Addiction and Codependency

Working in a high stress environment can be motivating and force personal growth. You may feel more motivated to work hard and make results happen for your company, at the risk of developing unhealthy daily habits to cope with the pressure. Many careers that bring high amounts of stress are known to put employees and senior management alike into daily habits including drug and alcohol abuse. Coupled with unhealthy eating and sleeping habits, this dependency and develop into a complete addiction to just get by on the daily. As work cultures often want to foster a community aspect and workers learn to lean on each other to deal with stress, they may form codependent relationship that only encourage a frequent use of drugs or alcohol. Studies done recently in a variety of professional workplaces show us that over 50% of people know a business executive who has either abused drugs at work or on a break nearby from work.That need to develop codependent relationships can translate from work to our family lives at home as well. Let’s walk through the reasons of why workplace addiction develops and ways to avoid codependent relationships overall.

Codependent Relationship Red Flags

How does one know if they are in a codependent relationship? How do you figure out if you’re codependent yourself? A healthy relationship means that two people growing together and can benefit each other after the majority of interactions. They shouldn’t be growing more reliant on each other and start to yearn for putting control on the other’s thoughts, feelings and overall life decisions. While the point of this close connection is to find someone who has compatible traits to yours and makes you feel secure, it’s dangerous to keep pursuing a relationship with a coworker or friend if you’re compromising your beliefs due to fear of the relationship ending. Key red flags of being codependent include:

  • You feel constant anxiety and low self-esteem in the relationship. This can be a fairly obvious explanation that comes with seeking constant approval, respect and love from anyone who isn’t yourself in a codependent connection. Over time you could start feeling incredibly drained and like you have a lack of adequate opinions or decision making skills. Giving someone control over how you feel about yourself is incredibly risky and can lead to a frequent pattern of breathing a sigh of relief when the other person feels positively to your decisions or extremely angry over one’s he or she isn’t happy with. If this is your relationship at work or in your personal life, you need to take a step back and assess why you are allowing so much control to go towards this person. Try to confide your feelings of stress and anxiety to another loved one that you know well and can trust with your struggles. As an outsider they may help you see signs of unhealthy habits and encourage you to treat your own responsibility as a priority.
  • You start to change yourself to please the person in the codependent relationship. If you are normally someone who doesn’t approve of drug or alcohol abuse, you may find yourself finding ways to let bad habits or addiction slide in order to satisfy the other person. Maybe you’re both extremely religious and grew up being incredibly dedicated to aligning our daily habits to it. You could be the one who converted religions (i.e. Christianity to Muslim faith or vice versa) to feel closer to your partner. Taking any huge sacrifice such as this one is a direct reason to blame for why you don’t feel control over your life. Your reality shouldn’t be revolving around someone else and the same goes for your preferences towards religion and risky in dangerous behavior. Stand by your morals no matter what and realize that someone who truly cares about your wellbeing and happiness would never force you to give them up.
  • You spend all of your time with the other person in the codependent relationship. The hours of your day that are meant for doing well at work, passions you care about and taking care of your overall well-being. If you are already giving all of your time to your significant other, pleasing a family member or even hanging around a coworker you may be doing harm to yourself. It’s especially detrimental if this person represents the source of your confusion or stress if they want to constantly ask for favors, caretaking or force you to agree with their own beliefs. You may realize that you naturally treat the other person as the center of attention and dominant decision maker. Once you’re spending your entire time with him or her you will only feed into this damaging behavior as you should have enough time to work on your own development as well. To combat this, make sure you speak with a professional if you have a hard time pulling away and find hobbies that make you feel joy. The more time you invest in yourself the more fulfilled and clear headed you will feel over the long term.

Utilizing Codependency Recovery

If you’re realizing that you are codependent person or are at a loss of dealing with a codependent relationship in your life, don’t fret. You are at the right time to start pursuing help for codependency recovery and getting on the road to better relationship health. The first step to treating codependent relationships with others who encourage additive or destructive behaviors is to recognize there is a problem in the first place. There are many online resources that are free and user friendly for anyone who needs immediate help with their unhealthy behaviors developed from codependent relationships. It also has tools that can help users better understand the relationship between stress and different mental states that may lead a person to engage in more risky behavior through a codependent partner overall. Treat your body with kindness and allow yourself to take a break from the hustle of work and personal life before you feel too overwhelmed!

Get through codependent relationships with support.

What Is Pain Pill Addiction?

Pain pill addiction can be hidden behind closed doors but the consequences of the illness are easy to see in reality. Thousands of people across the country are suffering from pain pill addiction, either by originally being prescribed pain pills for a pre-existing health concern or by experimenting with the drug through negative influences. Pain pills are known to cause severe intense side effects as well and are hard to grow away from because they are known to leave a false sense of joy, pleasure and happiness in the addict’s mind. Every time an addict feeds their pain pill craving, their brain releases endorphins that want them to seek more and in stronger levels. This need to constantly seek the substance is extremely dangerous for anyone, no matter how young or old.

A Phoenix recovery centeris taking measures to combat the pain pill addiction epidemic by utilizing at natural treatment methods instead of traditional medicine. Traditional prescriptions can sometimes exacerbate a pain pill addiction and cause the minds of eager patients to go numb from the great amount of chemicals in their body. With natural methods, room is provided for patient’s bodies to recover and focus on treating the root problem. Instead of covering up symptoms with a prescribed “band-aid”, natural treatment practices teach patients about living in a sober way and how to take care of themselves at home. Let’s look at the benefits of using natural treatment for addicts to get over their pain pill addiction.

