Drug addiction is a serious disease. It can strike anyone, regardless of age, race, culture, background or socioeconomic status. You’re never too young, too old, too rich, too broke or even too religious to struggle with drug addiction. At any point in time you may find that you’ve crossed the line from drug experimentation to drug addiction.

Is it drug addiction or drug abuse?

The difference between drug addiction and drug abuse tends to be situational. People who abuse drugs may do so during periods of high stress or trauma. This could be a major life transition or transformation such as divorce, death or being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or disease. In circumstances like this, people are looking for ways to cope with overwhelming feelings of grief and despair. Alcohol or drug abuse can occur as a result of people attempting to cope with these feelings. Generally as the situation improves or these people seek outside help, the alcohol abuse or drug abuse abates and they are able to return to a fairly level normal of functioning without crossing the line into alcoholism or drug addiction.

There are people who are more susceptible to alcoholism and drug addiction based on their genetic make-up. For these people, turning to alcohol or drugs to cope during a bad time can spiral straight into alcohol or drug addiction. Even when the situation has passed and things have balanced out, these individuals continue to abuse alcohol or drugs because they enjoy the effects and aren’t ready to quit. If they don’t recognize the problem and get help, a trip to alcohol rehab or drug rehab is inevitable.

Are you struggling with drug abuse or drug addiction?

In order to determine if you are struggling with drug abuse or drug addiction, there are a few questions you have to ask yourself. How often do you drink or take drugs? Do you take just enough to get by or do you get loaded every time? Is work or school attendance or performance sliding because of your alcohol or drug usage? Have you changed the people you hang out with? Do you isolate more? Have friends and family members expressed concern about your alcohol or drug use? Do you have withdrawal symptoms (headache, nausea, anxiety, body aches) when you quit drinking or using drugs? If you honestly answer these questions, you’ll have a better understanding of how serious your drug use is.

Whether you are dealing with drug and alcohol abuse or drug addiction, most people need professional help to quit drugs and alcohol. The level of care you need depends on the type of drug, how much you take and how long you’ve been taking it. While physical addiction is severed generally within a week, psychological addiction can take months and even years to break. If you suspect that you or a loved one is either struggling with drug abuse or drug addiction, don’t wait any longer. Seek professional help today.

Alcohol abuse may start innocently enough. Letting off steam on the weekends, sporting events where you tie on a few too many, grabbing a buddy to hit the bar scene after a break-up. No one intentionally sets out to engage in alcohol abuse or set the stage for alcoholism, but all too often that’s exactly what happens.

There’s a lot of misconceptions swirling around about the notion of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. While alcohol abuse is often a precursor to alcoholism, this is not always the case. Someone can abuse alcohol and not be an alcoholic. The difference lies in the genetic make-up of each individual. People predisposed to alcoholism have a genetic predisposition that results in processing alcohol differently than others. This makes it difficult for them to stop drinking once they start. This phenomenon is known as craving. Craving for alcohol occurs on a mental and physical level, and can be so intense in alcoholics that everything else goes out the window. Work, school, relationships, responsibilities - all have been known to fall by the wayside in order to satisfy the craving for alcohol.

This is a considerable difference from someone who may begin drinking heavily after the loss of a loved one. Major life trauma or transitions can lead an individual to abuse alcohol in order to cope with grief and stress. While this is not the healthiest behavior, neither does it mean someone is an alcoholic. The best indicator is life management. If someone drinks, even heavily, but maintains significant responsibilities such as family, work, school and health, then counseling may be a more appropriate course of action than alcohol rehab. However, if after a period of time alcohol abuse continues instead of abates, then professional help to determine whether alcohol rehab is necessary should be sought.

Where alcohol abuse generally occurs in response to life situations, alcoholism is a set of behavioral and personality problems that lends itself to drinking regardless of the circumstances. In any event, if you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol abuse or alcoholism it’s a good idea to seek professional help. A counselor, therapist or intake coordinator at an alcohol rehab can help evaluate your alcohol use and determine whether you need the structured environment of alcohol rehab to overcome it.

How do you know when you or a loved one needs alcohol rehab? While many people do have to hit bottom in order to ask for help, this doesn’t have to be the case. Many people are able to recognize their need for alcohol rehab before losing everything dear to them. Unfortunately, just as many have to lose loved ones, careers, homes, opportunities and even their freedom before recognizing that they need to get help.

Alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs in the United States and also one of the most dangerous. Most traffic accidents and domestic violence disputes involve alcohol. People who struggle with alcoholism are caught in such a powerful grip of addiction, they often do have to experience severe consequences before succumbing to alcohol rehab. Some may lose their jobs, career opportunities, significant relationships and material possessions before they realize they need help. Family members and friends may be able to convince their loved one to get help at alcohol rehab before it gets too bad. Each individual’s experience is different.

Alcohol rehab offers an opportunity to step out of life for a while into a safe, structured environment where the sole focus is on recovering from the devastating effects of alcohol. Inpatient alcohol rehab programs are generally desirable as quitting alcohol can be difficult, especially in the first few months of sobriety. Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable and the cravings can be overwhelming. A medical detox is recommended as withdrawal symptoms from prolonged use of alcohol can result in hallucinations, delirium tremens (DTs) and life-threatening seizures.

