Prescription Drug Addictions Are On The Rise

Prescription drug abuse has become a major health concern in America during the past few years. More and more people are falling victim to these deadly drugs. One of the most addictive prescription drugs available is called Vicodin. Vicodin addiction affects millions of people every year and takes a very serious toll on the people who abuse it. If you or someone you know has developed an addiction to Vicodin, it may be necessary for them to undergo a Vicodin detox to get all of the harmful toxins out of their bodies. Once they successfully complete a detox, they will be ready to enter into a rehabilitation facility.

Problem

Vicodin is a very serious drug that hooks millions of users each year. It is comprised of a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is an opioid that is used primarily as a pain killer. Opioids are some of the most addictive substances known to man. Acetaminophen is a slightly less powerful pain reliever, however, when it is combined with hydrocodone, it can have very powerful side effects.

Health Effects

There are many side effects that result from taking Vicodin. The most common effects include, upset stomach, nausea, altered mental status which includes light headedness as well as dizziness. Other more severe side effects include allergic reactions, clammy skin, seizures, paranoia, hallucinations, as well as severe weakness, unconsciousness, jaundice, fatigue, bleeding, bruising, stomach back, and the list continues. Because Vicodin has a depressant effect on the central nervous system it may cause irritability as well. Long term use of Vicodin as well as abuse can severely damage the liver. The damage to the liver can even lead to an eventual need for a liver transplant to avoid death.

Addiction

When an individual uses Vicodin for a long period of time it can eventually lead to an addiction. Because it is strong acting pain reliever and can create a sense of euphoria, it does become a desired high. However, once a chemical dependency is formed, it becomes harder and harder to eventually wean off of Vicodin. This is how people develop addictions and why they are so difficult to overcome.

Symptoms Of Withdrawal

Symptoms of withdrawal can be very serious and can include abdominal pain, diarrhea, dilated pupils, nausea and vomiting. Detoxing from Vicodin should be done under medical supervision. This is due to some dangerous complications. One complication may be aspiration due to the inhaling of stomach contents after vomiting, intense vomiting and diarrhea can also cause dehydration. The biggest risk associated with detox is when someone decides to take the pain reliever again. Once the body has detoxed from the drug, the drug cannot be ingested at original doses, because the body can no longer handle it. This leads to overdose and may even lead to death. This is why it's so important to seek medically supervised detox treatment.

If you know someone who is struggling with a Vicodin addiction, you should implore them to seek medical intervention as soon as possible. If an addiction to Vicodin goes on too long it could be lethal. The person may need to go through a Vicodin detox in order to get all of the toxins out of their bodies. This kind of detox should only take place under the watch of medical professionals that can administer medication during the painful detox process.

Original article

My Addictions - Man Recovered and Comes Clean After 43 Years in Bondage

After being influenced and addicted to drugs of all kinds, I am finally FREE from the bondage and the chains that kept me wrapped up for nearly 43 years.What an amazing roller coaster ride I've been on to say the least!

In trying to come to terms with "this disease" I can't help but look back at everything that happened in my life, and how I used circumstances sway my mind in such a negative way.

The battlefield was definitely in my mind and it is the only place where I went to feed the dark impulsive behavior that I cherished to reside in. It was "my" pitty-party and I didn't want anyone included who really cared about me. I liked being alone. I was a thinker, a problem solver, a person who could save the world, so I thought.

Let me take you back to some of the excuses I used to try and justify the hellish lifestyle I led.

(1) Father was too busy and didn't pay any attention to me
(2) Step mother had her own kids and didn't really like me
(3) Was always picked on and nobody gave me any attention
(4) Was overweight as a kid and had weighty issues. (pardon the pun)
(5) Dad was police chief. Called "narc" and had to fight for self-image.
(6) Sent to military school for boys at 14 years old
(7) Accused by dad and step mother of doing drugs when I wasn't
(8) Wasn't punished or disciplined because no one was there.
(9) No structure.

You see, although these things are true, if you'll notice one common denominator, it's the word "I" or "Me". I didn't even think of forgiveness and how that might affect my future. I wasn't concerned about helping others. In a word, I was selfish, in two words, I was exceedingly selfish.

 More about that in another article.

The main purpose of this article is to try and help you understand my psyche, the internal workings of my mind at the time. I was a bright kid, full of life and hope, loaded with energy and potential. I was athletically inclined. I played the guitar and still do, was gifted and had my physical health. I had all the reasons to be thankful and to be an over-achiever.

So what happened?

I didn't "Just Say No" to that first toke, or that first hit, or that first poke. I wanted to experience more. I felt physically and spiritually invulnerable. I had no fear, and although I always felt like a stranger to the planet earth, I wanted to experience life on earth to the fullest.

Let me try to explain this "stranger to earth" statement. I had always felt this void deep within my being. It was a lost feeling, a feeling, and remember, being the by-product of the Baby Boomer Generation, feeling was all we went by. Little did I realize that feeling was gonna get me in a whole bunch of trouble later down the path of "if it feels good do it".

Going back to the time when I was about 14 years old, I became withdrawn and my mind began to lie to me. I believed the lies for so long. You see, until we realize we have a problem, there is no problem, so I was too busy noticing others problems instead of my own.

I was easily influenced, gullible I guess you'd say, so when that first opportunity came to escape this reality and enter another, I ran toward.

