Over 16,532,003 people are on fubar.
What are you waiting for?

My LaDy AnGeLFaCe's blog: "ADDICTIONS"

created on 08/11/2009  |  http://fubar.com/addictions/b305888
posted on 08/11/2009&nbs-07:00;@&nbs-07:00;10:08&nbs-07:00;am

Adolescent Stages of Addiction

Addiction among our youth is a growing concern. Learn about the different stages of addiction, in adolescents.
Adolescent Stages Of Addiction
Enlarge Image
Addiction has powerfully negative effects on adolescents, their families and the realization of their hopes and dreams. The sad fact is that that every addict started life as a human being with great potential. The addiction, like an overwhelming cancer can consume these hopes and dreams. There are different stages of addiction. Each stage would require a different type of treatment modality. They are the early stage, the middle stage and the late or advanced stage of addiction. In adolescents, the stages of addiction can progress more quickly than as an adult, although this is not always true. It can take a few months or a few years to reach the later stages of addiction.

Early stages of addiction

Begins smoking cigarettes
Experimentation with drugs
Begins smoking pot and drinking
Hangs out with the drugging and drinking crowd
May steal medications from parents
Urgent requests for money, cons and manipulates to get requests met
Preoccupation with finding drugs and orients activities around them
School problems begin, maybe truancies or begging parents to make excuses for them
May not come home when requested, staying out all night
Few consequences from their use
Ability to control use
Tolerance to using
Substance use becomes a way of communicating to others
Attention span decreases
Lower tolerance to frustration

Middle stages of Addiction

Beginning to try and limit their use
Blaming others for thing that are going wrong
Using different types of drugs to gain control over use
Withdrawing from family and friends
Stealing
Academic decline and truancy
Mood swings
Lying
Increase in time spent in using substances
Changes in personal appearance
Arguments within the family
Legal difficulties
Loss of control

Late stages of Addiction

Suspension or being expelled from school
Increase in anxiety
Lowered self esteem
Increase in legal issues
Blackouts
Passing out
Signs of withdrawal symptoms
Unable to control substance use
Isolating
Anger outbursts
Denial of using
Weekend binges or daily use
Paranoia
Begins to steal, deal or prostitute to support their habit
Weight gain or weight loss
Stops trying to hide their use

Addiction is chronic, progressive and sometimes fatal. There are many forms of treatment for adolescent addiction. No one single treatment is effective for all individuals. Treatment must touch on all facets of the adolescent’s life. Social, family, school, legal and medical are just some areas that need to be a focus on, in treatment. If the adolescent is using heroin, medication management may be successful, such as buprenorphine or methadone.

If an adolescent is using drugs, the best form of treatment always includes the family. Family participation and counseling is vital in providing proper treatment to the adolescent. Without family participation, the chances of the adolescent getting into recovery are low.
Safe Computer Kids
Parental cybersafety toolkit.
Report as NSFW [?]
view comments
posted on 08/11/2009&nbs-07:00;@&nbs-07:00;10:08&nbs-07:00;am

Conquering Addiction with Spirituality

Researchers have found that turning to spirituality can be a powerful tool for treating and conquering addiction.
Conquering Addiction with Spirituality
The topic of spirituality is becoming increasingly interesting to clinicians, psychiatrists, and researchers seeking more ways for people to deal with the temptations of addiction. There are all kinds of addictions, from drugs to cigarettes, to alcohol, to overeating, and even sex. Although modern counseling, support groups, and psychiatry have made great strides in the treatment of addiction and dependency, the patient must want to change before the treatment can be successful, because addiction is tied to a person’s inner self. And that inner self is where spirituality resides.

When a person’s inner self becomes damaged or distorted, their spirituality can become damaged or distorted, resulting in addictive and self-destructive behavior. Some people believe that the key to overcoming addiction lies in organized religion. But although there is a spiritual component to religion, there are vast differences between the two. Many people are very religious and yet have little or no spirituality. On the other hand, many very spiritual people do not hold any particular religious beliefs. The following of certain religious practices may help in overcoming addiction, but the success lies not in the religious nature of the practices, but in the fact that following them helps to heal an addict’s inner self, where spirituality resides.

