By: palmpartners | Published on: 16th January, 2015.
Photo of Author: Justin Mckibben
Fear is a natural part of who we are. As human beings we have been granted instinct and awareness as a part of what protects us from the natural threats of the world. Consider the fear of falling, or even the fear of predator in our animalistic nature. Your perception may be different, but to me fear is a fragment of our genetics, our evolution, but in the end it is not who we are. So anxiety is natural, but how we face it can change us.
That being said, living in fear is not how I believe we are meant to exist. While I believe in natural healthy fear, I also believe in unnatural and self-inflicted dread. I actively abused drugs and alcohol for a long time, and throughout that period of my life I believe I developed what some may refer to as severe anxiety, with episodes of panic attacks and an almost isolating social disposition, and one of my greatest gifts in sobriety has been to change my perspective on my anxiety, and what it truly means to be afraid.
Actively Addicted to Anxiety
When I was using drugs and drinking, I experienced progression like most people who find themselves unable to stop. I believe I was socially awkward and fearful before that, as most kids are trying to figure out a way to fit in or at least get by in school, but drinking and using drugs made those small anxieties shrink away.
The cold tension I felt would be relieved, like whiskey melted the ice in my chest and it cleared from my lunges. Drugs and alcohol made it so I could run my mouth and say whatever I thought would make people think what I wanted, and in my mind if I offended someone or sounded stupid the drugs would also be my excuse!
For a while my anxiety wore a mask of faux confidence, and with this kind of win-win delusion I stumbled through a few years of shady relationships with narcissism. But after years of riding the coat-tails of alcohol and drugs, my get-out-of-fear-free-card was exhausted. Instead my fears had just come wrapped in different packages and my solution didnt respond the same. Anxiety can affect people physically, emotionally and mentally, so sometimes I confused it for something else.
For a few years there were deaths of people very close to me, different conflicts at home, and not knowing what I wanted to do with my life that struck cords of calamity and I chronically drank and used drugs to block out the feelings associated with these things, because I thought I was safer in a bottle. Depression and anxiety is a desperate and calculating cocktail when stirred into a bottle of booze or a plate of powder.
What was I afraid of? Everything!
I was afraid of having to wake up, hoping I wouldnt.
I was afraid of not waking up, for my family. Fear of economic insecurity and wasted potential. Possibly the greatest fear was committing to loving others, and yet the fear of not being loved. Every single day I had anxiety about drinking, and of what might happen if I didnt.
How was I going to get to drink today?
Why do I always feel this way? Will it ever change?
I was afraid what my next move was, how can I re-arrange the world to best suit my design without looking miserable? How can I make it through another day feeling sorry for myself and hating myself all at once?
My sleep was miserable because I would lie there checking my own pulse, my hands shaking from anxiety when they werent shaking from withdrawal. Panic attacks, at least one a day. Then during the day I would be exhausted because stress takes a lot out of you.
In my active alcoholism and addiction I was perpetually split between the anxieties of having to live, wanting to die, and (after one failed attempt) being too afraid to kill myself.
Recovering Anxious-holic
Then one day someone tricked me into treatment, and I heard stories that made me believe in something again. I was still riddled with the fear of not being able to drink or use anymore up until I got to detox, and I believe part of that was a healthy fear of knowing how close I was to never making it out alive. After being sober, relapsing, and coming back my anxiety went through that cycle again. But this time I was afraid coming back that it would not work for me a second time.
Someone told me a long time ago when I said I had severe anxiety, that instead I was probably just an alcoholic and an addict, and if I treated that disease then the symptoms would leave. He assured me that if I put faith in the work ahead of me, I would see how it felt to be truly free.
What a cop-out right?!
Well, no. That man was right. When I took the actions others suggested, and put faith in that process, I came to realize that my anxiety had been discarded from the forefront of my mind. Not that fear was absolutely removed, but that I have been able to let go of a lot, and my perspective has shifted.
Everyone lives with some fear. If I had absolutely no fear, I would be able to love EVERYONE unconditionally. I would love EVERY person with the same respect and admiration, and as much as I wish I could say I do, I dont. I am a human being, and I am not as enlightened as I like to imagine sometimes. When I am cold or selfish, when I judge others in any way, when I am violent it is all out of fear. None of that comes from love.
