?
The brain communicates through special cells called neurons. These brain cells send and receive messages. The messages are in the form of an electric impulse and it travels along the axon of the neuron. A chemical compound called neurotransmitter is released at the end of the axon and then it travels to the other neurons. Then the messages are processed and the chemical is released back, reabsorbed to the sending neurons. Our brain releases different kinds of neurotransmitter depending upon the kind of work we do.

How does drug influence our brain?
The drugs we use have similar shape and size as that of the natural neurotransmitters. These drugs inside our brain cause to start an unnatural chain reaction of electrical charges, which causes the neurons to release neurotransmitter of their own kind. Some drugs act like a pump which causes to release more neurotransmitter, which creates feelings of high pleasure.

What are the side effects and remedial measures?
The side effects of crack cocaine are deadly. Some of them are increased blood pressure, increased heart rates, increased anxiety and hyperactivity, nausea sensation and vomiting, decrease in appetite and easily vulnerable to heart attacks and strokes. When the person uses overdoses for a long period of time, the blood will have certain amount of poisonous toxics forever. Because of crack being rapidly absorbed by the blood, it induces the user to consume more. Moreover consuming this drug causes the user to be depressed and it also induces to consume more which may lead to mental instability. Crack cocaine is usually combined with a number of impurities which always makes the presence of side effects and toxicity. It’s very difficult to improve health without medical treatment. Many of the individuals who use crack cocaine experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using it because of the addictive nature of the drug.  Feelings like intense cravings, irritability, hunger and anxiety prevent the persons from stopping from using crack.

Gambling Addiction
Does genetic component have influence on gambling addiction?
There are no genetic, physical or psychological influences found for becoming an addict. It is proved from the research that no chromosomal defect has satisfactorily linked to gambling and does not run in families.

What is the treatment for gambling addiction?
There is no certain cure for gambling addiction. It may take years to get rid of gambling. The individual must attend counseling. Alcohol and smoking must be strictly prohibited. They should be treated with drug therapy. Moreover pure determination and strong desire of the individual himself to stop his activities can be the only cure. A major lifestyle change is required to prevent the worst behavior to re occur.

What are the addiction treatments available for crack cocaine?
The crack cocaine is a powerful addictive drug and even with a short time usage the individuals become so addictive that they start to experience withdrawal symptoms like depression and irritability when they stop using it. The individuals are unable to improve their health without medical help. The person must undergo counseling for a long time to come out of addiction.

Alcohol and substance abuse rehabilitation can be defined as a psychological as well as medical treatment which enables to eradicate a person’s dependency on psychotropic substances such as alcohol, heroine, marijuana, cocaine etc. The ultimate goal of Holistic Addiction Treatment Program is to prevent a person’s addiction and thereby bringing him/her back to the normal life.

Addiction is normally classified into two types- physical dependence and psychological dependence. Physical dependence means the body will demand more doses of the alcohol/drug due to excessive usage. Without the drug the person cannot function normally. Detoxification will be required for physical dependency and the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program has all facilities to provide detoxification. Detoxification helps to bear the withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological dependency means the person is mentally addicted to alcohol or other psychotropic substances. Through individual counseling, twelve step programs, encouraging the patient to avoid the friendship of addictive persons etc., psychological dependency can be cured, which is an important part of the treatment in the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program.

Holistic Addiction Treatment Program involves various other treatments to cure the addiction of alcohol or other psychotropic substances. This includes in-patient and out-patient treatment, psycho-emotional therapy, bio-nutritional therapy, neuro linguistic programming, balance restoration, dialectic behavior therapy, physical therapy, individual as well as group counseling, transformational therapy, drug awareness education, and stress management.

Rehabilitation should not involve pharmacotherapy as it does not show much effect in the treatment. Not only does not have any effect but also makes the situation worse. That is why Holistic Addiction Treatment Program is following a natural treatment method to recover the addicts.

Traditionally the treatment of addiction includes counseling which acts a basis of higher level of treatment. Counseling helps to know at what stage of addiction the patient is now and the type of treatment required. Holistic Addiction Treatment Program has a group of expert psychiatrists to perform the function of counseling. Addicts usually may have a chemical imbalance which makes the recovery process, a tough one. Through balanced diet and nutritional supplements you can restore your original health to which the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program is giving much importance.

Emotion regulation and stress management are other effective techniques of rehabilitation used in the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program. It is the emotion which induces the person to use the substances of abuse. From common substances of abuse like tobacco, cigarette etc it leads to a wider array.

Holistic Addiction Treatment Program considers addiction a disease and treatment will be according to that. This type of treatment requires the patient to admit his addiction, changing the pattern of their entire life style, a supportive environment to the patient to remain sober.