Category Archives: Drug Abuse Treatment

Why Do We Get Hangovers?

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The fun always has to come to an end. And when it comes to drinking, this fun generally results in a hangover. The feeling of a dry mouth, unbearable headache, and nausea. It’s terrible and people generally get the sense of regret upon waking up with such unpleasant sensation. Yet, it doesn’t stop many from making the same mistake again. And again.

Hangovers tend to make people feel achy in the muscles. Their eyes become much more sensitive, specifically to light. And there’s this overwhelming desire to continually drink water as thirst never seems to end. People with severe hangovers will find themselves dizzy, sweaty, and maybe a little agitated.

There’s reasoning behind all these terrible symptoms. Hours after your last drink is consumed, your blood alcohol level dramatically drops. With this, there’s a climax with these symptoms once your blood alcohol level has hit zero.

According to Robert Swift, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, hangovers are just like withdrawals. When a non-addict is drinking – even if it’s their first time – their body becomes ever so slightly addicted to alcohol. Enough to the point where a hangover will pursue as a way to release the chemicals.

This gives us input as to why proper detoxing for alcohol addicts is so important. If just a taste of being drunk causes an individual to experience withdrawal symptoms, you can only imagine what it must be like for someone who’s a heavy drinker.

Different Hangovers for Different Alcohols

Have you ever noticed that certain drinks will leave you feeling more hungover the following day than others? The reason behind this is a chemical known as congeners.

Congeners are a byproduct found in alcohol after it has been fermented. A result of a mix of other chemicals such as methanol, acetone, esters, and more. Their main responsibility is to the taste and smell that an alcoholic drink will create. However, they will also constitute some of the taste for non-distilled drinks.

These chemicals are more common in darker liquors such as:

  • Red Wine
  • Dark Beer
  • Whiskey
  • Bourbon
  • Brandy

Knowing this will give an explanation as to why that Jack Daniels made you feel worse in the morning than the Smirnoff you had the week prior. For social drinkers, it’s something to keep in mind. Though hangovers are hard to avoid when you’ve decided to have your fun with alcohol, there are ways to make that morning nuance less overbearing.

However, for problem drinkers, the nuance stems much longer than the morning. As mentioned, alcoholics will experience withdrawals more frequently the more often they drink. Therefore, though the congeners are a confliction, the constant hangovers have more to do with the frequent intake of alcohol itself.

Symptoms Caused By Congeners

As we know, congeners are responsible for the feeling of a hangover. But what we have yet to discuss are the symptoms responsible for drinkings after effects.

The main one being dehydration. Alcohol is prominently known for getting rid of fluids within the body. With this in mind, you can assume that the more severely you drink, the more dehydrated your body will be. This will, inevitably, lead to an even more severe hangover.

Alcohol also fuels you with something called metabolites, which leaves irritation within your body’s fluids. This also catapults dehydration and can be blamed for any feelings of nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. It can also vex other areas of the body like your stomach lining and the muscles of your lower esophagus. Metabolites are the greatest responsibility for puking.

Yet, it’s the brain that truly is taking in much of the torment. Alcohol has an extremely depressing effect on brain cells that cause a person who’s drunk to lack coordination and hold sensations of dizziness. The more someone drinks, the more they are killing the cells in their brain accountable for proper analysis of how to handle oneself.

If you ever find yourself feeling weak due to drinking, it’s because of the combination of effects on the brain and in lowering your blood sugar. People who experience diseases that cause low blood sugar – such as hypoglycemia – will feel this vulnerability even more.

With all this information, it’s important for individuals to remind themselves that alcohol is – in some regards – poisoning the body. And if said individuals have any sort of medical concerns, they should be aware of what they could be doing to their bodies with the intake of alcohol.

Yet, even healthy individuals should keep an open eye as to how much they drink. Too much of the substance could lead to diseases later on, one of the most important being an addiction. For once addiction becomes an issue, there’s much deterioration that’s going to take place within the body.

Avoiding Hangovers

Is there truly a cure out there that will ensure people avoid hangovers while drinking? The simple answer is no. The only sure fire way to prevent these terrible feelings is to either not drink or drink less of a particular substance. With the knowledge of congeners in mind, you can consider which drinks are less likely to produce stronger hangovers, but you cannot avoid them.

