Benefits of Sober Living

Why is it Better to be Sober? 

Benefits of being sober are widely known, even to those who are actually addicted to drugs or alcohol. However, the challenge of overcoming addiction is still bigger and a major deterrent for those suffering from drug addiction to achieve complete sobriety. This discussion is intended to highlight why is it better to leave alcohol and drugs and lead a life of sobriety. 

Your Social Circle Will Expand and Relationships Will Improve

Once you begin your journey on the path of Sobriety, you will be able to join counseling and support groups to get emotional and mental support to deal with your addiction issues. By meeting people who are caught in the same vicious circle as you, you will be able to know how to deal with the situations better and understand what changes they are bringing in their lives. Friends made in these support groups will accelerate your recovery process, by helping you give better insights in life. Apart from this, you will be able to mend relationships with your old friends and family members that might have been strained due to the behavioral issues you faced during addiction. 

You Will Be Able to Secure and Manage Your Finances Again

Once you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, you do not realize how much money you’re spending on these products. You can save a lot of money that you were earlier spending on alcohol and drugs.  Apart from this, alcohol or Drug Addiction brings with itself several financial insecurities and some people even lose their job as they are not able to do justice to their work due to addiction. By being sober, you can pull yourself out from all the financial troubles and secure your future as well. 

There will be a Stark Improvement in your Health 

All drug and alcohol addicts undergo major health problems because the toxins and chemicals present in these substances get deposited in the body. Once you become sober, your health will automatically improve and your energy levels will also go up.  In fact, you will notice some stark changes in your physical appearance as substance abuse affects the skin and overall personality of the person as well. 

From Where to Seek Professional Help? 

We agree that becoming completely sober is difficult. However, it is still not impossible to leave drugs and alcohol. Proper professional guidance and a treatment plan designed as per your needs can help you start your life all over again. Quapaw House a reputed behavioral health center for drug and alcohol de addiction is the right place to seek help for those who are trying to achieve sobriety. For complete details about their residential programs and treatment plans you can visit Quapaw House .

Summary - Once you leave alcohol and drugs, you will be amazed to see profound changes in your appearance, personality and attitude. By being sober, you will be able to make new friends and can start working towards your goals in life all over again.  

Honesty Plays Important Role to achieve Sobriety

Why Honesty is Important to achieve Sobriety? 

It is commonly seen that people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, live a dishonest and deceptive life. In order to hide their addiction, they often lie to their family, friends and co-workers that results in strained relationship with everyone around them. Addiction leads to many destructive consequences that not only affect the victim but everyone around him or her.

Following the principal of honesty is the first step towards a successful Sobriety Plan. This principal is very important to follow, if you wish to see permanent changes in your life. In this blog, we are going to discuss why it is important for the victim to be honest to himself, people around him and to the treatment programs for bringing forth positive results.

Self-Honesty is The First Step towards Sobriety

Usually drug and alcohol addicts live in a state of denial. They claim that they are not addicted and their life problems have not got out of hand. The very first thing that the victim has to do is accept that his health, relationships and career are adversely affected due to addiction. The addict needs to admit that he needs help and commit to a De-Addiction Program.

Addiction is a complicated disease that robes a person’s self-esteem. When a victim takes a good honest look at himself, he realizes what he is missing in life due to his addiction. 

Be Honest to People Around You

It is not only the addict who bears the consequences of his or her addiction but people around him suffer as well. An honest admission to family and friends will make the victim feel emotionally better and get rid of the feeling of guilt and shame that he had been carrying for so long. By sharing his story, the victim will be able to leave the past behind and move forward on the path of recovery.

Counseling groups can be a great help to victim, where he will be able to meet people who are facing the same situations and share his problems with them with an open heart. 

Be Honest Towards Your Future

An addict practicing the principle of honesty should be aware of the fact that he will be addicted for the rest of his life if he does not stay committed to his de-addiction plan. The victim should make sure that actions and thoughts are in the positive direction, so that their sobriety is supported in the future as well.

Where Can You Seek Help for Sobriety?

