The Causes And Solutions For Drug And Alcohol Addiction
By Sandy Sizemore

The causes of drug addiction are something that everyone should know about. Even if you have never used drugs, you should know in case someone you love is in trouble. Your child may need to you to know this too, when he is young and needs to be educated. From teen drug addiction to life threatening severe cases in adults, the causes of drug addiction are indications that your condition needs attention. In fact, once you learn the causes of drug addiction, drug and alcohol addiction recovery can begin.

How Does It Happen?

If you are someone looking in from how drug addiction happens, do not be too harsh to judge. All it takes is one experiment, one time of wanting just see what the big deal is to make a serious problem start. The high that people get from drugs is something that draws them back for maybe just one more time. Soon it becomes something that they can no longer shake. The experiment is now out of their hands.

The causes of drug addiction are not the things that we can control, like that experiment. Although it may seem harmless, within just a few times of trying it out, it can become lethally addictive. That is where the problem truly lies. Once the experiment has gotten to this level, it is out of the person's control.

What you will learn about alcohol and drug detox is that it is not about the person's will to stop doing what they are doing. It is more so about the actual problem that lies within the brain during an addiction. What you will learn through your drug and alcohol addiction recovery is that the brain needs to be retrained from the addiction. The brain will demand the drugs. That is because the brain is now much different, transformed even. It is different in both its functions as well as its structure.

Every time you reach that high from a drug, you are in fact changing your brain's chemistry. This is what causes drug addiction and this is what makes it inevitable that those that continue to use drugs will in fact become addicted to it. Drug abuse is not something anyone sets out to do, but once that one experiment leads to a few more; it is a sure path to becoming addicted.

With this being the cause of drug addiction, the brain's ability to function is severely limited. Every time things can be worsened. You should consider drug addiction a disease of the brain in which over time it becomes more and more damaged by the toxins. Eventually, if the user does not seek drug and alcohol addiction recovery, he or she will experience a range of health problems including the slow destruction of the brain.

The good news is that with a successful drug and alcohol addiction treatment program, the user can put a stop to this destruction.

Sandy Sizemore writes on many consumer related topics including mental health. You can find info on addiction recovery solutions and a drug and alcohol rehab center and more by visiting our mental health website.

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How To Select A Drug Rehab Clinic
By Sandy Sizemore

A drug rehab clinic can be the ideal place to detox from the unhealthy lifestyle that is being lead. It is essential that careful planning of which drug or alcohol addition treatment program is selected though. There are many programs around the country that can be beneficial. In most cases, they will treat all substance abuse including alcohol addiction recovery, drug abuse, teen drug addiction, prescription drug rehab and even tobacco recovery. But, further investigation is necessary.

Since you will be spending a good deal of your time at the drug rehab clinic that you attend, it should be a place that you are okay with going to. While no one wants to be here, it should provide you with the necessary program to treat your condition. One important consideration here is for those teens in need of help. Teen drug addiction is much different than the drug addiction of an adult and should be handled not alongside an adult but in a separate facility.

In some cases, the program itself should be considered. Often, there is a need for alcohol/drug detox to happen before the program can be taught. In this case, finding a drug rehab clinic that allows for aid in detoxing is necessary for a program that will work. Other things to consider include the method in which the program is taught. Some are much milder in their treatment programs. A drug rehab clinic should provide the highest level of commitment to you, no matter what the program is.

Of course, the cost of the drug rehab clinic is necessary too to consider. Some programs do cost much more, especially private institutions. Sometimes, their programs are more sophisticated and can be more beneficial, but their rate of recovery is likely to be the same as the recovery that you are facing. To detox from drugs, you need to seek out the best rated program available to you and your budget. A drug and alcohol rehab center can be just as beneficial in your local area as one that is privately funding quite on the other side of the country.

Selecting the right drug rehab clinic should be something that you do if you are using any sort of illegal, prescription or otherwise addicting medication. The first thing to know is that it happens to many people and it is not your fault. But, it is your responsibility to find alcohol addiction recovery in any way that is possible. Some of the best opportunities for this to happen is through a drug and alcohol rehab center.

Selecting the right drug rehab clinic for your needs is important. Take some time to determine if the program is ultimately right for you. Apply for and get into the drug rehab clinic, then. And, work your best to make it happen by following the plan that you have committed too. A drug rehab clinic can be the ideal place to go to find help.

Sandy Sizemore writes on many consumer related topics including mental health. You can find info on addiction recovery solutions and a drug and alcohol rehab center and more by visiting our mental health website.

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Top Drug Rehab Principles
By Michael Rad

The basic principles of the drug addiction treatment start from considering each case a particular and individualized expression of the medical condition. Based on this fact, the specialized doctors build a complex treatment that includes each patient’s individual needs and problems, in order to succeed the reintegration in the healthy and normal life of the society. Even more, the drug addiction is not a unidirectional condition, as it concerns multiple medical, affective, social, personal, and legal problems.

The second most important principle when discussing drug addictions is the flexibility of the therapy. This implies changing the therapy, medicaments and alternative methods, regarding the patient’s evolution, problems and difficulties that might occur during rehabilitation. A major part of the rehabilitation program is the strict supervision of the patients, in order to assure the abstinence from drugs during the time of treatment and the optimum counseling that provides reasons and principles that stop the patient from restarting to use mind-altering drugs in the future. In most of the drug addiction cases, there is the need to combine the classical medicine therapies that use drugs (like levo-alpha-acetylmethadol - LAAM) with the intensive counseling and psychological therapies, in order to provide a complex and successful treatment with long term effects. Motivation is an important factor in the drug rehab process. Although before beginning the treatment, the inner motivation and admittance of the severe condition might be hard to achieve by the patient, further motivation is essential for a complete rehabilitation. During the advanced stages of treatment, the patients share their experience, motivation and needs that stimulate them to overcome the situation.

Our bodies are continuously exposed to several toxins and unwanted substances that might develop serious illnesses or health affections. A full body detox should consider all types of therapies, diets and exercises that are supposed to fasten the toxins releasing process. The detoxifying foods and drinks are operating from inside, taking action directly on the liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, bowels and the whole digestive tube. The recovery from drug addiction is a permanent process that, in most of the cases, requires various steps of treatment, as it is considered similar to a chronic illness. The specialized doctors in drug rehabilitation sustain that, during these multiple episodes of treatments and in between, patients should be constantly supported and encouraged by close family members and friends, in order to avoid relapses and to assure the safe and healthy reintegration in the society.

You can get more free detox program tips and gather more facts about full body detox plans on http://www.detoxhub.com

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Out-of-Control Habits
By Michael Russell

Today, addiction and compulsive behavior of all kinds seem rampant. Many people are concerned not only with losing control over their use of alcohol and drugs, but over food, smoking, gambling, and even shopping. But what is the nature of addiction, and how do we explain its hold over certain individuals? Smoking-related illnesses, for example, kill more than 100 people a day in Canada, yet though warned of the hazards of smoking, nicotine addicts are frequently unable to kick the habit - despite numerous attempts. Or consider the alcoholics who trade away family and career rather than quit drinking.

Chocolate, exercise, coffee, work, sex, indeed almost everything these days has been labeled as being addictive. But when and how does simple experiment or indulgence spiral into a full-blown addiction?

