Parents beware. Your teen might be a victim of drug addiction.
It’s quite a rare occurrence for teens to approach their parents and honestly admit that they are taking drugs or are struggling with substance abuse. Therefore, it’s up to the parents to be wary and observant for subtle, insidious clues that their children might be engaging in inappropriate substance use.
Continue reading Subtle Hints to Alarm Parents if Their Teens Are Drug Addicts
Do you have a husband who is recovering from alcohol addiction? Do you struggle when it comes to taking good care of him? Are you interested in learning how to ease the inconvenience and pain? What you need to learn as early as now is the truth: that dealing with a recovering alcoholic is not going to be a walk in the park. There are times when you would want to give up especially if the other does not cooperate in the recovery process. Do not fret because you can handle it well by doing these things:
If there is one thing that you need to know right now, it is the fact that abuse comes in many forms. A person can become abusive for several reasons. This is why abuse is considered as a complex concept. You may know its definition, but there is no easy way to understand what it means. A great example of this is experiencing abuse in the marriage. It is clear that a married couple loves each other, but no one can explain why either of them can become abusive towards the other spouse.
Accepting that your spouse rarely comes home to you due to his gambling addiction can be as challenging as recognizing that he has another woman. You cannot sleep whenever he’s still out at night. Even though he’s snoozing next to you, you don’t dare to shut your eyes in fear of him sneaking off to the casino.
Hence, once your man acknowledges reason and says that he’ll stop gambling, you should not wait for another minute to pass. Take every piece of advice you can get to make sure that the addiction fades away completely. In fact, here are some for you:
First, you have to ask yourself, “How did my husband’s addiction get this far?”
You can say that it is no thanks to his stressors or depression. Such things can indeed enable a man to go astray. Despite that, you should grasp the truth that your better half got to gamble for so long because he has free rein over your finances.
From the get-go, therefore, it is a must to limit your husband’s access to money. Get rid of his credit cards, to be specific, and only place a particular amount on his debit card for gas and food. Assuming your spouse’s company knows of his addiction too, you may arrange it so that only you will be able to encash his paychecks until he’s ready to spend wisely. While it may feel like high school all over again for your significant other, enforcing this level of financial strictness may be more beneficial for him.
If your husband has been gambling for years, it is possible that the issues that the managed to create are still unresolved. For instance, your children may be upset with him since he only has time for roulettes or cards. He might be subject to getting fired from the job he once loved as he no longer comes to work often and completes deadlines. Worse, your spouse may have outstanding debt from a loan shark.
In case you genuinely wish to revive the man that you fell in love with, it will be wise if you don’t fix such problems on his behalf. He seems too frail to handle them on his own for now, yes. However, what you are about to do may only spoil him and derail his path towards recovery.
Considering your better half decides to get some form of therapy, try to go with him to every session. He may not be outspoken, but your constant presence there may give him more strength to keep on fighting the addiction. Not to mention, it will help you understand your spouse’s ordeal better and how close he is to restore himself.
It may also be a great idea to seek marriage counseling at this point. Gambling, for sure, did not merely affect the finances of the family. Your husband’s compulsion to gamble undeniably has caused arguments to erupt here and there. Thus, his recovery may speed up if your relationship heals too.
The last thing any recovering addict needs is to have someone – especially a special one – say, “I told you so.” It is not advisable either to stop your significant other from getting a haircut or even going to the supermarket alone. That can eventually suffocate him, to the extent that he gets depressed and finds comfort in gambling once more.
Instead, what you should do is let your husband live his life normally. If he tells you that he’ll be in the office the whole day, believe him. In case he wants to hang out with his relatives, give him that opportunity. Though your husband is still not entirely sober, proving your complete trust and faith in his words may encourage him to clean up his actions for real.
The fact that you are here, reading this post rather than getting a manicure or pedicure with your girlfriends, speaks volumes about how much you love your husband. His addiction to gambling may be rocking your marriage boat now, but it isn’t the time to give up on pulling him away from that direction. At least, not when you already know a trick – or four – to smash the main problem to pieces.
Good luck!
Are you aware that there is such a thing as sexual addiction? Do you think that your wife is a nymphomaniac? Is her addiction to sex making your marriage challenging? If you answered the affirmative, then be sure to read the rest of this article. The primary focus of this write-up is to discuss a woman’s sexual addiction and how it can affect any marriage.
