High-Functioning Alcoholic: The Issues Will Come Out Eventually

Most of the time, the world “alcohol” paints a picture of a person whose life is in complete disarray because of drinking too much. However, not all alcoholics may be categorized into such a stereotype. There is, in fact, another kind of alcoholic known as high-functioning alcoholics.

  • High-functioning alcoholics often appear to have everything going smooth sailing.
  • They may be drinking copious amounts of alcohol, but they simultaneously excel in their work and academics and also have good relationships with their family and friends.
  • Often, their success works against them by making them believe that their drinking is under control.
  • However, after a few months or years, the alcoholism can catch up with them.

It may be very challenging to deal with high-functioning alcoholics.

Often, they are in deep denial concerning their problems with alcohol. After all, they were able to manage an appearance of success despite their impending addiction. Also, many high-functioning alcoholics have loved ones who act like their accomplices by covering up for the consequences of their habits. These people unconsciously enable or encourage the behavior of their alcoholic friend by allowing him to continuously be destructive.

A high-functioning alcoholic is often educated and middle-aged, possibly married with a good family and has a successful career.

Contrary to the stigma of a lonely, desolate and destitute alcoholic, family members and friends may not be able to recognize that a drinking problem even exists.

All day these high-functioning alcoholics stay productive by going to work, going to the gym, and then go home and slug two bottles of wine or other liquor in excess. Often, family members consider this as their normal behavior since the person is still keeping up with his obligations.

High-functioning alcoholics may not be drinking every single day but they may engage in several episodes of heavy drinking or binging every few days. High-functioning alcoholics may not recognize their drinking problem. It is what leads to a double life separating personal and professional life with drinking life.

Although it may seem that this person has his life in order and on the surface does not appear to suffer from alcohol use disorder, high-functioning alcoholics are likely to have developed a tolerance to alcohol. Hence, the need to take in more amount each time just to get drunk.

Other warning signs you should watch out for are:

  • The inability to stick to limits on their drinking successfully.
  • The need to drink alcohol to relax or relieve stress.
  • Frequently jokes about alcoholism or alcohol use.
  • Engaging in hazardous behaviors when drinking such as driving under the influence or going for risky sexual encounters.
  • Show periods of sobriety with restlessness, mood swings, agitation, and irritability.
  • Justifies the drinking as a form of reward.
  • Drinking in secret or by oneself.
  • Periodic blackouts and memory lapses

Also, the person may go through withdrawal symptoms and feel hungover when they remove drinking alcohol from their habits. Many highly functional alcoholics are able to train themselves to be able to function normally despite the negative effects of alcohol on their body. This will also be made possible with the help of addiction treatment center.

Often, the signs of addiction are the loss of productivity in school or at work and the inability to fulfill work and family obligations consistently. However, a highly-functional alcoholic may not show similar signs. Over time, alcohol affects the brain negatively eventually making the person non-functional. As such, it may get more difficult to get tasks done through time.

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The following article High-Functioning Alcoholic: The Issues Will Come Out Eventually is courtesy of detoxofsouthflorida.com

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Spice Abuse

Why Do People Abuse Spice?

Reports from U.S. State Poison Control Centers indicate that mostly teens and young adults abuse Spice.

Q: Why?
A: One reason: To get high!

The main reason so many people are turning to this drug is because Spice can mimic the effects of marijuana. In fact, the cannabinoid compounds found in Spice products act on the same cell receptors as THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana. Plus, it is easy to get. Smoke shops and convenience stores across the nation sell synthetic marijuana labeled as herbal incense. This makes the drug affordable and easily obtainable.

But what defines “drug abuse”? How can you identify a problem in yourself or someone else? We review here. In this article, we cover the signs and adverse side effects of Spice abuse. Then, we outline the sources for help and what you can do to quit Spice abuse safely. Finally, we invite your personal questions about Spice at the end. We try to answer each personal question with a prompt reply!

—–

Ready to Quit Spice?
Dial 1-877-959-3459 to reach a FREE HOTLINE.
You can quit once and for all!
Trusted Help Available 24/7.

