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Sunday, March 17, 2019

List of Florida Detox - Rehabs - Outpatient Facilities in Florida

The following is a list of Florida Drug and Alcohol Treatment Institutions for Detox, Rehab, and Outpatient Treatment.

Break The Cycle
https://breakthecycle12.com/
Outpatient IOP
Daytona Beach
Bunnell

Detox Of South Florida
https://detoxofsouthflorida.com/
Drug and Alcohol Detox and Rehab Programs
Veterans and Elderly Programs
Okeechobee Fl

Sunrise Detox Orlando
https://sunrisedetoxorlando.com/
Detox Services
Orlando, Fl

Novus Medical Detox Centers
https://www.novusdetox.com
Detox Program
Tampa Bay, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida

South Florida Detox
https://www.detoxoffice.com/
Detox Program
West Palm Beach, Florida

Serenity House Detox Center
https://www.serenityhousedetox.com/
Lauderhill, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida

Lakeview Health Addiction, Treatment and Recovery
https://www.lakeviewhealth.com/
Inpatient - Outpatient - Detox
Jacksonville, Florida

Beaches Recovery
https://www.beachesrecovery.com/
Inpatient - Outpatient - Detox
Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Lumiere Treatment Center
https://lumieredetoxcenter.com/
Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Detox - Inpatient - Outpatient
Jupiter, Florida

Oasis Treatment Center
http://oasistreatmentcenter.org/
Outpatient Services
Daytona Beach, Florida

Sunrise Detox
https://sunrisedetoxftlauderdale.com/
Drug and Alcohol Detox
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida





Early Sobriety Helpful Tips - Staying Clean and Sober

Very helpful and informative article on early sobriety.

Sobriety Maintenance: 5 Tips to Stay Safe and Sober
By Jane Derry

In recovery, only one thing has to change, but that is everything. And everything is included in everything. Spirituality, emotionality and mentality are addressed in other articles. This article is purely about the material and physical.

5 Tips to guard sobriety:

1. Mouthwash

Make sure that your mouthwash does not contain alcohol. Read the label carefully before purchase, and check the bottles in your bathroom. If they contain alcohol, throw them out! It isn't worth the risk. The taste and smell are triggers that you may not even be aware of while gargling, but your disease knows, and will take advantage of your vulnerability.

2. Cough Syrups

Same as with mouthwash, check all the labels before you buy, many cough syrups do contain alcohol. Cough suppressants may also contain narcotics, such as codeine. If you are in doubt, ask your pharmacist to verify the product is narcotic free. Many people in recovery have relapsed by naively using cough syrups, and triggering a craving. That almost happened to Bill W. himself.

3. Hair Products and After Shave

In early recovery you just can't be too careful. Think about using a gel or hairspray, or aftershave lotion containing alcohol. All your senses will be encased in the cloud of alcohol fumes. Don't risk triggering a craving, just to use a certain product. There are many alternatives to alcohol based products.

4. Menu Items at Restaurants

It seems that the more expensive and fancy the restaurant is, the more likely dishes contain alcohol. Read the description carefully before ordering. If there is booze in it, don't order it. If your server tells you not to worry, that the alcohol is cooked off, don't risk it! Is your sobriety worth the Coq au Vin? Let your server know that you have a deadly allergy to alcohol. By using the word 'allergy' in a restaurant, you will be taken very seriously.

5. Someone Offers You a Drink

This can be really scary in early sobriety. Don't be caught off guard. Here are some possible answers:

No thanks, I'm not drinking today.
No thanks, I'm allergic to alcohol. When I drink, I break out in spots. Like Vancouver, Calgary, Hawaii...
No thanks, you don't have enough here for me.
No thanks, I don't want to vomit on you.
No thanks, but I'll take the money instead.
Seriously though, have an answer ready. Usually "No thanks" by itself is enough. You don't have to explain anything to anybody. And besides, you'll quickly find out that most people don't care or notice. It isn't all about you.

Early sobriety can be a heady exciting time. Just remember that alcohol is a subtle foe, you must be vigilant, and keep yourself safe at all times. Soon enough, it will just become habit and second nature.

If sobriety doesn't come first, nothing comes second.

Jane Derry is an addictions expert and spiritual counselor at a drug rehab in Panama.

