Here is a realization – one of many today from a Narconon drug treatment student, who had abused alcohol. It is written with the hope that others will know that there is hope for them also.
“Today I had a realization that the lack of a relationship with my children has been an important factor in my relapsing. It has become a catch 22 for me. When I think of my children, I become sad and angry with myself and my life. I don’t deal with pain very well so I want to kill the pain. Drinking did that for me. The cycle begins and I become more distant from my children because I can’t be with them if I am drinking. This makes me want to drink more. The other day when I got news that the company that I work for was being shut down, I was very sad and angry. I realized that I didn’t think about drinking until someone else said something. This is a big change for me and I feel happy that my coping skills have changed.
After having realized this, I also later realized that shame has been a controlling factor in my life. I have held on to many things from my past that prevents me from growing as a person. On the outside I can appear happy and confident. I never want people to see what is actually going on, on the inside. I realized that holding on to the past serves no purpose in my life other than to keep me drunk.
The past cannot be changed and I don’t have to continue the life path that I had been on. I deserve to be loved and respected. It will take time to earn trust and rebuild relationships with my children. I don’t need to hold on to or hide the demons I have on the inside. I can release them and live my life as I have always wanted to.
I can be a good father, boyfriend/husband, employee, friend and son. I have many great qualities and talents. I can get and reach goals. I can be in and contribute to strong positive relationships. I don’t have to live in shame and I am not responsible for every problem that comes up in life. I can work through issues and with the people I love to make their lives and mine better. “
Narconon Drug Rehab – for Xanax, methamphetamine, alcohol, cocaine, pot and other drugs of abuse.
Pregnant Methamphetamine Addicts Tripled In 12 Years
New research from the University of Chicago indicates that the number of pregnant women seeking treatment for methamphetamine use tripled between 1994 to 2006, HealthDay News reported May 21.
Researcher Mishka Terplan and colleagues analyzed data from federally funded treatment centers and found that methamphetamine use accounted for 8 percent of all admissions to drug treatment centers in 1994, but increased to 24 percent in 2006.
The prevalence of methamphetamine users was higher among pregnant women than among men or for non-pregnant women, the researchers found. Most of drug treatment admissions for pregnant women took place in the western United States, and among white women and unemployed women.
“Most women decrease or stop using during pregnancy,” said Terplan, “but they’re aware of the stigma associated with abuse behavior and they may be reluctant to seek care. They may also have concerns about losing their children.”
Abuse of central nervous system depressants and Xanax often occurs with the abuse of another substance or drug such as alcohol or cocaine. Treatment for Xanax addiction that focuses on modifying a person’s thinking and behavior, while giving people the tools to cope with life’s stressors, is very successful in helping individuals overcome addiction to Xanax.
Xanax is a benzodiazepine, a class of drug that acts as a sedative or tranquilizer. It is used as a central nervous system depressant. This type of prescription drug slows down normal brain function, and in higher doses, can act as a general anesthetic. Benzodiazepines, such as Alprazolam, or Xanax, are prescribed to treat anxiety, acute stress, and panic attacks.
Again on prime time the nation watched while another artist was carried out on a stretcher, possibly from some kind of overdose or drug cocktail.
Xanax withdrawal is particularly dangerous, and even life threatening. Because central nervous system depressants work by slowing down the brain’s normal activity, if a person stops taking the drug, the brain can react by racing out of control. Seizures and other harmful consequences, including death may result. Medical supervision and treatment are very important in overcoming Xanax addiction.
Fame-Struck Doctors Enabled Michael Jackson’s Drug Addiction?
While thousands attend Michael Jackson’s memorial service and millions mourn around the world, many in his close circle wonder why it ever came to this: a talented musical king, right before a much anticipated tour, struck down by prescription drug addiction.
While a shock to millions, close friends feared this day would come. Some of those close to him saw the signs of drug abuse and tried to alert the others around him.
It seems that Michael Jackson was surrounded by an army of physicians willing to prescribe him drugs. Friend Tarak Ben Ammar also called Jackson a hypochondriac. “’One never really knew if he was sick, because he had become surrounded by charlatan doctors who were billing him thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs and vitamins.”
Others close to Jackson such as his attorney Brian Oxman were aware of his drug abuse. Oxman said in numerous interviews that he was aware of the problem and had warned family members that this might happen. Oxman said he would name those responsible if Michael’s death turns out to be drug related.
Marijuana has long been a controversial subject. While proponents claim that marijuana is not harmful, is “green”, a “natural” substance, research shows that marijuana use can have serious side effects, including but not limited to marijuana addiction.
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status. Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.
Marijuana, unfortunately, is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; THC for short.
