Posts Tagged ‘recovery’

Am I an Addict?

This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.

Copyright © 1983, 1988 by

Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Only you can answer this question.

This may not be an easy thing to do. All through our usage, we told ourselves, “I can handle

it.” Even if this was true in the beginning, it is not so now. The drugs handled us. We lived to

use and used to live. Very simply, an addict is a person whose life is controlled by drugs.

Perhaps you admit you have a problem with drugs, but you don’t consider yourself an addict.

All of us have preconceived ideas about what an addict is. There is nothing shameful about being

an addict once you begin to take positive action. If you can identify with our problems, you may

be able to identify with our solution. The following questions were written by recovering addicts

in Narcotics Anonymous. If you have doubts about whether or not you’re an addict, take a few

moments to read the questions below and answer them as honestly as you can.

1. Do you ever use alone? Yes ? No ?

2. Have you ever substituted one drug for another, thinking that

one particular drug was the problem? Yes ? No ?

3. Have you ever manipulated or lied to a doctor

to obtain prescription drugs? Yes ? No ?

4. Have you ever stolen drugs or stolen to obtain drugs? Yes ? No ?

5. Do you regularly use a drug when you wake up or when you go to bed? Yes ? No ?

6. Have you ever taken one drug to overcome the effects of another? Yes ? No ?

7. Do you avoid people or places that do not approve of you using drugs? Yes ? No ?

8. Have you ever used a drug without knowing what it was?

or what it would do to you? Yes ? No ?

9. Has your job or school performance ever suffered

from the effects of your drug use? Yes ? No ?

10. Have you ever been arrested as a result of using drugs? Yes ? No ?

11. Have you ever lied about what or how much you use? Yes ? No ?

12. Do you put the purchase of drugs ahead of

your financial responsibilities? Yes ? No ?

13. Have you ever tried to stop or control your using? Yes ? No ?

14. Have you ever been in a jail, hospital,

or drug rehabilitation center because of your using? Yes ? No ?

15. Does using interfere with your sleeping or eating? Yes ? No ?

16. Does the thought of running out of drugs terrify you? Yes ? No ?

17. Do you feel it is impossible for you to live without drugs? Yes ? No ?

18. Do you ever question your own sanity? Yes ? No ?

19. Is your drug use making life at home unhappy? Yes ? No ?

20. Have you ever thought you couldn’t fit in or have a good time

without drugs? Yes ? No ?

21. Have you ever felt defensive, guilty, or ashamed about your using? Yes ? No ?

22. Do you think a lot about drugs? Yes ? No ?

23. Have you had irrational or indefinable fears? Yes ? No ?

24. Has using affected your sexual relationships? Yes ? No ?

25. Have you ever taken drugs you didn’t prefer? Yes ? No ?

26. Have you ever used drugs because of emotional pain or stress? Yes ? No?

27. Have you ever overdosed on any drugs? Yes ? No ?

28. Do you continue to use despite negative consequences? Yes ? No ?

29. Do you think you might have a drug problem? Yes ? No ?

“Am I an addict?” This is a question only you can answer. We found that we all answered

different numbers of these questions “Yes.” The actual number of “Yes” responses wasn’t as

important as how we felt inside and how addiction had affected our lives.

Some of these questions don’t even mention drugs. This is because addiction is an insidious

disease that affects all areas of our lives—even those areas which seem at first to have little to do

with drugs. The different drugs we used were not as important as why we used them and what

they did to us.

When we first read these questions, it was frightening for us to think we might be addicts.

Some of us tried to dismiss these thoughts by saying:

“Oh, those questions don’t make sense;”

Or,

“I’m different. I know I take drugs, but I’m not an addict. I have real emotional/family/job

problems;”

Or,

“I’m just having a tough time getting it together right now;”

Or,

“I’ll be able to stop when I find the right person/get the right job, etc.”

If you are an addict, you must first admit that you have a problem with drugs before any

progress can be made toward recovery. These questions, when honestly approached, may help

to show you how using drugs has made your life unmanageable. Addiction is a disease which,

without recovery, ends in jails, institutions, and death. Many of us came to Narcotics

Anonymous because drugs had stopped doing what we needed them to do. Addiction takes

our pride, self-esteem, family, loved ones, and even our desire to live. If you have not reached

this point in your addiction, you don’t have to. We have found that our own private hell was

within us. If you want help, you can find it in the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous.

“We were searching for an answer when we reached out and found Narcotics Anonymous.

We came to our first NA meeting in defeat and didn’t know what to expect. After sitting in a

meeting, or several meetings, we began to feel that people cared and were willing to help.

Although our minds told us that we would never make it, the people in the fellowship gave us

hope by insisting that we could recover. […] Surrounded by fellow addicts, we realized that we

were not alone anymore. Recovery is what happens in our meetings. Our lives are at stake. We

found that by putting recovery first, the program works. We faced three disturbing realizations:

1. We are powerless over addiction and our lives are unmanageable;

2. Although we are not responsible for our disease, we are responsible for our recovery;

3. We can no longer blame people, places, and things for our addiction. We must face our

problems and our feelings.

The ultimate weapon for recovery is the recovering addict.”

Not long after attending my first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous I began to hear people using the phrase Higher Power and even talking about God.  This was one of the things that kept me skeptical about AA.  I had always had a hard time relating to God and I was petrified that I couldn’t stay off drugs and alcohol because of my aversion to organized religion.  Luckily I obtained a temporary sponsor at my very first meeting and after a few months of going to AA meetings regularly I finally told her about my dilemma.  It was explained to me that Alcoholics Anonymous was not a religious program and that I did not have to believe in anyone else’s concept of God.  That put me at ease for a while but I kept hearing people sharing in meetings about their Higher Power and I was still confused and apprehensive. 

When the time came that I began to go through the twelve steps I had been clean and sober for over three months and still felt disconnected from God.  The first step was to admit that I was powerless over drugs and alcohol and that my life had become unmanageable, which was easy for me.  However the second step was no easy feat, “We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”  I went over and over the words in my head and tried to think what it meant to me and how I could relate to this concept of a power greater than myself.  My sponsor told me that she had a similar experience when she was a newcomer and that all that I needed at that time was to believe that there was something in the universe that was more powerful than me.  I had heard of people using the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous as their Higher Power because they felt that the group was more powerful than they were alone.  That idea made sense to me and for the time being it would suffice.  I was hopeful that in time my relationship to God would blossom and develop as was the experience of others in AA.

What causes drug abuse and addiction?

What makes one person abuse drugs to the point of losing their home, their family and their job, while another does not? There is no one simple reason. Drug abuse and addiction is due to many factors. A powerful force in addiction is the inability to self- soothe or get relief from untreated mental or physical pain. Without the self-resilience and support to handle stress, loneliness or depression, drugs can be a tempting way to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, due to the changes drugs make to the brain, it can only take a few times or even one time to be on the road to addiction. Some other risk factors include:

• Family history of addiction. While the interplay between genetics and environment is not entirely clear, if you have a family history of addiction, you are at higher risk for abusing drugs.
• History of mental illness. Drug abuse can worsen mental illness or even create new symptoms. See dual diagnosis for more information on mental illness and drug abuse.
• Untreated physical pain. Without medical supervision, pain medications or illegal drugs like heroin can rapidly become addictive.
• Peer pressure. If people around you are doing drugs, it can be difficult to resist the pressure to try them, especially if you are a teenager.

Signs and symptoms of drug abuse & addiction

How can I tell if a loved one has a problem with drugs?

Although different drugs may have different effects on overall physical and mental health, the basic pattern is the same. Getting and using the drug becomes more and more important than anything else, including job, friends and family. The physical and emotional consequences of drug abuse and addiction also make it difficult to function, often impairing judgment to a dangerous level.

Physical signs of abuse and addiction

Drug abuse affects the brain and body directly. While high, the drug affects the entire body, from blood pressure to heart rate. Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine “amp up” the body, increasing blood pressure, metabolism and reducing the ability to sleep. Drugs like opiates and barbiturates slow down the body, reducing blood pressure, breathing and alertness sometimes to dangerous levels. Some physical signs of abuse and addiction include:

• Cycles of increased energy, restlessness, and inability to sleep (often seen in stimulants)
• Abnormally slow movements, speech or reaction time, confusion and disorientation (often seen in opiates, benzodiazepines and barbiturates)
• Sudden weight loss or weight gain
• Cycles of excessive sleep
• Unexpected changes in clothing,  such as constantly wearing long sleeved shirts, to hide scarring at injection sites
• Suspected drug paraphernalia such as unexplained pipes, roach clips or syringes
• For snorted drugs, chronic troubles with sinusitis or nosebleeds
• For smoked drugs, a persistent cough or bronchitis, leading to coughing up excessive mucus or blood.
• Progressive severe dental problems (especially with methamphetamine)

Mental and emotional signs of abuse and addiction

Abuse and addiction also affect mood, as drugs are abused for the temporary good feelings they provide. These feelings can vary depending on the drug used. Some mental and emotional signs include:

• Cycles of being unusually talkative, “up” and cheerful, with seemingly boundless energy.
• Increased irritability, agitation and anger
• Unusual calmness, unresponsiveness or looking “spaced out”
• Apathy and depression
• Paranoia, delusions
• Temporary psychosis, hallucinations
• Lowered threshold for violence

Detoxing from alcohol and drugs is something that should be done with medical advice and care, and should be backed up with counseling in order to help the alcoholic get past the psychological dependence as well as the physical dependence on alcohol. The first goal in an alcohol and drug detox program will be to help the person get through the symptoms they will experience from withdrawal, including any psychiatric problems they may experience. This is usually the first step in a total detox program and can be very effective if done under the right circumstances.