The ancient spiritual discipline of fasting, the mirror opposite of indulgence, is of particular interest in relation to addition. Many people practice fasting for religious reasons, but its inherent nature is a spiritual one, because it helps to strengthen one’s self-control—a personal resource that is undeniably depletable. Just as muscles strengthen from repeated exercise, practicing regular self-control is necessary to have such control available whenever it is needed. So purposely fasting, even though food is available, helps give a person the strength to say no to any influences that may contribute to an addictive personality. If one can refuse food, the most basic of human needs, then one can learn to refuse destructive substances or influences that are not vital to survival.

The practices of prayer and meditation are also considered important in maintaining sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous has 12 essential steps for members to follow, one of which says that addicts have "sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out." But although many people think of Alcoholics Anonymous as a religious approach to beating addiction to alcohol, it is actually a spiritual approach to living. Spiritual discipline and character development are emphasized, including humility, confession and amends, forgiveness, acceptance, submission to a Higher Power, ongoing personal moral inventory, and service to others. Recent research also points to the mental health benefits of practices such as forgiveness and acceptance.

Many religious and meditative practices have their roots in establishing and strengthening self-control: focusing attention, maintaining forced silence, repetitive chanting, abstaining from food, often interspersed with silence, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Such spiritual practices may promote incremental change over time, but they may also result in dramatic epiphanies, or "spiritual awakenings." Such awakenings can cause profound emotional release as a person feels freed from addiction and craving, and stories of such epiphanies are common in Alcoholics Anonymous. In fact, the last of the 12 Steps begins with the words, "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps."

Psychologist Jim Orford once noted that the reversal of a pervasive and persistent problem such as addiction may require a comprehensive "spiritual change" in attitude, character, and values. Noted psychiatrist Carl Jung described such spiritual awakenings in a similar fashion, as huge rearrangements of personality where "ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces … are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate." Clearly, when the faltering of one’s inner self manifests itself through addictive behavior, the path to healing must begin by healing that inner self—the spiritual self.
Report as NSFW [?]
view comments
posted on 08/11/2009&nbs-07:00;@&nbs-07:00;10:08&nbs-07:00;am

The Internet Addiction

That thing called the Internet
What’s the first thing you do when you awake? What a silly question you may think this to be! Of course brush your teeth! Ok that was indeed silly; let me rephrase it! What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at your cubicle in the office…. I’ll tell you! Between the time that you keep your bag to the time you take your first sip of the morning coffee, you check your mails…. Why?

Well for several reasons…. First, it’s because you need to understand what you need to do next to save your skin (in terms of corporate politics). That’s precisely why you’ve got your mailbox in place right! So after the ordeal of mails end, your tryst with IE doesn’t stop there. Then there are those wonderful mails that are forwarded to you by your friends across the seas. And there are spams and spams galore!! So what is it that really gets you get there clicking on to the screen…

I’ll tell you! The big and never ending eternal world of the Internet, a world that’s growing each day and promises to stay that way, forever growing that is! I thought it was only me who felt it, but no… With better reasons to get hooked on to www, it’s no surprise then to watch us fall prey to the web. First there were the popular chats, then the variety of searches that sprung into even varied searches, groups, bolgs, information, pictures, courses, on-line examinations, job listings, matrimonial searches, glamour mags…the list is endless.

The fast pace of Technology
At first I thought that it was only us mad hatters who chose to spend hours browsing through unknown territories and understanding the fact that being a loner was never so interesting, especially not if you had a great companion like the Internet to assist you all the time. I found that I wasn’t the only one, with my nieces and nephews growing accustomed to the constant clattering and downloading of information with curious looks that were growing by the day. So reading a book did not necessarily require me to be around with a book in hand, after all what were e-books meant for. "Just download it and we’ll pick it up from there", chirped a seven year old. "Else we’ll understand it through the graphics", suggest another five something….

Generations Hooked on!
I’ve noticed that the Internet has created its categories by simply being there. I mean, the kiddies would love to download and print wallpapers depicting their favourites Tom & Jerry cartoons, Winnie, the Pooh, their Scooby Doo’s, others would find their own perfect time in finding their summer jobs, thanks to the mushrooming of a variety of job sites. I for one remember spending time to catch up with old friends and chat my heart out. Dad went through his stocks and Mom, whom I thought wouldn’t really be the interested soul, landed up making her own notes on how to bake the perfect Apple pie, all thanks to the new food site that has been making rounds….Phew! To top it all, when I returned to the exciting new poetry featured on Poetry.com it more than startled me to find a bulky yet well maintained Jay Cutler to flex his muscles and smile at me in the face leaving me gawk eyed.