What about the cases of some people not getting hangovers? It’s hard to pinpoint everyone’s reaction to alcohol because we all hold different responses to any sort of substance. Body weight, the amount of food in the digestive tract, and the speed at which alcohol is consumed all play a factor in the hangover that will follow the morning after. Most of the time, the people who don’t get hangovers are drinking more responsibly.

It should be noted that keeping your body hydrated while consuming alcohol will help with the symptoms. Yet, it’s not the answer to curing hangovers. They’re incurable once they’ve taken their effect. And the reason being is your body’s withdrawing from the substance and needs to time to rid itself of the chemicals.

For heavy drinkers, you are only fueling your withdrawal symptoms further with the more you drink. And you’re destroying your body and brain cells while this is going on.

If you or anyone you know going through an alcohol addiction and looking for a treatment plan, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is happy to help. Please, give us a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

How to Talk to Your Kids About Addiction

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Proposing a conversation upon your children about another’s substance addiction is never easy. Whether the addict is a parent, sibling, or other close relatives, a child’s comprehension on the subject remains vague. Therefore, the adult intending to initiate such a conversation is going to have to explain the situation properly and efficiently enough for a child’s understanding.

Statistics show that more than 28 million children have at least one alcoholic parent. These children have been shown to grow up with emotional, behavioral, and academic problems. This is due to the fact that these children grow up facing issues the average child doesn’t have to handle. With addiction’s arbitrary inclinations, substance-abusing parents are more likely to threaten their children to abuse, neglect, and the witness of domestic violence.

Over time, these effects play their role, and children of addicted parents end up four times as likely to become drug addicts themselves. Depending on their environment, there’s the strong chance they won’t understand a life outside of their drug infested home. However, there are steps that can be taken to avoid this. One of the most important being the proper conversation.

To whoever decides to take this task upon themselves, you should be aware of a child’s developmental stages in coordination to living within an addict’s home. For example, if the addicted parent(s) never gave their children proper discipline, there’s the impregnable possibility that they will grow up with a shortfall in self-discipline and an understanding of their responsibility.

Emotions within a child as such can be confusingly sporadic. Often, the case of resentment becomes an issue. Especially as a child enters their adolescent years. With these emotions in mind, the conversation about addiction can get tricky. What you are about to undertake is the explanation of addiction’s destruction to a young, fragile mind that has already witnessed much of the horror. We should attempt to put that horror into perspective and a clear understanding for the child’s sake.

Listed below are different factors to keep in mind when preparing for the conversation. Obviously, everyone’s situation is different and no two conversations will be alike. But these factors have remained consistent in terms of how to handle a child born into an addicted family.

  • Cue Yourself Properly

    There’s a time and a place for this conversation. Preferably, within a private setting and following a pinnacle moment of the addict’s abuse. The talk should be one without distractions and remain in a relaxed manner.

    If there’s a plan set forth to help the addict, use the opportunity as a way to speak with the child. Bringing up that a solution is set in place is a reassuring factor to the overall discussion. If any major changes are to be expected within the child’s life, to shy away from bringing them up. Be sure to always let the child speak if they desire to and let him/her learn to open up to such a dilemma.

  • Remember the Child’s Age

    The maturity of the child has much to do with the way you’ll speak of the matter to them. They may be too young for big language or too old for skimpy details. Be upfront and speak the truth, but keep in mind two important aspects.

    1. The amount of information a child can retain truly depends on their age and understanding.
    2. The details of the situation may (or may not) be inappropriate for certain periods of time. For example, if the child’s parents have recently overdosed on a substance and the child has yet to enter preteen years, you’ll want to go about the situation in an illustrative, yet, forgiving manner.

    Remember to always end the conversation with a sense of hope. No matter how old a person is, hope can be a leading factor in how someone handles with the emotions of an addicted parent.

  • Educate Yourself

    If you are fairly unaware of how addiction works outside of the obvious traumas, it’s vital you teach yourself about the situation. The internet offers research on any regard to the subject. A look through Stonewall Institute’s blog will even give you much information on a variety of topics.

    More often than not, a child will have many questions upon addiction. It shouldn’t be underestimated that they’ll probably believe whatever the adult has to say. Without proper answers, you’ll find yourself misleading. If you truly don’t have an answer, there’s no reason not to look one up together.

  • Remain Honest

    Never let yourself mock-up an explanation or work around certain matters that may be sensitive towards the child. Lying is another way of underestimating a child’s intelligence. Though they may believe a lie or two, it’s unfair to place them in such a position. Though it has been said many times, honesty can go a long way.