The person suffering from alcohol or substance abuse can seek respite in a well-trusted rehab center where the victim is provided to get assistance for getting rid of addiction through therapy and residential programs. Quapaw House  is a reputed behavioral health center that has changed the lives of many drug and alcohol addicts with its holistic approach towards de-addiction.    

Summary- Deceit and dishonesty regarding addiction inculcate feelings of guilt and shame in a person. Honest self-admission and an honest confession to family and friends can help the victim to move on to the path of sobriety and stay sober in the future as well. 

Residential Detoxification Programs Better than Outpatient Programs

Why are Residential Detoxification Programs Better than Outpatient Options?

The fight against addiction is painful not only for you but also for your family members as they see you suffering every day. To fight against addiction it is necessary to take a proper treatment so that you can cure yourself and can start a new life. There are two categories of drug addiction treatment- inpatient i.e. residential detoxification program and outpatient. It is important to choose the right treatment and before that is equally important for you to know about the services and advantages which these treatments offer.

Understanding Inpatient Treatment

In patient or Residential Detoxification program usually offers few days of residential care for providing support to a person who shows signs of withdrawal due to the effects of the addictive substances. The program includes medical and observational supervision. Under this program, a patient needs to get admitted to a rehab center and stays there under constant monitoring.

During the initial stage, when the patient experiences withdrawal symptoms, he is kept under strict observation and is surrounded with experts and doctors. The addict is kept away from situations that promote craving and the client is kept busy with various activities so that he does not feel isolated.

Involvement of family members is advised along with group therapies and various other activities. Balanced and nutritious diet is given to the patient so help his body recover physically.

What is Outpatient Treatment?

Under this treatment, you do not get admitted to the rehab center but stay at home. This treatment allows you to lead a normal life and undergo the treatment simultaneously. During this treatment, the addict visits the center for few hours during a day.

Most of the people believe that inpatient treatment is better than outpatient as under the impatient treatment the client is under strict observation of the doctors and there is no scope for him to consume drugs. But, in the case of outpatient treatment there is lack of expert attention and the person may get his hands on drugs on the way of coming and going to the center. Also, inpatient treatment offers various activities and therapies throughout the day which keeps the client consumed but this does not happen in the case of outpatient treatment.

Summary- Outpatient treatment is more effective for an individual and can help an addict to recover early. Quapaw House offers residential detoxification programs which help an individual to overcome the addiction of drugs by providing various sessions and therapies so that the addict can lead a normal life ahead. 

Understanding the Need for Adolescent Residential Care

When we talk about Adolescent Residential Care, we are dealing with a large age group comprising children between the age of 10 to 19 years and some programs even include young adults aged 20 to 24- this implies 21 percent of the population of the United States. It becomes imperative for parents to pay special attention to the mental and physical health of young folks at this age because children exhibit varied behavioral patterns and emotional swings during this time. In fact, the behavioral patterns established during this developmental phase also have an impact on the health status of the adolescents. Several studies have established that major social problems and issues concerning public health start during these years of a person’s life.

Due to peer pressure, worries related to studies and socializing challenges, some adolescents are at risk of committing homicide, suicide, DUI, substance use and abuse, unplanned pregnancies and may even become prone to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. A lot of contextual and surrounding influences also determine the social behavior and mental fitness of adolescents. Ensuring positive developmental environment for teenagers and adolescents is essential for them adopting healthy behavior and developing into productive adults in the future. 

Emerging Issues in Adolescent Health

Since, adolescence is a transitional period comprising the changes of puberty and increasing independence, the young ones often become prone to substance abuse or alcohol addiction. With ethnic diversity increasing with the growing number of Hispanic and Asian American youth, cultural responsiveness to health care has become important. Secondly, to prevent behavioral risk patterns among adolescents positive youth development interventions are required. This includes providing the youth support regarding relationships, resources and opportunities. It has been observed that the leading causes of illness and death among adolescents are largely preventable if proper attention is paid. This is where the role of Adolescent ResidentialCare comes into play.

How Adolescent Residential Care Programs Can Help?