Following a safe alcohol detox, professional staff members work to begin severing the psychological dependency and re-establishing health on a mental, physical and spiritual level. Some alcohol rehab centers offer clinical therapy, drug and alcohol counseling, and holistic therapies to help individuals heal on all levels. Generally, a means of group support such as a 12-step program through Alcoholics Anonymous is introduced as well. These therapies combine to help support an individual in establishing a new way of living that no longer relies on alcohol to cope. While it can take months before the transition feels comfortable, willingness to learn how to live life

Alcohol in moderation can add a festive atmosphere to many a celebration, yet far too often the abuse of alcohol can also subtract from it. Alcohol is one of the most widely used and abused drugs in the world and because it is socially acceptable, it’s not always obvious when someone has enough of a problem to consider alcohol rehab - even yourself.

The major symptom of alcoholism is denial. Denial acts as a blindfold, keeping the ugly truth hidden from the individual in the grips of it. It often takes major consequences in order to get someone’s attention. Some people who struggle with alcoholism are high-functioning and may be able to keep their professional and personal life intact right up to the day they land in jail with a DUI. Others may wind up in divorce court, jail or on the streets. Hitting bottom is different for everyone. For some people it might be emotional and for others it might be financial. Many people in the grips of alcoholism will pull themselves up so far only to reach for another drink to escape what is becoming an unbearable mess. This is the nature of the disease. Even when life is falling down around them, it will likely be friends and family members that suggest alcohol rehab before the individual does.

How do you know if you need alcohol rehab? While alcoholism strikes each person differently, there are some common signs that will alert you as to whether you need alcohol rehab, such as:

Poor school or work attendance

Deterioration in performance, personal appearance, relationships

Hiding or minimizing the amount of alcohol consumed

Little appetite when drinking

Keeping a steady supply of alcohol available so you don’t run out

Spending considerable time planning to drink, drinking, or recovering from drinking

Avoiding functions where alcohol is not served

Keeping a steady level of alcohol in your system to avoid withdrawal symptoms

Drinking to ease withdrawal symptoms (shakiness, anxiety, tremors)
Any of these signs or a combination thereof indicates alcohol rehab is necessary. You may be aware there is a problem but are unwilling to admit it or you think you can handle it on your own. Alcoholism is a disease that is difficult to combat without professional help. Withdrawal from alcohol can be dangerous and even life-threatening, resulting in hallucinations and seizures. Entering alcohol rehab is not easy but ultimately, it can be the best decision you ever make for yourself of a loved one.

Alcohol depresses the Central Nervous System (CNS), which has a central role in the coordination of activity and control of behavior. This is why excessive alcohol intake results in impaired judgment, movement and behavior. Ceasing the presence of alcohol by going “cold turkey” after a prolonged period of drinking can cause the CNS to rebound too quickly, resulting in anxiety, nervousness, tremors, shakes and life-threatening seizures. Alcohol detox should always be medically supervised in order to ensure a safe withdrawal.

The process of going through alcohol detox results in a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe. Mild withdrawal symptoms include typical hangover symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, perspiration, restlessness, agitation, loss of appetite and insomnia. But for the alcoholic who has been drinking heavily and consistently for a long period of time, severe withdrawal symptoms can include night sweats, night terrors, auditory or visual hallucinations, convulsions and the DTs (dilirium tremens). Fear of alcohol detox and the accompanying symptoms keeps many alcoholics drinking long after they know they need to stop. There are three types of alcohol detox available:

Cold Turkey

Cold turkey derived its name from the goose bumps that arise during the process of withdrawal from alcohol, drugs or nicotine.  You just stop drinking alcohol and white knuckle through the withdrawal symptoms as they come. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 people are at risk for a seizure if they choose to go cold turkey rather than receive medical care during alcohol detox.

Medical Detox

The safest form of alcohol detox is a medical detox. Individuals receive mild prescription medication to help ease them through the most dangerous phase of alcohol detox where the potential for seizure is greatest. Hospitals or drug rehab centers state-licensed for medical detox offer these services. Individuals undergoing medical detox receive medication in tapering amounts until their body is physically stabilized and they are able to enter an inpatient alcohol rehab program. This is the most prevalent and comfortable form of alcohol detox available.

NeuroTransmiter Restoration Therapy (NTR)

NeuroTransmiter Restoration Therapy (NTR) is a relatively new alcohol detox process offered by only a few select drug and alcohol rehabs in the United States. NTR utilizes an all-natural amino acid and mineral solution that coats the brain’s neurotransmitter receptor sites where most of the damage from drug and alcohol abuse occurs. This process stimulates the body’s cells to shift into repair mode, easing withdrawal symptoms, cravings and the fogginess that can accompany alcohol detox. In spite of its benefits, NTR is generally combined with medical detox as prescription medication is often necessary to ease alcoholic individuals past the danger stage when life-threatening convulsions can occur.