—–

How is Spice Abused?

Like marijuana, Spice is mainly smoked. Sometimes it can be added to hot water and prepared as herbal tea for drinking. The drug is also mixed along with marijuana for smoking. However, smoking Spice with weed can provoke intense reactions, some of which may be life-threatening. What’s worse, you may smoke these two drugs together without knowing as some dealers enhance pure marijuana with Spice or another brand of synthetic cannabis to produce heightened effects.

Spice Abuse Signs

Spice produces marijuana-like effects. But often, symptoms are far more intense compared to those of marijuana, and may last up to 8 hours after initial use. In fact, this SAMHSA advisory reports that some cannibinoids can be 4-100 more potent than THC.  So, how can you tell when someone is abusing Spice?

First, any use of Spice is considered abuse. We abuse drugs when we intentionally use them for their psychoactive affects. In this way, drug abuse occurs when you take Spice for its euphoric effects or as a way of coping with stress. When you use Spice to get high, you are intentionally stepping away from reality. How can you identify use?

A person on Spice will give clear signs of being under the influence of the drug. Some of them include:

Physical signs:

  • hunger or thirst
  • impaired speech
  • increased heart rate
  • nausea
  • profuse sweating
  • shakiness
  • vomiting

Psychological signs:

  • anxiety
  • agitation
  • delusions
  • euphoria
  • hallucinations
  • paranoia
  • restlessness

Behavioral signs:

  • abnormal or erratic behavior
  • aggression
  • decreased social interactions
  • neglect of responsibilities and obligations
  • personality changes
  • strained relationships with family and friends
  • violent outburst

Adverse Side Effects of Spice

Q: Is Spice use safe?
A: No.

Spice will always vary in composition and potency. No single batch will be like any other. The notion that Spice is a natural, safe and toxic-free drug can’t be father from the truth.  People who use these substances cannot know the precise array of chemicals that are in them. Serious, even lethal, outcomes can result from their use.

How does it affect the body? Common effects of Spice include:

  • Anxiety, panic attacks, or paranoia
  • Giddiness
  • Hallucinations
  • Increase in heart rate and blood pressure

And although Spice may have similar effects to marijuana, but the drug has a much faster onset and can be more intense. It is much more likely to produce serious adverse effects in users, regardless of whether they are fist time users or have been abusing synthetic marijuana for some time. Convulsions, organ damage, or death are possible.

Serious Negative Side Effects of Spice

Some of the serious adverse and negative side-effects that Spice users may experience, include:

  • Coma
  • Elevated blood pressure
  • Hostility towards others
  • Kidney damage
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizures and tremors
  • Suicidal thoughts and actions

Spice abuse can also have deadly consequences, usually as a result of sudden outbursts of violent behavior, suicide, or unintended injury.

Spice Overdose: Call 911!

Since the side effects of Spice abuse can vary from person to person in intensity and severity, it may be difficult to determine when someone just has a strong reaction to the drug or is overdosing. The more serious side effects of Spice overdose include:

  • Vomiting
  • Violent behavior
  • Confusion
  • Paranoia
  • Suicidal thinking or actions
  • Seizures

If someone close to you has abused Spice and is now experiencing adverse and violent side effects, it’s best to seek medical help immediately. Call 911 ASAP! Then, inform the contact representative that the person has taken Spice and report any other drugs or alcohol taken with it. Make sure you provide clear instructions about your exact location. You can stay on the phone with medical professionals to receive instructions about how to aid the person until they arrive. Stay calm. Emergency responders will require police back up if the situation is aggressive or dangerous.

NOTE: Poison Control Centers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for help and advice Spice overdose and its risks. All calls are free and confidential. You can call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 anytime if you or a loved one have taken too much Spice.

Help For a Spice Abuse Problem

Take hope! Spice problems can be treated medically. Medical professionals address a Spice problem for both physical and mental dimensions. Here are the three main stages of Spice treatment help:

STAGE 1: Initial assessment.

