Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Individualized Addiction Treatment Planning

 

No two people are exactly alike; each individual has their own likes, dislikes, talents, shortcomings, habits, and patterns. We have all heard this in the context of learning and education, that not everyone can learn information in the same way, but the same is true for learning how to kick habits and to learning to stay sober. Just as some children need a more individualized, personal learning plan, some recovering addicts require individualized addiction treatment planning.

Drug and Alcohol Detox Planning

The first step in putting together a personalized addiction recovery plan, is getting the individual off of the drugs or alcohol, but doing this in the safest way possible. Some drugs and alcohol can cause withdrawals so severe, that the recovering addict could die; in these cases, a full medically supervised detox would be recommended -- for safety reasons.

Planning Inpatient Treatment Vs. Outpatient Treatment

It is important to balance all the needs of each individual patient. Some individuals, though desperately needing treatment, have jobs, families, and other responsibilities. For these individuals, Intensive Outpatient Treatment may be the better solution over a stay in a residential treatment facility. Discussions would also be made at this time to plan ongoing counseling after the initial treatment, and continued recovery options.

Receiving An Individualized Addiction Treatment Plan
FROM TRUSTED ADDICTION SPECIALISTS

Summit Behavioral Health is a strong believer in the power of individualized addiction treatment planning, and works with both patients and their families and loved ones to ensure that a successful recovery plan is put into place, and lives can start being rebuilt. The trusted addiction specialists of Summit Behavioral Health are your best plan for ensuring that your recovery will be successful.

Visit Summit Behavioral Health Today:

Individualized Addiction Treatment for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Are You Addicted To The Internet?

 

With so many people using the internet in their personal and business lives you may not realize the problem that can be caused by internet addiction. While many people need to use the internet on a daily basis, you need to know if this need has become an addition for you.

When trying to determine if you're addicted to the internet, think about how much time you spend away from your computer. This can be difficult if you use the computer for work or school. When counting the time on the computer don't include the time when you're actually doing work.

Because your life may revolve around the computer, you may need to do this for a couple of days. If you find that at the end of the week the majority of your leisure time was spent online then you may have an internet addiction.

To test your internet addiction and to see if it's affecting you, quit using the computer for awhile. If you find that you have trouble staying away from the internet this addiction may be having a negative impact on your life.

While internet addiction does not seem like serious problem, it can be. It can be just as bad for you as any other addiction because it can rob you of your relationships with other people and your time. Internet addiction can crush your productivity and lower your self-esteem.

In order to reclaim your time and your life you need to fight this addiction. Unfortunately, unlike other addictions you can't just quit, after all you may still need to use the internet in your daily life for work or school. That's why you need to get help.

If you feel that you have an internet addiction it's easy to start on the road to recovery by talking to a mental health professional.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Staying Away From Alcohol: Tips To Avoid Drinking

 

"I will not drink tonight," is what you say when you are abstaining from alcohol and are faced with the prospect of going out for the evening. 

This prospect can raise fears and anxiety in those that are struggling with alcohol abuse or even a burgeoning alcohol dependence. While this situation is a difficult and serious one, there are some simple tricks and tips that can help you to get through the evening with minimal temptations towards imbibing in alcohol.

NOTE: These are suggestions to aid in the abstinence from alcohol in social situations. Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse issues should be discussed with medical professionals or substance abuse counselors.

Staying Sober In A Restaurant

This can be especially tricky for those that have become used-to drinking alongside meals, or drinking before meals for increased appetite. Those with strong dependencies toward alcohol will often have a suppressed appetite without using alcohol beforehand. In this case small appetizers and conversation are your best friend. Replace the looming thoughts of alcohol with the conversation at the table. Concentrate on the fact that you are enjoying this time right now... you do not need a drink.

Staying Sober In A Bar

While this situation is admittedly a bit more difficult than the bar setting, there are ways to avoid the hyper-present temptations of alcohol in a bar. Just like in the restaurant setting, social interaction is key to staying sober. First-off, grab yourself a carbonated water; fizzy water mimics the tingling sensation of alcohol on the lips, mouth, and throat. This is a simple but effective trick into fooling your mind into a bit of contentment. 

Lastly, do not be hesitant to walk out to the front of the bar, patio or smoking area if the temptations become very strong. "Getting a breath of fresh air" can help to reset your mind and give you a second wind on your will against using alcohol.

There are plenty of little tricks that you can use in any situation to avoid the pressures of alcohol abuse. Take the time to notice what triggers you in social situations and discover your own tricks to help you to battle against those triggers and successfully distract yourself.

Monday, March 17, 2014

The Dangers of Blackout Drinking

 

Blackout Drinking -- is categorized as binge drinking in-which the individual drinks so heavily in such a short period of time, that the brain cannot record new memories. Essentially, an individual that has reached "blackout" Blood Alcohol Contents (BACs), will not be able to retain memory of the events happening during the blackout period. This leaves a very dangerous window open for the individual in-which the individual is exposed to many risks and dangers. Here are some of the risks associated with blackout drinking.

