Category: United States

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 tolerance

Are You Building An Ever-Growing Tolerance To Alcohol?

Articles, Australia, Education, International, United States

There is no real stigma attached to alcohol partly because it is legally available in many countries worldwide.

Brief overview of positives and negatives:

Alcohol is an expected ‘ingredient’ at celebratory events such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. It is a regular partner at dinner parties, and there is no doubting that it can add to social gatherings.

Having said these positive things, here are a few negatives: Just because it is illegal does not mean it is not addictive. Drinking to excess can lead to physical, psychological, relationship and social problems, and very importantly, it changes the way a person thinks and acts while under its influence.

Building a tolerance is not too difficult:

Drinking alcohol in moderation is not seen as being a problem, but the one word that stands out here is “moderation”.

The body and mind enjoy and appreciate alcohol, what needs to be guarded against is allowing them to enjoy it too much!

If a person drinks regularly and excessively, or goes on regular binge drinking sessions then they are guaranteed to build a tolerance to alcohol. This means the more you drink, the more that is required to achieve the same effects as previously felt.

There is no ceiling to this tolerance. It will simply keep on growing with the result that a person drinks greater and greater quantities. This habit will eventually lead to a dependence upon alcohol simply to function. They will be unable to get through the day without alcohol.

Signs that drinking is growing into a dependence:

There are many signs and symptoms of a growing alcohol dependence. Here are 6 to consider:

  • Increasing preoccupation: It is natural to think and look forward to meeting up with friends for a drink, but if your thoughts turn more and more towards when the next ‘session’ is going to be, it could be leading you down the dependence path.
  • Activities fall by the wayside: Activities, hobbies or pastimes you once thoroughly enjoyed are forgotten or rarely taken up because drink is becoming ever more important.
  • No self-control: You promise yourself that you will limit your intake before drinking begins, but end up drinking far too much and far more than you initially intended to.
  • Violent or irrational behaviour: People react differently when they have had too much to drink. Some put on a smiley face, others fall asleep, but if you feel more aggressive, look for trouble or regularly cause controversy then your drinking must be curbed before it gets you into real trouble.
  • Memory loss: Struggling to remember parts of the evening, or more worryingly suffering blackouts is a sign that you are drinking far too much.
  • The morning after: The vast majority of us have suffered the occasional hangover and it is not at all pleasant, but if you are increasingly waking up hungover and decide the best cure is to have a drink, help is needed.

Listen to others:

If loved ones or those closest to you comment that your drinking is getting out of hand please listen to them. It is quite often the case that the last person to realise they have a problem with drinking is the person themselves. The earlier excessive drinking can be addressed, the better.

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.