Is there such thing as an addictionologist or some kind of doctor that specializes in treating people with addictions?

Also what kind of schooling do you go to/what do you major in?

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If you pay attention to government surveys, you’ll learn that more than 20 million people suffer from addiction to alcohol or street drugs, or they are dependent on prescription drugs that they have been abusing. But a recent survey of American adults shows that the effects of addiction stretch much farther than this.

In 2004, 63 percent of adults surveyed said that addiction had impacted their lives, most of them because of a family member’s battle with drugs or alcohol. That means that more than 135 million people struggle either with their own addiction or that of a family member or someone close to them.

This doesn’t measure the number of children who are without a father or mother because they are in jail, in rehabilitation or simply gone. Or the numbers of children who have parents at home but suffer neglect or abuse because of the drug use. It doesn’t measure the lost productivity or the number of businesses that have had to close because an owner lost everything to substance abuse or an employee embezzled enough to close the doors.

Substance abuse and addiction exacts a terrible toll on America. And successful rehabilitation programs can be few and far between. Many rehabilitation programs state success rates between 5 and 20 percent.

“The Narconon Program is very proud of its 70% success rate,” stated Derry Hallmark, stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions and Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.

“In our forty years of delivering rehabilitation services and in our 120 centers around the world,” Mr. Hallmark added, “we have been able to return many thousands of people to drug-free lifestyles. Our drug-free program addresses the three primary barriers to addiction rehabilitation: cravings, guilt and depression. We employ a thorough detoxification that uses a dry-heat sauna plus exercise, vitamins and minerals to break through the cravings. Educational and counseling phases of this rehabilitation program enable those in our program to leave guilt and depression far behind and develop new life skills for a drug-free life.”

If you know anyone who needs help to overcome a drug addiction, please contact

Narconon Arrowhead

Alcoholism is defined as an irresistible urge to consume alcohol. People suffering from alcoholism are very well aware of the dangerous effects alcohol could have on their bodies, but still they are unable to resist the urge to consume it. They will usually drink beyond acceptable limits and will be in an inebriated state most often, causing embarrassment and inconvenience to the people with them.

Most people who consume alcohol have more than they can manage. This is seen in alcohol drinkers who lose control of their senses when they have one drink too many. Such an overstepping of limits is called as alcohol abuse. People who abuse alcohol are having more alcohol than their body allows them, but they have not yet come totally under the control of their alcohol habit. However, if they continue drinking for long, then they will not be able to resist alcohol and will become totally addicted to it. This situation is called as alcoholism.

Constant alcoholism will interfere with the functioning of all the vital organs of the body. The major organs affected are the liver, brain, heart and kidneys.

Liver is perhaps the most seriously affected in the long run. With prolonged alcoholism, the liver may develop cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver tissue. Once cirrhosis sets in, it is very difficult to return the health back to normal.

In the stomach, alcohol can cause several gastric problems which may interfere with digestion. At the same time, each time a person has alcohol, it numbs his/her nervous system. In due course, the person may lose some or all of the fundamental senses.

(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Alcoholism

1. Aloe vera (Aloe vera)

Aloe vera helps to strengthen the liver which is the first organ to be affected by the habit of alcoholism. Aloe vera can improve the functions and strength of the liver, and can prevent cirrhosis which is developed due to continuous intake of alcohol.

2. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Ashwagandha is an herb that is taken to reduce vata vitiations. This is important since vata plays and important role in strengthening the brain and nervous coordination. Use of ashwagandha can make the alcoholic person stronger.

3. Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)

The gotu kola herb revitalizes the brain. This is essential in people who want to overcome the withdrawal symptoms accompanied with alcohol.

4. Musk (Nardostachys jatamansi)

Known commonly in Ayurveda as Jatamansi, musk is a nervine for the vata vitiation. Its cooling effect helps the body to fight against then effects of alcoholism.

(2) Ayurvedic Treatment for Alcoholism

Ayurvedic treatments for mada work on various levels. There are different kinds of treatments for people with different degrees of alcoholism. Common therapies employed are cold irrigations on the head, providing a cold diet and applying cold mud packs on the body.

However these therapies work only for people who are not habitual alcoholics. These are the people who are beginners to drinking and hence get intoxicated easily. Ayurvedic medicines like Brihat vata chintamani rasa, Vata Vidhwansa rasa, Brahmi ghritam and Sarvatha choorna can be given to the alcoholics.

But if the person is a habitual alcoholic, then severe treatments are necessary. The medication is done based on the doshic constitution of the person.

1. For people with a vata constitution, the prescribed Ayurvedic treatments are Suvarachala choorna, Shuktapana and Amla Snigdhaadi yoga.

2. For people with a pitta constitution, the prescribed Ayurvedic treatments are Vata Srugadi pana and Kshundramalaki hima.