Outpatient Rehab For Pain Pill Addiction

Treating pain pill addiction can take days, weeks even months from start to finish. Since addiction develops as a different form in everyone, a new patient must have a consultation and a customized treatment plan so they can successfully become sober. Going to a natural treatment center is the best way to get help that is tailored to your own needs. Facilities that also use outpatient rehab methods for accountability, consistent therapy sessions, and treating both the body and mind are especially beneficial for the following reasons:

  • Patients gain needed structure. A typical day make look like getting up early to exercise with peers, a healthy breakfast, a class on mind meditation, a therapy activity for releasing stress, and community group sessions for bonding purposes. To some, this may seem like an unneeded itinerary. For many, structures provide a sense of urgency and consistency needed to feel “full again”. Being part of a drug rehab programs revolves around learning about keeping the body and mind healthy. Both parts are closely intertwined and need to be understood for patients to prevent temptations in the future. Addicts attending a rehab program will also have professional support and peers to get support from any time of the day. In early recovery having support available at all times is important in case of emergency situations or severe withdrawal effects happen.
  • Patients are welcomed with open arms. Most pain pill addicts feel like they are isolated, misunderstood and worthless as they trudge through their days of substance abuse. They often experience a low sense of self confidence and may isolate themselves from the outside world because they can no longer relate to their friends or family. Patients receive care with understanding and supervision while they stay at a natural drug treatment center. Everyone is under constant supervision since people can run the risk of relapse if they’re kept by themselves for too long. This may seem like too much control, but having someone keeping tabs on a newly recovering pain pill addict is crucial to ensure they’re healthy and stable.
  • Patients are kept around similar individuals who are eager to improve themselves. People at rehab are encouraged in engage in body friendly activities and will have no access to drugs or alcohol. This also means that the program may limit phone calls and visits from visitors that can distract the patient from their treatment. An addict may potentially organize a family or friend to “sneak in” drugs at their request, so preventing outside contact is sometimes built into the rules of a natural rehab center for safety reasons. It’s better to be safe and kept away from dangerous influences, especially if the addict’s family were the ones who influenced their substance abuse in the first place. You never know what someone’s family is like behind closed doors.

Get Through Pain Pill Addiction 

Patients who are dedicated and consistent with their natural treatment plans have the highest rate of success. They learn to grow out of their need to feed into pain pills for pleasure and learn how to find other areas of joy to feel “good” again. After a patient in rehab completes their program, treatment centers often offer outpatient rehab so they are not left hanging once they go back to their normal routines. Leaving the treatment facility can be extremely scary and stressful for newly sober patients, so having a counselor to keep in touch with and stay accountable through is crucial for survival.

Recovering addicts are reminded of the tools that they learned in rehab and are encouraged to reach out whenever they feel like their daily lifestyle is too much to overcome. Phoenix treatment centers are one sought after locations around the country that provide this type of program to eager patients. Every patient has found their own form of success and have shared inspiring stories of how they regained their life and health back after pain pill addiction .Don’t let the obstacles of fear and addiction get the best of you. They are centers in Phoenix and around your community who are eager to provide support!

With support and guidance anyone can get through pain pill addiction.

Getting Through Emerging Adulthood

Growing up is tough. We all want to know how to properly “adult” and do things correctly so we can be as successful as possible. All of our peers seem to be doing better or outrunning us in the rat race of succeeding in the adult world. How do we keep up and stay sane at the same time? Experts call the stages of growing into adulthood a series of “emerging adulthood” experiences. They understand that growing from a young teenager into a young adult feels like an incredibly exciting yet confusing time. Adults who are the ages of eighteen to thirty are considered to be going through the most important period of constant transition as they grow out from the dependency of adolescence to balancing all the responsibilities that comes with reality.

Whether your goal is to become the next fortune 500 CEO, an entrepreneur, an artist, a counselor, or a viral blogger, knowing the tricks to staying heathy and mentally motivated is key. Let’s cover features of emerging adulthood for anyone who’s still figuring out how to be the perfect adult.

Understanding your personality and passions are part of emerging adulthood.

From Teenager to Professional

The experiences of emerging adulthood are broken down into a series of five stages. This is the way experts map out each person’s mental and physical development as they grow up from a young teenager into an adult who is venturing out into the world. No matter who you are, you’re going to experience constant change, obstacles, and new experiences as you grow into adulthood. There’s no reason to believe that the way things are today will be the same tomorrow, in the month or the next year.

For teenagers, they are living through the first stage of emerging adulthood called the age of identify exploration. As the name suggests this stage is where teens explore their passions, new relationships, and learn more about themselves. They begin to gain a sense of what their initial strengths and weaknesses are and how they react well to criticism around them. They begin developing their personalities as well and expand their abilities to practice critical thinking from school. Some teenagers can easily become overwhelmed and feel like they need to resort to addictive substances like drugs or alcohol to deal with stress. This is highly common and a huge issue, especially within the United States. Mental health in learning teenagers is critical as they likely will bring their habits with them into college and young adulthood afterwards.

As teens start going into college and graduate into the career world, they embark on the next stage of emerging adulthood. This stage is calledthe age of instability and is marked by thousands of new twist and turns on their path to accomplish their dreams. Change can feel like a constant and there is no “final destination” during the age of instability as individuals test out new career paths, new cities to live in, new romantic relationships, and new ways of living. They may not see the friends that they once lived close by from in college anymore and must expand outside their social comfort zone. In the US especially, the rate of moving has become extremely high as young adults are traveling for college, new jobs, romantic relationships, or to “make it” in a certain industry.

