I just finished up a 3 and a half day juice fast and I wanted to mention it to other readers who might be interested in trying something like this.  After reading about perfume guides all day it is time to talk about juicing as a means of losing weight and feeling good.

I did it using the acai fruit juice from V8 Fusion and added in fresh squeezed lemons that have had the pulp strained out of them.  Now you can get a fancy electric juicing machine but I don’t think it is necessary.  Just get a hand squeezer for 5 bucks and use lemons and limes to add in to  your juice.  Just make sure you strain the pulp through a paper towel every time.

Anyway, the effects of doing this fast are amazing.  I feel great and have a new appreciation for food once more.  You really cleanse the system out and I hope to one day do a much longer juice fast as well.

If you are just drinking pasteurized juice from the store you will be starving hungry the whole time.  But if you add in the fresh squeezed lemon and strain the pulp out, you will feel no hunger whatsoever.  None.  You will only get the occasional thought that you should eat something, but you can bat it away with no problem.  You can drink as much acai juices as you like during the juice fast.

Expect to have TONS of extra energy during and after the fast.  It is not a weak feeling like you get from water fasting at all.  You will even sleep much less because your body will not need as much sleep to restore itself.  Most people report incredible energy gains during a fast like this.

My good friend Art over at Heroin Addiction Help guide wrote a helpful long and rambling post about how to stop using heroin.  I think this is important because I work in a treatment center and it is really alarming to see the number of drug addicts who keep coming in for treatment who are hooked on Heroin these days.  Opiate use is increasing across the board and in fact it is not just Heroin.  People are using prescription painkillers as well and when they run out of those they typically turn to the streets and find themselves trying Heroin for the first time.

Well anyway, my friend Art used to be hooked on dope and he will tell you straight up how to get into recovery and what it is going to be like.  He has been there, done that when it comes to getting off Heroin and I have not experienced that.  So if you or someone you know is having a problem like this, do check him out and take some of his advice.

I see so many people in early recovery who want to sit on the pity pot and believe that they can somehow still recover from addiction or alcoholism.  This is not the case and no one who is feeling sorry for themselves is going to make it in recovery.  The problem with self pity is that it gives you a gigantic excuse to go get drunk or high.

The best way to combat self pity is to create a zero tolerance policy with yourself.  This is a mental game that you have to engage in and if you do it right then it will set you free.  The idea is to simply make a strong pact with yourself that you are not going to allow yourself to sit around and sing sad love songs no matter what.  The second you realize that you have slipped into “self pity mode” you instantly shut it down.

Quite simply, you do not allow yourself to go there.  Period.

This is tough at first because you will initially feel like you are depriving yourself of something.  This is not true however and if you persist with it then you will realize that you are not missing out on anything when you put a stop to self pity in your life.

Shut it down.  No more sad love songs.  Period.

Helping alcoholics isn’t easy.

The main reason for this is that most alcoholics are slowly self-destructing.  They know this is happening but they are powerless to stop it.  They are trapped in a cycle.

If you’re the friend or a loved one of an alcoholic, then you’ve probably tried all sorts of different things to get them to quit drinking.  Here’s a quick summary of what doesn’t work:

1) Pleading with them to stop

2) Threatening them in any way

3) Trying to manipulate them into quitting

4) Shaming them

5) Screaming at them or getting angry with them

And so on.  None of these things work at all to help the alcoholic or get them closer to quitting drinking.

So how can we help them?

It boils down to a few strategies on your part.  Most of it is indirect stuff, but it is still important in the long run.  Here are some of the key components:

1) Stop enabling them.

2) Set healthy limits and boundaries.

3) Ignore their drinking episodes in order to force them to look at themselves.

4) Allow them to decide to quit for themselves instead of trying to force the decision.

Want to know more?  Here is the full scoop on how you can help an alcoholic.

Drug addicts overcome addiction through a process.

It starts back when they are still using drugs heavily, and their life is out of control.  The first hint of breaking through their denial starts tickling their brain.  Sometimes this takes decades of heavy abuse before someone reaches this point.

Eventually a moment of surrender is reached.  The addict throws in the towel and decides to give life another chance.  Now it is my belief that if this moment of surrender is real, that will basically be the end of their drinking and drugging.  In other words, the reason that people relapse with this disease is because they were not ready to quit drinking and drugging in the first place.

That’s why they call it “hitting bottom.”  It is a moment of finality; a complete and total surrender.  The addict is completely beaten.

Until they get to this point, you could never possibly list enough reasons to quit drinking, nor could you convince them that there is a wonderful life outside of drug addiction.  They simply won’t hear you, nor will they believe you.  That’s because they are trapped in denial….stuck on the hamster wheel, so to speak.  They can’t picture their life without drugs and alcohol.  Nor do they want to.  It’s just too scary.

