Why Vitamin B1 is Important During the Detox Process

During the detoxification process there will be a lot of talk about vitamin B1. In fact chances are one of the first things the hospital staff does when you enter the detox center is place an intravenous solution of B1 into the alcohol or drug abuser. Here is a look at what B1 does to the body and why it is important to get those that have a substance abuse problem a high dosage of the vitamin B1.

The vitamin B1 is known as thiamine and is essential to the brain. When a person drinks a high amount of alcohol the body has a tendency to become deprived of the vitamin B1. The body becomes deprived of this vitamin the brain will almost appear to become pickled or dried out. A brain in this state can cause a lot of problems from disorientation to loss of brain function and amnesia.

Many times the vitamin B1 can be replaced through supplements and injections. This allows the brain to receive the nutrients that it needs to work properly. The ability to give the brain back the nutrients that it needs is why many detox centers will start the IV of vitamin B1 right away.

One of the best benefits about the vitamin B1 is that it is water soluble. That means if the person who is receiving the vitamin doesn’t need the amount that is given to them the vitamin will absorb in the body and not cause the person any potential harm. This reason is why many detox centers will give it to a substance abuser regardless of what course of treatment they wish to undergo.

Filed Under: Detox Tagged With: , , ,

Other Alternative Medicine Approaches to Substance Abuse Problems

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: ,

Alternative Medicine Approach to Drug/Alcohol Addiction: Guided Imagery and Visualization

When people use the term alternative medicine people will normally assume that they are talking about Chinese medicine, acupuncture, chiropractics or herbal medicine. However, there is a lesser known form of alternative medicine known as guided imagery and creative visualization that has been commonly used to treat those with an addiction to either drugs or alcohol.

Guided imagery and creative visualization have proven successful in helping treat those with a substance abuse because it is an alternative form to relaxation therapy. One of the most commonly cited reasons for turning to drugs and alcohol is because of the need to ease the high amount of tension in a person’s life, improve self esteem or to even relax at the end of the day. Guided imagery and creative visualization work to eliminate known triggers to drug or alcohol use by allowing the person to engage in exercises that will relax the body and therefore cause the person to not turn to drugs or alcohol.

Popular forms of guided imagery and creative visualization include relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or breathing exercises. Muscle relaxation is also encouraged because it allows the substance abuser to learn how to properly relax the body and muscles through a natural, alternative way and not have to turn to drugs. It is believed that these types of relaxation and imagery techniques can work because it allows the substance abuser to picture themselves in a happy drug-free state of life and can work through positive reinforcement.

Guided imagery and creative visualization has been proven as a successful way to help treat those with a substance abuse problem. It has been so successful that many drug and alcohol treatment centers incorporate these practices into their therapy sessions. Some programs will start the day out with guided imagery and visualization as a way to help calm the addicts that are in the treatment center and help them get into the habit of engaging in these mental exercises.

Filed Under: Alternative Alcohol Rehab Tagged With: ,

Treating Substance Abuse Through Herbal Medicine

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: , ,

What Does Happen in a Rehab Center?

If you are seeking information on a rehab center, either for yourself or a loved one, and you are not sure exactly what does happen in one, this article will provide a brief explanation. Most rehab centers follow the course of treatment described; how they approach the various steps is what may be different depending on which type of facility is chosen.

1. Detoxification

This process of ridding the body of all traces of the drug or alcohol that has caused the addiction–is usually the first stage of rehabilitation. Depending on the rehab center, this may occur in the facility itself or it may be necessary for a person to undergo the “detox” stage in a hospital or other medical facility before he will be admitted to the rehab center.

2. Diagnosis and Treatment

In most rehab centers, the resident enters as an inpatient. For a specific period, he does not leave the facility. Once he has successfully completed the inpatient phase, he then transitions to outpatient status.

It is during the in-patient status time that the diagnosis of a co-occurring disorder may be made. A co-occurring disorder is one in which psychological or mental problems, such as depression, bi-polar disorder, or other conditions are found to exist along with the alcohol or drug addiction.

Those facilities that are designed to handle co-occurring disorders provide treatment for both psychological disorders and addiction problems. Treatment includes counseling with those counselors who handle psychological disorders and additional counseling with those trained to treat addiction problems.

If a co-occurring disorder exists, it is very important that a facility be chosen that does address both issues. Many do not; rather, they simply deal with the addiction. This can lead to multiple relapses, as the underlying psychological problems still remain.

MichaelsHouse.com is one facility that does handle co-occurring disorders sometimes referred to as “dual diagnosis.” This facility has been helping people with this specific problem for over 80 years.

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

If You Suspect Your Teen in Abusing Drugs

It can be scary for parents to discover that their teen may be abusing substances, and even scarier to decide what to do next.There are a few important steps that parents can take to support their child and help them to get help and recover from substance abuse. Afterwards, if rehab is part of the picture, take your time researching options and helping your child through a rough period in his or her life.

Talk Openly with your Teen

You may not be sure of the extent of the problem, or if you are reading the signs right at all. Talking openly with your teen is the first important step to moving forward. Find a time to talk when you are both calm and have plenty of time. You want to be straightforward with your teen, but also supportive so you don’t scare him or her off. Ask questions and show your concern. Try to find out how long this has been going on and the extent of the problem. If your teen has only just begun experimenting with substances, you may be able to work through it together and put a stop to the behavior. If the abuse is more severe, you may have to take additional steps to help your teen through recovery.

Seek Professional Help

If you are uncomfortable talking with your child on your own, or if you suspect a bigger problem, you may want to seek professional assistance. Your child’s doctor may be a good choice to help you through this and evaluate what is going on. You can also seek out a psychologist to mediate conversation and talk one on one with your teen about the substance abuse. These people can help your teen to turn things around, help you to support them, and help you both get the assistance necessary for recovery.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With:

Getting Back on Your Feet

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.

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

The Real Rehab: Beyond the Addiction

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

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.

Filed Under: Addiction Recovery Tagged With: , , ,

Heroin De-addiction: Kicking the habit

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: , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »