Tag Archives: drug abuse

Dating in Recovery

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Thinking of starting your first intimate relationship post-drug or alcohol addiction? The right relationship can strengthen your alcohol and drug recovery. At the same time, dating the wrong person can push you towards relapse. Here are a few things to consider before you start a new relationship.

Build Positive Self-Care Habits First

While you take time to reflect on past dating habits, work on loving and caring for yourself. Loving another person in an intimate relationship starts with loving yourself. Build a foundation of self-love and positive self-care habits before you move on to your next relationship.

One of the biggest threats to a successful addiction recovery is stress. The passion of romance can be stressful, especially for those recovering from alcohol and drugs. Jumping into a new relationship before you master fulfilling your own emotional needs can lead to addiction relapse.

Ask yourself:

  • “Am I happy most days?”
  • “When I get upset, do I keep it in perspective?”
  • “Do I feel just as happy alone as I do with other people?”
  • “Am I excelling at work without feeling stressed out?”

If you can answer “YES!” to these questions, then it’s a good sign that you’re ready for a relationship.

Take Care of a Plant, Volunteer, Start a Project

Once you’ve taken care of your own happiness, try adding on some extra challenges. Taking care of a plant is a classic addiction-recovery cliche. If plants aren’t your thing, try taking on a volunteer project. This can be fulfilling in itself. If you can’t sacrifice a few hours every week to help others, do you really think you’re ready for an intimate relationship? Relationships are time-consuming and can present a lot of emotional challenges. Volunteering is a nice stepping stone.

Before you move on to a relationship, pick up a hobby or start a passion project. It will also help keep you sober and on track with your addiction recovery journey. When you start a new relationship, you’ll have less time to go around. You don’t want to feel like the relationship is preventing you from doing what you love. Once you’ve proven that you can donate time to others and dedicate time to your passions, it may be time to consider dating.

Recognizing Past Relationship Habits

As a recovering alcoholic or drug addicted individual, there’s a chance that you’ve developed some less-than-healthy relationship habits. Before you jump into a new intimate relationship post-addiction, it’s important to press pause and see if you can find any negative patterns that you’d rather not repeat.

Dating instincts are mostly subconscious. The relationship patterns you witnessed your parents engage in can have a significant impact on your dating habits as an adult. If you had parents who were addicted to alcohol or drugs, you might have absorbed some unhealthy dating tendencies. Relationships in the fog of addiction play out differently than when you’re dating with a clean brain and a clear head. By identifying negative patterns in past relationships, your next one will have a better chance of going well.

Avoiding Toxic People

It’s never time to start a new relationship with someone who isn’t emotionally healthy. When you feel like you’re ready, you need to be confident that your new partner will have a positive influence.

Negative interpersonal interactions have an adverse effect on mental health. How do you know that the person you’re interested in is healthy? Take a look at their life as a whole. Do they have a healthy social life? This looks different for every person. They don’t have to have a ton of friends, but they do need to be satisfied with the ones they have. Do they talk positively about life?

People tend to put there best foot forward in the early stages of a relationship. If you’ve only known someone for a few weeks and they’re already complaining, it’s not a good sign.

Start Slow, Love Can Be a Drug

There’s no reason to jump the gun. Take things slow. It can be easy to get too absorbed in your first relationship as a recovering addict. While you were using, you may have deprived yourself of close bonds and genuine emotional connections. Time was spent interacting casually, catching a buzz, and going about your day.

The authentic love of your first intimate relationship can be a drug in itself. In fact, love is a drug — oxytocin to be exact. Oxytocin is a hormone that acts on opioid receptors. It’s activated when you experience emotional and physical intimacy. Oxytocin is influential in the formation of social bonds. The desire to give yourself over to the satisfaction and relief that oxytocin provides can be powerful. Romance has the potential to distract you from your drug and/or alcohol recovery. Your affection should feel like a choice, not an addiction.

Communication is Key

Date someone who is an excellent communicator. Make sure that they’re open to answering questions about their past and answering difficult questions. As somebody working on your addiction recovery, you may have a tumultuous past. Dating someone who’s uncomfortable talking about it isn’t conducive to a healthy and positive addiction recovery. The person you date should be willing to discuss the impact that the relationship is having on your recovery.

Recovery needs to be your priority, and the person you date has to understand that. After all, if you relapse, it’s only a matter of time before the relationship becomes strained.

The High Stakes of Relationships in Recovery

You have to be ruthless with relationships in alcohol and drug recovery. The stakes are high. As your relationship grows, it can impact you in one of two ways. If communication is open and fearless, it can lead to success in recovery and make you a healthier person. If you or the other person doesn’t feel comfortable talking about the hard stuff, it will inevitably strain the relationship and your recovery.

By recognizing past relationship habits, avoiding toxic people, focusing on yourself first, and starting slowly, you can build a relationship that will strengthen your addiction recovery journey and bring joy into your life.

If you or anyone you love is seeking an individual counseling, intensive outpatient treatment program, or are just seeking more information, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is glad to help. Please, give us a call today at (602) 535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

The Impact of Toxic Relationships In Recovery

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Toxic habits like drug and alcohol addiction tend to attract toxic people. When you’re using, you may not be aware of the toxic relationships that are closest to you. Even non-addicts get sucked into emotionally destructive relationships.

This article discusses the pitfalls of toxic relationships in drug and alcohol recovery, how to avoid them, how to recognize them, how to get out of them, and how to recover.

How Toxic Relationships Start in the First Place

In the psychology of relationships, like attracts like. A common thread among addicted individuals is a turbulent family background. Drug and alcohol addiction can stunt emotional development and lead to poor coping skills. You repeat what you know, and before you realize it, you’re in a stormy relationship surrounded by negative people. These relationships can easily threaten alcohol and drug recovery.

Don’t be too hard on yourself! Your predisposition to unhealthy relationships is part of a well-documented phenomenon called assortative mating. It’s the natural process of selecting friends and partners who are similar to yourself.

How to Identify Toxic Relationships In Recovery

The first step towards weeding out toxic relationships is to identify them. How does that person make you feel? Do they help you feel more positive or negative? You’re going to need all the positivity you can get throughout alcohol and drug recovery, and there’s no room for negative deadweight.

Do they take part in destructive activities, like doing a lot of drugs, drinking frequently, and hanging out with the wrong crowd? Other toxic behaviors include stirring up excess drama, self-centeredness, and violating personal boundaries.

To simplify the process of identifying toxic people, see if you can categorize them into one of these five categories: Narcissist (self-absorbed), Underminer (back-stabbing, deceptive), Chronic Downer (depressed, negative), Flake (unreliable), or Critic (judgemental).

Keep a log of how your emotions change when you’re around them. After a few weeks of logging, their impact will be obvious. Making a record of your feelings makes it easier to decide to exit the relationship. The decision will already be on paper and more difficult to ignore.

How to End a Toxic Relationship

Addiction is a toxic habit that can feel impossible to break. Toxic relationships can be equally hard to end. You have to value your survival and ultimate happiness above all else. As you grow into the person you’re becoming, you’ll need to shed old relationships like a snake sheds its skin. You don’t have to stop loving the person, but you may very well need to stop seeing them.

There’s no easy way to end an intimate friendship or romantic relationship, just like there’s no easy way to get clean and sober. Chances are, it’s going to hurt. Keep in mind that your decision to end the relationship could be the wake-up call they need. When you run into them years down the line, they may thank you for inspiring them to turn a pivotal corner in their life.

How to Recover From a Toxic Relationship

In the aftermath of ending a toxic relationship, it’s important to surround yourself with positive friends. Positivity is contagious. You’ll need to soak up all the good energy you can in the wake a painful breakup.

