Little Eyes Are Watching You

Little Eyes Are Watching You

You may think that your drinking doesn’t affect anyone. Or, if you do realize your drinking affects others, you may not care. Alcoholism makes you selfish, self-centered and all you can think about is getting the next drink. However, as you drink alcohol and pass out in your living room, you may not realize that you have an audience. Your children are watching you drink yourself into a drunken stupor. This has a major impact on your children.

A Look at the Damage

Everyone around you deals with the consequences of your drinking;. However, your children are the worst off. Growing up with an alcoholic shapes their personalities and has an impact on their future. This experience changes their view on things and their way of thinking and feeling (or lack thereof). Listed below are ways that your children are negatively affected by your drinking.

Negative Effects of Alcoholism on Your Children:

• Your children have to pick up your slack around the house. They take on the role of caregiver as they care for siblings and you. They grow up quickly and miss out on a normal childhood.
• Your children have a greater chance of struggling in school, scoring low on exams and dropping out of school.
• Your children may have trouble with interpersonal relationships. The mistrust, fear and lack of bonding that they have with their parent(s) is transferred to other relationships in their lives.
• Your children learn to repress their feelings and eventually lose the ability to express their feelings. They learn this as a way to help them cope with the trauma that they experience.
• Your children have a greater risk of experiencing mental illness such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder.
• Your children have a greater risk of witnessing or being victims of domestic violence and experience physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect.

Despite these trials for children of alcoholics, many grow up to marry other alcoholics. Children of alcoholics commonly confuse pity with love. They take on the role of caregiver and take the job of “saving” the other person. They repeat the cycle and even become alcoholics.

Looking Toward a Resolution

Alcoholism is not just destroying you, but it’s destroying your family and particularly your children. If you think you’re unhappy, think about how unhappy your children are. Give your children a chance at a better life. Seeking treatment in alcohol rehab can change your life and your children’s lives. As you begin to heal, so will your family and children. Be the person your children want to look up to: Healthy and sober.

Is Relapse Around the Corner?

Is Relapse Around the Corner?

Relapse doesn’t happen suddenly or without warning. Usually, the telltale signs are there, but you don’t know what to look for. This type of ignorance is not bliss and can bring on relapse.

Relapse Warning Signs

1. Isolation
   n you are on the verge of a relapse, you will begin to withdraw from people and will prefer isolation. This happens when you don’t want to hear the truth from others. You are justifying your drinking and your support system doesn’t approve or support it. If you isolate yourself, there’s no one holding you accountable and you dive into drinking.
2. Overconfidence
   You’ve been doing well in your recovery, but when you get too cocky, you feel like you don’t need any help or you’re cured. You may stop attending meetings, seeing your therapist and start drinking again. Don’t fool yourself; the truth is you do need help.
3. Stress
   Everyone is affected by stress. However, if the stress becomes overwhelming, poor coping skills can send you back to drinking.
4. Glorifying the good old days
   You may remember the time you were drinking differently than what it was. Walking down memory lane can be detrimental if you romanticize about your drinking days.
5. Unrealistic goals
   By setting unrealistic goals, you are setting yourself up to fail. For example, never having cravings is just not reality. When you end up not attaining the goal, negative thoughts and feelings set in. This can be disastrous for your recovery.
6. Dwelling
   You’ve made mistakes in the past; everyone has. Dwelling on these mistakes can stir up negative thoughts and feelings or bring on triggers.
7. Denial
   It’s OK to admit that you need help or that you are on shaky ground in your recovery. However, telling people that everything is OK and you don’t need any help is not helping. You will end up feeling overwhelmed and alone.

Relapse Happened…Now What?

Relapse happens sometimes. It’s important to take it seriously but not beat yourself up for it. Taking the right steps after a relapse is necessary for success in your recovery.

