The Importance of Nutritional Therapy During The Detoxification Process

February 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The detoxification process that an alcoholic or drug abuser goes through is a complex process. Chances are they will be suffering from extreme withdrawal symptoms as well as intense cravings for the substance of choice. While there are many aspects of the detoxification process that are medical in nature there is also an emphasis on the nutritional side as well.

Many alcoholics and drug addicts suffer from intense malnutrition. It is believed that the malnutrition can often lead to cravings for the drugs or alcohol. This belief is why many people who undergo the detoxification process are also undergoing nutritional therapy. Nutritional therapy helps the body receive the nutrition that it needs to subside the cravings for the drugs and alcohol.

Nutrition is also a major element when it comes to the detoxification process because there are certain supplements and vitamins that help aid the detoxification process. The most popular type of supplement and vitamins that are used during the detoxification process are those of Zinc and vitamin C. It is believed that Zinc and vitamin C help with the detox process as well as help get the addict’s judgment and body back into shape.

Another element that is focused upon during nutritional therapy for the time during detox is that of the antioxidants. Many drug and alcohol addicts have increased levels of free radicals in their body. Free radicals will damage the body’s organs and tissues. Antioxidants are believed to flush the free radicals and help repair the body. Antioxidants that are used during nutritional therapy include beta-carotene, vitamins E and C, Zinc and selenium. These will all help flush the free radicals from the body and help with the detoxification process.

Nutritional therapy during the detoxification process is essential for any substance abuser because it allows them to rid the body of harmful toxins as well as get their nutrition back to the levels it should be.

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Other Alternative Medicine Approaches to Substance Abuse Problems

February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There are dozens of different types of alternative medicine treatments. While alternative medicine is often thought to treat physical symptoms or diseases that cause pain it can also be used to treat some of the side effects that comes from substance abuse.

Alternative medicine is used to reduce the withdrawal symptoms and help the body detox. This allows anyone with a substance abuse problem to concentrate on themselves while they work on the issues that caused the substance abuse to arise.

The most popular forms of alternative medicine that help the body through detoxing and with any withdrawal symptoms include diet therapy, imagery therapy and acupuncture. However, there are other forms of alternative medicine treatments that can be used to help with substance abuse. Here is a look at some of the rarer forms of alternative medicine that have been used to help with substance addictions.

Homeopathy. Homeopathy is the use of different scents to create stimulations throughout the body. Homeopathy has several different scents that work for reducing cravings for drugs or alcohol and even help relax the substance abuser so that they are less likely to use the substance of choice.

Chiropractic. Chiropractic care often works in a similar way that acupuncture does. It is believed that there are a number of disturbances in the spinal alignment that can cause an individual to crave and want drugs or alcohol. Chiropractic care will fix the alignment and potentially cure any cravings or withdrawal symptoms.

Hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy works in the similar way that imagery and visualization does. It allows the substance abuser to put them into a slight trance so that their subconscious mind offers positive views of a drug or alcohol free life. Many substance abusers believe that hypnotherapy is essential to their sobriety or abstaining from their substance of choice.

Other alternative treatments include biofeedback training that works to rework the thinking of the substance abuser and meditation that works in the similar way that hypnotherapy and visualization does.

Filed Under: Alternative Alcohol Rehab Tagged With: ,

Low Blood Sugar Could Lead to Drug or Alcohol Cravings

February 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There are a lot of theories about why a person suffers from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Some people believe that it is an issue of genetics, while others believe that there is a chemical in the substances that alter the body. However, one of the most recent discoveries has lead many people to wonder if it has to do with the blood sugar levels of the addict.

A recent study showed that almost every person who suffered from some type of alcohol or drug addiction had extremely low blood sugar. This has caused many researched to wonder if the addiction to the substance is caused by the substance or because of the low blood sugar that the person might have had before they started with their substance of choice.

Luckily, if you believe that low blood sugar might be the cause of a specific substance abuse there are a few things that you can do to make sure that the low blood sugar does not happen and the body will not suffer from the craving for the drugs or alcohol.

Here is a look at what people can do to remedy low blood sugar and potentially help their addiction.

Avoid Sugars. It is a good idea to avoid sugars. Even though the blood sugar is low sugars will spike the blood sugar and cause it to crash. This can lead to cravings of alcohol or drugs. Sugars can include fruit juices, sugars and even corn syrups.

Avoid Refined Carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates work in the same way that sugars do. It causes the body to spike the blood sugar and drop it quickly. Try to avoid stuff such as pasta and white bread which are known as refined carbohydrates.

Intake Complex Carbohydrates. Certain carbohydrates will allow the body to have higher levels of blood sugar for a sustained amount of time. Increasing the intake of whole grains, vegetables and certain types of fruits can help keep a higher blood sugar level throughout the day and reduce the cravings for the drugs or alcohol.