Allow yourself to rest. In the midst of great change, having time to reflect is critical. Give your emotional equilibrium time to adjust. Build some alone time into your weekly routine. Fill that time with exploring things that interest you. Connect with productive activities. When it’s time to build new relationships, you’ll have positive interests to bond over.

Evaluating New Relationships In Recovery

According to Linda E. Weinberger, professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, idealization blinds people to the “red flags” of toxic relationships. You’re drawn to partners due to unconscious or semi-conscious drives that are influenced by cultural and biological forces.

Ask yourself a few simple questions to determine if a new friend will make a positive impact on your alcohol and drug recovery.

Do you feel more stressed around them?
Do you feel needy for their affirmation?
Do you feel manipulated or controlled in any way? Do they come across as jealous or possessive? Are they involved in destructive relationships?
Do they lack productive goals?

If the answer to these questions is a giant “NO,” then they may be a good candidate for a new relationship.

The Effects of Toxic Relationships on Health

When you’re in the midst of a toxic relationship, the adverse effects may be obvious to everyone but you. Toxic relationships can make you distrust the voice inside your head that points out red flags.

Toxic relationships elevate stress hormones. The constant tension from the relationship can keep the body’s fight-or-flight response engaged continuously. This may lead to chronic fatigue, a weakened immune system, poor digestive health, and hormonal imbalances.

The Whitehall II study was a landmark body of research on the effects of toxic relationships on stress and health. Researchers analyzed more than 10,000 people over the course of 12 years. They found that people who stay in negative relationships have an increased risk of dying from strokes and heart attacks. The effects have to do with a mechanism in the body called the CTRA (conserved transcriptional response to adversity). The CTRA is overactive in people who stay in toxic relationships, leading to increased inflammation and low immunity.

Other research has found that hostile relationships can even slow the healing of wounds.

Final Thoughts on Toxic Relationships and Recovery

Toxic relationships can be challenging to identify. It’s critical to your drug and alcohol recovery that you end toxic relationships and replace them with positive ones. Recovery is a time of dramatic change. Not everyone who you’ve bonded with during addiction will be a healthy presence as you move forward. Make a log of how the people closest to you make you feel. If their impact is thoroughly negative, they’ll have to go. Your health and recovery are at stake.

If you or someone you love is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is happy to answer any questions you may have. Call us today at 602-535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

How to Carry Out a Substance Abuse Intervention

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How to Carry Out a Substance Abuse Intervention

More often than not, a loved one places an individual addicted to alcohol or drugs into an alcohol and drug treatment program without much of their consent. With this comes lots of consequence that too often isn’t considered. Due to the fact that the addicted individual doesn’t want to make the change for themselves, there’s too likely of a chance of drug and alcohol relapse.

The only way to assure that alcohol and drug treatment will work is when the individual wants the change for himself/herself. Without this desire, they lack the motivation to go down the rough (but rewarding) path of alcohol and drug recovery. Even though it can be very difficult to give someone this motivation, it is possible. And it’s possible through an intervention.

The purpose of intervention is to help these individuals realize their need for alcohol and drug treatment. This can be done solely through the emotional offering of loved ones.

The Confrontational

 

This is the most direct form of an alcohol or drug intervention one can find. Just as the name implies, it’s an encounter that involves changing the addict’s frame of mind. For some time, the confrontational intervention was done as a means of punishment. Everyone involved would point out the addict’s flaws and criticize until some kind of emotion came out. Punishment being viewed as a means of focus until the individual changed his or her ways.

Now, these flaws are viewed more as an illness. And instead of criticism, there is meant to be a sense of support in the confrontation. This is one of the most widely acclaimed methods of drug and alcohol intervention and generally the go-to for many supporters looking to change their loved one. It’s been studied that addicted individuals genuinely react better to a confrontation that remains positive rather than negative.

The reason for this is many don’t want to be blamed for their life decisions. Though some of this might occur, they’d rather feel optimism when coming out of the intervention. A positive point-of-view that their lives have a chance to change and flourish in any direction they can dream.

This is the desired outcome of a successful intervention. How to go about it will be different for different families and friends. However, there are a few aspects that remain the same.

  1. Make a note as to where the addicted individual has gone wrong (without placing blame).
  2. Inform them that you have strong hope for their potential.
  3. Offer alcohol and drug treatment options.
  4. Make sure they never forget the support you will always offer on their journey.

The Johnson Model

 

Though there are some relatable aspects of the confrontational intervention, the Johnson Model holds one distinct difference. The idea behind this kind of intervention is to highly educate loved ones and supporter of the addict’s situation. With this, it’s also important to bring to mind how the addict should be confronted and how to find him or her help.

The Johnson Model intervention generally requires multiple meetings as a way of digging into the individual’s frame of mind. Due to this, a drug and alcohol mental health professional is often ideal as they will know the direction in which to take the conversation. With a substance abuse professional and multiple interventions, there’s a likely chance that the addict will feel less of a need to defend themselves. And more of a desire to open up about their problem.

Tough Love

 

There are many instances where the loved ones of a drug and alcohol addict are too afraid to say no. With this kind of easy-going attitude, the addicted individual often gets him/herself further into a drug and alcohol addiction without feeling any sense of consequence. This is ideal for family members with the desperate desire to get the addict into alcohol and drug intensive inpatient and outpatient treatment, but who’s also unsure as to how to carry this out.

However, it should be noted that this is often a last resort intervention method. The reason being is that there are plenty of instances where the addict ends up feeling a backlash from those who care – as though he/she is being punished and blamed. Therefore, the addicted individual ends up pushing himself further away from loved ones and further into drug and alcohol addiction.

A trained substance use professional is highly suggested for the Tough Love method. Within the method, lots of threats will be made towards the addicted individual. These heavy threats need to be followed through if the addict doesn’t comply. If not, then there’s the sense that the loved one doesn’t really know what he/she is doing. An alcohol and drug counselor can guide these threats and reassure that they will be followed through on.

The purpose of Tough Love is to limit all resources you provide to the individual until alcohol and drug treatment is seriously considered. These resources can include money, around-the-house tasks, or even the shelter you’re providing.

With a substance use professional helping the loved one throughout this intervention, they can also help out the addicted individual. For the Tough Love method often leaves them feeling victimized and in a situation where no one is truly there for them. The professional alcohol and drug counselor may need to be the one there.

As you can see, this isn’t something most loved ones want to go through and should only be done as a last resort.

The Crisis

 

The purpose of this type of intervention is fairly obvious. It’s meant for individuals going through an emergency situation – in an example, someone who’s just overdosed. Though the height of the emergency holds importance to the decision, most of the time, alcohol and drug treatment is necessary as immediately as possible.

There’s a problem underlying the crisis that’s mentioned in the introduction. If the addicted individual doesn’t desire to enter alcohol and substance use treatment, then this immediacy may seem entirely useless. For these kinds of situations, you might want to get a substance abuse professional involved in the intervention itself. Professionals specializing in alcohol and drug use hold the capability of getting individuals evaluated for commitment.

As you will assume, there are still occasions where individuals aren’t in the right frame of mind to be entering alcohol and drug treatment. However, if he or she is in a position of harming themselves or others around them, force may be necessary. It’s not the ideal way to go about substance use treatment, but unfortunately, for some people, it’s absolutely necessary.

The reason being is addicted individuals are highly prone to mental disorders. With this comes a risk for suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, ninety percent of suicide victims are mentally ill. As claimed by Helpguide, fifty percent of people who suffer from mental health abuse some kind of substance.