  • Liberate Humiliation and Create Perspective

    There are many instances where children will blame themselves for their parent’s downfalls. It’s important a child realizes it isn’t their fault. With this, an addict’s behavior and intentions have more of a possibility of coming into perspective.

    Through this perspective, a child holds the potential of realizing that they are facing troubles on their own. And that these struggles are not their faults. It’s key to make sure they realize they are not alone in this struggle. More often than not, the person attempting to give this conversation has, likewise, been through much due to another person’s selfish decision.

    This can be an enlightening moment to bring up what’s called “The Seven C’s”. The National Association for Children of Alcoholics” have created this list as a way for children to better understand their situation.

    1. I didn’t CAUSE it.
    2. I can’t CURE it.
    3. I can’t CONTROL it.
    4. I can take CARE of myself.
    5. By COMMUNICATING my feelings,
    6. Making healthy CHOICES, and
    7. By CELEBRATING myself.

  • Remain Open to the Child’s Words

    Children who are put in such a position may feel disconnected from many around them. If so, you should attempt to understand this disconnection and give them time to open up to you. The emotions they must combat are strong and patience is a vital factor in helping their comprehension.

  • Look for Other Support

    Sometimes we can’t give a child everything they need. No matter how hard we try, there are areas of understanding beyond our own comprehension. And professional help becomes a possibility. Whether it be a counselor, teacher, therapist, or religious leader, a child may find their comfort in places outside of you.

    If you or anyone you know is looking for a treatment plan or you would like more information on how to properly talk to children about addiction, please, give us a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

How to Recognize a Heroin Addiction

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A recent epidemic has been escalating in the United States involving many young teenagers and adults. For some time, heroin seemed to only be a problem revolving around lower class neighborhoods. However, in recent years, we’ve seen it shift to middle and upper-class areas.

Every day, we are seeing heroin creep into the lives of our families and friends. The problem isn’t just with teenagers and young adults. Men and women with children are just as susceptible to becoming addicted.

And with this escalation in opiate use, it’s important we make ourselves aware of what addiction looks like before it overcomes our loved ones. With the right knowledge, you might be able to stop an addiction before it’s too late.

The Birth of the Epidemic

Though opiate addiction isn’t a new epidemic, there are some ideas to how all this addiction grew in recent years. The United States is known to prescribe millions of medications annually to help with a variety of pains. But there’s one little pill that has caused more trouble than help.

OxyContin hit the market in the early 2000s and was labeled as the perfect pain medication. Before long, people were realizing how highly addictive the substance is. Besides OxyContin, a number of other opiate-based pain medication was being released to the public.

  • Lortab
  • Percocet
  • Vicodin
  • Hydrocodone

With the recent heroin epidemic, we are noticing that many of the individual’s addicted started using these sorts of substances.

Usually, an individual addicted to the above-mentioned drugs will search for something more powerful in order to get the feelings of opiate euphoria again. Either that or they can no longer obtain a prescription medication and turn to the streets for their fix.

The Signs of Heroin Addiction

In places like Arizona, there’s been not only a noticeable rise in those becoming addicted but also a threatening escalation in those overdosing. However, this epidemic is popping up all over the country. Specifically, the Northeast United States is getting it the worst.

Another apparent sign of the epidemic is that every year, less and less are being treated in rehabilitation facilities for alcohol and prescription medication. Rather, we are noticing an increase in those needing treatment for heroin addiction.

These statistics gives us a peek into what is happening with the drug epidemic in the United States. More and more seem to be jumping straight to heroin, especially in the younger generations. The concern lies in these young people’s education on not only the fatality of such a substance, but it’s highly addictive nature.

The clues to whether a loved one is using or not are fairly straightforward. If you’re curious as to whether your loved one is using heroin, answer the following questions.

  • Did he/she undergo a sudden and drastic change in behavior that’s led him/her to seem withdrawn from society and/or family and friends?
  • Has he/she spent more time alone recently rather than going out?
  • Does he/she avoid seeking out new crowds to hang out with?
  • Has there been a sudden loss of weight and/or appetite in him/her?

There’s also the question of whether marks are appearing on their skin (preferably, in places where veins are easily accessible). However, it cannot be forgotten that heroin can be snorted and smoked.