The issue of addiction is dangerous, and it needs immediate attention from different people all over the world.
This mental condition affects several aspects of the lives of those who have it. At the same time, it can also lead to the creation of problems concerning finances, personal relationships, and even careers. Because of this, it is essential for you to know the significance of therapy when it comes to treatment. Below is a list of the forms of therapy that are essential for treatment:
This kind of treatment is directly focused on setting up goals that have a link or connection with the present life of the client involved. In this setup, the professional therapist will have a closer look at the undesirable behavior of the client. After that, he will use his observations or records to determine what causes such unhealthy behavior.
In this kind of treatment, the therapist believes that every person has goodness within himself. However, drug abuse is creating a cloud about the client’s good intentions. Because of this, the primary goal of the counselor is to see to it that the innate goodness of the person is shown to the world. He will inspire the client to let good intentions and deeds emerge.
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This is a type of person-centered therapy wherein certain specializations are added to prevent or cure substance abuse in people. The therapist’s objective here is to allow the client to discover his desire to make better and smarter decisions in his life. This is resorted to so that the client will not feel that he is forced into changing his mindset.
Another common term for this is EMDR, which was created to deal with the trauma experienced by persons with addiction specifically. Under this mode of therapy, the professional will help the client recall relevant information about the trauma so that the latter could start to think about it and master some calming or relaxation skills.
From the name itself, it can be implied that this kind of therapy involves members of the same household. The therapist will talk to each member of the family so that he can elicit essential data or information that could help the non-sober individual. This form of therapy is grounded on the fact that every person belongs to a broader family, which could have contributed to his addiction or other mental condition.
Also, online therapy through BetterHelp can provide you with additional information on how to tackle it and keep your mental health at bay. By clicking the app, you can reach out to one of their credible and experienced counselors who will discuss with you ways in which you can make your life better. Getting connected with them is easy and convenient.
Remember that the kinds of therapy listed above are not exclusive. There are still other kinds of treatment that are not included in the list. What you need to do is to find out which among these modes will be perfect to address a particular case of addiction. Take note that each kind has different effects on the patient or client. Be sure to select the right form of therapy to use. If you are unsure of what to choose, the best thing to do is to talk to a professional therapist about it. Wait for his recommendation or order to ensure that you will not commit any mistakes.
The primary goal of the California Certification Board is to promote mental health. The organization also aims to prevent substance abuse, especially to the younger generation. The proliferation of drugs and other prohibited substances is a pressing issue that the community must immediately address to. There have been reported cases of crimes wherein the perpetrators were high on drugs as well as instances of overdose leading to the death of some users.
Here at California Certification Board, we want people to feel comfortable in seeking professional help when it comes to dealing with addiction. First of all, it is essential to highlight the fact that substance addiction is completely dangerous. It can affect the cognitive function of the persons involved. At the same time, the continued use of prohibited drugs can also lead to chronic illness. Because of this, we encourage everyone to find an addiction psychiatrist.
What Is Addiction Psychiatry?
There are several subspecialties in psychiatry, one of which is addiction psychiatry. This focuses on the symptoms, causes, diagnoses, and treatment of people who are suffering from mental conditions related to addiction. It must be noted that it does cover not only substance abuse but also an addiction to sex, alcohol and even food. The medical doctors who specialize in this field are considered as experts when it comes to substance abuse and other impulse control disorders.
How Is Addiction Diagnosed?
Addiction is a severe mental health illness that must be diagnosed in its early stage so that prevention or recovery can be immediately taken. A health professional must diagnose this kind of condition. As much as possible, people must refrain from making self-diagnosis as it can only put their health in jeopardy. The right thing to do is to refer a particular case to an addiction psychiatrist. The patient will be asked to undergo several tests and examinations to determine the extent of his addiction. After that, the psychiatrist will give out the findings with a complete statement about the material details related to addiction.
Can Addiction Be Treated?
Nowadays, there have been several developments in the field of addiction psychiatry that allows the medical doctors to handle addiction as a mental condition. The treatment plans that will be recommended by psychiatrists will differ from one person to another. Each patient is examined thoroughly so that the doctor can create a specific treatment plan for him. There is a necessity to isolate each case from the other since the degree of addiction and other circumstances vary. Aside from this, the psychiatrists can prescribe certain medications for the patients who have an addiction to narcotics, drugs, sex, alcohol, and food.