Still, the cause of a crisis goes beyond mental health. There are instances that will appear in anyone’s life that can throw them into a state of emergency – heavy financial problems, legal issues, homelessness, etc.

To top it off, the crisis could be stemming into other people’s lives rather than the addict’s. In an example, a pill-addicted mother may be ignorant towards her child.

The crisis intervention is without a doubt the most difficult kind to handle – crises are never expected. Therefore, gather together the necessary loved ones to have the intervention with may be very short notice and unplanned. With that, it is suggested you get an alcohol and drug counselor involved in setting up the dialogue of conversation. This will guarantee that what needs to be said will be conversed and the possibility of alcohol and drug treatment will be the dominant topic.

The ARISE Method

 

According to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, the ARISE method works about eighty-three percent of the time. Patients who receive this form of alcohol and drug intervention often feel moved by it for an important reason. It incorporates both direct and indirect models of intervention.

As opposed to the confrontational or Tough Love method – in which an addicted individual is ridiculed for their behavior – the ARISE method seeks to solve the addiction problem. Involving both the loved ones and the addicted individual through both of their perspectives. The entire focus of the method is to create a better family, not a better individual.

Once the addicted individual agrees to go to alcohol and drug treatment, all loved ones involved in the intervention must experience a treatment of their own. Generally, it’s some form of counseling that teaches loved ones to manage their lives around the addict. With that, the loved ones will be expected to learn how to help their addict after treatment and how to cure any negative wounds produced by the drug and alcohol addiction.

Often, the ARISE method is planned in advance and has the potential to go through a couple of meetings. These interventions are meant to encourage addicted individuals while educating family members too.

Is an Intervention Right for You?

 

There are many occasions where addicted individuals don’t need an intervention to realize they need drug and alcohol treatment. Sometimes, it just hits them at the right moment of their lives. The necessity for a change becomes overwhelmingly dominant.

Yet, there remain plenty of cases where an addicted individual is in denial over the harm they are doing to others and themselves. And these are typically the addicted individuals that need an alcohol and drug intervention. There’s the common occurrence that an individual doesn’t even realize they have a problem with alcohol and/or drugs until somebody brings it up.

If you or anyone you love is seeking an intensive outpatient treatment program or are just seeking more information on interventions, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is glad to help. Please, give us a call today at (602) 535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

What Makes Xanax So Dangerous to Take Recreationally?

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What Makes Xanax So Dangerous to Take Recreationally?

The medical community first made Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, available as a prescription in 1981. Today, drug dealers produce fake Xanax at alarming rates. The problem is that these pills are often pressed with other substances, including the lethal opioid fentanyl. As a result, overdose cases are increasingly common. In the rest of this article, we’re going to discuss the addictive properties of Xanax and why it’s so deadly when combined with fentanyl.

Xanax Drug Facts

Xanax, whose chemical name is alprazolam, has been heavily popularized by contemporary rap music. Its recreational use has skyrocketed over the last few years, and the prevalence of fake Xanax has gone up with it. A drug dealer can easily buy a pill press for $20 on the internet, crush up whatever substances they like, and sell it as prescription-grade alprazolam.

Mechanism of Action

Xanax is in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, which act on the brain by binding to specific GABA receptors. GABA is one of the primary neurotransmitters that impact anxiety. It’s inhibitory, meaning that GABA tells other neurotransmitters to calm down when they’re overactive. In the case of GABA, it communicates with the neurotransmitter glutamate. When you’re having anxiety, the over-expression of glutamate can be part of the cause. In cases such as these, a benzodiazepine like Xanax can suppress the expression of glutamate, resulting in decreased feelings of anxiety.

About Legal Xanax

Today, Xanax is one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States and is the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepine. Other benzodiazepines include diazepam, estazolam, quazepam, and clonazepam, among others. For most people, their first experience with Xanax is a legal prescription from their doctor. The most classic indication for Xanax is persistent anxiety accompanied by depression. Xanax is also prescribed for panic attacks, but since the development of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines have become a secondary line of defense in such cases.

Xanax is Highly Addictive

Even with the blessing of your doctor, you should exercise extreme caution when taking Xanax. The tendency for Xanax addiction is high with benzodiazepines compared to other prescription drugs, and the withdrawals can be severe. In fact, benzodiazepines are the only class of drugs besides alcohol that can cause seizures upon withdrawal.

Withdrawal Symptoms of Xanax

Users who are trying to quit after a long period of use are most at risk for seizures. Other symptoms of withdrawal from long-term Xanax use include psychotic episodes, hallucinations, and suicide. Long-term use is described as daily Xanax use for three months or longer.

Those who take Xanax less frequently are still susceptible to a long list of side effects when they try to stop. These can include headache, nausea, palpitations, sleep disturbance, panic attacks, irritability, anxiety, poor memory, muscular pain and stiffness, hand tremors, and increased tension.

Gradually reducing your dosage over time can help to minimize withdrawal symptoms. It is not safe to abruptly discontinue long-term benzodiazepine use.

What Law Enforcement Has To Say About Fentanyl Use

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) website, fentanyl is a banned opioid substance and is largely responsible for the recent nationwide spike in drug overdoses. Fentanyl, initially synthesized over 50 years ago, has enmeshed itself into the international drug supply. One of the most common final destinations for illicit fentanyl is the inside of an illegally pressed Xanax pill.

Why It’s So Easy to Overdose On Xanax That’s Laced With Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a cheap, synthetic opioid that’s far too potent for recreational use. Ironically, this is precisely why its use is so widespread. By sprinkling just a little bit of fentanyl into their Xanax concoction, dealers can significantly amplify the high. The danger is that adding even slightly too much fentanyl can result in a drug overdose. The likelihood of overdose increases when combined with a high Xanax dosage, other drugs, or alcohol.

Symptoms of Overdose From Xanax/Fentanyl

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine. Drug dealers can press the pills so that they look indistinguishable from the real deal. The user has no idea that their pills are laced with fentanyl until they start to take effect.

If you’re suspicious that you or someone you know has possibly taken Xanax that’s been laced with fentanyl, be on the lookout for the following symptoms:

Symptoms of Fentanyl Overdose

  • Pinpoint pupils
  • Confusion
  • Pale face
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Seizures
  • Low blood pressure
  • Limp body
  • Excessive drowsiness
  • Frequently losing consciousness

Symptoms of Xanax Overdose

  • Repeated loss of consciousness (including fainting)
  • Poor balance and coordination
  • Muscle weakness
  • Feeling lightheaded
  • Confusion

Notice that vomiting, pinpoint pupils and seizures are overdose symptoms of fentanyl but not of Xanax. Be on high alert for these signs when taking Xanax recreationally.

The Current Drug Overdose Epidemic

Over the last three years, deaths from drug overdoses have exploded in number, thanks largely to the massive influx of fentanyl into the drug supply. When officials released the figures from 2016, the statistics were staggering. Nationwide, statisticians estimate that 64,000 deaths were caused by drug overdoses in the year 2016 alone. That’s a 22% increase from 2015. Over this same time, drug overdoses involving fentanyl had more than doubled.

Xanax and Fentanyl Awareness Is On The Rise

On November 15th of 2017, the 23-year-old rapper, Lil Peep, died of a lethal drug overdose just hours before he was scheduled to perform in Tuscon, AZ. The young star was found unconscious and unresponsive on his tour bus after taking Xanax he had gotten from a fan. According to the coroner, no alcohol was found in Lil Peep’s system, and the official cause of death was a lethal overdose of Xanax and fentanyl.

