Monthly Archives: November 2018

Nov
27
2018

Opioid Withdrawal and Addiction

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No one is ever safe from developing an addiction to heroin. If you happen to be hooked onto a certain food, activity, or another illicit substance like alcohol or drugs, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You tend to crave it during the day no matter what you’re doing, and the thought of going cold turkey with the opioid withdrawal symptoms makes your skin crawl already. The worst part about being addicted to drugs, however, is that the withdrawal symptoms are much more intense and sometimes painful to go through alone. Across our country, thousands of people are experience withdrawal symptoms from being addicted to prescribed or recreational opioids. 

Opioids are designated as its own class of drugs working which are often given by doctors in every field to relieve severe muscle or bone pain. Typically the process for a patient to receive these drugs is easy, but the effects of their long term usage can be devastating if they aren’t educated on its risks. Opioids are present in popular medications like painkillers and heroin to date. Once a patient realizes they feel pleasure or no longer have the pain they can’t stand experiencing, they turn to opioids weekly, daily and sometimes multiple times a day to cope. With the numbers of patients checking into rehab centers with opioid addictions climbing each day, it’s crucial to know how they work and what risks there are if you see being prescribed the drug in the future. With the current opioid overdose epidemic affecting every community in our country right now, you don’t want one with the numbers. 

It can be difficult to deal with opioid addiction.

How Do Opioids Work?

Naturally derived from the opium poppy plant we can find in nature, opium blocks any types of pain receptors and communicate “pain” to us in our body. This is why most patients suffering from traumatic injuries, are healing from an extremely invasive surgery, or are experiencing a severe disease are given opioids by doctors to cope. 

On the flip side, opioids also help patients feel more happy or satisfied with their surrounds in the “high” they come on to. This pleasurable effect is proven by research to be highly addictive and is hard to come off of if it is used in large doses too often. 

If a patient is using opioids for a very large period of time, they may start to experience more erratic or slower breathing patterns, an irritable bowel or constipation issues, feelings of vomiting, dizziness or lack of focus, and drowsiness throughout the day. For a person that needs to keep up an active lifestyle or has a large workload, this can be extremely detrimental to their daily functionality. In addition, opioids can completely restrict your ability to breathe at a dangerously high dose which can lead to a fatal overdose. 

While some opioids are known as narcotics and help with patient’s pain, these are not the exact same type of drugs as one like Tylenol. You might have heard about drugs like Vicodin, OxyContin, fentanyl, and heroin which are illegal in all states in the country. For someone abusing these substances frequently, they may show signs of lack of hygiene, loss of control of their responsibilities, changes in their weight, eating, or sleeping habits, signs of irritability, and a newfound financial crisis. Some people are highly skilled in covering up their opioid addiction while others may find their habit slips through the cracks  Someone who takes notice of their own withdrawal symptoms persistence should seek therapy as soon as possible so they can prevent future damage. 

Keeping Up With Opioid Addiction

While there is immediate cure for a patient who has opioid withdrawal symptoms, they need to know that they must stay committed to maintain a sober mind and body. If you happen to be suffering from opioid withdrawal symptoms and don’t know how to cope, don’t get too nervous. The first action to take is to check yourself into a detox facility to first rid your body of any traces of the substance in a relaxed and controlled manner. This won’t be any kind of horror-esque rehab facility or a similar type of therapy you may be thinking of if you’re a fan of scary movies. You will be treated by employees who truly care about you and will lead your hand every step of the way so you minimize your levels of discomfort.  

If you were initially addicted to a dose of opioids nearly every day are drastically tapering your use, make sure you ask questions about how your body will react. You may have difficulty concentrating or have lower energy levels at first from the withdrawal. Make sure you read your reviews before attending a facility to start your treatment just in case there’s anything you should know more about. 

Finishing Strong

After you have detoxified your system, take the steps to organize a battle plan for getting over relapse and conquering sobriety. With the help of a counselor that may be recommended to you through the detox facility, you will gain ample education and emotional support about dealing with your opioid addiction. It is important that every patient understands that you might feel like a failure or feel hopeless in the beginning. This is completely normal and is not a sign of your potential in the end of treatment.

