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Gender Differences and an Addiction to Drugs

Posted by Rehabasia on May 16, 2013 in Addiction Help, Drug Information

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The relationship of addiction and the differences it has between genders has been a topic for professionals for quite some time. The National Institute on Drugs and Alcohol (NIDA) has dedicated a large amount of money towards research to identify and understand these differences. It is through this the NIDA hopes to determine the best treatment methods for males and females alike.  Research has shown that gender differences do in fact play a role from the very first time an opportunity arises to use drugs and continues all the way into treatment for the addiction.

The Causes of Use Differ Between Genders

Multiple studies have been conducted to try to determine why women and men begin to use and abuse drugs, some of the results are as follows:

FEMALES

Co-Curing Disorders:  Women tend to have co-curing emotional disorders such as depression, low self esteem, and trauma to name a few.

High Stress: Women, especially with an addiction to alcohol or cocaine, began using because they were under a high amount of stress.

Sexual Abuse: Women who have been sexually abused are four times more likely to use drugs with at least 60% of addicted women having a history of sexual abuse during their childhood.

Depression: Women with an addiction to drugs, particularly prescription medications, often show signs of depression or have been diagnosed as being clinically depressed.

Overall, women with an addiction to drugs typically experience more anxiety, depression, low self esteem or self confidence, and guilt than males with an addiction do.

MALES:

Experimentation: Men are more likely to be curious about drugs and experiment with them; which may eventually lead to the abuse of them.

Greater Amounts: Men are more likely to use drugs, even if it is the first time, in greater amounts than women are.

Escape from Reality: While men and women may use and abuse drugs because they are trying to escape reality, the initial reasons for men to use are often the desire to escape into another world.

Greater Chance of Addiction: Research shows that men are more likely to develop an addiction to drugs than women.

Different Effects in the Brain: It is believed that the brains of men and women react differently to drugs. For example, men experience a greater rush when using cocaine; therefore, their chances to develop an addiction to it are higher.

Gender Differences When Reaching Out for Help

Women and men also differ when it comes to reaching out to a rehab centre for treatment. Women with an addiction tend to face more judgment and stereotyping from the outside world; therefore, they are less likely to admit that they have a problem and need help than their male counterparts. Women are also more likely to seek a private therapist or counsellor rather than checking into an outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation center. However, when a woman does go for treatment at a rehab, they are more likely than men to complete the programme.

Recognising Addiction and Getting Help

When it comes to an addiction to drugs, what is important to understand is that each and every addict is different and with that one must consider the differences between the two genders. The average man and woman likely began to use for different reasons; therefore, they may require different treatment approaches such as therapy sessions for women/men only. Through recognising these factors, one can begin to find the best treatment methods suitable for the individual.

The Cabin Chiang Mai recognises the differences in addiction between both genders. We have both male and female professional staff members, allowing us to best treat all patients in a healthy way. If you or a loved one is in need of professional treatment, contact us today. We will create a treatment programme with evidence based therapies that will meet each of their own unique requirements. This programme will give them the opportunity to maintain long lasting and healthy sobriety.

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Alcohol Recovery at the Pub: Midwestern America’s First ‘Sober Bar’

Posted by Rehabasia on May 5, 2013 in Alcohol Information

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As reported by the Daily Herald, an online newspaper the covers the city of Chicago, U.S., a young recovering addict has recently opened the region’s first ‘sober bar.’ Named The Other Side, the sober meeting place is a cross between a nightclub and a recreation room – without, of course, the substances that often fuel the traditional idea of such hangouts.

Opened by 22-year-old Chris Reed, himself a recovering addict, The Other Side offers those in alcohol recovery who would otherwise socialise in bars or similar places a chance to lead a normal social life, and to meet recovering addicts outside of counselling sessions or alcohol rehab programmes.

The city’s ‘sober bar’ operates because of the non-profit New Directions Addiction Recovery Services, which uses any funds generated from its sober patrons to benefit drug education and addiction treatment initiatives.

Recovering addicts right out of an alcohol rehab programme, Reed told the Daily Herald, and looking for places other than pubs to socialise, “can only go to the movie theatre and bowling alley so many times. We’re still young, and we want to hang out. You can’t hang out with 40 people at your house.”

The Other side is an answer to the need to both socialise and be safe. There’s security at the door to ensure that everyone entering is 18 years of age and sober. There are also solemn reminders on the inside to ensure that all attendees keep their commitment to sobriety in mind; Reed and fellow board members of New Directions have hung on the walls photos of friends and community members who have lost the fight against addiction. They are silent reminders of the challenges a recovering addict faces outside of alcohol recovery.

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Why The Cabin Chiang Mai?

Posted by Rehabasia on April 26, 2013 in Asian Rehab Information

Alcohol rehab yoga

 

Our signature treatment program is an intensive highly-progressive program tailored and designed to maximize your recovery chances.

Program completion rates of 96% and the best recovery rates known in Asia indicate this is clearly working.

But should you exit the program before completion, we will offer you a pro-rata refund on the unused portion. We believe this is a unique offering in the world of rehabilitation.

The Cabin’s holistic approach emphasizes fitness therapy, capitalizing on our beautiful natural environment and 5-star countryside resort setting. Our serene environment is also most conducive to the complementary mindfulness training, helping develop your new mindset of self-confidence.

Our program is a progressive combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), tailored to your particular situation, plus 12 Steps techniques. Our secular approach, though, means that there is a non-religious flavor to it, and all cultures and all faiths are happily catered for.

We have British and Canadian counselors on staff, bringing with them top-flight international qualifications, accreditation, and world-best practice, supplemented by eminently qualified local Thai staff who offer specialized skills plus caring and compassion that Thais are renowned for. All excursions are accompanied by Western support staff, too. So at all times, you are assured of top quality medical supervision.

The Cabin has created an alliance with the best international hospital in Northern Thailand, approved by the British Medical Council among others, ensuring access to the highest standards of professional medical support.

The Cabin is also recognized and accepted as a rehabilitation treatment provider by leading international health insurance companies such as Cigna, BUPA and Van Breda, among others.

Yet, amazingly, we can still offer our programs at around 1/3 the cost of similar Western-style facilities worldwide, without any compromises on treatment, attention, accommodation, or excursions. So, even including your airfares, it will work out far better value to come to The Cabin for your recovery.

But the main reason to come to The Cabin is because you want to recover, don’t you? 96% of people like you have completed our full treatment program, and, as far as we know, more of our clients recover and free themselves from their addictions permanently than many of the other best rehab facilities worldwide.

Our comprehensive after-care program also means we continue to support you, and monitor your progress, after you leave The Cabin.

 

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Addiction and Denial

Posted by Rehabasia on April 20, 2013 in Addiction Help

Alcohol Addiction

 

Addiction and denial go hand in hand. Whether it is an addiction to alcohol, prescription medications, or heroin, nearly each and every addict will be in some sort of denial.

One should understand that denial is normally an unconscious defense mechanism. People who do not use drugs or drink alcohol will have some sort of denial in their life. However, an addict in denial typically takes it to the utmost extreme; so much that it becomes unhealthy and a tough obstacle to get past and onto recovery.

There are many types of denial, listed below are a few different ways that a person with an addiction to drugs or alcohol may be in denial.

Deliberate Lying

Addicts are typically very experienced in lying and manipulating in order to protect their own ability to satisfy their cravings. They may manipulate others close to them in order to receive money to purchase their drug of choice. Addicts may also lie to themselves about their addiction and their daily struggles; many come to believe their own distortions of reality.

Blackouts

Oftentimes, addicts go through blackouts, a period of time when they are unable to recall events while under the influence. A person with an addiction becomes unable to remember negative situations that occurred during the blackout. Blackouts not only increases denial, but may cause confusion, delusion, and frustration not only to the user, but also to anyone close to him or her. Instead of realizing the situation at hand, the addict may deny the entire negative event or may believe that the event is being exaggerated.