The death of Lil Peep has sent shockwaves through the rap community. Several rappers who knew or were inspired by Lil Peep are now speaking out against Xanax use, including Lil Xan. Formerly a benzodiazepine addict himself, Lil Xan is now the leader of Xanarchy, a movement that’s dedicated to discouraging the use of Xanax.

On their own, Xanax and other benzodiazepines are dangerously addictive medications that have the potential for severe side effects and life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. When combined with the opioid fentanyl, the potential for overdose is high. More people are dying every year form fentanyl-related drug overdoses, and the numbers are staggering. When you choose to take Xanax other than what you’re doctor prescribes, you’re not just running the risk of becoming addicted to benzodiazepines. You also have an excellent chance of your pills being laced with a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

If you or anyone you love is suffering from benzodiazepine addiction, or would like more information on the topics discussed above, please, give Stonewall Institute Treatment Center a call today at (602) 535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

Healing Toxic Emotions through Vulnerability in Recovery

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One of the main obstacles to drug and alcohol recovery is the shame associated with substance abuse. A lifetime of addiction can leave behind a wake of regretful actions, damaged relationships, and poor decisions. It can feel overwhelming to face the reality of what life has become, but by sharing your story in Alcoholics Anonymous and other formats, you can move past your shame towards a healthy recovery.

What Is Shame?

Shame is different than guilt. When you feel guilty, you recognize that you did something wrong and act to correct it. Guilt is usually a healthy, motivating emotion. You may say to yourself, “I shouldn’t have done that, but it doesn’t represent who I am.”

Shame is different. It results in negative self-talk such as “I’m so terrible, I can’t believe I did that.” You see your regretful action as a reflection of who you are as a person. Unlike guilt, with shame, you may not try to repair the damage you’ve caused. Instead, you attempt to hide from or ignore the pain. You may disconnect from yourself and from others.

Healthy Shame vs Toxic Shame and Addiction

Believe it or not, not all shame is bad. Shame can serve as a moral compass and a reminder that you are not the all-powerful being you sometimes think you are. Good shame comes in the form of “innate moral shame.” When shame gets out of control, it becomes “internalized shame.” Internalized shame is toxic.

Healthy shame can guide you in the right direction when you have a difficult ethical decision to make. You may lie to your coworker and take a larger percentage of the profits than was agreed upon. The shame you feel for doing this can direct you to be more honest in the future. This type of shame is the foundation of humility and spirituality. Healthy shame can even push you to seek help for addiction when you recognize that substance abuse is the driving force behind your immoral behavior.

But shame isn’t always positive, and this is what makes it such a complicated emotion to understand. It’s internalized shame, or toxic shame, that fuels addictive behaviors. When shame consumes you and makes you feel that you are inherently a bad person, that’s when it can destroy you rather than motivate you towards recovery.

The Destructive Nature of Internalized Shame

Internalized shame makes you feel that you are the problem rather than the decisions you make and the actions you take. Rather than feeling regretful or embarrassed for a short period, you feel like a flawed person. Maybe you even go so far as to feel that you’re not worthy of love. Internalized shame can make you feel inherently defective. At that point, trying to improve yourself is a lost cause. The only way to escape your shame, and yourself, is to use substances to hide from what you’ve become.

Toxic shame is one of the most destructive emotions because it’s all-encompassing and becomes your state of being. Shame is soul sickness at its worst. Internalized shame is at the core of addictive behaviors.

Coping with Toxic Shame Through Substance Abuse

As toxic shame gets worse, you may take every means necessary to isolate yourself from the people who care about you. Distance is the only way to create a separate version of yourself and experience a break from the pain.

What better way to distance yourself than to abuse drugs and alcohol? It’s the easiest, fastest solution. If you’re already genetically predisposed to addiction, the combination of toxic shame and substance can be a lethal one. On one end you have the shame pushing you to seek something outside of yourself in order to feel okay. This can come in the form of money, power, sex, drugs or alcohol. Although these behaviors provide a momentary escape, they only add to the shame and regret after the buzz wears off.

The disease of addiction can take what would have been a healthy shame and turn it into toxic shame. This is especially true with young addicts, especially if their entire adult life has been consumed by addiction. Addiction is their identity. It can lead to a compulsive cycle that fuels more shame and more addictive behavior.

The Healing Power of Vulnerability

Healing toxic shame can be a painful process, but it’s an essential part of drug and alcohol recovery. If you’ve been using substances to escape from your feelings of shame, healing can be especially difficult. You’ll need to completely reverse your relationship with shame and meet it head-on.

It’s okay to recognize the shame that you feel for the decisions you’ve made. Healing begins when you admit that your shame doesn’t represent who you are as a person. Only then can you move forward in recovery.

Shame thrives when you’re in isolation. To beat it, you’re going to need to connect with others and share your story. By externalizing your shame and being vulnerable in front of people you trust, you can begin to recover. Psychologist Brene Brown is a massive proponent of the power of vulnerability to transform your life and become a leader in your community. Vulnerability is also an essential part of healing shame. When you trust someone to accept you for all your flaws you can start to change the negative beliefs you have about yourself.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Healing through Human Connection

Alcoholics Anonymous is a 12-step recovery program that works. Why is it so effective for so many people?

It relies on the power of vulnerability and human connection to heal toxic shame. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are full of people who know the shame of addiction all too well. You can feel safe to share your experience, get feedback, and start to disconnect from the shame that you’ve identified with for so long.

With that being said, Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t for everyone. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to a group of people you’ve only recently met, the same power of vulnerability can be experienced by sharing with another support group, mentor or therapist. For most recovering addicts, however, Alcoholics Anonymous is the most effective route to take.

Other recovering addicts will need more than just Alcoholics Anonymous. Inpatient and intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment programs can provide a solid foundation for addiction recovery.

Stonewall Institute Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center in Phoenix, Arizona provides services for drug and alcohol dependency and co-occurring issues. Services are delivered in a private upscale outpatient treatment setting using evidence-based treatment methods. Our program allows clients to sustain life responsibilities while providing an intensive treatment environment 3 evenings per week for 10 weeks. Clients in our Drug and Alcohol Treatment program will learn about underlying issues that contribute to substance dependence and obtain the vital skills necessary to sustain long-term sobriety and recovery.

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is available to answer any questions you may have. Call us today at 602-535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

The Dangers of Synthetic Marijuana

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Synthetic marijuana is a dangerous substance that can be addictive and toxic to the brain. John W. Huffman, Ph.D., is the chemist who created the most recent component of synthetic cannabis. He had this to say about people who use synthetic marijuana in an interview with ABC News:

“They’re playing Russian roulette. I mean, it’s just like taking a pistol with one bullet in it and spinning the chamber and holding it to your head and pulling the trigger.”

Synthetic marijuana is incredibly toxic to the brain. Despite its illegal status in the U.S., variations of the drug continue to be sold over-the-counter. When a given formula of the drug becomes illegal, chemists alter the recipe and continue distributing it.

Here’s what you need to know about the dangers of synthetic marijuana.

What Is Synthetic Marijuana?

Synthetic marijuana has been sold under various names, including “K2,” “Scooby Snax,” “Black Mamba,” and “Spice.” Each brand contains a unique combination of compounds. Since users never know exactly what they’re going to get, the effects can be unpredictable.

Synthetic marijuana activates the same receptors in the brain as regular marijuana. The difference is that synthetic marijuana overloads the brain. Not only is synthetic marijuana stronger, but it’s also a full opioid agonist instead of a partial opioid agonist like cannabis. In other words, the dose is too high and too intense for the brain to handle.

