In this country the term “drug abuse” is a very often misused term. When you hear or read the term “drug abuse”, what pops into your mind? Things like cocaine, heroine methamphetamines, marijuana, and crack, right? And you think of completely out of touch ‘junkies’ living on the streets, selling whatever they can for money, right? Or, at least the types of drugs listed here to be the ‘real’ drugs, right? These are the drugs that people abuse, right?

Drug abuse in the form of alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs is actually much more prevalent in our culture, but no one wants to talk about that. If you have a six pack in the comfort of your own home, you don’t abuse drugs, right? If you smoke cigarettes, while disgusting, you’re not thought of as a drug abuser are you? If you take a pill everyday, that a doctor told you that you could take, and that pill alters your ‘reality’ somehow, is that drug abuse?

No none of these things are considered ‘drug abuse’, but the reality is that they all are. Alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs are all just what this article is about…drugs. And if you practice any of them everyday or use them to alter your reality at all, you abuse drugs, its as simple as that. Many people don’t want to admit to this, but it is the truth. When I used to smoke, I would say that I’m no different from someone who uses cocaine on a regular basis. The fact was that I abused drugs.

I obviously abused nicotine because I smoked every hour of so. I abused alcohol because I drank beer everyday. I was as much of a drug abuser as the guy who uses heroine everyday. That’s the cold hard truth that most people don’t want to face up to. Then when I quit both practices, and my head finally cleared up, I realized that I was engaging in both practices to escape reality in some small way. I used to say things like, “a cigarette relaxes me.” Through quitting, I realized that this was a lie. And the exact same thing was true with alcohol. The bottom line is that I was abusing both of them and knew a lot of other people who were as well. Bit since my behavior was looked upon as ‘normal’ by society, it was okay.

My point to this entire article is that drug abuse is much more prevalent than we want to believe, and just because we’re told that some things are normal, that doesn’t mean that those things are the right thing for us to do. Remember what Bo Bennett said and let it ring in your heart, “Every day, people settle for less than they deserve. They are only partially living or at best living a partial life. Every human being has the potential for greatness.”

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com. He has more than 15 years of business experience and 25 years of fishing experience. He currently raises his 3 year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana.

A JRWFishing Must Have For Any Fisherman!

Start Catching More Fish!

For many people in the UK, the consumption of alcohol is merely an everyday habit. Whether it’s two or three beers in the pub after work, or a few glasses of wine with your dinner, drinking alcohol is, to many, a basic social gesture. And while many individuals may binge drink to their detriment every weekend, it’s important to establish the difference between people who often drink more than is good for them and those that are alcohol dependent.

If you suffer from alcohol dependency, it means that you feel the need to have a drink to help you with certain situations. For instance, if the thought of socialising without having a few drinks first fills you with dread and anxiety, then you’re likely to be alcohol dependent. Alcohol dependency isn’t quite the same as alcoholism; alcoholics need alcohol to handle every situation, while alcohol dependents rely on alcohol to get them through only certain situations. But, alcohol dependency does require treatment, and may in turn develop into alcoholism if left unchecked.

In contrast to opiate dependency, alcohol withdrawal may often present a risk to life; and acute withdrawal of alcohol in chronic alcohol dependency may lead to Delirium Tremens. Delirium Tremens is characterised by acute confusion, disorientation, vivid visual hallucinations, paranoia, marked tremors and other various symptoms and signs of alcohol withdrawal. If left untreated, Delirium Tremens can lead to a 10 per cent mortality rate, and therefore requires urgent medical admission.

Additionally, alcohol withdrawal seizures often present a risk to life and, if observed, should be treated with a bolus of parenteral or per rectal diazepam. However, in most cases, alcohol dependent patients will not need prescriptions. Instead, following advice to cut down drinking at a gradual pace will be sufficient to manage most acute presentations of alcohol dependency. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind that a patient with a clear history of withdrawal seizures, who claims to have no access to alcohol supplies, may be labelled as appropriate to commence a community detoxification with chlordiazepoxide immediately - but this course of action should be avoided wherever possible.

If you suffer from alcohol dependency, or are close to someone who does, and are looking for alcohol treatment, you might find that private residential alcohol treatment is preferable to community treatment. This method of alcohol treatment is beneficial because it allows the patient to choose their own location in which they’d like to treat their alcohol dependency. But wherever you choose to undertake a course of alcohol treatment, it’s important to always keep basic alcohol treatment guidelines in order to ensure a swift and effective recovery.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist.

The amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as fly agaric, has been referred to as a sacred hallucinogenic mushroom. It also may be very dangerously toxic.

Use of a. muscaria has also been attributed to the Lappish shamans of northern Finland, where the mushrooms grow in profusion and have sacred uses.

Terrence McKenna, in “Food of the Gods,” wrote of his usage of fly agaric mushrooms from New Mexico that he felt euphoric and that the world became “different in an eerie, profound and unmistakable way.”

Different colored varieties are said to have different potencies, with red said to be stronger than yellow. Complicated recipes spell out the preferred ratio of cap to stem that should be observed, how to dry them, grind them into a powder, how much water and at what temperature should be mixed with the powder. Regarding how much should be consumed, the dosage often is referred to in terms of the number of mushroom caps, but this is dangerously vague, as a cap could be as small as half an inch or as wide as a dinner plate.

Reports about the flavor of the amanita muscaria mushroom vary widely. Opinions range from tasting fine to tasting terrible. Of course, there are several different colors of the mushroom. Mycologists (mushroom experts) categories them into six variations named from the color of the cap: white, red, red-orange, red-brown, yellow-orange and melon.

Drying the mushrooms evidently transform the harmful ibotenic acid into the desired substance muscimol. An advocate of amanita mascara who lives in Europe suggests that the nausea that accompanies the ingestion of the mushrooms is easy to counter with cannabis. Of course, this individual was living in a part of Europe where cannabis is not illegal.

Some individuals who have used amanita muscaria described their experience as so frightening, unpleasant and dangerous that they vowed never to do it again.

Another advocate of amanitas reported that a pleasant mental state was induced by smoking some of the skin that had been peeled from the red cap and dried. The effect was described as quite different from the effect caused by eating the mushroom, as well as uniquely different from smoking other hallucinogenic substances.

It is not uncommon for sellers of amanita muscaria mushrooms to describe them as “poisonous non-consumables.” They are listed as a poison by the Food and Drug Administration of the USA, and the author of this report does not encourage, recommend nor endorse the ingestion of Amanita muscaria mushrooms in any way.

Robert Scheer is a freelance writer and consultant for the Amanita Muscaria Report web site.

For more information visit Amanitamuscariareport.com.

The roots of drug abuse are often found in a disturbed childhood and puberty; if not; then what starts off often as an ostentation of respective macho-ness grows into a compulsive habit within no time. Perhaps it is the only field where the teenagers and the young adults never fall short of ambition. For the aged, it is a different story altogether; while some begin because of unmatched wealth accumulated all in a sudden; others start off to seek an easy refuge from psychological, sociological and finance-related problems. However, all roads lead to Rome and all these so-called Romans must be brought under drug abuse treatment.

Prior to commencing further upon the details regarding drug abuse treatment, it is vital to differentiate between a drug abuser and a drug addict. This is chiefly due to the fact that what may easily allay the agonies of the former may not at all have an effect on the other. Drug abuse treatment can be a mild process or a severe one, depending upon the intensity of the use.

Drug abuse treatment is the last refuge sought when a certain individual starts showing certain symptoms including irritability, insomnia, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia, violent behavior, memory loss, learning problems, increased heart rate, lethargy and panic attacks due to no apparent reasons. Psychoactive or prescription, the general symptoms do not vary much but one must also be aware that psychoactive drug abuse treatment has some difference with prescription drug abuse treatment while involving medicament though the basic psychological drug abuse treatment is more or less the same.

Drug abuse treatment must start at home, for no counselor can be as compassionate as the nearer and dearer ones to the abuser. Compassion plays a large role and can bring forth positive outcomes if the problem is in its initial stage; the developing stages can be handled by reducing slowly the quantity in a careful and discreet manner. Besides, getting the victim under drug abuse treatment interested in constructive and recreational activities diverts his/her mind from the compulsive urge. But this kind of drug abuse treatment is effective for the victims who have developed a psychological dependence; for the ones with physical dependence, professionals should administer drug abuse treatment besides doctors with specialization in the field of drug abuse treatment.

