Addiction is as most people already know a disease. One which is not curable but can be treatable. The substance(s) we choose are but one small part of the illness, there are many things that effect, increase and support our addiction. Owning personal responsibility for each thing that affects our illness removes the blame and denial. Here I will address just a couple of these issues briefly. Things which I have struggled with personally and can say that I have trained myself to the point where they, while still present in my life no longer control actions or decisions causing me to use.

Lets discuss one of the most predominate emotional excuse makers of any addict recovering or active-anger. I used to continually blame my anger on a source, such as a person, place or thing. My thought (and statement) used to be, They really made me angry when they said or did that. Today I have learned that if I consciously accept responsibility for my anger that I no longer can use it as an excuse to stay angry and let it grow into something dysfunctional. My statement now is-(What di I do to allow that person or incident to make me angry. Its not about someone or something else its about me. Even if someone or something is totally wrong in how it affects me I am the one who is allowing it to affect me.

If you think this idea is bogus I challenge you to try it out, not for one day or a week but for a long enough period of time that it becomes almost automatic. I think you find so much relief from the stress and game playing it will give you enough freedom to work on other aspects of your life. And guess what? The same process works with anything we do. Own responsibility for yourself and you will stop being responsible for others burdens we have enough of our own. Simply said difficult to do, but if you truly want to embrace recovery it is necessary.

Also, remember in the process of seeking freedom from the slavery of addiction we will all fail and make mistakes. It is not the mistake that is made thats important it is what we do afterward that is important. The true definition of insanity is making the same mistake over and over again and expecting a different result. So at least attempt to make the next mistake different from the last one.

One last little thing this time around, we all have problems big and small and addicts love to let great big piles of them gang up on us all at once. Here is a simple philosophy that could help you if you will apply it to your life. Now is all there is, it was now five minutes ago it will be now five minutes from now. How many problems can you have in that one brief instant of time called now? Only one deal with it!

John Fisher is a Consultant, Educator, Trainer, and Speaker in the Safety and Health Industry. He is also a Pastor and is recovering from addiction.
jfisher1948@centurytel.net

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If you can beat your cravings for alcohol you will beat your addiction and will never return to drinking, but how do you do it, surely we are talking about something major here? it cannot be that simple can it? You will be surprised!

How you think about your addiction will determine how much power it has over you, if you believe that you will give in to your addiction, then you will. However if you believe you can beat your addiction you will. When you quit drinking and will be subjected to these cravings but what really matters is how you choose to react to them.

Forearmed is forewarned

The first things you need to become aware of are the situations which trigger your cravings. Some situations will be easy to avoid, for example, being in places where you previously used to drink. Your addiction will have forged a connection with alcohol in these places and so every time you visit them the voice of addiction will talk to you. There are other situations however which may take you completely by surprise, for example, if you always used to drink when he came home from work then you are still going to experience the craving when you quit drinking.

Possible craving triggers

Whilst withdrawing from alcohol

Feeling the need to escape (boredom, depression, stress etc)

Automatic response to a learned situation (places, people, celebrations, annual festivities, holidays)

Needing to feel good

How to handle the cravings

Keep busy

Use visualization

Set goals

Make affirmations

Meditate, relax

Rationalize the craving when it occurs

Keep a record of the triggers in a journal or diary

Keeping busy

As soon as you get the craving involve yourself in an activity which requires your attention, maybe you could make something, do a drawing or painting, do some writing, anything that is going to help you to shift the focus away from the craving.

Visualization

Close your eyes and relax and think about the things you want from life, the things you going to achieve without drinking, ways to make your life more fulfilling

etc.

Setting goals

Think about where you want to be in five years time, what can you do to get there, what steps could you take this week to getting closer to that goal. Make a list of things that you want to achieve in a week, maybe set yourself a task to do each day. Write these ideas down and carry them around with you. Memorize them, so that when you think you need a drink you have a reason to resist your cravings

Affirmations

Affirmations are great from making little better about yourself, you could say to yourself for example, “I do not drink and my addictions have no power over me, or, I feel confident and in control since I gave up drinking etc. You get the picture!

Meditation

Try listening to meditation MP3s or self hypnosis tapes when you feel a craving, as you relax you will once again be in control.

Rationalize the craving when it occurs

When you get the craving think of reasons why you do not want to give in. Think about how good you feel since stopping drinking, look how good your skin looks, how nice it is not to have hangovers? there are a thousand and one other reasons that you will be able to think of.