Jane and her husband are the directors of Serenity Vista Addiction Recovery Retreat, nestled in the mountain highlands of Boquete, Panama.

http://www.serenityvista.com.

Visit our website: http://www.serenityvista.com. Recover, discover, and transform.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Staying Clean and Remain Sober from alcoholism and drug addiction

How Do I stay Sober?
Eoin Carter

I once asked an old-timer around AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) how to stay sober and he said that if I didn't take the first drink I wouldn't get drunk.

It sounds obvious but there is only one way to stay sober and that is not to pick up that first drink!

What all alcoholics need is the help to begin doing that and help is widely available. It's important to understand that stopping drinking is relatively easy.

Yes, alcohol detoxification can be uncomfortable and even dangerous but it's easily managed with the right professional treatment. So getting through detox and getting sober is fairly easy. Staying stopped is entirely another matter.

You see alcoholism is more a thinking than a drinking problem and unless the alcoholic is open to assistance in changing the way he or she approaches life, sobriety reaches a point of being unbearable and taking a drink seems the most attractive option again.

Whilst a spell in an alcohol rehab centre is not the only way to start on the road to sobriety it is a great start. In order to stop drinking effectively it is crucial that any alcoholic undergoes a detoxification process. The best way to detox is with professional medical supervision, something offered by all quality alcoholic rehab's facilities.

Further treatment in a Primary Care rehab centre will increase the patients understanding of alcoholism as a disease and of how to adopt strategies to live with the disease whilst adapting to a new way of living in sobriety.

Most residential rehab facilities will have introduced the alcoholic to 12 step fellowship meetings such as AA, being familiar with these fellowships and programmes provide the alcoholic with their number one resource in their journey discovering a new way of life.

Here are a few basic tips that experience staying sober have proved to be useful suggestions on the road to alcoholism recovery.

Get to a 12 Step Meeting as often as you can. In early recovery it is hard to do too many meetings, the fellowship suggestion of 90 meetings in 90 days was not concocted by accident, and experience shows it helps. In fact if you can get through the first 90 days sober you've passed a useful milestone and relapse after 90 days is less frequent.

Make plans. Try not to be around drinking people and places and try to avoid the things that used to accompany your drinking. Old drinking friends, familiar haunts and things that may trigger a craving to drink are best avoided so if you have to be around events such as weddings, parties or work functions; have a plan.

Make a time to leave, make sure you have your own transport and keep a fellow alcoholic's, in recovery of course, number on your phone, if things get tough make that call! No one understands the alcoholic problem like another alcoholic.

Do things-Structure your time for productivity and enjoyment. Being sober is the start of a new way of life, the opportunity to do the things drinking got in the way of. Take up a new hobby or revive an old interest. Whether it is just for fun or the route to something new like training or education there is a lot of productive time to be enjoyed sober.

Take care of yourself. Regular gym time, a massage or just a walk in the park can do your body and soul good. Many alcoholics get a real sense of satisfaction from just taking a little care of themselves or even their appearance. Living sober is about a new way of life and taking care of yourself is a good place to start.

There is a well used acronym in sober living, HALT, it means hungry, angry, lonely and tired and these are four states that the alcoholic in recovery needs to look out for. Don't put off eating, or eating properly, good body sugar levels and nutrition are important. Anger is never a happy state, be aware of what makes you angry, and find better ways to deal with it.

Don't get lonely, attend meetings, get phone numbers and use them reach out for the help that is all around you. Get the rest your mind and body needs, a tired mind is a confused one.

Above all, have fun.There are no guarantees in a sober life. Stuff still happens, but adopting these few simple suggestions may help an alcoholic stay sober and even enjoy being sober.

http://wedorecover.com provide free advice on how to get into an alcohol detox and stay sober.


Sunday, October 16, 2016

Addiction thoughts and cravings - Substance Addiction and Recovery

Trigger–Thought–Craving–Use

Craving can be activated by external triggers.

Triggers can cause thoughts, which can turn into cravings and lead to use.

The earlier this chain of events is interrupted, the more likely relapse will be avoided.

An effective technique for coping with triggers and cravings is thought stopping.

Thought Stopping

Simply put, thought stopping interrupts the usual process that culminates in using or drinking.