If you have concern over a loved one and would like more information on heroin addiction, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is always here to answer your questions. If you are led to believe that a loved one is using and are seeking out help, please give us a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

Teen Heroin Use and the Effects on Mental Health

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With the recent heroin epidemic creeping its way into the teenagers of America, there have been studies on the effects of opioid usage in developing brains. It might be obvious that heroin will in no way help those on their way to becoming adults. However, it’s important we educate ourselves on how a teenager’s brain isn’t developing properly while under the influence.

Within a study published in Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, a team of researchers has discovered the mental health damages found in heroin addicted adolescents and compared it to adolescents addicted to other substances that aren’t classified under opioids.

It’s notable that heroin addicted teens are more likely to suffer from symptoms of depression, anxiety, and an overall poor concept of their self-image. This fact alone shows that heroin use is very dangerous even outside its potentially fatal consequences. With the developing brain on such an intense substance, an addicted adolescent is preventing themselves from growing many of their psychology’s capabilities.

Teen Usage Statistics

The National Institute of Drug Abuse holds an annual survey tracking the statistics of heroin usage in teenagers between the grades of eighth and twelfth. For those interested in doing research on their own, the survey’s proper title is Monitoring the Future.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse has been running this survey since 1975 and notes that heroin use has gone up within the last decade. One of the biggest reasons for this is because purer heroin became available sometime in the 1990’s. Through that, people began smoking and snorting it rather than just injecting.

The survey will tell you that about 0.6% of twelfth and tenth graders consume heroin at least once over the course of a year. While 0.5% of eighth graders intake the substance. If we can compare these numbers to that of the 1970’s, there remains an increase. However, the Institute notes that they were only surveying needle injections up until 1995. Therefore, the team wasn’t accounting for the use of heroin with these other methods before they became popular.

One notable fact is even though heroin isn’t quite as favored amongst high school teens as it is in young adults, other opioid substances (mostly prescription medication) have seen an increase in popularity. In a previous blog, we mentioned how one of the most sufficient causes for heroin use is an opium addiction starting with other substances. We can link the increase of heroin use in young adults with the increase in opioid prescriptions amongst teenagers.

Effects on a Teen’s Mental Health

As mentioned earlier, the Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse conducted a survey in which they took heroin-addicted teenagers and compared them to teenagers addicted to other substances. Fifty-two of the teens were experiencing heroin addiction while sixty-eight were noted as having a non-opioid addiction.

The researchers found that those addicted to heroin were more likely to hold the traits of the following mental behaviors:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Disruptive conduct
  • Poor concept of oneself

Though these traits can be common even in non-drug users, the study concluded that there was a significant difference in attitude between heroin addicted teens and those addicted to other substances.

We can conclude that heroin has some major effects on the developing brain that teenagers should want to avoid. And though other addictions don’t seem to hold such a major threat, they still threaten heroin usage in later years. Most notably, if they are addictions of prescribed opioid substances.

If you have any questions in concern to teen heroin usage or you are looking for a treatment plan to help an addicted teenager, please give Stonewall Institute Treatment Center a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

What Causes Drug Abuse?

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Everyone grows up in this world differently. Therefore, not everyone’s drug abuse is triggered by the same causes. In fact, the causes for drug abuse can be so versatile, it’d be impossible to pinpoint every single source. Yet, there are common cases we have noticed amongst a good sum of addicted individuals. Likewise, these individuals also hold common aspects that sustain and fuel their addiction.

 

Genetic Susceptibility

It’s been scientifically stated that a person’s genetic makeup is accountable for half of their exposure to addiction. If your mother or father has suffered from addiction, there’s the tendency for the children to, likewise, experience similar sufferings.

This explains the commonality of families facing addiction together. Though it’s usually not the only probable cause for drug abuse, it remains a key factor in an individual’s decisions and behavior.

 

Personality Traits

Going off genetic susceptibility, there are certain personality traits people are born with that makes them more vulnerable to drug addiction. For example, if an individual feels experimental in terms of socializing, they may end up experimenting with drugs in a social regard.

It should be noted that though these personality traits come from one’s DNA, it’s not to say that the DNA held the trait of addiction. Rather, the DNA held traits that can lead to addiction if not disciplined properly.

 

Mental Health

In recent years, one of the biggest contributors to drug addiction has been mental health disorders. There are two reasons for this:

1. People suffering from mental health issues usually end up receiving prescription they become dependent on.

2. People suffering from mental health may seek out substances as a way of relief.

Another probability we’ve been noticing is there are occasions where non-mental health individuals develop mental health problems after addiction.