Filed Under: Alcohol Dependence Tagged With: , , ,

Treating Substance Abuse Through Herbal Medicine

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

More and more people are starting to turn to alternative medicine as a way to treat a number of diseases and illnesses. While traditional Chinese doctors and alternative medicine practitioners have long used alternative medicine to treat alcohol or drug addictions it has just started to make its way to the United States as a respectable form of substance abuse treatment. One of the most popular forms of alternative medicine as a treatment for substance abuse includes that of herbal medicine.

Herbal medicine is the use of specific herbal supplements or teas to cure the body of the craving for the substance that is being abused or to help with the detox process. While herbal medicine and alternative medicine do not work to cure the addiction completely it allows the addict to have a rest from the withdrawal symptoms or cravings so that they can work on any underlying issues.

Here is a look at some of the most popular types of herbal supplements and teas that are used to help with the detox process or to cure cravings of the substance that is being abused.

Anti-Anxiety Herbs. Many herbal medicines and teas help to cure anxiety or depression. Many drug and alcohol addicts will suffer from extreme forms of anxiety or depression while they are detoxing. This makes any herbal medication that works to sooth these symptoms popular. Popular herbal supplements and teas that are used to cure anxiety or depression include catnip, peppermint, skullcap and chamomile. Sometimes St. John’s wort is used but not all the time.

Detoxing. Drug addicts and alcohol abusers need to detox their body of the harmful chemicals that were placed in the body. Popular herbal supplements that are used to detox the body include milk thistle, burdock root and echinacea. Many of these herbs are also known to help repair organs in the body that might be harmed from the drug or alcohol addiction.

Filed Under: Addiction Recovery Tagged With: , ,

Heroin: The Villainous Addiction

January 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Heroin aufkochen
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Heroin is synthesized from morphine, derived from opium poppy. It is more addictive than morphine. Ironically, heroin was first marketed as an over the counter drug as a morphine-substitute that was supposed to be without the addictiveness of morphine. It is a depressant that works on the brain’s pleasure centre and retards the brain’s perception of pain.

Heroin can be injected into the vein, or muscle. Injecting into the vein is known as mainlining while chasing the dragon means inhaling the smoke through a straw. It can also be smoked in a water-pipe, regular pipe, mixed in marijuana joints or normal cigarettes, and snorted as a powder through the nose.

Once the heroin hits the bloodstream, the effects start becoming apparent. There is a sudden feeling of euphoria, also known as a rush. The extremities become heavy, and the mouth goes dry with warm, flushed skin. After the initial rush, the next stage is a going on the nod where the user becomes alternately wakeful and drowsy. The central nervous system is affected and depressed leading to lowered mental functioning. The speech becomes slurred, the gait slow, pupils constrict and eyelids start to droop. Night vision becomes impaired and vomiting and constipation may also occur.

A user can get addicted to heroin after just a single use, but the long term effects can be quite devastating. Some of these can be collapsed veins, heart lining infection, liver disease and abscesses. Several types of pneumonia can be the manifestation of pulmonary complications caused by poor health condition and the effects on respiration. Along with the effects of heroin, several other complications could arise from the additives in it. Some of the substances used as additives were never meant to enter the human body and can clog up blood vessels that lead to the liver, lungs, kidneys or brain. Without proper blood circulation to these important organs, there could be cell damage, infection or even death.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With: , , ,

Getting Back on Your Feet

January 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If you’re recovering from a severe addiction, you could probably write your own book on how it destroyed your life. However, addiction doesn’t have to be the final chapter. You can take steps to fully recover from your addiction and get your life back on track! While keeping up with counseling sessions, attending meetings, and participating in a variety of support groups can keep you clean, you can do even more, when you’re ready, to rejoin society. Let’s take a look at the two best ways to feel normal again:

Get a Job

Everyone feels better when they’re able to contribute to society and support themselves. By getting a job, you can help your finances while you help yourself! Having a regular routine and feeling needed is a great way to increase your self-esteem. By feeling better about yourself and the future, you’ll be even more motivated to resist temptation and continue your new life of sobriety. If you can’t find a job right away, don’t overlook volunteer opportunities. Helping out a cause you believe in can feel just as good as a paying job, and it can create great contacts for future job searches.

Go Back to School

If your addiction started early in life, you may not have reached your educational goals or you may have set some new ones during your recovery. It’s never too late to go back to school to improve yourself and your job skills. If you are also employed, there’s a wide variety of online university programs that can let you study at your own pace and on a schedule that’s convenient to you. The most important part of going back to school is that you’ll be using your brain. This is a very important part of both your recovery effort and your overall mental health!

Congratulations on your new life of sobriety! As part of your new life, continue to improve yourself and your skills.

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The Real Rehab: Beyond the Addiction

January 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Maybe you have finally decided that you want to kick the habit that has been ruling your life for far too long. If so, that is great. You want to get out of the old life style, and get into one where some junk is off somewhere else, and not in your face (or in your body), and where the decisions that you make are based on what you really want, and not just on what feels pretty good at the moment. But the process that starts in a rehab setting and consists of a lot of withdrawal pains does not end there. The real process that you are going to have to go through is far more difficult, and far scarier, than any of the physical pains could ever be.

