Drug Abuse

May 7 2021

Admitting Addiction to Loved Ones [Guide]

Admitting Addiction to Loved Ones

Admitting addiction to loved ones is one of the most difficult things for an addict to do. In fact, admitting you have a problem can be hard for anyone. This is true when dealing with other people, of course, but some things are hard to admit even to yourself. Unfortunately, moving beyond denial is something we all have to confront, eventually. The problem just happens to be more stressful if you are suffering from a major issue like an addiction.

First, let’s be clear. There is no shame in addiction. But even knowing this, it’s difficult to tell our friends and family the truth. One way to get through this is to come up with a plan. Find the best way to tell the truth to your loved ones. With their support, recovery will be much easier than if you were to try it on your own.

You can reach out to us at (385)-327-7418. Nothing would make us happier than helping you figure out what the next steps are after admitting addiction—whether you need rehab treatment, therapy, or simple guidance, we are here for you.

Coming to Terms with Addiction

Getting through personal denial is one of the hardest parts of recovery. Admitting you have a problem is often described as the
“first step,” but facing the truth about your own behavior has to come even before that. Once you get beyond denial, you need to figure out how to tell your friends and family that you have an addiction problem. Doing this isn’t so easy either. It takes real strength.

Before preparing a plan around telling your family that you’re an addict, let’s look at how you make that determination.

What does it mean to have an addiction to a substance? What are the signs and symptoms? These are all important questions, and knowing the answer will help you explain the condition to your loved ones.

How It Starts

Drug addiction is a disease that affects your brain, making it almost impossible to control your substance abuse. Addictions often start from a place of curiosity. At some point, everyone wonders what it would be like to try a drug. We hear wild stories about people tripping or feeling happier than they have ever felt before. For some, this curiosity leads to experimentation.

In other cases, addiction is an accidental effect from prescribed medications such as opioids. We start taking the medication to deal with pain but end up continuing with it in order to keep feeling euphoric and calm. Even though the experience can be enjoyable, the results are often disastrous for our well-being. For this reason, admitting addiction is essential for physical and mental health.

Look for the Signs

Here are some common signs and symptoms of addiction:

Having intense urges to use the drug
Taking larger amounts than you intended
Taking a drug for longer than you intended or for longer than prescribed
Believing you need to use the drug regularly
Being unable to stop using
Failing to meet your normal responsibilities at work or at home
Maintaining a supply or stockpile of the drug
Continuing to use the drug even though using continues to cause problems

These are all signs of addiction. But remember, addiction is a disease. Substance abuse changes the physical chemistry of our brains. This change creates a feedback loop in the part of our brain responsible for rewarding behavior and creating habits. For addicts, simply quitting is a task of Herculean proportions. That’s why addiction often requires special treatment.

When you know this, admitting you have a problem becomes that much easier. Telling your family is only another step towards seeking help and recovery.

Revealing Your Addiction

Odds are, your family already has a hunch you are doing something dangerous. Addiction isn’t an easy disease to sneak past those who love and spend the most time with you. While they might not know these changes are the results of an addiction you’re dealing with, they will probably notice the changes in your mood or behaviors. They will notice you are sleeping more, staying out more, and being secretive. No matter what they know, or you think they know, the best thing is to be upfront and truthful about what you are going through.

The following are some helpful tips for coming out of the addiction closet.

Pick the Right Time

Whether you think you are an addict, or you merely suspect you might be, confronting your loved ones is better done sooner than later. The sooner you tell your friends and family, the sooner you get treatment, and the easier your road to recovery will be.

Finding the right place and time to discuss this information is important. Having this discussion in a restaurant or while at a show is not ideal. The best place is probably the privacy of your own home. Another excellent choice is a group session with your therapist—something our professionals would be more than happy to help you set up.

Be Emotionally Prepared

When you get ready to have this conversation, remember to take a few deep breaths, and settle your nerves (without the use of drugs or alcohol). Having a clear, sober mindset during this discussion is important. This will be an emotional conversation for everyone.

Do your best to remain calm if they respond by crying, yelling, or asking a million questions. It is very possible they will be overcome with emotion and not at their most rational. It is hard for anyone to process that someone they deeply care for is having such a serious problem.

Be Honest and Open

Whether you have this conversation one time or multiple times, remember the importance of being honest and open. While those closest to you might be in shock and unsure what questions to ask, it is likely they will ask at least one question. Often the question focuses on “why” or “how.”

It will be helpful to explain to your friends and family what led you to try drugs or alcohol for the first time. Discuss how you felt and why you went back for a second time. Let them know if there was a traumatic or stressful event or peer pressure, that pushed you into substance use.

Show them you have done the legwork and you are serious about conquering your addiction. Explain your next steps and if you have a treatment plan in mind.

Anticipate Questions

Preparing a list of questions you are expecting your family and friends to ask can be helpful. This not only helps you review your thoughts on the addiction but also means you will have talking points ready. This can help you stay focused and calm as you break the news to them.

