Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Alcoholism and Blaming

Whose Fault Is Alcoholism
When something goes wrong, when someone gets hurt, when we make a mistake we often look for the reason why or the cause of the problem. If you trip on a shoe when you walk into the house it’s natural to get frustrated with the person who left the shoe in the doorway and so we say, “I tripped because of what you did. It’s your fault.” If you are running late for a meeting and there is a slow car in front of you it’s not uncommon to get angry and blame the person in front for “making me late” or to take it personally and feel like they are driving slowly on purpose.
The same thing happens with alcoholics: they say they drink because of someone or something else. But the truth is only one person is responsible for their actions, for their drinking, and that is the person who is actually doing the drinking.  


I Drink Because…
Many children of alcoholics hear something like, “I drink because you do [blank].”
Whatever ‘blank’ might be in your house, when you hear something often enough and for long enough it is easy to start believing that it is true. Especially, when you’re young. Alcoholism is a disease with a great deal of denial, and so you are not going to hear an alcoholic say, “I drink because I am out of control,” or “I drink because I have unresolved pain and I’m self-medicating,” or “I drink because I just can’t help it and I don’t know how to stop.” Instead it’s easier to blame someone else, to make someone else the cause of the problem and that is exactly what happens.
Tripping Over the Shoes…Again And Again
Imagine again the situation where you keep tripping over the shoes that get left in the doorway. The first time it makes sense to be upset with the person who left them there. The second time maybe you are frustrated and irritated. The third time you probably need to remember to turn on the light so you don’t trip. You know the shoes are there, it’s your job to avoid them. The same thing is true for the alcoholics, their behavior, their actions, their choices are their own and the decision to drink belongs solely to them. No one can make someone else drink no matter how annoying the behavior or frustrating the situation.
But Alcoholism Is Not Your Fault
Just like with the shoes certain situations may be annoying, but we can ask people for what we need or we can learn other ways to cope with bad situations. You can tell the person who the shoes belong to that, “Every time I come home I trip over your shoes, please put them somewhere else.” You can go around the shoes, you can turn on the light. You can make a choice about how you deal with the circumstances in the same wayalcohol abuse in the family can start to become a pattern.  Maybe you got into a fight with your father and after that he had a drink to calm down. Now everyday when he has a drink he says it is because of you, he gets drunk because he doesn’t like your friends, your grades are not good enough, and you fight with your siblings – whatever. But your father, your mother, whoever it is has a choice in how they deal with the situations that are frustrating to them. If the choice they make is to drink, that is their decision, their action and only they can make it.
We Can’t Control another’s Start or Stop of Alcoholism
People often say that alcoholism is a baffling disease. There is so much that we don’t understand about preventing, treating or curing alcoholism, there is so much we don’t understand about what makes someone continue to drink when even they know that it is hurting them and the people around them.  And growing up in an alcoholic home can take years, decades, or a lifetime to come to peace with.
But we do know that it is a disease of the person who has it – no one but themselves is making them drink, no one but themselves can make them stop. We may feel bad when we have a fight with someone, we may feel like we are not doing the best we can do with our life and our choices, but what they do with their frustration, their anger, or their irritation is up to them. Sometimes it might feel good to think that if we were just a little bit better in whatever way we were supposed to we could make them stop, but we can’t; we can’t make them stop drinking, just like we can’t make them start!


Shafa Home is a residential treatment facility and nasha mukti kendra offering complete treatment for Alcohol Addiction. We encourage you to contact one of our counsellors today if you are concerned about Alcohol Addiction.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Treating Ecstasy Addiction

Ecstasy, the street name for MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine) is thought NOT to be a drug that you get habituated to, but this isn’t true thus should not to be taken lightly. In fact, when someone takes ecstasy on a regular basis their body and mind start to become accustomed to it. They will feel that they can’t function properly without ecstasy and if they stop taking it, they will go through withdrawal. Ecstasy withdrawal syndrome can induce serious cases of depression, and anxiety, or even extreme fatigue.

Symptoms of Ecstasy Addiction
The short term effects that users of ecstasy feel is emotional warmth, mental stimulation, increased energy, and enhanced sensory perception. So a person under the influence of ecstasy will feel happy, loose, full of energy, and experience enhanced senses. However, the withdrawal period of ecstasy addiction is not so bright. As MDMA leaves your body, you “crash” from depleted levels of dopamine in your brain.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) clinical criterion for ecstasy addiction includes a few main characteristics:
1. Using more ecstasy than intended.
2. Giving up important activities to use ecstasy.
3. Spending too much time getting or using ecstasy.
4. Persistent desire to cut down or control the use of ecstasy.
5. Continued use of ecstasy despite the knowledge of physical/psychological problems caused by it.
Treating ecstasy addiction should be the uppermost importance to abusers of the drug who are experiencing significant negative impacts on their lives or the lives around them.
1. Cognitive Behavioral Interventions
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic approach that helps address abnormal emotions, dysfunctional behaviors, and cognitive processes through a goal-oriented systematic procedure. The therapy is effective for regulating withdrawal symptoms that can occur as a result of stopping ecstasy use such as anxiety, personality, mood, or psychotic disorders. CBT is offered in both individual and group settings, and is often a manual process with direct, brief, time-constricted treatment for individual psychological disorders.