Past the instability stage marks a stage of some consistency for growing young adults. This stage is called a self-focused age as young people begin to settle down more and seek residency in an environment that feels right for their needs at the time. This stage brings real “adulting” behaviors as the once teens being managing their own finances, taxes, schedules and long term goals. They still may feel like a young teenager trapped in the workplace and society of older adults who seem to understand so much more than them. Taking care of one’s mental health at this stage is more crucial than ever and is extremely tied to one’s physical wellbeing.

After life beings to follow a more common pattern, young adults then begin the emerging adulthood phase called the “in between.” This name is made for a reason as some adults either feel like life is still chaotic and boring in routine at the same time. Someone may not feel like an “official” adult yet, but they certainly are not a young child anymore either. I personally feel like I’m at this stage since I’m surrounded by older adults or have friends already starting families, but I still feel like a college student who’s figuring out their own way of life. This feeling comes up the most when a young adult feels like they have a strong grasp over their parts of their life while still needing lots of guidance in another. We all need years of learning to break into our careers as well, so working in a corporate environment or with others who are highly experienced can further emphasize this grey area.  Lots of mistakes are made in this period and risks are encouraged to be taken for the learning experience!

The final stage of emerging adulthood includes the age of possibilities. It is during this period of time that people take responsibility to chase after what they want and keep their hope at an all-time high. This is one of the most exciting periods and can change the trajectory of where life can lead to. Obstacles will come every person’s way and it’s their job to overcome them by growing their perspective and ability to understand different ideas. Young adults learn to grow through their flaws and develop into an improved version of themselves. Find a mentor in your personal life, career’s industry, or within your area of hobby to find ways to keep growing. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be patient with yourself along the process.

Strive For Consistent Growth

Even if you’re already a grown adult who is reaching their mid-twenties or early thirties, there’s no reason to stop learning and experiencing new things. Taking a new class or learning a new language isn’t only for teenagers who are still going to school. Make your mind as open as possible to keep growing so you can continue to challenge yourself as you grow accustomed to your job, family life, or surroundings. The key is that the more comfortable we are the less potential we have to keep surprising ourselves with new potential. Say yes to new opportunities and don’t turn down different opinions or experiences because they feel too unfamiliar. You’ll be surprised the next time you get out of your comfort zone and try!

At the same time, be sure to maintain a healthy balance between your work life, your physical health, and your mental health so you have the strength and motivation to keep going. If you or anyone you know is feeling too burnt out by the hustle of life, they should ask for professional help and seek mental support. Your health is all you have at the end of the day so be sure to take care of it!

Emerging adulthood can be an exciting period for growth.

Living With An Addictive Personality

We all think we might have a slightly addictive personality, but odds are not all of us understand what the real boundaries are when it comes to real issues it brings. Addictive behavior is shown on every facet of our digital world today. From online advertisements, music videos, political arguments to weekly YouTube hauls and “mukbangs” that showcase binge behavior, it’s hard to know what is considered “normal” and not these days. Glamourizing the use of drugs or alcohol to this mix with subliminal messages is also playing a huge role in the new extremes in addictive behavior that we are seeing in young adults today. The statistics are showing that more than ever are abusing addictive substances and activities than the past generation, and points to the dependency that we unknowingly have on our digital content every day.

No matter what your age is, gender, or background, anyone can become addicted to using drugs or alcohol for the mental benefits it provides. People who have an addictive personality tend to become easily dependent on substance that provide short term pleasure, relief, and an escape to the troubles occurring during their reality. Teenagers and adults who are going through stressful environments are even more prone to abusing drugs and take on symptoms of an addict after using intense substance long enough. Every addict looks and acts differently when they are developing a dependency on a new substance or behavior, so it’s hard to recognize as an outsider unless they do so themselves. Let’s walk through the top signs of an addictive personality and how they can be better understood.

Addictive personalities can be drawn to many different activities.

Addictive personalities can be drawn to many different activities.

Signs of Addictive Behavior

  • The psychology of addictive personalities may be hard to understand, since they rely not just on our actual experience but on how we interpret them in our minds.Addictive behavior may be related to your genes, but it might not be either. Studies have shown that even twins who were born to addicted parents but then adopted by non-addicted families found that genes were responsible for about half the chance becoming addicted during their lifetime. If your environment and family encourages the use of drugs or alcohol, you may have an increased chance to become addicted yourself after enough exposure. If your parents or close relatives are abusing substances near you on a consistent basis, you could start picking up their traits and behavior after a certain amount of time. Make sure that you talk to a counselor if you feel unsafe or unwelcome at home if this is the case. The same goes for having close friends who are abusing drugs, as spending enough time around them can lead you down the road to addiction to fit in with them. No one wants to realize that they’ve developed a dependence on drugs from another person’s influence.
  • People who crave excitement, spontaneity and often goes through “phases” in life are the most likely to develop addictive personalities. They may love taking their car and driving fast, taking risks in their daily lives and career, having sexual outings with different people, and doing various activities without considering the consequences to feel pleasure overall. Dopamine is the main chemical in the brain that makes you feel pleasure, so once a person gets a taste for it they often seek it out as much as possible to get away from their daily stress. If you add addictive drugs and alcohol into the mix, the person who seeks pleasure will be more prone to using them on them on a regular basis so they can get their fill and immediately feel better in the short term. In fact, some people with addictive personalities have said to experts that trying new drugs or alcohol drinks helped them feel the best they’ve ever felt.  As their addiction increases, their bodies develop a strong tolerance and need to consume larger quantities to recreate that amazing feeling.
  • People who have additive personalities have an inability to quit the bad habits that they started. In their mind, finding an exciting hobby, person, or hobby in their life leads to an “all or nothing” mantra. They want to go all in on what was invited into their daily routine and will have a hard to stop and reflect on if it’s really a good influence on them. In younger adults or children, recognizing this trait can be difficult as different personalities and outliers exist. There’s not one set persona or behavior that allows a parent to diagnose as an addictive personality. Yet, as they grow into adults and face issues with their addiction,experts say that just acknowledging the trait for not being able to quit substances or negative activities alone is the first step to getting the treatment needed for a healthy and productive life.
  • Many people who abuse substances and negative behaviors may experience high stress and a poor sense of self confidence. In many cases, this stress may be independently created when someone chooses to worry and feed into the insecurities that developed since childhood. It may also be caused by external factors like their boss at work, a friend from their night out, or their parents who are exerting extreme pressure to do well. People who struggle with mood disorders like anxiety or bipolar disorder are also more likely to have higher stress levels due to the imbalances of hormones that could be happening in their mind. Coupled with a low sense of worth, individuals can turn to self-medicating themselves with drugs or alcohol to feel better temporarily. They may find that these substances provide more emotional comfort and pleasure than even talking to another peer about their problems.