The Nature of Addiction - One theory is that some addicts have abnormally low levels of some of the body's naturally occurring neurochemicals which affect mood and behavior, and when the balance is tipped, an addicted person may try to compensate by ingesting a substance that produces the same, or a far more intense, feeling. In this light, addiction seems to stem from an effort to self-medicate. A user's first attempts to medicate himself with drugs or other substances usually lies within his control. Gradually, however, he loses control, and choice becomes compulsion.

A disease? How does compulsive shopping, gambling, or other non-chemical addictions fit the self-medication model of addiction? Some experts believe that every addiction is a search for wholeness or inner peace, and compulsive behavior is yet another misguided attempt to fill an internal void. If this is true, then any effort to conquer an addiction must be accompanied by an exploration of what has created this feeling of incompleteness in the first place.

But Alcoholics Anonymous and other self-help groups with a similar approach argue that the substance itself creates the need. The important thing is absolute avoidance - a goal achieved through the group support of people with the same addictions, along with recognition of self-destructive behavior patterns, and assistance in overcoming them.

In fact, Alcoholics Anonymous (as well as many medical experts) consider addiction to be disease. The disease concept of alcoholism is an old one, the idea being that the individual is powerless over his or her drinking due to a biological vulnerability. This theory is now applied very broadly not just to alcoholism, but to every conceivable form of addictive or compulsive behavior.

Overwhelmed by Outside Forces - Some experts support the view that addiction is influenced by a external factors - that family environment plays a part, as do cultural norms, peer pressure, and other factors. Another view is social problems - for instance, the rising divorce rate. And still another group suggest that our over-reliance on drugs and medical technology to cure everything from bad breath to bad moods has made us too ready to try to "fix" every twinge and unpleasant feeling we experience.

Most experts agree that addicts need to do more than just kick their habits. For lasting recovery, they need to think about rebuilding their lives, to find meaning and motivation to move ahead. And all addicts need to learn how to enjoy life without their substance of choice.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Addictions

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Miracle Drugs
By David Knowles

Of course there is no magic pill for drug addiction. The only magic pill comes in the form of dedicated treatment providers, unbending will and hard work over time. There have been some significant advances of the drug antagonist pharmaceutical variety and they can be a powerful tool in fighting some addictions.

Certain opiate antagonists like Naltrexone and the Naltraxone implant have been ill received by some treatment providers largely because of the almost immediate misuse of the drug. Naltrexone when introduced into the body of an opiate addict in appropriate levels will make it virtually impossible for the individual to get high from an opiate based drug, Heroin, Oxycontin, Lortab etc. It is known as an opiate antagonist in that it has an antagonistic reaction with the drug and negates the euphoric effect.

Almost immediately following the release of the Naltrexone implant certain people felt to capitalize on the drug by offering it as a cure all to opiate addiction. Weary parents and loved ones of opiate addicts were more than willing to fork out a lot of money for the touted miracle implant. However disappointment would soon follow as they found that the implant did not stop the addiction. Addicts usually have fostered the ability to do anything it takes to get high and the implant alone did not and could not stop that from happening. Some addicts would remove the implant themselves just long enough for the levels to drop and then they could use. Others would simply switch to Cocaine, Methamphetamine or even abuse Zanex. So what could have been and still is a great tool to treat opiate addiction has met with some degree of criticism because it didn’t cure the addiction all by itself.

Opiate addictions are particularly insidious because the physical addiction to the drug is so powerful it makes addressing psychological addiction issues extremely difficult, this is especially true in an outpatient setting. Keeping the addict sober long enough to break down thinking errors and self defeating behavior patterns can be a daunting challenge. This is where the Opiate antagonist comes in, not as a miracle drug but as a powerful tool to place in your treatment tool belt.

In my opinion putting a Naltrexone implant in an addict with no well structured treatment regimen in place is just setting them up for yet another failure. And worse than that what could have been a boon for their overall treatment strategy is now dismissed as just another attempt at sobriety.

It is enticing to addicts and their loved ones to think that they can recover months and years of addiction by just popping a pill, but nothing could be farther from the truth. In most cases there has been a great deal of change in their lives, attitudes, habits, and in reality every facet. I had a client that had graduated from my program, once tell me that he expected absolutely nothing out of life until he had spent as many years clean doing good things as he had spent as an addict being a criminal. I think there is a lot of truth in that statement, you cannot recover ground in a day, week, month or even year that has taken you years to lose.
In short the Opiate antagonist could be of great benefit in the recovery process as long as it is used in conjunction with competent treatment methods, not as a miracle drug but a tool in the miracle of recovery.

http://www.oinksolutions.com/cms/

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Hypnosis—Frequently Asked Questions
By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

How does hypnosis work?

Hypnosis is a natural state of the mind that is between the aware state and sleep. Driving a route you are familiar with and not being conscious of every turn you make is similar to the hypnotic state. Hypnosis allows you to access your subconscious mind, which makes up 90% of your brain that stores all your memories. With hypnosis, you release, reframe and reprogram thought patterns and habits to make desirable, lasting change in your life.

What is the benefit of using hypnosis?

Hypnosis is more effective and works more quickly than traditional talk-therapy. In a hypnotic state, you are more receptive to new ideas and you can more effectively process the emotions linked to the experiences, which created pain, fear, sadness, anger, guilt, shame and low self-esteem.

The hypnotic state is a special form of communication to the subconscious mind, where all habits are established and memory is stored. Because the language of the subconscious mind is visual, the more detailed your image is of your goal, the faster your subconscious mind will create the changes you desire. Once your subconscious accepts a new idea, you automatically accept it at a conscious level.

What type issues would hypnosis help?

Weight Management, Smoking Cessation, Addictions, Insomnia, Eliminating Stress and Anxiety, Creating High Self-Esteem, Enhancing Spiritual Connection, Increasing Performance--Golf, Tennis, work related, Improving Relationships, Eliminating Panic Attacks, Fears and Phobias, Obcessive Compulsive Behaviors, Eliminating Chronic Illness, Eliminating Chronic Fatigue, Pain Management, Eliminate Arthritis, Post Traumatic Stress, PMS, Lupus, Impotence, Infertility, Fibromyalgia, Eliminate Migraine Headaches and more...

What does hypnosis feel like?

Hypnosis is a pleasant, peaceful state of mental and physical relaxation. It is similar to the moment when you are almost asleep.

How many sessions are needed?

Every issue and person is unique. Three to five sessions are recommended and more sessions may be needed to achieve a complete resolution for your particular needs.

What if I can’t be hypnotized?

Anyone who has the ability to concentrate can be hypnotized.

Are there any dangers of being hypnotized?

Since hypnosis is a part of your natural state of mind, it is completely safe. There have been no cases of anyone being unable to return to their aware state of mind.

Does hypnosis cause people to behave in ways that they would not normally behave?

During hypnosis the aware state of your mind is present. Therefore, you will behave according to what you do in your natural aware state of mind.

Various authors have reported projects of the CIA to research or use hypnotic techniques for mind control. All reported failure rates are consistent with the experimental findings. Some people in some situations are apparently vulnerable to sudden confusion techniques of suggestion, but the use of classical hypnosis as 'mind control' is entirely unreliable in general. Think of the speeches of a powerful orator or evangelical preacher to be a form of hypnosis, this seems to be the type most powerful in influencing the minds of people. This situation is perhaps as well described in terms of social/group psychology as individual response to hypnotic suggestion.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, international speaker and inspirational leader specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Prevention and Recovery. Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net

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Acupunture Points Map
By Jamie Lynn

Practitioners of the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture rely on the acupuncture points map to free trapped energy in the body and restore health.