I used to believe that the opposite of fear was courage and audacity. I was wrong. The opposite of fear is FAITH- Faith that things will be as they should. When I live in expectations or regrets I live in anxiety, like being worried about the past or the future- all things that I cant control. Ive had one panic attack since Ive been sober, in my mind it was part of a point that needed to be made, where I needed to be reminded I am not completed cured, neither from anxiety or addiction.
Sobriety had me work a program of action I didnt even expect to work; I have learned that faith doesnt mean expecting an outcome I want from the universe, God, or other people. Faith means that whatever happens in my life, knowing that it will be OK, and I can find happiness. So now when anxiety or depression finds their way into the corner of my mind I am reminded that self-awareness can be worth a little healthy fear, as long as I can be present long enough to take action with faith.
Anxiety is a reality. All of us experience fear our nerves in one form or another, and the symptoms can manifest in different ways. What many of us dont realize is that putting drugs and alcohol into our body to quite these nerves, is only making them worse. Coping is a process, not a quick fix. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135
By: palmpartners | Published on: 16th January, 2015.
What is Poly-Substance Abuse?
The term poly-substance abuse means that the user is abusing multiple substances, not just one. Many people who struggle with drugs, including alcohol, often abuse other substances at the same time, or different ones over time. Although this is a common trend, its also common for people who recognize that they have a problem to only identify one main drug of choice (DOC).
What is the purpose of drug treatment for poly-substance abuse?
Drug treatment is a type of medical care that specializes in treating substance abuse and addiction issues, which are both officially recognized as chronic medical conditions. These conditions require highly specialized treatment, especially if its for the using and abusing of multiple different substances and other addictive behaviors.
Poly-substance abuse and addiction go beyond physical dependence; they involve psychological and behavioral components that must be addressed by addiction specialists. A rehab that offers drug treatment for poly-substance abuse will have a staff of professionals such as nurses, medical doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, case managers and others who are well-versed in the field of substance abuse and addiction.
Drug Treatment for Poly-Substance Abuse: Phases of Treatment
Most drug rehabs involve at least a few levels of treatment that begin with more intensive, highly structured care that lessens in intensity while adding more and more freedoms, still with a degree of structure for support, stability, and accountability. A good drug rehab program slowly and seamlessly bridges the gap between each level of care so that you are prepared to take on the next thing.
Drug Treatment for Poly-Substance Abuse: Detox
Medical detox is the first level of care at your drug rehab and is often necessary due to the types of substances you are using. Withdrawal can be uncomfortable, painful, and, in some cases, fatal if not treated properly. This becomes even more important if you are abusing many different drugs at the time of your arrival at the treatment program.
Many people arrive at rehab hopelessly addicted to alcohol and other drugs and cannot safely or successfully stop drinking or using on their own. This is where the medical detox program can help.
You will be assessed and tested to see what drug(s) and how much of it is in your system. Then you will be prescribed by a licensed physician certain medication in order to safely and comfortably wean you off. A medical staff will monitor your condition as well as be responsible for administering your medication.
Drug Treatment for Poly-Substance Abuse: Inpatient
After the 4 to 10 days you are at the detox level of care, you will enter the next phase of treatment, which is known as inpatient rehab, sometimes just called rehab. This part is a residential program that lasts up to 30 days and is crucial for your success at recovering from your substance abuse or addiction issues. It is during this phase of drug rehab that you will learn about the nature of substance abuse and addiction as well as learn essential, life-saving tools to use once you complete the program.
Drug Treatment for Poly-Substance Abuse: Outpatient
Many drug rehab programs also offer a third level of care, known as the intensive outpatient program (IOP). At this level, you can return home or go on to live in a halfway house or other sober living house while you attend group meetings on designated days/evenings throughout the week. This way, you will also be able to return to work or begin a new job. The way IOP works is that it offers you ongoing support while you begin your reintegration into society and start rebuilding your life, this time while living a healthy, sober lifestyle.
If you are struggling with one or more substances and need help to stop, were just a phone call away. At this point in your addiction, its hard to imagine life without drugs become you have become so completely dependent on them to do everything from getting out of bed in the morning to going to sleep at night and everything in between. But, by calling toll-free 1-800-951-6135, you can speak directly with an Addiction Specialist and find out what steps to take.
By: palmpartners | Published on: 16th January, 2015.
Author: Justin Mckibben
Knock knock whose there? CRAZY NEWS STORIES! DUH! This week has its share of craziness going on, so today we will take a moment today to just give a nod to those out there mixing things up.