Some questions might be:

Have you tried to stop?
When did this start?
Why did you even try drugs?
How did you get drugs?
Are you sure you have an addiction problem?
What is your plan?
How can I help?

While being upfront and honest about your addiction problem is important, this does not mean you must answer every question or lose your right to privacy. Maybe there are some important details that need to remain private, especially if those details could devastate someone in the room. Simply tell them you aren’t ready to discuss that topic yet.

Take Responsibility

Admitting you have a problem is difficult, especially if it stems from the choices you made. If you do not think you are in the wrong, that is OK. However, when you tell your friends and family you have an addiction, it is important you do not put the blame on them. Telling someone they are at fault will only add tension to an emotionally charged situation.

Share Your Recovery Plans

Often, people will reveal their addiction without having a plan of attack in place. If this is the case, you can ask your family and friends for help putting a plan together. However, if you are reading this article, you are likely the kind of person who has treatment options already in mind.

Having a plan of attack ready to show your family will give you confidence. This plan also shows them your determination and sincerity in getting help and overcoming this problem.

What if My Family Isn’t Supportive?

In a perfect world, we would all have a family filled with supportive and understanding people. While this is the case for some people, it is not the case for everyone. If you’re feeling hesitant about admitting an addiction to your family, it might be best to start with the family member you’re closest to. This could be a sibling, a cousin, or one parent. For many people, having the conversation one-on-one for the first time is a good confidence booster for telling everyone else.

It is possible some family members will be supportive while others will not be. Often those who are not supportive have a tough time relating to the situation. They cannot understand why you would choose drugs and alcohol over other “approved” methods. It is important to not take their judgment of your situation as a judgment against you. While they may sound similar, your situation does not define you.

More importantly, this is not the time to focus on what others think of you. Now is the time to focus on you and your recovery. It is time to build or rebuild healthy relationships, to create your support system, and to find your way back to a healthy life.

How to Get Help

Remember, telling your family and friends of your addiction is taking a weight off your shoulders. You no longer have this dark secret to carry around.

Now that you have told those closest to you, it’s time to do the work and create a new, sober life. No two people thrive with the same plan, which is why we recommend that you call us for guidance. Our treatment experts know how to ask the right questions about you and your past, and how to find a treatment plan that will work for you and with you.

Thankfully, you don’t have to break the news on your own. Recovery is your responsibility, but that doesn’t mean you must recover alone. There will always be more support just a short call away. Read this article, plan out a strategy, and if you still have questions, call us for help at the number below. Now is the time to invest in yourself.

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November 19 2020

What is a Gateway Drug? [Guide]

admin Addiction, Drug Abuse addiction, drug abuse, drug addiction

What are gateway drugs? Many addicts can testify of one particular “entry-level” drug or addictive substance that started them down the road to ruin. But that one particular drug isn’t the same for every addict. For some it is smoking tobacco, for others, it is alcohol or pot. It turns out that it’s not so easy to understand what makes a drug a gateway drug.

In this article, we’ll look at the confusion regarding entry-level drugs (aka gateway drugs) and the harm they can cause. If you worry that one of your loved ones may be starting down the road to addiction, please contact us at 385-327-7418. We can answer your questions and refer you to rehabilitation specialists who can help.

A Tricky Definition

It’s a common story among people suffering from addiction: there was one specific incident. However, one particular drug that got them started on the wrong track. Perhaps it was their first drink when they were a teen. Or maybe the first cigarette that they smoked with friends. Beer, cigarettes, and pot are usually cited as examples of gateway drugs or entry-level drugs.

These terms, which are interchangeable, probably originated during the “war on drugs” in the U.S. in the early 1980s. They refer to substances that introduce impressionable people to the world of substance abuse. These drugs are traditionally considered to be not as “bad” as other drugs. Because they don’t cause as much immediate harm to a person. While prolonged smoking or drinking can create problems, the theory is that “one little drink” is fairly harmless.

What makes a drug a gateway drug? The answer is complicated because addiction is complicated. Not everyone who smoked weed as a teenager continued on to other drugs. Nor did everyone who drank or smoked as a teenager end up as an alcoholic or chain-smoker. Each person is different, and each person can react to chemicals in different ways.

While there is much empirical research indicating that using an entry-level drug can lead to more drug abuse. However, there’s no guarantee that it will for every person. So the term “gateway drug” really has two different meanings. In one case, it is a substance that both precedes (comes before) and causes drug addiction. In the other case, it is a substance that precedes drug addiction but does not necessarily cause it. We can see that taking an entry-level drug doesn’t mean the person will continue down the path to drug addiction. It shows us only that the potential exists.