Jeff Lapoint, MD, an emergency room doctor and medical toxicologist, says that “synthetic cannabinoids are tailor-made to hit cannabinoid receptors – and hit it hard. This is NOT marijuana. Its action in the brain may be similar, but the physical effect is so different.”

A Brief History of Synthetic Marijuana

The various chemicals used in synthetic marijuana have been developed over the course of decades by a collection of companies and chemist.

The chemical CP 47,497 was developed by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in the 1980s. HU-210 was first developed in 1988 at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. HU-210 is 100 to 800 times more potent than the THC in regular marijuana. JWH-018 was created in 1995 at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Products containing these chemicals started showing up on shelves in Europe in 2004 under the brand name “Spice.” They started being sold in the U.S. in 2008. The U.S. Drug Administration took emergency actions to restrict the distribution of synthetic marijuana in 2010 due to a spike in emergency room cases. In 2012, a law was passed banning all known formulations of synthetic marijuana.

Synthetic marijuana products continue to be the cause of ER visits. Chemists simply change the formula to avoid legal repercussions. The government continues to ban new substances as they continue to be found, but it’s difficult to keep up with all the new products as they come out.

Side Effects of Synthetic Marijuana

Synthetic marijuana can produce a wide range of adverse side effects. Mild side effects include relaxation, elevated mood, and an altered the perception of sounds and objects. Moderate to severe side effects include confusion, rapid heart rate, extreme anxiety, vomiting, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, suicidal thoughts, and violent behavior.

Several case reports have documented gastrointestinal problems, hyperthermia, acute cerebral ischemia, heart attack, rhabdomyolysis, and respiratory depression.

How Synthetic Marijuana Behaves in the Brain

Synthetic marijuana binds to CB-1 (cannabis-1) receptors in the brain. This is the same receptor than regular marijuana binds to. Synthetic marijuana, however, does so in a way that overwhelms the brain.

A chemical’s toxicity is always dependent on dose. A little water keeps you hydrated and healthy while drinking too much water can cause seizures. The same goes for activating the CB-1 receptor. According to Paul Prather, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, “[synthetic marijuana’s] potency can be up to one hundred or more times greater than THC.”

The brain is packed with CB-1 receptors, so if a drug like synthetic marijuana is present, there’s a lot of places for it to latch on to. To top it all off, the body doesn’t know how to deactivate synthetic marijuana. Once the potent drug binds to CB-1 receptors, the brain struggles to neutralize the drug’s effects.

Synthetic Marijuana Withdrawals

Abruptly stopping regular synthetic marijuana use is known to produce withdrawal symptoms. Severe withdrawals from synthetic marijuana may include recurring seizures, chest pain, heart palpitations, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath. More common withdrawal symptoms include drug cravings, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, excessive sweating, and loss of appetite.

In severe cases of long-term use, withdrawals can occur shortly after smoking the product. One case has been reported where the patient would wake up every 45 minutes throughout the night to smoke in response to intense withdrawals.

In general, the more synthetic marijuana you use daily, the worse the withdrawal symptoms will be. There’s a growing body of reports where patients site severe withdrawals as the main reason why they continue using.

Treating Synthetic Marijuana Withdrawals

There’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to effectively treating synthetic marijuana withdrawals. Patients are usually given IV fluids to address electrolyte and mineral imbalances. Some doctors have found that treatment with benzodiazepines and the atypical psychotic quetiapine helps reduce withdrawals. Most patients can manage withdrawal symptoms with an intensive outpatient program (IOP) care. Severe cases require inpatient care and constant monitoring.

Recovering From Synthetic Marijuana Use

The more you use synthetic marijuana, the more likely you are to need extensive drug treatment. In a recent New Zealand study, patients who needed outpatient care reported having smoked an average of 4.6 grams of synthetic marijuana a day. Patients who required medically supervised detox reported having smoked an average of 5.3 grams per day. 53% of the 47 patients in the study were recommended for inpatient care, while the remaining 47% received outpatient care.

Final Thoughts on Synthetic Marijuana

Using synthetic marijuana is like playing Russian roulette with your brain. Even the chemist that created one of the chemicals used in synthetic marijuana thinks that you’d have to be crazy to smoke it. Synthetic marijuana is incredibly toxic and has severe side effects including psychosis, seizures, and heart attack.

If you or someone you know is struggling with synthetic marijuana use, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is available to answer any questions you may have. Call us today at 602-535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal

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Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal

 

If you or anyone you love has made the strong decision to enter drug rehabilitation, it’s key to be mentally prepared of the experience. Everyone who enters drug treatment must start with a professionally supervised drug detox. This is to ensure that the body is safely cleaned out in preparation for mental changes that will follow.

 

When it comes to opioids, it’s important to remember that we are talking about some of the most overwhelming drugs one can take. In essence, their introduction to the medical world was precisely for extreme pain. Pain so devastating, only a substance of power can truly take it away.

 

And though opioids have done some wonders in the medical world, they’ve only done harm to the streets. For people who end up experimenting with these substances almost always end up hooked being the power of the high.

 

It’s important to be aware of this due to the fact that the withdrawal symptoms are just as overwhelming. Your body is going to experience a change so impactful, it’s not going to understand how to properly handle the metamorphosis immediately. It’s going to take lots of time and effort in order for the body to return to its normal, functioning state.

 

This is what you or your loved one should be mentally prepared for. If you are unaware of the types of substances that are considered opioids, refer to the following list:

 

  • Oxycontin (Oxycodone)
  • Dilaudid (hydromorphone)
  • Vicodin (hydrocodone or acetaminophen)
  • Fentanyl
  • Morphine
  • Heroin

 

The Causes of Opioid Withdrawals

 

Just as with any other substance, over a period of time, your body becomes more and more immune to its effects. Therefore, you’ll need more of the substance in order to feel a high. This increases your risk at death and is one of the prime reasons for overdose. To put this into picture, the National Institute on Drug Abuse claims that 90 Americans die daily from an opioid overdose.

 

As your tolerance constantly builds, your brain and body come to need opioids. This is due to the fact that the chemicals become apart of your regular functioning. Your body expects to intake the drug on a regular basis and if it doesn’t, your mind comes to only desire the next intake. During withdrawals, it should be expected that your conduct will be an experience out of this normal.

 

Withdrawal symptoms have been comparable to an extreme flu. With this, there are many users out there who don’t even realize they’ve become dependent. In fact, even after the first couple uses of opioids, the body has already begun to miscomprehend the drugs as something normal. When this happens, the dependence slowly builds upon itself – to an extent where the user truly isn’t aware of the dependence they’re creating.

 

This is especially true for those who’re prescribed certain opiates. Often, individuals are overprescribed a particular substance and, inevitably, start taking more than necessary. People who find themselves in this position will build tolerances that cause dependence. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, around 24% of people who’re prescribed opioids for chronic pain will end up misusing them.

 

The withdrawal symptoms that will be experienced vary from one individual to the next. Tolerances are built at different rates. Therefore, not everyone has the same dependence. With that, it can be expected that the withdrawal symptoms will, likewise, vary.

 

However, there’s one condition that’s pretty common amongst opioid addicted individuals. This is called acute opiate withdrawal. It is a condition that occurs when the body starts losing that normality it had felt from the opioid drugs. It’s also when the brain experiences a major deficiency of dopamine – a happy hormone opioids trigger.

 

This should be something you need to mentally prepare for. The journey that follows after will be that of replacing the void opioids always filled. And in order to that, your body and mind must be completely taken off the chemical.