Many behavioral health centers are providing comprehensive diagnostic assessment and intensive adolescent treatment programs to youth in the age bracket of 11 to 17 years. This is effective for both mental health and addiction related issues. The focus is on building life skills, formulating a recovery plan, family education and their participation in the treatment process. Anxiety issues, substance abuse and relapse prevention are dealt with in behavioral therapy and group sessions. Spiritual enrichment and fitness activities are incorporated into the daily schedule. 

The first step, of course is comprehensive diagnosis to understand the problem an individual is dealing with. Then a whole set of treatment comprising psychiatric care, dialectical behavior therapy, therapeutic recreation and educational treatment is decided for the patient. Outdoor programs are designed to provide adolescents a holistic approach towards recovery. Family counselling sessions are conducted in order to let the family members assist in the recovery process and improve family bonds as well. Evidence based programs also form part of the Adolescent Residential Care services, formulated to deal with anger management issues.

In order to meet with the educational needs of adolescents, classes are conducted in self-contained classrooms. Some of the residential service providers even provide assistance for GED and ACT preparation to adolescents of minimum 17 years of age for their higher education needs. Quapaw House, Inc. is a licensed provider of Adolescent Residential Care offering a holistic program comprising recreational therapy, residential treatment and education programs. We recommend logging on to http://quapawhouseinc.org/programs/adolescent-residential-services for complete details.

Summary- Adolescent Residential Care Programs are designed to help young adults deal with and recover from substance abuse and other behavioral imbalances. The focus is on developing self-management skills and leadership capabilities in a positive peer culture.

Is Addiction Really a Disease ?

Reality Check: Is Addiction Really a Disease?

When I ask this question “Is addiction really a disease?” from people, some say yes while others reply in the negative. Then what is the reality? After thoroughly researching the subject, I would have to say that yes, addiction is really a disease. In the words of Benjamin Rush, well-known physician and one of founding fathers of U.S. ‘Alcoholism is medical disease and when person drinks alcohol he loses control over himself’.

Scientific researches have indicated that addiction causes degenerative changes in nerve cells of the brain leading to creation of abnormal transmission of nerve impulses. This can ultimately result in unusual mental and physical effects.

Let us highlight how addiction qualifies for a disease:

• Addiction is responsible for cessation and interruption of several body functions and organs- Excessive drinking leads to chemical and physical changes in brain, behavioral abnormalities and cirrhosis of liver. In fact, alcoholics are more susceptible to heart attacks than those who do not drink.
• Addiction is characterized by known etiologic agents- There are several factors like genetics, drug of choice and environment that are potential causal factors for Substance Abuse. The sooner a person is exposed to drugs and alcohol, the more profound is the effect of etiologic agents on their brains
• Addiction creates anatomical alterations of human body system- There is clear evidence that with heavier doses of alcohol and drugs, brain metabolism changes and with this temptation to take more doses drastically increases.
• Substance abuse produces predictable signs and symptoms- Frequent and heavy consumption produces several problems such as subjective distress, occupational problems, social issues, interpersonal conflicts and cognitive decline.
• Chemical dependence – Addiction or chemical dependence is one of the major causes of death in the USA. Drug and alcohol related disorders are highly responsible for deaths caused due to accidents, cirrhosis, cancer and heart disease.

Addiction

According to National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, alcoholism is 3^rd most frequent cause of death in United States of America.

I am sure, till now I have provided sufficient evidence and facts that show that addiction is a threatening disease that can affect a person mentally, physically, socially and even financially. But, the good news is that treatment of substance abuse is easily possible. Behavioral health centers like Quapaw house are well known for successfully treating several victims of alcohol addiction and substance abuse through their holistic detoxification, transitional living, outpatient and residential programs.

Summary- Life is precious, so don’t waste it for temporary pleasure. Addiction is no less than a full-fledged disease with its own signs and symptoms. I would advise to seek professional help as soon as you notice the first sign of addiction in yourself or a loved one. 

Emerging Drug Abuse Trends in 2016

Drug abuse has emerged as a serious area of concern in the US with the number of substance abusers increasing with each passing year. Once, you are caught in the vicious circle of drugs, quitting is not that easy because it requires much more than strong will and good intentions to achieve sobriety. Different drugs have different effects on the mind and body, and the trends of substance abuse change with the introduction of new drugs in the market.