Do 12-Step Programs Really Work?

Many people have gone through 12-step addiction programs to come out clean and sober, never to return to using ever again. Certainly there is a measure of success with the way that these treatment programs are set up. There is a buddy system in place so that if someone feels that they’re going to fall off the wagon, they can call their friend to talk to them. Talking is considered to a superior method of getting through the withdrawal phase with these types of programs. But are they for everyone?

Some people just do not have what it takes to be able to work through a 12-step program. Alcohol is easier to kick as withdrawal symptoms clear up fairly quickly, and having someone to talk you out of the desire works best. Harder drugs are much more difficult to be able to walk away from. For many, they require a much more intensive treatment than simply talking. They require a lock down situation where they are kept away form all forms of stimulants for a proscribed period of time. Heroin addicts may require methadone to wean off the drug or their bodies will simply shut down. These are items that cannot be obtained in a program that is all about talk.

In a nutshell, some can do it, others can not. And those who can not should not be seen as weak or failures. The changes in the brain from drug use require medical assistance to gain relief. Counseling is only part and parcel of treatment. Drug addicts need to be “stepped down” from their addictions in some situations, others can go cold turkey and deal with the withdrawal symptoms without help. Ultimately it takes a trained professional to make the call. Something not always available in a 12-step program.

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What Addicts Face When on the Road to Being Sober

A major issue for addicts to get sober is the withdrawal symptoms that they will have to face. Many would rather remain addicted than go through withdrawal. The period during which no drugs enter the bloodstream is rough indeed. It is a physical manifestation that is pure misery. Sweats, tremors, vomiting, hallucinations, all in the name of the brain wanting to get a fix. It truly is hell.

Withdrawal from narcotics is something of a topsy turvy thing. All of the issues that narcotics suppress come into play during the detox phase. The longer that the person was on, or if they were a heavy user, the worse the coming clean part is. Symptoms like anxiety come back to the surface and is worse than it ever was even before the user started. Irritability, sleeplessness, vomiting, these are just some of the many things that the user faces. Users who are on heroin will have these symptoms within 12 to 14 hours after their last hit. If they don’t get a hit right away, the misery starts and can last up to 14 days.

Truly none of this paints a pretty picture, which is why addicts will go to any length to avoid withdrawal. Life is downright miserable. The idea of being addicted is to escape the problems of life, not face them full on. There really is a price to pay for having a habit. This is why specialists will tell the addict that they really have to want to get clean, be strong, and be willing to deal with the withdrawal period. It takes a strong will indeed to stick the course and become sober.

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Find the Right Rehab for You

Realizing that you need to look into rehab centers can be an almost devistating thing for anyone. Realizing that a loved one should be admitted to a rehab facility is almost as crushing. Either way though, when the addiction gets to a point that intervention is needed, the person needing help has hit a low. Finding the perfect facility to help them get to a better point is important.

There are many options all over the country for drug and alcohol rehab programs. Many of these facilities are situated in areas that offer a good climate, an amazing view, or both. There are many reasons for this, but one of the biggest is because these two elements can help those who are healing feel a little more at peace. Alcohol rehab California style allows the patients to not only get the treatment that they need and deserve, but also enjoy the gorgeous weather of the area, and the beautiful scenery of Orange county, California.

Studies have shown that when a patient is comfortable and enjoys the area that they are in, they are more likely to get past their addiction and continue with their lives in a more productive manner. In California, the rehab centers have found the perfect combination of making their patients comfortable and giving them excellent treatment and care. With trained professionals to help through all of the steps of overcoming an addiction, and the calm beauty of the area to that promotes reflection, you will find that California rehab centers can help anyone get their life back on track.

When considering rehab centers across the country, keep in mind the climate that is enjoyed the most. This can help addcits feel more comfortable in their surroundings. Making sure someone is as comfortable as possible is important in the treatment program.

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Physical Manifestations of Methanphetamine Addictions

Addictions don’t only take their toll on the mind, they also take it out on the body of the user. Some do it over time such as alcohol abuse, and some do it quickly a la crystal meth. What cannot be denied however, is the fact that substance abuse of any kind will affect the body, and not in a good way.

Crystal meth is the worst of any drug when it comes to how it affects the body. The most obvious is what is known as “meth mouth.” Teeth literally rot out of the head after about a year of abuse. There is no getting away from tooth damage with heavy use. Meth creates what is known as a dry mouth syndrome, meaning there is no more saliva to protect the teeth. Add into the mix that users will gravitate towards highly caffeinated and carbonated drinks when not high, and the teeth are toast. There is simply no protection from acids for the teeth. It is not uncommon for a meth user to have to resort to dentures at an early age, or look 30 years older than they really are with sunken cheeks.

