Alcohol Drug

Alcohol and drugs are often separated out in addiction thinking for some reason. These both are actually in the same category. All drugs are essentially poisons. A small amount of a drug will act as a stimulant, a little more and it will act as a depressant, and given enough of any toxic substance and it will kill you dead. Alcohol definitely falls into this category. In the case of extreme alcoholism withdrawal from use can be one of the roughest of all drugs and can be life threatening. Once withdrawal is accomplished the rehabilitation of an alcoholic is quite similar to that of a drug addict – A thorough, complete, and long term handling of cravings, guilt, and depression resulting from and being perpetuated by the alcoholism.

Drug addiction treatment to be effective needs to help and guide the individual in confronting and gaining the skills and abilities needed to resolve all areas of their lives – not merely ceasing their drug use which is only the beginning. Personal issues of nutrition and gaining a healthy balance need to be addressed. Issues of cravings, quilt, and depression resulting from addiction need confronted and relieved, legal issues often exist. Broken or strained relationships in the family and workplace need resolved. The issue of how the addict gets on with his life in a drug free and productive manner, and be happy and fulfilled doing so, can be one of the biggest issues of all. Addicts and alcoholics are often quite concerned about being miserable and suffering without the drugs or alcohol. Narconon Arrowhead is an empowering program that assists the individual in resolving each of these situations as well as others he or she may have. We don’t enforce or insist rather we help, guide, and assist the individual in finding their own unique answers that will work and more importantly continue to work for them. This helps insure a continuing drug free life as their solutions are theirs and not something dictated or enforced on them.

Medical drugs are generally prescribed as short term solutions in the handling of pain. Many of these medical drugs will build up tolerance in the system requiring increased amounts for the same effect. Thus dependence sets in and one begins taking these at abusive and addictive levels before long. This accounts for drugs like OxyContin being more and more used in illegal black markets to handle addiction to them. Black market illegal use of drugs such as these is outstripping legitimate use and prescription. Anti-depressants and anti-psychotics are much the same story with many school age children selling their prescriptions in the school yard. Add the horrific side effects, some of which are life threatening, and what we see is an epidemic rise in the abuse and addiction to prescription medications.

When considering any form of alcohol treatment the following elements of treatment should be looked for in order to insure maximum chance for lasting success without constant reversion or relapse. 1. A safe, gentle cessation and withdrawal from alcohol use. (Medically supervised as needed) 2. A full detoxification of the body to remove metabolites of alcohol or other drugs and toxins from the body. The Narconon New Life Detoxification Program achieves this and many report an end to cravings following this action. 3. Life skill training segments to enable the individual to confront and be freed from feelings of guilt and depression that accompany the alcoholic lifestyle and are very often factors leading up to alcoholism to begin with. 4. The ability to face the present and effectively plan for tomorrow, including repairing what damage one can. When one is feeling better (physically and mentally) and performing better in life without alcohol than with it, then they will cease to require or crave or need alcohol and have a realistic shot at a happy and productive life and future.

Alcoholism is the usual term applied to someone with an alcohol addiction. The physiological and psychological affects of alcoholism can be quite severe. At high levels of daily alcohol use the user can run the risk of severe withdrawal called delirium tremens which can be life threatening. Such alcohol addiction requires full medical supervision until the threat to life is reduced. Most 28 day traditional treatment programs are only able to affect a success ratio of 16% to 20% in achieving lasting sobriety. Cravings, guilt and depression are the three factors preventing long term success with alcohol addiction, or any other for that matter. These three points usually require a more thorough address than that received in the shorter programs.