LEGO Nazis
John Denno is a 16- year old from Liverpool who was assigned a school report on the Holocaust and the Nazi rise to power, and used an unorthodox method. The presentation was expected to be provided with visuals, but the young man feared his artistic talents would not make the grade, so instead the young man turned to another skill LEGOs.
The young man used his LEGO collection to create a 3-dimensional depiction of Adolf Hitlers rise to power in 1933, all the way to the Allied liberation of the concentration camps in 1945 at the end of World War Two, with periodic displays of important points in time during this period. Since then his LEGO Hitler gallery has gone viral.
These intricate LEGO displays were based on several key events starting in February 1933 to April 1945. Denno even built LEGO versions of key historical individuals, including Adolf Hitler himself, and Josef Stalin. Denno said through the process he was shocked by what he learned,
The biggest thing I realized is just how long the persecution went on. From 1933, Jews slowly lost all their rights until they were being murdered in the thousands.
Dennos work has actually received a fair amount of praise by Jewish leaders such as Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, who stated he admired the work for being done with respect, but would not expect to see this as a headline in the next LEGO movie.
Denno thinks his project could help inform young people learning about the Holocaust and Second World War, and hopes it will help remind people of the injustice and horror.
My project opens a small window on how the Nazi party did what they did, and, hopefully, it sparks interest for people to find out more themselves.
Needless to say, this guy got an A, and not just in my book.
Married with Kittens
Cats, and the love of cats in general seems to be a hot topic now-a-days. I personally know many young women who consider themselves as cat ladies or kitten enthusiast, but 48 year old Barbarella Buchner has you all beat!
This woman actually just celebrated a 10-year anniversary after MARRYING her two pet cats as reported in a U.K. headline! According to Buchner the pets are two tabby brothers, Lugosi and Spider, who are now 15 years old.
Both Buchner claims to be the love of her life, but is quick to correct the initial news reports saying,
Its 11 years this January, not 10.
January 9th, 2004 Buchner literally married her two cats! So yes ladies, this is an option!
Back in 2000 she had adopted the pair from a London animal shelter, and a mere four years later Buchner realized the kitties were her soul mates after a breakup with a long-term human companion. Buchner later ordered a marriage certificate from a website that facilitates interspecies nuptials.
Now living on the Spanish island of Lanzarote with her furry husbands as well as another kitty named Ruby Akasha, Buchner is a web designer, photographer, musician and self-described Mad Cat Lady who is madly in love with her animals, and so far has lived happily ever after.
Getting Vanilla Wasted
A young woman in New York was recently charged with drunk driving after she allegedly blew a .26 on a breathalyzer, but the crazy part is she told authorities she had been drinking vanilla extract before her arrest, not drunk driving. The woman is Carolyn Kesel, a 46 year old woman from Seneca Falls, New York who apparently got vanilla wasted and subsequently arrested on January 5th after what police described as driving erratically around a Walmart parking lot in Mecedon.
According to reports Kesel told police she drank two hand-sized bottles of pure vanilla extract in Lyons, became lost and could not find her way out of the Walmart parking lot. Her blood alcohol level was .26, which is 3 times the legal limit to be behind the wheel.
The alcohol level on the vanilla extract was listed at 41%, right up there with vodka or gin. Chris Thomas, a drug counselor with the Wayne County Mental Health Department, says drinking pure vanilla extract is like drinking cough medicine, but due to its taste no one would be able to tell the difference.
Kesel was charged with Felony DWI and Felony Aggravated DWI, but this is not her first run in with the law for driving intoxicated. Back in 2006 she had been convicted of a DWI, and in light of this recent event she was remanded to the Wayne County Jail on $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond.
My Ex-Assasin-Girlfriend
We have all been there, right? We argue with our significant other, try to break things off, only to discover they are a trained assassin that takes down entire governments overnight ok maybe not.
One NASCAR driver, famously known as The Outlaw among fans, testified recently that he believes his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll is a trained assassin dispatched on covert missions. Kurt Busch said when questioned by his attorney,
Everybody on the outside can tell me Im crazy, but I lived on the inside and saw it firsthand,
Busch said Driscoll repeatedly asserted her assassin status and claimed the work took her on missions across Central and South America and Africa. Busch even told a story about the couple being in El Paso, Texas, and how Driscoll left in camouflage gear, and came back covered in blood wearing a trench coat over an evening gown.
