Holistic Addiction Care

Dealing with an Alcohol Addiction

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Alcohol addictions can cause a lot of pain and suffering. When someone is suffering from this type of addiction, it can cause family and friends to be pushed to the side, trust can be lost, and finances can be destroyed. If you have a loved one who is facing an alcohol addiction, here are some things to keep in mind that will help you deal with the addiction.

The Addict Must Be Ready to Heal

The road to recovery cannot happen until the addict is ready to face their addiction. Every addict will be ready to heal at their own pace. Sometimes it takes a major event such as a DUI or a death of a loved one to get the addict to face their addictions. Other times the addict may never be ready. From the outside, the first step to dealing with the problem is realizing the addict must be ready to heal for any rehab or recovery to be successful.

Supporters Need Help Too

There is a lot of emphasis placed on getting help for the addict, but those that are around them also need help and support. If you are around an alcohol addict, you need to make sure you are seeking help and support for yourself. Counseling and AA meetings are great ways to seek support if you are supporting someone with an alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addictions are not easy to handle, but seeking support for yourself and knowing the addict must be ready for recovery will help you handle the situation better.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: addiction, Alcoholism, Substance abuse

Addiction Counselling

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Addiction counseling is almost always necessary to overcome any addiction. Not only is an addiction difficult to overcome physically, but an addict needs to address the mental and psychological issues that may have contributed to the addiction. The recovery process is long and finding a safe environment in which to discuss your issues is paramount.

Many addicts end up with their addictions due to lack of self worth and the inability to practice self love. Addiction counseling will teach addicts how to love themselves because if you don’t love yourself how can you possibly feel you are worth healing?

Some addicts are so enmeshed in a destructive cycle that they forget how to communicate and even how to acknowledge their feelings. An addiction counselor will help you learn to communicate and to address any feelings that you may be unable to articulate. Learning to read feelings is not as simple as telling time on a Philip Stein watch, yet this kind of dialogue is imperative to a successful recovery.

Learning how to live each day without using your addiction as a crutch is a difficult process. However, this must be accomplished in order to totally overcome your addiction. Waking up each morning and feeling full of life and joy rather than unhealthy and depressed is important to an addict’s mental health. A good addiction counselor will equip the addict with the tools needed to learn to enjoy each day to its fullest instead of impatiently waiting for their next score.

An addiction counselor can even address issues on how to physically take care of yourself. Addicts adopt behaviors that are self destructive to their health and so learning something as simple as how to eat properly is a struggle. An addict cannot fully recover without ensuring that he or she is consuming sufficient nutrition in order to have the physical strength to overcome daily struggles.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Addictions, Health, List of counseling topics, Mental Health, Philip Stein, Sexual addiction, Substance abuse, Substance dependence

Road to Recovery for Alcohol Abusers

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There are three things that need to happen prior to getting into an alcoholic recovery program. The first step is an intervention. An intervention is where the family and friends gather together with a counselor and talk about the alcoholic abuser. The counselor explains to the group how important it is to support the abuser by having an intervention. The alcoholic comes to the intervention, unknowing that it is an intervention and they are asked to sit down and let everyone speak and then they can talk.

This is not a bully type of situation. It is people that love the alcoholic that are asking them to get help, and if they choose not to get the help they are told the consequences of their actions. For example if the parent of the alcoholic asks them to get help and they do not, the parent will say something like “I will no longer allow you to live in my house”. This gives them a choice and not an ultimatum. If the person says yes then the next step is detoxification which is getting all the alcohol out of the body so that they are sober.

The detoxification usually takes place in a hospital where there is around the clock care. The time can range from a few days to over a week. The patient will experience withdrawal symptoms and they are generally uncomfortable until they are alcohol free.

The third and last step is getting into rehabilitation program. There are outpatient and inpatient treatments. The doctor will decide which one is right for that patient. The treatment can last from thirty days to ninety days. During this time the patient gets one on one counseling and group therapy. After the rehabilitation treatment the alcoholic is urged to go to AA for further support.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholism, Intervention (TV series)

Detox As A Long Term Diet?

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Is going on a detox diet, a lifestyle type diet? While eating healthy is a great way to maintain weight, there is a vast difference between detox dieting and healthy weight loss dieting.

Detox dieting limits your food and variety of food greatly. A healthy long term diet allows you a variety of food, but within moderate amounts.

