Addiction

Heroin, an opioid drug made from morphine, can wreak havoc on a person’s body. This drug can be consumed by snorting it, injecting it, or swallowing it. Whatever method is used, heroin binds itself to opioid receptors in the brain quickly – which means the euphoric effects associated with the drug can appear quickly as well. But effects that show up quickly also wear off quickly, leading heroin users to take the drug multiple times to continue receiving the influx of dopamine (the “feel-good” chemical in the brain) they now crave. If you or a loved one are battling heroin addiction or beginning the recovery process, it’s important to know the physical damages that heroin can cause and what they might mean for long-term recovery.

When a loved one or friend is battling addiction, it becomes very evident when everything they used to care about – work responsibilities, family obligations, relationships, and more – start being placed on the backburner. They probably don’t discuss personal matters with you nearly as much as they used to. They likely keep to themselves most of the time, and it’s clear to see that they’re not truly happy. This is because addiction truly isolates us – it forces us into these small boxes filled with obsessions of substance use, and it blocks out everything else that makes up a happy, healthy life.

The way that we talk about ourselves, our life experiences, and others says a lot about how we view the world. Our society holds many different perceptions of social phenomena – some positive, and some not so positive. Unfortunately, when it comes to the world of addiction recovery, there tends to be a lot of stigmatized language that only further promotes exclusion and discrimination. Rather than shaming those who battle with addiction, we need to open our hearts and minds to them – because true support is what will help them more than anything.

Many people decide to complete an at-home detox or a “body cleanse” in an attempt to remedy their “problem” of eating too much unhealthy food or drinking too much alcohol. Detoxification is a process by which the body naturally dispels any toxic or unhealthy substances – but there are numerous companies that claim to help us “detox” through the use of specific diet ramifications and supplements, even when we don’t quite understand what they entail. Self-detoxing can be dangerous if it’s done the wrong way. Keep reading to learn how you can protect your body and detox in healthier ways.

Nobody likes to not be able to fall asleep at night. The tossing and turning, the endless thoughts, the stress that plagues the body and mind – all of it can cause a person to feel completely exhausted, simply because they aren’t getting enough quality sleep. Millions of Americans experience this issue every night. A chronic lack of sleep leads to a negative cycle of feeling overtired, overworked, and overly stressed. Sleep – or lack thereof – can be a tricky situation to navigate for anyone. In the early stages of sleep issues, we may try a variety of techniques to resolve the problem. We may go to bed earlier, take some Tylenol PM, take a relaxing bath, and other sleep hygiene practices. When these minor solutions don’t work in the long run, it becomes easier to justify relying on what we feel must work – and that is when many turn to sleeping pills. We may find ourselves asking friends or family members for sleeping pills, believing that it’s easier this way. We may even make a trip to the doctor, desperate for help so we can sleep at night.

One of the most challenging situations a person can experience is helping a loved one overcome addiction – and the mere change of pursuing recovery can be extremely difficult for everyone involved. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it will be worth it for those we love. We can help them by creating an environment that is positive for their ultimate healing and recovery. It will take lots of time, but we can reward our loved ones for working towards their mental, physical, and spiritual health in a variety of ways – through affection, kindness, working with them, and just being there. We can also strive to promote positive behaviors, rather than flooding them with shame and guilt.

Most of us know of someone with an addiction. Some of us have incredibly close relationships with these individuals, and it’s hard to see them struggle with substance abuse. Perhaps you’ve tried to confront your loved one many times, only to hear fake promises of treatment – and it hurts. As a family member, you want to do everything you can to help your loved one get to where they need to be. But if you’re not careful, you may end up depleting all of your own time, energy, and money, while having your heart broken in the process.

Recovery is considered a lifelong process for a reason – because we’re constantly learning new things and discovering how to work through our trials and tribulations. Recovery is about learning what leads us to better living and what puts us back in harm’s way. The beginning of our recovery journey can be especially difficult because of the heightened risk of relapsing. When a person relapses, they revert back to old addictive behavior patterns, even if temporarily. Relapse is one of the most feared aspects of recovery, simply because it’s often viewed as a sign of failure. But relapse is a normal part of the recovery process and should not be considered a failure - it is simply an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and what we need for complete healing.

In recent years there has been a severe increase in the selling and use of opioids. So much so, that it has been deemed a crisis or epidemic because of how fast opioid addiction continues to spread and how many lives are lost daily, as a result. Tragically, many opioid addicts are young and they’re dying much quicker and faster than those who chose to dabble in other substances. Much like the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, the opioid epidemic has received significant media coverage and is becoming the poster child for the war on drugs.

Most people have struggled with racing thoughts at least once in their lives, some more so than others. Too often, days are spent rushing. We are constantly ten steps ahead of the present moment and our minds are filled with “to do’s” and “what if’s.” No matter how far down the checklist we get, there is always more to worry about. Unfortunately, this mindset keeps us stressed out and tense, with no time to relax and take a breath. It even infiltrates our sleeping moments, keeping us up all hours of the night, perpetuating the vicious cycle the next morning.   Addiction only intensifies this experience. Characterized by an obsessive mindset, individuals in recovery from substance use can take this incessant worrying to the next level. Unfortunately, this stress puts an extraordinary amount of pressure on a recovering addict, especially if their sleep is affected, putting them at greater risk of relapse. A major piece of the recovery process is learning to cope with stress and anxiety in a healthy way in order to enjoy the present moment and support long term sobriety. There are many ways to calm and clear the mind so that you can get back to living your life. Here are a few of our favorites.

Relapse is, unfortunately, a common occurrence in the recovery community. There is a multitude of reasons and justifications that your mind can come up with that will convince you to begin using drugs and/or alcohol again. It can be discouraging to find yourself obsessing over substances, even after being separated from them for a time. However, there are ways to combat these thoughts and protect your sobriety.

Animals have been known to perform miracles in emotional healing. After all, dogs are man’s best friend, right? They are the most self-sacrificing species and we have formed such a special bond with them. The benefits of animal therapy are numerous, to say the least. Animal therapy can offer significant healing, including support while working through trauma and learning to reconnect to emotions.