Everyone goes through detox differently and what any one individual may go through will depend largely on a person’s age, frequency and amount of use, as well as any underlying medical issues they may have. For the most part, one can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms such a nausea, vomiting, tremors, sweats and anxiety. In extreme cases some people also may have convulsions or seizures. These are just a few of the reasons why it’s important to have proper medical support in order to help with an alcohol and drug detox program. Many of these effects can be lessened with medications and with proper supervision. On the other hand, some people get through it with very few symptoms. There is no way to tell how any one person will react. Supervised detox is always the best approach. It helps knowing that you have support there if you need it.

Once you have gone through the detox part of the program it’s important to realize that this is just the first step. You’ve managed to eliminate alcohol and drugs from your body but there are still steps that need to be done to ensure that you don’t return to drinking or using again. In order to have a complete recovery it’s important to understand that you now will need to make lifestyle changes in order to increase your odds for a sustained recovery. Learning to live without alcohol as a crutch can be very difficult, but the longer-term benefits of a new and happier life are well worth it.

During the first 30-90 days of a detox program is the time when people are most vulnerable. This is why it’s important to effect changes in your lifestyle as well as getting psychological support. Lifestyle changes can mean staying away from friends who are heavy drinkers, and who may not understand what you have gone through and what you are now trying to accomplish. Staying away from bars or other places where alcohol is served, including your home. Your family will be able to understand the need for you to not be around other people who are drinking. It’s also important to understand the meaning of a dry drunk. This is a person who has ceased drinking and eliminated alcohol from their system, but has done nothing to change the emotional aspects of abuse. This is another aspect of how your lifestyle must change. The more you work with a counselor, the more you will understand that it also takes emotional changes in order to remain sober.

Emotional support from friends and family is also crucial when you are going through alcohol detox. Rehab treatment centers that help people detox also provide support for them through counseling or through a 12-step program such as AA. It is important for the alcoholic to take actions to help in their recovery, and going to counseling regularly is a part of that. If you are on medications you need to take them as directed and never stop it without consulting a doctor. It’s also important to include the family of anyone going through alcohol detox, and allow him or her to offer support and help and be a part of the recovery process. In the end though it is up to the alcoholic to do the necessary work to effect a complete recovery, and then take the needed steps to remain in recovery.

Alcoholism. What is it? What makes an alcoholic an alcoholic? Can alcohol rehab help? What does alcohol treatment really do? Is there an alcohol rehabilitation center that can help? If it is you who suspects that you are an alcoholic or if there is someone in your life that you think may be, if you are asking these questions, the answer is “yes” you or this person may be an alcoholic. Since you’re asking the questions it must mean that you have come to a point in your life that change sounds good. You might be at that point where drinking everyday isn’t helping you to get out of life what you feel you deserve, or your spouse’s alcoholism has impeded on your quality of life long enough and you are ready to live life the way you dreamt you would. It could be that you finally realized that your beginning to drink more and drinking is the very reason you aren’t living the life you thought you would. The good news is that you can get your life under control. You can live a healthier, alcohol free existence. You can be sober and you can be happy!

You don’t have to do it alone. Many alcoholics try to stop the drinking on their own. As with any addiction, some are able to stop their addiction cold turkey, their attempts turn into failures, in turn compounding their addiction. Professional, consistent, help is the key to recovery. Alcohol treatment is an effective way to reach your goal of lifelong sobriety. If alcohol rehab is in your future make sure that you take the time to find an alcohol rehabilitation center that will help you meet your goals the way you want to. Your environment will have an impact on your ultimate success, as a recovering alcoholic you are going to want to trust the people that are too take care of you.

Detoxification from alcohol can be extremely uncomfortable, and if not done with proper care and attention, the initial detox period can prove to be fatal, depending on the severity of the alcohol abuse and other health issues that have arisen because of it. Today is as good a day as any to start the journey to your new alcohol free life. Call 1-888-443-3869 and find an alcohol rehabilitation center that will help save your life or the life of someone you love.

Your life is too precious to be lost to addiction. If you or a loved one need alcohol treatment don’t waste anymore time. Your family and your friends love you, and they want you to be healthy and happy, and around for a long time. alcohol rehab will get you through the darkest days of recovery and help you see the light on the other side. Your alcoholism isn’t only destroying you; it’s also affecting the lives of the people that you love the most.

by Amit Chakraborty