 

The Age When You Begin

Due to the fact that a teenager’s brain is still developing, if they take drugs at a young age, they are more likely to be dependent on them.

When an adult intakes drugs for the first time, after their brain has developed, they are less likely to be addicted. Reason being they didn’t allow their brains to grow while under the influence.

 

Environment

If you find yourself surrounded by other addicts on a daily basis, it’s going to be hard to avoid addiction within yourself. As the saying goes, we are a product of our environments. These surroundings are that of the following:

● Poor relations with family

● Lack of parent supervision

● Easily accessible drugs within community

● Being close with other addictions

 

Conclusion

Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is here to answer any questions you have on drug abuse. If you or a loved one is abusing drugs and are seeking out treatment, give us a call for more information on our facility at 602 535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

Defining Alcohol Poisoning

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If we can understand what alcohol poisoning (or alcohol overdosing) is, there’s a chance we can stop the 2,200 deaths per year it invokes.

Those most susceptible to alcohol poisoning are men between the ages of 35 and 65. This is due to the fact that a person’s body of that age frame isn’t as receptive as that of someone in their twenties. However, that’s not to say people in their twenties aren’t still at risk.

Alcohol poisoning is when an individual drinks too much alcohol and the body struggles to process it through. Inevitably, this leads to certain areas of the brain shutting down that are in control of your body temperature, breathing, and heart rate. These are vital not only to your health but also your life and if shut down, there can be fatal results.

There are a number of signs for you to look out for if someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning:

● Pale skin and/or bluish skin coloring (usually round lips and fingertips)

● Irregular breathing/extremely slow breathing

● Low body temperature

● Torpor/the inability to wake up or be woken up by others

● Seizure

● Vomiting

The cause of alcohol poisoning is an intake of alcohol to the level that it becomes toxic. For those who drink a glass of wine or two, there’s nothing to fear. For the person downing shot after shot at a club, there’s more of a risk. If an individual’s blood alcohol concentration exceeds 0.30%, then alcohol poisoning has entered the body.

Keep in mind, that all our bodies are built differently. Therefore, not all of us will experience a rise in blood alcohol concentration the same. Depending on your height, weight, gender, you might be able to handle more alcohol or less. There’s also the consideration of whether you’re eating and drinking water with the consumption of alcohol, how quickly you’re drinking, and what kind of beverage you are having. Tequila has a much higher risk than a glass of beer.

As mentioned before, the majority of those over the age of 35 are at more risk of dying from alcohol poisoning than that of a young adult. However, since a young adult hasn’t had much experience with alcohol, they can be facing the same risks as well.

When young adults drink in excess, many of them are at a stage in their lives where they are unaware of how much alcohol their bodies can handle. They may even underestimate the effects of alcoholic beverages that don’t taste so pungent; such as mix drinks.

The last factor to consider is those who quit alcohol for a period of time and go back to it drinking at high levels are also at great risk.

If you are a recovering addict feeling unable to control the urges to go back to alcohol, you should seek medical attention. The risks of alcohol poisoning in recovering addicts are much higher than that of a person just getting started with the substance.

If you’re looking for more information on alcohol or alcohol recovery, please give us a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

How to Stay Motivated Through Treatment

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More often than not, people check into a treatment facility with the intention of staying for the average rehabilitation length; 28 days. To think that the recovery process only lasts a month is underestimating the journey you’re about to take. Usually, rehabilitation under supervision lasts up to around 90 days. Yet, it continues throughout the rest of your life.

Maybe you have a loved one entering treatment for their addiction. Or maybe you’re addicted yourself and are looking for a way to handle the process. There are three separate factors that all correlate to help influence addicts stay motivated through treatment.

● Individual engagement

● Facility engagement

● Intensive interventions

 

Through these three factors, your treatment process will not only be successful but also reassure the motivation behind such a life changing decision.

 

Individual Engagement

There are instances where addicts are forced into treatment and, in the end, don’t recover. This has much to do with their lack of individual engagement.

One of the most important steps in recovery is an individual making the decision to quit themselves. If you desire to change your life in this regard, there’s more of an inclination to carry out the steps that proceed.

Addicts who find themselves in a full recovery are often self-motivated by their own ambition. This is why individual engagement is so important.

