Sober Resources

Addictions come in many shapes and sizes, and children are quick to notice each and every one. Whether you are addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling, your children notice that something is going on that is different from other families. Depending on their ages, they might even think that your behavior is the norm. Regardless of the situation, it is important that you know how to talk to your kids about your addiction.
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Virtually every man wonders about where they came from and how we got here. The eternal search for a greater power than ourselves is one aspect of spirituality that is highly beneficial when used properly for addiction recovery. Whether you believe in a greater power or not, the universe and its energy are a wonderful source of recovery. You can tap into that energy with some practice.

The first step in doing so is to begin to explore this world of spirituality. Nobody can do this for you, but a good place to start is to head out into the woods, beaches and mountains of your choice. If this is not practical, then head into the local woods nearby or by a nice lake. Wherever you feel the most relaxed in nature will do just fine. The reason this is so important is because it gives you the chance to relax your mind and become closer to nature.
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Alcoholics and liver disease are almost guaranteed to meet one another eventually. The alcoholic is sure to suffer from one of the three types of liver disease, if not all three, at some point if they are not killed by other problems that alcoholics face. Liver disease is not anything to joke over, and it is a killer. Many people every single year die from liver disease brought on by alcohol. Here is a brief overview of the three types of liver disease commonly seen in alcoholics.

Fatty liver, or steatosis, is when fat accumulates in the liver due to drinking. This fat is gathered in the cells of the liver. This is also seen in patients who do not drink. Usually those patients are overweight. Fatty liver is one of the few problems that can be reversed if the alcoholic stops drinking. If they do not, it will ultimately cause inflammation of the liver and scarring in most alcoholics.

Hepatitis is also a common problem for alcoholics that have liver problems. The variables with hepatitis are many, and can range from a chronic hepatitis to an acute hepatitis. Each of these present different symptoms and sometimes no symptoms at all until it is in the advanced stages. Some alcoholics will experience hepatitis that causes jaundice or yellowing of the skin, neurological problems, fluid accumulation, blood clotting, and death from this dangerous liver disease. This can be reversed with time spent not drinking, though it takes much longer to recover from than fatty liver. Still, alcoholics may still have scarring of the liver, cirrhosis, and ultimately liver failure in extreme cases.

Cirrhosis is the be all end all of alcoholic liver disease. This is a very serious condition that can lead to full scale liver disease and failure. It is also common among alcoholics that have a chronic liver condition that is complicated by drinking. Alcoholics that suffer from cirrhosis of the liver will often have jaundice, blood problems, and all the major signs of liver failure can follow. It is common for alcoholics to have all three problems of the liver once cirrhosis is present.

While each of these liver problems that are brought on by drinking are very serious, dangerous conditions, they are also not a death sentence to a recovering alcoholic. Many times they can be reversed altogether. The liver is a very durable organ that will begin to heal given the chance. It is very important that an alcoholic put down the drinking immediately once they are informed of liver problems. Continued drinking are almost certainly going to lead to more liver problems, and can ultimately end in death to those that persist.