That’s Internet for you, a mad, mad world, and an addiction hard to give up!

Report as NSFW [?]
view comments
posted on 08/11/2009&nbs-07:00;@&nbs-07:00;10:08&nbs-07:00;am

Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction-Crystal Meth Effects


Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction is largely similar to the addiction of amphetamines and has horrible effects on central Nervous System of body. This article elaborates the Crystal Meth Effects in detail. Have a look...
Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction - Crystal Meth Effects
Enlarge Image
Crystal methamphetamine
Crystal methamphetamines are drugs with high potential of violence, they are also called „speed", and they stimulate the central nervous system. They belong to the amphetamines family. Just like cocaine, they are strong, exciting drugs, which lead to a series of adverse reactions, and their effect is longer lasting than the effect of cocaine.

History
Discovered by a Japanese chemist in 1919, methamphetamine was used during the second world war in order to keep the troops awoken and to energize workers in factories. Nowadays it is prescribed carefullt for the cure of some diseasas, and in some countries it is a legal medicine.

As drug it is taken under the form of powder, as inhalation or injected in watery dilution. apoasa. Amphetamine addicts become aggressive and psychotic, they lose weight, until they become skiny.

While smoking or injecting them, they get to the brain the most quickly. Thus crystal methamphetamine addicts get the condition they want very quickly and with maximum of intensity, and when they recover from this condition they want it back desperately.

How does methamphethamine affect you?
If the consumer takes small doses, he or she will feel energetic, faster, more confident, stronger. In time, these effects get loose and you need a greater dose in order to get the euphoric effects that you want.

You may become nervous and unpredictable, calm and friendly for a moment, than furous and threatening.Some of the addicts may get habits like mounting and demounting theings or pecking imaginary pimples.

After a few days when they sleep and eat very little, they become too nervous and because they don’t have the drug, they become depressed, lethargic, and very sleepy, then they fall asleep for a long time.

Anyway, depression starts again when you get up, and it can last even a few days, when the danger of suicide is great.

If the consumption is considerable, and it lasts a long time, you may develop a kind of psychosis with paranoid behavior. You may hear voies or you may have strange illusions, for example that people talk about you or somebody is following you. Crystal methamphetamines create a panic condition and an acute psychotic condition, which is extremely dangerous as it may lead to extremely violent behavior.

This psychotic condition sometimes persists days after the last dose, there are many reports about a constant psycosis, the addict becoming inactive for weeks, sometimes for years. In this case psychiatrists say that the drug has activated a psychic disease which existed previously

Here are some consequences of methamphetamine addiction
1. lack of appetite
2. fever
3. diarrhea
4. skin infections because of the struggle with imaginary pimples
5. depression
6. anxiety

If blood pressure increases because of the veines constriction, you may have headaches, pains in the chest, cerebral accidents. Brain cells will be damaged forever, because of the damage of little veins which irrigate the brain.

Pregnant women may give birth to their child earlier and the baby will be underweight, with possible neurological problems, lethargic.

Crystal metamphetamine addiction presents some symptoms which can be easily confounded with symptoms of a stressful teenager life. If your child is depressed, or he or she has other frequent health problems, a visit to the psychologist should be beneficial, because one of the causes might be crystal metamphetamine addiction, and psychologists have the reputation to save teenagers lives.

The key of this problem is change; it is important to monitor any change of physical signs, of the personality, attitude or behavior.

Physical effects of crystal metamphetamine
1. changing of eating habits
2. lack of movement coordination
3. insomnia, unusual laziness
4. red, teary eyes, blank stare
5. wet, cold, shaking hands
6. red or pale face
7. specific methamphetamine smell
8. very active, excessively talkative
9. flu symptoms
10. sting traces on arms and legs
11. nausea, sweat
12. legs or head shaking
13. irregular heart rhythm

Behavioral effects of crystal methamphetamine addiction
1. attitude change, without any apparent reason.
2. avoiding old friends, the methamphetamine addict refuses to talk about new friends as they are addict too.
3. change of activities, hobbies.
4. low school or work performance; they are often late for school or work, or they even abandon them.
5. changing behavior at home, they are not interested anymore in their family or family activities.
6. they can’t focus, they forget things and they are absent minded.
7. they lack motivation in general, energy or self esteem.
8. they are very angry, even aggressive.
9. they lack orientation.
10. their become extremely mysterious.
11. they may have car accidents.
12. they are not honest anymore.
13. they need money, so that they steal it from home or take things from home in order to sell them for drugs.
14. paranoia

Each drug has specific effects and every country needs severe law concerning drug trade and drug consumption.
Report as NSFW [?]
view comments
posted on 08/11/2009&nbs-07:00;@&nbs-07:00;09:08&nbs-07:00;am

Addiction_enmeshed confuses unbridled desires???