The purpose of the assessment phase is to determine the severity of a Spice problem and to develop a personalized treatment plan. During this phase, people go through an interview, a physical exam, medical/family history and a drug screen. Interview questions are usually standardized. The process can take 1-3 hours to complete, but is well worth the time. This way, people with a Spice problem can better understand the holistic nature of the problem.

STAGE 2: Medical detoxification.

Detox is an intervention during which Spice is eliminated from the body in a safe and controlled environment. Detox clinics are staffed with doctors and nurses trained in helping you cope with the withdrawal symptoms of early abstinence. Without professional assistance, Spice withdrawal can be unpleasant, dangerous and even life-threatening.

STAGE 3: Therapy + Counseling.

Spice abuse treatment also includes psychotherapy and behavioral therapies, such as:

  • Educational sessions
  • Family, Individual, and Group Therapy
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Pharmacological therapies
  • Career, Legal, or Social Counseling
  • Wellness Activities

All these interventions and therapies aim to help you get to the root causes of your addiction and to adopt new, sober behaviors.

Who Can Provide Such Services?

A number of professionals! In fact, it is up to you to decide which source of help you are most comfortable to reach out to. Here, we suggest a few possible options to get you started.

A Spice abuse helpline – A drug hotline is safe and informative place where you can get answers to your questions about Spice abuse. You can also find out whether you have an addiction problem and get started on your way to resolve your Spice abuse and any other mental health issues that may co-occur. In fact, when you CALL 1-877-959-3459 you can talk openly and honestly about your situation. Judgement free!

Drug treatment centers – There are specialized Spice and K2 addiction treatment programs that accept and treat patients who are addicted to Spice. Inpatient rehab centers offer all services from detox to aftercare planning in-house, while outpatient programs are also available for those who don’t require a residential stay at a rehab.

Pharmacists – A pharmacist at your local pharmacy can help fill prescriptions for medicines used to treat Spice withdrawal symptoms. Pharmacists can also suggest over-the-counter medicines and herbal remedies that can help any minor symptoms of Spice withdrawal.

Physicians – Your primary physician can be your first point of contact and can run initial tests to determine the severity of your Spice abuse. Physicians can also refer you to an addiction treatment center fit for your needs.

Psychiatrists – These mental health specialists provide psychiatric help for people addicted to Spice.

Licensed clinical psychologist – Clinical psychologists provide counselling and education. Talk sessions are important in helping Spice users achieve and maintain sobriety.

Addiction specialists – Doctors who are Certified Addiction Specialists (CAS) can help people with recurrent or chronic problems with Spice abuse and/or other drugs.

Spice Abuse Questions

If you have any other questions on the matter of Spice abuse, side-effects and consequences, feel to ask or comment in the section below. We try to respond personally and promptly to all legitimate inquiries.

Reference Sources: SAMHSA: First-of-its-kind report finds that street forms of “synthetic marijuana” products linked to thousands of hospital emergency departments visits each year
FBI: Synthetic Marijuana
NYC Health: Synthetic Marijuana
NYC Health: Synthetic Marijuana (Cannabinoids) Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers
NARCONON: Signs and Symptoms of Spice Use

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from Addiction Blog http://drug.addictionblog.org/spice-abuse/

My child has psychological problems: Parenting Through the Storm BOOK REVIEW

Ending the Silence Between You and Your Child

Does the following sound familiar?

  1. Your communication with your child feels like it’s a one-way street.
  2. Various hormonal processes are taking over during adolescence.
  3. It seems like these processes have gotten stuck.

So, how do you reconnect?

These are just some of the issues described in Ann Douglas’ book, Parenting Through the Storm. Driven by her own children’s experience with psychiatric and learning disabilities, Ann Douglas felt that parents who face these challenges deserve to be heard. She wrote this book in the hope to help other parents whose children are diagnosed with psychological disorders.

More on how to end the silence between you and your child and reach out for help here – with a section for questions and comments in the end.