Drugs and alcohol are frequent vices for addictive personalities.

Assessing Your Personality

It never hurts to learn more about yourself and your thought patterns. Many people learn that they have an addictive personality later on in life that could’ve helped them better understand their emotions, actions, and priorities earlier on. If you or someone you know is dealing with drugs or alcohol to cope, make sure they understand what the boundaries of an issue is. Make sure you stay educated on addiction symptoms and learn as much as you can about addictive personalities before it’s too late.

Find out if you have an addictive personality.

Find out if you have an addictive personality.

 

What Is Naturopathic Medicine?

Gone are the days of waiting in long lines for the doctor, getting a pill prescription and praying to the gods for healing in your body to begin. No longer are we confined to the option of using medicines to cover up our symptoms that cause side effects and don’t truly heal our root causes of sickness. If you feel like you’re over using traditional pills and syrups to solve mental and physical problems you’re facing, turning to holistic medicine may be the right choice for you. Naturopathic medicine is one of the most sought out forms of holistic medicine as it helps heal our body, mind and spirit at the same time. It relies on the foundational belief that nature and trusting our bodies leads to long term self-love and healing. More specifically, naturopathic beliefs focus on treating the individual, not simply the disease or diagnosis that is causing problems in their body. This means that a person is treated encouraged through various therapy and natural self-improvement sessions to seek restoring peace, balance, and overall nature healing from the body itself.

Centuries of science have seen patients find true success in the method and there’s no sign of stopping it. More holistic and naturopathic medicine providers are sprouting in communities around the country. Let’s walk through the key things to understand about how naturopathic medicine works for patients before jumping into it for healing ourselves.

Naturopathic medicine encompasses our lifestyles, diet, exercise, and spirituality.

 

Pros Of Naturopathic Medicine 

Since naturopathy has been brought to the United States, many patients opted for the customized and natural approach it takes for sustainable healing. Some benefits to the body, mind and spirit include:

  • Naturopathic medicine is created just for you. The method itself has been around for centuries but each plan is customized for each patient. Everyone will meet with their assigned doctor to talk about their medical family background, what symptoms or disorders they have experienced in the past, and discuss their current physical and mental health. After doing important testing, the doctor creates a plan involving naturopathic medicine that can include diet lessons, exercise classes, aromatherapy, massage therapy, music courses, group breakout sessions, and time spent with a counselor. These options are based on what disorder or issue the patient is coming to the doctor for. If the patient isn’t happy with their plan, they can go back to their provider and request feedback for changes to be made. No patient is left stranded and is forced to adhere to the plan if there is a problem. They are also usually able to get in contact with other patients who are going through the same program if they are under the same healing facility. These bonds become strong over time as they can share advice and experiences from their therapy sessions together.
  • Naturopathic medicine is provided by a variety of providers. Even patients who are in need of a “tune up” in their bodies are welcome to use the method for treatment. Patients who are experiencing more minor problems in their digestion, energy levels, allergies, feelings of pain, typically will stay in treatment programs for less time than ones with more serious disorders. While some providers have studied the therapy method for years, they may have not attended medical school. Other practitioners however may include medical doctors or nurses who attended school and studied naturopathic medicine courses for a period of time. Take your time to look for providers who specialize in your issues or age group so you’re getting the most customized help for your needs. Some doctors are even labeled as “naturopathic” and may provide their own practice independently. All cases are still effective so it’s up to you to decide what you trust most and who has provided the best experiences for past patients near you.
  • Naturopathic medicine can be used alongside traditional medicine. If you have a allergy, cold, or a more serious illness that needs treatment during your naturopathic healing you are still permitted to take medication for those issues. Since naturopathic remedies are known to aid the side effects of chemotherapy and other intrusive treatments for cancer, patients are not confined to being on one side or another. With a physician’s care they can carefully balance holistic and traditional medicine to find the best solution for their needs. The holistic practitioner and personal doctors can work together in sessions to plan what prescriptions or therapy frequencies will best help the patient over time.