The usual reaction to thoughts about using “argue” with the developing thought/craving. The argument usually results in the addiction winning.

Arguing precedes negotiation, compromise, justification, and, possibly, relapse.

Thought stopping ends this process before relapse begins, usually stopping cravings in their tracks.

If thought stopping works, but the thoughts frequently keep coming back, people in recovery may have to change their immediate environments or engage in tasks that require full concentration.

Thought stopping techniques include

Visualization

Relaxation

Rubberband snap

Calling someone

Visualization

When people experience thoughts of using drugs or alcohol, they can visualize a switch or lever and imagine actually moving it from ON to OFF to stop the drug- or alcohol-using thoughts.

It is important to have another thought ready to replace the drug- or alcohol-using thoughts.


It should be a pleasurable or meaningful thought and one that does not involve drug or alcohol use.

From Break The Cycle. Volusia County Outpatient Programs


Monday, October 3, 2016

Information about Methamphetamine and Cocaine - Addiction and Recovery



Methamphetamine - Cocaine Effect and Dopamine

Both are highly addictive stimulant drugs that are similar in many ways, although there are significant differences as well.

Cocaine and methamphetamine differ in that cocaine is processed out of the body much faster than is methamphetamine, so the effects, or high, of cocaine don’t last as long.

The effects of cocaine last for only 1 to 2 hours, whereas the effects of methamphetamine last 8 to 12 hours.

Withdrawal from methamphetamine also can last longer, and the symptoms of withdrawal may be more intense than those of cocaine withdrawal.

Dopamine

The effects of both meth and cocaine are caused by the drugs’ effects on dopamine, a chemical that is always present in the brain.

Dopamine plays an important role in:

  • Body movement
  • Motivation and reward Thinking
  • Pleasure responses
Dopamine also plays an important role in addiction to any drug.

Example of Dopamine’s Effect

When a person engages in natural activities like eating, drinking, and sex, dopamine is released by cells in the brain and creates immediate (though short-lasting)

feelings of pleasure by stimulating other cells in the brain.

These feelings reward the basic activities of eating, drinking, and sex and motivate people to repeat them, ensuring survival.

Dopamine Imbalance

When the natural balance of dopamine is upset (by a drug, for example), a person can experience negative effects:

Too much dopamine may produce nervousness, irritability, aggressiveness, fears that are not based on reality, and bizarre thoughts.

Too little dopamine is associated with low mood, fatigue, and the tremors and the inability to control movement that are part of Parkinson’s disease.

Dopamine and Stimulant Drugs

When a person uses meth or cocaine, too much dopamine becomes available in the brain.

Although each drug increases the amount of dopamine in the brain in a different way, many of the effects are the same.

When a person first starts taking meth or cocaine, he or she will experience primarily pleasurable effects but will also experience some negative effects that are caused by too much dopamine.

Dopamine and Stimulant Use Over Time

As a person continues to use meth or cocaine, the brain’s dopamine system becomes damaged.

As the damage increases, the person will continue to experience some pleasurable effects but also will experience substantial negative effects from meth or cocaine.

When the stimulant and euphoric effects of meth or cocaine wear off, dopamine levels may decrease to levels that are below normal, and the person experiences an abrupt drop in mood and energy levels.

Symptoms of fatigue and depression are common.

These negative feelings often create a strong desire (craving) in the person to take the drug again.

Over time (often, very little time), this use–depression–craving–use cycle leads to addiction.

Route of Administration


  • How a drug is taken influences


  • How quickly it produces an effect


  • The strength of the drug’s effects, both positive and negative


The negative effects a person will experience

Both meth and cocaine are available in various forms that can be:


  • Injected


  • Smoked


  • Snorted


Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is known on the street as


  • Meth
  • Crystal
  • Ice
  • Speed
  • Glass
  • Chalk
  • Crank
  • Tweak


The 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated that 12 million people ages 12 and older had used meth at least once in their lifetime.

Some evidence shows that meth use has stabilized. The number of people using meth and the number of people trying it for the first time remained constant in 2002,

2003, and 2004.

From 2002 to 2004, the average age of first use increased by more than 3 years, from 18.9 years to 22.1 years.

Who Uses Meth?

Although the overall rate of meth use may not be increasing, use remains a significant problem.2,3

The number of people dependent on meth more than doubled between 2002 and 2004.4

Once confined to certain areas of the country, particularly Hawaii and west coast cities, meth use has spread throughout the country and among different populations.

People who use meth have traditionally been Caucasian, male, blue-collar workers.

Meth use spread to the party and club scene (raves, etc.).

Meth use is increasing among Hispanics and young people who are homeless.

Use among women has increased.

More women use meth than use cocaine or heroin; near-equal numbers of men and women now use the drug.

Meth is used increasingly in the workplace; it has long been used by long-haul truck drivers, but use is spreading on construction sites and in manufacturing.

People in the entertainment, sales, retail, and legal professions also increasingly are using meth.
34

Immediate Psychological Effects

The immediate psychological effects of methamphetamine include:


  • Euphoria


  • Alertness or wakefulness


  • Feelings of increased strength and renewed energy


  • Feelings of invulnerability (feeling that nothing bad can happen to you)


  • Feelings of increased confidence and competence


  • Intensified feelings of sexual desire


  • Decreased feelings of boredom, loneliness, and shyness

Immediate Physical Effects

The immediate physical effects of methamphetamine include:

Increased:

– Heart rate – Blood pressure
– Pupil size – Breathing rate
– Sensitivity to sound and stimulation – Body temperature

Decreased
– Appetite
– Sleep
– Reaction time

Toxic Effects

These effects may not sound bad, or they even may sound desirable.

However, meth can cause serious long-term psychological and physical damage (toxic effects).

Although many toxic effects go away in time, even after a person stops using meth, some effects can be permanent.

Most negative effects begin fairly soon with regular meth use.

Chronic Psychological Effects

Chronic psychological effects (“chronic” means that these effects may begin later in a person’s use cycle and last a long time) of meth use include increased

Confusion

Mood swings

Loss of ability to concentrate and

Irritability and anger organize information

Counselor’s Family Education Manual: Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Loss of ability to feel pleasure without the drug

Paranoia (persistent feelings that one is being watched, is being followed, or is about to be harmed)

Insomnia and fatigue

Depression

Anxiety and panic disorder

Depression when not using meth, called “crashing”

Reckless, unprotected sexual behavior

Severe Psychological Effects

Particularly severe psychological effects can include

Tactile hallucinations (the person feels as if things are crawling on him or her) or auditory hallucinations (the person hears things that aren’t there)

Severe depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts

Episodes of sudden, violent behavior

Severe memory loss that may be permanent

Chronic Physical Effects

Chronic physical effects of use include

Tremor (shakiness)

Weakness

Dry mouth

Weight loss and malnutrition

Increased sweating

Oily skin

Sores caused by oily skin and by the person picking at his or her skin, a common effect of meth use

Headaches

Severe problems with teeth and gums caused by teeth grinding, decreased blood flow to the mouth, and decreased saliva

Severe Physical Effects

Particularly severe physical effects can include

Seizures

Damage to small blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to stroke

Damaged brain cells

Irregular heartbeat that can cause sudden death

Heart attack or chronic heart problems, including the breaking down of the heart muscle

Liver failure

“Tweaking,” movements that a person can’t control that are repeated regularly

Infected skin sores that can cause severe scarring

Meth Is Not Just Meth

Because meth is manufactured by amateur “cooks,” it is often full of impurities, such as lead ace- tate or mercury, which can lead to heavy metal poisoning, and

various acids created in the process.

In addition, meth is “cut,” or diluted, before it is sold to maximize profits.

The substances used to cut meth can cause problems of their own.

Meth purity tends to range from 40 to 70 percent, meaning 30 to 60 percent of what a person injects, snorts, or smokes is not meth.6

Injecting Meth

The ways in which a person can take meth create special problems as well. Injecting meth can cause

Blood clots

Heart inflammation

Skin abscesses

Pneumonia

HIV, tuberculosis, or hepatitis C virus

Kidney failure exposure from sharing needles and other works or from unprotected sex

Snorting Meth

Snorting meth can cause

Sinus infection

Hoarseness

Holes in the septum, the cartilage

Nosebleeds between nostrils

Smoking Meth

Smoking meth can cause

Throat problems

Severe coughing with black mucus

Burned lips

Chronic lung disease

Lung congestion

Meth Dose and Effects

The dose and frequency of meth use affect the level of toxic effects, as well.

