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 Bayside, 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 Bayside, WI right away. ...read more

Some of the most dangerous and addictive drugs out there are the ones you pick up at a pharmacy. It’s true. The past few years has seen a huge increase the in the number of people addicted to prescription drugs. There are a multitude of medications that are used and abused, but the most common seem to be painkillers and anti-anxiety medications. Doctors are prescribing these medications at an alarming rate and it’s not uncommon for patients to turn around and sell their pills at an incredibly high rate. Some pills, such as the powerful painkiller Oyxcodone, can sell for $100 per pill. That makes a script of painkillers incredibly valuable on the streets. The problem is, with the drugs in such high demand and selling for such a high price, many addicts turn to crime in order to fund their habit.Robberies fueled by prescription drug abuse are on the rise all over the place. In many cases, the theft involves taking money or other valuables from someone’s home or vehicle. Sometimes the robbers go right for the final product, targeting people and homes which they know contain the medications they are after. Elderly people are the most at risk for these types of crimes because they are an easy target. The elderly are not going to be able to put up a fight against an intruder and they are the most highly medicated group. Many of these robberies are not random either. It is not worth the risk of breaking into a home that may not contain drugs, so they target those whom they know have what they want.Many prescription drug abusers are young adults looking to get high. It’s easier for them to head to the medicine cabinet rather than go out looking for somewhere to get alcohol or other drugs on the streets. Proper handling of medication is paramount when dealing with pills with a high risk of abuse. Keeping your medications in a secure place such as in a safe or lockbox is vitally important. Having dangerous drugs just sitting in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom is never a good idea. If you have prescription drugs that you do not want or need, there are proper ways to dispose of them. Most hospitals or police stations will take unwanted medications and dispose of them in the proper manner. Flushing them down the toilet is another method, but it’s probably not good for the water supply.  If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, please contact the addiction counselors at theChristian Drug Detox Helpline in West Allis, WIimmediately. It could save a life. ...read more