Category: Australia

It is incredibly easy to get into a routine where you are drinking too much and the longer you let things drift that way, the harder it becomes to pull back.

Let’s take a look at what alcohol does and some steps you can take to change things.

How does alcohol ‘work’?

Many would answer “In mysterious ways!”, but the fact is it does a couple of things to the brain that are actually opposites.

When you have that first drink it is often the case it goes down very well. This is because in the short-term alcohol depresses the part of your brain responsible for inhibition, it makes a person far more confident, relaxed and less stressed.

It all sounds great so far, but unfortunately from there it downhill rapidly. Alcohol is actually a depressant, so if you have subsequent drinks they affect the brain by making it harder to remember things, slowing down reactions, allowing your concentration to go south and those decision-making skills become decidedly less certain. The more you consume in a session the worse things get.

Building a tolerance is NOT the way to go:

Your mind and body like the feelings alcohol give, indeed they like it so much that once you have had a couple of drinks it is often the case you feel like more. This ‘egging on’ process does not come without penalty.

If you begin to drink regularly your body’s tolerance increases which means you need more alcohol to achieve the same state as previously attained.

Carry on this way and you are heading for dependence:

It stands to reason that the more you drink, the more your body and mind feels they need. The fact is that more alcohol is required simply to attain the same ‘feel good factor’ you are rapidly getting used to.

Millions of men and women (mostly men!) are currently dependent upon alcohol and that dependence will get worse unless something is done about it.

Let’s not dwell on the harm drinking too much often creates:

We could bang on about the serious stress you are placing on your liver. This organ takes the brunt of alcohol consumption, or all other body parts affected due to the fact alcohol gets into the bloodstream.

Then there is the unwarranted strain, stress and tension drinking to excess causes between you and a partner, family members and friends, or just how much money a person is spending to damage themselves in more ways than one, but it is time to be positive and look at ways of cutting back on your alcohol consumption.

Enjoy a drink but do so sensibly:

If you feel that the amount of alcohol you are drinking is getting out of hand, then it would be good to see just how easy you manage staying away from it for a week or two, but if that initially feels to difficult then it is a must that you work to cut down consumption.

Before giving a few suggestions on how to achieve this it is important to understand one thing. If you really cannot stop drinking or reduce alcohol consumption, then professional help should be found as soon as possible.

There is no shame in this whatsoever, indeed it is a very sensible thing to do and does not mean alcohol is ruling your life. It simply means you recognise there is a problem and are taking positive steps to resolve it.

Alcohol reduction measures:

• Recruit your partner or close friend(s): If your partner also drinks they are the perfect foil. Maker a pact to cut down together and fill any spare times with pastimes you both enjoy but perhaps have let fall by the barstool. The cinema, theatre, ten-pin bowling, swimming or country walks are all excellent diversions. Rest assured there are many more.
• Create positive motives: Don’t be afraid to write these large and leave them prominently displayed. Health is an obvious one, improved sex life, getting fitter (the last 2 could go together!), and because you will be drinking less you will be spending less, so put a couple of things down you want, but have just not got around to buying, or start a holiday fund. You will be amazed how quickly the kitty builds up.
• Be honest then set goals: Admit to yourself how much alcohol you have been averaging over the last few months and then set definite goals as to what you want this reducing by. Seeing it in black and white helps more than you will believe. It can also help you refrain if you are getting too close to your set limits.
• Dry days: Try and target at least 3 or 4 days a week where you drink no alcohol. These should be spaced days wherever possible. If this is achieved, you will be surprised at how quickly the routine falls into place.
• Excessive purchases at the supermarket or bottle store: Either stop these visits or reduce the amount you buy. Even consider going for 1 expensive bottle of wine rather than 4 ‘that do the job’. This will also help you to look forward to a drink at home, and if you are drinking spirits in the house get an optic, jigger or measuring cup. It is amazing how ‘generous’ a self-serving bar person is!

There are lots of other tips to help you reduce alcohol intake, but by dusting off your determination and waking up your willpower it can most certainly be achieved.

Cocaine has a ‘designer’ aura about it, it is seen as fashionable and often touted as the perfect party drug.