In an interview late Tuesday, Driscoll dismissed these implications as ludicrous, saying he took it straight from a fictional movie script she has been working on for eight years that he has proofread for her. But apparently her boyfriend wasnt the only one she bragged to. Last month the personal assistant to Busch and Driscoll Michael Doncheff said Driscoll also asserted to him that she was a trained assassin for the U.S. government and once told him, I take down foreign governments. I own Washington.
Neither Driscoll nor her attorney refuted the testimony during the hearing, coincidence or cover-up?!
Later during a telephone interview, Driscoll dismissed Buschs assertions, claiming Busch assaulted her in his motorhome at Dover International Speedway, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her head into a wall; allegations which Busch and his attorneys have denied. This subject has warranted a completely separate criminal investigation.
I know one thing, if I believed my ex-girlfriend was a trained assassin working for the government to keep the world in check, I am definitely not putting my hands on her while trapped in a motorhome! Bad move Busch.
If you have a crazy story of your own, its OK, so many of us do. However when life becomes one big blur of insanity, it may be time to consider another way, and for those struggling with drugs and alcohol, we are here to help. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135
By: palmpartners | Published on: 16th January, 2015.
Author: Justin Mckibben
After all the news about weed winning over the midterm elections this past November, plenty of states are already making moves to get marijuana moving in their areas. Washington State had its first recreational marijuana stores opening for business this past July, ahead of the trend which only furthered the culmination of the collective effort to legalize the drug, but since then it has not all been smooth sailing.
Recently it has become apparent that some recreational marijuana outlets feel that they are being cheated by medical dispensaries thanks to one-sided policies, and many are lobbying for change.
Backtracking
Back in 1998 voters in Washington passed a ballot initiative offering protection for those who smoke marijuana with a doctors note saying they needed the drug for medical reasons against prosecution. This was a legal loophole created that allowed marijuana dispensaries sell pot to people with the notes. Washington at this point was lightly the only state that didnt set up a patient registry or issue ID cards, and had a very laxed system that allowed a medical marijuana market to flourish.
Later on Washington passed a ballot measure legalizing the sale of marijuana for recreational use as well, which was a popular topic in 2012. Adults were now able to get high without a medical excuse, and no notes were required.
Money Makes a Difference
The 2012 initiative also established a tax and licensing regime for growers, processors, and retailers overseen by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, which dictates the product testing and package labeling for marijuana products in the area.
The taxation actually made purchasing recreational marijuana about 50% more expensive than medical marijuana. Lynsee Swisher is the director of Nine Point Growth Industries, a licensed grower of strains such as Opal OG Kush, who feels that these are extra costs being imposed on growers that medical marijuana does not have to deal with.
Marijuana Monopoly
Now retailers are trying to get more regulation put on medical marijuana, and many new retailers are hiring lobbyists to push state legislators in Olympia to get things in motion. The general goal for these growers and dispensers is that they want medical marijuana to meet the same safety standards as recreational cannabis, and for customers who arent true patients to be required to purchase the products from the high-tax retail markets.
Amber Lewis was hired in November by an alliance of medical and recreational businesses that want to figure a way thats fair to both sides, as many dispensaries are bringing in their own lobbyists to make sure they get a fair stake in the changing market. Lewis stated,
Ive learned that in the cannabis industry, things are very loose, until theyre not,
There is so far no exact census of how many medical dispensaries are operating in Washington, but it is safe to say that medical marijuana establishments greatly outnumber the recreational cannabis shops. Thats a tall order considering there are 334 recreational marijuana stores licensed to open.
300 marijuana dispensaries operate just in Seattle, but only 21 retail licenses were issued according to the director of the Washington State Liquor Control Board Rick Garza.
The licenses for the new retail stores have an application fee that alone made the state a lot of money. The licenses were divided by random lottery last May, and at a cost of $250 to enter with over 1,000 people applying for licenses, that little chunk of change makes a difference.
Pursuit of Change for Pot Laws
Lynsee Swisher joined the newly formed Washington CannaBusiness Association last fall, which represents licensed recreational pot sellers working with executive director Vicki Christophersen.
CannaBusiness Association is currently backing a bill sponsored by the states Republican Senate Majority Whip Ann Rivers, which would require medical dispensaries to meet licensing and product testing standards. That bill also aims to restrict the states medical-use designation of:
- Oils
- Edibles
- Other concentrated forms of cannabis
Under this legislation only recreational stores would be permitted to sell dried bud for smoking.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles has also proposed another bill that would make retail dispensaries in Washington responsible for distributing medical pot alongside commercial products. Some feel that medical marijuana markets are cornering the market with unfair tactics to slip under the tax-mans radar, and so many individuals in the weed business want to do all they can to make sure everyone growing and distributing marijuana is held to the same standards.
