Drug Addiction

There is nothing like getting a good night’s sleep and feeling refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning. But sometimes, insomnia can strike, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. When this happens, many people turn to Ambien, a well-known sleep aid that helps individuals get the rest they need without tossing and turning until the first light of day.

Pain management plays an important part in living life more comfortably if you are experiencing chronic pain. Living with chronic pain can make living a healthy, balanced, and active lifestyle feel impossible. Often, opioids are prescribed for those living with chronic pain. However, this is not a viable option for those who are in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental illnesses. There are ways outside of medication use to experience relief from chronic pain. Learning ways to manage, treat, and cope with chronic pain without compromising your sobriety allows you to live your life with greater ease and freedom.

When final exams come around, teens and college students are prone to use “study drugs,” or stimulants, to help them focus. Yet, like any drug, these stimulants can cause adverse short and long-term effects on the student's body and mind. Learn more about what medications are considered study drugs and why teens and adults should avoid them.

Injuries happen, and while unfortunate, they can be challenging to escape. Various occupations may hold a higher risk of injury, and accidents can happen that may be out of one’s control. From severe injuries to chronic pain, medication can be an essential part of the healing process to aid in the management of pain. However, when it comes to prescription opioids, they can also present a significant danger due to their addictive properties. What was once an aid in the healing process can instead create a myriad of new challenges to overcome. Understanding the symptoms and dangers of opioid addiction and how it can affect an individual can help inform each person of the signs to look for and how to reach out for help to overcome such a complicated addiction.

When it comes to getting clean, most are well-acquainted with the idea that there is a necessary detox phase that must happen to get the remaining drugs out of your system. Many do not realize that detox is a two-step process consisting of the acute withdrawal stage and post-acute withdrawal syndrome or PAWS for short. What happens in the acute withdrawal stage are the physical sensations we most often associate with withdrawal symptoms, including nausea, headaches, muscle aches, or sweating. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome follows the acute stage and has more psychological effects than physical. How Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome Feels In PAWS, your brain tries to reorient itself to functioning without the influx of drugs it's been used to operating with. Therefore, this withdrawal phase includes mood swings, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, cravings, irritability, or lack of focus. These symptoms occur since the brain is struggling to stabilize and correct the resulting chemical imbalances from previous drug abuse. These are all temporary symptoms that come and go, but the PAWS phase lasts different lengths for everyone depending on their bodies and the types of drugs they were addicted to, lasting up to several months for some. Managing PAWS Symptoms Taking excellent care of yourself and making use of proactive interventions is necessary to help you avoid relapse during this time. Using essential self-care habits like eating well, getting enough sleep, surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people, and exercising will do you a favor during this phase and the rest of your recovery. Since you will experience many emotional swings during this time, it’s important to be sure you have appointments lined up with your care team of mental health professionals, so you can constructively talk about what you’re going through. Talking through your feelings will help you feel supported through this time. Attending meetings and being open about what you’re experiencing with loved ones will help alleviate some of the heaviness from you solely carrying your discomfort. Lastly, it is imperative to avoid triggering situations or people as you are more sensitive to stressful stimuli during this time and trying to recover. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is the second phase of withdrawals, as the brain balances itself after drug abuse. It is a time to focus on your healing and recovery and when you should focus on putting your mental and emotional needs first to feel secure in your sobriety in the future. If you or a loved one is struggling to get or remain sober, call Avalon Malibu.  We specialize in treating substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. We are passionate about providing our clients with the support they need and finding a treatment that will help them lead happier, more balanced lives. For more information on how we can help you achieve your goals, call (844) 857-5992.

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.

Stress is uncomfortable and it’s often hard to deal with if we’re not aware of healthy coping strategies. For many in addiction recovery, stress is something that sparked substance abuse, to begin with. Therefore, if proper stress management is lacking, it’s likely you will return to substance abuse to relieve the pressure.

Watching a loved one battle with addiction is painful, and often baffling. Seeing someone continue to drink and/or use in the face of losing everything worth living for creates confusion and frustration, especially among those who have never experienced addiction personally. If you are struggling with the fear of losing someone you love to addiction, you’re not alone. While the addict may think they are only hurting themselves, the reality is that their addiction impacts everyone who cares about them.  Pain from seeing you’re loved one in active addiction may lead you to wonder if you could have stopped it somehow, or if you can fix it now. Maybe you don’t understand how it could have gotten to this point, and you’re wondering if it will ever get better. Feelings like these are normal. Therapy coupled with support from others who have gone through similar experiences often provides the insight necessary to navigate these emotions healthily. Seeking out your support system and educating yourself on the disease of addiction is the best way to understand and help your addicted loved one.

People who experience more severe anxiety and stress tend to have difficulties with daily tasks, such as remembering particular deadlines, communicating clearly with others, staying organized in their thoughts, and working through daily challenges. Living with untreated anxiety can be particularly difficult. Unfortunately, many people rely on illegal substances such as psychedelic drugs to self-medicate.

Many people glamorize methamphetamine for its ability to produce bouts of energy and feelings of euphoria, but not enough emphasis is placed on the potential short and long-term dangers of this drug. In 2016, researchers conducted a study to explore how methamphetamine tends to become used – and they found that out of society’s perception of normalcy, how easily accessible it is, and how popular it has become amongst people looking to feel “good”, it’s become much more a drug of choice than originally thought. Short-term effects tend to include an increased heart rate, loss of appetite, disturbed sleeping patterns and violent behavior, alongside hallucinations, psychosis, convulsions and more (especially when high doses are taken). Meth is highly addictive, and it’s unlikely that a person would only use this drug once or twice without beginning to develop some sort of dependency on it. The long-term damages are irreversible, and that’s one of the most tragic outcomes of this addiction:

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that in 2016, 4 million people aged 12 and older qualified as having cannabis use disorder (CUD) – which tends to develop when a person has become tolerant of marijuana and needs to take more in order to feel the same “high” effects. Despite so many people meeting the criteria for this, most people don’t consider marijuana to even be an addictive substances – after all, it’s natural, right? Despite this common belief, the reality is that marijuana is just as addictive as any other drug that produces that feeling of being “high”. Even if a person doesn’t achieve physical addiction, they can reach psychological dependency – which still represents a major concern that not enough people address. In 2015, Kitty Gray wrote to Vice explaining that her daily ritual of “waking up and smoking marijuana” developed into full-blown psychological dependency. She stated, “If I need to eat, sleep, relax, be amused, calm down, forget a horrible experience, practice self-love, run errands of any kind, watch TV, or create something: I smoke.” While marijuana can have beneficial effects – as previous studies have emphasized the therapeutic benefits of marijuana for certain medical conditions – it seems as though recreational use can become a bit addictive for some people, especially when things get out of hand. What’s holding most people back, however, is the belief that they can “quit” anytime they’d like – and this strong belief is what draws people away from seeking help. How do you know if you’re struggling with marijuana dependency? Take a look at the following signs:

College brings new responsibility, experiences, and freedom to young adults. It is the first chance for many to really experience life away from home without restrictions. Some students use this opportunity to grow and learn who they are as an adult. Others abuse this freedom, and find college campuses are a place to party and experiment with illegal drugs. While college is an exciting time, it also carries added stress. Full-time students are twice as likely to suffer drug abuse as young adults who don't attend college. Stress, heavy course loads, and peer pressure are some of the reasons college students begin using drugs.