Yet, with enough emotional support from your counselor, potential support group, close friends, and your family members who are informed about your treatment, you will be armed with enough motivation to push through the journey. We all can use consistent encouragement and positive thinking from our loved ones so we get through the harder days during treatment!

Nov
27
2018

Car Maintenance Tips

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If you’re a huge fan of cleaning your car or going through car washes, it’s in your best interest to practice safe methods when doing so. You don’t want to run the risk of ruining a perfectly good car for the sake of a shiny exterior. Let’s walk through the best methods for washing your vehicle inside or outside. It’s much better to be safe than sorry if you’re washing your vehicle and avoid the most common pitfalls.

Keep your car clean with the best car cleaning hacks.

Hacks For A Car Wash

Many people might walk into the commercial car wash with a blind eye thinking that the employees or machine will do the work just right. Unfortunately, leaving your car neglected and not being aware of the process can actually do more damage to the car than if you didn’t go at all. As a result, sometimes it’s better to take the matter into your own hands so your car is left clean and as durable as before. Some key things to remember the next time you wash your car include the following:

  1. Choose the right kind of soap when washing your car. Some of the most tried and true tips for expert car washers are to not use dish soap, as it cuts through the handy wax protecting your car. This soap is formulated with extremely harsh ingredients that can sometimes even lift the paint off of your vehicle and harm the metal underneath. Do yourself a favor to not use those chemicals and use a soap that is formulated exactly for your car type. Going to an auto center or the auto cleaning section of a retail chain will help you find a variety of detergent options. 
  2. Keep off the dirty mitts. Never think that picking up a rag or mitt that you dropped on the ground is okay. Be very strict with yourself to keep an extra cleaning item with you so no little rocks, dust, or other debris is being transferred onto your car. If you don’t make sure you keep your cleaning items clean, you could lead spider web looking scratches on the paint and a dirty look overall on your car. The best type of item to use is a soft microfiber mitt or towel that is gentle yet absorbent for water and soap. This material won’t leave any kinds of scratches and are much softer to the touch. 
  3. When you want to wash your car, follow the same practice with your resource of cleaning water. You should keep two separate buckets of clean water to rinse your dirty mitt and another for a clean batch to rub in soap. This is a safe practice in general so you don’t scratch your paint or leave ugly streaks on your tires, bumper, front, or windows. Windows can be some of the most difficult areas to clean on your car, so be extra careful here!
  4. Take your car wash inside or under shade if it’s sunny outside. Most car cleaning experts know that a very hot day leaves the metal susceptible to spots from dried up soap and grime. I’ve heard water literally sizzle on some people’s cars during the summer and that’s probably the worst condition to leave your car parked outside in. If you have a garage, make sure to park your car in side their instead and use a function hose to blast clean water at the beginning of the wash if you have one. This helps take off any large chunks of debris so you can spend more time focusing on the more minute details. 
  5. Make sure you pay attention to the wheels on your car. The wheels on our car take on a lot of wear and tear as they’re constantly exposed to heat and cold form the weather. Dust and sharp objects can become nestled into our wheels if we’re not very careful with our driving. The best way to clean them is to buy a wheel cleaner that is formulated for the kind of rims you have. It’s a better idea to cool down your car to room temperature as well before spraying on the harsh chemicals. This is better for the surface of the care and for your own respiratory health as well while you’re kneeling down. 
  6. Dry your car right. What item you use to dry your vehicle is the finishing touch of a great car wash routine. Drying a car is crucial so water or soap spots don’t develop and leave marks on the paint you paid so much for. You can also use a water blade that has a silicone tap to brush away water without scratching your paint, or you can also use your handy microfiber if it is completely clean. If anything, investing in a third towel would be good so you have a fresh one to grab for each stage of your car wash process. 

Be Frugal And Efficient

You can save a lot of money if you take the weekly car wash to your doorstep instead of paying the premium at a commercial car wash site. The best thing to remember is to buy the right cleaning materials and detergents so you don’t cause any unwanted topical damage to your car surface. If you spend even just half an hour to an hour a week to touch on your car, you’ll notice that its life will last a lot longer. Don’t remember to tell your friends that you did all the hard work yourself. They’ll be surely impressed by the quality of your car and ask for pieces of advice, which you can further read about on all across the web. The knowledge online about car maintenance is endless, so don’t be afraid to absorb all the information that is available!