Quest for Evidence

Both meanings of the term “entry-level drug” help us understand the problems we face in dealing with these substances. A post on IReasearchNet delves further into the issue. One definition of “entry-level drug” implies that preventing the use of drugs that come earlier in a sequence of drug abuse would also prevent the use of drugs that come later in that sequence. But the other definition implies that preventing individuals from using gateway drugs will not necessarily prevent them from using other drugs at all.

There is a moderate correlation between marijuana use by teens and later drug abuse. But “this association fades from statistical significance with adjustments for stress and life-course variables. Likewise, our findings show that any causal influence of teen marijuana use on other illicit substance use is contingent upon employment status and is short-term.” In other words, there doesn’t seem to be a strong link between teen marijuana use and later drug abuse. The site makes it plain at one point. “There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs.”

Alcohol could be a gateway drug for youths. A study “indicated that alcohol represented the ‘gateway’ drug, leading to the use of tobacco, marijuana, and other illicit substances. Moreover, students who used alcohol exhibited a significantly greater likelihood of using both licit and illicit drugs.” Alcohol abuse should receive primary attention in school-based substance abuse prevention programs, “as the use of other substances could be impacted by delaying or preventing alcohol use.”

You need help with an addiction, then call us today. Our specialists will work with you to help you start living your happiest and healthiest life.

Studies and Statistics

The National Epidemiological Study of Alcohol Use and Related Disorders found that people who used marijuana at the start of the study were more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder within three years. It also found that “people who used marijuana and already had an alcohol use disorder at the outset were at greater risk of their alcohol use disorder worsening.”

Meanwhile, a study of adolescent rodents revealed that early exposure to cannabinoids decreases the reactivity of brain dopamine reward centers later in adulthood. This means that the adult rodents would have had a stronger biological desire to use cannabinoids or other chemicals to increase their dopamine levels.

Both studies would seem to indicate that marijuana use leads to further drug use later on. But DrugAbuse.gov is quick to note that statistically, the people who use marijuana are not necessarily more likely to use stronger substances in the future.

Other factors, notably society and availability, also play a role in whether a person continues to use marijuana or not. “An alternative to the gateway-drug hypothesis is that people who are more vulnerable to drug-taking are simply more likely to start with readily available substances. [Drugs] such as marijuana, tobacco, or alcohol.” they write, “and their subsequent social interactions with others who use drugs increase their chances of trying other drugs. Further research is needed to explore this question.”

The Progression to Harder Drugs

What Leads to Heroin Use?

When it comes to opioid abuse, one study seems to indicate an “entry-level drug” effect going on. The study of injection drug users from 2008 and 2009 found that “86 percent had used opioid pain relievers nonmedically prior to using heroin, and their initiation into nonmedical use was characterized by three main sources of opioids: family, friends, or personal prescriptions.”

This is significant because it demonstrates a shift in heroin use. For those entering treatment for heroin addiction in the 1960s, more than 80 percent started with heroin. Based on this, it would seem that modern heroin addicts are using prescription drugs as entry-level drugs. For those who began abusing opioids in the 2000s, 75 percent reported that their first opioid was a prescription drug.

Nicotine and Cocaine Linked?

Another report seems to show that nicotine makes the brain more susceptible to cocaine addiction. If true, this would indicate that lowering the smoking rates in young people would also lower the rate of cocaine abuse. Earlier research had shown that levels of a gene called FosB in the brain’s striatum were linked to cocaine addiction. In the 2011 study, investigators found that 7 days of administering nicotine to mice caused a 61% increase in FosB expression. “When given a dose of cocaine, these mice had an additional 74% increase in FosB expression compared to mice treated with cocaine alone.”

The study indicated that nicotine inhibits the action of certain molecules in the brain. By modifying those molecules, the investigators found that they could either enhance or inhibit the effects of cocaine. Dr. Eric Kandel at Columbia University said that the study will allow scientists to further study the “molecular mechanisms by which alcohol and marijuana might act as gateway drugs. In particular, we would be interested in knowing if there is a single, common mechanism for all gateway drugs or if each drug utilizes a distinct mechanism.”

Our specialists are here to help you fight against your addiction. Contact us today to get help for yourself or someone else in your life you are concerned about.

Missing Links?

No Proof of Causation

Studies like these would seem to show examples of gateway drugs leading to harder drug use, thus proving that the phenomenon is just as real as the Reagans would have liked us to believe in the 80s. But there are other factors that need to be considered.

As IResearchNet has noted, the same studies that showed a general correlation between the use of gateway drugs and subsequent use of harder drugs have also failed to explain a large number of exceptions to this rule. In other words, there doesn’t seem to be an overall consistent link between abuse of a particular substance and future addictions.

Other Factors

The site points out that when it comes to which substances someone abuses first, other factors are at play. Youths with low parental supervision are likely to consume marijuana before alcohol and/or tobacco. “Consumption of marijuana prior to use of licit drugs thus appears to be related to contextual factors rather than to any unique characteristics of the individual.”