Keep a record of the triggers in a journal or diary

Every time you experience the craving make a point of writing down where and when an under what circumstances the craving it occurred. Write down how he dealt with it, how you felt, was it easy or difficult to deal with? Writing these events down will make you aware of the situations to be cautious in.

At all times remember that you are the one in control, you have within you a great power that power is called choice and it is what determines whether you succeed or fail. Surely you want to maintain that power, so remind yourself at all times how great you are for being able to overcome your addiction, people will respect you for being able to overcome an addiction when the majority cannot. Congratulate yourself for being able to beat your addiction on your own, without the need of Alcoholics Anonymous because you will never drink again.

Rob Maggs is a Software Developer and Web Designer based on the Isle Of Anglesey in the United Kingdom. A reformed alcoholic dedicated to self improvement and personal development.
Free meditation software Stop drinking and stay stopped

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To say that addiction is an issue in modern society is to make a rather major understatement. More and more people are looking to alternative health treatments for a solution.

The treatment for addiction is an ongoing concern of society. It has become clear to many that the threat of incarceration is not doing much to slow the illegal use of substances and offers little hope for a long term cure for the resulting problems of addiction. In recent years, alternative medicine has become a logical place to look for solutions as the conventional medical establishment has made little if any progress. Acupuncture is one of these alternative choices.

The National Institute of Health has both endorsed the acupuncture treatment for addiction and posed concerns about it. The concerns are mostly based on the fact that there is no real clear understanding in the Western Medical and scientific community as to just exactly how it works. A secondary concern is the lack of scientific research on its effectiveness.

As is the case in many other areas of medical concern, acupuncture treatment for addiction simply works. Some areas of the country are beginning to recognize this fact and because they have so few choices available are setting up court supervised programs that offer acupuncture and other treatments as an alternative to jail. The acupuncture program is coupled with all of the other lifestyle type of procedures designed to help overcome withdrawal symptoms, strengthen the morale fiber in the abuser, and deal with the problems that might have contributed to the addiction in the first place.

There has actually been some accepted research studies done on the effect of acupuncture on the treatment of alcoholics. These studies have shown that acupuncture helps overcome alcohol addiction and continued treatment lessens the chance of relapse. These studies are very encouraging to those who see acupuncture treatment for addiction as a distinct option. One of the things that is already accepted is that acupuncture does help combat the effects of withdrawal. The calming and anxiety reducing results from acupuncture are the most accepted and documented of all of its benefits.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Five Element acupuncture have no problem understanding how acupuncture works in the treatment of addiction or any other similar condition that so illustrates a body that is no longer in harmony in a physical or spiritual sense. As in any other such disharmony, the addiction is merely a symptom of something amiss within the internal flow of vital energy through the Meridians of the body.

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Smoking refers to the inhalation of smoke from the burning tobacco in a cigar, or pipe commonly known, cigarette. Tobacco contains nicotine, a drug that can promote dependence, which makes it hard for chain smokers to quit. It is a vice. It is an addiction.

People smoke for various reasons at different situations. Reasons for smoking ranges from psychological issues, habits, social status symbol and physical dependence on nicotine.

Smoking has no health benefits. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,800 chemicals, 69 are contributors to cancer. 90 percent of lung cancer is known to have 80-90 percent chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is a plus factor to coronary heart disease and stroke. It also accounts for 20-30 percent low-birth weights and to an extent infant death.

Smoking not only harms first hand smokers, it also affects those who breathe the smoked cigar, called second hand smoke.

Since 1964, tobacco advertising have been sternly mandated to include health warnings. Most states and communities have raised issues on the restriction of public smoking such as workplaces, restaurants and public utility vehicles. But the tobacco industry and many smokers reacted on the anti smoking campaign as harassment and suppression of ones liberties. Thus, the government neutralized the two extreme forces.

When smokers attempt to quit, the abstinence from nicotine leads to withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal could be physical or mental. Physically, the body responds to the absence of nicotine. Psychologically, the smoker is confronted with a habit which means, a major change in behavior. Both factors must be considered in order for the process of quitting to succeed.

Health concerns are the top most reasons for people to give up smoking. Ex-smokers enjoy a higher life quality with less ailments.

The health benefits of quitting exceeds risks from less than 10 pounds weight increase or any psychological effects that may be the result of quitting.

