photo credit: wonker

An addiction to prescription drugs can feel like it comes from out of nowhere. At one point, you are managing pain from a car accident. A few months later, you are using three times your usual dose and seeing multiple doctors just to keep up with your ever growing need for pills. How did your life turn upside down so quickly? Prescription drug addiction is more common and easier to fall into than many people think.

Common Addictive Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs that tend to be addictive come in three basic forms. Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants slow the nervous system down. These include drugs like Xanax, Valium, and Nembutal (for insomnia). CNS stimulants include Ritalin and Dexadrine, which have an amphetamine base. Narcotic analgesics are used to treat severe pain, also making you sleepy and slowing down the respiratory system. Some commonly used drugs include Vicodin and Oxycontin.

How Prescription Drug Addiction Can Develop

The prescription drugs described above are quickly addictive and can cause a medical emergency if the drugs are stopped suddenly without medical supervision. Often times, a prescription drug addiction occurs because there is no specific “exit plan” for getting off the medication or the doctor’s instructions aren’t followed exactly.

This kind of addiction can strike down stay-at-home moms recovering from a car accident, highly achieving executives with attention problems, or energetic productive citizens recovering from painful surgery. Not every person who is prescribed painkillers or stimulants becomes addicted. However, the potential is there each and every time someone takes these medications in a way that is risky.

Risk Factors for Prescription Drug Addiction

This is a list of possible risk factors for developing a prescription drug addiction. Notice that anything over-stretching a person’s coping skills, health, or abilities puts them at risk.

Not following doctor’s medication directions exactly
Depression or bipolar disorder
High level of stress, chronic stress
Poor economic conditions
Chronic fatigue/overworked
Poor self esteem, poor social support
Daily use of alcohol
Family or personal history of addiction
Poor health (easy access)
Addictive personality (low self control, high aggression, high risk taking, socially difficult)
Requiring greater and greater doses to feel original pain relief

Prescription Drug Addiction and Dual Diagnosis

Prescription drugs can be highly addictive, especially dangerous when give for mental illness symptoms such as anxiety. Xanax is such a drug, often prescribed to help people manage severe anxiety. When abused, Xanax can produce painful harsh withdrawal symptoms and make an anxiety condition worse. This becomes a vicious cycle – using more drugs to help the anxiety, using more drugs to avoid the awful withdrawal process.

Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery

The Canyon is well equipped to treat individuals with prescription drug addictions. Few treatment centers offer highly trained professionals prepared to deal with a variety of mental illnesses as well as challenging drug and alcohol addictions. A person needing prescription drug treatment is especially urged to seek a facility capable of supervising the difficult and medically risky detox process. The Canyon specializes in a full range of prescription drug rehab services including drug detox, drug addiction treatment, and drug addiction aftercare. The blog for Meditox of Palm Beach also has a great deal of information about prescription drug addiction.

Your Reaction and Experience

Have you ever fallen into an addiction with prescription painkillers or medication for mental disorders? How quickly did your addiction develop? It’s so easy for prescription medication to start out as a helpful tool and end up a dangerous addiction – I’m interested to hear your story.

Some feel that the lines dividing alcohol use, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are too fine to distinguish. Certainly, after a few drinks, those lines tend to blur even more. Being objective about yourself is difficult in any situation but when it comes to alcohol addiction and the need for alcohol rehab, it can be next to impossible.

Alcohol Abuse Versus Alcohol Addiction

There are specific characteristics that define alcohol abuse versus alcohol addiction. Alcohol abuse can be dangerous but it is less critical than physical dependence upon alcohol or alcohol addiction. Alcohol abuse certainly requires attention, but alcohol addiction is a serious medical disease and requires alcohol rehab and possibly detox in order to begin the journey back to a life without addiction.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is defined as the use of alcohol to the point that it causes problems in their lives, but not so much that it is completely out of control. Those who abuse alcohol have some boundaries around their drinking, although they still drink too much to the point that they hurt themselves and present a danger to others.

They are not, however, physically addicted to alcohol. This means that they can stop drinking at any time for any length of time without experiencing withdrawal symptoms. However, they may have health issues, problems at work due to their hangovers and a high number of sick days, or issues with drunk driving.

One of the largest risks of alcohol abuse is the fact that many who are abusers will soon become physically addicted, the defining characteristic of an alcoholic.

Alcohol Addiction

Whether you call it alcoholism, alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction, make no mistake: when your body is physically dependent upon alcohol, you will need an alcohol detox and rehab in order to treat the disease. Some characteristics of alcoholism include:

* The need for more alcohol or other drugs to fight off withdrawal symptoms like tremors
* The need to drink more and more alcohol in order to feel its effects
* Having a hard time limiting the number of drinks once drinking begins
* Physical and mental cravings for alcohol
* An inability to stop drinking even when trying to abstain

Alcohol Rehab at The Canyon

If you need treatment for alcohol addiction, The Canyon provides an alcohol detox and alcohol rehab that will give you a solid foundation to begin a new life without alcohol dependence. Check out our site and let us know what you think!

Internet Addicts don’t steal to pay for their habits. They don’t lock themselves in bathrooms and shove needles up their arms or snort things through their noses. Their addictions don’t cause car accidents or impair their judgment or ability to make decisions, but that doesn’t mean an Internet addiction isn’t dangerous.

Internet addictions have broken up marriages and strained friendships. They’ve torn apart families and gotten in the way of school and work. Because an Internet addiction isn’t seen as life-threatening as drug addiction, it’s a lot more acceptable. Because it’s legal doesn’t mean we should be any less aware of what can happen if we spend all our time online.

The Internet vs. The Real World

The Internet is attractive to so many people because it offers something we don’t have in the real world, anonymity. People who are shy or have trouble speaking to others can have intense discussions online. People who feel they’re unattractive or unpopular can have many online friends. In fact, there’s really no need to leave the house anymore. Now that we can shop, chat, play, date, even have sex online. One can see how easy it is for someone to get hooked.

Signs of Internet Addiction

There are those who spend a lot of time on the Internet and there are those who are just plain addicted. People who spend too much time online, might have trouble tearing themselves away from their computer screens, but people who are addicted can’t seem to do so at all. Here are some signs of Internet Addiction:

• Spending hours online without a break.
• Preferring to spend time with a computer over friends and family.
• Lying about the amount of time spent online.
• Hiding what you do online.
• Checking email several times an hour.
• Family complains about the amount of time spent online.
• Thoughts are always on the Internet – even when offline.
• Logging on while at work or school instead of working or studying.
• The first thing an addict does when family leaves the house is log on.

Internet Addiction Defense

In July 2007, a Nevada couple was charged with child neglect after their Internet gaming addiction kept them from caring for their two children aged 11 and 22 months. The couple claimed they spent so much time online, their kids where left to “fend for themselves.” The children were underweight, malnourished, dehydrated, suffered from infections and filthy. One child had cat urine in her hair. The couple was unemployed and used a $50,000 inheritance to support themselves and pay for equipment. The couple pleaded guilty to two counts of child neglect which can land them each a dozen years in jail. (Source: bloggernews)

In 2000, a teen who vowed to “finish what Columbine started” blamed his threats on his Internet addiction. 18 year old Michael Ian Campbell sent the threatening note to a sophomore at Columbine High School. The school ended up closing down for a couple of days as a result. Campbell was sentenced to four months in prison. (Source: nytimes.com)

Crimes & Other Addictions Attributed to Internet Addiction

Many Internet addicts are also addicted to:

• Online gambling – Some online addicts turn to robbery to support and pay off gambling debts.
• Pedophilia – With child pornography available online, more cases of pedophilia and predators searching for children to have sex with are surfacing.
• Identity theft – Hackers break into online databases and steal personal information.
• Cyber Harassment, Stalking and Bullying – The anonymity of the Internet allows many individuals to be bolder than they would in real life. Thus, cyber bullies are becoming more prevalent as is stalking and bullying others online.

Statistics and Studies

The Washington Post listed some interesting statistics:

• About 6% of surveyed individuals responded, “their relationships suffered as a result of excessive Internet use.”
• About 9% attempted to conceal “nonessential Internet use.”
• Nearly 4% reported feeling “preoccupied by the Internet when offline.”
• About 8% said they used the Internet as a way to escape problems
• Almost 14% reported they “found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time.”

A 2006 telephone-based Stanford University Study revealed one in eight individuals displayed at least one “problematic” sign of excessive Internet use. Elias Aboujaoude, a clinical Assistant Psycholology and Behavioral Sciences Professor at Stanford’s Impulse Control Disorders Clinic likens these problematic behaviors such as the constant need to check email or visit online forums and chat rooms as being similar to the cravings drug addicts experience.

Some statistics from the Stanford University study:

• 13.7 percent of those interviewed found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time
• 12.4 percent stayed online longer than intended very often or often
• 12.3 percent had seen a need to cut back on Internet use at some point
• 8.7 percent attempted to conceal non-essential Internet use from family, friends and employers
• 8.2 percent used the Internet as a way to escape problems or relieve negative mood
• 5.9 percent felt their relationships suffered as a result of excessive Internet use

Treatment:

So other than shutting down forever, how does one treat an Internet addiction? In China online addicts are put behind bars and given shock treatments to ensure they don’t abuse their access. In the German town of Boltenhagen there is actually a camp geared towards weaning kids from the Internet. These are rather drastic and there are more recommended recourses:

Most treatment involves therapy, including getting to the root of the addiction. What does the addict do when online? Socialize? Gamble? Shop? If so, the treatment might not necessarily be to control Internet use but work on socialization skills or addictions to shopping, gambling or sex. In fact, many argue the addiction isn’t to the Internet itself but what one does when one is online.

Other therapy relies on motivation. What will motivate the user to spend less time online? Since most people can’t function at work, or even at home without at a computer, the key is moderation rather than abstinence.

Conclusion

If you find you’re online more than off, that your real-world relationships are sacrificed to cyber friends you’ve never met, and you can’t stay away from your computer … you may be addicted to the Internet.

Because Internet addiction doesn’t impair one’s ability to judge and think clearly like drugs, it’s a more socially acceptable addiction. Plus, many who spend large blocks of time online refuse to believe there’s such a thing as Internet addiction, anyway.

If the time you spend online is straining relationships in the real world and getting in the way or school or work, do seek help or at least make an attempt to spend less time online. As many things as there are to do online, there are more in the real world. Get out and explore.

photo credit: Oslo In The Summertime

It’s already difficult to know just how common dual diagnosis issues are in the United States. There have not been many studies done to find out. What’s even more hidden is the true number of people with multiple co-occurring disorders – one or more mental disorders and one or more addictions at once.

Dual Diagnosis Includes Multiple Co-Occurring Disorders

It’s already difficult to know just how common dual diagnosis issues are in the United States. There have not been many studies done to find out. What’s even more hidden is the true number of people with multiple co-occurring diagnoses, one or more mental disorders and one or more addictions at once.

While several reliable resources acknowledge that some people with dual disorders actually have multiple disorders, it’s difficult to really know the true numbers. Suffice to say that mental health professionals may need to consider co-occurring disorders more of the norm than the exception.

Prevalence of Multiple Co-Occurring Disorders

It isn’t really accurate to use the word “dual” because that implies the existance of just two co-occurring disorders. In fact, some people have three or more diagnosable mental or addiction disorders going on at the same time. It is difficult to get statistics on how many people are affected by more than two disorders. Few studies have been done on dual diagnosis prevalence at this point. Hopefully, the current shift in awareness and treatment of dual diagnosis disorders will prompt the push for more studies. Professionals need to get a good handle on the problem to continue improving treatment options, treatment availability, and awareness.

Proper Assessment for Multiple Co-Occurring Disorders

For anyone needing help with a mental illness or addiction, proper assessment and diagnosis is absolutely essential. The Canyon has participated in dual diagnosis research and found that although 14 million people in the United States have co-occurring disorders, only 19% actually get treatment. Since it’s clear that many more people have co-occurring disorders than was once thought, accurate diagnosis is the first step to getting the right treatment. Certainly there need not be over-diagnosis hysteria, seeing anyone and everyone as possibly having dual and multiple disorders. However, the current pattern is under-diagnosis.

The recent trend of greater awareness among the public and professionals is heartening. Perhaps the entire treatment success rate for mental health and addiction services has been skewed for years because one or more disorders were either undiagnosed or not properly treated in the first place. It all boils down to people getting the treatment that fits their needs. The Canyon’s treatment process includes careful and thorough dual diagnosis assessment. The staff is committed to understanding the whole picture and treating the whole person.

Your Experience

Have you ever had more than one addiction and realized you also had other problems like wild mood swings, bouts with depression, or a serious anger problem (possibly depression in disguise)? Or, have you had more than one mental illness (bipolar and anxiety, schizophrenia and depression, etc) and also developed an addiction? Assessment and study of multiple mental illness and addiction disorders is a subject that needs much light shed on it. The experiences you share are very valuable to us and everyone else going through the struggle.

photo credit: Daquella manera

Change is society can be slow, especially for something that has so many unknowns. The mainstream practice for dual diagnosis treatment used to be treat the addiction then treat the mental disorder. Now researchers and professional are realizing that there is a much better way – dual diagnosis treatment that helps both problems at once.

Which Came First Mental Illness or Addiction

Occasionally the dual diagnosis “chicken and the egg” question arises. Which came first for this person – the mental illness or the addiction? And for that matter, which one usually comes first in the dual diagnosis population? Sometimes it turns out you are asking the wrong question from the beginning.

Researchers have found that in most cases, the mental illness has developed before the addiction. The debate has gone on for years, but this focus has taken the mental health and addiction community off track. The point is really this – worrying which came first masks the fact that the interaction of the diagnoses is what really matters. The person with these problems is only concerned that their life is going downhill and they need the best treatment the mental health and addiction community can offer.

Separation of Mental Illness and Addiction in Treatment

Until recently, most professionals kept addiction and mental health treatment fairly separated. The conventional wisdom had been to get the person stable in their sobriety before really addressing any mental health diagnoses. It was thought that you couldn’t effectively treat the mental illness if the addiction was still “getting in the way,” so to speak. However, this process has misinterpreted the basic way co-occurring disorders work. Again, it is the interaction that dual diagnosis recovery needs to focus on.

When one diagnosis gets the focus and the other is left aside, the person isn’t getting the whole problem addressed. It’s like finding two different infections on a person’s two hands, but waiting until the left hand gets better before treating the right one. In the meantime, the infection in the right hand just continues to get worse!

Misdiagnosis and Under-Diagnosis of Co-Occurring Disorders

Also, it’s important that genuine dual disorders are not seen as one major disorder with a small side-problem – like a depressed person what has a few too many drinks after work (alcoholic), or a drug addict with an occasional anger and aggression problem (probably some form of depression in disguise).

It is certainly possible for a major disorder to occur with some minor disturbances on the side, it is absolutely essential that a well-trained professional make sure significant problems aren’t getting the brush-off. The Canyon takes accurate dual diagnosis assessment quite seriously. The staff is highly trained in the complexities of dual diagnosis treatment and assessment.

Your Experience

Have you ever been treated for your dual diagnoses separately? What was your experience like? How do you think that affected your overall recovery? We here at the Canyon very much appreciate you sharing your stories and with us. It helps us to make your dual diagnosis treatment experience the best possible.

Traditionally, there have been more men than women entering alcohol rehab in the United States. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is the stigma associated with alcoholism and drug rehab of any kind in certain circles.

According to a study in Medical News Today, the number of women in alcohol rehab is rising and quickly catching up with the number of men seeking treatment for alcoholism. They say:

* “A new examination of data on similarly aged groups, compared across decades, has found substantial increases in drinking and alcohol dependence among women.”

* “Increases were particularly notable among white and Hispanic women – beginning with those born in the United States after World War II.”

Some of the findings of the study were kind of interesting and disturbing at the same time. Like, for example, younger people were reporting that they had intense problems with alcohol over their lifetime more often than did older people, even though, technically, they’ve had less time to develop such problems. Then again, the intensity of experience is somewhat more life altering when you’re younger as time hasn’t been given a chance to dull the experience or level it out by comparison to other experiences.

Women, Age and the Need for Alcohol Rehab

Richard A. Grucza is an epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author. He says:

“By looking at two different cross-sectional surveys that asked the same questions in the same manner, but were conducted 10 years apart, we were able to compare, for example, 30 to 40 year olds in 2001 with 30 to 40 year olds in 1991. Essentially, this allowed us to correct for the effects of age on reporting. When we did this, we found that the tendency for young people to have higher levels of lifetime alcohol dependence clearly remained for women, although it disappeared for men.”

Young women, older women… the results are the same. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you are just as likely to have a problem with alcohol that requires treatment as a man.

Why Are Women Needing Alcohol Rehab in Increasing Numbers?

Well, in my opinion, it’s not necessarily that more women need alcohol rehab but that maybe more women are coming forward and seeking treatment. Too many women have responsibilities to children and elders, whole families depending on them to be present every day and not. Alcohol treatment may not have seemed like an option but more like a luxury. As people become more educated and realize that, if you’re an alcoholic, alcohol rehab is a necessity and not something to deny yourself for any reason. Women are taking this to heart.

Shelly F. Greenfield is the associate clinical director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program at McLean Hospital. She says:

“One possible explanation is that between 1934 and 1964, the social acceptability of women’s drinking increased. As it was more socially acceptable for women to drink, a greater number of them became drinkers. Because women have a heightened vulnerability to the effects of alcohol – that is, greater blood alcohol levels at similar ‘doses’ of alcohol – we may therefore see a concomitant rise in alcohol dependence among those who ever drank.”

Grucza had an interesting take on the phenomenon as well:

“Clearly there were many changes in the cultural environment for women born in the 40s, 50s and 60s compared to women born earlier. Women entered the work force, were more likely to go to college, were less hampered by gender stereotypes, and had more purchasing power. They were freer to engage in a range of behaviors that were culturally or practically off-limits, and these behaviors probably would have included excessive drinking and alcohol problems.

If A Woman You Love Needs Alcohol Rehab…

Help is available. The Canyon provides a retreat-like atmosphere in Malibu, California, that provides the healing and care that is required for women to truly be able to relax and focus on themselves. Give us a call to find out more about what we have to offer women who need alcohol treatment.

For more information on this study and others, take a look at Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

There’s a new marketing slant in alcohol production lately that seems to hone in on the American need to be highly productive but escape as well: alcohol energy drinks. Perhaps it’s the conception that the energy part of the drink will counter some of the sedating effects of alcohol that makes it so appealing. Maybe it’s the caffeine and sugar turbo effect that mixes with the intoxication of alcohol. Who knows. The problem is that people feel like these new drinks are somehow less harmful than alcoholic beverages alone. Unfortunately, according to a new study published on Medical News Today, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Alcohol Energy Drinks Are Dangerous

In fact, according to the study, those who drink alcohol energy drinks or mix liquor with energy drinks are doubling their chances of getting injured to the point of needing medical assistance during an alcoholic binge.

John Rogerson is the CEO of Australian Drug Foundation (ADF). He says:

“People need to consider the risks involved in consuming these drinks. The research suggests you are more likely to end up in hospital or be assaulted if you drink these products.

“Combining alcohol and energy drinks is just plain dangerous. People might think they are drinking alcoholic energy drinks responsibly, but if they choose to then drive they are at particular risk, because they may feel more sober than they really are.”

Alcohol Energy Drinks and Alcohol Rehab

The fact that people who consume alcohol energy drinks are in more danger of getting hurt than those who drink alcohol alone means that the need for alcohol rehab in these cases is more urgent than ever if alcoholic behavior is present. Don’t fool yourself: you may feel more alert on these drinks but the alcohol’s effect on your system, your reflexes and your perception is no less than it would be without the caffeine. The false sense of confidence may end up prolonging the alcoholic’s denial of his or her circumstance and need for alcohol rehab.

If you have questions about how your alcohol dependence and addiction may be endangering your life and the lives of those around you, please contact us at The Canyon for more information about our comprehensive alcohol rehab program.

If you would like more information on this topic, check out Australian Drug Foundation.

What if you experienced your worst fear nearly every day of your life – the fear that others will abandon you completely? This fear is so large and intense that it takes over your relationships, your personal goals, your everyday behaviors, your life. This is the reality of borderline personality disorder.

What Are The Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder?

A personality disorder is diagnosed n a person has rigid inflexible patterns of thoughts and behaviors that cause continuous problems in the their life. These patterns are long lasting and difficult to change. in particular, someone with borderline personality disorder has an enormous fear of abandonment. They swing between intense feelings of anger and rage to desperation and anxiety. They also have a tendency toward impulsive aggression, self-injury, and suicide attempts. Anyone in a relationship with such a person will tell you it’s like riding an exhausting emotional roller coaster all the time. Borderline personality disorder is three times more common in women in men.

How Would a Borderline Personality Disorder Addict Look to Family and Friends?

Family and friends would already know their loved on has lots of trouble with unstable relationships. Everything becomes about drama and unpredictability. They would also notice that the symptoms would become worse with alcohol and drug use.

How is Borderline Personality Disorder Treated?

Borderline personality disorder is frequently treated with a combination of antidepressants and regular mental health counseling. The specific style of counseling that is most helpful is called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. This approach helps persona with borderline personality disorder build emotional and social skills. The emphasis is on accepting and adapting to change, accepting things as they are right now.

How Does Borderline Personality disosrder Interact With CDrugs and Alcohol?

Most people with borderline personality disorder use drugs and alcohol to escape the strong emotional pain they feel every day. In their world, there is a constant threat of abandonment and no one can be really trusted. Persons with this disorder often use drugs and alcohol in erratic unpredictable ways. They often abuse strong medication prescribed for their persistent anxiety. Their overuse of medication then becomes its own problem.

What Kind of Drug Treatment is Available for Borderline Personality Disorder?

Treatment for borderline personality disorder and addictions must be sensitive to close ties between borderline symptoms and addictive behavior. Intense anxiety leads to drug and alcohol use, symptoms become worse (especially impulsvity), confrontation about substance abuse leads to panic, which often leads to drug-seeking behavior. There must be strong healthy drug-substitutes put into place, knowing that the borderline symptoms are persistent and predictable.

Dual diagnosis treatment at The Canyon is second to none. Their treatment model covers the difficulties of both addiction and mental health disorders. The professionals at The Canyon use a holistic approach that addresses a person’s physical and emotional needs. Dual diagnosis is The Canyon’s specialty. Read more about The Canyon’s unique approach to drug rehab for individuals with co-occurring disorders on their main website.

Your Issues

We want to know what you’ve been through. Have you been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder? Did you ever use drugs or alcohol to escape your problems? Do you have a loved one with borderline personality disorder that you are concerned about?

Marijuana is one of those drugs that knows no bounds as far as gender, age, class, race, ethnicity or geographical region. A new study done in Canada was done recently to prove that a little bit more concretely, according to Medical News Today. It seems that the Canadian middle class, much like their American counterparts, are consciously choosing to “enhance” their leisure time with marijuana rather than just alcohol.

The Marijuana Use Study

Says MNT, “there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ marijuana user.” They point out that “people of all ages are selectively lighting up the drug as a way to enhance activities ranging from watching television and playing sports to having sex, painting or writing.”

Geraint Osborne is a professor of sociology at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose, and one of the study’s authors. He says, “For some of the participants, marijuana enhanced their ability to relax by taking their minds off daily stresses and pressures. Others found it helpful in focusing on the activity at hand.”

When Drug Use Becomes Drug Abuse

Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? For many, drug addiction starts with occasional drug use to unwind. At the end of stressful day, it’s common for people to turn to drugs and alcohol to relax. For many, it stops there. But for some, this is followed by drug abuse as opposed to drug use, characterized by using despite negative consequences including poor performance at work and an inability to keep up with responsibilities to work in family. Soon drug use is no longer a way to enjoy yourself but the cause of even more problems.

Treating Drug Addiction

If marijuana use is a problem for you or someone you love, you can find marijuana addiction treatment at The Canyon. If you’re ultimately looking for relaxation, there’s no better place to find it than in a healing environment on a private ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Contact us today.

For more information about the study mentioned in this post, check out the University of Alberta website.

There are tons of books written for alcoholics and addicts as they try to understand their disease and how to beat it. But don’t worry. If you love someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, there are plenty of books that are written just for you. Take a look:

A Personal View

When drug and alcohol addiction strikes someone you love, your natural first response is emotional. The only good thing about this situation is that you are not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of others who have and do suffer with the same problem, and a few of them have written books about it. For example, Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff. Interestingly, the son about whom David speaks, Nic Sheff, penned his own book about his struggle with addiction and recovery. You can check that out, as well: Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. Together, the two create a complete picture of a parent-child relationship dealing with one of the toughest trials of all.

Books on Codependency

If you love someone who is actively using, even if your loved one is in recovery, you run the risk of becoming codependent, if you aren’t already. Get some spiritual guidance in this touchy area from Melody Beattie in her book, Codependent No More: How To Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself. According to Powells.com, “Containing real-life examples, personal reflections, exercises and self-tests, this work recalls the history of “Codependent No More”, and points the way for how to take care of yourself, and what to do to start feeling better.”

Beattie has written a number of other books on the subject as well, including Beyond Codependency: And Getting Better All the Time, Codependents’ Guide to the Twelve Steps, and The Language of Letting Go.

Guidance for Families in Addiction
No More Letting Go: The Spirituality of Taking Action Against Alcoholism and Drug Addiction by Debra Jay is a new approach to dealing with addiction in the family that is the opposite of “tough love.” Says the Amazon.com site: “Detachment” has been the standard message of most addiction literature for the last twenty years. The conventional wisdom offered to an addict’s loved ones has been to let the addict “hit bottom” before intervening. Now intervention specialist Debra Jay challenges this belief and offers a bold new approach to treating addiction that provides a practical and spiritual lifeline to families struggling with alcohol or drug abuse.

From a more psychological perspective comes It’s Not Okay to Be a Cannibal: How to Keep Addiction from Eating Your Family Alive by Andrew T. Wainwright and Robert Poznanovich. Written by two professional interventionists, Amazon.com describes the book well: “With compelling case histories and real-life scenarios, the authors set forth a practical course of action for families to break free from the grip of addiction, a process that culminates with an intervention for the addict. The process liberates and forever changes the family.”

Drug Addiction Reference

Found a pill and don’t know what it is? Think some of that slang that your teen is throwing around is drug-related? Then check out Dangerous Drugs: An Easy-To-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals (Hazelden Guidebook) by Carol Falkowski. According to Powells.com, “Dangerous Drugs is an easy-to-use reference for parents and professionals. It includes the latest information on the newest drugs to hit the nation–and who’s abusing them. Written for parents, teachers, counselors, and other professionals, this is an up-to-the-minute, comprehensive guide covering all current drugs of abuse.”

What books do you recommend to those who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in their family?