How we can help people break through denial

Since I got clean and sober, I have been constantly seeking better information about how to help a drug addict.  I happen to work in a treatment center with a detox unit, and so I have definitely had a lot of practice at trying to help them, as I have helped to treat literally thousands of drug addicts over the past 4 years.  And let me tell you: it’s not easy.

One of the best ways to help an addict, believe it or not, is to <em>not</em> help them.  Or to be more specific, not enable them.  This means not helping them to get more drugs or alcohol or helping them avoid the natural consequences of their using.  In other words, you might have to let them fall on their face a bit in order to really “help” them.

Remember what the key is to overcoming addiction: that magical moment of surrender.  Without it, the addict is merely playing games…they might stay clean for a short while, but unless they have experienced utter devastation and truly surrendered with their whole being, they are not going to stay clean and sober.  So get out of their way and let them find their bottom, hard as that might be.  You might just be saving their life.

Also, be sure to check out this new recovering blogger on the scene, the recovery princess.  She is detailing her journey through sobriety; looks like good stuff. 

How does spirituality affect our recovery?

Spirituality is the overall principle that can tie all of our recovery efforts together.  It is our attitude-shaper.

If we can connect with a higher power each day in a meaningful way, then our recovery will benefit because of it.  We can do this in a couple of general ways.  Keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to “old ideas” that you might have about what constitutes “spirituality.”  Instead, find your own path by trying the following:

1) Pray. If you don’t believe in prayer, you can always just focus on thoughts of gratitude for a while.

2) Meditate. Find your sanctuary and enjoy some peace and quiet time.  Sit in the stillness with your eyes closed and watch your mind.  Observe.  Don’t judge your thoughts and let them come as they will.

3) Connect with others by trying to help them and empower them.  In other words, don’t enable people, but genuinely help them to help themselves.  Bonus points if the person happens to be in recovery and you are helping them overcome addiction.

4) Be mindful throughout your day.  Watch your mind and your own reactions.  Be observant about how you are reacting to things.  Strive for peace and serenity.

5) Let go of dogma that rules your concept of spirituality and find your own spiritual self.  Notice what works and what brings peace into your life. Recovery is about finding a practical spirituality that works for you.

There is a recurring problem with treating addiction in drug rehabs: people who have chronic pain. Some of these people are addicted to painkillers, and opiate medications have become their drug of choice. Other people have chronic pain and are addicted to something else (such as alcohol), but they can’t use their prescription medications in a drug rehab facility, so that becomes a problem as well. A third group of people might have been self medicating for years with alcohol or other drugs, and now that they have checked into a treatment center and are getting clean and sober, they are starting to notice a chronic pain in their body that they might never have even known was their.

All 3 of these types of situations present a problem for recovering addicts.

Most treatment centers and drug rehabs take the approach that no client that is admitted to their care can use opiate painkillers while they are in treatment. This is just the approach that the majority of treatment centers have taken.

Most professionals have the attitude that it is important to try to manage chronic pain without addictive opiate medications, especially if the person is checking into a treatment center for any type of addiction (alcoholism, cocaine, whatever the case may be).

So here are some pointers about chronic pain that can help the recovering addict:

1. The pain is far less than people realize - this is because of the nature of opiate painkillers (such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, Morphine, etc.)–they do not really lessen the pain at all at the source….instead, they simply dull the brain into thinking that it doesn’t mind the pain so much–right at the level of the brain. They have found that patients given opiate medications can still accurately describe the level of their pain, even though their brain has been dulled into not caring about it so much. This is very different from how some other pain medications work, such as NSAIDS like Ibuprofen, which actually reduce the pain and inflammation right at the site of the pain itself.

2. Opiate addicts who have become dependent on painkillers are simply playing catch-up, trying to constantly medicate themselves from withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms will eventually start to become indistinguishable from their original source of pain, so this is a long term game that they can never really win anyway. Kicking the opiates and finding an alternative is the best long term solution.

3. Alternative solutions will present themselves as people remain clean and sober, and coming to manage their pain effectively might be a learning process. If someone is taking a large dose of opiates several times a day to manage their pain, and they go to treatment and detox and get clean, it might take a month or two before they really learn how to get their pain down to a manageable level. Realize that this is very possible though! Their are alternatives to opiate medications, including both alternate medications and alternate therapies. Hypnosis, in particular, has proven to be especially helpful for some people in managing very serious chronic pain. But recovering addicts can learn what works for them and go far beyond the ideas here, using things like hot showers, massage, or even meditation to help them in alleviating their pain.

If you are addicted to opiates, understand that those types of drugs merely mask the pain, they do not lessen it, and many of the alternative therapies can actually lessen the amount of pain right at the source.

How can you tell when someone is a drug addict or alcoholic?

