Category Archives: Addiction

troubled teens

How to Talk to Your Teen about the Dangers of Synthetic Drugs

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Guest Blogger: Desmond Whitetroubled teens

Following are some of the helpful tips on talking to your teen child about the dangers of synthetic drugs.

Take the Time to Talk

Keeping your teenager safe from costly mistakes is often a challenge. Teenagers have a wide range of activities that they enjoy and can seem hard to catch for a few hours of serious conversation. Although it might seem challenging, it is important to take time out of your schedule and talk to your teen about synthetic drugs. By taking the time to discuss the dangers of the drugs, you are reducing the risk that your child might try experimenting with drugs that are very dangerous.

Learn about Synthetic Drugs

Before you can discuss the topic and dangers of the drugs, you need to understand what they are and the risks involved. Synthetic drugs are man-made substances that have a wide range of names and different effects on the body.

Research the different drugs and find out the signs of substance abuse. For example, find out about bath salts, synthetic marijuana and spice. Read about the different substances and learn the specific dangers of each drug. The exact effects will vary, but you need a solid understanding of the possible dangers to discuss the topic with your teen.

Ask Your Teen for His or Her Impressions

Avoid lectures or long discussions about the dangers of drugs. Although you want to impart that knowledge to your teen, it is better to start the conversation by asking questions and finding out what your teen already knows from media, friends or school lessons.

Learn about the topic from your teen’s point of view. Keep the conversation as light as possible before you start talking about dangers from the drugs. By getting your teen to answer questions and think about the topic, you are able to reduce the risk that your teen will stop listening or will require another lecture in the future.

Observe the way your teen reacts to questions, including the non-verbal communication. If you notice odd behavior or elusive responses, then you might need to think about alternative solutions or getting professional help.

Bring Up the Consequences

When you are talking to a teen, scare tactics are an ineffective way to handle the topic of drug abuse. Instead, focus on consequences that your teen cares about the most. For example, tell your teen that he or she will lose interest in playing a favorite sport or might not be able to continue performing in an upcoming play.

Immediate consequences are more effective as a deterrent to substance abuse than the long-term physical consequences. Teenagers can overlook long-term health effects by assuming that it is not likely to happen to them. By focusing on the real downsides of the drugs that will occur immediately, your teen might be more receptive to the further consequences to health and well-being. Talk about the physical dangers after discussing the loss of hobbies and friends.

Discuss Media Exposure

Drug abuse is often depicted in music, movies and other media outlets as a glamorous activity. Ask your teen about his or her feelings when synthetic drug abuse comes up in a media source. Talk about peer pressure or the reactions of friends. Bringing it out into the open will prevent subconscious messages from causing temptation.

Talk about Personal Experiences

If you used or abused drugs in the past, then it might be necessary to talk about your personal experiences with substance abuse and recovery. Although it is hard to admit your faults to your children, it can be a powerful way to deterring your teen from making the same mistakes or taking the same missteps in life. Focus on the downsides of your experiences and discuss the journey to a drug-free lifestyle. If you did not take drugs personally, then you can use other examples in the family, among your childhood friends or similar close relations.

Talking about synthetic drugs is challenging, but it is also necessary. Removing the temptation from your teen by explaining all of the consequences, focusing on experiences and showing that addiction can happen to anyone is possible. It just takes a little time and the right approach to get the attention of a teenager.

About the author

Desmond White is a writer that specializes in addiction treatment and his true passion is helping people find treatment for addiction. He is currently promoting Best Drug Rehabilitation, click here to learn more about their facility and holistic treatment programs.

addiction help

How to Recognize When It’s Time to Get Help

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Guest Blogger: Madyson Grant addiction help

People who are using drugs or alcohol continue to need them because the drugs or alcohol makes them feel good, or it might be stopping them from feeling so bad. In most circumstances, there is an extremely fine line drawn between regular use of drugs and drug addiction or abuse. Most addicts never really know when they have crossed the line into abuse and addiction. Even though the frequency of drugs used is not what constitutes the addiction or drug abuse, oftentimes, they are true indicators that help is needed for drug problems. How can you recognize when it is time for help?

Problems Begin Building Up

Small problems will begin to build up to larger problems as your use of drugs increases over time. When you share a joint with your friends on the weekend or taking a bit of ecstasy or cocaine at a party, it can gradually change to the drug use becoming more and more of a need.