If you know someone who has a problem regarding addiction, do not hesitate to bring him to an addiction psychiatrist. Keep in mind that immediate action is required to prevent the situation from getting worse. When it comes to dealing with a psychiatrist, be sure to find the professional who is distinguished in the field of addiction psychiatry. Be careful in selecting the doctor who will handle the case.
When addiction is so pronounced that the only thing preventing you from getting treatment is your admission that you have fallen through the cracks, is there still a way to get things back to normal?
Continue reading The Inconspicuous Existence of Addiction: Pointing Out Irregularities
Like what the ad said, “Once you pop, you can’t stop.” But if you do stop, there lie the multitudes of problems you’ll experience all at the same time.
The Growing Problem
The number of painkiller addicts is on the rise in America and what’s more disturbing is it is one of the leading contributing factors to the increase in the deaths caused by drug overdose.
Continue reading Adverse Effects of Getting Hooked on Painkillers
It was a very relaxed day for me yesterday as I lounged around in my pajamas and did nothing except watch TV. You know those days when there is nothing to do (or maybe you’ve come up with the decision that you don’t want to do anything) but just be lazy and have a DVD marathon. I turned on my laptop and typed my favorite website which is Netflix and chose one series to fill my Saturday. This time I opted for Elementary.
Elementary is a series about Sherlock Holmes in a modern twist, and instead of a man sidekick, his detective partner was a Joan Watson (played by Lucy Liu). From there I learned that Joan Watson was a “sober companion” since Sherlock Holmes was a recovering drug addict. Just as I thought that I would get all lazy and watch a series, I began typing out this article. Thanks, Elementary (and Lucy Liu) for inspiring me!
What Is A Sober Companion?
From the series, I learned that a sober companion is someone who stays at your home after you’ve received drug rehab treatment. This person will help you in any way he or she can so that you won’t have a relapse and be drug-free. They can’t be apart or without an update for more than 2 hours, and Joan was sticking with Sherlock like glue. That was how “Joan Watson” was assisting Sherlock Holmes, and their contract was for six weeks.
Based on research, I learned that a sober companion is a person who can accompany you and help you adjust to life outside the rehab center. They say that rehab is synonymous with prison and that your freedom is limited. Upon release, some people relapse and go back to drugs because of too much independence. The sober companion is there to pull the person back from going down the drug use road again.
Expectations From A Sober Companion
In Elementary, Sherlock’s father was the one who hired Joan Watson to be his son’s sober companion. Joan Watson was a surgeon and a great one at that, according to the facts in the series, but she made a mistake on her operating table once that cost the life of a patient. Ever since then, Joan just couldn’t bear it. She decided to become a sober companion and move on from her terrible ordeal.
Anyway, I saw many qualities in Joan Watson on how a sober companion must act. From the series, a sober companion has to be:
A sober companion is not a sponsor. He or she is more than a sponsor, a coach, or a counselor. This person is ready to intervene, and at times, there will be challenging encounters.
Why Recovering Addicts Need A Sober Companion
From the series, Sherlock Holmes didn’t “order” a sober companion. His meddling father did the hiring and paid the services of Joan Watson. As for deciding if a person needs a sober companion or not, in real life, the choice is on the recovering addict. A sober companion is not required after drug rehab treatment is done, but your therapist or counselor may recommend someone if they believe that you need additional help.
Sherlock kept on saying that Joan’s service fee was exorbitant, and it’s true. These days, a live-in sober companion may charge as high as $1000 per day, but then again, this person is your lifeline, your white angel, and good conscience. He or she will prevent your relapse and do everything in their power to keep your nose clean.
If you can afford it, then, why not? Getting clean is not an easy task. If it were easy, there would be no drug addicts in this world, right? But with a sober companion beside you, the days will get smoother and be being sober will be more fulfilling.
(I am nearing the end of Season 1 in Elementary, and as expected, Sherlock offered a business partnership to Joan Watson. Apparently, he needed her, as much as she needed him. And Sherlock reached 365 days of sobriety. Cool!)