Anyone with such illusions needs to understand that it is also one of the most highly addictive drugs on the planet!

Three ways to dependence:

Derived from the Coca leaf there are 3 main ways in which cocaine is sold on the streets:

Crack – The Poor Man’s Form – Don’t you believe it:

This is cocaine in crystal form. It is purchased in solid rocks or crystals and colour can vary. Most commonly seen are shades of yellow, white or a pale rose.

Users heat the cocaine to smoke the vapour. As it heats up it gives off a cracking/popping sound, hence the name.

Not only is this the purest form of cocaine on the streets it is also the most addictive, and it is far stronger than powder cocaine.

The effects of smoking Crack are magnified because it hits the brain almost immediately. Many users report an absolutely cracking high. The problem is that this euphoria is very short lived and in general last for just a quarter of an hour

Due to its extremely moreish appeal, as long as a user has a stash or can obtain more by hook or by crook they will do everything in their power to keep their habit fed.

Crack is cheap – Fallacy:

Cocaine in powder form is expensive, but to entice new users Crack is sold on the streets for very low prices. This all sounds great for the user; however, the street merchants already know just how addictive it is and that their customer will very quickly be seeking them out for more.

This never-ending need to support a growing habit means that before long the amount spent on this form of the drug becomes outrageous.

Freebase – Another form of Crack!

This is powdered cocaine that has been treated with chemicals. This process frees the base cocaine, hence the name. The finished form can then be heated at lower temperatures and smoked.

In reality it is a form of Crack and similar to it’s more potent sibling it reaches the brain extremely quickly. The need for more is also exactly the same as is the potential for dependence. Put plainly, users simply cannot get enough.

Powder – The most popular and expensive form:

This is far and away the most popular form of purchase. The user buys cocaine in powder form with a few small crystals thrown in, they crush it with a credit card or similar implement, chop it into lines and then using a straw or rolled up banknote snort it through the nose.

This form of use takes a little longer to reach the brain, and while not as immediately addictive as Crack or Freebase, it very quickly becomes something users cannot do without.

So, what’s the buzz?

With its highly addictive qualities there must be something to the buzz that drives millions upon millions of men and women to use it on an all too regular basis.

And there certainly is something! This highly powerful stimulant gives a very pleasant high with feelings of euphoria, users feel that everything is right with the world and generally bursting with confidence.

Another aspect of the buzz is that it lowers inhibitions. These lowered inhibitions are seen in an “anything goes attitude”. This is particularly the case in terms of sexual openness for many men and women.

Short lived highs – Long term dependence issues:

As can be seen, in all forms cocaine gives an exhilarating high, however it is a short lived one. This has users hurrying back to the cocaine trough of their choice on an all to regular basis.

The added problem is that their body and mind take very quickly and easily to the feelings and demand a regular supply, but not a supply that stays constant.

A user quickly builds up a tolerance which means they need to take more on a regular basis just to achieve the same high as previously attained.

This regular increase in tolerance and the associated increase in the amount required leads to deep dependence issues that are very difficult to overcome.

No substance is worth the heartbreak cocaine can bring:

It is no exaggeration to state that cocaine has ruined millions of people’s lives. Far from the glamour tag and happy party people it is associated with it can cost you your relationship, family, job, home and in many cases your life.

Don’t believe the hype, tell Charlie you have no time for him.

Rehab has a lot to offer for most people, even those who are not addicted. Sometimes in a place with structure, peace, and discipline should be mandatory for everyone. There is little surprise then, that these facilities, their workers and various programs available there can do miracles for people who are struggling with their daily lives and often seek refuge in addictive things to cope with them.

Rehabs work, it is a statistical fact. Some better than others, due to their approach to healing, and inpatient better than outpatient, yet again statistically. What is better for one person does not necessarily work that great for others, but the general consensus is that an inpatient rehabilitation course has the best chances of an addict to recover from their addiction and become a better and more wholesome person. A person who can empathize, understand and solve issues. Let us have a look at few qualities and disciplines that are installed in the addict during his stay and how they make him a better person.

Detoxification.