You might have spotted this type of chart of the human body on the wall of your holistic doctor’s office or during a visit to a natural health store. It depicts numerous points on the body where the body’s energy, also known as qi, often accumulates. In fact, there are over 2,000 points that conduct energy throughout the body!

Because of their direct connection to the flow of energy in the body, the acupuncture pressure points depicted on the acupuncture points map help to regulate body function, mood, emotional and spiritual well-being. You might find it surprising that acupuncture has been used for over two millennia to help relieve headaches, skin conditions, digestive disorders, and asthma. And, that’s just the beginning. Acupuncture has been known to help with depression, phobias, addictions, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other ailments caused by energy imbalances in the body.

The traditional acupuncture points chart shows fourteen main channels, also known as meridians, which exist in the body – one meridian for each of the twelve organs, one along the spine and another along the abdomen. Acupuncture pressure points are located along these meridians, and some points have more than one function. This means that an acupuncturist might use them to cure more than one type of illness.

For example, there is a commonly-used point on the acupuncture points chart, which is located on the back side of the hand between the thumb and first finger. Acupuncturists use it mainly to relieve pain and to treat constipation or other intestinal disorders. This point, however, is also used to treat illnesses which cause inflammation and fever. Because the large intestine meridian runs from the hand to the face, these symptoms often manifest in the throat and head.

Another point on the acupuncture points map is located at the base of the skull along the gallbladder meridian. This is a valuable point to know around cold and flu season, because it helps treat these annoying illnesses. It also helps relieve headaches, neck pain, and fever. Additionally, it may also lower blood pressure and relax tension in the region around the eyes. There are a multitude of points that may hold the key to better health for you.

How does an acupuncturist use these points on an acupuncture points map? He or she utilizes small needles and places them at the specific point on the patient’s body to help relieve illnesses caused by disrupted energy flow. By manipulating the flow of qi at these points, the two forms of energy in the body, yin and yang, are brought into proper alignment. It may require several visits to your acupuncturist to bring your body’s energy into harmony.

Encouraging the proper flow of life energy at specific acupuncture pressure points will help bring your body into physical and emotional harmony, in addition to proper diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices. Visit a licensed acupuncturist who has studied the acupuncture points map in detail to ensure a beneficial session.

http://www.meditationandmore.com

Compulsive Gambling and Gambling Addiction
By Ralf Vinogradov

Not many people argue that gambling and playing at casinos is great fun, especially when you have hit a winning streak and feel yourself confident. Some casino games require skill besides luck, so you may think that more you learn these games the more you're going to win, depending on what's your game. Compulsive gambling and gamblind addiction makes you realize that only thing you will ever master is skill of losing your money, besides that bigger skill often means more money lost... in the long run.

Blinking slots, blackjack and baccarat tables mixed with humble atmosphere and attractive female dealers creates a mixture of seductive environment, I admit. And if you are not prepared or don't have the knowledge of the games and the odds, you can get addicted quickly and your addiction may become a compulsive need. It does not mean you are retarded, it's actually quite "human" and coded into us.

Gamblers Anonymous homepage describes compulsive gambling as an illness that is progressive in its nature, which can never be cured, but can be arrested. Before coming to Gamblers Anonymous, many compulsive gamblers thought of themselves as morally weak, or at times just plain 'no good'. The Gamblers Anonymous concept is that compulsive gamblers are really very sick people who can recover if they will follow to the best of their ability a simple program that has proved successful for thousands of other men and women with a gambling or compulsive gambling problem.

Gambling can be compared with addiction to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or junk-food. It's very often as destructive and dangerous as other addictions, often ruining relationships, careers and even ones life. It's very important to start seeking help ASAP when you think you can't control your gambling habit anymore!

Gamblers Anonymous say that compulsive gambler needs to be willing to accept the fact that he or she is in the grip of a progressive illness and has a desire to get well. Their experience has shown that the Gamblers Anonymous program will always work for any person who has a desire to stop gambling. However, it will never work for the person who will not face squarely the facts about this illness.

Gamblers Anonymous offers the following questions to anyone who may have a gambling problem. These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

TWENTY QUESTIONS

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

3. Did gambling affect your reputation?

4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5. Did you ever gamble to get money to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?

9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?

10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

12. Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?

14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?

15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?

16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?

17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

20. Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.

Ralf Vinogradov is a part-time journalist in a newspaper and an editor and webmaster of gambling related website Best Online Casinos and Online Gambling - GamblingRalf.COM, that introduces wackiest online casino bonuses. He also runs infamous newsletter called "Club Hundredaire".

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Writing Tools for Compulsive Overeating
By Annette Colby

Do you keep a journal? Many people don’t because they would not know what to write or perhaps they don’t see the value of writing down their thoughts. Why bother taking the time to write when life is so complicated already? Maybe it’s time to take another look at just how much you will gain by this simple process. The very act of regular writing allows us to tap into ourselves, regain our sense of identity and regain power in our lives. Writing allows us to see ourselves in a new light and begins to answer the question “Who am I?” by noticing “What do I regularly think about?”

Journaling is the practice of regularly connecting with thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and real life experiences. It is a valuable and powerful means for personal growth and self discovery. Reflecting upon personal experiences, and our relationship to our thoughts, emotions and experiences, can help us uncover hidden strengths and passions.

Writing provides a way to put thoughts down on paper where they can be seen, read and reflected upon. A journal provides a place to express and explore innermost thoughts, feelings, ideas and concerns, and later return to reminisce or re-examine. It can be a place for to talk and be honest in a way that may be difficult under other circumstances. The practice of journal writing can allow us a safe place to get in touch with parts of ourselves normally hidden from view.

Journaling and Addictions

Many people turn to food to cover up a tugging of the soul. We become convinced that there is nothing really wrong. Just this thing with the food. If only our bodies were just right, then somehow everything else would be joyous and wonderful. We try diets, programs, and in the process release and regain countless pounds. Or we just stay in a place of numbed out nothingness, not knowing any other way to take care of ourselves. We condemn ourselves, filled with self-loathing at our bodies and our inability to get a grip on this food thing. We can sometimes spend our entire adulthood being angry at ourselves because of this food issue.

Keeping a personal journal can be a very effective tool in learning to make peace with food or other addictions. If you are the kind of person who habitually turns to undesired coping strategies, addiction, eating or food restriction in response to stress or emotions, you might start simply by reflecting on what seems to stress you. No need to give up the coping strategy just yet. Instead, become curious. Investigate.

1. A journal provides a safe avenue for anger.

Sometimes we find ourselves trapped in compulsive goodness, unable to speak what is real. We may encounter situations in which we have difficulty standing up for ourselves and respecting our inner truths and feelings. We may act compulsively good because we are unskilled at the practice of expressing effective, appropriate anger. A journal gives us a place to vent and to explore new possibilities for self-growth, worthiness and self-expression.

2. A journal relieves stress.

A personal journal is a marvelous tool for releasing emotions stuck in your body. In terms of spiritual growth, a journal can be a place where we explore our doubts, where we confront our perceived character defects, where we address resentments. A journal can help quiet a racing, out of control mind. It can calm emotions. Writing has the power to put things into perspective. We can focus thoughts, release anxiety, soothe ourselves and perhaps even prevent a major binge or other undesired coping strategy. Instead of immediately suppressing a wild mind or chaotic feelings, try sitting down first and expressing what is being felt at the moment: “I feel . . .”, “I need . . .”, I want . . .”

3. A journal affirms the reality of your life.

Learning to have compassion for self, without judgement, is a difficult task to undertake. Journaling aids in the journey toward loving self as it allows us the courage to acknowledge who we are, where we have been, and where we are going. This journey is about looking into the shadowy secrets deep within. It is about facing inner feelings about who we are. It means letting go of blame, and no longer agreeing to play victim. Writing allows an avenue to see self in a different way. We can confront the often less than empowering thoughts we hold about ourselves. We can “see” the self-critical thoughts are not motivating . . .will not create peace or happiness . . . and will not go away by themselves. Writing about life adds purpose, power and new direction.

4. A journal will help recover a lost sense of identity.

Using food or additions to cope with life separates you from yourself. Exploring with pen and paper allows a process to unfold of reconnecting with hidden aspects of ourselves. It helps us speak out, allowing ideas to become tangible words. It allows vague ideas to take shape in the safety of a journal. Writing is a power tool that allows what is often locked away inside to have access into the world. It allows us to feel into our physical body and connect with intuition, creativity and imagination. Writing allows the time to find precisely the right word or the most powerful image to express self. It takes fuzzy or confusing images and brings them into sharp focus.

5. A journal will clarify dreams.

For many of us, what is missing is a relationship with ourselves. We need time to get to know ourselves, time to nurture our spirits, and time to create. If we take the time to write a few thoughts each day, our ideas about what is important and meaningful will become much clearer. We will begin to discover what we really want in life.

Simple Journal Exercises

1. Start a journal in your daily organizer. At the end of each day write one word to describe your day. Then jot down one word of how you want the next day to be. At the end of month see the words you wrote and review your month!s

2. Write while you wait. Get a small journal to keep in your briefcase/purse. This can be a place to keep a success list, write down an inspiring affirmation, or write down a goal. Use it when you find yourself waiting in line, waiting at a long stop light, or waiting for an appointment to begin.

3. Ask others to write something in your pocket journal. Hand it over to your friend at lunch and say, “Could you write something in my journal?” Or perhaps ask your significant other for some words. You may be surprised at the written words that come to support you, inspire you, and give you valuable information.

Positive Notes

As I write and listen, I will come to know myself.

Writing leads me to my inner truth and love.

It is safe to open myself and explore my emotions,
thoughts, and feelings on paper.

Helping people let go of self-destructive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors has been the life work of Dr. Annette Colby. Her fascination with the power of the mind, emotions, spirituality, and physicality has led her to become a leader in the field of personal growth and consciousness. She is a valued counselor, and an inspiring teacher, as well as an independent writer, mentor, and guide. She is a highly sought-after trainer with a unique ability to inform and inspire individuals to open their hearts, love more openly, and pursue their dreams.

Dr. Annette Colby, RD

Nutrition Therapist & Master Energy Therapist

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Overweight Kids
By Nan Andrews

Childhood obesity is making the papers. The numbers are up. Is it any wonder?

By: Nan Andrews Amish

Phys ed classes are not funded in many public schools, they are ineffective in many others. Fat is the last legal bias. Kids make fun of anyone different, and the fat kid is fair game. Heaven help the fat kid in a shorts, where the fat can hang out for all to see. Bullies will take aim and not let up.
Kids spend hours in front of computers, and their neighborhoods are unsafe.

Here are some strategies for growing strong, healthy, mentally and emotionally stable kids.

Emotionally

1. Acknowledge that you know that it hurts when kids make fun of them because of how they look. Help them build emotional intelligence by acknowledging how they do feel, and help them build empathy for others who are different and also made fun of.

2. Acknowledge that you know that there are kids who eat worse than they do, and who do not have the struggle they have with weight. The message is that you appreciate it may not be fair and that getting healthy is not easy, and it is not necesarily their fault, but that they still are responsible for doing what they can to manage it. Watching a skinny minny eat cookies and milk shakes and sandwiches and french fries and never gain a pound is discouraging as you eat your lettuce, carrots and lean chicken or tuna.

Food and Diet
3. If the kid is eating alot of junk food, see if you can modify these habits. Junk food stacks the deck against kids, because the processed white sugar, the processed white flour and the food additives are DESIGNED to be addictive and DESIGNED to increase appetite. Deprivation is not the key, but choosing treat foods wisely helps. Give them messages like their body is their temple, they need to treat it well. Offer metaphors like would they put lard in a sports car. No, they would put the best fuel in it they could afford. Bodies are like that.

4. Invite overweight kids to shop with you, and teach them to read labels. Have them become the experts, so they have the tools to choose wisely and or splurge, but understand the meaning of the splurge.

5. Invite (as opposed to force or punish) overweight kids to try various foods that might help them eat less junk. For example, fresh fruits. A burrito with filling protein like beans, as opposed to totally empty calories. Nuts as opposed to chips. Baby carrots, even.

Exercise
6. For most overweight kids the best way to assist them is to crank up their metabolism. Exercise is the best way to do this. Fit kids get bullied less. Fit, strong kids rarely get bullied. Fit, self confident, strong kids with an exceptional physical skill never get bullied. If the kid has rhythm, get them into dance, t'ai chi, akido. If they have two left feet, have them try kick boxing or wrestling. If they like team stuff, soccer is great and there are teams available for all skills and all genders. If they are particularly "round" and have lots of soft baby fat, try swimming, they will float better than any of their thinner buddies. Weight lifting for boys can be a win.

7. Martial arts is always a win. It builds discipline, muscle, aerobic capacity and confidence. Choose according the child's capabilities, or try what their friends or geographic locality has available. Kids who know martial arts know how to breath, they know how to focus, they have strength both internal and external. They do not get bullied.

8. Health is the best revenge. So use every opportunity to be active with your child. Walk to the video store. Walk with them to talk about what is up at school. Put music on and dance. Have exercise options in the house, like rebounders, trampolines, swings for the younger ones, jungle gyms, etc.
Special Programs

9. If your child is significantly heavy, consider summer camps designed to do all of the above with lots of other kids struggling with the same. Not all camps are the same, so check them out. But an 8 year old who spend 4 weeks being healthy and active during the summer, loses as little as 10 pounds, grows 2 inches has a great way to start back to school in the fall. They are stronger, leaner, more confident, tan and met tons of new friends.

10. If your child is significantly heavy, consider working with a naturopath, homeopath or holistic nutrition person. Why holistic? Often, children who struggle more than a few pounds, have other things going on, that if they are not addressed, will make this an uphill battle. They may be deficient in a nutrient. Vitamin C is a common deficiency with kids who crave sugar for example, potassium is often lacking in kids who like salt. Kids who have had lots of antibiotics may not have good intestinal flora and need acidophilous, bifidus. Kids who seem to be eating all the time and are always hungry, may have something more severe going on. Sugar addictions, wheat allergies, pre-diabetes, or even a parasite.

11. If you have an overweight child and have other children who are not in the same space, having a family meeting where the entire family decides how they will help each other address EACH of family members issues helps. Calling out the fat child's issues is humiliating, but if the family helps one child with spelling mastery and another child with food, it all evens out and engenders family (team) spirit. If the family decides that to help the child struggling with food that there will be no Oreos in the house, the support is strong.
Give them an edge

12. Go for the organic. Skip the Costco and Wallmart specials. Kids who are overweight are sensitive to stuff other kids are not. Organic foods will have less additives, less hormones (designed to help cattle and chicken GAIN weight), less genetically modified foods to be allergic too, less chemicals to create immune responses to. Organic produce tastes better too, and it might be less of struggle to get a child to snack on cherry tomatoes that melt in your mouth than on tomatoes that taste like cardboard.

13. Grow other kid strengths. If they are great at spelling, encourage them to compete in the spelling bee. If they are musically inclined, find them places to sing, play. If computers or video games are their thing, help them get very good at these skills, so they will have confidence from these other perspectives.

14. Be empathetic about their looks. Appreciate that a plea from an overweight child to "blend in" or "fit in" is more charged than a plea from a child who is more mainstream looking. Help them choose clothes that are flattering and really fit them well. Make sure that they have clothes they can move in which are not uncomfortable. (I knew one teen who hated to walk until she got some shorts and slacks that did not chafe, for example. Then she walked everywhere, because the pants were not rubbing a hole in her thigh!) Make sure they find clothes which are age appropriate, and have enough style that they are not the butt of more bullying because of their clothes. This will cost more than you would prefer, since most larger sizes cost extra, and alterations are always on top. Know a good place to get stuff altered too, so if you have to buy a larger size to accomodate a larger tummy the rest of the garment is not so big there is room for Aunt Matilda in there too. Here is where you can REALLY help your child fit it. By buying slightly better quality, fabrics that do not show fat bulges for example, or a garment that is made really well and hangs great, will make your child look smaller than they are. Good undergarments count too, especially for girls. Find a way to make them feel special with accessories for example, or shoes.

15. Back to basics, they are not alone. Let them know, that they are beautiful inside. Appreciate all the unique and special things that they are. Give messages of beauty often. Compliment best features, extra efforts, exercise and food victories. Take them to movies like Shrek, Harry Potter and others where there are heroes who are not all stick thin. Show them art depicting ancient cultures when thin was not so in. (Botticelli, Rubens, african tribes for example). Give them unconditional love and acceptance regardless of their success or failure in any of these areas.

16. Be spiritual.

Nan Andrews Amish, the Business Healthcare Contrarian is the founder of Big Picture Healthcare a strategy consulting firm which provides expertise in consumer directed healthcare, healthcare marketing, and strategies to decrease benefit costs by 20-30% while improving talent management. Nan offers Management Consulting, Facilitation, Workshops. Contact her at nan@bigpicturehealthcare.com or (650)560-9800.

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Recovery From Addictions, Part 4
By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

In Part 1 of this series of articles, I defined substance and process addictions, and described the four major false beliefs that underlie most addictions:
1. I can’t handle my pain.
2. I am unworthy and unlovable.
3. Others are my source of love.
4. I can have control over how others feel about me and treat me.

Part 2 was about the first of these beliefs – learning how to handle pain. Part 3 addressed the second and third beliefs – “I am unworthy and unlovable” and “Others are my source of love.”

This section, Part 4, explores the fourth belief, “I can have control over how others feel about me and treat me.”

If I had to choose one false belief that causes the most pain for most people, it would be the belief that we can control how important people in our lives feel, think and behave.
In my work with individuals and couples dealing with addictive behavior, I encounter this belief and the many ramifications of it over and over. It seems very difficult for most people to accept the truth about their lack of control over others. The pain, frustration, loneliness and aloneness that result from not accepting your lack of control may be the underlying cause of your addictions.

Take a moment right now to reflect about what you think and do that is a direct result of this belief.
• Do you judge/shame yourself to try to get yourself to act “right” so that others will like you? If you do, you are operating from the false belief that you can control how others feel about you by how you act. You are also operating from the false belief that self-judgment will work to control your own behavior. Judging and shaming yourself can lead to addictive behavior to avoid the resulting pain.
• Do you act “loving” to others with the hope that others will act loving to you? If you do, you are operating from the false belief that your behavior controls others’ behavior. It is wonderful to be loving to others because you feel good when you are loving, but when you have an agenda attached of being loved back, then your “loving” is manipulative – you are giving to get. The hurt you feel when others don’t love you back can lead to addictive behavior.
• Do you get angry, judgmental and critical of others? If you do, then you are operating from the false belief that anger and judgment will have control over how others feel about you and treat you. You can certainly intimidate others into complying with your demands as long as they are willing to do so, but you cannot control how they feel about you. And they will comply only as long as they do. At some point they might leave, so ultimately you have no control over them. Your resulting stress may lead to addictive behavior.
• Do you give yourself up, going along with what another wants of you, such as making love when you don’t want to, or spending time in ways that you don’t want to? If you do, then you are operating from the false belief that giving yourself up will have control over how another feels about you and treats you. A loss of a sense of self can lead to addictive behavior.
• Do you withdraw from another or resist another’s requests? If you do, you are operating from the false belief that you can change/control another’s behavior toward you by punishing them through withholding love. The deadness of withdrawal can lead to addictive behavior.
In important relationships, most people do some or all of the above behaviors, resulting from the false belief that you can control how others feel, think and act.
If you really accepted the truth of your lack of control over others, what would you do differently? If you deeply, totally, completely accepted the truth of your lack of control over others feelings and behavior, you would be left with what you CAN control – yourself.

I have seen over and over that people finally take loving care of themselves only when they fully accept the truth of their lack of control over others. It is truly amazing the rapid progress the people I work with make when they finally accept this truth.
Shifting out of this one false belief and into the truth will go a long way toward healing your addictions.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and “Healing Your Aloneness.” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com/ or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.
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Out-of-Control Habits
By Michael Russell

Today, addiction and compulsive behavior of all kinds seem rampant. Many people are concerned not only with losing control over their use of alcohol and drugs, but over food, smoking, gambling, and even shopping. But what is the nature of addiction, and how do we explain its hold over certain individuals? Smoking-related illnesses, for example, kill more than 100 people a day in Canada, yet though warned of the hazards of smoking, nicotine addicts are frequently unable to kick the habit - despite numerous attempts. Or consider the alcoholics who trade away family and career rather than quit drinking.
Chocolate, exercise, coffee, work, sex, indeed almost everything these days has been labeled as being addictive. But when and how does simple experiment or indulgence spiral into a full-blown addiction?

The Nature of Addiction - One theory is that some addicts have abnormally low levels of some of the body's naturally occurring neurochemicals which affect mood and behavior, and when the balance is tipped, an addicted person may try to compensate by ingesting a substance that produces the same, or a far more intense, feeling. In this light, addiction seems to stem from an effort to self-medicate. A user's first attempts to medicate himself with drugs or other substances usually lies within his control. Gradually, however, he loses control, and choice becomes compulsion.

A disease? How does compulsive shopping, gambling, or other non-chemical addictions fit the self-medication model of addiction? Some experts believe that every addiction is a search for wholeness or inner peace, and compulsive behavior is yet another misguided attempt to fill an internal void. If this is true, then any effort to conquer an addiction must be accompanied by an exploration of what has created this feeling of incompleteness in the first place.

But Alcoholics Anonymous and other self-help groups with a similar approach argue that the substance itself creates the need. The important thing is absolute avoidance - a goal achieved through the group support of people with the same addictions, along with recognition of self-destructive behavior patterns, and assistance in overcoming them.
In fact, Alcoholics Anonymous (as well as many medical experts) consider addiction to be disease. The disease concept of alcoholism is an old one, the idea being that the individual is powerless over his or her drinking due to a biological vulnerability. This theory is now applied very broadly not just to alcoholism, but to every conceivable form of addictive or compulsive behavior.

Overwhelmed by Outside Forces - Some experts support the view that addiction is influenced by a external factors - that family environment plays a part, as do cultural norms, peer pressure, and other factors. Another view is social problems - for instance, the rising divorce rate. And still another group suggest that our over-reliance on drugs and medical technology to cure everything from bad breath to bad moods has made us too ready to try to "fix" every twinge and unpleasant feeling we experience.
Most experts agree that addicts need to do more than just kick their habits. For lasting recovery, they need to think about rebuilding their lives, to find meaning and motivation to move ahead. And all addicts need to learn how to enjoy life without their substance of choice.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Addictions
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Addiction Has A Root Cause Which Will Soon Be Common Knowledge To All, As Humanity Evolves

By Monique Louise Hill

Addiction has been influencing man since Adam. It can have such an affect on him or herself and family members and friends that the destruction it brings does look like the victim of addiction is doomed powerless, hopeless, helpless and unworthy. BUT THEY'RE NOT, AND THE ADDICT IS NOT.

It's only through connecting with other addicts that one can even believe there is a way out. Plenty has been written and there is plenty of opinions, however to truly recover from this lifelong dis-ease it takes bloody hard work. The work I'm referring to is not pleasant because hey, if the victim of addiction had really tried thoroughly he or she would not still be using.

Addiction separates us from what we were intended for, from what our purpose is, as human be-ings. I once heard, "No man is an Island......" it was well intentioned. It is this connectedness with each other that fulfills all our deepest needs. The issue is that addicts do not know what they need basically. All they know is the need for the next fix to dull the pain, which is really SHAME in its purest essence.

SHAME is the root cause of addiction. The pain of SHAME is buried by the substance the addict chooses to use. That SHAME comes from childhood and was not felt, processed or acknowledged back then. Not to mention the SHAME from the consequences of abusing any substance which is piled on top of the childhood SHAME. Addiction does not cure this SHAME, if only the addict real-ised that. It lies dormant only to be triggered by a word, a touch, a situation, a picture or a feeling in the present tense. The pain returns, the addict reaches out for pain relief. The cycle starts all over again.

The addict hates themselves, ab-hore's themselves. Their SELF-ESTEEM is nil no matter what their outer appearance shows. Nothing changes until, the 'GREAT ROCK BOTTOM'. Thank God for the 'great rock bottom'. In each and every addict there is but 'one value' that could be threatened. When this value is, an opportunity for recovery is at hand.
Now every addict is different and the moment of the 'value threat' is different. The key for loved ones is to find out what this value is, and set Boundaries accordingly to unmask the addict. A successful intervention will occur.

There are exceptions as in every rule. In extreme cases of sexual or violent abuse the SHAME is so grand that the value is very deep to find. The loathing of oneself is so profound that the addict is seeing death(self-destruction) as a nice alternative rather than accepting their powerlessness over their substance of choice and embracing the pain within, SHAME.

And so the human malady will continue as long as their is people dying in their dis-ease because it is a family dis-ease and untreated abuse/addiction is hereditary. Treated, the hereditary lineage can be broken as with sexual-abuse also. Re-parenting is required as the child within is the one holding the be-ing to ransom in his SHAME

SHAME must be faced and yes it is painful. The addict has tried to avoid this pain (SHAME) all his life. There are no short cuts yet the payoff for facing this SHAME and being healed is far greater an experience than the 'normal' persons experience of life is.

Funny that hey.

The addict requires a spiritual path, a spiritual energy that equals the high of the substance of abuse. The substance of abuse was always a counterfeit to the true spiritual energy at all human be-ings disposal.

One more thing, Prayer helps as does Grace from a Power Greater but not less than us hu-mans. The choice to recover and face our demons(SHAME) will be met by GRACE, HEALING and best of all FREEDOM and UNSELFISH LOVE.

Monique Louise Hill http://www.wounded-healer-support.com
Monique Louise Hill is happily residing on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. As the Director of Motherlode Pty Ltd my story is one of rags to riches in the spiritual sense. Spiritually and financially bankrupt as an alcoholic/addict 8 years ago I have worked my butt off to overcome the emotional and spiritual immaturity that addiction clouded. A talented Singer and Entertainer as well as an Astrologer I have since completed a 'Diploma in Christian Ministry' and then a 'Certified Life Coach and Business Diploma'. I now spend my time sharing my journey with others to Support and encourage those who are seeking to live happily in this lifetime with purpose. My vision is Unselfish Love and the attainment of enlightenment for all be-ings. My vehicle is http://www.wounded-healer-support.com and speaking engagements in Australia Nationally. I love humanity and have a child-like idealism that is timely in this materialistic pained world. An optimist at heart that desires only to be my potential in this lifetime. In love and service Unique Monique...
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Addictions - Work
By Michael Russell

We all kid around about somebody being a workaholic. The truth is, being a workaholic is nothing to joke about and is a very serious addiction. Addiction to work, while still something that affects people with addictive personalities, has different underlying causes than your typical addiction, which is why work addiction isn't taken as seriously as other addictions, resulting in fewer support groups and treatment.

A person addicted to work may become so for a variety of reasons. One of the most common is boredom and sometimes borderline depression and anxiety. These people find their minds are in constant turmoil. The notion of just being able to sit and watch TV or listen to the radio doesn't even occur to these people. They have no real interests other than the work they do. Being away from that work, no matter how stressful it may be, is like being a fish out of water. The only time they feel like themselves is when they are working, especially if they have a job of authority where people look up to them. This is very common among professional athletes and the reason many have such a difficult time retiring. Suddenly, the fanfare is gone. They are no longer special. They no longer feel important. This is why we have professional athletes playing well beyond the years where they are still productive.

For a factory manager, while the prestige certainly isn't the same, there is still that feeling of your workers looking up to you, especially if you are a personable kind of manager. The times at work are special because of this, and it is because of this that you'll put in double shifts or work weekends; anything to stay on the job.

It is said that many of these people literally work themselves into the grave. This is actually quite true as these are the kind of personalities that have a very difficult time retiring and unless they are forced to retire will continue to work right until their very last breath.

But there is another type of work addiction that is probably even more sad. These are the people who work constantly because they are afraid that they will lose their jobs and be poor. Most of these people probably had difficult childhoods and came from poor families. They know what it was like to be poor and the last thing they want is to go back there. But then there are those who grew up in rich families and possibly they were told by their rich folks that they had to make it on their own. These people are petrified that they won't be able to do it and because of this fear work around the clock to make sure that they succeed. Many of these people actually become very well off and yet always live in the fear that they will wake up one day and it will all be gone.

Unfortunately, there is little help for the workaholic. Society views them as go getters and successful. We don't, as a society, view it as a problem. But it is a problem, one that will continue to grow as it becomes more and more difficult for people to pay their bills at the end of the month.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Addictions
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Addictions - Alcohol
By Michael Russell

Alcohol is one of those addictions that unfortunately starts off very early in a person's life. Most people who become addicted to alcohol have addictive personalities to begin with but usually it takes more than that to send them over the edge to a full blown drinking problem. We're going to examine some of the factors involved in turning someone into an alcoholic.

Most people who start drinking begin to do so when they are very young, even under legal drinking age. This happens when older friends sneak alcoholic beverages into parties. At first the youth will just have a couple of drinks. After the party is over this person may not drink again for months until the next party. Then, after a while, they begin to realize that when they are drinking they feel pretty good. They usually haven't begun heavy drinking yet, but when legal age hits they may hit a bar on the weekends as a regular routine. Still, they aren't even close to becoming an alcoholic.

Unfortunately, the real problems don't begin until things either go wrong or the person is put into a situation where they are around alcohol a lot. Let's examine the latter first.
A common problem as a youth is that many young people love the idea of playing in a band. We've all had fantasies of being in a big rock band. Many of these kids actually pursue this dream. Unfortunately, most bands start off playing at bars. That is pretty much the norm. Most bands will play as much as three times a week. This places them in the presence of alcohol on a regular basis. If you're playing in a band then you know that you play multiple sets in a night and the only thing to do in between sets is to sit around and drink, especially if you're trying to impress the groupies. After doing this routine for a while it is very easy to get into the habit of drinking constantly. It doesn't happen overnight but in many cases it does happen. The only difference between early on and later drinking is that the music has stopped, unless you're the Rolling Stones, but the drinking hasn't.

The even more tragic onset of alcoholic behavior is when a person's life takes a drastic turn for the worse. Usually this kid who has already started drinking socially will have something terrible happen like the loss of a parent. Maybe the kid had a bad romantic breakup. The number of terrible things that we are subjected to in life are too numerous to get into and it only takes one event to put a social drinker with an addictive personality over the edge into full blown alcoholism. For these people, drinking is an escape. They drink because they feel bad and want to feel good again.

As the late John Spencer, a recovering alcoholic at the time said on a great episode of West Wing, "I don't understand people who take only one drink. I don't understand people who can leave a half a glass of scotch. How can you only take one drink? How can you not want to feel like this longer?"

Of course there are those people who are alcoholics because their mother or father was an alcoholic. Yes, alcoholism is inherited.
This is one of the worst addictions there is and can only be treated with professional help such as AA. There is hope for an alcoholic.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Addictions
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Drug Rehab: Outpatient vs. Inpatient - What's the Difference?
By Steven G

When an addict finally decides to seek out the help he so desperately needs, he will have two primary types of addiction treatment programs to choose from: inpatient and outpatient.
Understanding the differences and similarities of these two programs will help make it easier for the addict and his loved ones to identify which is best for his individual needs.
Similarities Between Inpatient and Outpatient Addiction Treatment Programs

Inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs have many characteristics in common. For instance, both types of programs generally utilize individual and group therapy. Because addiction has an effect on the entire family, most provide couples and family therapy. Inpatient and outpatient programs also educate the addict and the family about the nature of addiction while guiding the addict through goal setting and monitoring of those goals.

Differences Between Inpatient and Outpatient Addiction Treatment Programs

The most obvious difference between an inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment program is the location of the patient during treatment.

As the name implies, those who receive help through an inpatient treatment program remain at a treatment facility 24 hours per day. The exact number of days the patient remains at the inpatient treatment facility depends on the policies of the rehab center and the individual needs of the patient.

In general, these programs last three to six weeks. After the intensive inpatient treatment is complete, it is generally suggested that the patient receive extensive outpatient treatment.
An outpatient addiction treatment program, on the other hand, allows the patient to remain at home while undergoing treatment.

This makes it possible for the addict to continue working and to be with his family while undergoing care. In an outpatient program, the patient attends treatment during the day.
As with inpatient treatment, the number of days the addict attends treatment per week and the length of the program depends on the rehab center policies and the individual needs of the addict. 85% of people participating in an addiction recovery program opt for outpatient treatment.

Another option some addicts choose to follow is partial hospitalization.

With this type of treatment, the patient remains home at night, but attends treatment more frequently than a person undergoing standard outpatient treatment. Generally, a person in a partial hospitalization program attends the program three to seven days per week for three to twelve hours per day.

Advantages of Outpatient Treatment

When it comes to choosing the right addiction recovery program, there are many factors to consider. For example, an outpatient treatment program may be best for a person that:
* Needs to continue working every day while undergoing treatment
* Cannot afford to pay for inpatient treatment, which tends to be quite costly
* Needs to remain near to family
* Has a supportive household that will ensure he attends treatment programs and carries through with program goals while at home

It is important to note that a person utilizing outpatient treatment needs to be able to deal with the real world while recovering from addiction. For some, this is too much to bear, while for others the daily tests they encounter can help to strengthen their commitment and their methods of coping with addiction.

A partial hospitalization program has many of the same advantages of an outpatient addiction treatment program. It does, however, provide more structure and more intensive programming than outpatient treatment. Partial hospitalization is usually more costly than outpatient treatment, but less costly than inpatient.

Advantages of Inpatient Treatment

There are many reasons to consider inpatient addiction treatment rather than outpatient. These reasons include:
Read the rest of the article on Drug Rehab: Inpatient vs Outpatient on CalRehabGuide.

The California Rehab Guide lists and reviews drug rehab and alcohol rehab facilities, lawyers and interventionist and has articles on addiction recovery and addiction treatment.
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Pornography Addiction: What Can A Man Do?
By Angie Lewis

1. Recognize The Cause of Your Addiction:
First of all the most important thing you can do is figure out why you are addicted to pornography by recognizing what the root of the problem is. Do whatever it takes to bring it out in the open with yourself and then take the necessary steps to eradicate the sexual cravings from your mind. Do you think you can stop at anytime on your own free will? Easier said than done, right?
Do you have negative feelings towards someone or about something bad that happened in your life? If negative issues don't get resolved within your mind your sub-conscience will bring them back out in your actions. Only you can know for sure what it is that has caused pain and suffering within you. And only you can do something about it! Make it right for yourself in your mind, and do whatever you need to do to fix the problem.

2. Take the Blinders Off and Open Your Eyes:
I know this sounds harsh but look what closed mindedness towards God does to you! What you think and believe on a continual basis brings you into a life based upon those thoughts and beliefs. If our mind is not on God then what is it on?
Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? Luke 6:39

Have you ever stopped to think that you're addicted to pornography because of your unwillingness to base your life upon a spiritual and moral foundation? Simply put, your philosophy is with the world and not God. Some of you have even been conditioned into believing that viewing pornography is acceptable for you life. But I encourage you to break free from this kind of thinking, which leads to sin, and seek out the true source and foundation for your life.

Believe that you are a child of God! It is not too late to accept God's light into your world and come out of the darkness. Stop feasting from satan's dinner table and feed on God's truth for your life.

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:46

Grab onto that light and do not give up on yourself. Stay true to God and your faith will lead you to do what is right. Don't let pride stand in the way of earnestly seeking God. Pray that God deliver you from temptation and know that He hears your appeals and feels your suffering because He loves you. Study and read the bible daily. Find out what it is that God wants you to do with your life and work on doing His will in your life. You are a child of God and He is your true source for comfort and peace!

3. Have Faith in God:
Have faith to know that God will keep you from being tempted. If you believe in God, then start doing something with your beliefs! This is where the application of faith comes in. God has given us His great and marvelous gift of faith. The question to ask then is, are you applying faith from God into your life or are you living under the deception of human faith to live your life under?
Because He himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18
We have choices in life, and sometimes we have to choose what's right rather than what feels good. But know this, God's ways always feel good, after a time, because we have chosen to take care of ourselves by doing what is right in our heart rather than what gives us worldly pleasure.
In other words, when we start feeling good about who we are, and the choices we make in life, is when we begin acting on our faith and living the truth. This is what makes us feel good inside all the time!

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8
Real faith takes action to complete its purpose. Erroneous faith is only a feeling. Make your faith be something by putting it into an action!

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds it dead. James 2:26

Angie Lewis is the author of two informative marriage books. Journey on the Roads Less Traveled is a book about love, life, addiction and marriage. Love The Man You Married is an informative and biblically centered book tackling such issues as adultery and learning to completely forgive.
For more information on these books, visit Angie's marriage ministry at http://www.heavenministries.com and while you're there, sign up for the monthly marriage newsletter.
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Do You Understand Crack Cocaine?
By Charles White

While I personally have never tried crack cocaine, I have talked to people, including friends, who have or still do use it. This is one of the most addictive drugs ever known.

When you first try crack, you get a high like no other! You are in a state where nothing bothers you, any pain is gone and you are on top of the biggest cloud you could be on and it is great.

Here’s the problem, you never reach that first high state again. You buy and smoke more and more crack trying to get back to the state you were in the first time you try it. It NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!

You could purchase all the crack on earth but you will never get back to that state of mind you were in when you first tried it. That is the problem, everyone wants to get back to that first high state.
I know people who spend all their paychecks just to get crack. I have seen it ruin lives, people become liars, they pawn everything they own just to have money to buy crack to get to that state of mind that never happens again. I have friends who pay tens of thousands of dollars a year just to try to get back to that state of mind they were in the first time they tried it.

They will blame their loved ones, lie to everyone about doing it and everything they are doing wrong is someone else’s fault.
I hope you never get hooked on crack but if you do please get help and get that monkey off your back.

Charles E. White has had an online business since 1991. He is an avid bass fisherman, internet marketer, and has several information sites.
His newest site is his health blog at:http://www.factsandinformation.com/healthblog/
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Recovery From Addictions, Part 5
By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

In Part 1 of this series of articles, I defined substance and process addictions, and described the four major false beliefs that underlie most addictions:
1. I can’t handle my pain.
2. I am unworthy and unlovable.
3. Others are my source of love.
4. I can have control over how others feel about me and treat me.
In Parts 2,3 and 4, I explored in depth each of these false beliefs and how they contribute to addictive behavior. In this final part of this series, I address the way out of addictions.

Recovery from addictions is based on two major shifts in your thinking and behavior:
• Shifting your intention from avoiding responsibility for your feelings to learning about loving yourself. This means shifting from your wounded self/ego/mind having dominion over your choices to your loving Adult/spiritual Guidance having dominion over your choices.
• Learning to access your personal spiritual Guidance so that you can fill yourself with the unconditional love and compassion of Spirit rather than turning to addictions to fill the emptiness and take away the pain.

As long as getting love and avoiding pain is your highest priority, you will not be able to recover from your addictions. When you decide that being loving to yourself and others is your highest priority, you are on your way to healing from your addictive behavior.

Your intent is everything – it completely determines your actions and the resulting outcome.

If your intent is to get love and avoid pain in order to feel safe, you will continue to resort to addictive behaviors as a way of having control over getting love and avoiding pain.

When your intent is to be on the spiritual path of evolving in love and fully manifesting yourself, then you will bring the following Six-Step Inner Bonding® process into your life throughout the day.
1. You will stay tuned into your feelings throughout the day so that you know the minute you feel anything other than peace and joy. You will be present within your body to your feelings just as you would be present to the feelings of a baby.
2. You will immediately move into a compassionate intention to learn about what you are thinking or doing that is causing your distress – your anger, fear, anxiety, depression, hurt, guilt, shame, stress, emptiness, aloneness, loneliness, and so on. You will become a loving Adult by opening to your spiritual Guidance – the wise and loving presence that is always here for you - allowing that love and wisdom to come into your heart.
3. You will explore with your Inner Child – your feeling self – about what you are thinking, doing, or believing that is causing the distress. You will discover your false beliefs and your resulting unloving behavior that are causing your pain.
4. You will open to learning with your spiritual Guidance, asking “What is the truth about these beliefs?” and “What is the loving action?” You will allow the answers to these questions to come when they will, not trying to control the process.
5. You will take the loving action you are guided to take, which can take many different forms – from lovingly holding your Inner Child, to getting more exercise and eating better, to speaking your truth or moving into compassion with someone else.
6. You will evaluate your actions to see how you feel now. If you are not feeling better, you will seek another loving action until you feel peaceful within.

If you do these steps each time you feel any distress instead of turning to your habitual addictions, you will gradually move beyond addictive behavior.

You always have these two choices regarding your intent – to control or to learn. You – only you - are in charge of which of these you choose. If you do not consciously choose the intent to learn about loving yourself, you will unconsciously and automatically choose to try to have control over getting love and avoiding pain through your addictive behavior.
Choosing the intent to learn about loving yourself and practicing Inner Bonding® throughout the day is a powerful path to becoming addiction-free.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and “Healing Your Aloneness.” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.
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Addiction Recovery: Satisfying Natural Needs And Drives Is Necessary For A Permanent Cure
By Dennis Marcellino

What defines an “addiction”? More specifically: when does a “normal action” become an “addiction”? That happens when we override the fact that the deepest part of our being either wants us to not do a certain thing or it wants us to do a certain thing... and we either continue in doing the thing that it doesn’t want us to do, or we don’t do the thing that it wants us to do and we do something else instead. That “something else” is what we can be said to be addicted to.

So a simpler phrase could be: addictions are things we do instead of what we are naturally inclined to do. Now “naturally inclined” doesn’t mean “everything we feel” because our feelings can also be triggered by pathological programming in our subconscious. For example, we might feel like binge eating when in fact the deeper feeling is to be romantic.

Therefore, an important part of regaining health and eliminating addiction is to develop a keen sensitivity to the deepest part of our being.

A song once said “Wonderful is what you’ll feel in you when you do the things you’re made to do.” That means being in harmony with and living out the design of your being and the purpose of your life.

Another factor here though is the difference between intoxicating addictions and non-intoxicating addictions. That is, with non-intoxicating addictions we still can be in touch with all parts of our being, including the deepest part. So even though we may choose to override certain internal messages with an addictive behavior... seeing and acknowledging them is still possible for us, and therefore we can move in the direction of correcting that.
But once we imbibe an intoxicant, we now mask our ability to see all of our internal workings and therefore lose sensitivity and control over them (which actually is a big reason why people uses intoxicants…that is: they don’t want to be shown certain feelings that are going on within them and be pressured to have to act on them or let them “ruin their fun”).

An example of this would be: the body saying it doesn’t want to have sex or is not inspiring sex and then using alcohol to override that resistance or lack of inspiration. Whereas the emotional component of sex would try to drive us to the complete natural way of the sex drive which is within a marriage relationship with a safe, mature, committed partner.

Therefore, in order to be able to resolve any addiction, there ultimately can be no masks.

(c) Lighthouse Publishing

Dennis Marcellino is the developer of a new at-home addiction recovery program called “Addiction Free Forever” which offers a natural, permanent cure for addiction and helps a person find deep personal fulfillment. He is recognized as an innovator in addiction recovery by some of the top administrators in this field and is the author of highly acclaimed books. His breakthrough addiction recovery and life transformation program can be seen at http://www.AddictionFreeForever.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Marcellino