Air Traffic Controllers

This occupation may not be a first guest, but in fact, the individuals working as air traffic controllers have a high risk of abusing or becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol. This may be partly to do with the stress of making sure everything goes exactly as it should. People working in this occupation work long hours and must be alert for each and every one. Luckily the numbers are extremely low for this occupation and those who are not addicted have learn to manage with the stress.

Recalling Only Good Times

More times than not, events that an addict experiences when they are using are distorted. It is common for people with an addiction to recall only the good times that they experience. The addict denies that there were any bad times; they are simply “forgotten”.

Enabling the Addict

People close to the addict may be in denial, and add to the addiction and the addicts’ own denial. It is common for those close to the addict to protect him or her from any consequences resulting from their inappropriate behaviors. They may call the addict’s employer and lie, stating that the addict is sick in bed with the flu, when the reality is they are too hung-over or high to go to work.

Denial of the Definition of Addiction

Many addicts deny or become ignorant to the definition of addiction. Many addicts will refer to stereotypes to compare their own problem to. For example, the individual may claim that they do not drink or use every day, they go to work or school, they do not use in the morning, etc. When they do this, they exclude their own behavior from the definition of addiction.

Negative Impact on the Brain

Individuals with serious alcohol or drug addictions typically have disruptions in the functioning of the brain. Neurotransmitters, such as, dopamine and serotonin are unevenly distributed. This can cause “un-order in the brain”; resulting in cravings, loss of control, and the inability for the brain to process, store, and use information.

These are only some factors to consider when trying to understand addiction and denial. In the end the addict will blame everything and everyone except their own drug/alcohol abuse for their problems.

Stop the Denial and Get Help

There is no need to spend too much time trying to convince the addict that they are in denial, but rather on what is causing them to drink or use in the first place. It is important to get to the root cause of their addiction. Rehab and therapy is very useful for helping addicts confront their problems, which in turn helps them to come out of denial and be free from their addiction.

If you or someone you know has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, please contact The Cabin Chiang Mai today.

 

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A Campaign for Drug Rehab and Substance Abuse Prevention: The Harrowing Photos of Methamphetamine Users

Posted by Rehabasia on April 15, 2013 in Drug Information

crystal-meth addiction

 

In a recent scan of trending articles on news sites that I read daily, I came across a series of horrifying images, ones that made me feel physically ill. The article though had warned me that I might feel this way. At the top of the Business Insider article are words of caution: “Warning,” the article begins, “these images are disturbing.” The infographic posted below shows before and after photos of methamphetamine abusers, in addition to a bulleted description of what the substance, and a lack of drug rehab, will do to a person’s physical appearance.

Unlike the work of Roman Sakovich, which, while also depicting an addict before and after addiction, uses makeup to tell the story, the photographs released on Rehabs.com depict the real effects of a methamphetamine addiction. Like the narration of a horror story, alongside the photos is a description of these specific consequences: “Skin: Acne appears or worsens. Obsessive skin-picking often causes meth users’ faces to be covered in small sores and scarring – the result of a common sensory hallucination of bugs crawling beneath the skin.” A man’s face, that at 23-years-old was slightly tanned and youthful, is now gaunt, pallid, and blotchy with acne and scratches, at age 25.

The next bullet reads, “Facial Musculature and Fat: Meth, like other stimulants, suppresses appetite and can lead to undernourishment due to long periods without eating. Over time, the body begins consuming muscle tissue and facial fat, giving users a gaunt, hollowed-out appearance.” In only two years’ time, without receiving treatment for addiction, the young man in the first photographs tells the story of a quick, and steady downward spiral.

Scrolling down the page, and through the photographs, the physical affects of continual methamphetamine use are clear: decaying teeth, a sallow complexion, thinning hair. One woman is entirely unrecognizable, and her after-photo looks like a wax, and corpselike version of her former self.

The campaign, inspired by the work of a sheriff’s office in northwestern U.S., who in 2004 compiled mug shots of recidivist addicts and entitled it “Faces of Meth,” is nothing short of disturbing. It begs the question: can people be scared into not using? Is fright a treatment for addiction, or a way of preventing it? Or is careful articulation of the effects of substance abuse, rather than terrifying photographs, a more effective form of drug rehab?

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After Addiction Treatment: For One Traveller, The World of Sober Experiences

Posted by Rehabasia on March 27, 2013 in Addiction Help, Asian Rehab Information

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The most thrilling part of travelling is trying new things; be it tasting a local dish, or wrapping your mind around a baffling language, being a traveller is about seeking the space beyond your comfort zone.

Often, travelling is also about letting loose, and reaching beyond your daily routine to use alcohol and drugs.

But what about if you’ve completed addiction treatment? Is it still possible to see new places while remaining comfortable in your sobriety?

In a recent essay published on The Fix entitled “The Trials of a Sober Backpacker,” one recovering addict writes about travelling alone through Southeast Asia, and of being confronted with the problem of wanting to accept the drink offered to her by her local hosts, but knowing that a sip of alcohol could mean closing the door on years of alcohol recovery.

“I looked around for help,” Caledonia Dawson writes. “The few tables decorated with Christmas lights in the courtyard of a private home in the coastal town of Kep were empty, except for me and the two men who had escorted me there. ‘No thank you, really.’ Earlier as we sped along the dark seaside on his motorbike, I’d explained to him that I didn’t drink. Ever. He’d said it was ok.”

Her essay goes on to describe the comfort she feels when she finds like-minded travellers – fellow recovering addicts, or those simply not interested in using substances while abroad – and that when she has the courage to seek them out, fellow sober travellers are everywhere. The fact that she has gone through alcohol recovery doesn’t exile her from the groups of travellers she encounters, but rather makes her a traveller of a different breed:

“I volunteered, talked to locals and invited new friends out to film festivals instead of the pub. And when I made the effort, I found that plenty of other travelers shared my wariness of the party scene. Some avoided it because they were also sober, others for financial reasons, and some simply because, like me, they were seeking an experience that couldn’t be found at the bottom of the bottle.”

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From Substance Abuse Rehab to the Stage

Posted by Rehabasia on March 25, 2013 in Addiction Help

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Substance abuse can lay waste to the human body. From rapid aging, to hair loss, to extreme weight loss, drugs physically weaken the body, not to mention the mind. Substance abuse rehab can reverse this decay. It is the beginning of gaining control over the body, and working towards a healthier physical and mental life.

In a recent article on CNN.com, Joe Putignano talks about his success as a young gymnast, and how this was all taken away by his abuse of various substances, and his eventual addiction to heroin. He started using drugs at 17, and didn’t stop until he was 29. So, when Putignano fought back against his substance abuse, and the two overdoses that nearly took his life, and worked his way to a career as a performer with Cirque du Soleil’s show “Totem,” his fight was not just physical, but it was also a mental and spiritual climb.

“I loved gymnastics more than anything I had ever known and it had become my church,” Putignano tells CNN.com. “I couldn’t believe I used to have such a powerful dedication to the sport, which now seemed inconceivable because now my dedication turned into darkness. Instead of using my body to its full potential, my new purpose became to eradicate all pain and shame.”

He talks in detail about the thoughts that ring through his head every time he goes onstage to perform; they are thoughts that first formed during his time in drug addiction treatment.

“I take a deep breath for the current man I am, who is fighting to change, who still struggles against his progressive and fatal disease of addiction. And I stretch my bones to the four corners of the circus tent to honor the human who still suffers, those who are silently screaming in their own minds, trying to change, but can’t.”

Coincidentally, in “Totem,” Putignano’s character is the Crystal Man. He wears a costume made entirely of Swarovski crystals, and he is meant to appear as a symbol of hope, light, and clarity—all of which he was able to find in substance abuse rehab.

“I became the victim of my own making, and I was forever trapped in a prison made of syringes,” Putignano tells CNN.com. “But like the powerful emanation bursting off my costume, my soul wouldn’t allow me to quit trying, and I continued to crawl through hell.”

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