Choose Naturopathic Medicine 

Long term healing is most accomplished when you find a plan, an environment and an accountability strategy to keep you going. Anyone can start a treatment plan that includes naturopathic medicine but not everyone will stick to the plan until the end. Any patient who is interested should do their research at home on who is a trusted provider in their area. They should be reading reviews from past patients, overall market trends to know who is credible and check what their health insurance plan covers as well. Having affordable plans is one of the foundational factors to get started without fearing huge fees in the bank. For someone longing to feel healed, stronger and energetic from the inside naturopathic medicine is a great choice.

The greatest takeaway from the treatment type is that it doesn’t rely on pills or syrups to target symptoms happening in your body. Instead, it targets the root cause and helps thousands of patients to feel more mentally balanced, create relaxation in their body, and feel more “themselves” again after months of disturbances. Start your naturopathic medicine program once you find a provider that fits your needs and you won’t regret your decision!

Naturopathic medicine is for everyone.

Smoking Weed And Playing Sports

As the world celebrates another unofficial holiday for April 20th, thousands of people turn to weed to relax and disengage with the stress that happens in their daily lives. The day has become known to encourage smoking weed over the years to the point where it’s basically a national marijuana day in the United States. As pot legalization becomes more and more widespread in the country, so is combining smoking weed and playing sports. In fact some professional athletes are predicting that at least eighty-five percent of their industry is dabbling with weed for their own personal reasons.

For many athletes who are serious about their sport, smoking weed provides a range of recovery and mental focus benefits. College sportsmen to professional superstars are turning to the drug and are either touting its benefits to the press or are doing it under the radar. Many sports administrations still strictly prohibit the use of any kinds of performance enhancing drugs, mind altering drugs, and supplements that interfere with the ethics code. Let’s look at what benefits make smoking weed and playing sports worth the risk to take. Not everyone knows what pros and cons weed brings to our mind and bodies!

Smoking weed comes with pros and cons.

Benefits Of Smoking Weed

Athletes who are smoking weed and playing sports are benefiting from a multitude of mental and physical benefits. For example, smoking weed helps athletes heal their hurting joints and inflamed areas of the body. During each practice that includes intense cardio or weight lifting circuits, athlete’s muscles are literally broken down and need a day or two to rebuild. Without ample rest, athletes won’t see as much muscle regeneration and will experience slower progress. With weed, athletes can get past the usual “day after” soreness and get back to practice feeling better than before.

Athletes who are born with autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease, lupus, or experience mental disorders like PTSD or depression benefit from smoking weed. In controlled amounts, weed helps athletes to calm their mind and cage their “monkey brain” so they feel at peace. It also helps them deal with physical symptoms of pain, headaches, and muscle spasms that come with their health issues. Some people have even found that their muscles spasms decreased during important games and practices after implementing the drug. Spasms are very common among athletes who are exerting force on their hands and arms during daily practices. Since it’s a bold statement to claim that cannabis cures these disorders, thousands of patients are showing tested signs of improved symptoms and a healthier well-being after safely incorporating cannabis. These benefits make a few weeks to a few months of consistent to arise, but the evidence speaks for itself!

Cons Of Smoking Weed And Playing Sports

Cannabis has its own range of cons along with its benefits. People may react differently to doses of THC, so there’s always a risk of oversleeping, unproductivity, and increased hunger after smoking it. Smoking weed induces intense sleep in most people, so if an athlete has an important game or practice early the next day doing so may not be a smart idea. There’s always cases of individuals accidentally sleeping in or showing up late to an important event, which leads to potential drug testing and raise eyebrows at least. And while controlled amounts of smoking weed provide a mental clarity for athletes, too much could cause the opposite effect. We’ve all seen the classic look of “stoners” who are stuck on the couch and can’t seem to do anything after smoking enough of the drug. Someone who is new to smoking weed or takes too much for their body will feel symptoms of lethargy, insomnia, extreme hunger, and heightened senses that make time completely fly by.

Additionally, there’s still many limitations to smoking weed that users need to be aware of to prevent legal trouble. Even in states like Colorado where weed is legal, the penalty for being cited or arrested for a marijuana law includes monetary fines to even jail time. It all depends what rules were broken and how severe the situation was regarding smoking weed. People are also still barred from smoking weed in public and must do so within their private residences. Anyone who is caught smoking weed on public property is at risk to complaints filed by their peers, nearby police catching on, and a damaged reputation by the community law enforcement overall.

Smoking Weed In The Future

The dynamic for smoking weed and playing sports is completely different today than even a few years ago. With marijuana now legalized for recreational use in nine states in the country and legalized in over twenty-nine states for medicinal needs, there’s no doubt that more athletes will be allowed to smoke it without penalty in the near future. With the mental and physical benefits that the drug brings for athletic performance, there’s no doubt that more players will tap into using it for themselves. Increasing the general discussion of smoking weed in sports is a must to make this effect happen.

If you are an athlete or someone who lives an active lifestyle, you may want to look into the effects of THC or CBD yourself. CBD is a derivative of the cannabis plant that contains no THC, but still provides the same mental clarity and improvements for physical. Above all, make sure you’re aware of the risks that come with the substance abuse regard weed and the health risks associated with pre-existing disorders. If you’re someone who has a heart issue, asthma, or another history of disease that poses a risk, consult a doctor before smoking weed on a consistent basis. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Long Term Drug Rehab

Long term drug rehab not only takes time to complete, but a strong sense of discipline and drive to effectively begin a newly sober lifestyle. It’s not easy for everyone to implement new habits like improving diet, exercise, avoiding triggers, and staying off drug use if they’ve depended on it for a long period of time. While some people attest to quitting drugs “cold turkey”, not everyone can do the same. Getting through this stage of rehab works best when long term treatment is practiced. Unlike short term rehab, which doesn’t take enough time and in depth training for the addict to adopt a new mindset and lifestyle, long term drug rehab provides enough resources to turn their life around.

