For someone recovering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, each sober day is a blessing. However, with each sober day comes the possibility of a relapse. The process of rehabbing from a drug or alcohol addiction involves many steps and staying sober after leaving rehab is one of the most important ones. Addiction treatment centers are designed so that patients maximize the chances of staying sober on the outside. Treatment centers do this through counseling sessions where they try to identify what factors led to that person’s drug addiction in the first place. Let’s say a person was led to drinking or drugs because of stress at work or at home. If that person gets sober, but goes back to the same house and job, then the chance that they relapse is going to be higher. They may have gotten sober, but they’ve done nothing to make a change in the lifestyle that led to drug or alcohol addiction in the first place. Having a support system full of addiction counselors, family members and even other recovering addicts makes a huge difference when someone leaves a treatment facility. The person then knows that they have a long list of numbers to call in case they feel the urge to start using again. A common misconception is that once you’ve detoxed from a substance, the urge to use it again dies down. While this is true over time, the allure of drugs and alcohol is something that a person may never fully overcome. The point of rehab is to give you the tools you need to go against the urge to use and focus your mind on more constructive tasks. People who quit smoking cigarettes often say that the urge to smoke never really goes away, you just getting better and better at saying no.One thing that’s extremely helpful for a recovering addict is getting into a routine. Most people agree that the urge to use comes about more when you’ve got nothing going on. A routine helps keep your mind active, which means you’ll have less time for urges to use. Maybe you go to the gym at the same time after work every day then come home and interact with friends and family. A routine doesn’t have to be strict like it’s the military, but repetition may help keep your mind off substance abuse. If you know someone who is a recovering addict who tends to relapse, contact the Christian Detox Helpline in Marinette, WI as soon as you can. There are trained addiction counselors who can help anyone kick the habit once and for all. ...read more

New studies have shown that teenagers are more likely to use and abuse prescription drugs than the illegal drugs which are purchased on the street. There are a few reasons for this, but the overwhelming reason is because they can be much easier to obtain. Prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs are prescribed by doctors all over the country. Take a peek inside your own medicine cabinet right now. No really, I’ll wait. What did you find? Drugs like Vicodin, Oxycontin, Kolonopin, and Xanax are readily available to teens and parents have no idea. Prescription drugs are essentially designer drugs, meaning that they are created in laboratories by pharmaceutical company scientists. These drugs are designed to target very specific ailments and they are very powerful. The reason they’ve become so popular among teenagers is because of how powerful they are. The “high” from a painkiller like Oxycodone is incredibly powerful and it’s easy for teens to become addicted.The first step in curbing teen prescription drug abuse is to make sure your prescription medications are in a safe place. The medicine cabinet in the bathroom is NOT a safe place. Not only is it easily available for teens, but really for anyone who comes to your home. You don’t necessarily need to keep them under lock and key (although that would be nice), but as long as they are hidden from plain sight it helps a lot. It’s also important to not advertise that you may have desirable drugs in your home. Burglars are quick to act when they discover that you have valuable medication. Even people who do not use the pills might be interested in them because the fetch such a high price on the streets. Some large dosage painkillers can go for up to $100 per pill.It sounds terrible to say, but grandparents are often the most victimized. As seniors are the most medicated group, they often are targeted for their pills. There are hundreds of robberies across the United States that are fueled by prescription drugs and more often than not, seniors are the victim. Thieves can steal money and other valuables to purchase drugs with, but they can also cut out the middle man by stealing the drugs directly. Prescription drugs are highly addictive and people can become desperate when trying to get them. They are also very dangerous because the risk of overdosing is so high. Users develop a tolerance with long term usage so they need to take higher and higher doses for the effects to be felt. This is what leads to overdosing.If you or someone you know is addicted to prescription medication or other drugs, contact the Christian Detox Helpline in Marinette, WI right away. ...read more

Oh the glamorous life of a young pop star. One minute Justin Bieber is riding around in his white Ferrari, the next a picture of him apparently smoking marijuana is all over the internet. Bieber fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The social media website Twitter went particularly crazy as Bieber fans sent out tweets at a record pace. The most popular and controversial hashtag was #cutforbieber. It began as a prank but quickly escalated to the national spotlight. Basically Bieber fans and pranksters alike began posting self-harm pictures on Twitter with the aforementioned hashtag and stating that they would continue the self-harm until Bieber swore off pot.  The trend received so much attention that it ended up in the national news. The biggest issue is that Bieber’s primary fan base is teenagers who are the most at risk for both marijuana use and self-harm. Teen pot use is as prevalent now as any point in the last few decades and the fact that many states have started decriminalizing and even legalizing marijuana is a big influence on kids. A lot of teenagers experiment with marijuana during their high school and college years. What they don’t realize is that stage of life is when the brain goes through the most development. Prolonged marijuana exposure on the adolescent brain causes significant impairment to memory, intelligence, and learning ability. Teens use the drug for many reasons despite these harmful effects. Many enjoy the sensation of being high, while others are driven to use simply because they enjoy doing things they aren’t supposed to do. As anyone with a teenager can tell you, teens rarely like doing what they’re told.  One major influence on teens using drugs and alcohol is from peer pressure and when they see famous people like Justin Bieber using them. Teens think that emulating the actions of the stars means that they’ll be cool and successful as well.  Stars like Justin Bieber should understand that the things they do can have an effect on a lot of people. Sometimes the effect is positive, but in the case of the pot photos, it was most definitely negative. The problem is that substance abuse is a major issue in our society and stars like Justin Bieber are not helping at all. Lives are ruined by drugs and alcohol and it’s important we teach our children of the dangers these substances possess. If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance abuse issue, please contact the Christian Detox Helpline in Marinette, WI and talk to real drug and #alcohol #addiction counselors who have experience in #addiction #treatment. ...read more