Category: United Kingdom

addiction sponsor

How Can A Sponsor Help An Alcoholic?

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

A sponsor can play a vital role in helping an alcoholic through the often-arduous task of remaining sober. Here are some of the advantages to be had through asking a sponsor to assist.

What is a sponsor?

Widely used, but not exclusive to those who join Alcoholics Anonymous, a sponsor is a man or woman who has achieved progress through the recovery process they have chosen.

It is the sponsors role to share experiences of their own alcoholism and how they have managed to reach their current level of sobriety. This information and advice sharing is carried out on a personal one-to-one basis. It is also usual for them to offer support via telephone or social media platforms outside of face-to-face meetings.

Is a sponsor mandatory?

No, it is not something that a person going through the recovery process needs to have, but the continual and individual support on offer can make a big difference in terms of helping an alcoholic stay on the path of sobriety.

This makes the consideration of asking for sponsorship something that alcoholics going through the recovery process should think carefully about.

While thinking about this a recovering alcoholic should bear in mind that a sponsor will generally be a man or woman who has succeeded in remaining sober for an extended length of time.

This experience can show how a recovery program has helped them. What works for them, what did not, and tips on how to continue and maintain sobriety.

What benefits are to be gained:

Here are 5 benefits that an alcoholic going through the early stages of recovery can expect from a sponsor.

  • They understand your current situation, they care passionately about your progression to sobriety and their aim is to help you resist the many temptations that alcohol brings.
  • They are there to help you when overwhelming thoughts of alcohol crowd in on you, or if you have succumbed to these urges and have had a relapse. It is extremely important to understand that while a relapse is a set-back, it is not a failure.
  • As well as talking about their personal experience with alcohol, they are there to listen to your experiences. They can offer articles, books and advice relating to alcohol abuse as well as recovery.
  • If the two of you are in a particular group recovery program the sponsor will encourage you to attend meetings with them and help you get there if necessary. They will also encourage you to join and participate in group activities and introduce you to other members they feel suitable to assist with your recovery.
  • They will not give a structured, defined opinion of the program you are in, but will offer different ideas and thoughts to help you find the best way in which to maintain sobriety.

Using a sponsor can offer a massive boost:

Sponsors are available because they have a passion to help. They have experience and have been in that dark place you may currently be in.

During the early stages of trying to maintain sobriety a sponsor can be the difference between success and failure in that important task of a person remaining sober for the foreseeable future.

inpatient rehab

What To Expect During An Inpatient Rehab Stay

Articles, Education, International, Treatment, United Kingdom, United States

Many men and women who are dependent upon drugs or alcohol to get them through their day will at some stage realise that professional help is needed.

While this help is available in a variety of guises, it is felt that an initial inpatient stay at a respected rehabilitation establishment is an extremely positive way to begin any recovery process.

We will explain what to expect and break this into two sections:

Facilities:

A respected inpatient rehab establishment will have been constructed and designed with healing in mind.

There will be comfortable, private accommodation with necessary facilities such as a bathroom, perhaps a small kitchenette, bed, seating, air-conditioning where required and often a private outside area with table and chair for relaxation and reflection.

The grounds will be part-landscaped gardens with other sections of natural habitat. These relaxing outdoor areas will offer additional reflection areas for those who wish to be alone as well as communal areas where socialising with other clients is encouraged.

A swimming pool is a common addition as is a fitness area with equipment. Then there may well be a yoga and/or meditation room along with massage facilities and therapy rooms.

The communal dining facilities will be set aside where 3-set meals each day will be served. Recovering from addiction requires routine. Set, communal meals are one of the small considerations that add to others in terms of the greater good of such a routine.

