Category: Malaysia

detox symptoms

Detox Symptoms

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Many people entering treatment will find that their addiction is severe enough that they will go through some for a detox symptoms. Many of these symptoms are dangerous and require medical assistance. Alcohol addiction, for example, can be extremely difficult to completely let go of without medical help. The most common symptoms of detox are shakes, night sweats, anxiety, and sleeplessness. These symptoms generally abate within 3-10 days but tremors and anxiety can persist longer in some people. More severe detox symptoms will include seizures and hallucinations. Detox symptoms of this order require medical attention. The consequences for some people can be fatal. If you are going through an alcohol detox make sure to see a physician to make sure you can be properly monitored as you move into treatment. Many treatment programs include a medical detox, but not all.

For drug addictions such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine the detox may be difficult but is not generally considered dangerous. Flu-like symptoms, lethargy, anxiety and nausea are common. Here again, a medical detox will assist with these symptoms. The more far-reaching problem for addicted people is the severity of these detox symptoms can make it impossible for them to stop using. This is why a medical detox is often necessary. Once you make it through these detox issues which usually only last a few days, you are well on your way to sobriety.

It is important to remember that detox symptoms are temporary. They will pass. Make sure to work with either a support group or with a qualified addiction treatment professional. Support groups such as AA and NA know exactly how these symptoms unfold and members of these groups have been through the same ordeal. They know exactly how it feels and how to get you through the tough times. Obviously, a trained addiction treatment professional, with the help of a physician, can prescribe medications which will alleviate the severity of the symptoms.

Some general rules regarding withdrawal and detox:

Alcohol withdrawal can be severe and potentially fatal. One should work with a medical detox facility.

Heroin detox is most often a matter of feeling extremely ill. It is not considered life threatening.

Methamphetamine can require medical assistance due to the extreme mood swing which may attend detox.

Benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium withdrawal can be fatal. Consult a physician before you stop using these drugs.

Cocaine withdrawal and detox may require assistance with the extreme mood swings.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that all of these detox symptoms can be managed and alleviated. As stated above, many treatment facilities include a full medical detox as part of their treatment program. Keep in mind that the illness you are battling is far worse than the brief period of detox. Nearly all of these detox symptoms last no more than about a week. If you have any doubt whether or not you will encounter these detox symptoms, consult your doctor or make sure to go through a medical detox facility. The key thing to remember is that once you pass through the phase you are the road to health.

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Entering Recovery

Emotional First Aid and Self Care

Articles, Australia, International, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Entering Recovery – When someone says you should take care of yourself many people feel like that would be a selfish move, but it is not selfish in any way. Taking care of yourself is a necessary part of life. This goes beyond basic care to physical health and mental well being. We tend to show favoritism of the body over the mind and while physical health is important, it is not the only aspect of ourselves that needs care. We spend thousands of dollars a year on health care products, good food, and the occasional treat, but little time is spent taking care of our mental needs. Maintaining our mental health is just as important as caring for our physical health.

Failure and rejection are mental injuries, but we tend to ignore them and they can get worse. When entering recovery we are often fraught with concerns of failure and rejection. This could be one of multiple attempts at recovery or simply a big step into the journey of recovery, but the concerns are often the same. These issues should be cared for just as you would a cold or the flu as they can cause damage as well. Another psychological concern is loneliness as it can cause further psychological damage if left unchecked. Now that you understand why emotional first aid and self care is important, let’s move on to how to take care of your psychological needs.