Meth addiction is simply not pretty. Sores are a common problem from those who shoot up and those who don’t. Shooters run the risk of infected sites from a lack of hygiene. Non-shooters will scratch themselves into sores, thinking they have bugs on their skin. Truly this is a drug with the most powerful addiction rate, even above cocaine. And the physical destruction that it causes is permanent.

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How Drugs Negatively Impact the Brain

Addicts have a hard time accepting the fact that they have a problem, despite the obvious evidence. Someone looking from the outside in can see the changes and waste their breath trying to convince the addict of them. Why is this? It’s because the brain actually undergoes a physical change when an addiction is active. The changes are subtle, so subtle that the user can’t detect anything and thinks that everything is normal. So what does happen to the brain under the influence of drugs? Repeated use of drugs will change the way that the brain looks on an MRI and how it acts. This is how someone turns from being a happy and pleasant person into a downright pain. The changes are interfering with the addicts ability to use good judgment as well as controlling any kind of behavior. It also becomes nigh on impossible to feel one’s own usual self without drugs because the craving for addiction has overrode everything else. It is much easier to quit using a drug in the early stages as the brain has not gone through much change and hasn’t adapted yet. The pitfalls come when the user realizes that the effects of the drugs make them feel really good and they don’t want to give it up. So they come back time and time again, changing how the brain works. Drugs go straight to the reward pathways of the brain, taking them over. Now these pathways want their reward, no matter what, causing the user to progress into risky behaviors to get a fix. It’s fact like these that prove that one just shouldn’t start trying drugs. Ever.

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How Treatment Facilities Help with Treating Addictions

Taking that step into rehab is a big one for the addict. It means a long road is ahead of them, one that will be difficult to walk on. Temptation is the biggest one to overcome, with wanting to relieve the misery of not having the drug is a close second. It takes individual strength to get clean and a willingness to take the hand that has been offered by the treatment facility.

Treatment begins the moment the individual steps through the doors. Some facilities utilize a voluntary lock down where the patient cannot leave for a period of time, others will not make a person stay against their wishes. The determination of the addict to get clean dictates which way to go. There really is no right or wrong type of treatment. Some addicts feel the need to be locked up to get through the initial detox period. They may have gone through treatment where they were free to come and go, then failed. Although failure is not quite the word to use. Addiction is a powerful thing and detoxing is hard on the body.

Counselors focus on the individual, not the addiction. One of the issues that comes with addiction is an overwhelming sense of shame and embarrassment. The addict wants to be free of the monkey, but cannot overcome the brain’s desire to feed it. Staying away from the actual problem and working on the person instead focuses the individual to fight instead of crawl away in shame. It is of the utmost importance that the addict learns to fight the urges, working instead towards the brass ring of being clean.

In a sense, the overall purpose of the treatment facility is to get the individual to become aware of the power they hold within. Learning that one is stronger than the drug of choice is, indeed, empowering to oneself. Walking out the door free and clear of the drugs and addiction is the first step towards a lifelong journey.

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It May be Time for an Intervention

A drug user affects more than just themselves, they also affect their family and friends. The abuser lies, treats everyone poorly, steals from them if they can, all for getting the next hit. They make everyone around them miserable, sad, upset, and angry. Who wants to sit back and watch while their loved one goes on self-destructing binges? There comes a point that those who care will either take action or walk away, and the user has to learn about this in no uncertain terms.

Coming to the point of needing an intervention is a slow process. It is rare that a full blown drug addict is created overnight. Habits take time to form and can be hidden from others for a very long time. What happens is that the problem goes under the radar until something happens to reveal the issue. Until the time that the problem is in the open, there will be little hiccups here and there, but nothing obvious. Objects will disappear, money gets “lost,” or the occasional “hey, I need a few bucks to hold me over” gets asked.

Problems start escalating when the user starts needing more and more of their drug of choice. After a while, it takes more and more of the drug to get high from as the brain becomes immune to lower doses. Addiction drives the user to desperate measures, ones they wouldn’t have tried if they were sober. A pattern of self-destruction emerges, one where the addict starts getting into trouble. It could be with family and friends, the law, losing a residence, anything that disrupts the basic needs of life.

Everyone involved in the addict’s life need to make up their mind to either come together and form an intervention, or to walk away. Ideally all would chose to do an intervention as it is a big slap in the face to the addict, usually with positive results. All who are involved need to realize that they have a job ahead of them as well, supporting the addict to become a successful ex-user.

