Mind Altering Chemicals: Part 1of 2

 No one chooses to become an addicted person. No one chooses to become a diabetic. No one chooses to become a sick person in any form. Why are some people addicts? Scientists have many theories on the subject of addiction. Some say the disease is in the genes. Some say it’s environmental. Some say it is a combination of both.

So, it’s fair to say, since people do not choose to become an alcoholic or an addict, it must not be their fault. However, if diagnosed with addiction then becomes the person’s responsibility for the care of the illness, just as a diabetic would care for the daily blood sugar problems. 

Alcoholism is a primary disease. Insurance companies have been paying for treatment for alcoholism ever since I can remember. Insurance companies would not offer up payment if this condition was not a disease. What the insurance companies have been doing during the last 20 years or so is to decrease the time in which an affected person can stay in the hospital for treatment.  

In the good old days a person could stay in the hospital for 28 days for treatment. During the 28 days the client is detoxed, begins therapy both individual and group. The goal of detox is to wean the body from the drug of choice safely. The goals of treatment are: to learn how to abstain from any mood changing chemicals, to recognize feelings and own them, learn how to have fun without being high or drunk, learn how to be truthful with yourself and others, and obtain a general working knowledge of how chemicals work in the brain and body.

This is the short list of the benefits of treatment. There are copious personal benefits to treatment. Having the 28 days was wonderful for the client and staff because we had enough time for all of these changes to occur. And they did occur! It was great to watch a person come in, usually in very bad shape, and grow to love him or herself.  

Today, a person is lucky to get 3 days to 2 weeks inside the hospital for detox. The rest of the treatment happens on an out-patient basis. This set up leads to frequent relapse episodes and being dismissed from out-patient treatment. 

Anyone who desires to live life as a sober person can do so with or without formal treatment.

Obtain a safe detox inside the hospital. The substances which require a monitored detox are: alcohol (most physically serious), heroin (in withdrawal you may want to die, but usually you won’t), pain meds with opiates (the withdrawal is similar to heroin), barbiturates (need to be weaned from your body), benzodiazepines (This medication will need to be weaned from your body too.), and sedative/hypnotics-sleeping pills. Any combination of the above medications would require an in-patient stay for a safe detox. 

A person does not need to be inside the hospital for detoxification for Marijuana, amphetamines, nicotine, and cocaine. After one puts down the joint and sleeps for a week after the cessation of uppers, out-patient treatment can still happen.  

Any medication, especially, methamphetamine can cause a person to become psychotic which would require a hospitalization for his or her safety. 

Cocaine and crack addicts do not need to be inside the hospital for detox. However, this group of people has so many additional problems because they run through money so fast and the consequences to loss of money are vast. They often feel suicidal and since an ER doctors can not discharge a suicidal patient; the cocaine addicts often end up in the hospital. Typically, they are malnourished and have pushed their bodies to the limit. The nurses and doctors stabilize the patient with hopes that the cocaine use will stop.  

The statistics state over 50% of the addicted people will return to their drug of choice instead of living in sobriety. Those are tough odds to overcome, but it can be done. I have seen many success stories with my own eyes! 

Once a detoxification occurs and is safely finished, treatment for the disease can start. Some people are lucky enough to participate in a treatment facility for 2 weeks to a month, on an out-patient basis of course, because they have insurance which will cover a certain number of days. The excellent aspect of out-patient treatment is that one will have instant support and allies to share the process of learning to live in sobriety.    

The folks that do not have insurance, obtaining treatment becomes a tad bit trickier. One has to be in contact with the alcohol and drug centers everyday to get a bed. Many centers offer indigent beds, but typically these beds stay full. The centers only take people who are absolutely serious about sobriety.  Sobriety looks simple on paper, (after a safe detox), abstain from mood altering chemicals, love yourself, love others, engage in life, find your spiritual self, participate in the community, connect with your circle of family and friends, and achieve harmony and balance. These are the basic components of sobriety. You have to fill in the blanks because we are all individuals there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to clean living. 

Twelve step groups can be and are very helpful, but their way is NOT the only way to achieve and maintain sobriety.

Again, you have to find the techniques/strategies/coping skills that will work for you to stay sober.  

Here are some suggestions you may want to use to stay clean and sober.

A.   Abstain from mood altering chemicals. No matter what happens, or does not happen, DON’T USE! Also, you will have to fill the time in which you used to spend getting high or drunk. This is hard to do, but it can be accomplished if you want a sober life bad enough.

B.   Listen to music, but if the music serves as a trigger to use your drug of choice, then try something else.

C.   Read! Learn everything there is to learn about your addiction. Increased education/knowledge will give you a sense of control and a feeling of calm.

D.    Surround yourself with loving, understanding, and non-judgmental people. Find your supportive community. 

E.    If night time is your downfall then get up early and go to bed early. Avoid night time until you feel stronger.

H.     Create art.

I.       Tend a garden outside or house plants inside. Surround yourself with life.

J.     Most family members have a tough time trusting the addict. Allow your family members to be where they are. Display tenacity and patience with your loved ones. They have been hurt by your medicated behavior. The re-kindling of trust may take some time. They will begin to see your effort and hopefully, before you know it, a new, deeper, relationship will be born.

K.     Help another human being, but you first of course!

L.      Read a book for pleasure.

M.     Watch a movie.

N.     Have a conversation with a stranger in a coffee shop or the like. Let him or her do most of the talking.

O.     Re-arrange your living room.

P.      Watch your favorite TV show.

Q.     Make a phone call to a friend or support person; know when to ask for help and do so, when needed.

R.     Learn something new and teach it to someone else who may be interested.

S.      Fly a kite.

T.     Appreciate nature.

U.     Play a video game.

V.     Contemplate, examine you thoughts, and know your own value.

W.     Sit in silence; silence is under-rated after all.

X.      Treat your body as if it is a temple of life.

Y.       Find your spiritual self.

Z.       And so on……the ideas on how to stay sober are infinite. 

We live in a scary world right now. Do you want to miss moments with your loved ones because you are stoned or drunk? Or do you want to love and support your family and friends and be in the moment with them? 

How do you know if you may have an addiction problem?

If your alcohol and/or drug use is causing a problem in your life, then it is time to take a look at your behavior. That’s it!  

Finally, I want to mention the bystanders of the addicted person. Research has suggested that one person with an addition problem affects 7 people around them. Part two of this series of Mind Altering Chemicals will address these 7 people.

Tags: detox, find yourself, sobriety