Suppressed Breathing, Asphyxiation, and Death

One of the biggest dangers to those that are blackout drunk, is that when they eventually pass out (It will happen, a blackout drunk is unable to naturally enter a normal state of sleep), that they will pass out in a dangerous position, leaving them open to labored breathing, suppressed breathing functions, and even asphyxiation. We have all heard the stories of people falling asleep drunk or on drugs, and never waking up -- this is due to suppressed breathing and death during the night.

Public Blackout Drunkenness

Being blackout-drunk in public is dangerous enough, but there is much more danger hidden in this. Consider that when in blackout drunk, you do not have any control over yourself. In this moment -- in public -- you are opening yourself to the dangers of getting robbed, kidnapped, beaten, or even being hit by passing cars. Being in public can be a very dangerous thing, especially when you can barely stand and are highly intoxicated.

Alcoholism

Of course the one major risk associated with all types of binge drinking and alcohol abuse, is the increased risk of addiction and alcoholism. While full-on alcoholism typically takes much more than a few cases of binge and blackout drinking, these types of behaviors surely increase the risk of alcoholism, and can even speed up the onset of addiction.

Alcohol can be very dangerous when ingested in large amounts. If your drinking has become binge-drinking, or you are having increased periods of blackout drunks, it could be time to seek alcohol abuse treatment, before the problem continues to escalate.

The Dunes East Hampton
201 Fort Pond Blvd., Suite 1
East Hampton, NY 11937

The Dunes East Hampton


Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Opiates Are A Hard Substance To Kick

If you're trying to get off of opiates, then you probably know that it's hard to do. The reason for this is because of how bad the withdrawal symptoms can get. If you're someone that wants to get off of opiates, then check this information out.

When you first try to quit opiates, they're going to make you feel very sick because your body will be so used to them being there. This is why most people fail when it comes to getting off of this drug because they don't want to feel sick any longer. This is why it's sometimes a good idea to check into a detox facility to get the help with this that you need. You don't want to end up using again by trying to quit at home, and it's hard to get your fix in a place where you can't have visitors or anything of that nature.

Once you're off opiates, you may want to think about getting some kind of counseling. Generally, people use drugs and alcohol because of an underlying problem such as depression or anxiety. You may as well get some help with those things so you don't turn to drugs to get the help you need any longer. Make sure the counselor you see is good with people who are struggling with addiction. This way, you will know that they have had the training needed to help you take care of being addicted to opiates.

As you can tell, there are things you can do to get help when you're addicted to opiates. You just have to make an effort to put these tips into practice. In the end you'll be glad you did when you don't have to deal with addiction any longer.

Monday, February 24, 2014

When Do Signs Of Alcoholism Mean That Things Are Seriously Wrong ?

 

There is a marked difference between social drinking of alcohol and the dependence on alcohol, although sometimes there seems to be a fine line between the two. Some people can drink quite a bit, but it does not affect their normal lifestyle.

The symptoms of alcoholism that occur when a person is losing control are a high tolerance to alcohol, the need to have a drink at any time, episodes of withdrawal, and the inability to manage a normal lifestyle due to drinking.

For example, a person may start missing appointments, work, even days at a time. Normal functional things get skipped like personal hygiene, chores such as taking out the garbage or getting the mail.

A person who is suffering from alcoholism may not feel that anything is wrong, of if there is that sense, then the thinking prevails that this is only a temporary situation, and that the drinking can be stopped at any time they choose. Of course, this is the farthest thing from the truth.

One of the biggest dangers is that the alcoholic feels that normal driving ability is still within the range of skills that are not affected. The fact is that alcohol is involved in a great number of fatal accidents. The more a person gets into a constant state of alcoholism, the more of a danger there is for bad things to happen.

The only real help an alcoholic can receive is to have someone intervene and get them to a treatment facility where clinical help can be received. The alcoholic will not feel that it is necessary, so some degree of tension and strife can result. Intervention can be difficult, but it is necessary because the additive state that the alcoholic is in prevents any action on the part of the alcoholic. The person who intervenes has to be strong and realize that they will be saving a life by intervening.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Effects Of Alcohol Abuse And Getting Help

 

Getting some help with alcohol and drug abuse problems is going to be something you should learn about. This is something a lot of people are dealing with, so it's good to know what to do to get help. Here are some tips to get you the alcohol abuse help you need.

Know when you have an alcohol and drug abuse problem so you can work on getting into getting help. You need to tell yourself that now is the time to admit that you're powerless over substances and you can only get better if you get some help with all of this. You don't have to take this problem on by yourself, there are a lot of people out there that would be willing to help you. There are a lot of great places where you can go to get clean and then enter a rehab program.

When you're first getting clean, you need to make sure that you have some kind of a hobby to spend time on when you'd otherwise be using. There are so many different and healthy things to do if you have a craving for drugs and alcohol. For instance, when you generally would have a drink after dinner and are craving one at that time, get a book out and read a chapter or two instead. Take all the money you would be spending on alcohol and drugs and use it to buy yourself something that's nice and something that you can spend your time on.

Alcohol and drug abuse problems can affect anyone if they aren't careful with what they put into their bodies. You should take the guidelines you've gone over here and put them into practice. You'll be happy you did when the results are great for you.