2. Support groups for ecstasy addiction
If you are attempting to give up ecstasy, peer support groups can be a very helpful source of encouragement, guidance, and assistance. Support groups are helpful in both having a safe place to discuss challenges and get support, and also helping you maintain sobriety. When you connect with peers who have experienced what you have and know what you are going through first hand, it can help to reduce feelings of being lost or hopeless. When you are backed by the encouragement of a support group staying motivated is a lot easier, especially when you can turn to lean on them when getting through rough time periods.

3. Detoxification clinic
Detoxification is a great way to start the process of recovering from ecstasy addiction. Detox clinics help patients reduce the psychological and physical effects of withdrawal from ecstasy use. Medical professionals in detox treatment centers can carefully monitor a patient’s progress, and assist them in overcoming rough times during the initial process of withdrawal. If you consistently abuse ecstasy for a long period of time, the chemicals in ecstasy can have a severe negative effect on how your body and brain functions. Combined with support groups, a detox clinic can greatly help prevent the possibility of relapse or severe mental or physical suffering.



Shafa Home is a residential treatment facility and nasha mukti kendra offering complete treatment for Ecstasy addiction. We encourage you to contact one of our counsellors today if you are concerned about Ecstasy addiction

Friday, July 17, 2015

Can You Get Addicted To Hash

Hash is addictive, just like any other form of marijuana. In fact, because hash contains a higher amount of THC than other types of marijuana, it may be easier to get addicted to than by simply smoking parts of the whole plant.


Psychoactive Ingredients of Hash

Hash is a form of marijuana that is made when the resin of the hemp plant is concentrated and formed into a solid form. Blocks of hash are then smoked or eaten. The resin of the hemp plant can also be extracted as a liquid, which is called “hash oil.” Like any form of marijuana, hash contains the psychoactive chemical THC, only in a more potent form.

What Does Hash Do In The Body?

Hash has some immediate effects on the brain. When smoked, it only takes a few minutes to have an effect. If ingested, hash can take up to an hour for effects to onset. While the THC in hash can create a pleasurable “high,” feelings of relaxation, and euphoria, it can also have negative side effects. Panic attacks and paranoia, loss of coordination, mild hallucinations, and difficulty concentrating are all potential complications of hash use.
Long-term use of hash can also result in a depressed immune system, leading to a higher rate of respiratory infections. Hash can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and cause irritation of the airways that can lead to coughing or asthma. Does hash kill brain cells? Researchers are unsure if there is a link between heavy marijuana use and developing mental illness.
How Do You Get Addicted To Hash?
Using hash regularly will increase the risk of addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that only about 9% of hash users will go on to develop an addiction, mostly those who have been using it long-term as per periodic smokers probably won’t get addicted to hash.
Who Gets Addicted To Hash?
There is a much higher risk of addiction in users who started smoking hash at a young age, with 1 in 6 becoming hash addicts. 25-50% of daily hash users started before the age of 17. A study of fraternal and identical twins found that the twin who started smoking before 17 tended to have higher rates of abuse and addiction to other drugs later in life.
Signs of Hash Addiction
You may have a hash addiction if you find that:
1.      You have intense cravings for hash.
2.      You engage in compulsive behaviours to obtain hash.
3.      You experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop using hash, including irritability, sleeping difficulties, and anxiety.
How to Avoid Hash Addiction
The only way to completely avoid hash addiction is not to take any form of marijuana. However, occasional use does not always present a problem, and in cases where marijuana has been prescribed for medicinal purposes (such as cancer or depression), the risk of addiction may be worth the relief from symptoms.
Are You Addicted To Hash?
Much like smoking cigarettes, hash addiction can be difficult to quit. Studies show that people with a physical dependence on marijuana tend to suffer from psychiatric disorders, suggesting that marijuana use might be a form of self-medicating. For these people, quitting will usually have to involve therapy and treatment for the underlying disorder. Behavioral treatments and therapies can be helpful in reducing hash dependence. There is currently research into the possibility of medical treatment for hash addiction.


Shafa Home is a residential treatment facility and nasha mukti kendra offering complete treatment for hash addiction. We encourage you to contact one of our counsellors today if you are concerned about Hash addiction.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Signs and Symptoms of Morphine Addiction

Morphine is an extremely addictive painkiller.  When addicts try to quit morphine, they often experience severe cramps, pains and anxiety which can result in using the drug again in order to avoid withdrawal.



Symptoms of Morphine Addiction

Morphine addiction can start as a prescribed medication to solve real pain issues. However, having morphine can lead to habitual drug seeking or using morphine other than intended. Many users find that they cannot stop after even a few weeks of a regular dosage.

