The Addiction Help .com

I am addicted to all sorts of drugs and alcohol as well...I am 21 and I'm going to college and doing pretty well in school but I think this addiction is starting to bring me down. I tried rehab twice since I was 15 and didn't work...I tried therapy but it didn't help...I had a hard life and my family sucks...I rarely see my dad (he left my mom when I was young) and I don't get along with anyone in my family except for my cousins...I don't know what to do because when I go out, I do drugs and drink but I have no self control to stop...I already got fired from work for not showing up and I miss classes all the time...I don't know what to do?

Bro, You need Jesus, Have you noticed what has been happening to our schools, (shootings) since they took God out of it?, well you can't take God out of anything and expect to live happily ever after, Jesus is (The Prince of Peace) without Him you can do nothing, crime of all sorts runs rampant where there is no belief in God, but you also have to live for Him like go to church on Sunday's, read and try to practice the bible, and live by the golden rule among others, then The Lord will begin to deliver you from drugs, alcohol and all other sin, here's how you start: whisper this prayer to God by yourself and say: "God, forgive me now of all sin and cleanse me of it, Jesus, come into my heart and live in me and change my life for your Glory and honor and Praise, deliver me from drugs and alcohol for only you can do it, thank you Lord, for I now believe that I receive all that I've just asked from you, now help me to find a Holy Ghost filled church so I can start my journey towards You, In Jesus Name, Amen". then after you pray this read a bible starting In (st.John) then go on to Matt, Mark, and Luke, after that proceed with the entire new testament, I had your troubles at one time but now I'm free in Jesus, I'm drug free, alcohol clean and thoroughly clean, here's my prayer for you, "Lord Jesus, thank you for the honest admittance of puffer fish that he is helpless in his fight against drugs and alchohol, none of us can win that fight without You Lord, Give him courage and wisdom to pray the prayer that gets you to help him begin to win the fight and continue to work in his heart by Your Holy Spirit as only you can do, and set him free and walk with him and sup with him and he with you I pray In Jesus name, Thank You Lord, Amen.

2008-03-07 15:00:25 by puffer fish

Bernie Groshman, Founder and CEO of Treatment-Centers.net plea to Charlie Sheen to use his celebrity and media attention to educate the world ...

I'm wondering about how I can find alcohol rehabs here that will allow my mom to go with my dad in some of his counseling or therapy sessions while undergoing treatment for his alcohol addiction. I think it would really be beneficial for him.

I'm sure there are rehabs there that have couples therapy. Just ask around. :)
To find rehabs, you can call 800-559-9503. It's a helpline and the people there will be adept at answering your queries, as well as help you find rehabs. You can also use the links below. Good luck!

2007-09-07 02:47:25 by carlee 3xf

Price: $14.95

I was diagnosed with bulimia and major depressive disorder two years ago, but I have dealt with them for four years. After going into treatment for the bulimia I became addicted to alcohol. I have almost reached sobriety in the past month, with the exception of a few weekends. I am becoming increasingly depressed and keep returning to my old habits of bulimia and "self-medication." I don't know how to live without addiction and still be happy, and with the economy the way it is I don't think I can afford to return to therapy. Does anyone have any suggestions?

soul rebel, Alcohol addiction can be extremely serious. Many everyday people have lost jobs, friends, and loved ones simply because they could not beat thier alcohol habit. I suggest you seek some help. I found a site that has addiction information and a directory of addiction treatment clinics so you can help. http://www.addictionselfhelp.com

Good Luck

2008-09-26 13:50:40 by soul rebel

Price: $29.99

I've always thought that drug or alcohol addiction was a problem that involves the brain. I thought it would be ok for the person to just stop taking the substance and then go through counseling and therapy sessions. I have only just learned that they are made to take medicines as well. Why is this so?

People who are going through substance abuse addiction need medications because these help restore their brain and body functioning back to normal. It keeps the symptoms of withdrawal at bay and reduces the person's craving for the substance. Coupled with therapy and counseling, medications can be very effective in helping an addict on his way to recovery.

2007-08-16 22:07:30 by alliyah ld

Or is it a baffling disease with complex behavioural, emotional & spiritual facets?

CENTRAL FALLS, Rhode Island (CNN) -- A no-frills bar called Goober's, just north of Providence, Rhode Island, is probably the last place you'd expect to find a debate over cutting-edge addiction therapy. But this is where Walter Kent, a retired mechanic, spends his Fridays. He helps in the kitchen and hangs out in the bar, catching up with old friends. Most addiction specialists would call this playing with fire, or worse. That's because for more than 30 years, Kent was a hard-core alcoholic. His drinks of choice were Heineken beer and Jacob Ginger brandy, but anything with alcohol would do.

"It's like a little kid wanting a piece of candy. You see it, you want the taste of it." He closes his eyes and sniffs the air, remembering the feeling. "You can be by yourself, and all of a sudden get even a hint of alcohol, just the smell of it, and say, 'Oh, I need a drink.' That sensation is not something you can get rid of."

But today, Kent isn't tempted in the least. He says the credit goes to a prescription medication -- a pill called naltrexone. It's part of a new generation of anti-addiction drugs that may turn the world of rehab on its head.

Dr. Mark Willenbring, who oversees scientific research at the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, says alcoholism has reached a point similar to one depression reached 30 years ago -- when the development of Prozac and other antidepressants took mental health care out of the asylum and put it in homes and doctors' offices."There will be a 'Prozac moment,' " Willenbring says, "when primary care doctors start handling functional alcoholics."