Since long term drug rehab is no easy decision to make to start, understanding the benefits and drawbacks of the treatment method is key. People will need to take off some of their classes, take a few weeks of vacation from work, or coordinate responsibilities with their families or roommates if they choose to enroll in a program. Understanding the process and positive outcomes that long term drug rehab brings makes the transition easier to adapt to.

Benefits Of Extended Rehab 

Some people can’t stand the idea of staying within a drug rehab facility for a few weeks. Other people prefer the structure and want to get away from the world so they can focus on rebuilding themselves. No matter what a person prefers for their treatment, long term drug rehab brings a range of benefits for the body, mind, and spirit:

  • Long term drug rehab requires takes a great commitment for patients to enroll in, complete successfully, and come out ready to conquer what obstacles life will bring. A facility however is a no brainer for patients who need to escape toxic work, social, and home environments that only encourage their drug addiction. For someone who needs to get away from their friends who take drugs, a rehab facility allows them to focus on their improvement and make new connections with other patients who are doing the same. Gaining new relationships with people in their situation provides crucial mental support them rehab becomes tough to handle. If someone does miss their friends and family who are supporting them, patients are allowed visitors or a day to visit their loved ones themselves in the middle of treatment. No facility will lock up patients in isolated rooms and force treatment methods upon them like the outrageous movies we’ve seen in the media.
  • Long term drug rehab provides clients with a daily and even an hourly structure that is not available in other forms of treatment. Many people tend to lack structure in their weeks which may enable substance abuse and other health issues to pop up. Someone who has either too much free time or no direction in their weekly schedule are the most prone to abusing drugs and alcohol when the right opportunity presents itself. In long term drug rehab, clients are have a schedule that is filled with individual therapy, group therapy, exercise, and even nutrition sessions that designed to introduce healthy activities back into their life. It not only helps them abstain from drugs and alcohol but helps them understand what natural tools will strengthen their mind and body in the long run. The con to a structured day means that a client has less freedom to do what they want, but at the end of the day why else are they enrolling in a treatment program? Sometimes being forced to learn about a healthier perspective is the most effective thing to do!
  • Long-term drug treatment programs allow clients to focus on themselves and their personal development instead of becoming distracted by the tasks and stress of everyday life. Some people will feel stressed living at home or with roommates while going through treatment so it’s easier to complete by themselves. They are given a break in treatment and don’t need to cater to everyone else’s needs as they spend time to learn more about themselves. Some people may argue that spending more time focusing internally could create problems of overanalyzing situations and their experiences, but that is a problem we all face and can control. Mix up the day with activities with other peers in rehab, activities outside, and music or art therapy and a person won’t feel so trapped inside their own head.
  • Long term drug rehab helps clients form healthier relationships that focus on health, success, and sobriety. For many people, dealing with drugs and alcohol started from friends or family members who condoned it. Living in a party house or a group that smokes every day definitely does help one’s call to achieve long term sobriety. Living and working with peers in a sober environment provides the need emotional support for clients that are critical in their recovery journey. Some people may feel shy or don’ like their peers in rehab at first, but with time and enough opportunity connect they may realize that they are creating lifelong friendships. We all don’t expect who we become friends with so everyone deserves a chance, even in rehab!

Sustainable Treatment

For long term drug rehab to be effective, the addict has to commit to the program and trust that their counselors, group therapy peers, and supporting family members or friends all have their best interest in mind. No one wants to wake up early in the morning to talk about their deepest fears or do a new tiring workout, but being pushed to improve is what sets us up for amazing potential. Addicts have a much higher chance to achieve sustainable sobriety when they stay in treatment longer and receive outpatient support once they transition back into their daily lives. Look up what long term drug rehab programs are in your city if you feel that it’s the best option for you or someone you know!

Long term drug rehab leads to higher success.

Using Drug and Holistic Detox Therapies

Ever heard of equine therapy? The treatment method is also called horse therapy as it involves weekly interactions between patients and horses to help get through the initial stages of drug addiction. Drug addiction is a hard topic to talk about and open up for with counselors during treatment, so some patients feel that having on-verbal communication with animals like horses is much more helpful. Similar to the type of pet therapy with dogs or cats that patients in hospitals use, equine therapy incorporates outside activities with horses outside and inside a facility. Usually a therapist who specializes in the treatment method is assigned to the patient and spends time observing their behavior patterns as they interact with the horses on site. Often they will notice a shift in their emotions and composure over time when they heal with the help of the gentle mammals around them. Understanding the benefits of equine therapy can be extremely helpful if you’re looking to start holistic therapy in the near future.

Equine therapy brings peace and confidence.