Unfortunately, not every rehabilitation center really considers the fact that in order to treat the real problem, you have got to look beyond the addiction itself. Fortunately, as websites like TheCyn.com can tell you, the addiction is merely a mask that is worn by the underlying cause. This cause is only treated by places such as this, where they counsel you about what is really wrong underneath the surface. There is not an alcoholic or an addict out there who does not have an issue that goes far deeper than just using their stuff of choice.

A good rehabilitation center will seek to understand what your real problem is, and then work to equip you with the tools that you are going to need, in order to really overcome those issues. A good primer on that is the twelve step program that Alcoholics Anonymous uses, in which you make the slow journey from merely admitting to your problem, through working on the problems that underlie it, all the way through genuinely helping others to overcome their own problems. Whether you believe in the religious overtones or not, beating the real problem works.

Filed Under: Alcohol Rehab Facilities Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Support After Rehab

January 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When you are nearing the end of your time in a rehab facility or time spent in counseling and actively engaged in rehabilitation, it is time to start to think about how you will maintain your progress and new life after treatment. Many believe that treatment for addiction never really ends, and even though you may not be actively in treatment, it is important to maintain a strong support system and a lifestyle that will help you to stay clean after your recovery from substance abuse.

Counseling

Many rehab centers offer counseling after your initial treatment. Make use of these resources and schedule periodic appointments to check up on progress and be sure everything is okay. These appointments are also a good time to let someone know if you have hit a rough patch or are experiencing signs of falling back into your addiction. Having a counselor on your calendar keeps you from having to make that call again, you’re already going to see someone at regular intervals.

Support Systems

Continuing to attend meetings can be one good way to stay accountable. You may also want to keep in touch with an accountability buddy in order to check up on each others’ progress and encourage one another to maintain your new lifestyle. Having a strong support system of family and friends can also be helpful moving forward. These people can help you through tougher times and provide an encouraging word or friendly ear when you are having a rough day.

After-Care at a Center

Many centers offer services to past patients and it is important to find out about all of the options available. Being able to pick up the phone at any hour of the day and talk to someone about what’s going on and get help from people who already know your history can be a big help to people after their initial time in rehab.

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Intervention Programs Can Save Lives

January 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Various prescription and street drugs may caus...
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When you realize that a friend or a family member has taken drug and/or alcohol use much too far, it may be time to see about an intervention. That can be done on a personal level, with family and friends, or it can be done on a professional level through making a person get help. You’ll know, generally, when it’s time to get help for someone. Alcohol use in someone who’s of age should be occasional and not excessive. Someone under legal drinking age shouldn’t be drinking at all. For drugs, there’s a sharper line. There shouldn’t be any illegal drug use, and legal medications should only be taken by the person they were prescribed to, and only in the specified dosage.

That doesn’t mean every underage person who sneaks one drink needs rehab, though, or every person who tries marijuana or takes a friend’s pain pill for a severe headache should be sent away to ‘get clean.’ Ideally, people wouldn’t use illegal substances and would follow rules that are set out for legal ones, but this is not a perfect world. Where intervention comes into play is generally through a realization that the person can’t stop the drugs or alcohol – or that he or she is getting sick from them.

Some people also lose jobs and families, and they continue to make lifestyle changes in order to accommodate drug and alcohol use. In those kinds of cases, intervention services may be necessary, significant, and important. The abuse has gone on for a long time at that point, and stopping on his or her own with willpower alone may no longer be possible. That’s when interventions can really have the most impact, and they can save lives that would otherwise very likely be lost to the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

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Heroin De-addiction: Kicking the habit

December 25, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Heroin is an extremely addictive narcotic. It is supposed to be even more addictive than morphine, from which it is synthesized. Heroin addiction can happen after a single use and the habit is extremely difficult to get rid of. The addiction to heroin is physical which means that the body reacts with physical withdrawal symptoms if the ingestion is stopped. Since the body of a heroin user starts to develop a tolerance for the drug, the body starts craving for higher doses, and if the drug is not taken regularly, the withdrawal symptoms start.

The physical craving for the drug are accompanied by body and muscle ache, diarrhea and vomiting. Sleeping becomes difficult and the user experiences cold flashes, which has given rise to the expression cold turkey referring to the chills and goose bumps that are a part of heroin withdrawal. Another distinctive symptom is the kicking of legs and feet, which gave birth to another expression, kicking the habit.

The symptoms can be so severe that addicts who were into high doses are warned not to stop suddenly or it could be fatal. The symptoms can start within a few hours after the last dose, but they hit most severely between 48 to 72 hours. The body’s physical symptoms can last for up to 7 days.

A heroin addict who wants to kick the habit needs to be physically detoxified of the drug. This can be an extremely painful process for the person and it requires a special environment for a safe and comfortable detox. Only after the body has been detoxed of all traces of the drug should a person enter a specialized heroin rehab program.

One of the most important aspects of heroin rehab is the understanding why the person became addicted to heroin in the first place. Once the triggers are identified, a customized plan is designed to help him deal with them.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With: , , , , ,
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