Before we can tackle this question, we need to first differentiate between drug abuse and drug dependency. Abuse is generally considered any time that someone is taking drugs in a manner other than what they were prescribed. For example, if someone is doubling or tripling the dose on their pain medication, that would be considered abuse.

Drug dependency can be built up from legal long term medical use, such as when someone becomes physically addicted to sleeping medication and cannot sleep without it. Dependency is characterized by a few factors, one of which is usually a noticeable and physical withdrawal when the person doesn’t get the drug. Examples of this would be shaking from alcohol withdrawal or agitation and crankiness during nicotine withdrawal.

Photo by lanuiop

Full blown drug or alcohol addiction is generally understood to include dependency along with a psychological craving for the substance. There is an element of anticipation and preoccupation with getting and using the drugs or alcohol. Therefore, addiction is more than just a physical dependency. Unfortunately, if you ask someone about possible drug use–even if you ask in a loving and caring manner–is likely to produce either anger or a defensive response.

Determining whether or not someone is addicted, and also what their level of dependency is can be a complicated question. In order to best answer it, we need to break it down by situation:

Situation #1:

Let’s say that you already know that someone is legally using drugs or alcohol (such as with legally prescribed medications). The question is really about their level of dependency, or whether they are really addicted at all. Here’s what you can do to learn more about their condition:

* Being Over-Medicated – Anyone who gets loopy or giddy off of, say, pain medication, is probably abusing the drug. This might not necessarily be drug addiction or dependency. Properly medicated pain should not have a person floating on a cloud. There should be at least some hint of underlying pain remaining.

* A Potential Missed Dose - Watch for someone’s reaction when and if they are going to run out of their medications, or if they have to go without alcohol in a certain situation. If there is a hint of panic, or if the person resents the situation, then those are warning signs that there is either dependency or addiction.

* Signs of Preoccupation – Anyone who is preoccupied with the idea of getting or using more drugs and alcohol is probably leaning towards addiction and dependence and less towards simple drug abuse.

Photo by extranoise

Situation #2:

You suspect that someone is using an illegal substance and is trying to keep their habit a secret. You question whether or not they are abusing drugs (perhaps experimenting), or if they possibly have physical dependence and/or a full blown addiction. In this case, you’ll want to look for all of the warning signs already listed above in order to determine their level of dependence, but also consider:

* Evasive Behavior and Isolation – People using illegal substances will probably want to avoid you or others who might confront them about it. This leads to isolation and distancing themselves. Sometimes an addict is torn with the burden of not wanting to hurt their loved ones, but not knowing how to break free from the addiction either. Their avoiding you could be a sign. Also, if they refuse to commit to an extended stay with you, that might be a sign as well (such as a family vacation or a camping trip or something similar).

* Abrupt change in friends or social behavior – This one is especially true for younger people.

Situation #3:

You have no hard evidence that someone is using whatsoever, but you are suspicious that something might be going on. In this case, watch for everything suggested up to this point, and also watch out for:

* Signs of physical dependence – These will vary according to different substances, of course, but symptoms might include: moodiness, forgetfulness, changes in sleep patterns, dilated pupils, and so on.

Photo by multi_everything

What to Avoid

Trying to approach someone that you think might be addicted is a delicate task. You might have a tendency to try to be as sneaky as you can in an effort to play detective and find out what is really going on. But try not to be manipulative and sneaky, as this will only drive someone further away from you and put more distance between the two of you.

Believe it or not, it’s not always clear how to tell if what you’re experiencing is drug dependence or full blown addiction. Sometimes addiction can creep up on us, especially when we least suspect it. Keep in mind that virtually any person has the potential to develop an addiction. No one is immune to potentially becoming an addict–it happens to the young, the old, the sick, the healthy, and so on.

The truly cunning thing about addiction is that we can become physically and psychologically dependent on a substance, and then use our own mind and logic to convince ourselves that we are choosing to use the substance, instead of being controlled by it. This is called denial, of course, and through this mechanism we can fool ourselves into thinking that we are actually in control.

Photo by nexthttp and hshap

The fact of the matter is that most addicts suspect that they are truly hooked long before they will openly admitted it to themselves and others. Fear holds us back from making the diagnosis and proceeding towards a healthy change. Fear is what holds us back from facing our addiction.

Dependence Versus Addiction

Let’s clarify the difference between dependence and addiction. For a little background, you might first want to check this out about whether alcoholism and addiction is a disease or not.

Physical dependence refers to the state of your body when it becomes physically dependent on a substance. This is characterized mostly by withdrawal symptoms when the substance is taken away. For example, someone who is using Valium as a sleeping pill every single night for several years may find it very difficult to sleep without the medication (by the way, Valium is a terrible sleep aid, as it does not produce deeply restorative sleep). In the same way, someone using strong pain medications on a regular basis over a period of time may experience withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopping the medication.