Another problem we can see, then, is that there’s no specific hierarchy of substance abuse. A person who begins by smoking marijuana could end up never becoming an addict, or using less potent drugs instead of stronger ones. That doesn’t make the addiction less of a problem, but it does cast doubt on the idea that marijuana use leads to the abuse of stronger drugs.

These observations have led many to argue that marijuana and similar drugs should be legalized on a nationwide level. Those arguments unfortunately tend to ignore the basic problems with substance abuse in the first place. But we can at least see why those who support legalizing marijuana make the arguments they do.

The issue we should consider now is how relevant the term “gateway drug” or “entry-level drug” is when evaluating the dangers of addiction. It’s already clear enough that addiction itself is destructive, regardless of how it comes about.

Constant Dangers

What is a gateway drug? The fact is that any kind of substance can be a “gateway” to addiction. Any parent whose child is smoking, abusing alcohol, or abusing pot has a legitimate right to be concerned about their child’s future health. And if you are abusing drugs or alcohol, you have a right to be concerned about your future.

Gateway drugs are dangerous. Whether you become addicted or not, the substances themselves could cause terrible harm to your health. For many people, these “innocent” substances are where addictions are born and continue to grow.

If you are telling yourself that your addiction isn’t so bad because there are worse drugs, you aren’t being honest with yourself about how dangerous addiction can be. It takes control of your life and will ultimately ruin it.

Please contact us today at 385-327-7418 to learn about rehab facilities in your area. The people who work there are professionals who want to help get your life, or that of a loved one, back on track. Reach out for help now, before one addiction leads to another.

Written by Steve Witucki

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November 12 2020

What Causes a Bad (Drug) Trip?

admin Drug Abuse drug abuse

When a person has had too much of anything, it can lead to disastrous consequences. A bad trip on LSD or shrooms can become a living nightmare. It can lead to psychosis, and it is like a scary ride that you want to get off. Additionally, there can be an intense feeling of fear and panic. A bad trip’s symptoms can include panic attacks, passing out, anxiety, head spinning, vomiting, thinking you will die, and overall insanity.

There is an unfortunate relationship between bad trips and mental states. Psychedelic substances can cause short and long-term effects that can drastically affect your daily life. Fortunately, there is help available for individuals suffering from a bad trip to stop the madness. Treatment programs can help turn those bad trips into a life of sobriety. Call 385-327-7418 to get started today. We are here to help you take your life back.

Content

Continue reading below for a better understanding of why certain drugs cause bad trips. You will also discover how to deal with a bad trip, and how and where to get help.

Bad Trips Explained
Understanding Shrooms
Understanding LSD
Dealing with a Bad Trip
Never Have a Bad Trip Again

Bad Trips Explained

Many drugs contribute to having a bad trip. Psychedelics have psychological effects from taking them. The most popular psychedelic substances include shrooms and LSD. These substances are typically the usual suspects responsible for bad trips. Psychedelics can cause clouded judgment and impairment. They also can cause an individual to hallucinate and become too paranoid. Individuals may believe untrue things and may act in strange ways. These substances may cause individuals to do something that they would not do. Some of these actions can be dangerous. The consequences of these actions can lead to injuries such as automobile accidents, property damages, financial and legal issues.

Likewise, bad trips can even have fatal consequences. However, for someone to die from a bad trip, they need to take a dose of over 400 mcg. Moreover, the behavior from these trips is so unpredictable anything is possible. “Whereas changes in [cortical] glutamate were found to be the strongest predictor of negatively experienced ego dissolution, changes in hippocampal glutamate were found to be the strongest predictor of positively experienced ego dissolution.”

Furthermore, the effects of these psychedelics and others can have a powerful influence on the mind. Many individuals take psychedelics to have a good time and get away from their problems. Unfortunately, the result seems to do more harm than good. Over the years, research has gone back and forth with positive and negative psychological effects—the majority of research sides with the negative aspects.

Understanding Shrooms

Magical mushrooms, also called shrooms, contain psilocybin. They look like dried out mushrooms that have a greyish white appearance on the stems and caps. This psychedelic was initially used for rituals and to help people that were ill. Today, people take them in more of a recreational capacity. There is a low risk of someone being addicted and overdosing. However, individuals can become dependent on this substance. Some studies have shown that it has some positive effects as it can help treat resistant depression conditions. The person who gets credit for psilocybin’s research discovery of psilocybin goes to a man named Humphrey Osmond in 1957.

Research

However, over the years, there has been a lot of research to show the positive and negative side effects of shrooms. The study has shown that the potency of psilocybin mainly affects the brain. The concept that psychedelics have a beneficial impact has not been formally adopted. Federal funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health have found no evidence that psychedelics positively affect. Moreover, in the latter part of the 1990s, John Hopkins got a team together to research the positive impact of psilocybin with volunteers in a controlled environment and with psychologically prepped volunteers. Their efforts proved to show that were some positive effects on the attitude and behavior of a person.