My first encounter with any mind altering substance was sniffing glue. I was really enjoying just sitting back, listening to music and huffing a paper bag laced with Weldwood contact cement. The active ingredient in Weldwood was Toluol, a strong, fast acting solvent for specific oil based paints, lacquers and adhesives. It was extremely potent and highly hallucinogenic.

That persisted for about 6 months or so and then I took my first hit of marijuana. I thought weed was the perfect drug for me because it seemed to inspire and expand my mind. This went on for quite some time until I found that I couldn't afford it so I learned how to grow it.

Next issue: My Addictions - Continuing the Lie

Larry Christenson is a publisher and website owner.
Marketing Business Manager

Affiliate Internet Marketer intermittently for the past 18 years.
You can more of Larry's articles at his website:
http://a2zinternetsolutions.com/

Original article

Spiritual Freedom From Your Addictions Today

As human beings, we seem to be on a very destructive course that is headed towards destroying our family, society, and ourselves. If we continue on this path of addictive living and self-destructiveness, the outcome is immanent.

So, you cannot sit by in complacency as if all is well. Selfish living affects everyone. If you continue to destroy yourself through addictive living, you destroy us all. Unknowingly, you are bringing destructiveness to this beautiful earth.

To understand this is not an attempt to instill fear but the awareness of your actions having consequences. Is it not obvious what you are doing to yourself? Why are you carrying on with such a disparaging way of living?

Clearly, the mind fell into addiction because it was caught unaware. Now you are just going to correct that fact by being aware. In awareness, there is freedom from all addictions. When you are completely free, life is no longer a problem. Do you not see how simple that is?

To live your life in addiction is not living. To be addictive is to live a mechanical life without passion. To be trapped in any addiction is against your health. The repetition of such acts destroys your life. To live spiritually free is to live, vibrantly. So let us see if you can perceive the facts of all addictions and not try to escape from them.

Now, to go into this, is to inquire into the purpose of experience. Does experience have any meaning at all? All such actions become recorded as memory and from there you continue the same old things, addictively. So any experience that gives us the sensation of pleasure, no matter how destructive, the addiction wants it to continue.

Realize that addiction comes into being through inattentiveness. The mind being caught off guard becomes a slave to a particular thing. The attempt to be free of addiction, the very desire of trying to resist it causes it to persist. All such actions generate more energy for it to continue. So, through the wholeness of seeing the addiction without any desires of resisting it is the key to transcend it.

Therefore, the addiction to anything such as drinking or drugs brings you into mental slavery. To be a slave to anything is destructive. In such living, you are being destroyed. To be free of such living is the outcome of seeing yourself, spiritually whole.

To see the destructive nature of your addictions is a movement of intelligence. Realize that, all such addictions are conditional. Inattentiveness plants the seed of continuity the more you let an addiction grow in your life. The more it germinates in you, the greater it becomes.

Spiritually, all addictions in your life must be faced head on without the slightest intent of looking away. You must observe every aspect of your mind and heart. Every thought and every emotion has to be brought to the surface so one may face them, completely.

Spiritual understanding is the art of having no desire of removing the addiction but simply observe it with the wholeness of your being. With the totality of perception, you may observe, listen, and feel whatever is there in consciousness. It is the spiritual fire of perception that will free you so all addictions may cease corroding your life.

Will you let this take place within you?

To receive additional FREE insights by spiritual teacher, Adonis Alexander, to change your life, go to his website: http://www.adonisalexander.org/

Or, you may purchase his spiritual book, Secret Sayings Of Adonis

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adonis_Alexander

Original article

Overcoming Your Addictions

Most of us struggle with addiction in some form whether it be coffee, cigarettes, food, alcohol or even drugs. Beating these addictions are tough and most people have a hard time finding activities to keep our mind off them. Many are finding that horseback riding can help ease the pain of kicking these addictions.

Research now shows that horses can change your brain wave patterns. This is pretty exciting news for those suffering from addiction. Simply being around a horse will instill a sense of serenity and allow you to focus on present moments, taking your mind away from your addiction. This simple step in distancing your self from your addiction momentarily can allow you to have a clearer mind. This clarity points you in a direction of being able to focus on more productive areas of your life. Pretty interesting isn't it?

This isn't the only way that horses and riding are helping. Horses require you to be completely mindful of your actions and body language towards them. They are prey animals and don't take kindly to those who are not aware of their actions. This allows us to remain completely focused on the horse and our actions toward the horse. It takes great effort to stay mindful in their presence and you will find that your addiction is not on the forefront of your mind. Getting your addiction to take a backseat in your mind is incredibly beneficial. Your brain is only capable of thinking of so many things at once and if you are focused on staying mindful of the horse then you will simply forget about your addiction in working with horses.

A change in regular routine also help those trying to beat an addiction. Riding is certainly a change of routine for most who don't own horses. This change to a healthier routine distances you even further from your addiction. The more activities you can find which replace old habits the better off you will be!

Riding is also physically strenuous. This results in your body releasing feel good endorphins. These endorphins simulate the same endorphins released while smoking, snacking or drinking coffee. So the more you ride the better you will feel without having to go to your addiction!

See all the benefits horses can offer to you at your local stables or ask a friend who owns a horse to take you for a ride. I hope you can kick all your habits out of the barn!

Original article