 

The Five Most Common Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Typically, when it comes to opioid addiction, individual’s experience five common symptoms. It should be noted that there are many factors which go into these symptoms, but the following are something to be expected;

 

  • Insomnia
  • Agitation and anxiety
  • Excessive sweating
  • Symptoms similar to the flu
  • Depressive/dysphoric state

 

Let’s look into these symptoms a little deeper in order to properly understand them for the benefit of your expectations.

 

Insomnia

 

Being that your body is going through an overwhelming amount of pain during withdrawals, it’s going to be difficult to sleep at night. The withdrawal caused by opioids is traumatizing for the body to experience. Insomnia only worsens these symptoms because it leaves the body continuously feeling worse as the mind lays in bed wide awake.

 

Agitation and Anxiety

 

Being that your brain experiences a lack of dopamine, there’s this constant urge to find an instant kick of the chemical to balance out the mind. Previously, opioids were what brought the brain to this balance. Yet, as you go through withdrawal, you’re going to realize that dopamine won’t come so easily anymore.

 

The agitation and anxiety that follow will be out of a loss of focus as to how to receive dopamine without a substance. What you’ll learn in drug treatment is that there are many ways to find this dopamine within your average day-to-day life. It’s important you focus on these ways.

 

The amount of agitation and anxiety one feels all depends on how big of a dependence you have to opioids. It’s said by professionals that the more one intakes, the harder and longer they will fall during withdrawals.

 

Excessive Sweating

 

Due to the large amount of chemical changes the body will be going through, it’s going to react in a natural sense to the stress it bears. One of these ways is through excessive sweating. Just as with agitation and anxiety, the amount of sweat one experiences has lots to do with the level of their opioid dependence.

 

Excessive sweating can, likewise, cause much of the insomnia experienced at night. Just remember that it’s nothing more than the body trying to find a way to feel normal again. And it will ease off just as the other withdrawal symptoms with time.

 

Symptoms Similar to the Flu

 

Just like excessive sweating, the flu-like symptoms are simply out of the body trying to rebalance to its natural chemicals. The symptoms that can be expected are diarrhea, runny nose, body aches, and puking. This is a primary reaction of the immune system, for most it’s the part of the body that’s most affected by withdrawal.

 

Depressive/Dysphoric State

 

Just as with agitation and suicide, the depressive state of withdrawal is due to a lack of dopamine. Your mood is going to be greatly weighted once the body no longer feels a normal amount of the chemical. Depending on the individual, each will experiences different senses and levels of depression. However, extreme sadness and dissatisfaction should be expected.

 

On top of everything mentioned above, you may also experience the following;

 

  • Pupil dilation
  • Restlessness
  • Goosebumps
  • Increased heart rate/blood pressure

 

Treating Opioid Addiction

 

As mentioned above, the body’s detox of chemicals comes before any kind of therapy. Depending on the individual and their circumstance, the timeframe for withdrawal symptoms vary. Generally speaking, the symptoms mentioned in the section above hold possibility for around twelve to thirty hours after the last intake of the drug.

 

However, in order to truly clean the body out of the chemical, these symptoms should be expected to last for anywhere between 4 to 10 days. There are instances known as “extended release opioid” in which recovering individuals will experience the symptoms for up to 21 days.

 

To further the withdrawal period, there’s also the situation known as post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS). This takes place after the acute symptoms are no longer apparent and can be defined as similar symptoms to those mentioned above, but at minor levels of pain. Depending on the individual and their mentality throughout treatment, these symptoms can last up to months. They mostly include; depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and mood swings.

 

Being the overall state of the opioid epidemic happening in America, there are numerous treatments being offered to the public. One example is known as medication-assisted withdrawal. This is when a person eases off opioids by taking smaller and smaller doses over a period of time.

 

There are also a few behavioral therapies to look into that focus on treating the mentality of opioid addiction rather than the body.

 

The first is cognitive-behavior therapy. A treatment that centers its focus on the effects opioids have had over the individual. You can expect to explore your thoughts, beliefs, and experiences on the drug and what you desire out of a life without it.  This also includes Intensive Outpatient therapy.  Stonewall Institute Treatment Center provides services for drug and alcohol dependency and co-occurring issues. Our program allows for clients to sustain life responsibilities while providing an intensive treatment environment 3 evenings per week for 10 weeks. Clients in our Drug and Alcohol Treatment program will learn about underlying issues that contribute to substance dependence and obtain the vital skills necessary to sustain long-term sobriety and recovery.

 

The second is contingency management. This is a reward based treatment in which individuals who remain drug-free will receive prizes for their productive behavior.

 

The third is motivational interviewing. Just as the title intends, this is when individuals are interviewed for the sake of discovering what motivations will help them through their recovery. And to discover their true desires in such a major life change.

 

Lastly, there’s family therapy. Depending on your family and friend’s situation in terms of your drug use, you may want to consider this option. It’s meant to inform any loved ones of what the experience of substance abuse is truly like. It’s also meant to build relationships through recovery.

 

If you or anyone you love is interested in an opioid treatment or looking for more information on the topic, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is glad to help. Please, give us a call today at (602) 535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

Supplements to Reduce Anxiety in Recovery

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Supplements to Reduce Anxiety in Recovery

Being clean and sober from alcohol and drugs doesn’t mean you can’t take natural, homeopathic supplements to improve your mood and reduce anxiety. A wide variety of natural anti-anxiety remedies are out there to try. They’re non-addictive and non-habit forming. Some impact the brain in ways similar to alcohol, but without the addictive effects. You won’t feel intoxicated, but you may feel relaxed and ready to take on the day.

Stonewall Institute supports holistic and natural recovery, but understands that every patient is different. Proper medication, supplements, and intensive therapy are important for a successful recovery.  Please consult with your doctor before taking any of the supplements mentioned below.

Theanine

Theanine is an amino acid that has anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects. ​It’s found in​ high quantities in green tea leaves. When you’re recovering from addiction to drugs or alcohol, the brain may need a little encouragement to return to normal neurotransmitter production. Theanine is an amino acid analog of two critical neurotransmitters: L-glutamate and gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA).

When glutamate activity in the brain is high, and GABA activity is low, anxiety can become worse. Taking theanine as an oral supplement can promote the expression of GABA in the brain by suppressing the expression of glutamate.

Theanine also increases levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the brain (BDNF). BDNF is critical for rebuilding damaged neurons, something that’s often desperately needed in the brain of someone seeking substance use recovery.

Theanine increases alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves are one of several ranges of frequency that characterize the brain depending on whether you’re sleeping, feeling energized, or in a state of calm. Alpha waves are present during meditation and REM sleep.

5-HTP

Before there was serotonin, there was 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). 5-HTP is an amino acid that serves as a primary building block for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Rave culture is familiar with 5-HTP as an ecstasy (MDMA) hangover cure. MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) induces feel-good effects by triggering the brain to produce serotonin in large quantities.

Serotonin has many functions throughout the body and ​is closely involved in digestion​. The majority of the serotonin produced in the body is made by bacteria deep in the intestinal tract. In the brain, serotonin is responsible for producing a feeling of peace and general well-being.

Supplementing with 5-HTP can help you sleep better. Recovery from addiction can make it hard to sleep at times. Poor sleep can further throw off neurotransmitter and hormone levels as you try to recover. While you’re awake, the brain converts 5-HTP into serotonin. While you sleep, it converts it into melatonin. Without adequate melatonin, the brain doesn’t know to shut off and get some rest.

By promoting restful sleep and increasing serotonin expression during the day, 5-HTP can be an excellent addition to your recovery toolkit.