After that study, more research on bad trips proved that “bad trip” is the most used layman’s term for this experience. However, its meaning is blurry. According to John Hopkins Medicine, “Does it mean “unpleasant or worse, for a few hours until the drug wears off, and that’s all”? Or does it imply having lasting negative effects? Are the lasting effects necessarily bad? Our laboratory studies and this survey study support each other in showing that an unpleasant, “bad” experience can sometimes lead to positive outcomes. It does not seem accurate, then, to call all of the negative psilocybin experiences categorically “bad.” That’s why we’re now saying, “challenging experiences,” which acknowledges that when they’re handled well, as in the context of a clinical setting, they can lead to positive outcomes.”

If you would like help with an addiction or a bad drug trip, then please reach out to us today. Our experts will work with you to ensure you get the proper treatment for you and your needs.

Understanding LSD

LSD, also known as lysergic acid diethylamide, was created by accident in 1938 by a Swish Chemist Albert Hofmann to treat respiratory depression. By 1960, it was starting to become recreational, as the folklore of psychotic behavior and LSD trips started becoming mainstream. The overall production of LSD ended in 1967. The substance was banned and classified as a Schedule 1 drug, which is not acceptable for medical use. Its popularity has decreased since the 1970s and remains illegal in virtually everywhere in the world.

Furthermore, the physical appearance of LSD is small, bland, and colorless. In the drug world, it goes by names such as blotter, purple haze, dots, and acid. The substance comes in pill form, gum, tablets, or liquid. A small amount is enough to impact a person for 6 to 12 hours.

However, LSD often blurs the line between perception and imagination. LSD’s short-term side effects include the pupils dilating and increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. A user can also feel like they are unable to sleep. Their appetite may become suppressed, and they may have increased sweating. Other short-term side effects of the acid include numbness, tremors, and a feeling of weakness. The potent effects of LSD can bring on a sort of mystical experience. There can be a feeling of euphoria and a sense of community with everyone around the person using. The user also has no concept of time and their immediate surroundings. The higher the dose of LSD, the more vulnerable at the person is to it.

Dealing with a Bad Trip

Bad trips give the user the feeling that what they are experiencing will never end. They may experience an array of negative thoughts and feelings. Due to the fact that the individual consuming the drug has no control over how pure the substance, the effects are often unpredictable. When individuals are experiencing a bad trip, they lose control of themselves and lose their grip on reality. However, it is imperative to recognize the signs and act accordingly when dealing with having a bad trip. The first important step is to calmly and quietly assure the person that they are safe. Stay with them through the duration of their trip. If you are experiencing negative effects, accept the environment you are in, and keep in mind the situation will pass.

“If you feel like you are dying, melting, dissolving, exploding, [or] going crazy, go ahead and embrace it,” says Dr. Bill Richards. Dr. Richards assisted in developing the psychedelic-assisted therapy model practiced today at institutions like Johns Hopkins University. The simple task of breathing helps defuse the situation. Focus on breathing and exhaling longer than you inhale. While doing simple breathing exercises, tension should subside.

Furthermore, another tactic is changing up the environment that the person is in. Moving from room to room or going outside might help. Also, changing the aesthetics of the room can also help someone experiencing a bad trip. This includes changing the lighting as well as the music that is playing. Likewise, another tip is making sure the user is comfortable. These small changes can help the user feel calmer and lessen the adverse effects of a bad trip. Let us help you make small changes. Call our professionals today and start living a happier and healthier life.

Never Have a Bad Trip Again

Unfortunately, there is a stigma on the label of being an addict. Not everyone understands that addiction is a progressive disease. Addiction can destroy lives, families, and relationships.

However, a new dawn is here, and the daily struggle you have been facing is treatable. There are multiple resources available for addiction treatment. Fighting addiction takes a lot of work. Luckily, you do not have to do it alone. It takes commitment, time, and effort. If you or someone you care about has one bad trip too many, it may be time to address the issue. Now is the time to turn to professionals and ask for help. The good news is that there is a chance for redemption and a new life. With the right plan in place, addiction does not stand a chance!

To summarize, admitting an addiction is there is the first step towards getting clean and sober. The next step is taking action. There is so much support available to those who take action and reach out for help. With treatment, you will learn to live a life that is addiction free. We work with drug and alcohol recovery programs that help those who are struggling with their addiction. These treatments allow the addict to come to terms with their addiction, learn to recognize and stay away from triggers that lead them to use, and eventually discover a new life in recovery. Now is the time, make that call to us at 385-327-7418.

Written by: Justin Freemyer

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November 5 2020

Explain Drug Addiction to Children [How-To]

admin Addiction, Drug Abuse addiction, drug abuse, drug addiction

Finding out how to explain drug addiction to a child is a difficult task. The curiosity of a child can be seen as one of the most fascinating things to witness as a parent. Their motivation to look into things, break things apart, and even ask about things that many people lose when they get older. However, when their curiosity ventures to sensitive topics such as drugs, it can be uncomfortable for parents, especially when they’re an addict themselves.