Benefits Of Equine Therapy

Many benefits come with practicing consistent equine therapy as it doesn’t involve the use of traditional pain pills or anti-drug medication. Patients benefit from naturally healing their mind and body with the help of horses. Some of the best benefits that come with equine therapy include:

  • It improves emotional awareness and mental clarity in patients. After a long time spent interacting with animals and zoning in on their internal thought processes, patients learn more about their mind and bodies. They often learn how to overcome previous mental blocks that brought negativity to their lives and can bypass the anxious thoughts that come to mind throughout the day. Many of these benefits of equine therapy are rooted in nature of the animals. Horses are patient, enjoy the company of humans who treat them well, are typically non-judgmental, and have no ill expectations or motives. They respond to the feeling state we show and are naturally herd animals so they have very high emotional intelligence compared to other mammals like dogs. They often are tuned into the behaviors and expressions of those around them and in turn make great companion animals for people going through drug addiction treatment. While working with horses equine therapy patients come to terms with their preconceived beliefs about their world, their mind, and form great topics of discussion and during their equine therapy.
  • Equine therapy can help treat a variety of diseases. Equine therapy has been successfully integrated the programs for adults and teens who are going through abuse, addiction to drugs and alcohol and serious mental disorders. Symptoms from issues like ADHD, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and even PTSD are shown to alleviate after a patient goes through an entire program of equine therapy. If a patient wants to sign up for the program, they need to declare what symptoms they are facing with their doctor and enroll in a local facility that provides equine therapy. Typically this treatment method is present in rural areas so be sure that you are located to one that isn’t far away.
  • Equine therapy helps to improve anxiety about past traumatic events. Horses can open the door to processing hurt and negative feelings from what injured a person before. With their non-judgmental state, horses help patients especially suffering from long term PTSD to learn about where these feelings came from. If the horse exhibits helplessness or fear, they may see their emotions within the animal and understand more about what is going on in their mind. They may come to terms with the fact that their environments are always out of their control and it’s up to them to stay strong and open, just like the horses in therapy. Any type of reaction from the horse’s and the patients themselves is a great learning tool for individual therapy during treatment. Counselors can use their observations to find topics about stress and anxiety to cover to the patients who need help the most.
  • Equine therapy teaches us the value of honest, hard, and consistent work. Horses require us to work to feed them well, clean their stalls, give them baths, buy food, and train them to ride during the day.. Domestic horses have to be groomed, exercised, and paid close attention to. They’re very social animals as well so building an organic relationship with them during treatment is a must for a patient who has enrolled. Similar to the real world, we all have to work hard to take care of ourselves, our families, and maintain close relationships with our friends. If we are constantly focuses on ourselves and being selfish, those aspects of our world can suffer or decline over time. Horses help patients learn to enjoy the process and stay patient when obstacles come our way. Developing a personal relationship with one is said to be one of the most extraordinary experiences someone can go through.

Equine Therapy For Life 

You don’t have to live on a farm or have a personal pet horse to benefit from equine therapy. The treatment has been shown to improve the physical and mental health of patients suffering from a variety of disorders for years. The natural method is emotionally supportive, keeps people accountable to work hard, and motivates them to stay more mindful about their thoughts and the world around them. If you don’t know if equine therapy is for you, look up health treatment centers are around your region. Sometimes staying in a sober living home is more effective than commuting to one during a busy week. See what works for you because you won’t regret the improved health you experience!

Using An Intervention For An Addict

If you know a loved one who is going through drug or alcohol addiction you may feel helpless. Some people turn to the emotion of anger as they realize their family member, friend, or spouse is abusing illegal substances in their free time. Some people turn to enablement and allow their loved on to continue their substance abuse in fear of losing their close relationship. Some turn to stonewalling and completely cut out the addict from their lives to prevent further damage. Some encourage the addict and tune into the addiction so they can maintain a feeling of love and intimacy with the person. No matter what a person decides to do, an addict will not stop their addiction until they are faced with the hard facts about their behavior and what consequences have been caused by it. Since talking about addiction and explaining your feelings can be hard during a face to face conversation, experts recommend writing an in depth intervention letter to communicate. Letters are great because they can be edited, rewritten, and peer reviewed before the final presentation to the addict. You’ll want to show battle proof evidence that the addict is being destructive and provide a realistic plan for them to follow so they can get treatment. Let’s walk through the best tips for writing an intervention letter so you don’t make any mistakes!

Write a successful intervention letter.

Writing An Intervention Letter

Thinking back to high school days I was always stressed about writing essays and letters for assignments. If you didn’t have concrete directions and tips from someone who did it well, you could easily find yourself at a loss for words. Some of the best methods to follow when writing an intervention letter to a loved one includes:

  • Being clear and concise. Explain what your feelings are, what instances make you angry from their substance abuse, and why you believe that they need to get treatment. Get the quotes from people who are also affected by the addict and provided a clear plan for him or her to follow to get help. If your letter is all over the place, sounds too controversial or puts down the addict, your plan for them to change will backfire. We all like having straight to the point opinions and directions when we are going through a new process so make it as easy as possible for the addict to understand your words. Be honest and don’t sugarcoat things if you truly want them to stop abusing drugs or alcohol.
  • Coming from a place of love. You want the addict to change and still believe that they are a good person besides the fact that they’re abusing drugs or alcohol. Make it known in your letter that you deeply care about them, their health, and their future. State that you are trying to understand their perspective and don’t want them to continue getting hurt. If you knew the person for a long time, take time to talk about some of the favorite memories you had together before they began their addiction. Thinking back to the good days may help the addict to remember your relationship and why you care so much about their wellbeing.
  • Include treatment plans and a variety of choices. Make sure that the addict knows that treatment is not what the movies show anymore. There is no asylum type treatment for addicts that confines you in a room for days. Mention that there’s now group therapy that helps the addict meet a variety of people and gain emotional support. Tell them that recovery companions can be assigned to clients who want one on one interactions and personal advice about getting through tough withdrawal symptoms. Explain what natural remedies are available like art therapy, equine therapy, music therapy, and more that help people progress through their triggers. Let the addict know that all these treatment methods are meant to treat the person as a whole and doesn’t just rely on another medical prescribing that could cause other problems. The world is much more caught up on treating physical and mental addictions than it was even a decade ago.
  • Signing them up beforehand. If you want to force the addict to go to an initial appointment with a treatment expert, mention the date and center that they can go to. If you make an appointment for them beforehand, the addict is less likely to have an excuse to give about being busy and fading out of thin air. They may be more encouraged to be open about what treatment options are available, talk about their struggles, and start an actual plan if you do the busy work for them. It does sound like a lot of amends to make on your end but if you truly care about them you’ll do whatever it takes to boost your chances!
  • Being optimistic and encouraging. Tying back to our theme of being loving to the addict, make sure you end your letter with a sign of positivity and motivation. Talking about their world ending and saying that all will be lost throughout the entire letter will be very draining for them to read. After you talk about their addiction risks, your treatment plan, and what they need to do to get help, mention that they are strong human beings and are loved by many. Tell them that they have the power to chance and only need to stay consistent with making good decisions to get out of their addiction. Many people fall into addiction without even realizing it, so breaking that mental barrier of defeat is crucial.