Addiction - the agony and the ivory. It's nothing new, is as ancient as man…Is an escape route - a temporary, momentary one.
It's nothing new, is as ancient as man…Is an escape route - a temporary, momentary one. There has never been a time when man didn't need an escape route. Everyone seems to have a need at the end of the day: a few beers, cigarettes, drugs, womanizing - any short cut to relief. None of these things bring any satisfaction, yet the desire for some sort of gratification continues…

The main cause of addiction is that man does not know how to live; how to live in totality - a complete awareness. And that is how he gets exploited by society which has a vested interest in making him suffer and offering temporary relief. A person who lived totally will not consume any alcohol, smoke cigarettes ot take any form of drug. Naturally, people who are earning millions of bucks out of alcohol and drugs cannot let you live totally. What would happen to business if no one has an addiction? Half the economy would collapse. Addictive substances are needed by people who are miserable; troubled people, people who want to forget their troubles for a few hours.

If a man lives totally, his every moment is such a fulfillment that you will not see queues before cinema houses - who wants to see someone else making love? When you yourself can make super love, why should you go to the cinema house? Our life itself is such a tremendous challenge, a big mystery. If everyone delves into even half its depth, we could make this world a better place.

There is no purity in purpose with 98% of the people. I have seen people gulp down alcohol before a stage show to ease their nervousness. Have seen people dance in the club only after two pegs down. Be able to play music only after a quick sniff of cocaine. The art is not at all crystallized in the people because there hasn’t been a complete focus in what they do. Lack of awareness. Hence the placebos or props. Hence the addiction.

For e.g. smoking - Smoking helps on a momentary basis to forget about anxieties and tensions. In the deep unconscious, it is related to sucking milk from the mother's breast. As civilization has grown, breast feeding for at least 1.5 - 2 years as in ancient times has stopped. One - due to work commitments and spending time away from home. And two - women are prone to stop breast feeding because of the paranoia of loosing the shape of the breast; the worry of the breast losing its beauty. A child does not need a round breast - a round breast will suffocate him; his nose will be stopped by the breast. So as civilization has grown, children are taken away from the mother's breast before time. The longing to suck from the breast stays in the mind and whenever people are in a nervous state of mind, smoking helps. It helps them to relax again. It's just like the mother's nipple and the flow of smoke is warm just like the milk.

Similar with snuff, paan and alcohol. The sneeze clears the mind and gives a good shake leading to a nice feeling. But again the anxieties come back. And then people graduate to alcohol and other substitutes. The trick is to create total awareness for every action. De-automatize every activity. Try to do it one step at a time. Make it a very sensual act. The act will drop by itself and you will soon realize the futility of it. Prohibition has never worked in a thousand years and it never will.
Report as NSFW [?]
view comments
last post
14 years ago
posts
5
views
4,065
can view
everyone
can comment
everyone
atom/rss

other blogs by this author

 14 years ago
REFLECTIONS
 14 years ago
I BELIEVE THIS.
 14 years ago
In the news
 14 years ago
THINGS TO PONDER
 14 years ago
Edgar Allen Poe
 14 years ago
ROBERT FROST
 14 years ago
IN THE PAST
 14 years ago
AFFINITY
 14 years ago
POETRY
see all blogs by this author
official fubar blogs
 8 years ago
fubar news by babyjesus  
 13 years ago
fubar.com ideas! by babyjesus  
 10 years ago
fubar'd Official Wishli... by SCRAPPER  
 11 years ago
Word of Esix by esixfiddy  

discover blogs on fubar

meet usterms of serviceprivacyfeedbackupdates
Copyright © 2024 Social Concepts, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Patent Pending.
blog.php' rendered in 0.0845 seconds on machine '191'.