Treatment:

  • Therapy and counselling: It is recognized that everyone has their own individual needs. To this extent a personal counsellor will be allocated. It is expected that a healthy rapport be quickly established and in-depth discussions on a client’s history and the reasons they are unable to stop substance abuse understood.
  • Individually tailored: From these frank, open discussions with your counsellor a recovery plan will be agreed and put into place.
  • Group sessions: This is where clients staying together will discuss their current dependence issues and experiences.
  • Mindfulness sessions: These sessions are vital to help calm and relax a client
  • Fitness regimen: It is important to keep active. A daily fitness/exercise program will be put in place that is also tailored to the level of the client’s abilities.
  • “Homework”: Many establishments have working booklets with exercises that need completing either individually or as a group.
  • Progression update: During these sessions progress will be reviewed and new goals set. The intention is to leave behind those habits that are causing addiction.
  • Relapse prevention: These sessions are vital. They will help a client understand what personal triggers are responsible for potential relapse. How to identify them quickly and how to avoid them. Situations that cause a relapse come in many forms.
  • Weekly excursions: This is something all clients look forward to. A trip to the local sights, markets or an adventurous day out happens on a weekly basis. This is not only fun and interesting, it also builds a strong camaraderie with others fighting to leave their addiction behind.
  • Aftercare: This is another vital part of the healing process and aftercare options will be discussed and agreed before a client leaves the establishment.

A glimpse from the outside of inpatient treatment:

The above is just a snapshot of what is offered. Hopefully it is enough for those currently suffering from substance dependence to delve deeper in search of recovery.

Alcohol and Body

What Does Alcohol Do To The Body?

Articles, Australia, Education, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Excessive alcohol intake can cause real harm to a person’s body. The effects certainly do not happen overnight, but continued heavy drinking either through regular sessions, or abstention and then heavy binge sessions will eventually take their toll.

There are so many potential health hazards for those who drink excessively that it would take a long series of articles to list them all. Here are just 4 that should be of real concern.

Digestive system:

Drinking too much can activate abnormal enzymes produced by the pancreas. If these enzymes continue to build-up they cause inflammation and a condition known as pancreatitis. This can be a long-term problem with serious complications.

Liver:

The liver takes the brunt of alcohol because one of its responsibilities is to break down and remove harmful substances. Alcohol is awash with potentially harmful substances and excessive drinking causes the liver to work overtime. If constant pressure is placed on the liver there is a strong possibility it will become inflamed and diseased.

Inflammation causes scarring and the associated condition of cirrhosis. This is where the formation of scar tissues destroys the liver. Without a healthy, fully functioning liver a person will suffer long term health problems that can kill.

A warning for women:

An important point relating to alcoholic liver disease for women is that their bodies generally absorb more alcohol than a man’s. Their liver also needs more time to process it.

This means women who regularly abuse alcohol are at an increased risk of developing liver damage more quickly than men.

Blood sugar levels:

It is the pancreas that works to regulate the body’s insulin use and its response to glucose. If the pancreas and liver are not functioning correctly then there is an increased risk of hypoglycemia. This condition is when a person suffers from low blood sugar levels.

A damaged pancreas can also prevent sufficient insulin production to use the sugar that keeps the body healthy. If this occurs it has the opposite effect. There will be too much sugar in the blood causing a condition known as hyperglycemia.

Being unable to balance blood sugar levels leads to health complications and increased chances of diabetes.

Damaging central nervous system effects:

We have all experienced or heard the way in which a person slurs their speech when drunk. This is one of the first signs of excess alcohol. Too much alcohol reduces communication between the brain and body. Coordination becomes far more difficult, balance is affected and it is not uncommon to see a person stumble or fall over.

Other damage alcohol can cause to the central nervous system is numbness or tingling feelings in the bodies extremities, Short and long-term memory is affected as is decision making and the ability to think clearly. This is shown by irrational thoughts and acts that often get a person into trouble.

Go steady:

The occasional hangover may not be sufficient to convince a person that drinking is causing them harm. The reality is that a continuation of heavy drinking sessions will more likely than not cause serious health problems in later life.

The ultimate ‘reward’ for abusing your body in this way is an unwanted, early grave.

taking drugs

Why Do People Take Drugs?

Articles, Education, International, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Leaving aside the need for drugs to help people with medical conditions let us consider why so many people take drugs.

Rebellion with a cause:

Throughout life a person is posed with challenges. The period between mid-teens and young adulthood is certainly one that affords unique circumstances that can shape lives.

Rebellion is often in mind and can cause a person to go against the grain. They will ignore the advice of parents and older members of society, and in many cases, do exactly the opposite.

A perfect example of this is the use of drugs and alcohol with little knowledge of the actual harm they can cause.