To ensure a successful treatment, here’s a list of some ways in which an individual can stay engaged:

● Support from loved ones

● Motivated to make a change

● Pressures from outside sources (work, relationships, criminal justice system)

 

Facility Engagement

Though an individual can’t necessarily be held responsible for a facility’s engagement, the facility in question is still your choice. This is why it’s vital for you to pick the right facility for your treatment.

Without the right engagement, an addict may lose faith in their abilities and never recover. When deciding upon a facility, look out for these key factors:

● Cooperative treatment plan

● Clear and concise treatment expectations

● Positive and promising therapeutical relationships with the staff

● Professional resources available (medicinal, social service, psychiatric)

 

Intensive Intervention

One of the most difficult aspects of addiction is an individual is forced to change direct areas of their personality. To go from high to sobriety may be a change in itself, but that change carries along with it a load of minor changes. With this, some individuals get unmotivated to make the change and end up dealing with intensive interventions.

When these situations come into play, those around the individual must know to step up and say something. Whether it be a family member, a faculty staff, a friend, a counselor, or even a co-worker, everyone in the individual’s life must remind him/her that he’s/she’s not on this journey alone. This gives off the impression of care in one’s life and care alone has the ability to motivate someone.

There have been instances where addicts attempt to get out of treatment, even if they had put themselves into it. Often, the change seems too radical for them to handle. It is important that we never let an individual feel undetermined about themselves and to lift them up in times of desperation.

 

 

If you or anyone you know has the desire to make this change, please feel free to call Stonewall Institute Treatment Center at 602-535-6468 for more information on treatment. You may also email us at [email protected].

An Explanation to Behavioral Health

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Behavioral health is indistinguishable with the term “mental health”. It involves the practice of treating, preventing and alleviating illnesses such as anxiety, depression, addiction, or insomnia.

We can look at behavioral health as the practice of taking care of the mind.

 

Your Options for Help

The most common practice for helping those concerned with their behavioral health is that of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This is also known as “talk therapy” as it involves a laid back situation in which a patient has a discussion with a professional in this regard.

It is a very popular choice considering it allows an individual to keep their privacy. This holds the potential of someone revealing important factors of their life they may not be comfortable sharing in a group setting.

However, group therapy shouldn’t be overlooked as it is also an option for treatment. Likewise, the 12-Step Approach and Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation are other alternatives to consider.

The positive aspect of group therapy is it allows you to relate to others who may be in a similar situation as yours. They also provide counselors, therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists to ensure that the individual and the group are discussing concerns that help resolve their behavioral health.

 

Therapy’s Length

One of the biggest questions many people ask is how long therapy will last. The easy answer is it depends on the individual. Some may feel satisfied after a few sessions while others may need a more intensive treatment.

However, it should be stated that the length of the therapy shouldn’t be a concern. Though some may not like the idea of needing treatment for their behavioral health, it’s important to do all you can to ensure you are treated. Therefore, don’t focus on the length of therapy. Rather, on how much you’re getting out of it.

Even still, there are instances where individual’s don’t need therapy anymore, yet, continue working with their behavioral health. For instance, people with anxiety may still get anxious after treatment. What’s important is if they came out of treatment understanding how to work with their anxiety.

 

Looking Down Upon Oneself

As unfortunate as it is, there are individuals who feel as though the necessity for therapy makes them a weaker person. This is one area in which we struggle to change. Needing professional guidance for behavioral health is nothing to be ashamed of. Rather, it should be embraced.

Mental health holds the potential of debilitating an individual just as physical health can. In some situations, even more so. This is why it’s important to make treatment a priority.

 

We at Stonewall Institute Treatment Center hope you don’t look down upon yourself for needing a priority other individuals might not need. We’re all built differently and what is a problem for one individual is always going to be dissimilar to another.

If you or someone you love is in need of behavioral health treatment, or if you just have any questions on the subject, please give us a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected]. We’re always glad to help.

Marijuana Addiction

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With a cultural movement happening across America where the legalization of marijuana is taking its effect, many are ignoring the notion that THC is addictive. This is partly due to its medical benefits and partly due to the idea that marijuana is harmless. Yet, recent studies have concluded otherwise.

For one, the THC levels have risen dramatically. About ten years ago, a marijuana plant contained 10% THC. Nowadays, that number has risen to around 30%. With such higher THC levels, we are finding that there are many incidents of excessive doses, toxic reactions, and medical emergency events spawned by consumption of marijuana.