Morphine addiction can result in a range of symptoms from weight loss to vomiting and memory problems. There are also obvious emotional signs of morphine addiction which can include anxiety, hallucinations, depression and irritability. Morphine addiction also reduces the addict’s level of consciousness, which affects their ability to be fully aware of their surroundings.

In addition to morphine withdrawal symptoms after a missed dose (lack of appetite, irritability, weight loss, drowsiness and sweating), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders clinical criteria for morphine addiction include:

1.      A strong desire to take morphine
2.      Increased doses due to tolerance
3.      Difficulty controlling morphine use
4.      Neglect of alternative interests because of morphine use
5.      Entering a psychological withdrawal state when the drug use is stopped
6.      Persistent morphine use despite harmful consequences physically or mentally

Symptoms of Morphine Addiction: Can They Be Treated?

Symptoms of Morphine addiction can be treated through several different types of therapies and/or the use of prescribed medication.


Psychological treatments 
Psychotherapy and behavioral therapy are two of the most successful interventions for morphine addiction. These treatments address the emotional and cognitive aspects of addiction to resolve and change past behaviours.

Opiate replacement therapy
Replacement therapy attempts to curb addiction to morphine by replacing morphine with a less euphoric opioid, such as methadone or buprenorphine, which should be taken under medical supervision. Replacement therapy helps addicts to lead a normal life while being treated with a substance that stops them from experiencing the harsh morphine withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Prescription medications
There are medications available for morphine addiction and when used in combination with behavioral treatment programs increase chances of quitting morphine significantly. Prescription medications include anti-anxiety meds, antidepressants, and drugs such as nalexone or buprenorphine used to address withdrawal symptoms. Patients are less likely to become dependent on buprenorphine and when they stop the withdrawal symptoms are much weaker.

Morphine addiction support groups 
Morphine addiction support groups can be useful for helping treat morphine addiction symptoms. Many addicts can find a sense of community by joining a support group and get further assistance psychologically months down the road to help prevent relapse.

Shafa Home is a residential treatment facility and nasha mukti kendra offering complete and holistic treatment for Morphine addiction. We encourage you to contact one of our counsellors today if you are concerned about Morphine addiction


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

How is Marijuana Abused


Marijuana is the most commonly abused psychoactive drug. As a dry, shredded mix of the flowers, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis sativa, marijuana is usually smoked. However, smoked marijuana can cause respiratory problems or immune system deficiencies.
Can Marijuana Be Abused?
Yes, marijuana can be abused. While many people use marijuana for legitimate legal reasons, recreational use of marijuana has significantly increased in recent years. And while the number of people who use marijuana at any one time does not seem to have increased in the past decade, the number of people who have a marijuana-related disorder has increased significantly.
How Marijuana Is Abused
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a patterned use of a drug -in this case marijuana- which leads to harm to users or others. And while the term “drug abuse” has a huge range of definitions, using marijuana for non-therapeutic or non-medical effect is considered abuse.
During marijuana abuse, users consume weed in amounts or via methods which are harmful to themselves. In this case, marijuana is consumed via smoking or oral ingestion through foods. Smoking it can cause some of the same coughing and breathing problems as smoking cigarettes.
Marijuana is abused when:

1.      Taken in amounts that are harmful
2.      Taken for non-medical use and euphoric effect
3.      Smoked, causing side effects similar to smoking

Side Effects of Marijuana Abuse
Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual’s heart rate speeds up, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate-normally 70 to 80 beats per minute-may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, or may even double in some cases.

The intoxicating effects of marijuana include relaxation, sleepiness, and mild euphoria (getting high). Smoking marijuana leads to fast and predictable signs and symptoms. Eating marijuana can cause slower, and sometimes less predictable effects. Marijuana can also cause undesirable side effects, which increase with a higher dosage. These side effects include:
·         Addiction
·         Dry mouth
·         Impaired judgement
·         Increased risk of mental illness
·         Decreased short-term memory
·         Impaired perception and motor skills

More serious side effects include panic, paranoia, or acute psychosis, which may be more common with new users or in those who already have a psychiatric disease. Taking other drugs with marijuana can amplify these effects. Additionally, after regular use physical signs of marijuana addiction can indicate the need for treatment.
Signs of Marijuana Abuse
Some noticeable signs and symptoms of marijuana abuse include:
·         Increased appetite
·         Craving for sweets or food
·         Forgetfulness in conversation
·         Sleepyness or stupors in the later stages
·         Inflammation in the whites of the eyes
·         Lack of concentration and coordination
·         Odor similar to burnt rope on clothing or breath
·         Rapid, loud talking and bursts of laughter in early stages of intoxication
·         Distorted sense of time passage and a tendency to overestimate time intervals
·         Use or possession of paraphernalia including roach clips, packs of rolling papers, pipes or bongs


Shafa Home is a residential treatment facility and nasha mukti kendra offering complete and holistic treatment for Marijuana addiction. We encourage you to contact one of our counsellors today if you are concerned about Marijuana  addiction.