Keeping the mind healthy starts with paying attention to emotional pain and treating it before it becomes overwhelming. Redirecting gut reactions when you fail is a good start. Everyone fails or makes mistakes from time to time, but focusing on these failures can damage the psyche and create emotional turmoil. If you fail, try to correct the mistake and take another approach. If this approach also fails then change directions again until you get it right. Disrupting negative thoughts is another good move to improve mental health. As negative thoughts occur, take them captive and change your line of thinking. Many times if you can distract yourself from the negative thought you will avoid ruminating on things that can bring you down. If negative thoughts are left unchecked they can get out of control and lead to depression and possible relapse. Another idea to improve mental health is to not let excessive guilt and anger build. If something has you feeling guilty, admit it and apologize when possible. If nothing can be done to correct the action then it is simply a waste of time to obsess on the thought. This is also true of anger. If someone has hurt you or you are angry then calmly express that anger and hurt and try to find a solution. If no solution can be found then it is time to move on and let the anger go.

Entering Recovery – Since every individual is different it is important to learn what treatments work best for your emotional wounds. Some may benefit from talk therapy while others can learn to take care of themselves with practice. The thing to remember is that emotional first aid will keep the mind healthy just as first aid keeps the body healthy and both are equally important.

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purpose in recovery

Finding and Knowing Your Purpose

Articles, Australia, International, Malaysia, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Purpose In Recovery – Addiction is a thief, but one we often invite into our lives and cannot seem to get rid of in a timely manner. Addiction steals purpose, truth, and many other things, feelings, and emotions. These things are not truly missed until recovery begins and then it may be slightly overwhelming for some. The good news is that even in this desperate time you can find a purpose that will lead to a better life.

Many people are not happy in their lives, this includes addicts. Those who are happy tend to know their purpose and enjoy sharing it with others. The way to find your purpose is to answer a few questions about yourself. Five basic questions can aid you in discovering and moving toward your life purpose in recovery. The first two questions are about you: Who are you and what do you do? The last three questions are about those who will be affected by your purpose. Who do you do it for, what do these people want and need, and how have others changed as a result of what you do? If you do not have a purpose yet then you may have to answer the last few as what you hope to have happen.

Before you answer these questions know that those with a purpose tend to be focused on those they are helping or changing, not on themselves. Your purpose is to make a difference for others. When you find your purpose it will help others even if that is not your initial intention. Those with purpose want to share it and this in turn affects others. When in active addiction a purpose is usually singular, to gain access to your drug of choice. This also effects those around you, but in a negative way. Now that you understand what needs to be answered about a purpose here are some tips on how to find your personal purpose.

Life purpose in recovery is not an in your face thing, it is elusive, but can be found by putting one foot in front of the other until you simply know what your life’s purpose happens to be. Purpose tends to evolve over time. Your purpose may begin small, but can grow exponentially with time and effort. Your purpose tends to emerge from experience. Use what you know to help others in your purpose, but be willing to adjust as needed. Your purpose will become clear at the exact right time for you as you are eminently qualified to your purpose in life. As you search for this purpose enjoy the adventure. You may have bumps along the way, but once your purpose is found you can do great things.

Though purpose in recovery is important do not get too stressed about finding yours, it will become clear in time. Simply be present in the moment and delight in watching it unfold. This is important whether you are in recovery or just trying to find more meaning in your life.

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Honesty in Recovery

Honesty in Recovery

Articles, Australia, International, Malaysia, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Honesty above all else. Honesty is the best policy. These are phrases you have probably heard your entire life. Honesty is very important but we live in a society where lies are prominent. In fact there are times when we are encouraged to tell white lies or half truths in order to keep from offending someone or hurting their feelings. This will not work in recovery. Recovery requires rigorous honesty. So much so that we are often put in uncomfortable situations, but honesty in recovery is still required.

Maintaining and staying in recovery is the ultimate goal. When you are in recovery it seems everyone has some piece of advice that is meant to be well meaning. Some advice may be helpful while other advice could lead to problems. Being honest with the people that offer this advice is key to maintaining balance. This is all part of what is known as rigorous honesty.

Lying is second nature for addicts as it is part of the lifestyle. The goal for an addict is more drugs and this often requires lying and using dishonest techniques. This means that when you enter into recovery you must learn to change this behavior to rigorous honesty. This may mean at times people get angry at you for being totally honest, but it is still necessary. This is not an opportunity to be mean, just honest. This is a lifestyle change that is necessary to overcome the behaviors of addiction. In time being truthful will become habit.