3. For people with a kapha constitution, the prescribed Ayurvedic treatments are to induce vomiting, fasting and to provide digestive medicines.

(3) Home Medications

Fruit juices are very effective in lowering the effects of alcoholism. For removing the effects of a hangover, the juice of a lemon or orange will be very effective. Eating an apple or banana helps to flush out the toxins from the body which collect due to alcoholism.

Both grapes and dates are very beneficial in reducing the urge to consume alcohol. If alcoholics are kept on a diet of only grapes for a couple of weeks, then most likely the temptation to drink will be totally gone.

Introduce many other drinks in the person’s diets so that the craving for the alcoholic drink is reduced.

When the person feels the urge to consume alcohol, having a glass of carrot juice will help to reduce the temptation.

For an alcoholic, avoiding alcohol could be a very difficult task. The withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism may be very severe. So it is not advisable for a hardcore alcohol to stop drinking entirely. Instead, the alcohol should be carefully phased out.

The following steps can be taken to reduce alcohol intake

1. The person must be made to take interest in constructive hobbies and sports.

2. Love and affection from family members and friends could strengthen the resolve of the person to give up alcoholism.

3. Attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous will show the alcoholic how people have managed to kick their boozing habits. This will create a very positive outlook in the alcoholic.

4. Instead of alcohol, other drinks with less alcohol in them can be used, such as wine and cocktails. Eventually even these can be stopped.

Someone you love may be an alcoholic, and you don’t even know it. But knowing the symptoms of alcoholism, and the warnings signs people with alcoholism exhibit, will go a long way towards helping you get them the help they need.

Here are some of the most common signs of alcoholism:

Irresponsible behavior. An individual with a drinking problem will begin to behave in ways that are a danger to himself and others. Driving while under the influence of alcohol, physical and mental abuse of a spouse or significant other, getting into fights, putting one’s career in jeopardy by missing or coming in late to work are all examples of irresponsible behavior brought on by alcoholism.

Health problems. The excessive drinking of an alcoholic can lead to some very serious health problems. The alcoholic may experience fatigue, severe headaches, joint pain, anxiety, loss of weight and other potentially serious health issues. And obviously, the long term health consequences of alcohol abuse are well documented and include liver failure and premature death.

Drinking at all hours of the day. An alcoholic is NOT a social drinker, and as such may begin consuming alcohol first thing in the morning, and then continue on (often drinking alone) throughout the day. This symptom of alcoholism is likely to lead to several forms of self-destruction – most prominent among them, losing one’s job.

Increased tolerance to alcohol. The alcoholic will be able to drink a greater-than-normal amount of alcohol without feeling the effects. They will also have a hard time stopping their drinking “binge” once they have begun – a common signal that their tolerance for alcohol has increased.

Blackouts and memory loss. An alcoholic is likely to drink so much that they experience blackouts - periods where they cannot remember anything about their actions. Memory loss due to alcohol abuse is psychologically damaging and highly self-destructive in nature. Although he personally has no memory of it, the alcoholic may say or do things to friends and family, that leave emotional scars that take a great deal of time to heal.

Drinking as a response to stress. An alcoholic drinks when life’s problems cause him or her stress. If there’s a problem at work or at home, a person with a drinking problem will consume more alcohol (relative to how bad the problem is) in an effort to forget about the issue. Therefore, an alcoholic rarely works to solve problems – and instead drinks to escape them.

Breaking promises. The alcoholic commonly breaks promises he makes to family and friends. These broken promises take the form of missing a child’s baseball game or not paying back a loan to a friend. But the most common broken promise that comes from an alcoholic is one he makes to himself: that tomorrow he will stop drinking. That he can get his drinking problem under control without assistance.

Hallucinations. After excessive drinking, many alcoholics will see things that aren’t there. These types of hallucinations can cause psychological damage to the alcoholic and lead to bouts of irrational fear and paranoia. Hallucinations are also prevalent among alcoholics going through withdrawal symptoms as they wait for their next drink.

Continuing to drink after any of the problems above have occurred. The chief symptom of alcoholism is this dreaded behavior. When a person’s health is failing because of alcohol abuse, yet they continue to drink. When they have lost their job and their family because of alcohol, but still pick up that glass. This is the downward spiral of alcoholism that has claimed millions of lives around the world.

If you or someone you love is experiencing any of these symptoms, get them (or yourself) help! See a professional as soon as possible, before the alcoholic harms another person or does irreparable damage to himself.

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the reasons why addictions occur. Some believe that substances in themselves are not addictive, that it is the bodies chemical reaction to the substance to which the individual is addicted. This claim could certainly seem plausible when considering gambling or shopping addictions. There is no foreign chemical entering the body, rather that the body is creating its own chemical reaction (excitement/ adrenalin) in response to the external stimulus of gambling or shopping, and it is the feeling that the individual is addicted to, not the actual act itself.