Some proponents of the legalization of marijuana have claimed that there is no evidence that marijuana causes harm, or is addictive. This is a small sample of cited works which indicate that this is not true. The information is freely available on the web at the National Institute of Health’s web site.
There is a simple way to address the problem of addicted soldiers, covered in the Join Together Article – get doctors to stop supplying so many addictive drugs.
A study should be done on how many soldiers are injured because they were high during combat.
Doctors are supposed to help heal war wounds –not create them.
The U.S. could face a wave of addiction and mental-health problems among returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars greater than that resulting from the Vietnam War, according to experts at the recent Wounds of War conference sponsored by the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University (Join Together is a project of CASA).
Rather than the heroin addictions many Vietnam veterans brought back with them from Southeast Asia, however, today’s returning soldiers are more likely to be addicted to prescription medications — the very opiates prescribed to them by the military to ease stress or pain — or stimulants used by soldiers to remain alert in combat situations….
Alcohol and Alcohol Addiction Prevalent through Man’s History
For ages, man has imbibed various substances to feel differently. And, for ages, man has had problems with moving from an occasional user to an obsessive user, a drug addict.
What is the drug used most often and longest throughout the ages?
Alcohol is the drug found in all ancient manuscripts, and has existed even before the written word was invented.
Does this make alcoholan acceptable drug? Not when its abuse has that many effects on both the user and the people around them. Drinking alcohol can affect self control, depresses the central nervous system and lowers inhibitions. Other effects include loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, double vision, loss of memory and possible blackouts.
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the U.S. In a recent survey 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past year. Obviously not all who drink are suffering from alcoholism, but 20% of the population reports having five or more drinks in a day at least once last year.
This suggests that the potential for alcohol abuse is very high and is reflected in the number of deaths attributed to alcohol abuse.
There are dangers more worrisome than cigarettes that our combat soldiers are exposed to – such as the possibility of getting shot and killed.
Then there is the danger of being high on heroin, pot or prescription medications while in combat – and then again, methamphetamine is not too good for soldiers.
Next thing you know there will be a ban on some of our favorite World War II footage. Those guys smoked!
We won that war in spite of the fact that many of those guys smoke cigarettes and very few if any returned home needing drug rehab.
Narconon drug treatment 877-413-3073
Here is a Join Together News Summary
Despite a recent study commissioned by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs suggesting a complete ban on tobacco in the military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates will continue to allow tobacco smoking by troops in combat zones, CNN reported July 15.
The study found that troops’ tobacco use has negative short- and long-term effects on military readiness and soldiers’ health and recommended a complete ban on tobacco sales on military bases and tobacco smoking by uniformed personnel.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said that Gates will not prohibit smoking because the service members in war-zones face extreme pressure already. “The secretary does not want to compound that stress by taking away from [the troops] one of the few outlets they have to relieve that stress,” said Morrell.
Morrell said the defense secretary had not read the report yet.
Heavy Drug Abuse Possible Cause of Michael Jackson Death
The ease by which many Americans can get a prescription for powerful pain medications and psychiatric drugs is alarming.
As the public continues to be riveted to the Michael Jackson story, our nation is receiving an inadvertent education on drug abuse, specifically prescription drug abuse.
Details of Michael Jackson’sprescription drug use continue to surface as officials sift through health records obtained in the death investigation. Reportedly, Michael is described as a severe insomniac who took ten Xanax pills a night to find relief.
Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent stated:
“In drug addiction cases, people develop a tolerance to drugs and have to take more and more pills. No matter how you cut it, this is an extremely high dosage of Xanax. It is a huge red flag, even with the tolerance that I was talking about. This dosage is exceedingly high for any human being.”
The governor in New Hampshire does not want his citizens to grow pot at their home. The fact that this would even be a discussion amongst legislatures is astonishing as is the idea of pot dealers now becoming “compassion centers.”
If we are to wonder what the world is coming to – it seems to be moving to a place where those stoned on pot envision it should go.
Pot smokers should not have their lives ruined because they got caught with pot. However, there needs to be some sensible in between solution.
For every compassion center we are going to need a new drug treatment center. Marijuana is a gateway drug, no matter who is selling it.
“New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch vetoed a medical-marijuana bill passed by the state legislature, which in turn promised an override attempt, the Concord Monitor reported July 11.
Lynch said the legislation was seriously flawed but also stated in his veto message that he was open to a revised version that would allow medical use of the drug with tighter controls over cultivation and distribution.
The legislation vetoed by Lynch already had been amended to address some of the governor’s concerns, including deletion of a provision that would have allowed patients to grow marijuana at home. Lynch said the revised bill failed to ensure stringent oversight of volunteers working at so-called “compassion centers” which would distribute the drug to qualified patients.”