Sean Winter has been a writer for 10+ years and is knowledgeable in many areas.
Sean is also creator of http://www.findaddictiontreatment.com

Click Here For More Addiction Treatment Information and Articles

Prior to commencing upon further nitty-gritty regarding alcohol treatment, let’s chalk out a periphery that shall define the flock eligible for stepping within the pre-defined alcohol treatment boundary. To say it in the simplest manner, every person unable to resist the compulsive urge for alcohol consumption beyond acceptable limits despite being aware of the harm they are inflicting upon themselves should receive a gate-pass; further analysis should reveal further the two different classes this inebriated populace comes under. But the good news is, there is a remedy to every problem in this world, so there is every chance that the abusers and addicts can be brought back to their senses, thus stopping them from creating further embarrassments and inconveniences to themselves as well as to their circle of friends and family.

It’s a three-step process; from casual users to abusers and then a person turns into an addict (due to developing a resistance to alcohol) if not stopped at the very initial stage. Thus, counseling is of paramount importance in alcohol treatment and vital as well, for it elaborates the social vice apart from making the victim aware of its psychological as well as physically damaging effects. Pre-conditioning, in a word, for it helps in inflicting control and determination to outgrow the practice.

Alcohol treatment must start at home, for no counselor can be as compassionate as the abuser’s or addict’s nearer and dearer ones. Comforting words can bring forth positive outcomes in alcohol treatment if the abuse or addiction is at its initial stage; the developing stage can be handled by phasing out the quantity in a careful and discreet manner. Besides, getting the victim under alcohol treatment interested in anything constructive and recreational often diverts his/her mind from the compulsive urge. As a medication, juices of citrus fruits are very effective in alcohol treatment, since they flush out the toxins from the body accumulated by alcohol intake. But that’s just the initial alcohol treatment; unless the victim starts showing positive results within a couple of weeks, he/she should be passed on to the hands of an alcohol treatment professional or to a rehabilitation center for alcohol treatment through medication.

Sean Winter has been a writer for 10+ years and is knowledgeable in many areas.
Sean is also creator of http://www.findaddictiontreatment.com

Click Here For More Addiction Treatment Information and Articles

You are in great trouble if you are addicted or live with an addict. Due to addiction, most of the addicts die and also take down their family members with them. But if an addicted person really wants to recover, he must remain honest to himself. Addiction treatment can comprise medications, behavioral therapy (such as cognitive therapy, counseling or psychotherapy) or their combination. Drug Addictions can be broken through several Addiction treatments.

• Agonist Maintenance Treatment is a kind of addiction treatment which is mainly provided to the opiate addicts. This addiction treatment helps to reduce the patients craving for the opiate. Due to the sustained and adequate dosage of methadone, a well tested medication, the patient becomes stabilized and can function normally.

• Narcotic Antagonist Treatment which uses Naltrexone is conducted in outpatient settings. This addiction treatment has very few side effects and is taken orally for a certain period of time. By using this addiction treatment, all the effects of self administered opiate gets totally blocked. This addiction treatment can help to break the habit of opiate addiction.

• Outpatient Drug-Free Treatment is a kind of addiction treatment, which costs much less than impatient or residential treatment. Group counseling is given more emphasis in many outpatient programs. Some of these programs are designed for the addiction treatment of those patients, who are suffering from mental and medical health problems along with their drug disorder.

• In case of Long-Term Residential Treatment, special care is provided to the patients for 24 hours per day. Addiction is viewed regarding an individual’s mental and social deficits, and this addiction treatment mainly aims in developing the socially creative life of the addicted.

• Short-Term Residential Programs originally aimed to deal with alcohol problems, but after the cocaine epidemic in 1980’s, many started to deal with addiction treatment and illicit drug abuse.

• In case of Medical Detoxification treatment, an individual is withdrawn from an addicting drug under a physician’s care. In case of some types of drugs, like alcohol, barbiturates and other sedatives, detoxification may be medically necessary, and if it is withdrawn suddenly it may be deadly or medically dangerous.

From several researches, it is evident that, if we combine criminal justice sanction along with drug treatment, it can be effective in reducing drug use and other crimes.

In case of Prison Based Treatment Program, those under the addiction treatment should be separated from the prison population so that, the “prison culture” is not able to overcome the progress towards recovery.

Although it is very difficult to break a drug addiction, the several addiction treatments available make it possible.

Sean Winter has been a writer for 10+ years and is knowledgeable in many areas.
Sean is also creator of http://www.findaddictiontreatment.com

Click Here For More Addiction Treatment Information and Articles

Amanita Muscaria mushrooms are noted for their psychoactive properties, due to their containing the hallucinogenic chemicals ibotenic acid and muscimol. Also known as toadstools, these mushrooms have long been associated with magic in literature. The caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland is portrayed as sitting on one as he smokes his suspicious pipe, and in animated cartoons, Smurfs are seen to live in Amanita mushrooms. Of course, circles of mushrooms growing in the forest are frequently referred to as fairy rings.

