The Addiction Help .com

I would love to hear from people who did not use AA or other popular methods of "treatment" to beat an addiction. Is will power a possible method? Tell me your story, please. Thanks!!

Drug addiction can be hard to control. Many people have lost jobs, homes, and loved ones simply because they could not beat thier drug habits. I recommend you find some help. I found a site that has addiction information and a directory of addiction treatment clinics so you can help. http://www.addictionselfhelp.com

Good Luck

2008-08-26 20:55:11 by Claire Standish

bit.ly Rid yourself of Alcohol Addiction with hypnosis today or your money back.

Or is it a baffling disease with complex behavioural, emotional & spiritual facets?

CENTRAL FALLS, Rhode Island (CNN) -- A no-frills bar called Goober's, just north of Providence, Rhode Island, is probably the last place you'd expect to find a debate over cutting-edge addiction therapy. But this is where Walter Kent, a retired mechanic, spends his Fridays. He helps in the kitchen and hangs out in the bar, catching up with old friends. Most addiction specialists would call this playing with fire, or worse. That's because for more than 30 years, Kent was a hard-core alcoholic. His drinks of choice were Heineken beer and Jacob Ginger brandy, but anything with alcohol would do.

"It's like a little kid wanting a piece of candy. You see it, you want the taste of it." He closes his eyes and sniffs the air, remembering the feeling. "You can be by yourself, and all of a sudden get even a hint of alcohol, just the smell of it, and say, 'Oh, I need a drink.' That sensation is not something you can get rid of."

But today, Kent isn't tempted in the least. He says the credit goes to a prescription medication -- a pill called naltrexone. It's part of a new generation of anti-addiction drugs that may turn the world of rehab on its head.

Dr. Mark Willenbring, who oversees scientific research at the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, says alcoholism has reached a point similar to one depression reached 30 years ago -- when the development of Prozac and other antidepressants took mental health care out of the asylum and put it in homes and doctors' offices."There will be a 'Prozac moment,' " Willenbring says, "when primary care doctors start handling functional alcoholics."

Despite studies showing effectiveness, established rehab programs have been slow to adopt the use of medication. At Hazelden in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a small as part of treatment, although a handful of long-time addicts may be referred to a prescribing physician once their stay is over. "Where we battle with [the proportion of patients receive anti-addiction drugs, but medical director Dr. Kevin Clark says the traditional model -- based on intensive therapy and the 12 steps popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous -- is still best. "It is a disease of the brain, but it's a multifaceted disease. It has a spiritual component, a behavioral component to it," says Clark. "Our experience tells us that having the network of support and recovery is what really makes the difference."

Still, medication is slowly creeping into mainstream addiction therapy. One big advocate is Percy Menzies, a pharmacist and former sales representative for DuPont, which developed naltrexone. His St. Louis, Missouri-based Recovery Centers for America treats patients in an on-site hospital, then refers them to outside physicians for follow-up treatment. Along with therapy, virtually every patient is given Vivitrol, a long-lasting form of naltrexone that's given monthly by injection.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/15/addiction.cold.turkey.pill/index.html

I had to offer an answer here because there are just too many misconceptions floating around Yahoo Answers and the public in general about addiction. It really amazes me how very little people understand about this. Even the people who are calling themselves professionals are misleading others with their "answers."

1. From a clinical perspective, a person is not "addicted" to something unless physiological withdrawal symptoms occur upon removal of the source.

2. There are many things being labelled "addictions" that should fall under the category of "compulsive behavior." A compulsive behavior is something repeatedly done, but if the activity is stopped there's no physiological withdrawal symptoms. Many things that are called "addictions" (gambling, internet, eating, etc.) are much better understood as compulsive behavior because the source of these behaviors is NOT exclusively biological. For a better example, alcohol and drug addictions are true addictions when they get to the point that upon removal of the drug a person gets uncontrollably ill (unlike the AA model that says once an "addict" always an "addict," which is not really accurate). When a person has a compulsive eating disorder the person does not really get physically ill when not given the chance to openly consume all the food the person desires.

3. By definition, a "psychological addiction" is NOT caused by a physiological source. That means when someone claims to be psychologically addicted to something like using the internet, it is purely a behavioral habit that probably comes with some reward for the individual. However, because of the medical model of mental illness it is still generally assumed that some physiological source (e.g., brain chemistry) is the source of someone's psychological addiction, which is why a psychiatrist will try to treat these individuals with drugs (e.g., anti-depressants). They will assume some underlying disorder has gone undiagnosed (e.g., depression) even if the person doesn't fully qualify for the diagnosis according to the DSM. This is misleading because so-called "psychological addictions" (again, somewhat of a misnomer) can occur without there being an underlying disorder.

4. Drugs like Naltrexone are one of several opiate antagonists, which lessen the brain's dopaminergic activity. They create a chemical IMBALANCE in the brain because the target neurotransmitters don't normally get subdued by drugs. On top of this, if the levels of one neurotransmitter are altered it can affect the levels of other neurotransmitters, furthering a chemical disruption of normal brain functioning. What happens is not quite what research studies suggest, and usually these studies are only short term. The patient is getting subdued by these drugs. Cognitive functioning can become impaired. Side effects are common and can be quite serious in some cases (see below). To further illustrate what I mean, they give Naltrexone to people who qualify for the diagnosis Kleptomania (see here: http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE53D4WR20090414 ). At the same time, they've made the case that Naltrexone can cure people's drug addictions. That makes little sense from a behavioral point of view as well as physiology. The same chemical components that cause physiological addiction to a drug are what also causes Kleptomania? Not likely.