Honesty and transparency are key approaches needed to have a fulfilling relationship with children. They might not understand everything in its totality, but they definitely see the effects.

If you are struggling with telling your child you have an addiction give us a call today. Call us now at 385-327-7418. We can connect you with the resources you need for explaining parent addiction to a child.

Content

Trying to figure out what to tell your child about addiction can be overwhelming. Read on to find out how.

The Ultimate Role Model
What Should I Say?
A Time & Place for Everything
Take This Approach
Be Transparent

Explain Drug Addiction to Children [How-To]

The Ultimate Role Model

Pill addiction is complicated. Unfortunately, the majority of the pills people abuse are prescriptions. Sometimes prescribed medications can activate addiction traits that a patient didn’t know existed within them. In addition, these traits may have already shown but haven’t linked to drugs.

When someone is addicted to prescription pills, the addiction affects the addict and their loved ones. Abusing prescription pills or any substance affects the brain and other parts of the body. Behavior changes that stem from addiction can affect surrounding individuals. Some of these individuals can be the ones loved the most: children.

Children are affected by addiction in many ways. One way is their overall perception of who you are as their parent. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry explains the effect of parents being role models to their children. They point out that “children look up to a variety of role models to help shape how they behave in school, relationships, or when making difficult decisions.”. Additionally, they laid out suggestions on how to discuss role models with them:

Have your child identify what qualities he admires in his role model
Give examples of people in your community who you feel have positive qualities and are a good influence on others
Talk about people you look up to for guidance and inspiration

Having these conversations are great suggestions for establishing an understanding of role models but the best suggestion is leading by example.

Maintaining a strong exemplary lifestyle for your children, along with your honesty and transparency, will reinforce your approach for swaying your child away from possible addictions or the temptations of taking drugs.

What Should I Say?

After initiating a conversation with children about their role model, ask them about their perspective on how you are. Like everyone else, children can spot differences in behavior, although they might not know its cause.

When on drugs or alcohol, an individual’s mood and actions will change depending on the side effects and how the body decides to react. Your children might have already noticed your addiction before you thought about talking to them about it. They may see your changes in behavior but have not defined it as addiction.

Maintaining an open and healthy dialogue will help with learning how to explain drug addiction to a child. You won’t know quite what to say if you don’t see how they feel. Some tips for what to say to children about addiction include:

Addiction Is a Disease: When they are drunk or high, sometimes parents can do things that are mean or things that don’t make sense. Children need to know that their parents are not “bad” people. They are sick people who have a disease.
It’s Not Your Fault – Children must understand that they are not why a parent drinks too much or abuses drugs. They did not cause the addiction, and they cannot stop it.
You Are Not Alone – Children need to realize that their situation is not unique and not alone. Millions of children have parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. They need to know that, even in their school, there are other children in the same situation.
It’s Okay to Talk – Children in homes with substance abuse need to know that it’s okay to talk about the problem without having to feel scared, ashamed, or embarrassed.

A Time & Place for Everything

Understandably, you want your children to live a life completely untouched by drug or alcohol misuse. However, life doesn’t always allow people to dodge the obstacles it has for them. A realistic perspective and approach to life will help anyone in the long run.

Hiding your addiction from your children isn’t the solution to them avoiding addiction themselves. Anybody can learn about addiction, but it can also be genetic. Trying to find a good time to tell your child that your addiction is only wasting time. The time is now!

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts highlights conversing with your child about your addiction, stating there is no “perfect time” or “perfect talk” when explaining parent addiction to a child.

The same way a child can consume prescription pills and experience harm at any moment is the same way conversations to prevent accidental, or intentional, pill consumption can help. These conversations minimize the likelihood of it happening.

Take advantage of any moment you have with your children to talk about addiction in general as well as your addiction. Some children see their parents as superheroes or just people who can’t do any wrong. Telling your children about your addiction humanizes you and puts the realistic perspective right in front of their eyes. It doesn’t matter if the talk happens during a car ride to school, on the phone, or watching television. If you don’t have the conversation now and keep waiting to have it, you may be doing your children more disservice than you think.

Take This Approach

You can prevent your children from falling into the same addiction you have by being honest. Honesty is the best policy. Don’t be afraid to tell your children about your faults that they might not notice. Once again, children often look at their parents as superheroes or perfect beings. Letting your child know you have flaws will better prepare them for the real world. They will be able to embrace their imperfections if they see you do the same.

Another form of prevention is implementing “talk times” to stay updated with their knowledge of addiction and other things. Starting the initial conversation about addiction was hard. However, now that the ice has broken, continuing the conversation with deeper situational advice, education, and relatable information will keep the information fresh in their head throughout their lives.