The problem is that what is seen as fun and giving vent to their rebellious streak can very quickly turn into an addiction that is not so easy to lose.

Peer pressure:

This reason for trying drugs can also be linked with a person’s rebellious stage, but also affects adults. Anyone around others who are experimenting or using alcohol and drugs can also feel pressured into trying them.

They do not want to be a minority voice in the group they hang around with and fear that saying “No”, will ostracise them and leave them out in the cold.

Anyone feeling this type of pressure must resist. It is important that a person never does something they are uncomfortable with simply for the sake of doing it.

Walking away from drugs and/or alcohol and withstanding peer pressure will strengthen your resolve and true friends will surely understand the reasons behind your decision.

Experimentation:

Curiosity is a normal trait of life. We are curious to understand how things work, how others live and what effects certain actions or substances can have on ourselves.

For this reason, many will dabble with drugs or alcohol. They will have heard the street-stories of those involved in escapades while high. They will also be given the glossed-over facts of how good certain substances can make a person feel.

What will always remain unsaid in these tales is the negative aspects of drug or alcohol experimentation. The comedown, the negative feelings, and just as importantly the need for more.

Loneliness:

There will be times in life when a person feels completely alone and perhaps is overcome by feelings of emptiness. An easy excuse is turning to drugs or alcohol in the belief that these substances will fill that void.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, after a heavy session on drugs or alcohol the negative feelings a person had could well be more pronounced.

Emotions:

Very often when a person tries drugs or alcohol it makes them feel good. They think they are forgetting their problems and containing certain emotions.

The use of substances to contain or control emotions often leads to a reliance upon them. This reliance turns into something a person cannot live without as the scope of emotions they mask grow wider.

Many more reasons:

There are many more reasons than the 5 mentioned above but none are valid for excessive use of alcohol or drugs. Such use will quickly turn into abuse and from there addiction awaits.

what is addiction

What Is Addiction?

Articles, Australia, Education, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

This commonly asked question can be answered in a straightforward manner, but it is the issues surrounding addiction that are far more complex.

What is addiction?

It is a point where a person who uses drugs or drinks alcohol cannot stop even if they have a desire to do so. The cravings and urge to keep using is far too strong for them to control even though they know the substance concerned is causing them harm.

There is no blueprint for addiction:

One thing is for certain, when someone tries an illegal substance or drinks alcohol they are not expecting to become addicted. The majority do so because they are curious, and keen to experience the effects that so many will have told them about.

The problem with these substances is that they have an extremely strong pulling power. They are moreish and the more a person has the more they want.

What starts as a once a week bit of fun with friends turns into 2 or 3 times a week and then it becomes an expected everyday occurrence.

Not everyone is caught in this spiral of increased use, this makes it very difficult for those who can take or leave substance use to understand why others cannot simply leave it alone.

Something that must be understood is that these substances can change the way the brain works. Many who use drugs or alcohol begin to need them simply to feel normal. Those affected in this way can quickly find that dependence takes over their lives.

Is your dependence deepening?

Here are 6 factors that show a dependence is deepening:

  • Tolerance: Are you finding alcohol or drug use is increasing over time? Is more required to achieve the same feelings as previously experienced?
  • Lack of control: Do you find there are times when you take more of the substance in question than was your initial intention or more than you wanted to? Do you sometimes drink simply to get drunk? Does the first drink regularly lead to more? Is there ever regret regarding how much of the substance you used the previous day?
  • Continued use despite negative consequences: Even though you are aware of the harm this is causing yourself and those around you, you continue to use.
  • Neglected duties: Expected duties around the home or social obligations are either forgotten or purposely ignored. If so, this is because substance use is more important.
  • Increasing time spent: Increased amounts of time and energy are being put into buying and using your substance of choice and thoughts of it are either constantly on your mind or just below the surface?
  • Withdrawal: If you try to forego the substance do physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms take hold? This can range from sweating and shaking to increased anxiety and irritability. The significance of emotional withdrawal is on par with physical withdrawal symptoms.

Deepening dependence will not disappear on its own:

Anyone who feels their substance abuse is getting the better of them needs to seek professional help. Many who are addicted have strong feelings and actions of denial. The sooner this denial is ended and professional help sought, the sooner a solution can be found to help.