Symptoms for Marijuana Dependence

It should be noted that many signs of addiction are similar to that of other substances. For example, if you’re finding yourself building a strong tolerance to the weed, there’s a potential for addiction. Often, people smoke more and more in order to feel the effects of THC.

A question that is important to consider; is marijuana conflicting with your interpersonal relationships, your job, and/or your education? Studies have shown that chronic smokers are often unmotivated and lack productivity in their daily lives which results in the intake of more marijuana.

Have you ever attempted to quit marijuana, but found it rather difficult? Being that marijuana is perceived as nonaddictive, many users try to quit on their own terms. Though there are those who come out successful, there’s also the flip side of the coin. Continued unsuccessful attempts at quitting marijuana is a sign of dependence.

Maybe you’ve attempted to quit, but found yourself feeling strange. Marijuana comes with its own set of withdrawal symptoms.

● Lack of sleep

● Loss of appetite

● Anxiety and/or depression

● Irritability (usually caused by a lack of sleep)

● Loss of focus/constant fatigue

● Gastrointestinal distress

● Strong cravings (which gives the chance of relapse)

The reason your body withdrawals in this regard is because THC stays in the system for months after quitting. Being that the chemical is still floating around, your body often expects for you to get high again.

 

Solution

Since marijuana withdrawals are not as powerful or dangerous as that of other drugs, medical supervision isn’t quite necessary. However, there are instances where individuals seek out some medical assistance. Usually because of their lack of sleep. Due to the fact that anxiety and depression are also factors of withdrawal, it’s important to keep a positive mindset when quitting any substance. Therefore, if you find yourself with either or, therapeutic help is recommended.

The most important element to remember when quitting marijuana (or any substance, for the matter) is that you must stay motivated to do so. Many people don’t quit simply because they aren’t motivated enough to face the unpleasant withdrawals. Keeping a positive mindset while taking this journey is the key to successful sobriety.

 

 

Stonewall Institute Treatment Center offers an Intensive Outpatient Program for addiction to any substance, including marijuana. If you’d like more information about this and/or questions about marijuana addiction, please call us at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

 

Detoxing From Alcohol

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Have you ever wondered how long it will take to detox from alcohol? With nearly 17.5 million Americans currently abusing alcohol (according to National Survey on Drug Use and Health), you are not alone on the question.

Before undergoing recovery, it’s understandable to feel some sort of anxiety. The most important knowledge to remember is that the road to sobriety is never easy, but always gratifying by the end.

Detoxing is your first step on this road to recovery. Due to the fact that your body is so accustomed to intaking alcohol, it has adjusted all of its systems and maintenance to coincide with the substance’s chemicals. Now that you’ve decided to rid yourself of these toxins, your body must adjust back to a sober lifestyle.

The first week of detoxing is when you’ll experience the most chemical changes. Admittedly, this is will most likely be the most physically painful step you’ll have to make. But after around ten days, the body usually completely detoxes itself and afterward, you’ll be on your way to sober living.

It should be noted that it’s very important you detox under medical supervision. This assures not only the successfulness of the detox but also your life. With heavy alcohol use, there’s a chance of fatality when detoxing. Being that your body is accustomed to the chemicals, a sudden withdrawal can lead to a seizure, heart arrhythmias, and kidney/liver dysfunction. All of which have lethal potential.

On top of this, you want to make sure your body is getting proper medical care. With a professional’s attention, you can assure yourself that your body will be treated back to its healthy state.

 

What Happens After You Detox?

There are multiple decisions you can make that are completely up to you. However, it should be noted that just because you’ve detoxed doesn’t mean you’ve completely recovered. Though the chemicals are out of your system and your body is feeling normality once again, there’s always the chance of relapse.

To seek out further treatment is to continue on this road towards sobriety. Rehabilitation treatment offers prior addicts to get a sense of who they are and why they’ve made such a strong decision. Most importantly, it’s been proven to eliminate many of the urges telling you to go back to a substance.

If you decide on rehab then you’ll be greatly diminishing your chances of relapsing. The program you find yourself in will have to do with a number of factors:

● Co-occurring conditions you may have

● Your history (and/or family’s history) with addiction

● Other personal needs

● Insurance/payment methods

 

Stonewall Institute Treatment Center

If you have any questions in regards to detoxing or are looking for more resources on where and how to detox, please give us a call today at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected]. We’d be more than happy to help.