Detox dieting does result in weight loss because of the body cleanse that takes place. There is a limit on the intake of calories and because of the quality of foods and increase in fluids, the fat and other toxins are released out of the body in a more efficient manner, which leads to a quicker weight loss.

However, staying on a detox diet for a long time may not be healthy. A detox diet limits you to certain foods and doesn’t contain a variety of foods. The reason you are instructed to eat only certain foods on a detox diet is because of the way they travel through your system when digested. They aid in the eliminiation process and they don’t add any toxins.

It is normal to build up toxins in the body. Everyone has them. It is just a good idea to clean yourself of the build up every so often. Then your body will function better and digest all of the other foods in a better manner.

A detox diet, though, is a great way to jumpstart your body into healthy eating for the longer term diet. Just be sure to find the right detox plan for you. Some people are very sensitive to the extreme detox diets and find themselves sick from it. This may be because of the amount of toxins currently in their body. Others can handle it. Obviously, if you can handle an extreme detox then go for it. But, if you are sensitive to dramatic changes, then you should opt for a detox plan that is less harsh on the system and not so strict with foods and still generates the detox benefits.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Detoxification, Health, Weight loss

Great Way To Detox For Addictions

Detoxing is a great way to jumpstart your body into healthy living. It is especially helpful when coming off any sort of an addition.
It can take as little as ten days to really transform yourself with the proper detox diet. We are going to learn how to do this in this article. Remember, though, that in order to get the best result, you have to put forth your best effort.

In this 10 day fast, you begin wit no eating for 1 full, 24 hour day. Ouch! But, it’s an important start. The only thing you can have is water and you should have at least 2 liters of water to achieve the maximum results.

This fast will prevent you from putting any more toxins into your body and for your body to automatically go into a cleansing mode. All of your body parts will be on a break. Your digestive system will have some time off and actually be able to heal itself.
After the 24 hour fast, avoid caffeine, sodas, alcohol, red meat, dairy, pork, wheat products, processed foods, or fast foods.

For the following 9 days, you can eat legumes in place of rice, pasta, bread etc. If you can, buy organic of everything that you do eat, so that you are not putting back toxins from pesticides. Vegetables in as many colors as you can gather are very good during this time. You can cook them, but it is even better to have them more on the raw side. You can also have fruit. Eat as many fruit and vegetables as you want. The antioxidants and free radicals in the veggies and fruit will really help eliminate the toxins.
Fish, eggs and white meat (besides pork) are allowed as well. Don’t be afraid to use spices when you cook your meat. It will taste great and the natural effects of them will be great at this time.

And that’s all you need to be on your way to a healthier you!

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Detoxification, Health, Toxin

Taking 12 Steps Towards Alcoholism Recovery

Alcoholics Anonymous is famous for its 12-step program. Following these steps is critical to the program and has ensured many successful stories. This article is going to share with you, what the steps are about.

The first step in the AA program is owning that you are powerless over alcohol and that you are not in control of your life anymore. AA believes that until you take ownership and accept that you have this problem, you cannot begin to recover.
Then you begin to take an account of the people in your life and who you may have hurt because of your drinking or addiction. They then tell you to make amends with these people. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it feels better once you do it. For many people, this is the hardest step.

Throughout the program you are encourages to make your relationship with God better and really seek to learn from Him and accept Him. While, the program is spiritual, there is no denominational requirement, but that you believe in God in your own way.
Lastly, the AA 12-step program wants you to bring this message to others in need. This is usually done by sponsoring another alcoholic or serving as a mentor for newcomers in the program.

To receive the maximum benefits of the program, it is advised that every AA member have a sponser. A sponser is simply someone who has completed the 12 steps and is there for you whenever you need them as you work through the 12 steps yourself.

AA members are advised to keep going back to the meetings, even after the 12 steps have been completed. It is very rewarding to help others and maintain your own sobriety and the program celebrates those who have remained sober for certain periods of time.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Alcoholics Anonymous, God

Activities that Can Create Substitute Highs

When recovering from drug abuse, or when faced with situations which may otherwise pressure a person into using drugs, it’s important to find a substitute for the high. This certainly doesn’t mean switching from one drug to another. Luckily, there are ways to achieve a high that don’t require drugs and can help users break away from addiction more easily, and which can help a person deal with stressful situations.