5 Steps to Get Back on Track

1. Get help
   Seek treatment from an outpatient rehab program.
2. Establish a relapse prevention plan
   With your therapist, establish a relapse prevention plan. Being prepared for the next time you feel on shaky ground in your recovery can help you avoid relapse.
3. Connect with your support system
   Chances are you separated yourself from the positive people around you. Reconnect with these people; they will help you get back on track of your recovery. Avoid people who you used to drink with or who don’t support your sobriety.
4. Attend AA meetings
   No one knows your situation better than the people at AA meetings. Remember they are all in recovery as well and have gone through similar situations, including relapse. With the support in numbers, you will be back where you want to be.
5. Set realistic goals
   Stop setting unrealistic goals; it never ends well. If you are realistic with your goals, you will have a greater chance of attaining them. This builds your strength and confidence.

Getting the help and support you need from a drug rehab program, support system and

meetings gets you back on the road to recovery. There are always setbacks in life, but what counts is what you do about it.

What a Pain! Signs of Painkiller Addiction

What a Pain! Signs of Painkiller Addiction

Prescription painkiller addiction affects many people. It’s not just the celebrities that battle with this addiction. Soccer moms and businessmen alike are struggling with prescription painkiller addiction. Many people struggle with their addiction behind closed doors. Dependency on these prescription drugs is usually not deliberate. Many people begin to take prescription pain medication for legitimate reasons. This addiction doesn’t happen overnight. Unfortunately, many people become addicted slowly. They don’t realize the red flags of their growing addiction until they are completely hooked.

Myths Fueling the Addiction

Many people don’t intentionally abuse prescription painkillers. They begin using these drugs for a medical need. However, there are faulty ideas that can lead to these people getting addicted. Some of these faulty ideas or myths are:

1. My doctor prescribed these pills, so they must be OK. Just because a doctor prescribed these pills, doesn’t mean that you are safe from addiction. Many of the medications prescribed have a risk of dependency. It is important to keep your eyes open for signs of cravings, pill-seeking behavior or doctor shopping. These signs point toward dependency. It’s also important to take pills as prescribed to avoid an overdose. These pills can have fatal consequences if abused.
2. I’m a strong-willed person. I won’t get addicted. Being addicted to substances is not a willpower issue. If you have addiction in your family, you have an increased risk of struggling with addiction as well.
3. I need to get rid of my pain at all costs. Feeling pain can keep you from daily activities and can affect your life negatively. However, abusing prescription pain medication is not the solution. Simply taking a pill to reduce pain, does not fix the underlying problem. Talk to your doctor about your pain and other types of therapies that could help.

Spotting the Signs of Addiction

Recognizing the signs of prescription painkiller addiction is a good first step. It is just as important to know if your addiction is growing. If you know what to look for, you can address the growing problem before you are completely dependent.

• You’re using your painkillers for other reasons other than pain relief. Taking your painkillers because it makes you energized or helps you fall asleep, or relieves your stress and anxiety are red flags. Taking the pills to change your mood instead of relieving pain is getting you high. That is a slippery slope to addiction.
• You want an increase in your painkillers even though your doctor hasn’t recommended it. There are times that the pain you are feeling is intense and you may need to get an increase in dosage. However, taking the drug when you want the increase in dosage to alter your mood or mixing it with other drugs is a sign that you are crossing into addiction.
• You’re taking your painkillers even though you don’t have any pain.
• Your thoughts are consumed with getting more painkillers. If you’re not feeling any pain, there’s no need to continue taking your painkillers. Taking them “just in case” the pain comes back is not a legitimate reason to continue use.
• Other pain management therapies are no longer an option for you. Prescription painkillers are not the cure-all of pain management. There are other options. Not considering them can be a sign of addiction.

Even people with the best of intentions can fall into the trap of prescription drug addiction. Knowing the early signs of prescription painkiller addiction increase your chances of avoiding disaster. If you are addicted, receiving treatment as soon as possible at a drug rehab helps you break free from prescription drug addiction.