Posts tagged with ‘warning signs’

Should Family Members Be Able to Place Loved Ones in Rehab?

Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem. Deaths from the abuse of prescription painkillers tripled in less than ten years (1999-2008). What is to be done when family members recognize the presence of abuse? Should they be allowed to force loved ones into rehab beyond programs measured in only hours? How does the law protect an individual’s civil rights without denying loved ones a voice when the individual’s very life could be at stake? Full Story

Perfectionism Linked to Drug Addiction

The person with never a strand of hair out of place, whose car is forever immaculate and whose home looks like a model showcase may seem like the furthest thing from a candidate for addiction, but a perfectionistic drive can actually be at the root of addiction. Full Story

Trying to Reach a Loved One Who Is an Addict

Attempting to communicate with a loved one who is dealing with an unacknowledged substance abuse problem is a little like trying to carry on a conversation with someone when you both speak entirely different languages. And in the case of addicts, the language they speak has a grammar and a structure that is so unique and so different from yours that finding any kind of common ground can at times seem next-to-impossible. Nothing you say ever seems to make any impact or any difference to them, and from your perspective the things they say and the rationalizations they make to explain their self-destructive behavior don’t seem to have any connection to reality as you understand it. Full Story

What Does it Really Mean to Hit Bottom?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if drug use followed a formula and that every addict’s path were the same? This would make it so much easier to predict when things associated with addiction would occur and that more importantly, as an addict, you could either pinpoint when your bottom will occur or ideally, avoid it altogether. Full Story

When Intervention Fails

When the family members and loved ones of someone with a substance abuse problem make the decision to try an intervention, they enter into the process with the highest of hopes. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that an intervention, no matter how well organized or executed, will be enough to convince an addict that the time has truly come to make a change. It all may work out perfectly on television or in the movies, but in real life the powerful influence exerted by drugs or alcohol can be so overwhelming that those who are addicted will be unable to break through the walls of rationalization and denial that separate them from sobriety and healing. Full Story

Tips From Experts If You Think a Co-Worker Might Have a Substance Abuse Problem

If you are worried about a co-worker and think they might have a substance abuse problem there are steps you can take to help determine what to do, according to L.A. Times. It is always important to seek the advice of a professional in the field since they have the knowledge to deal with this type of situation if you suspect drug abuse. Full Story