It is also understandable that when one introduces chemicals to the body, chemical reactions occur. Some of these reactions stimulate reward centres within the brain which are triggered when a person exercises, falls in love or is praised or acknowledged.

Sometimes an addiction occurs when a person uses drugs, cigarettes, alcohol or even food, to alleviate stress and worry. In order to successfully treat these types of addiction, the person must focus on increasing their levels of self esteem so that they are able to create good feels about themselves without any need to have the feelings triggered by and external stimulus.

It is difficult to predict if one person is more likely to suffer from an addiction more than the next. Again, claims have been made that some suffer with an addictive personality. It is probably wiser to consider the social circumstances of addicts. For example, if your parents smoked, you are more likely to be yourself a smoker. If your friend take drugs, you are likely to be influenced by them. There are of course other factors. If a person is lacking in a structured life, or has experienced an over structured life, drugs can be a form of escape and detachment from a life which is perhaps, not entirely fulfilling.

Often, an addiction will increase in severity over time. This is because the body becomes regulated and used to the addictive chemical being in the body. To achieve the same level of stimulation, more of the addictive chemical is needed in the body. Many addictions can cause serious heath, social, physical and mental problems and when addictive substances are increased in a non- regulated environment, the consequences can be devastating.

Fortunately, changes can be made. Addicts do not necessarily need to be addicts for the rest of their lives. If the addict is willing and motivated to change, there are ways of easing and in some cases removing completely, the side effects when withdrawing from an addictive substance.

NLP can be used to help the client understand new perspectives about how the addiction has impacted on their lives. Techniques can be used to desensitize any negative associations from the past, and positive triggers can be installed for use when the cravings would normally occur.

Hypnosis can be used to remove habits and to create changes in the subconscious, the part of the mind responsible for creating and maintaining habits. Post hypnotic suggestions can be used to associate powerful negative feelings to the addictive act or substance, so that these powerful negative feelings are experienced in the future if ever then patient considers interacting with the addictive substance or act again.

There has been a lot of talk about hair alcohol testing and how it matches up against traditional forms of alcohol testing. Some argue for the price of the specific test, there are others out there that can reveal alcohol abuse for half the cost of hair alcohol testing. The fact is, other tests like breathalyzers and urine alcohol testing can reveal alcohol consumption but not anywhere near the precision or the scope of hair alcohol testing. Essentially, by testing for alcohol abuse with hair alcohol testing once, you can reveal 12 months of abuse, whereas a urine alcohol test’s findings could only reveal up to a week or 10 days at best. Hair alcohol testing is extremely sensitive and exact, and for many employers, social services and others, exact information is priceless.

How Small Is Too Small Of A Trace Of Alcohol To Be Found In Hair Alcohol Testing?

Hair alcohol testing is so sensitive to alcohol that it can pick up traces of alcohol in a person’s hair if they were to visit a pub or in a dentist office or other environment where medicine with alcohol is involved. Alcohol is around us in the air in different forms whether we are aware of it or not. Ethanol is present in all hair including those who abstain from alcohol altogether.

To avoid the confusion of those who ingest alcohol and those who happened to be in the environment of alcohol present, hair alcohol testers use EtG alcohol testing, a special form of hair alcohol testing that measures the amount of alcohol ingested and metabolized by the body. When a person consumes alcohol, part of it reacts with fatty acids to produce esters. The test adds up the concentrations of four fatty acid ethyl esters, (FAEEs) that are apparent in the test and uses them as indicators of the alcohol consumption. As the hair grows, it absorbs special markers called fatty acid ethyl esters and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) into its structure, which remain in the hair indefinitely. These patented markers are only produced when there is alcohol in the bloodstream, and the more markers there are, the more alcohol you consumed.

The amounts found in hair are measured in nanograms (one nanogram equals only one billionth of a gram)- however with the benefit of modern technology, it is now possible to detect such small amounts.

Pros and Cons of Other Traditional Methods Verses Hair Alcohol Testing

• Hair Alcohol Testing Window of Detection: Up to 12 months

• Traditional Methods: Less than 4 weeks

• Possibility of False Positives or Tampering with Hair Alcohol Testing: None

• Possibility of False Positives or Tampering with Traditional Testing Methods: Yes

• Invasive Testing Procedure with Traditional Testing Methods: Yes

• Invasive Testing Procedure with Hair Alcohol Testing: No

Whether your school, office, hospital or legal system should use hair alcohol testing as its preferred method of testing for alcohol abuse is a very personal choice that depends on many factors. You can’t put a price on your company’s name as a reputable provider of safe services. When it comes to paying for piece of mind on your staff or student’s safety, there isn’t anything more valuable than that.