There are reasons behind rigorous honesty in recovery beyond breaking addiction. When someone is always honest about things then trust is built with others. Additionally, when you stop telling lies and half truths you never have to remember what you said as it will have been the truth from the beginning. Truth is also important to addicts as a way to build trust in themselves. It is hard to trust one’s judgment if you are not honest with yourself. This can be difficult because being honest with yourself about your faults and even your positives can be unfamiliar. That being said you will probably not always tell the truth. This is just a fact of life. When you find yourself lying, make it right. Admit what you have done and take the consequences with pride as you have done the honorable thing.

Honesty in Recovery

Recovery is a process. This process takes time and a great deal of learning to be the best person you can be in life. Rigorous honesty is the best way to start this process. You have already made the first major step in admitting you are an addict, keep the motivation going and stick with this type honesty. Are there things in your life that you have been hiding or lying about to others? Admit these things if they will not cause the others undue harm. Are there things you have been lying to yourself about? Being honest must extend to yourself as well. So wait no longer, make a list of things you have lied about and start correcting them as you can. You will feel better and can start your journey with a fresh slate.

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battling an addiction

PTSD and Substance Abuse – Understanding How The Two Go Together

Articles, Australia, International, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Battling an Addiction – This is part two in a two-part series about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In part one of this series, we defined PTSD, discussed the situations that can cause the disorder, and listed the symptoms. Now, let’s talk about why people often turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain of Pots-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

PTSD Causes Painful Memories That Can Become Overwhelming 

Usually, the symptoms of PTSD show up immediately after someone has experienced trauma. However; someone can repress memories of whatever trauma they experienced. When that happens, those memories can resurface years after the traumatic event has taken place and begin to haunt the person like an old ghost.

In either case, it is usually the memories of the trauma that are the most disturbing aspect for a person who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These are experienced as vivid flashbacks of the trauma.

Someone with PTSD will reexperience the event over and over, in spite of the fact that they don’t want to. This usually happens in the form of violent pictures that appear quickly and suddenly in their mind. These disturbing images are very painful and can cause someone to feel as if they are going insane. As much as they try to push these mental photographs out of their head, they are simply unable to do so.

These flashbacks are the mind’s way of working out the event and trying to make sense of it, but this doesn’t matter to the person who is experiencing these painful memories. They just want an escape – and they usually turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain.

Battling an Addiction – PTSD And Substance Abuse Often Go Hand-in-Hand

Because PTSD is such a disquieting and uncomfortable experience, it’s no wonder that up to 75 percent of all people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with their condition. It is not uncommon for people with PTSD to get drunk, abuse prescription medications like Hydrocodone or Oxycodone, shoot heroin, snort meth, or smoke crack – ANYTHING that will numb the pain of the painful experience of having to relive their trauma over and over again.

This is unfortunate. The use of drugs and alcohol will never be a solution for treating PTSD. In fact, studies show that alcohol and drugs only make the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder worse.

When someone is abusing mood or mind-altering substances and has PTSD, they develop what is called a co-occurring disorder. This means instead of having just one mental health issue, they now have two. By developing a substance abuse problem in conjunction with PTSD, they require help for their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder AND their addiction to drugs or alcohol, which really complicates matters.

If You Have PTSD, Get Help – Don’t Turn To Drugs Or Alcohol As A Solution

If you have been struggling with PTSD, it can feel like all hope is lost, but it’s not. You can get help for your problem. There are a lot of options available for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and medication treatment. Talk to a doctor and see which one is right for you.

If you are currently battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you need to get help for your substance abuse problem before you can address your PTSD. You may want to consider an in-patient treatment program that specializes in co-occurring disorders.

With time, things will get better. Keep fighting the good fight.

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