When the Drug Becomes a Need

If the drug you choose is beginning to fill an important need, you might start relying on it. For example, if you are taking the drugs to calm you down, because you feel stressed and anxious, to energize you because you are depressed, or to make you feel more confident when you are typically shy, you might begin relying on it. If you are using prescription drugs to relieve pain or to help you cope with drugs, it can become a problem until you find an alternate or healthier method to replace the drug.

When the Drug Fills a Void

If you are using a specific drug to fill an empty space in your life, you are at a higher risk of crossing over from casual drug use to abuse and addiction with drugs. To have a healthy balance in life, you should find other ways to have positive life experiences besides drug use.

When You Neglect Work and Family Obligations

When you begin to have a more serious problem with drugs or alcohol, you might start missing work or show up late for your job or school. Your school work or job performance will begin to deteriorate, and you will begin to neglect your family and social obligations. You will notice that your ability to stop using the drug is compromised. What begins as a casual and voluntary choice becomes a psychological ad physical need.

The good news is that a Utah rehab facility is available to give you the right support and treatment you need. The Utah rehab center will help you counteract the bad effects of your drug use and teach you how to take back control of your life. First, you must admit and recognize you have the problem. Help is available.

 

About the Author
Madyson Grant is a small business owner and a professional writer. Her passion for helping others fuels her writing and her search for more helpful information.

Shopping Addiction

5 Steps for Effectively Dealing with a Shopping Addiction

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Guest Blogger: Dixie SomersShopping Addiction

A shopping addiction is a serious problem in America. Shopping can be a way to cope with stress or feel a momentary high, which can classify it as an addiction. If you’re struggling with a shopping obsession, here are 5 steps to helping you deal with it.

1. Cancel Open Credit Lines

Credit cards make it extremely easy for anyone to overextend themselves while shopping. One of the best ways to curb the impulse to shop is to cancel all of a shopper’s credit cards. An over-shopper will be far more hesitant to spend when they don’t have an open credit line to charge. Paying for everything in cash is extremely inconvenient, and the time that it takes to get to an ATM may give a shopper enough time to rethink their purchase. Most shopping addictions are fed by impulse, so just a few minutes of extra time can be invaluable in changing their mind.

2. Sell the Excess

Many people who have a shopping addiction also have many items at home that they never needed but had to buy. One great way to start recovering from a shopping addiction is to sell of all of these items. A shopping addiction isn’t just about buying things; it’s also about having these things. Getting rid of things online is extremely easy through online auction houses. Specific items such as mens printed and patterned t-shirts can be sold at an auction house in a batch to get them out of the house quickly and to get some money back into the bank. Online market places like eBay can also be used.

3. Avoid Shopping Triggers

Avoiding environments and triggers that cause shopping can be important to treat the addiction. People who shop when stressed should try to treat their stress while they are treating their addiction directly. Those who can’t help but shop when they are in the area should avoid highly commercial areas such as the mall.

4. Cancel Online Accounts

The internet makes it easier than ever to buy things on impulse and online. A shopper who knows that they have an addiction should cancel their online shopping accounts immediately. This will make it more difficult for them to complete a transaction if they want to. If the addiction is particularly strong, the shopper can also choose to block these sites entirely.

5. Be Honest

Shoppers that are suffering from a shopping addiction should be honest and open with their friends and family about it. Friends and family who do not know about a shopping addiction may inadvertently contribute to it by inviting the shopper out to the mall or asking the shopper to buy things with or for them. Friends and family can be instrumental in helping the shopper end their addiction and take control over their finances again.

About the Author

This article was written by Dixie Somers. Dixie is a freelance writer who enjoys writing often for the health, family, and business niches.

wine

Getting Alcohol out of Your System Naturally

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Guest Blogger:  John Graywine

Having alcohol in your system can really mess up a work-out and is not a good idea to drive, go to work, or do a number of things that require a sound mind and body. Unfortunately, the more you drink, the longer it is going to take for your body to metabolize the alcohol. There are a few ways to help speed up the process though.

Speed up Your Metabolism

Since your body metabolizes the alcohol out of your system, speeding up your metabolism is the best way to get it out of your body. As unpleasant as it might sound, when you have been drinking, the easiest way to get things moving faster is to exercise. Sitting around on the couch is not going to do anything. Get up and dance, go jog around the block or do an exercise video. It is going to hurt. You may even get sick, but that may help too, by getting any alcohol out of your stomach that has not yet hit your blood stream.