Moving Forward

Anyone who has a drug or alcohol addiction can be moved to change with the right intervention letter. If you want them to do extra research, get them to fill out an intervention quiz or do it yourself to see what the next steps are. You’ll learn a lot more about timing an intervention and how to best conduct one with an addict you know well. We all can benefit from extra knowledge in communicating with others so check out your resources!

Adolescent Detox

Teens are facing a lot in life right now. They juggle social pressures, social media, school stress, and living under the same roof as their parents. They may want to feel freedom and gain independence or are stressed at the thought of even moving out. What most people don’t know is that younger teens are at more risk than ever for developing symptoms of depression and anxiety. If they speak up to their friends, they could be faced with embarrassment or labeled “weird” for not pretending like everything is okay. Depression is much more than just a phase since it isn’t easy to magically shake off. If someone doesn’t take action and buries their frustrations, pent up emotions and physical signs of depression can slowly take over. A teenager could fall into a cycle of seeking dangerous and addictive faces as well like drugs or alcohol. Make sure you’re aware of how teen depression works and how to stop it!

Teens are facing higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Teens are facing higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Help For Depression In Teens

For any teen that is going through depression, it is crucial to get help as soon as possible. They may think that going to a counselor or a treatment center is making way too much of a “big deal”, but the consequences that follow unresolved depression are much greater than the actions they need to take now. Treatment centers around the country have specialists that are meant to directly help teenagers adapt through puberty, social pressures, and school anxiety all while dealing with symptoms of depression. Their unique stage in life takes a unique professional perspective, so don’t encourage a teenager to go to any expert for help.

Most universities offer their own counseling services at no cost for students and many high schools now also have their own in-house specialist. If a teenager feels uncomfortable being around their peers, they can also explore online support groups and off-campus centers in the community. Holistic medicine centers and other natural approaches help teenagers treat their mind, body, and spirit instead of push the use of mediations. Some teens suffer from adverse side effects from anti-depression meds so having a consultation meeting in the beginning is crucial.  Educate yourself with what your options are if you suspect symptoms of depression coming on.

Red Flags Of Depression

Depression is a silent disorder, but physical signs of it can come about in a teenager over time. The teenager can exhibit extreme weight loss or weight gain, worse off sleeping habits, poor hygiene, and lose control of their physical appearance in general. They may just look a lot paler from malnutrition or tired from lack of quality sleep in general. If you know the teenager well you will tell a difference in the way they carry themselves. As a result of not taking care of themselves, they will perform more weakly in their sports or school activities, seem more “out of it”, and may catch diseases more easily than you remembered as well. Girls and guys may show differing signs of depression so keep a keen eye out for any sudden changes.

Teens with depression go through intense mental trauma. Since their hormones start to become more erratic from the disorder, their emotions can experience frequent highs and lows even throughout one day. One morning they may seem fine while a few hours later they could appear like they’re about to cry. If this is much more sudden in change than usual, try your best to talk to them and keep an open mind.  If they start to, appear more irritable or down than usual, or generally “unplugged” from the world then they may be going through something. Most importantly, a teenager can begin to lose sight of their normal personality, relationships, and interests as well. They may start to appear less present and skip invites to events because they are going through an episode of depression.

Impact Of Depression On The Brain

Depression can affect a teen’s brains in dramatic ways. Not only do they see the world in a negative light but they may start to be overly critical of themselves and think about lies regarding their reality. They have a hard time thinking about positive thoughts and could intensify experiences or interactions with people much more than usual. Teens with depression are also much more prone to stress and can get easily overwhelmed by small problems. They may feel like the sky is falling down at any moment and may over exaggerate certain obstacles that frequently happen in everyday life.  A family history of depression could play a role in a teenager’s risk in developing symptoms. Depression can run in families, but not everyone with a depressed family member is also destined to become depressed. Talk to anyone in your family who went through depression and you’ll see that often it was a combination of stress in life, their poor health, and other factors that led to their disorders.

Depression in teens heavily impacts their brains.

Getting Help

Being depressed as a teen and getting over depression doesn’t have to be as hard as we all think it is. We all have hope and have the power to take meaningful action. The key is to get professional help from an adolescent drug detox treatment center, a counselor, and a support group so you know exactly what steps to take. Everyone will have a different experience with depression so remember that we can’t expect certain tactics that worked for others to do the same for us. It takes time to learn our bodies, navigate our minds, and conquer our temptations so we are truly making improvement. Be sure to ask as many questions as you need to along the way so you aren’t left in the dark!