The higher the dose and the more frequent the use, the higher the likelihood of toxic effects.

People who use meth tend to develop tolerance for the drug, meaning that it takes a higher dose to get the desired effect as people continue to use meth.

Submitted by http://breakthecycle12.com



Examples of Alcohol abuse and the problems it can cause

Alcohol Abuse and some of the problems it can create



  • Drinking can cause behavioral and physical problems.



  • Alcohol use is associated with domestic violence, child abuse, and assault.



  • Use is associated with all types of accidents.


The more heavily a person drinks, the greater the potential for problems at home, at work, with friends, and even with strangers. These problems may include


  • Arguments with or separation from spouse and other family members



  • Strained relationships with colleagues



  • Absence from or lateness to work with increasing frequency



  • Loss of employment because of decreased productivity



  • Committing or being the victim of violence



  • Auto crashes and/or arrests for driving under the influence
Content Provided by Break The Cycle IOP of Daytona Beach Florida

For the best quality in drug and alcohol recovery and counseling, please visit:
 Break The Cycle Florida Outpatient Services

Monday, September 5, 2016

7 Positives To Focus in On During Recovery

1)      Relationships, intimacy and commitment. Studies show that people who rate themselves as very happy have close ties with other people. But having a large number of friends doesn’t seem to matter. What does matter is that happy people prioritize connecting with others, making meaningful friendships, and then making time to spend with those people. Start small — try making one phone call to someone you care about each week. See where that leads.

2)      Caring, kindness, giving and service. Making time to give back. It may be to the recovery community through service to your Alcoholics Anonymous group, or in other ways, but make it a priority to do things for others with no particular reward in mind. Volunteering is a great way to connect with others and give back to your community. Not sure you can handle volunteering in a hospital or nursing home setting? Perhaps walking dogs at the local animal shelter is a better match for you.

3)      Physical health, nutrition, sleep and exercise. Negative moods can be a real risk to your sobriety, and using drugs or alcohol can wreak havoc on your body. Regular exercise can be as effective as medication at easing depression—and you’ll feel better physically, too. Not the type of person to join a gym? Hate running? Try yoga or find a local rail trail in your area. You can find activities that you can enjoy solo or in a group. Many areas now have “Meet Up” groups engaging in nearly any type of activity you can imagine—from ultimate Frisbee to tango.

4)      Goals, hobbies and flow. Find an activity that you can dive into with both feet. For some, this may be a creative outlet, like pottery, needlework or art. For others it may be an activity, like riding a horse or bicycle. Whatever it is, it should be something that challenges you—something you can work at and seek to master. It should be something that when you do it, you can get into the groove and experience the joy of “flow.” Flow is best understood as that sense that you’ve totally lost track of time and even a sense of yourself. With pottery, it’s like the universe has shrunk down to the clay, the wheel and your hands. Time evaporates, and you are totally in the moment. Afterward, you may feel joyful, relaxed or exhilarated, and you’ll likely be amazed at how much time went by. Experiencing flow is a core component of happiness.

5)      Spirituality, religion or a higher power. Studies show that people who consistently consider themselves to be happiest also indicate some connection to either an organized religion, a self-definition as spiritual or a commitment to a higher power. Many different traditions stress some sort of meditation as a part of the practice of the faith, and again, meditation is known to be linked with feelings of well-being and happiness.

6)      Strengths, best qualities and sharing them. Again, studies show that happiness is strongly linked to a certain type of self-knowledge—not self-criticism. While it is all too common to be your own harshest critic, being able to identify and use your best qualities—your strengths and virtues—is an important skill that happy people seem to master.

7)      Optimism and gratitude. These qualities have to do with being able to roll with the punches and cope with the ups and downs that life and recovery will certainly dole out. Happy people manage to find opportunities, even in difficult or negative situations. They may mourn and grieve losses, but they don’t lose hope or predict negative outcomes. Studies indicate that optimistic thinking can help people feel better mentally, emotionally and physically.

If you work on integrating these seven principles into your life, as you continue to work your program, you just may find that relapse prevention is a positive and fun part of being sober.

From Promises.com