With access to pornography so incredibly easy due to the nature of the internet the number of people viewing online pornography has skyrocketed and its loss of taboo status to almost be a norm for many people has led to a sharp increase in people who have become mired in the world of smut. How to overcome pornography addiction has become a major topic because of the enormous numbers of people who have realized that it has gone beyond cheap thrills and occasional titillation and has started to control their life.

One of the biggest problems we start with when looking to break free of an addiction like this is the social stigma associated with it, many people would laugh if you admitted to having an addiction to porn that was inhibiting your life where if you admitted that you had an addiction to alcohol or a drug people would be more sympathetic. This compounded with the high number of people who have become addicted to the world of porn because of low self esteem means it can be a real uphill battle that many face on their own without any help.

That being said, difficult is not the same as impossible! To start with you must take some practical steps to limit the damage this problems causes and you must develop a resolve to quit and be done with it ‘cold turkey’ as they say because any ‘once off’ moments can be a very self defeating thing where the slide back into addiction can take hold. So to start, while you are committed to this course of action and are ready to take some action they this:

Unsubscribe to any pornography pay sites you have.

Delete all links & passwords to any pornography websites you have … clean out your internet history completely so there is NO trace.

Download an adult content blocker and install it. While you can always override it the blocker will help stop you browsing and getting caught up. Also if you have someone helping you with this get THEM to set the password without you knowing to make it more secure!

Find something else you can do when you get bored or frustrated online that will take your mind off your habit as boredom and frustration has been proven to be a major factor in building a pornography addiction.

Take some time to think of the ‘why’ of your addiction. How to overcome addiction to pornography requires serious, honest introspection and can be more important than willpower and actions like the points before as a behavioral addiction is usually a result of other problems in your life such as low self esteem, depression, stress or sometimes even anger against the opposite sex.

So if you need to stop your addiction to pornography and need more information and help please visit:

http://www.kick-addiction.com

Some other ?’s you may know:

2. What are some major causes of adult alcoholism?
3. Teenage Alcoholism?
4. how are adults and teens who suffer from it treat the problem?

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Articles on alcoholism provide in depth in formation about the causes, symptoms and treatment to alcoholism. Alcoholism is defined as a s disease in medical terms. However it is slightly different from other diseases since it is controllable if the drinker is ready to quit the habit.

Articles on alcoholism provide certain information. They describe alcoholism as the consumption of alcohol beverages to the maximum extent that this behavior disturbs the alcoholic’s normal family and work life. Chronic alcoholism will lead to physical and mental disorders. Therefore alcoholism is becoming a serious problem nowadays. Though alcohol use triggers alcoholism, it is not compulsory that all the drinkers will develop alcoholism disorder. The quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption required to develop alcoholism will vary from person to person.

There are numerous articles on alcoholism. You can view them in the wikipedia also. These articles help you to understand the warning signs of alcoholism. Understanding the signs is the first step towards treatment to alcoholism. Causes and treatments of alcoholism are discussed in various articles. We can see the summary of such articles below:

The cause of alcoholism is not yet definite. However, some researches show that genetic reasons may lead to alcoholism. An individual with a family history of alcoholism will have more chances of developing the disease. The risk will increase if he\she is a novelty seeking personality.

Treatment for alcoholism may vary from person to person. Since alcoholism involves multiple factors that trigger the drinker to drink continuously the treatment will also differ depending upon the factor. However group therapy and psychotherapy can provide better results in treating alcoholism. There are several medication therapies available to control alcoholism. Benzodiazepines, vitamin supplements etc will be useful in reducing the withdrawal symptoms. Medication for long term use will be different. Antabuse will help in reducing the symptoms of hangover. Acamprosate is yet another medicine which proves effective in reducing the adverse effects of alcoholism. This medicine is approved by Food and drug administration.

Symptoms of alcoholism are clearly shown in various articles on alcoholism. Early signs of alcoholism include heavy drinking and drinking in dangerous situation like car driving. The drinker will start drinking in secret and will hide alcohol in secret places. He\she will feel irritated when alcohol is not available. The drinker will feel annoying when the family members and friends pass comments on their drinking habit. He\she will tart getting legal, financial and work related problems. He\she will continue to drink though he\she knows that problems arise due to his\her drinking habit only. The tolerance of body to alcohol will increase and so the drinker will not feel content by consuming the regular amount. This will increase the health problems. The person will get problems in family relationship also. Since he is drinking heavily and frequently, his health condition will continue to worse.

Articles on alcoholism describe the disease in identical twins. Since the psychological factors and social environment for identical twins will be similar, they may have the chance of getting alcoholism provided if one or both their parents have alcohol addiction problem.

I’m not tiny and I am a bit overweight. I don’t want to drink too much. Does it look wrong to have three alcoholic drinks on a second date? Women: do you usually get slightly tipsy from three drinks? I drink super fast & love alcohol, but mainly on dates, to loosen up, but not to get drunk, just for a buzz. Thx.

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