GABA

GABA, full name gamma-Aminobutyric acid, is a non-essential amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA’s job is to calm overactive brain activity and ​reduce anxiety​. When you drink alcohol, you can thank increased GABA production for the relaxation component of the alcohol buzz.

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Gaba reduces anxiety by decreasing glutamate activity.

GABA supplements don’t work for a large percentage of the population. For some, it can be very useful at inducing feelings of calm without being sedative. Individuals with anxiety tend to be low on GABA.

B-Complex Vitamin

If you’re deficient in GABA, it can be helpful to stock your body up on B-vitamins. The vitamin-B family includes all the essential water-soluble vitamins besides vitamin C. You have to get them through diet because the body can’t make them on its own. B-vitamins include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, and the cobalamins. Pyridoxine, also known as B6, and the cobalamins, also known as B12, are especially helpful for treating anxiety and depression.

B6 and B12 are cofactors in many of the body’s metabolic processes. Being deficient in these essential nutrients can cause a host of cognitive problems, ​including anxiety and brain fog​. It’s important that your body’s vitamin B profile is balanced. Taking a B-complex multivitamin is a safe way to restore optimal brain activity following addiction. B-vitamins help balance hormone production, increase energy, support the adrenal gland, and maintain the health of nerve cells.

Valerian Root

Valerian root is one of several herbs that achieve their anxiolytic effects by increasing GABA production. This is another good one to take if you’ve been having a hard time sleeping at night. Valerian is a common ingredient in many herbal sleep tinctures along with kava, lemon balm, passionflower, and chamomile. Many of these share valerian’s GABA-promoting effects.

Xanax reduces anxiety by dramatically increasing the expression of GABA. If you’re recovering from addiction to Xanax, supplements like valerian that boost GABA may be especially helpful. Because valerian can be so sedative, it’s best to avoid taking it during the day.

Studies indicate that ​valerian root may slow the reuptake of GABA​ in the brain, thereby increasing its effects. This is the same way the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) treat depression by slowing the reuptake of serotonin.

Magnesium

Several recent research studies have linked magnesium deficiency to increased rates of anxiety. In animal studies, ​test subjects display reduced anxious behavior​ when administered magnesium. Researchers believe that magnesium achieves its effects by modulating the HPA-axis, the body’s stress response system.

Being deficient in magnesium can have widespread negative effects on overall health. It’s involved in over 600 different processes in the body and brain. In addition to increasing anxiety, magnesium deficiency can contribute to low energy, brain fog, and depression.

Magnesium is used by the mitochondria in your cells to turn food into energy. It also helps repair damaged strands of DNA and RNA.

Although supplements can be helpful in your recovery, seeking proper treatment for substance use is also essential.  Stonewall Institute’s 10-week Intensive Outpatient Program allows for holistic recovery in a comfortable and flexible environment.

As a recovering addict, your brain has most likely been through a lot of stress. As you progress in recovery, your brain chemistry will stabilize and mood will improve. Along the way, the supplements covered in this article can help manage symptoms of anxiety. If you or someone you know is struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Call us today at 602-535 6468 or email us at [email protected].

7 Myths About Marijuana Use

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Marijuana use and addiction has been on the rise in the U.S. Several states have legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational use.  Marijuana use is also glorified in pop culture, such as musicians talking highly of the substance in their lyrics.  There is also a deeply ingrained myth within cannabis culture that claims marijuana isn’t ‘physically’ addictive, but rather is only ‘mentally’ addictive or habit forming.  The truth is that marijuana addiction is prevalent among users and can be addictive just like any other drug.

As a parent, the challenge lies in presenting kids with an accurate picture of the risks involved with marijuana addiction.  While talking to your children is important, it’s also very important to seek professional assistance if you or your child are dependent on marijuana.  In our 10-week Intensive Outpatient Program, we not only address and recover from the addiction itself, but we also provide necessary tools to address commonly reported co-occuring disorders, such as anxiety and insomnia.

 

In this article, we will address common myths regarding marijuana use that many young adults use to support their pro-cannabis stances.

Myth #1:  That Marijuana Isn’t Physically Addictive

The reason why so many adults end up seeking treatment for habitual marijuana use is that it has the same propensity for addiction as any other substance. The average adult seeking treatment for marijuana addiction is a near-daily user for an average of 10 years Adults make an average of six serious attempts at quitting before finally trying drug counseling. Individuals addicted to marijuana continue to smoke despite admitting that it causes relationship and family problems, financial stress, dissatisfaction with productivity levels, low life satisfaction, and sleep and memory problems.

 

Myth #2:  Many People Who Smoke Aren’t Addicted

A person’s tendency for addiction is largely determined by genetic factors that are then amplified by environmental factors such as common life stresses and nutrition. People with a predisposition for addiction share certain characteristics regarding brain chemistry. With marijuana, addicted individuals tend to have issues regulating the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine influences focus, drive, and determination. It also induces feelings of well-being when introduced to the brain in high doses as it is with marijuana use.

Explain to your kids that some people can smoke nearly every day without getting addicted because their brain chemistry doesn’t become altered by the drug long term. You never know that you’re addicted until your brain fails to produce enough dopamine on its own. The brain thinks, “Hey, I’m getting plenty of dopamine from an outside source now, so I don’t need to produce it on my own.” When the addicted individual tries to stop, their dopamine-starved brain craves more of the drug.  However, many users still do not realize that they have a problem with drugs.

 

Myth #3:  Marijuana Has Been Legalized In Several States, So It Can’t Be That Bad

The decision to legalize marijuana on the state level is influenced by many factors. One thing is for sure: marijuana doesn’t become legalized because it’s determined to be safer than previously thought. Marijuana still has the same potential for addiction and is carcinogenic when smoked.

For anyone under the age of 21, marijuana is still illegal in all states. It can be helpful to remind your kids that ‘minor in possession’ charges still apply, as they do with alcohol.

If your child is of driving age, remind them that they can absolutely receive a drug DUI for marijuana, just as they could receive a DUI for alcohol consumption. Marijuana lingers in the system of certain individuals longer than it does others. Compared to alcohol, it’s hard to know exactly how long testable levels will remain in your system. Because marijuana is fat-soluble, it takes longer for blood levels to sink below the drivable limit if you have a higher body fat percentage.

 

Myth #4:  Addressing The Prevalence of Marijuana Use In Music and Counterculture Scenes

Musicians and performers often heavily promote drug use in their music. While many artists do live the lives they portray, for most, the glorification of illicit activities is used as propaganda. Many admit in interviews that they over-exaggerate their drug use because they know it will result in better sales. It can be helpful to remind your children about the reality of drug glorification as a marketing strategy.

 

Myth #5:   “I’ve Smoked Plenty of Times and I Don’t Have Cravings or Withdrawals”

Drug dependence can develop gradually, and this is certainly true for marijuana. Early withdrawal symptoms and cravings are less noticeable because the effects of the drug are milder compared to other recreational substances. Users experience very little ‘comedown’ as the marijuana high wears off, and it may be a week or longer before your brain starts to itch for more of the drug.

 

Myth #6:  Marijuana Isn’t Expensive

Marijuana is one of the most affordable drugs to purchase, both legally and illegally.  When marijuana was first legalized in Washington State, there was concern that the high taxes would make marijuana too expensive, but the opposite effect has happened. Marijuana is now significantly more affordable than it used to be. Over time, however, the frequent marijuana consumption adds up and becomes expensive as it’s accessibility increases.  Just as it’s true for legal substances such as alcohol, marijuana can be considered a financial stressor in certain circumstances.