Marijuana legalization may be getting a little bit of momentum these days, but for those recovering from serious issues with drugs and alcohol; this is just one more reason to have the right kind of starting point and support for sobriety. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-851-6135
By: palmpartners | Published on: 16th January, 2015.
A leading drugs expert says marijuana addicts are being let down because there is too much focus on helping people who are addicted to harder drugs, like heroin and cocaine.
Doctor Adam Winstock, founder of the Global Drug Survey, the worlds biggest drug poll, told Newsbeat that smoking weed can be just as difficult to kick as heroin.
We havent invested enough in helping people who use cannabis use more safely or stop, he said.
Dr. Winstock said in the last 20 years services have focused too heavily on treating heroin and crack cocaine addicts because theyre the people the government sees as causing crime and disruption.
I dont think people with problems with cannabis have easy access to services, he explained.
Cannabis use is falling across the UK but the number of people getting help with addiction is rising. Drug experts say that this is due to cannabis strains becoming more potent and therefore users are more likely to admit they have a problem with it.
In 2005 the number of 18 to 24-year-olds in England seeking treatment was 3,328. In 2013-14, that number had risen to 4,997, accounting for nearly half of all new treatment cases.
Marijuana Anonymous It Does Exist
Newsbeat gained exclusive access to Marijuana Anonymous (MA), a group which helps cannabis addicts.
John, a 25-year-old, explained how his marijuana use took over his life.
I would sit willing myself not to smoke even as I rolled a joint. My brain said no but my hands kept rolling and smoking. The drug wasnt making me happy, the weed was the cause and I couldnt stop. I couldnt stop. I have a hole inside me that I tried to fill. Weed fit the hole.
Of attending the anonymous support group, John says, It was the perfect match, it filled all the gaps and thats why I went back to it. Now I fill that with MA.
Lee, a 23-year-old marijuana addict, also sought help from MA after his life was a blur of joint after joint.
Cannabis was my drug of no choice, he said.
I found myself smoking even though I didnt want to be doing it. Physically it drained me, it made me very unhealthy. I was a broken man. I wasnt eating and I was just over five-and-a-half stone. Eating got in the way of my smoking. And I would go a week without having a bath or shower. I would smoke before work, during work, after work, I would lie to people just so I could be on my own smoking.
Do Rehabs Overlook Marijuana Addiction by Focusing on Hard Drugs?
A Case for Marijuana Addiction
Dr. Winstock says that 50% to 60% of users who are dependent on marijuana experience serious withdrawal symptoms when they stop using.
Some people become violent, some young people cant sleep and get very irritable.
Its a wide-held conception that weed is a soft drug and therefore cant cause its users to become addicted. But Dr. Winstock says that argument misses the point.
I think people get confused with physical withdrawal symptoms and equating those to being addicted. Addiction for me is a loss of control and when you stop you feel uncomfortable. [It] could be you feel miserable, you cant sleep, you lose your appetite or it can be very physical as it is with heroin or alcohol.
He said the younger someone starts using weed, the more likely they are to have a problem with it in the future.
About 10% of people who use cannabis are dependent and two-thirds of those people, when they stop, will experience withdrawal symptoms. They last seven to 10 days for most people. You are more likely to run into those problems if you start using early.
If you think youre struggling with marijuana addiction, there is help available. Marijuana, whether its considered a soft drug or even legal where you live, is still a psychoactive substance that can cause people to become both physically and psychologically dependent. Call us toll-free at 1-800-951-6135 to speak with an Addiction Specialist who can answer your questions, day or night.
Travelling is my life
Related Post
Recovery from Health Problems - HubPages2 Sunbathing and its benefitsby SANJAY LAKHANPAL (114 followers)Helps to prevent more than 25 chro- Add Me Fast - AddMeFast - Free Facebook Likes, Twitter As we know, VK (Originally VKontakte, Russian: ) is the second biggest social network in Europe aft
- Charlie Sheen - Biography - IMDb Overview (4) Mini Bio (1) Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Est
- JB Smiths Blog - Author @ books4free Hepatitis C They say perseverance is the principle behind the 10th step, and those are some of my favorite prom
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon