Addiction

So many people end up squashing their own chances of success in the personal and professional lives, and for no good reason. Most of the time, they don’t even know why - no matter where you’re at in life right now, think about the ways in which you’ve self-sabotaged your own love life, work endeavors, health goals, recovery and more. Self-sabotage happens when we take any action that holds ourselves back from reaching our goals. A clear example of this would be sabotaging your talk with an employer in order to get a promotion, or even procrastinating until the last minute to submit a report on a project just so that you get points off of it in a class that you’re currently taking. If you’ve been working really hard to eat healthier, self-sabotage may involve suddenly eating more fast food throughout the week which sets you back in your weight loss goals. No matter what it is, self-sabotage has a wonderful way of making sure we don’t get what we truly want. And it happens for a variety of reasons. For example, low self-worth can be an incredibly damaging factor at play. If a person doesn’t feel good enough, they may hold themselves back from success. In addition to this, a person may desire control – because if too many events have gone wrong in their life, they may want to feel as though they know what’s going to happen, and self-sabotage gives them a clear outcome. Another potential reason is if a person is scared of succeeding – they may self-sabotage their goals because it’s more comfortable to fail than it is to enter a new territory. Ultimately, self-sabotage can become a cycle of disappointment that a person gets used to over time, and this can be a hard habit to break.  Addiction recovery is about learning why we self-sabotage and working through it. If you’re ready for complete healing and restoration, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

The opioid epidemic has sparked a lot of discussion on how we can monitor prescription drug abuse, but there has become a rise in illegal opioid use as well, and it’s even taking thousands of Americans lives. For example, the transition from prescription to opioids to heroin off the street has grown, as it’s become harder for just anyone to obtain prescription opioids – and heroin seems to be a bit cheaper, too. Unfortunately, over 70,000 deaths occurred in 2017 because of opioids – but the majority of the deaths that occurred were related to a drug called fentanyl, which is incredibly dangerous. Put briefly, fentanyl is a painkiller that is similar to morphine but much more potent. There are different names that it goes by in prescription form, but it’s street name often goes by Apache, China Girl, Dance Fever, Friend and more. Fentanyl may be prescribed by the doctor to be taken through injection, lozenges or through a patch, especially if a person just recently had surgery and needs something to help ease the after-pain. It’s incredibly easy to misuse, however, and that’s when it becomes deadly. Fentanyl was created around 1960 and is inexpensively made in a lab. Because of this, various drug cartels have capitalized on it – and many have started making their own version of it, even laced with other drugs like cocaine. As one could imagine, this can be incredibly toxic as a person may not fully know what all it’s mixed with – and if a bad chemical reaction occurs, it could take a life. Additionally, despite common belief, there is no way to tell that fentanyl is solely what’s been given to a person. An actual lab test would need to be conducted in order to be completely sure.  Fentanyl doesn’t work any differently in the brain than other drugs would – it still triggers an influx of feel-good chemicals that are in the brain, resulting in the brain wanting more and more of it. The difference, however, is how quickly the drug’s chemicals bind to opioid receptors in the brain. When a person takes fentanyl, the high is immediate – and that’s another part of what makes it so deadly.  With such a strong potency, this means that fentanyl would need to be taken at an extremely low dose in order to achieve a similar “high” – but because the amount is so little, many people aren’t aware of how important it is to measure out each dose, and many unfortunate cases revolve around individuals taking whatever amount they believe would be appropriate – despite recommendations. Aside from binding to opioid receptors rapidly, fentanyl produces a number of side effects – such as nausea and vomiting, sedation, and respiratory depression (respiratory arrest is how most people die from this drug). The rising number of deaths have left many devastated. Studies over the years have shown that Florida and Ohio are amongst the top states which have experienced such steep increases in fentanyl use. Overdose deaths from fentanyl use have increased dramatically, placing so many lives at stake and leaving so many families to mourn the loss of their loved one. Physicians have explored the ways in which we could combat the fentanyl issue, one of which has involved educating the greater community more on what fentanyl is and the dangerous effects that it can produce. Another has involved the increased use of treatment for those battling with addiction, including the potential of using medications like Naltrexone to help a person feel less pain as they detox from drugs. Researchers, policymakers and community leaders alike are working together to find ways to combat this issue – because we can’t continue losing lives. Of course, everyone in our surrounding communities can truly work together to help protect others from the harms of fentanyl – because nothing will change until we take the time to help one another step away from this deadly drug.

Diazepam, otherwise known as Valium, is a benzodiazepine – a drug that sedates and depresses the central nervous system. It’s available by prescription and can help with a variety of health issues such as with spasms of the muscle, seizures, severe panic attacks and more. As with any prescription medication, however, Valium can be easily abused if a person comes to abuse the drug and begins craving the effects of the medication. Whether you’re currently in recovery from addiction or you have a loved one who has struggled with Valium addiction, sometimes it can help to learn a little more about Valium and what is to be expected with it. Unfortunately, Valium is often abused by people who are trying to stay awake to complete tasks – such as college students who want to have more energy for schoolwork. People find that when they take Valium, they may experience less headaches, less anxiety and less aches and pains altogether. For many people, Valium can make it feel as though all problems have literally melted away – but the problem truly becomes an issue once the medication settles in and the body becomes dependent on the drug in order to get through the day properly. Valium tends to weaken certain neurons in the brain – the area of the brain which is typically responsible for preventing excessive dopamine production, which leads a person to feel euphoric at times. This means that when Valium is taken, the more dopamine is produced in the brain – and the neurons that typically regulate it are not able to operate as well as they were before. The flooding of dopamine in the brain is what eventually causes the brain to experience cravings, and this can become incredibly hard to overcome. If you’re struggling with Valium addiction, seek the help you need today. Recovery is possible – you’re not alone.

Celebrities are often looked at by people all around the world, in magazines, the TV screen, in books and more. They have a considerable influence on how people think about themselves and life. Celebrity stories do have the power to change people’s lives, whether for good or bad. Fergie is a singer with a very powerful addiction story that needs to be told. Fergie previously struggled with crystal meth addiction, and she has told numerous sources that she dealt with daily hallucinations. Understanding what Fergie went through and what led to her 18-year sobriety may help others in recovery to remain diligent in their healing journey. Crystal meth can cause hallucinations, strange behavior, panic attacks, psychosis, and more. Fergie has even told sources that she dealt with substance-induced dementia at some points in her life. The singer was addicted to the substance back when she was part of the group Wild Orchid and was still addicted even after leaving the group. Fergie, 42, once told the story of a time when she was so high on crystal meth that she thought the CIA, FBI, and SWAT teams were following her. She explained that these agencies were trying to kick her out, and she was so paranoid that an infrared camera was in a church trying to look for her. She had to explain that at that moment, she thought everyone was chasing after her – even people in the church that she was in were trying to run down the aisle and catch her. In reality, it was all the substances she’d been taking – but it was so hard to differentiate those feelings because she was so intoxicated. That moment really stood out for Fergie, and that’s what showed her that she needed to seek treatment and begin healing.

Everyone who goes through the addiction recovery process knows that it’s challenging. There is a lot involved – not just the physical detoxification component of it, but also in identifying people, places, and situations that could push someone to want to revert to old addictive patterns of behavior. The beginning of our recovery journey can be particularly difficult, especially with the fear of relapsing. Relapsing is defined as the recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement. There’s a common misbelief that relapse means a person has failed – and that’s not true. It’s simply part of recovery.

