Coping With Addiction

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Addiction is life-changing. It can completly change who you are, and it’s very easy to become addicted to something. Unfortunately, if you suffer from mental health problems, you are more likely to have an addictive personality. This increases your chances of becoming addicted to something, and can make it more of a challenge to recover.

The first step in coping with addiction is realizing when you are becoming addicted. Being addicted means you no longer have control over something – you don’t want it, you need it. This could be a psychological need, or a physical one. You might find that you suffer from withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking, feeling unwell and sickness, when you don’t have it. You might find that your body needs more of the substance to get the same effects – for example, you might find you need more painkillers to numb the pain.

Psychological addiction is when your life begins to revolve around getting, and taking, the drug. An example of this is lying to the pharmacist or doctor to get more tablets, or stealing them.

People with addictions, physical or psychological, might find that they have drastic mood changes, and that their weight changes – you might lose a lot of weight, or gain a lot. Your sleeping habits might change, and you might feel anxious, depressed, and become less interest in things you used to enjoy.

If you think you might be becoming addicted, or are already addicted, you need to seek help. Addictions can be difficult to fight, and you are unlikely to succeed on your own. Speak to someone about your problem – you might want to confide in a friend or family member as a ‘practise run’ before telling a doctor or counsellor. There are many ways to fight an addiction, from addiction ‘holidays’ where you spend time in a camp to steps you can take at home, with help from your family and friends. You will get a choice in what you want to do – you’ll also get plenty of support to kick your addiction.

Filed Under: Addiction, Care & Cure

Supporting Loved Ones with Addictions

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It can be heartbreaking to watch someone that you care about struggle with addiction. So many times it is hard to know what you should do and when. One of the best things that you can do is be part of his or her support system. What does this mean? It just means being there for someone no matter what. It isn’t always easy, at times it can be frustrating, and it may require that you step outside of your normal routine to be there at any time day or night. However there is such a great feeling that comes with helping a friend that you care about.

Be proactive when you are looking to help someone with their addiction. There are going to be times, especially in the beginning, where they may need help and just don’t want to make the call. For any number of reasons they may think that calling you up is going to be an inconvenience or you are going to make a judgment of what they are doing or what they need. Call and stop by on a regular basis. Don’t just say you are going to check in; really check in.

Make tough decisions when needed. It isn’t always easy to support someone struggling with addiction. It can be frustrating to see them taking steps backwards and there are times that you will have to step in and attempt to get them away from a bad situation. Just be willing to do anything it takes, even the tough things, to make sure that you are beside them as they work for change in their lives.

Filed Under: Addiction, Care & Cure Tagged With: ,

Alcohol Addiction Can Harm Your Health

January 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Drinking excessively can be very detrimental to your health, both mental and physical. That’s important to consider when you realize that you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol. The good news is that you can get the help that you need to feel better and get on with your life. Stopping your alcohol abuse is also a good way to move toward healing the health problems that you’ve developed. Some of them might not be reversible, but you can at least prevent them from getting worse. For people who haven’t been drinking that long and haven’t yet done much damage, now is the time to stop drinking and make sure that you protect your physical and mental health.

The liver, brain, and heart are all affected by alcohol. Drinking occasionally generally does no damage, but heavy drinking or binge drinking – especially over a long period of time – can damage these vital organs beyond repair. This can cause all types of long-term health problems and can significantly shorten a person’s lifespan. You don’t have to allow that to happen to you or your loved one. Get help today, at a place like MichaelsHouse.com, where you can embark on the journey toward staying clean and sober.

It might not always be easy, but it’s always worth the effort. Because the damage from alcoholism might not be reversible, it’s vital to stop drinking as soon as possible, before the damage becomes worse. Over time, the damage will accumulate, and it’s not going to get better if the person keeps drinking. Once a person is sober and has the alcohol problem under control, it’s important that he or she have a full assessment of both physical and mental health, in order to determine what other kind of treatment might be needed.

Filed Under: Addiction, Medication Tagged With: , , ,