Despite studies showing effectiveness, established rehab programs have been slow to adopt the use of medication. At Hazelden in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a small as part of treatment, although a handful of long-time addicts may be referred to a prescribing physician once their stay is over. "Where we battle with [the proportion of patients receive anti-addiction drugs, but medical director Dr. Kevin Clark says the traditional model -- based on intensive therapy and the 12 steps popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous -- is still best. "It is a disease of the brain, but it's a multifaceted disease. It has a spiritual component, a behavioral component to it," says Clark. "Our experience tells us that having the network of support and recovery is what really makes the difference."

Still, medication is slowly creeping into mainstream addiction therapy. One big advocate is Percy Menzies, a pharmacist and former sales representative for DuPont, which developed naltrexone. His St. Louis, Missouri-based Recovery Centers for America treats patients in an on-site hospital, then refers them to outside physicians for follow-up treatment. Along with therapy, virtually every patient is given Vivitrol, a long-lasting form of naltrexone that's given monthly by injection.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/15/addiction.cold.turkey.pill/index.html

I had to offer an answer here because there are just too many misconceptions floating around Yahoo Answers and the public in general about addiction. It really amazes me how very little people understand about this. Even the people who are calling themselves professionals are misleading others with their "answers."

1. From a clinical perspective, a person is not "addicted" to something unless physiological withdrawal symptoms occur upon removal of the source.

2. There are many things being labelled "addictions" that should fall under the category of "compulsive behavior." A compulsive behavior is something repeatedly done, but if the activity is stopped there's no physiological withdrawal symptoms. Many things that are called "addictions" (gambling, internet, eating, etc.) are much better understood as compulsive behavior because the source of these behaviors is NOT exclusively biological. For a better example, alcohol and drug addictions are true addictions when they get to the point that upon removal of the drug a person gets uncontrollably ill (unlike the AA model that says once an "addict" always an "addict," which is not really accurate). When a person has a compulsive eating disorder the person does not really get physically ill when not given the chance to openly consume all the food the person desires.

3. By definition, a "psychological addiction" is NOT caused by a physiological source. That means when someone claims to be psychologically addicted to something like using the internet, it is purely a behavioral habit that probably comes with some reward for the individual. However, because of the medical model of mental illness it is still generally assumed that some physiological source (e.g., brain chemistry) is the source of someone's psychological addiction, which is why a psychiatrist will try to treat these individuals with drugs (e.g., anti-depressants). They will assume some underlying disorder has gone undiagnosed (e.g., depression) even if the person doesn't fully qualify for the diagnosis according to the DSM. This is misleading because so-called "psychological addictions" (again, somewhat of a misnomer) can occur without there being an underlying disorder.

4. Drugs like Naltrexone are one of several opiate antagonists, which lessen the brain's dopaminergic activity. They create a chemical IMBALANCE in the brain because the target neurotransmitters don't normally get subdued by drugs. On top of this, if the levels of one neurotransmitter are altered it can affect the levels of other neurotransmitters, furthering a chemical disruption of normal brain functioning. What happens is not quite what research studies suggest, and usually these studies are only short term. The patient is getting subdued by these drugs. Cognitive functioning can become impaired. Side effects are common and can be quite serious in some cases (see below). To further illustrate what I mean, they give Naltrexone to people who qualify for the diagnosis Kleptomania (see here: http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE53D4WR20090414 ). At the same time, they've made the case that Naltrexone can cure people's drug addictions. That makes little sense from a behavioral point of view as well as physiology. The same chemical components that cause physiological addiction to a drug are what also causes Kleptomania? Not likely.

5. Given what I've said above, there are biological components to what are true physiological addictions, but if you think a drug like Naltrexone is going to permanently cure this you are really just swapping one drug for another. In fact, you may be creating new problems for yourself. The trend toward biodeterminism (i.e., that physiology is the primary cause of all behavior) has misled people to ignore environmental, social, cultural, existential, spiritual, and experiential factors for so long that psychiatrists can now actually harm patients with presciption drugs and get away with it. So, to answer your question: No, a pill definately does not cure a person from a true drug addiction. If anything, research will show it is more effective than a placebo because the person's brain functioning is being altered in a negative way. A chemical imbalance is being created. In short, the patient is subdued.

Here. In case you think I'm making this stuff up:

Most common side effects of Naltrexone:

ANXIETY; appetite loss; chills; constipation; delayed ejaculation; diarrhea; dizziness; DROWSINESS; FEELING DOWN; headache; INCREASED ENERGY; increased thirst; IRRITABILITY; joint and muscle pain; LOW ENERGY; nausea; NERVOUSNESS; SLEEPLESSNESS; stomach pain/cramps; vomiting.

--notice how the side effects in caps can all be symptoms of a psychological disorder other than addiction?

Most serious side effects of Naltrexone:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal or stomach pain; cramping; dark urine; depression; SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR BEHAVIORS; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; white bowel movements; yellowing of the skin or eyes (that means LIVER DISEASE. What does alcohol addiction eventually cause? That's right. The same thing: LIVER DISEASE).

The pharmaceutical industry knows that the public is longing for magic bullets. All they have to do is construct research in such a way that they can show their product works better than a placebo, and they've become just as skilled at this as they have with their expertly produced TV commercials.

2009-04-16 07:54:35 by Faith