Drink Water

You need to start drinking water and do not stop until you feel you are going to burst. The water will dilute the alcohol in your blood and it will also push it through faster. Plan on running to the bathroom a lot though. Of course, the more you get rid of this way, the better.

Time

The only guaranteed way to get alcohol out of your system is time. If you were smart, you drank your drinks according to the metabolism rate. In other words, you only drank as fast as one drink would leave your system. Your body weight and the type of alcohol will affect this rate. In general, one beer is equal to one mixed drink, one glass of wine, or one shot of alcohol. A 150-pound person will metabolize one drink every hour. Once you have enough in you to start feeling good, you need to slow down to one drink an hour. Then, one hour after you stop drinking, you should start to feel normal.

Of course, you may still feel quite drunk the next day if you are taking medication, did not have enough to eat, have a liver condition, or have been ill. You need to be aware of your state of drunkenness and how much you are drinking before you can begin to guess how long it will take to wear off.

Every person is different; you may be used to alcohol so it takes you longer to feel the effects. Some people will feel woozy after only one drink. This person needs to be sure to only have one drink an hour. When you go out, get up and dance a bit; it will help keep things moving through your system. You need to be up and active long before you are feeling drunk or you could end up hurting yourself on the dance floor. When you know you are going to be out drinking, plan on going home, getting in bed, and just trying to sleep it off; it is the best way to avoid any unpleasantness.

About the Author

The author of this post, John is a freelance writer and blogger. He writes on a number of subjects like Rehabilitation, Lifestyle, and Health. He recommends Utah Drug Rehabilitation for all kind of addiction-related queries.

alcohol abuse concept image

Going Dry: Self-Help for Alcohol Abuse

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Guest Blogger: Stephanie Hamiltonalcohol abuse concept image

As anyone who has been addicted to alcohol knows quite well, overcoming this type of dependence can be a very difficult task. However, an article on Helpguide.com reassures people who are ready and willing to stop drinking that they can certainly recover from alcoholism, no matter how bleak or hopeless their situation may feel. By following several steps and having the right kind of support, people can help themselves break free from their dependence on booze.

Cold Turkey

People who are ready to quit drinking sometimes wonder if they truly need to cut out all alcohol from of their lives forever, or if they can just cut back. As the Helpguide.com article explained, this all depends on how severe the person’s problem with alcohol is. While alcoholics should eliminate all drinking, others might be able to limit how much and how often they drink.

Those who are spiritual often turn to the power of prayer as a way to help keep them on track when recovering from alcohol abuse. As Pastor Ed Young wrote in an article that appeared on Crosswalk.com, God truly does answer prayers.

“There is true power in prayer,” Young wrote. “And when we pray in Jesus’ name, He may also say ‘Yes.’ ‘Yes, I’ll forgive. Yes, I’ll heal. Yes, I’ll step in to help’.”

Commit to Quit

A big step is to make the commitment to stop drinking. It’s important to come up with clear goals relating to cutting back on, or eliminating, alcohol use. For example, people can determine and then write down the date when they’ll stop; or they could decide to stop drinking on weekdays, effective on a certain day. Keeping these goals realistic will increase the chances of success with less stress.

Next, people should write down their thoughts and ideas on how they can help themselves meet these goals. Examples include removing all alcohol from the home — as well as any glasses that were typically used when drinking and other alcohol-related items — letting friends and family know about their plan to conquer addiction, and staying away from those who aren’t supportive of their sobriety. Also, if you’re used to catching a drink on the way home, take a different route to steer clear of your usual bar haunts.

The Alcohol Diaries

To help alcoholics reach their goals of cutting back or eliminating their drinking, the HelpGuide article advises that they also keep a diary of their alcohol use. For example, for three to four weeks, people should note every time they have a drink. This will help them keep tabs on how much they’re drinking and when.

Start by taking off one or two days a week from drinking and then try to do a whole week. On the days that they aren’t consuming alcohol, people take the time to notice how they feel emotionally and physically. As they start to feel better and have more successful days off, many people become inspired to keep going and cut down on alcohol permanently.

Stephanie Hamilton

Stephanie is a health and wellness blogger who lives in the Minneapolis area. She is an avid proponent of sustainable living and just bought an electric car.