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.

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

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

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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.
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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

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

Addiction Help Programs - Opiate Addiction and Various Types of Treatment Programs

Once it grabs hold, an opiate addiction can haunt a person for the rest of his life. The effects of opiates hit hard and fast. Before even realizing it, getting and abusing drugs becomes the central focus of one's life. Once a person acknowledges how powerful an opiate addiction can get, opiate addiction treatment programs turns into a matter of fighting for one's life.

Opiate addiction help which can be found at opioid treatment center St. George starts from where a person's willpower leave off when withdrawal symptoms and cravings kick in. Opioid treatment program St. George includes medication and psychotherapy help to gradually steer a person out of the clutches of an opiate addiction. As opioid treatment program St. George can be very helpful to a person who wants to beat the addiction, understanding the different types of treatment available in opioid treatment center St. George can make the recovery process easier.

There are various types of treatment programs available to help someone in overcoming opiate addiction and some of them are as follows:

1) Cold turkey detox. Quitting opiates cold turkey can be a very hard, long, and painful process. In this process, you don't take any medication to mimic the effects of opiates. You experience the effects of a sudden disappearance of drug from your body. It is also very successful because going through withdrawals is the worst nightmare that one can have and after going through that generally people stay away from drug abuse because they have a reason to do that.

2) The slow taper method. Slow tapering can decrease withdrawal symptoms if done right. Clearly, the slower the taper, the less painful your withdrawal effects will be. It is quite possible to quit using this technique, but one must be exceptionally disciplined or rely upon the help of a loved one who can distribute and keep an eye on the dosage. But for a few clients, this may not be a realistic approach to quit. The slow taper strategy winds up being an excuse to justify and prolong consistent drug use.

3) Suboxone treatment. Suboxone is a medicine that is comprised of buprenorphine and naloxone which, when released in the body, eliminates the opiate withdrawal symptoms almost instantaneously. It is really useful for people who were on strong drugs before. The drawback about this pill is that it is highly addictive and there is a high chance that one might develop an addiction of Suboxone. Buprenorphine is the active ingredient in Suboxone and Naxalone. Buprenorphine has a stronger effect on a brain's opiate receptors than all other opiates.

4) In-patient rehab centers. In-patient rehab is done in a residential setting, with the addict staying right at the facility, instead of traveling to clinics for appointments. This is an incredible alternative for clients that require broad emotional or physical backing. In-patient rehab gives the client a structured day in a safe place, where they can be observed, undergo physiological treatment, and create sustainable and healthy life habits for when they are to be discharged.

5) Outpatient opioid treatment. Outpatient opioid treatment is optimumal for the case in which the addict already has a good support system in place and can exercise great self-control. If you feel that you already have your addiction under control and you simply require a little guidance to get you past the halfway point, then outpatient opioid treatment may work for you.

If you are looking for opiate addiction treatment programs, then visit BrookStone Medical Center. We specialize in medically assisted tapers using methadone, buprenorphine and suboxone. Our personalized counseling and tapering programs are designed to fix every patient's needs. For more details, please visit our website

Step 4 Spiritual Principle: Courage

Each of the 12 steps has a spiritual principle behind it.  The first 3 are:

Step 1 is Honesty
Step 2 is Hope
Step 3 is Faith

Since Step 4 asks for a "searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves", COURAGE is the featured principle and feeling as you do a Step 4.

There are 3 main areas/feelings that people will address on a Step 4.

FEARS
RESENTMENTS
SEX HARMS

Honesty is also needed when doing a Step 4 to rid as much of the resentments and fears that can occupy the mind of an alcoholic and addict during the early part of their recovery.

Many in the program feel getting to and through a step 4 as quick as possible can be very beneficial in relieving the heavy weight of FEAR and RESENTMENT.

After this courageous and honest step, a person then releases this "inventory" to God and another person (a sponsor preferably).

The "work" starts at Step 4 and it can be difficult for some. But it also can release the burdens we carry around and prepares you for the rest of the Steps and your new life in sobriety.