It has been reported that as early as 2000 B.C. people in India and Iran were using for religious purposes a plant called Soma or Haoma. A Hindu religious hymn, the Rig Veda also refers to the plant, Soma, although it is not specifically identified. It is believed this plant was the Amanita Muscaria mushroom, a theory popularized in the book “Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality” by R. Gordon Wasson. Other authors have argued that the manna from heaven mentioned in the Bible is actually a reference to magic mushrooms. Images of mushrooms have been identified in cave drawings dated to 3500 B.C.

In the church of Plaincourault Abbey in Indre, France is a fresco painted in 1291 A.D. of Adam and Eve standing on either side of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A serpent is entwined around the tree, which looks unmistakably like a cluster of Amanita Muscaria mushrooms. Could it be true that the apple from the Garden of Eden may actually have been an hallucinogenic mushroom?

Siberian shamans are said to have ingested Amanita Muscaria for the purpose of reaching a state of ecstasy so they could perform both physical and spiritual healing. Viking warriors reportedly used the mushroom during the heat of battle so they could go into a rage and perform otherwise impossible deeds.

In the Kamchatka peninsula of Russia the medicinal use of Amanita Muscaria topically to treat arthritis has also been reported anecdotally. L. Lewin, author of “Phantastica: Narcotic and Stimulating Drugs: Their Use and Abuse” (Kegan Paul, 1931) wrote that the fly-agaric was in great demand by the Siberian tribes of northeast Asia, and tribes who lived in areas where the mushroom grew would trade them with tribes who lived where it could not be found. In one occasion one reindeer was traded for one mushroom.

It has been theorized that the toxicity of Amanitas Muscaria varies according to location and season, as well as how the mushrooms are dried.

Finally, it should be noted that the author of this article does not in any way recommend, encourage nor endorse the consumption of Amanita Muscaria mushrooms. It is believed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists Amanita Muscaria as a poison. Some companies that sell these mushrooms refer to them as “poisonous non-consumables.”

Robert Scheer is a freelance writer and consultant for the href= "http://www.Amanitamuscariareport.com">Amanita Muscaria Report web site For more information visit href= "http://www.Amanitamuscariareport.com"> Amanitamuscariareport.com

Dear Addiction,

A lot has changed since I last wrote….

As I look back on the last year, I recall taking my son to rehab on that cold February morning. There is no preparation for dropping your son or daughter off at rehab. Parents drop their kids off at friend’s house for a sleep over or camp, they take them to their first day of 1st grade. I remember taking Eric to school 14 years ago. I had that “lump” in my throat. I could have bawled my eyes out. Worried- Will he be ok? I couldn’t believe he would be gone all day long. Is he ready? What if he needed me?

Nothing can compare to taking him to inpatient. I will never forget standing in the lobby of the rehab facility. I listen to the therapist speak to my son. She nonchalantly asks what his drug of choice is. I hear him answer, “HEROIN”. She is unaffected hearing this. Heroin was a stranger to me, a death sentence. I had heard my son say this for the first time 5 days earlier, but this time, it’s louder. It’s making my head hurt, I feel like it’s going to explode. My entire body is shaking, my eyes water…

I look at my son. He looks nervous, similar to how he looked on that September morning years ago when I left him at school. Except, this look is more complex. He isn’t wide eyed, excited to meet his new friends and teacher. He isn’t wearing a new outfit or new tennis shoes. He was told to wear comfortable clothes. But yet, he looks somewhat relieved in a way. Relieved, that he knows he belongs here….

My husband & I stand by and watch the therapist inspect his duffle bag. Looking for the obvious, no drugs or alcohol. But also, no hair spray, mouth wash, cell phones, opened packs of cigarettes. As she is calmly explaining my son’s stay in rehab to us, I want to scream, “You know what? He is different from all of the other kids that have come here, he gets it, he is MY SON and he will be a success story” As if she would believe me… I look directly into her eyes as she speaks, wondering “Are you a mother? Do you realize what this is doing to me? Do you care that I have not slept in 5 days? Does she know what it feels like to stand over your child’s bed while he is detoxing from a highly addictive drug? I watched him shake, he hurts from head to toe, he is miserable. Who is this person? THIS IS NOT MY SON! Tell me someone is playing a horrible joke on me. Where is the hidden camera? Tell me this was a cruel test of a mother’s love. I passed with flying colors right? NOW GIVE ME MY SON BACK…….