Exercise:

It’s common knowledge that exercise can give you a rush of endorphins. What is less known is how easy this really is. As little as twenty minutes of walking can help create a sense of tension relief, lifting one’s mood notably. Greater degrees of exercise can be used for even more powerful effects.

Sunlight:

Exposure to sunlight releases melanin into the body and provides much needed vitamin D. Simply standing in a sunny area for a few minutes can help mental and physical health. For those who struggle with deficiencies in these areas, seasonal depression, or mood disorders, sunlight can greatly help restore emotional equilibrium.

Laughter:

Watching an amusing television show or movie can be one of the best ways of coping with anxiety. The phrase “laughter is the best medicine” is more than just talk. This powerful destressor alleviates mental and physical tension and has profound impact on human chemical systems.

Cold:

Exposure to cold prompts the body to release a number of chemicals that improve focus, decrease anxiety, and create a greater sense of awareness. Lowering the temperature of your home just a few degrees can be helpful. For those looking for more extreme aid, taking a cold shower can provide a significant chemical relief.

These natural highs can be a great way to break from cravings, but these solutions may not work for everyone. If a serious drug problem exists, using a drug treatment center is generally an advisable course of action.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Anxiety, Health, Substance abuse

Finger Pulse Oximeter and Seniors

Senior citizens experiencing medical conditions related to high blood pressure can benefit from the modern finger pulse oximeter. Knowing the level of oxygen present in the blood can aid in understanding at what level the patient’s pulmonary system is performing. Doctors, hospitals, and clinics have long known the value of using oximeters, and now their patients can benefit as well. New, easy-to-read oximeters are inexpensive additions to any patient’s medicine cabinet and can significantly increase the patient’s understanding of their body’s recuperative processes and abilities.

Patients suffering from COPD, asthma, mesothelioma, or other lung-related ailments can benefit greatly from using a finger pulse oximeter on a routine basis (in addition to their medication). Oximeters provide instantaneous readouts of blood oxygen levels at critical times. The portability and compact size of the new oximeters make them easy to carry, and 70 years of development make them highly reliable. The sophisticated, state-of–the-art electronic circuitry has been reduced to a package no larger than a pack of cigarettes. The unobtrusive device is clamped to a finger for immediate readings of oxygen levels in the blood as well as blood pulse data.

Seniors with an aversion to painfully intrusive diabetic devices will be grateful for the finger pulse oximeter’s non-intrusive technology. Since no invasive processes are involved, most seniors readily accept the oximeter’s simple yet important use. Large LED displays make it easy to read the results and record them as necessary. Bluetooth technology makes it possible for accurate and timely recording of important data for review and analysis by doctors or technicians later. The freedom of using modern oximeters is enhanced by the long battery life and rugged design of the devices. Seniors desiring to maintain a better awareness of their blood oxygen levels have found a safe, simple, and user-friendly solution.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Blood pressure, Medicine, Pulse oximeter

The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse

It has been said that a woman falls victim to domestic violence every 15 seconds in America. This article will focus on women being battered by men, although, there are men battered by women as well. The violence comes from a person wanting power. This happens frequently in marriages.

It is not uncommon that men who are domestically violent are also abusers of some sort of substance, whether it is alcohol or drugs. In fact, there are studies that show the direct relationship between substance abuse and domestic violence. Often the violence comes after the substance abuse.

Actually, the traits of someone who is violent are very similar to those that abuse alcohol and drugs. Such traits are those that were victims of parental violence, or watching parents fight. Depression, financial hardships, insecurity and feeling powerless are also a common thread amongst those who abuse others or drugs and alcohol.

There are three different types of batterers that experts have categorized. Typical Batterers are considered to be those that are violent only at home and generally don’t abuse drugs or alcohol.

Antisocial Batterers are those that are extremely violent and usually have a history of mental illness, substance abuse and even legal issues.

Sociopathic Batterers are even more extreme. They are noted as being heavy alcohol and drug users to the point of addiction. They have a history of not being able to complete treatment programs and they show no guilt at all for the harm they cause. They have severe mental issues and legal problems.

Treatment is already a difficult task for any addict, but for the batterer with the substance abuse problem, it is even harder. Such people need behavior therapy and most will find themselves in some sort of legal trouble that requires them to get help. When they do, the victim of their violence will be protected by the law as well.

Filed Under: Holistic Addiction Care Tagged With: Domestic violence, Substance abuse, Violence