Despite the fact that addiction and substance abuse can take years to develop and to become severe, many people expect that recovery will be a quick fix. Nobody wants to really go through all of the pain and discomfort that are often associated with detoxification and becoming used to a life of sobriety – and if you were to ask most people in addiction recovery, they’d probably snap their fingers to make it happen if they could. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way – and, technically speaking, the greater the effort you put towards your recovery, the more rewarding your journey will be in the long run. Long-term residential treatment programs are incredibly beneficial because they give us the time, space, resources, and support that we need to develop a life in recovery – and if you’re looking for an in-depth program that is tailored to your needs, a residential program at Avalon Malibu could be a great option for you.  Long-term, residential treatment programs tend to take more time than people realize because it takes time to undo the damage that addiction has caused; residential programs take approximately 6-12 months total and require that clients live in a comfortable, home-like environment during this time. Clients who choose this option won’t even need to drive to treatment because their treatment will take place near their living facility. Meals are provided and around-the-clock care is also provided to ensure that clients feel stable throughout the duration of their stay. Those in long-term treatment programs have sincere mental, physical and spiritual needs and because the treatment program at Avalon Malibu is incredibly comprehensive, clients who choose this option will be supported throughout their time in the program and beyond. Long-term residential treatment programs provide stable housing, which involves staying in a comfortable room designed for optimum healing and restoration. Nutrition management also becomes a major part of the program, with vitamins and minerals needed to replenish the mind and body; in cases of medical supervision and other addiction-related concerns, there is 24/7 support for individuals in recovery. Both individual and group sessions are held to help foster thinking and personal development, and a person can become involved in a variety of holistic recovery-related activities, such as equine therapy, music therapy, art therapy, massage therapy and much more. Every client has their own unique needs, and that is why residential treatment should be personalized to the individual. Previous sources have interviewed people in addiction recovery to learn more about the problems they face, the obstacles they’ve had to overcome, as well as advice they have for others in seeking out treatment. A common consensus amongst those in addiction recovery is that if you think you have a problem – be it an addiction with alcohol, drugs or other substances – you probably do. Many people let their fear and denial of their issues get in the way of breaking through and seeking help, and this is what holds people back from living a sober, healthy life.   Residential treatment often provides a pathway for clients to find themselves, their purpose and their path in sobriety. In this type of treatment program, it’s typical for a person to follow a strict “routine” that’s set – and there may be rules (such as no technology) to follow too, depending on where you go. These routines often try to help a person go to sleep by a certain time, wake up at a specific time, and attend various recovery-related ventures throughout the day so they can become used to getting involved in different components of treatment.  Residential treatment programs are extremely beneficial for people who don’t have solid support systems at home or who don’t have a stable home environment where they can practice sobriety and be positively reinforced in doing it. Individuals who struggle with severe addiction often find that residential treatment programs are better for them because they’re able to be monitored more closely, and they can receive more guidance in daily living habits for sobriety. Those who are able to make arrangements for other responsibilities such as work projects, children, household duties and more find that residential treatment is most conducive to their healing. Residential treatment programs often have different phases, and each phase holds different levels of activity and expectations; in addition to this, a person may find that aspects of residential treatment aid in getting them back into daily life such as job-seeking assistance, volunteer opportunities to make new friends and develop skills, after-care support, alumni services and more. If you’re ready to take charge of your life and overcome addiction, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today. There’s an entire team of people here ready to support you – and the residential treatment programs provided allow enough support and resources for a person to become stronger in living a life of sobriety.

Recovery is filled with ups and downs, and sometimes we may experience different mindsets for it. The beginning of recovery can be challenging because you don’t know what to expect, but even months – or years – later, recovery can be filled with moments of confidence and doubt, just as life is filled with these things. Issues may arise, however, when we start doubting our recovery and allowing those doubts to get the best of us. We may start telling ourselves lies – even if we don’t realize it – and this can affect our approach to healing if we don’t “check-in” with ourselves soon.  If this is where you’re at right now, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it’s normal to go through these moments of change – and by recognizing these 3 types of common lies we tell ourselves, we’ll better be able to combat them if they occur:

Thousands of children across the U.S. have been shown to be affected by the opioid crisis, and in more ways than one. In addition to the many lives lost and damaged directly from opioid addiction, children are often faced with challenges that other children aren’t – and it can harm children mentally, physically and spiritually, even into their adult years. What tends to happen in situations such as the opioid crisis is that the United States will focus on one particular problem – such as the overdoses – but then other serious concerns may fall by the wayside, even if unintentionally. It’s unfortunate that many children have been left without the proper care and support because their parents or other primary caretakers are battling substance abuse, such as with opioids – but with more support and resources available, we’ll be able to combat this problem. Parental misuse is a common occurrence in households when substance abuse is present, and in many cases, children are forced to travel from one foster home to another – which certainly takes a toll not only on the system as a whole but on the children and their families as well. Previous studies are showing that states like Indiana have seen a surge in foster care support for children, particularly alongside the opioid epidemic. This type of explosion destroys families and makes it even harder for children to feel support in life. Once children are in foster care, they’re faced with so many issues that it becomes more than simply “caretaking” – foster families must then work to help children heal from the trauma that’s affected their family, along with the mental and social support needed for children to thrive after such devastating events. With so many children in the foster care system, and some states, such as Indiana, being overwhelmed with endless cases and not enough time, children’s’ wellbeing is being placed at stake.  If you are currently struggling with opioid addiction, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today. You’re not alone – and recovery is possible.

In a world of constant exposure to social media, we are definitely saturated with screens of all sorts. From iPhones to our laptops to television, screen time is omnipresent in our society. While all of this connection via social media and texting can be great, it can also make us feel the opposite of connected. With our heads down and our minds on our phones, it can feel impossible to be fully present in the moment. In turn, our mental and physical health suffers. In this article, we’ll delve into some of the reasons why decreasing screentime can greatly improve both mental and physical health, as well as practical ways to reduce your own amount of screentime.

Control is something that so many of us struggle with on a daily basis, and it makes sense - the tragic and upsetting events of our lives can sometimes feel so out of grasp, that we’ll hold onto anything to try and feel like we have some firm grounding. For many people, alcohol is viewed as a way to control situations - or, rather, to drown out painful feelings associated with not having any control over what’s going on around us. It’s these instances that we must learn that we can’t always control what happens to us - all that we have control over is how we choose to react to it.  A few years ago, writer Raven Ishak shared with Bustle Magazine her own insecurities with wanting control: “I tend to be a victim of my own insecurities, which often holds me back from fully living a happy, carefree life. I worry about the what-ifs instead of focusing on the present. But forcing situations to happen because you believe they should happen exactly the way you want them to is just not healthy.” When we’re feeling the urge to get angry or to feel like a victim because life doesn’t go the way we planned for it to, there are a number of steps we can take to keep that desire of control “under control”:

One of the worst feelings is not being able to sleep at night. You start tossing and turning, you can’t get your mind to “shut off”, you awaken easily, or you’re just too tense with too many things to do to actually get to sleep. For many Americans today, this sleeping problem is quite common. We become stressed out, or overly worked, or simply have health issues that translate into difficulty relaxing and staying asleep.  At the beginning, it may even feel like a few minor changes will fix it - we try going to bed earlier, taking some Tylenol, or even talking to a close friend or family member about our stressors to try and ease some of the discomfort. When these minor solutions don’t work in the long-run, however, it becomes easier to rely on what we feel must work - in many cases, sleeping pills. Even adults who reach out to their family doctor may find that they’re being prescribed sleeping pills as a way to relax - and, if taken exactly as recommended, along with trying holistic practices alongside it, can work well - but if medication is abused, the potential for addiction becomes very apparent.

Summertime is a major season for traveling, whether it be for work, vacation or to visit family. While this would be considered a “normal” excursion for some people, there are some additional concerns for those in addiction recovery - because traveling and vacations are often associated with drinking or drug use. If you are a bit worried about an upcoming trip, know that not only are you not alone - but there are also steps you can take to ensure that you enjoy sobriety without feeling pressured to abuse substances.  Last year, writer Holly Glenn Whitaker shared her experience with traveling and being tempted with drinking. She stated: “...Italy felt impossible. I’d never in my adult life vacationed without drinking and it was unfathomable to me. I was terrified that something would snap in me while I was there...I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself…”