For many, this is the most important step. To become physically clean of addiction to drugs or alcohol. Many find this step to be the hardest to endure as well. Most will agree, that being functional and responsible while high is nigh impossible. There are high-functioning addicts, but without a doubt, their judgment is impaired, nevermind their motor skills and ability to communicate. It is very hard to attend your child’s school play while high on meth, blackout drunk or out of it due to a particularly large dose of heroin. Being physiologically free of the addiction can be a very refreshing thing for an addict, it is a state he has not been in for a long time.

Confronting your demons.

An addiction is a symptom, but what is the cause? A rehab program can reveal and help you tackle it. Rarely an addicted person became addicted because he thought his life was perfect but he felt like taking some drugs. Usually, drugs are a tool to escape the reality, to escape the stress, bad relationships, responsibility and anything else that might be getting you down. Addicts are troubled people with deep-seated reasons why they began using and why it got out of hand. Facing your demons is part becoming sober. You may not even know these reasons or perhaps do not know that they existed.

Tackling problems.

As part of any self-respecting rehab program, the addict will learn how to cope with problems. How to identify the scope of the problem, how to avoid blowing it out of proportion, how to analyze it and how to tackle it head on, instead of hiding your head in the sand like an ostrich. These coping and self-control techniques help a recovering addict deal with daily problems and hardships. It may take something as simple as an argument with a friend or a late payment on their rent to send them into a blurry drug bender that can last days if not weeks. A rehab and its counselors will identify the root of this type of behavior and teach the recovering addict how to deal with issues without the need to throw yourself off the grid in a drug infused surrender.

Life skills.

Part of dealing with your problems, these valuable skills will allow an addict to be a fully functional and positive individual that can benefit the society. These skills could seem ordinary and self-explanatory to some, but there are plenty of people out there who have difficulty communicating, cleaning their living space, taking care of children or even planning finances. These and many more skills will allow the recovering addict to experience and enjoy life in a way they never could before. It may even enable them to try out new things and learn various new life changing revelations about themselves and the world around them. It is not unheard of to have a secluded and introvert addict to spearhead bake sales in their local community or rallying roadside cleanup parties. New horizons at your fingertips.

Self-worth.

Most addicts have been treated as a leper, persona non grata, an outcast. Considered to be dirty, disease-ridden garbage of humanity, people seldom look past the blood-shot eyes and think about the person behind them or what happened that made them end up the way they are. They have been told for years that they are rats, scavengers and lowest of the low. And they believe it. They have been told that they are scum so many times by passers by that they begin to believe it. Many even embrace it and begin acting like the person everyone says that they are, turning to crime or slip even deeper into depression and self-pity. A rehab reminds them that they are human first and foremost. That they stand on the same level as anyone else, have the same rights to be treated accordingly and have the right to have dreams, aspirations and life goals. Fight with addiction is hard fought in the psyche of the addict himself. He must first be shown, that he is as good and as bad as anyone else out there, no different from the people that look down on him. We are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such.

 

The list of benefits that come from a rehab course is a long one. The deeper you go, the more things you learn. The ones mentioned above are just a few. We at DARA Rehab believe, that everyone deserves a chance at normal life, free life. If you know a person who is in the shackles of addiction, do not be hesitant to reach out and help them.

Binge drinking leaves you open to a whole host of problems that are far more damaging than a sore head and a lousy hangover.

What is binge drinking?

Different countries class binge drinking in different ways, but a general and accurate description is the practice of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short space of time. It also applies to the many people who go out with the sole intention of getting drunk. Continue reading “Binge Drinking And Brain Damage” →

Let’s get straight to it: Dabble with Ice and you are asking for a struggle with dependence that will lead you a long way down before there is any sign of up! Harsh but very, very true.

Here are some of the things that must be understood about a drug that certainly gives you a rocket ride, but offers a 1^st class, non-stop ticket to addiction.

What’s in a name:

Ice is derived from the chemical methamphetamine hydrochloride. It is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine is originally produced in powder form, but a synthesizing process takes it from powerful powder to sizzling small rocks that resemble chips of ice.

Continue reading “The Slippery Ice Trail” →