5. Given what I've said above, there are biological components to what are true physiological addictions, but if you think a drug like Naltrexone is going to permanently cure this you are really just swapping one drug for another. In fact, you may be creating new problems for yourself. The trend toward biodeterminism (i.e., that physiology is the primary cause of all behavior) has misled people to ignore environmental, social, cultural, existential, spiritual, and experiential factors for so long that psychiatrists can now actually harm patients with presciption drugs and get away with it. So, to answer your question: No, a pill definately does not cure a person from a true drug addiction. If anything, research will show it is more effective than a placebo because the person's brain functioning is being altered in a negative way. A chemical imbalance is being created. In short, the patient is subdued.

Here. In case you think I'm making this stuff up:

Most common side effects of Naltrexone:

ANXIETY; appetite loss; chills; constipation; delayed ejaculation; diarrhea; dizziness; DROWSINESS; FEELING DOWN; headache; INCREASED ENERGY; increased thirst; IRRITABILITY; joint and muscle pain; LOW ENERGY; nausea; NERVOUSNESS; SLEEPLESSNESS; stomach pain/cramps; vomiting.

--notice how the side effects in caps can all be symptoms of a psychological disorder other than addiction?

Most serious side effects of Naltrexone:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal or stomach pain; cramping; dark urine; depression; SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR BEHAVIORS; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; white bowel movements; yellowing of the skin or eyes (that means LIVER DISEASE. What does alcohol addiction eventually cause? That's right. The same thing: LIVER DISEASE).

The pharmaceutical industry knows that the public is longing for magic bullets. All they have to do is construct research in such a way that they can show their product works better than a placebo, and they've become just as skilled at this as they have with their expertly produced TV commercials.

2009-04-16 07:54:35 by Faith

Price: $19.99

Can someone chemically dependent on alcohol beat the addiction, but still be a social drinker, or do they need to stay off the "juice" to overcome alcoholism? Personal stories a plus. Please no links to wikipedia.

Yes, they can.

Once someone has been physically dependent it becomes more difficult for most people to moderate, but not impossible.

I belong to a yahoo group, 12 Step Free, for people who have had bad experiences with 12step programs. There are over 1000 members; several of the more vocal members have returned to moderate drinking. Most were sober for several years before attempting moderation. AA programs people to believe that it is impossible, and for those who believe it deep down, it becomes true.

Personally, after 5 years sober, totally turning my life around, and no longer suffering from the depression I drank to escape, I believe I could, but I don't feel any need to test it; I'm happily married to a woman who doesn't drink and there aren't any big drinkers in my social circle.

2006-11-08 18:00:46 by Zloar

Price: $18.99 $18.99

My reason for posting the previous ?: I was searching for a way to help my boyfriend "beat the system".

My reason for posting this ?: He feels that his rights have been violated. Although I admit he has a serious alcohol addiciton & could benefit from treatment, I too am inclined to believe his rights are being violated. What do you think?

Details:
In September of last year I fell seriously ill. In short, I had severe muscle atrophy, rendering me unable to walk. My boyfriend quit his job to take care of me. (Thanks to his help, I have since recovered!)
By around January of this year, he had ran out of cash. He turned to Social Services for financial help until he's able to
find a job. They told him he must comply with treatment for his alcohol addiction in order to continue receiving benefits.
Considering the fact that he didn't quit his job as a result of his drinking problem, I feel this it is an unjustified requirement.

What do you think?
An important note to add: My boyfriend has never missed a day of work as a result of his alcohol addiction.

i think you aren't telling the whole story, why couldn't he go back to the job he left? Also, i think that what ever helps your boyfriend with his problem is what you should be concerned with. He helped you, maybe you should step up and help him

2007-05-30 09:24:04 by outtahere4ever

Alcohol, food, sex, gambling, drugs, shopping etc! Is it human nature to be addicted to something? Is it more of a psychological issue than a physical issue. Smokers say nicotine leaves the blood stream within 48 hours but they can still crave a cigarette years later? Why? Did Mel Smith have a codeine addiction and how do people beat it?

Narcotics anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, church. There are different strokes for different folks. Real people can get rehab, but the beds are limited. Usually you have to wait a month or longer before you can get in. Then, once in the program they are usually about 26-28 days. Not nearly long enough to establish a good foundation.

It takes a lot of willpower and a higher power (helps) to kick an addiction. Genetics do not prove a person will be an addict. The are an indicator that there is a predisposition to be an addict.

For some people, it's not about the substance. It's what the substance was used for: an escape, an stress relief, an energizer, a way to get into "the zone". If you can replace the bad with a good, then you are on your way. My best friend was addicted to coke...one day she just decided to stop and she never looked back. No, rehab, just did it.

2007-05-29 20:16:21 by Pixxxie