Eleven months later, I not only have my son back, I have a mature, confident bright eyed, happy young man who is determined to keep you out of his life- for TODAY, anyway…. One day at a time. This has become my personal motto. This isn’t to say I don’t care about the future or am being careless or irresponsible. What it means is, for Today, I will be the best person I can be. I won’t judge others. I will love my husband and my 3 beautiful children for who they are. I will love myself for who I am. I will remind myself that I am human, that I will make mistakes and hope to learn from them. If it wasn’t for you, I would still be stressing over things that are out of my control. Trying to “fix” others and not know myself as well as I do today. So, for that, I thank you. Funny isn’t it? A few years ago, I hated you, despised you, I resented you for what you did to me as a child, how you made my brother seem to be nervous all of the time, how you made my son unable to look anyone in the eye. Now, I am thanking you. It is amazing what time & knowledge can do to a person. I no longer am trying to control others and am caring for myself- guilt free too!

Resentment is common for family members of you. It is easy to be angry at you. You have caused many people a great deal of pain & heartache. Holding on to anger only allows you to have POWER over my emotions. I won’t allow you to have that. Anger takes up too much energy. It’s distracting. I have found positive ways to exert my energy. I took action; I learned about you, I volunteer for The Alliance Against Drugs. I now say HEROIN, somewhat nonchalantly, just as the therapist did. I continue spreading the word about you and let others know there is hope and help. I won’t keep quiet or keep you a secret. If I kept quiet, how could others learn from my experience? Isn’t that the purpose of life? Sharing our experiences, our knowledge with others so they, too, can learn from it? Keeping silent would send my son the wrong message. It would tell him I am embarrassed or ashamed of him. I would not want to do that. A big part of the first year of recovery is spent getting rid of the shame & guilt because of you. I have to let my son know that I also forgive him. He needs a clean slate. I think we all do. I don’t want to add to his “mental baggage of negativity”. I want to help lighten his load of guilt. Forgiveness is really saying- you hurt me. Please don’t do it again. And, just because I am forgiving you, it doesn’t mean I trust you. I am apprehensive to give you the opportunity to do it again. Forgiving someone is fear of being vulnerable again.

I am on the road to recovery. It’s a wonderful journey. Just as all journeys can be bumpy or have detours along the way, mine is no different. My family is rebuilding our foundation. You taking control of my son was similar to a tornado hitting our house. The 5 of us were left standing, feeling alone, with no roof or walls to protect us. We are each, slowly putting brick by brick back on our house. Slowly, but surely, we are dealing in our own way. There was more silence than fighting about your existence. The quietness was difficult. You paralyzed me emotionally. You caught me with my guard down and as a mother my concern was getting my son the help he needed. I was in survival mode. This kept me busy, so busy, my daughters felt abandoned. Feeling this way, created hostility. I now know, how important it is, to be forgiven. I have apologized for my emotional absence. It is really hard when you apologize to someone and are truly sorry for something, but that not being enough or sufficient. I can not change the past but I can learn from past behavior. Forgiving or letting go of the pain is a process and will take time. I continue to pray that my daughters will forgive me soon. They are remarkable young woman with big hearts, so, I wait patiently.

These relationships are worth waiting a lifetime to be forgiven… My children are the center of my heart, they are precious people. I am proud to be their mother. I am so happy that I have learned to accept them for who they are rather than who I thought they should be.

You are still present in my life, always will be. But, now, you are a strong, positive force, a learning device, so to speak. Today, I will continue trying to be the best person I can be. You are my inspiration to help others.

That’s it for now, I’ll be in touch.

PS I think I’ll call that therapist and let her know, that TODAY my son is a success story…….

Mary

I realize that for many of you this may seem like a silly question, but as a person who is now completely sober, I think it’s an interesting question to ask. If you would have asked me five years ago if I was a drug addict, I would have told you NO. But now, looking back at the situation, I realize that I was. I drank alcohol, quite a bit, and smoked cigarettes and wouldn’t have considered myself a drug addict? Five years ago, absolutely not. But when you truly think about this, I was. Alcohol is a drug, and I drank everyday. Nicotine is a drug, and I choked down a pack of those bad boys a day as well. So at the end of the day, I was a drug addict.