Smoke quitting effectively reduces cost of vices. A significant difference is observed quickly when one quits. The ex-smoker can taste and smell much better and breath also smells better. Risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases is reduced. Quitting prevents damaging effects of tobacco on ones appearance, which includes premature skin wrinkling, strained teeth and yellowish fingernails, diseases of the gums and bad hair and clothes smell.

People who stops smoking not only help themselves but saves the lives of their family, and help preserve the environment.

Stop smoking with hypnosis with dramatically help you to stop smoking quickly. http://smoking.y54.com

Using the Stop Smoking Hypnosis MP3 download is the fastest way to use Hypnosis to stop smoking. You could be listening to your smoke free solution in minutes.

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Pathological Gambling Pathological gambling (PG) represents the end spectrum of gambling behaviors. It is characterized by constantly recurring gambling behaviour which is maladaptive. Preliminary neuro-biological studies implicate serotonergic dysfunction in pathological gamblers.

Other neurotransmitter systems implicated include the Dopaminergic and the Nor-adrenergic systems. While the former may mediate positive and negative rewards, and is important for aberrant substance seeking or impulsive addictive-compulsive behavior, the latter possibly mediate selective attention.

The accessibility and availability of gambling outlets is an important factor in the number of people being adversely impacted by gambling. Early exposure to an environment of heavy gambling appears important too as excessive participation in gambling frequently results from social pressures. Gambling is often used by certain individuals to cope with crisis and major stresses as the building up and release of tension associated with risk taking can be thrilling, cathartic and pleasurable. Mere occasional gambling can therefore become pathological.

Development of gambling addiction proceeds in stages as illustrated by this case. She appeared predisposed in terms of the familial history, her lack of social support and her boredom. Her initial stagewas characterized by a series of initial gains and encouragement from peers of a similar gambling background. As she entered the developing stage, her self-esteem soared as she saw herself as a smart and lucky gambler, and thereby increasing her bets and frequency of gambling.

The thrill associated with winning propelled her into the losing phase when she began to lose money and suffer a blow to her self esteem, which led to chasing and acceleration of the losses. When she presented during the desperation phase, social and psychiatric complications with more bail-outs and impairment in her control were apparent.

Being a complex bio-psycho-social phenomenon, PG is associated with high rates of other clinical and co-morbid conditions such as affective disorders, anxiety disorders and phobia, substance abuse and suicidality. There are also higher rates of other impulse control disorders such as compulsive buying, compulsive sexual behavior, kleptomania and attention deficit disorder. However these were absent in this patient. On the other hand, she did exhibit alexithymia, which is found to be increased in PG and may be a risk factor for PG in some population.

The fact that PG is multi-factorial in etiology means that its treatment has implications far wider than just the activity of gambling. It also involves that persons entire lifestyle and the impact of social factors, particularly public policy on gambling. In a clinical setting, treatment has to be carried out in stages and often face limitations. Assessment should be detailed and the need for honesty set right from the start as the patient tended to develop a pattern of dealing with problems by untruthfulness.

Cognitive behavior therapy has been found to be effective in reducing the frequency of gambling behavior in clients as well as maintaining the therapeutic gain. On the other hand, aversive therapy and covert / imaginal-desensitization have not been found useful. Involvement of family is essential.

Social assistance such as dealing with marital problems, leisure activities and legal assistance may also be indicated. A warm, empathic, non-judgemental and enthusiastic therapist with a strong sense of treatment boundary plays a pivotal role in moving the patient through the steps of change. With better therapeutic alliance, other relevant aspects of management such as dealing with low self esteem, ambivalence and fluctuating motivation to stop gambling; and applying the appropriate intervention based on the stage of gambling habit become easier.

Treatment of pathological gambling is very much in its infancy stage locally. Self-help groups may need to be developed with increased awareness and service demand. This case illustrates that though treatment can be long and frustrating, success is possible with appropriate approach in treatment and support.

Pathological gamblers exhibit complex impairments in decision-making and executive function processes associated with the prefrontal cortex of the brain, according to research that was presented at the American Academy of Neurology 57th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., April 9 -16, 2005.
Researchers learned that decision-making functions and inhibitory control in chronic pathological gamblers appear to be altered and may influence the trade-off between short-term reward and the long-term negative consequences of gambling on employment, social relationships, and family life. Better understanding of these processes could lead to the development of more effective strategies for treating pathological gamblers.

The study, led by Dr. Maria Roca, investigated the decision-making processes and executive functions in pathological gamblers. Executive functions encompass a variety of processes and are defined as the ability to abstract, plan, organize, shift set, and adapt current and past knowledge to future behavior, said co-author Facundo Manes, MD, of the Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Decision-making involves assessment of possible reward and punishment outcomes from the various response options, and the selection of the option that one thinks will be best.

Dr. Rocas study examined 11 pathological gamblers and 10 control subjects, using decision-making tasks, inhibitory control and attention tasks, and other measures. In the decision-making tasks, the gamblers made more disadvantageous choices. In the inhibitory control and attention tasks, the gamblers made more errors.

We think that the results of our study are important for two reasons, said Manes. First, our findings add more evidence to the possible role of the prefrontal cortex in the pathophysiology of this neuropsychiatric disorder. Second, the characterization of executive deficits involved in chronic pathological gambling has clear implications for rational pharmacological and rehabilitative treatment strategies. The study was supported by the Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Robert Mittiga (Addiction Specialist)
GATS Counselling & Treatment Services (GATS)
The GATS Program
P.O. Box 6411 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000

Ph 08 8223 4555 or Mobile 0400 801 557
Web www.gatscounselling.com

Robert Mittiga is an Addiction / Codependency Specialist and The Program Director of GATS Counselling & Treatment Services in Australia. A cutting edge holistic addiction treatment program/rehab.

Primary care at GATS.
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Once you make the decision to address your addiction to alcohol, join an alcoholism treatment program. Overcoming any addiction is difficult. Alcohol addiction is no different. You will need an incredible amount of support to help you reach and maintain sobriety.

Not only are you fighting your addiction to alcohol, you are dealing with emotions that become your enemy on your path to sobriety. You will take ownership of your alcohol problem one minute and be in complete denial the next. Your guilt over letting down your family and yourself becomes justification for a drink. Your emotional state is as exhausting as your physical craving for alcohol.

Many alcoholics believe they can fight alcohol addiction alone. The problem is that nobody lives in a vacuum. You will be exposed to alcohol in a variety of social settings. You need to learn how to effectively handle the temptation to have just one drink.

Alcoholism treatment programs provide opportunities for you to deal with all of these issues. Professional help is on hand to help you through each phase of your alcohol treatment. You are assessed to identify underlying issues of your addiction. Your counseling sessions are designed around these issues to help you understand yourself so you can develop alternatives to alcohol use. You are provided individual counseling. You can also participate in group counseling or family counseling.

Treatment programs are outpatient or inpatient. If you have already completed a detoxification process and just need on-going counseling and support, outpatient programs are ideal. You can find outpatient programs near you. Be sure the program you choose is certified.

Inpatient programs are great if you need to deal with strong physical cravings or alcohol withdrawal. Treatment personnel can administer drug therapy to help your physical symptoms. If your family or friends do not support recovery, consider an inpatient alcoholism treatment program to physically separate yourself and get the help you need.

An alcoholism treatment program is a sanctuary for you. You concentrate fully on your recovery. You are given the tools you need to get and stay sober. You learn about Alcoholics Anonymous and are given information on AA groups near you. You learn the skills you need to cope day by day without judgment.

Does someone you know need treatment for alcoholism? Learn which alcoholism treatment program may be the best fit by visiting Alcoholism Help Online.

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Alcoholism is not a problem that is exclusive to adults. Many teenagers find themselves addicted to alcohol even though the legal drinking age is twenty one. The pressure to fit in with others and the pressure to be popular among peers may play a significant role in drug and alcohol ill treatment among this population. Eventually, many of these youth need to seek some sort of alcohol treatment to deal with the problem.

A significant number of adolescents between the ages of twelve and twenty are affected by alcohol abuse. When children this young begin abusing the substance there is a greater risk of developing a serious dependence that requires some kind of interference and alcohol treatment to break the destructive pattern.

The problem can have serious effects on the adolescents development and future activities. The teen may find him self unable to function at school and he may have difficulty succeeding in his academic studies. It is crucial to identify and find alcohol treatment as soon as a problem is recognized.

Since the reasons behind substance abuse in teens are different than it is in adults, it is necessary to approach the adolescent differently. The reasons stem from different causes in teens than adults. Adults usually are trying to escape problems or reduce pressure and anxiety. Teens are usually driven to drink through peer pressure. Alcohol treatment for teens is different than it is for adults because of the differing causes and developmental stages.

Alcohol treatment for teenagers should be age appropriate and it should involve other family members as well. The family history of possible substance abuse may play a significant role in the cause of the abuse. The teen needs to consider his family history with the condition and the family needs to work together to achieve success.

Sometime alcohol treatment for teens requires a stay at a treatment facility. This is required for the most severe cases. The success of the program turning point on the individuals promise to his own improvement. Professionals work with the teen around the clock to help him through the disaster.

Self help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Al Anon and Alateen are very practical options for a teenager who needs alcohol treatment. The self help groups are valuable because it gives the teens an opportunity to look up to positive role models and it serves as a kind of support community. Hopefully, with early interference, the teens can find a new outlook on their problems.

John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for health, fitness and other related issues.

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If you think back to when you began to use drugs or alcohol, you probably believed that your decision to do so was giving you some degree of choice. After all, you were deciding to do something which, to some extent, was looked on in a negative manner by older people– this is especially true if, like most people, you were relatively young when you began to drink or do drugs. Perhaps you felt as if you were asserting your power of choice, in making such a serious, important decision for yourself, regardless of what anyone else may have thought about it.

While it was obviously a choice which has had a significant impact on your life, today you have the power to make a choice which will make an even more significant impact on the rest of yourl life– the decision to embrace sobriety, and, with it, all the great things that a life free of drugs and alcohol has to offer to you!

This is, without a doubt, the best way to look at it. However you have come to the point of needing to get drugs and alcohol out of your life, it is ultimately your own personal decision. If you think about it honestly, when was the last time you had this kind of power? If you are completely honest with yourself, you know that somewhere along the line using drugs and alcohol stopped being a choice. Whether you have had any other negative effects from it yet or not, you can look at the simple fact that whatever you had once decided to put into your system had begun to make that decision for you. If, like most people, you do not like that fact, this is a good sign– for you no longer have to allow drugs or alcohol to have that kind of power over you! Making the decision to be free of drugs and alcohol is one of the most powerful decisions that you can make!

Refusing to allow drugs and alcohol to control you anymore is an amazing motivation. However, you may want to know what else you can gain from it. If your life has been focused on drugs and alcohol for many years, you may wonder what benefits there will be when that is no longer the case. The truth is that when mood-altering substances stop being your point of focus, you will gain the time and energy to place your focus on the things in life which are truly important to you. Whether that includes what you already have in your life but has lost your priority, or whether it includes many good things that you once hoped for or dreamed of but never came to be, sobriety can open up a whole new world of possibilities for you! You can enjoy your family much more, you can begin a new career, or develop new interests– all of the limitations once caused by substance-dependency will no longer be there.

In addition, regardless of your age, another powerful benefit you can gain from sobriety is the chance for better health. When your body and mind are no longer experiencing the effects of drugs and alcohol on a regular basis, you will be pleasantly surprised with how much better you will feel. That will come to mean not only being able to enjoy feeling stronger and healthier in your everyday life, but also having many more healthier, happier years ahead.

The author would like you to visit How Parents Can Positively Encourage Their Children To Never Try Drugs and Drug Recovery: Facing Each Day

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Do you dread the thought of waking up to live another day in pain and misery?

Do you feel thoroughly defeated, abandoned and without hope?

Do you feel like no one, not your doctor, not your family, not your best friend, truly understands what you are going through?

If you conscientiously and faithfully follow these five steps you can absolutely and confidently turn tragedy into triumph!

1. Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst and Expect the Unexpected:

Good things will happen if you expect them to happen. A positive attitude attracts positive energy and optimistic people. Likewise, a negative attitude attracts negative energy and pessimistic people. However you should always plan for the possibility of adverse events. If they do happen you will be ready for them. By expecting the unexpected, you will always be prepared!

2. You Dont Have to do it Alone:

It is practically impossible to recover from a life threatening illness all by yourself. As human beings, we need each other to survive. If you surround yourself with a strong support network, you will always have somebody there for you in times of need. There will be plenty of low times in your recovery and you must learn how to handle these tough situations. Ask for help! You dont have to do it alone

3. Use Your Resources:

Who is going to help you recover from your life threatening illness? There are many health care professionals who can help you. Dont limit yourself to what your insurance covers. Any treatment that helps you recover from a life threatening illness is well worth the out of pocket expense! Here is a small list of health care options that you should consider:

Medical Care
Chiropractic Care
Massage Therapy
Physical Therapy
Acupuncture
Naturopathy
Herbalists
Occupational Therapy
Psychotherapy and Counseling
Pastoral Counseling
Nutritional Counseling
Alternative Cancer therapies
Holistic Healers
Homeopathic Healing

4. Acceptance:

If you are having a difficult time accepting your current circumstances, you are not alone. Read the following statement over and over until you get it.