This is physical dependence. It is not the same as full blown addiction. Anyone engaging in a pattern that produces dependence must also have other environmental and genetic factors involved that will lead them into full blown addiction.

At this point in time, all our medical knowledge does not have predictive power when judging personality and guessing who will become drug addicts and alcoholics and who will not. It’s not practical to look at a person and warn them that they might become an addict someday, or that they are predisposed to addictive tendencies, because we have proven to ourselves that we do not have the ability to accurately make these predictions.

Perhaps you or someone you know is hovering on the line between physical dependence and drug addiction. For example, maybe you are taking pain medications, and you are taking greater and greater amounts each day, buying it from multiple sources (perhaps illegally), and you can’t really see yourself stopping the medication without some serious help. Does this qualify as physical dependence or full blown drug addiction? Where is the line between the two, and when has a person crossed it?

Photo by falsalama and aaronescobar

Getting Past the Stereotypes

Some of us have a preconceived notion of what a typical drug addict is like. Most of us probably think that such an individual is beneath us, and that this stereotype could not possibly apply to our situation. We might picture someone who is truly out of control, dangerous, living in the gutters, and going to certain extremes with drug use that we ourselves have not yet experienced.

Stereotyping addicts can be a large factor in our own denial. We might justify our own drug use because “it’s not that bad,” as we compare ourselves to this idea of a hopeless junkie living in the streets.

The truth of the matter is that there are all sorts of modern day drug addicts, many of whom are still working and holding things together by the skin of their teeth. These are the people who have become physically dependent on either drugs or alcohol, and are slowly making the transition into full blown addiction. Their lives may not yet be in shambles, but chances are good that they have started to experience some consequences. However, consequences don’t always tell the whole story.

Using Consequences to Measure Addiction Isn’t Accurate

It’s easy to look at a person’s life and judge them by the consequences that they have brought upon themselves. For example, people who have racked up several drunk drivings and lost their license. There are also people who have lost their jobs or gotten into all sorts of trouble because of alcohol or drug use. But these consequences are actually a poor measure of a person’s level of addiction. The problem is that many people merely abuse drugs and alcohol, find themselves getting into trouble, and promptly make a change in their life–consequently “straightening out.”

On the other hand, there are serious drug addicts and alcoholics who remain fairly “lucky” for several years, experiencing very little in the way of consequences. My personal story reflects this exactly, as I had very few legal consequences and basically managed to hold a job through most of it.

So while consequences might be a strong indicator, they are not the final authority on diagnosing addiction, because there are so many exceptions. So how can we accurately diagnosis addiction?

Photo by Franco Folini and kr4gin

Self Diagnosis is Always Accurate

We might look at an individual who appears to be out of control and facing major life consequences because of their drinking or drug use, yet continues to abuse drugs. Surely this person is a drug addict, we think. But this might not be the case. Many people go through stages of heavy drinking or drug use in their lives without becoming full-blown addicts. It can therefore be tricky to know for sure who is merely abusing drugs and who needs real addiction help.

Therefore, the only truly accurate method is through self-diagnosis. For physical dependence:

* Increase in tolerance – when it takes more and more of the drug to produce the same effect
* Withdrawal symptoms – when you stop taking the drug abruptly

And to diagnose the psychological element found with full-blown addiction:

* Preoccupied with the substance – thinking about it all the time, planning future uses, etc.
* Loss of choice – using drugs or alcohol when you had previously decided you would not
* Loss of control – using more than you had planned on
* Loss of time – using so much or so often that you sacrifice all of your extra time to the drug.

The line between physical dependence and full blown addiction is not always clear. Another experiment you might want to try is controlled using, as outlined in the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Set a limit for yourself that is very low and stick with it for six months, taking only one drink per day, for example. It should quickly become clear to you if you are truly an addict or not. If you resent the fact that you have to control your chemical use, and if it proves to be difficult and uncomfortable, then that is a pretty good indication. If the only way you can have fun is to cut loose and remove all limits, then that is a pretty good indicator as well.

Remember that denial will always scoff at these experiments as being unnecessary.

Your peace of mind and contentedness should not rest on drugs or alcohol. That is a sign of preoccupation and obsession. If you feel relief when you obtain your drug of choice, that is another strong indicator.

If you are reading this because you think someone you know might be addicted, be sure to read this about how to help an addict.

This is a complete guide to help you stop feeling sorry for yourself and overcome self pity.

Self Pity: Defining the Problem

Before we can develop a plan to overcome self-pity, we need to take a quick moment and gain a thorough understanding of it.

Almost any person is capable of occasionally feeling sorry for themselves from time to time. This is not normally a problem. It becomes a problem when an individual starts feeling sorry for themselves on a regular basis. Some people will even go out of there way in order to play the victim role in order to be able to feel sorry for themselves. (more…)