Give exit plans along with the addiction education you equip your children with. They’re not going to be in your sight all the time, especially when they are teenagers. Considering curiosity, maturity, and peer pressure, it’s not uncommon for your child to be approached by a stranger or friend to try prescription pills and not know how to exit the situation.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that it is imperative to “talk with your children about what they would do if faced with a decision about drugs, such as texting a code word to a family member.” Phone calls with certain code words could also be a great exit idea for a child feeling pressure to take drugs.

How to Store and Dispose of Drugs

Storing and getting rid of your prescription pills in a safe space can also minimize a child improperly using them. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has take-back programs designed for individuals prescribed to medication to give back their unused, unopen prescription pills. If the program isn’t available, flushing the medicine would be ideal. If using the trash bins are your preferred option for disposal, The Food and Drug Administration suggests to:

Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. This makes the medicine less appealing to children and pets and unrecognizable to someone who might intentionally go through the trash looking for drugs.
Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can, or another container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out.
Throw the container in the garbage.
Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away.

Be Transparent

Remaining transparent with your children about addiction can be hard at first, but building a strong relationship with your children can bring you so much closer to them. Before having the conversation with them, however, all of it starts from within.

Being honest and accepting with yourself breaks the nervousness behind explaining parent addiction to a child. Educate yourself on your addiction, and you will know what to clarify once questions come up.

Also, don’t have these conversations with your children without reassuring them that they aren’t the addiction cause. They need to know they are valued and loved despite what you or anyone might be going through. Stay calm, have an attentive ear, and don’t create any false scary stories to somewhat “trick” your child into doing right. Always remember that they will go through their trials or tribulations, whether you know about them or not. The least you can do is equip them with the tools needed to get through them.

If you need additional help with how to explain drug addiction to a child, call us today. We will provide the resources you need and advice on how to explain drug addiction to a child. If required, we can also connect you with rehabilitation for your addiction. To find resources in your area, call us at 385-327-7418 today.

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November 2 2020

Middle-Class Drug Use and Domestic Violence [Links]

admin Drug Abuse alcohol abuse, drug abuse

Domestic violence and substance abuse are closely linked. But, just as domestic violence occurs across all ages, cultures, races, and socioeconomic classes, drug, and alcohol use disorders now fall into that pattern, as well.

Popular culture would have us believe that substance abuse is found only among the poor in inner cities. But for decades, researchers have known that substance abuse is spreading to middle-class suburbs as well. The relationship between social class and drug abuse is less about who is using and who isn’t about different drugs of choice.

In the 1980s and 1990s, cocaine was the drug of choice in the suburbs. However, in recent years, we’ve seen a rise in heroin use among the middle class, particularly white women. The prescription opioid epidemic is also heavily affecting middle-class users. Domestic violence and substance abuse are so closely tied that a rise in domestic violence among middle-class users might be expected to follow. But the evidence is hard to find. Either way, victims of drug abuse and domestic violence should reach out and get help from our professionals (385) 327-7418.

Content

If you are experiencing the damaging effects of substance abuse and domestic violence, please reach out to our addiction professionals for advice and treatment resources.

From Opioids to Heroin
Middle-Class Heroin Use
Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse
The Unseen Victims
Keeping Up Appearances
Getting Out

Middle-Class Drug Use and Domestic Violence [Links]

From Opioids to Heroin

The fight against the nation’s opioid epidemic is causing an unexpected and deadly consequence. Opioid users are turning to heroin. Both prescription opioids and heroin work through the same mechanism in the brain. As with heroin, opioids reduce the understanding of pain by attaching to opioid receptors.

There is growing concern that the increase in heroin-related overdoses is an unintended result of blocking prescription opioids’ availability. Research shows that prescription opioid misuse is a risk factor for heroin use. The likelihood of trying heroin is 19 times higher among those who report prior non‑medical use of pain-relievers. Eighty percent of new heroin users start by abusing prescription opioids, making the latter a gateway drug for middle-class users who can obtain them legally from a doctor.

The transition from misusing prescription opioids to using heroin may be a natural progression of opioid use disorder. Interviews with individual heroin users support that notion. In the interviews, users suggest that market forces, including the accessibility, low cost, and high potency of heroin, are driving the move to heroin from prescription opioids.

It’s Getting Worse

Since 2007, the number of heroin users in the U.S. continues to rise. About 9480,000 Americans reported using heroin in 2016. The increase was most apparent in young adults aged 18–25. That age group drives the most significant increases in heroin use. The number of people trying heroin for the first time has increased.

Middle-Class Heroin Use

Heroin use is no longer an “urban problem.” Several suburban and rural areas near Chicago and St. Louis report increasing amounts of heroin.

It also turns out that current heroin users are more likely to be white and middle-class. The suburban and rural areas are the same population that reported the most massive increases in the non-medical use of opioids. Middle-class white women especially are using heroin-like never before.