But this isn’t how we’re taught to think about this situation is it? We’re taught that the term ‘drug addict’ is reserved for those who engage in things like heroine, cocaine, or meth, right? We’re taught by everyone that these are the real drug addicts and alcohol and cigarettes can be dealt with. So, who teaches us these things? Everything that you see or hear in almost any kind of advertising, that’s what. Drinking is construed as “cool” and smoking, while not blatantly called “cool” anymore, can still be seen that way. Besides, smoking just fits so well with drinking that they both seem to be pieces of the same puzzle. But the bottom line is that alcohol and cigarettes, especially alcohol, are viewed as ways to ‘unwind’, rather than something truly negative.

Do you know what I realized after cleaning myself of both practices? I was most certainly a drug addict! I was addicted to both of these drugs. How else could I explain the fact that I was more or less asleep for 10 years? That’s what I feel like now. I feel as if I was dreaming during those 10 years. And the bottom line is that rather than going to a physician, I decided to medicate myself.

At the end of the day, I think this question is something we should all consider, because the term ‘drug addict’ isn’t reserved for the so called hard drugs alone. The term should be reserved for all of the foreign substances we put in our body to escape reality. This is why we do it you know? We want to escape that which is real, for something that is fake, and it never works in the long run. It most certainly didn’t work for me, and I’ve never heard anyone say that the reason for their success was the fact that they got hammered every other day, have you? The best definition of addiction that I’ve ever come across is this: “Addiction is never getting enough of what you don’t want” What could be more absurd than that? Yet, that’s exactly what I did for more than 10 years. Chased after what I didn’t want in the first place. Just ask yourself, “Am I a drug addict?”

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!

Catch More Fish With JRW!

Catch More Fish With JRW!

Overcoming addiction, particularly drug addiction (like the one mentioned in the recent HBO documentary Addiction), is perhaps one of the most difficult physical challenges we as humans can surmount. Our body’s dependency on a substance can lead to physical side effects from withdrawal, as our organs become used to life without addiction. The repercussions are multi-dimensional, and can be physical torture. Invariably it’s will power and professional help that’s needed to rectify the situation. But seldom when we think about overcoming addiction do we consider the mental and emotional impact of giving up. Arguably addiction is as much a physical dependency as a mental dependency, and it can be particularly hard to find the mettle to live in the face of addiction.

In order to have the first chance of success in overcoming an addiction (like in the documentary HBO Addiction), the addicted (the patient) must be personally willing to do so. The single most common reason for post-rehabilitation lapses is a lack of appreciation for the end goal. It is absolutely imperative that the patient understands the consequences, and actually wants to give up. Without that personal determination, the best medical and professional drug addiction treatment in the world wouldn’t stand a chance. With this hurdle out the way, its important to make sure the patient understands the process, and never loses sight of the aim. Demonize as far as possible, but understand that drug addiction is a lot more than lack of will. Regardless of the subject of a given drug addiction, the process is the same – gradual and awkward. It is therefore important for healthy recovery to present a balanced appreciation for the patient’s circumstances. Keep them busy, and give them a shoulder to cry on when they need it. Tough love is good, but it’s also essential you provide support and guidance.

If you’re addicted, or you think you might be addicted (to any substance including drug addiction), the first thing you should do is come to terms with the fact that you are indeed physically and mentally reliant on the subject. You need to stop, and put your life into perspective – understand the damage addiction can do, and understand your body’s needs throughout your treatment program. Try to ignore what your body tells you in the early days. for Addiction can cause biological confusion, so don’t worry about cravings. In fact, many recovering addicts find they gain weight rapidly as they try to compensate for their lack of the subject with food and drink. If this applies to you, take comfort in the fact that your health will significantly improve without addiction over time, and remember that your weight gain should level out soon enough. Keep your eye on the ball, and make sure you cry when you feel like it, laugh when you feel like it, and talk when you feel like it. Indulge yourself socially and talk about your problems. Others might get sick of listening, but at the end of the day social, hence mental reassurance is pivotal to a successful drug recovery, even more so than the best of drug abuse recovery programs.

This article is prepared by Christy Berger who writes for Drug Addiction as in HBO’s Documentary - Addiction. A longer version of this article can be found at Overcoming Drug Addiction. Main resource of this article is Drug Testing Kits: Urine Test Kits - Home Hair Drug Testing.