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What Does a Substance Abuse Counselor Do?

Substance abuse counselors work with people who are seeking treatment for various types of addictions. Substance abuse counselors may assist families with interventions, work with those just starting treatment or work with those actively in treatment or recovery. Substance counselors may work with those that are addicted to alcohol, heroin, prescription drugs, cocaine or inhalants.

Counselors may work in outpatient treatment centers, inpatient treatment centers, churches, community outreach centers, hospitals or doctor’s offices. Most substance abuse counselors have at least a two year degree in alcohol and drug counseling, and adhere to a certain philosophy of treatment. These philosophies range from 12-step programs to cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Substance abuse counselors may provide individual therapy or group therapy to addicts. Counselors attempt to get to the root of the problem and assist the addicts in discovering why they started using drugs. Also, counselors may assist the addicts in learning to cope with cravings, desires and the challenges of staying clean and sober. Counselors should have some degree of empathy, some street smart awareness, knowledge of drugs and effects of the drugs on a human body.

Training to become a substance abuse counselor may involve taking classes in medical terminology, physiological effects of alcohol, behavioral strategies, impulse control, trauma therapy and counseling techniques. Other important aspects of substance abuse counseling training involve learning CPR and first aid. This can aid the counselor in dealing with medical emergencies related to overdose or withdrawal symptoms.

Substance abuse counselors may also choose a specialty population. Counselors may work with veterans, adolescents, homeless, mentally ill or the elderly. Along with knowledge of substance abuse they will have to specific knowledge about the population and how to properly assist them in changing themselves. Substance counseling can be difficult, but rewarding work. Empowering others to change their lives is a powerful feeling and many people stay in the profession for years and years.

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The Effects of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is the process of using either legal or illegal drugs that affect a person in a detrimental way. Substance abuse can mean abusing legal drugs, like prescription drugs or alcohol; or abusing illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine. Whether the drugs are legal or illegal, if a person is abusing the drug there are negative consequences. Substance abusers tend to act in ways that that can harm themselves physically, emotionally and mentally. Secondarily, their family and friends are also hurt by these actions.

While some substances are actually legal to use, using them to the extreme can cause such detrimental results that it doesn’t matter that they are illegal. If you drink a fifth of vodka daily, you are most likely having negative results physically and mentally. Your body will be suffering, and you will most likely have frequent illness and could be endangering your body every time you drink.

Also, abusing any drug is likely to cause you have to serious relationship problems with those that you love. You may be missing work, school or other important places just to use your drug of choice. This will call friction and anger from those that love you. If you tend to push people away from you, or stop doing things you love to do just to use drugs-you definitely have a problem and need help.

Unfortunately, no matter how much your family wants you to get treatment, it won’t happen until you are ready. You may not be ready now, you may not be ready tomorrow. Whenever you are ready you will need help from professionals and support from your family and friends. When you are ready for treatment you will have the option of attending inpatient or outpatient treatment. Doctors and local social services can refer you to different programs that can meet your needs.

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Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse

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People use and abuse a variety of substances, including tobacco, alcohol, street drugs and prescription drugs. Addiction is both a psychological and physical disease, described as an overwhelming need to have their drug. If you are worried that someone you know and love may be addicted to drugs, there are a few signs and symptoms to look for.

-Neglecting responsibilities: If your loved one is missing classes, work or neglecting duties at home due to substance abuse, there may be a problem.

-Entering into dangerous situations to obtain or use drugs: A loved one may be entering bad neighborhoods to get their drugs, or could be stealing or having sex for money to get drugs.

-Getting into legal trouble: Getting arrested for disorderly conduct, driving under the influence or getting arrested for stealing money can all be symptoms of someone that is abusing drugs.

-Causes relationship problems: fighting with family and friends, arguing with bosses and ditching friends is often a bad sign.

-Built up a tolerance to substance: Needing more and more of a drug every time it’s used means that a tolerance has been built. This is a sure sign of physical addiction.

-Taking drugs to relieve withdrawal symptoms: If a loved one has withdrawal symptoms from not using their drug of choice, this another sign of physical addiction.

-Life is consumed by drug use: If your loved one’s life revolves when they can use their drug next, and you plan when and where you will use your next drug-it could be a big problem.

-Abandoned your old life for drugs: If your loved one gave up their old hobbies, sports, their job or anything they love for drugs, it is a sign that drugs are the most important thing in their life.

-The user continues to use drugs despite it’s effects on themselves: If the drug is causing blackouts, mood swings, depression, paranoia or other medical problems-but the user doesn’t stop-they have an addiction to their drug.

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