30 to 40 years ago, heroin was as an inner-city problem. In 1979, the University of Michigan researcher Victoria Binion spoke with 170 heroin-addicted women in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Miami. She found that more than half of the women were black and that their drug use ties to family issues during their teen years. The typical female heroin addict was an unemployed high school dropout, struggling with money, on welfare, or turning to sex work.

Although newer heroin studies focus on middle-aged white women, there is another new group of users. Young white men tend to be at the highest risk of heroin addiction. Hero addiction can be fatal. Do not wait until it is too late. Call us today and our specialists can help you, or someone you care about, get the help that you deserve.

Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse

Numerous studies show that substance abuse does not cause domestic violence. However, drug abuse and domestic violence often co-occur. Also, addiction can mean that abuse is more violent and results in more severe injuries.

Substance abuse co-occurs in 40 to 60 percent of domestic violence incidents. Other evidence suggests that substance abuse plays a role in domestic violence by causing incidents or making them worse. Some studies also indicate that men with histories of domestic violence benefit from substance-abuse interventions.

We’ve learned that substance abuse doesn’t cause domestic violence, at least not directly. However, spousal abuse can predict whether the abuser will develop a substance abuse problem or addiction. Additionally, women in abusive relationships often report being forced into using alcohol and drugs by their partners. Thus, substance abuse and high-risk alcohol use are more prevalent among women who experience domestic violence than those who don’t.

The Unseen Victims

In a study for the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers analyzed the risk factors for women’s injury from domestic violence and drug abuse. The researchers admit that their work likely did not tell the whole story. “Risk factors for injury from domestic violence may differ greatly among women with higher socioeconomic status and women with injuries that do not require emergency medical care,” they write. “This uncertainty makes it difficult to generalize our findings.”

Psychotherapist Susan Weitzman is the author of “Not To People Like Us: Hidden Abuse In Upscale Marriages.” She says it is a myth that only underprivileged women suffer domestic violence. Weitzman realizes that this myth keeps upper-class domestic violence victims trapped in silence after treating many affluent women.

Weitzman’s book examines the many reasons why such violence goes unreported among wealthier women. It also looks at how abuse between middle and upper-middle-class couples compares to domestic violence in more impoverished communities.

Do not suffer as an unseen victim. We are here to help you. We want to help get you back on a track that will lead you to a happier and healthier life.

Keeping Up Appearances

On the surface, it does seem that domestic violence is more likely in low-income communities. But domestic violence experts say that the 11 percent figure masks the actual number of incidents among the middle classes, upper classes, and even the 1 percent. They point out that statistics primarily come from organizations such as domestic abuse shelters that care for low-income victims.

Weitzman writes that wealthier women often do not take advantage of such services. Because they have the money, they can stay in hotels or travel to places where they have family support. Also, surveys suggest that more affluent people are less likely to involve authorities in domestic violence disputes. They’re worried about police records hurting careers and status in the community.

Getting Out

If a woman is in a cycle of domestic violence and substance abuse, the most important thing is for her to get herself and any children out of the situation. Although you may love the addict, staying with them is dangerous because of the impaired judgment of addiction.

Addiction and violence are linked, so it isn’t easy to know what may be causing the power in the home. Does it happen while the person is drunk? When can a person not get a daily fix and begins to experience withdrawal? Some drugs, like meth, make addicts paranoid and violent. If you are not around the addict, the addict cannot physically hurt you.

Many towns have shelters and safe houses dedicated to serving women and children who are victims of abuse. (Men can be victims of abuse, too, but they may have a more difficult time finding a safe house or shelter). Victims may also contact a crisis center or hotline that specializes in domestic abuse. Counselors can help victims find safety. They may also be able to offer advice about the abuser’s substance problem.

Safe houses, shelters, and crisis centers do not provide victims with legal protection. No one will report the abuser to police, and everything you tell the staff will generally remain confidential. However, victims of domestic violence and substance abuse do have recourse under the law.

Family members who suffer domestic violence can report it to local law enforcement. If children are involved, it might also be a good idea to get in touch with a child welfare agency.

Laws regarding domestic violence vary by city and state. Some violent incidents are classified as domestic abuse, while others classify it as assault.

Contact Us

When you are caught in a situation of drug abuse and domestic violence, getting out of harm’s way is the most important thing. If you want to remedy the situation and allow the relationships to heal, seek help for yourself and the addict. Even if you haven’t been abused but live with an addict, remember that drug addiction can often be a precursor to domestic violence. That’s why it’s so essential for you to reach out to trained addiction counselors.

Our professionals can provide the information you need and connect you to vital resources for treatment and safety, so call us today at the number below.

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Middle-Class Drug Use and Domestic Violence [Links]

Content

From Opioids to Heroin

It’s Getting Worse

Middle-Class Heroin Use

Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse

The Unseen Victims

Keeping Up Appearances

Getting Out

Contact Us

Find Help Now with

Better Help Addiction Care

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