The idea behind Parenting Through the Storm

Ann Douglas wrote this book to broaden up parents’ perspectives about the challenges that await them during their children treatment journey. Parenting Through the Storm is a collection of different family experiences with psychological problems. This book intends to show parents who struggle with these issues that they are not alone. The idea behind the book is to offer parents of children diagnosed with psychiatric disorder(s) direction for help and educational resources.

We think that the book achieves this goal.

Reading it can help you to relate. You’ll see how other families overcome similar issues and share the load. What are the main themes in the book? Here’s what we learned.

What will you learn from this book?

Divided into 5 (five) parts, this highly educational resource teaches parents about:

PART 1: Recognizing children’s psychological problems (and coping with them)

This section of the book includes detailed instruction about how to notice abnormal changes in your child’s behavior. You’ll also find a list of mental health indicators in children and teenagers which might come handy if you suspect any problems.

PART 2: Rebuilding the parent-child connection

The focus of this section is the importance of finding the right diagnosis that will describe precisely what’s going on with your child. Here, Douglas speaks about the importance of parents’ health and well-being, as well. When one member of the family is weak, others need to remain strong. To do this, we need to take care of ourselves!

PART 3: Family adjustments

This part of the book broadens the perspective of readers to motivate them to look at other family members who need to adjust to live with a diagnosed member in their home. This includes lifestyle changes from each family member (parents and siblings) in order to maintain the strength of the family and help each other easily go through the process of recovery.

PART 4: Community influence

This section of the book broadens up the picture of what it means to have a child with psychiatric problems. This involves the challenges of your child in school and during social interaction with friends which often time bully kids about their disorder.

PART 5: What happens during recovery

This part of Parenting Through the Storm looks at ideas for a better system of care for children with mental and behavioral health challenges.

Who is this book intended for?

This book is intended as a “first aid manual” to all parents whose children manifest signs of mental and emotional problems during their growth. Furthermore, Parenting Through the Storm aims to tighten the gap between recognizing your child’s struggles and being able to know what those struggles represent.

Why Parenting Through the Storm deserves a place in your personal library

We love and recommend this book because its a highly educational and practical manual for families who have children diagnosed with mental and behavioral health problems. Mental health issues are highly stigmatized in our culture. And when you ignore a mental health problem, risk of addiction as a co-occuring disorder increases. However, our connected experiences can help us grow personally, towards a united vision of holistic health. Parenting Through the Storm is a beacon of light along the way.

One of the things that makes this book special is that it acknowledges the importance and well-being of the whole family system during a struggle with psychological problems. Parents of children diagnosed with psychiatric diagnoses will find some advice in this book on how to take care of themselves during this process which can be stressful. The problems of a one family member affects the whole system. This is why Ann Douglas approach is integrative, treating each member issue with equal importance as to the one facing the psychological disorder.

An additional asset of the book is that it provides encouragement. Written in the form of a group memoir of those who have gone through the storm – successfully – this book offers hope and inspiration during a family battle with emotional and mental health disorders. We all need hope. Hope keeps us going. This book helps provide parents with the hope that things can and will get better.

Wondering where you can find “Parenting Through the Storm: Find Help, Hope and Strength when you child has psychological problems?” To buy, download and read the book, check this link: https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Through-Storm-everything-between-ebook/dp/B00N0XG4N6

Additionally, if you are left with any questions about this book, we ask you to post them in the section below. We also welcome your feedback if you’ve read the book, and would like to comment and share your opinion.

About the author: Ann Douglass is an award-winning parenting writer and the mother of four children who have struggled with a variety of psychological problems-and are currently thriving. She speaks widely at health, parenting, and education conferences. She also hosts online conversations about parenting and mental health for a range of organizations. With acclaimed books, including “The mother of All parenting Books” and “The Mother of All Baby Books” to her credit, Ann has helped hundreds of thousands of parents navigate the challenges and complexities of raising kids today. She lives with her husband and their youngest child in Peterborough, Ontario.

Copyright © 2011
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from Addiction Blog http://addictionblog.org/treatment/book-reviews/my-child-has-psychological-problems-parenting-through-the-storm-book-review/