 

Myth #7:   Marijuana Isn’t as Bad For The Lungs as Cigarettes

While several studies have been done to compare the carcinogenic effects of marijuana to those of tobacco, no conclusive evidence exists to say that one is worse than the other. The truth is, the cancer-causing effects depend on the frequency of use. If you frequently smoke large amounts of marijuana, it’s undoubtedly a risk to your lung health. Although the scientific evidence of the carcinogenic effects of cigarettes vs. marijuana is inconclusive, it still should not be used as an argument supporting the use of marijuana.  Rather, it should be argued that ingesting any foreign substance into your body should be considered hazardous to your health.

 

 

Marijuana use is often thought of being significantly less dangerous to experiment with than alcohol or other drugs, however, this is not the case.  Although marijuana is generally thought to be the “basic” type of drug, the possibility for dependence is just the same as it is for other substances. However, the conversation should not be based solely on marijuana use, but based on alcohol and drug use in general.  By explaining to young adults that all illicit drugs, including marijuana, have a great propensity for dependence and addiction, it allows them to understand the extreme risks of alcohol and/or drug use in general.

If you have any further questions regarding drug or alcohol addiction, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Call us today at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].

Stigma and Addiction: The Undesired Truth

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There are many myths and misconceptions about alcoholism and who alcoholics are.  Those who are not in the recovery community contribute to the perpetuation of these myths via stereotypes and being generally unaware of what addiction actually consists of.   These myths may also contribute to the stigmatization of alcoholism.

The truth is that society has shaped itself to shame anyone who finds themselves suffering from mental health issues, especially when it comes to addiction.  When you consider the fact that many believe addiction is a “chosen path”, the shame and guilt felt by these individuals can grow exponentially.

With this stigma so common in society, those with substance use issues are put in a difficult position.  Those who want to get sober must go through recovery, followed up by a reentry into the world outside treatment.  Although stigma surrounds the individual pre-treatment, there’s also a stigma during and after treatment as well.

This stigma may have to do with the fact that many decades ago, it was forbidden to discuss mental health issues within the United States.  The reasons for this are rather vague. Some will defend that people suffering from mental health issues are simply leaning towards an excuse, while others find that people “overreact” to very common emotions.

It can be said that in today’s society, we are witnessing more public understanding in terms of mental health issues.  We are in the progression of becoming more open about the topic and people are discovering much more sympathy for those affected by mental health.

But even still, the problem of addiction seems to reign stigma hard.  More often than not, it’s for the simple reason that the disease comes off as though it were a choice.  Because of this, society disregards the idea that addiction is a mental health problem at all.

This is the undesired truth: the idea that people just don’t understand addiction.  With it comes a stream of emotions – guilt, fear, and shame – that cause individuals to avoid treatment.  Even though it’s been statistically proven that, at least, one member of every family experiences some sort of mental illness, the stigma continues to create boundaries.

Understanding the Creation of the Emotion

Being that treatment is seen as a sort of meditative period, medical carers are responsible for more than just physically getting somebody sober.  They also find themselves accountable for getting their patients to a fulfilling emotional state so they can live their happiest life.  With society’s stigma towards addiction, this isn’t an easy task for both patients and medical carers.

This only furthers the proof that there’s a taboo placed on substance abuse rather than disorders such as depression or anxiety.  Surveys have confirmed that there is a distinct difference in those will accept addiction and those who won’t.  Generally, people who are affected or are close with someone suffering from mental health issues are more likely to comprehend those suffering from addiction.

With this survey, 709 people were asked a few simple questions about how they felt about individuals suffering from mental health issues and/or substance use issues:

  • A little more than half claimed they’d work with an individual suffering from mental health issues while less than a quarter were willing to work with a substance abuser.
  • A little less than three-quarters pronounced employers have every right to disregard employment from addicted individuals.
  • A quarter believed employers had a right to deny employment from anyone with any type of mental disorder.
  • A little less than half said health insurance companies had their right for disapproving indivduals suffering from substance use seeking treatment.
  • About a fifth opposed health insurance companies from offering their benefits to those with any type of mental disorder.

These statistics clearly outline the stigma with addiction.  Thinking about these statistics with regards to those seriously looking for treatment should give an idea of the intense emotions they experience.  Shame, guilt, and a fear that others around them won’t comprehend why they want to change their lives.

Reasoning for Addictions Stigmatization

To put it simply, people are afraid of what they don’t know.  When something is an absolute mystery to us, we tend to avoid thinking about it.  When the time comes to think about it, we get the notion to retaliate.  Why?  Because we are unaware of how to properly react.  There is no sense of understanding within it.

This is exactly the case with addiction.  People don’t look into such a topic when they have no necessity to witness and/or experience it.  However, this doesn’t give us an explanation as to why other mental health issues are slowly finding an acceptance while ones like addiction still receive backlash.  Unfortunately, the explanation is often ignored even though it’s in clear sight.

There are individuals who are in a position where taking drugs doesn’t feel so much like a “choice”, rather, they are affected by something called Substance Use Disorder.  The effects of this disease cause the brain to have strong urges of intaking some sort of chemical.  Even if it’s unknown to the body, there’s the intention of making it known. This inevitably leads to addiction.

It should be noted that individuals affected by substance abuse disorder often experience this compulsivity even after treatment.  This makes sobriety all the more difficult to accept.  Even if a person doesn’t suffer from this disease, there’s still the chance for this sort of behavior.  Reason being, the thrill of a high is so permanently locked into the brain.

In order to properly understand all this, we need to know that what affects a person’s substance abuse is more than just the thrill of the high.  It’s vital to consider their genetics, environment, and the way in which they were raised.  With these in mind, it becomes more clear as to why people can’t just “shake off” an addiction, even after going through treatment.

With this might come a relapse.  This is another part of addiction that many others look down upon.  In order for the public to truly understand, we must push the notion that addiction is very much a disease, not a simple choice.  People with this disease struggle with finding their own groundings in life and often fall back into the cycle due to a lack of discovery.

This is why people going through treatment are often taught to look for other areas in which to take their lives.  With the proper distraction, recovering from addiction becomes all the more easier.  Mainly because it opens individuals up to other ways in which to spend their time.  With this, there’s the hope that a person will blossom into a happy, fulfilled, and productive member of society.

How Does Stigma Impact Individuals?

There is certainty that due to these negative attributes associated with the word “addiction”, individuals are avoiding treatment altogether.  This may only fuel drug addiction further. If a person entering treatment feels that he/she will be labeled with the term “addict” for the rest of their lives, they cease to seek out the necessary care.

The term overdose is, likewise, a deadly term which people avoid.  If any individual has gone through such fate, they understand nobody wants to be labeled with an overdose. This has to do for two distinct reasons:

  • Overdoses only happen in concerns with hard substances.
  • It’s generally considered a “low life” scenario when someone has had the experience of an overdose.

For this reason, those who have experienced an overdose often prefer to avoid telling their doctors.  For one, there’s this unspoken notion that a doctor isn’t going to trust a patient if the term is attached to them.  Secondly, there’s the risk of it reaching someone of importance (i.e. a family member).  Therefore, medication such as naloxone – what is used to reverse the effects of an overdose, saving many lives – often doesn’t reach the people it’s intended for.

The stigma of addiction is real.  Those suffering from alcohol and/or drug use can use denial in order to avoid the challenges of accepting they have a problem.  By bringing awareness to alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and substance use, we as a society can reduce the stigma often associated with addiction and ultimately get those individuals the help they need.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from substance abuse or if you would like more information on the above subject; please, give us a call at 602-535-6468 or email us at [email protected].  You are not alone.  We are here to help.