Unless I accept life completely on lifes terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes. “(AA Big Book 3rd ed. P. 449)

5. One Step at a Time One Day at a Time

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. (Confucius)

If you are recovering from the devastating effects of a life threatening illness, it is very easy to become overwhelmed each and every day. Nobody is asking you to climb a mountain today. Just take action by taking 1 small, simple step forward.

There is meaning in your suffering.

If you hang in there long enough, you will experience a peace and joy that transcends all understanding. Wait for the miracle to happen

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. (Dr. Elisabeth Kubler- Ross)

Dr. Larry Smith Chiropractor and Author of:

Embrace the Journey of Recovery: From Tragedy to Triumph!

Are You Recovering From Alcohol or Drug Addiction?

If your answer is yes, then this book is for you!

Embrace the Journey of Recovery will passionately reignite your spirit and teach you how to confront, conquer and powerfully triumph over addiction, cancer or any other life threatening illness! Is addiction a genuine life threatening illness like cancer? If so, then why is it concealed behind a wall of shame and denial?

Discover the answer and experience the remarkable story of two courageous yet ordinary individuals and their astonishing recoveries from heartbreaking tragedy. Find out how a cancer survivor and an alcoholic mutually support each other and passionately embrace the journey of recovery.

Their message is simple. They transformed their lives and you can too!

To find out more about this exciting new book click here:

http://embracingthejourneybook.com/

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Do you feel anxious about getting your prescription filled before it runs out? Do you need to take more pills than before to achieve the effect you desire? Do you get your prescriptions from many doctors? Perhaps you are, like many others, a sufferer of a drug addiction. One of the most common addictions in the American society today is a relatively unheard of drug called hydrocodone. So, why havent you heard of it before? Because, pure hydrocodone is seldom sold on its own.

Why is hydrocodone addiction so common?

Evidence shows that hydrocodone addiction is increasing amongst habitual users in the United States. Perhaps one of the most important factors causing this alarming rise is the fact that hydrocodone is consumed with drugs whose use and distribution is not as severely restricted. Pure hydrocodone is classified as a Schedule II substance, whereas when it is mixed with other non-narcotic ingredients to create other medicines, it is classified as a Schedule III drug. Schedule III drugs, such as Vicodin and Lortab, which contain hydrocodone, are not as strictly restricted as pure hydrocodone would be if it was sold as is. Thus its easy availability becomes one of the root causes for its devastating addiction. The lack of regulation makes these drugs susceptible to misuse and addiction.

Painkillers containing hydrocodone are available in tablet, capsule and syrup forms. Chief sources of hydrocodones easy availability can be traced to forged prescriptions, large scale thefts at pharmacies and deviations by unprincipled pharmacists from ethical medical standards.

Treating Hydrocodone Addiction

The good news is that hydrocodone addiction is definitely treatable. Methods for treating hydrocodone drug addicts are similar to treatment given to heroin addicts. In most cases long-term abuse of the drug changes the brain in a fundamental manner in that the drug starts controlling the brains role in establishing pleasure and motivational hierarchy. The drug effectively moves itself to the highest priority in the persons motivational hierarchy, superseding all other drives. Thus a person feels compelled to use the drug to derive pleasure and this slowly leads to a persistent addiction. It is in this state that people may start pretending to be ill to obtain prescriptions, steal from pharmacies and even go doctor shopping. So, much so that it may become impossible to quit the drug on ones own accord and the person may have to resort to undergoing treatment to get cured.

Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options to treat hydrocodone addiction and to help mange the withdrawal symptoms associated with the treatment. These options include medications, such as methadone, levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol (LAAM), and counseling. Usually, a patient is detoxified prior to any treatment for hydrocodone addiction. This, although not a treatment in itself, can help to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms while the patient learns to live a drug free life.

Jack Smith writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intact, the bio remains in full and the rel=”nofollow” tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you - Please visit crack-cocaine-addiction.info

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