Internet and Video Game Addiction

Posted on July 2, 2011 by admin

It is undeniable that in recent years, technology has become a major and overwhelming force in our society.  It is nearly unheard of for someone to go without a cell phone or access to the internet.  However, the explosion of technology has resulted in some disturbing effects; people of all different age groups and backgrounds have shown a startling increase in addiction to online activities or video and computer games.

Technology addiction can vary in its severity, with anything ranging from video games and social media sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) all the way to cyber-pornography or cyber-gambling.  Often times, individuals addicted to various types of technology choose to spend time in a virtual world rather than interacting in healthy behaviors with real people and dealing with real-life problems, which therapists describe as an avoidance mechanism.  These people commonly suffer from substance abuse and other co-occurring conditions, as well as various underlying issues.  There are several signs to look for if you suspect yourself or someone you know is addicted to the internet or video games.

If you spend more time online or playing games rather than with people, if you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are online, if being online helps you escape your life and results in a release or soothing thoughts, if you neglect your job, household chores or lose sleep because you can’t leave the computer, if you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are not online, or if you are secretive or try to hide how long you’ve been online or playing games, you may have a problem.

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The Impact of Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol in the Media

Posted on July 1, 2011 by admin

Nowadays, it is nearly impossible to avoid seeing alcohol consumption in advertisements, on television, in movies, or in magazines.  Alcohol is one of the primary things advertisers pay for in the United States.  Many people wonder, how does the constant presence of alcohol in pop culture affect children and young people?  According to a study conducted by the University of Connecticut, young adults who viewed more alcohol advertisements than average also reported drinking more alcohol than average. In essence, young people who view more alcohol advertisements and are exposed to alcohol more in television and movies tend to drink more alcohol.  The alcohol industry is a multi-billion dollar business, and information from various alcohol companies showed that with the amount of advertising dollars spent in each state and total alcohol sold in each state, they could analyze youth drinking in relation to dollars spent.  Alcohol advertising is inarguably a contributing factor to youth drinking quantities over time.  Through early childhood education regarding alcohol and its negative effects, the influence of advertising and alcohol in pop culture may make less of an effect on our nation’s youth.

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Finding a New Career After Rehab

Posted on June 30, 2011 by admin

If you are recently out of rehab or newly sober, re-entering the workforce can be refreshing and a steady, grounding return to normalcy.  However, it can present certain stressors or challenges.  Maintaining a steady job can be a very positive thing, and it can influence the long-term success of your recovery by giving your life structure and a higher purpose, and by occupying your time with truly productive and rewarding activities.

If you have been out of the work force for awhile due to addiction or being in recovery, it can be difficult to find a job or transition back into work. If it takes awhile to get hired at a new place, do not take it personally or interpret it as a consequence of your addiction.  Understandably, you may be worried that potential employers may discriminate against you due to your history of substance abuse.  This is very rarely the case.  You are now sober, whole, and should be very proud of that; your past does not have to limit you or make you self-conscious.  If you are feeling stressed about getting back into the workforce after attaining sobriety, talk to your therapist, use your skills to cope with stress, such as yoga or meditation, and most importantly, be positive.  At Passages Malibu, our continuing care coordinators devote their time to helping your transition back into the real world and the work force post-treatment.

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Social Drinking or Alcohol Addiction?

Posted on June 29, 2011 by admin

Alcohol consumption is a very prevalent part of our society, and has been for hundreds of years.  Unfortunately, the drinking of alcohol is usually associated with celebration, often heavily consumed at weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and many other types of parties. 

Social drinking is a phrase that refers to the consumption of alcohol without the overt signs of a problem (alcohol addiction or abuse). A common way people describe social drinking is the act of consuming alcohol in a social setting without the intention to get drunk.  Although many individuals do engage in social drinking without it developing into a problem, there is a fine line between someone who regularly drinks socially and someone who is developing an alcohol problem. 

In the United States there are approximately 219,000,000 adults. Approximately 134,000,000 of those adults (61%) consumed some amount of alcohol in the last year. And in the United States there are about 14,000,000 adults who are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol. If an individual who regularly engages in social drinking exhibits any of these tendencies, he or she may be displaying an indication of alcohol abuse. 

Individuals who: use alcohol to get through painful or difficult situations or feelings, hide their drinking from others, find it difficult to stop drinking once they start, black out or don’t remember much after drinking, drink with the intention of getting drunk, drink to the point of vomiting/sickness, or feel intense shame or guilt after drinking may be going beyond the territory of social drinking and into the realm of alcohol abuse.  If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, Passages Malibu can help.

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High Functioning Alcoholics

Posted on June 28, 2011 by admin

Many of us have heard of and used the term “high-functioning alcoholic” from time to time.  What is considered a high functioning alcoholic? The term can be loosely defined, but most of the time a high functioning alcoholic is a person that drinks heavily and constantly on a regular basis, yet most people in the life of the drinker are not aware that there is a problem. Highly functioning alcoholics typically do not let their alcoholism interfere with their ability to carry on normal daily activities, are able to perform adequately at their jobs, remain free from legal and financial troubles, and maintain interpersonal relationships. However, because they are able to maintain an air of normalcy while drinking with no visible effects, they often take greater risks than many people, such as drinking on the job, drinking around their children, or driving while under the influence. 

Although high functioning alcoholics are able to maintain normalcy to some degree, most often the people in their life closest to them are affected by their drinking, especially their children.  An alcoholic or especially multiple alcoholics in a family can have extremely detrimental effects on the overall family life.  When a child grows up with a high-functioning alcoholic as a parent, alcohol abuse becomes commonplace to them.  Heavy high-functioning alcoholics also often face economic strains due to their drinking; alcohol is expensive, and often time’s heavy drinkers are unaware of how much money they spend on alcohol. High functioning alcoholics are at great risk of potentially fatal health consequences, including cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, heart disease, gout, high blood pressure and other serious conditions.  If you or someone you know is a high-functioning alcoholic, Passages can help.

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Sobriety Discovered at Passages Malibu

Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin

I want to thank Pax by inspiring me to endure through the pains of my withdrawal symptoms. Thanks to him, I feel that I can work with any challenges in the future.

-from Sobriety

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Marijuana Addiction and Treatment

Posted on June 26, 2011 by admin

Cannabis (or more commonly known as marijuana, weed, or pot) is a very popular and prevalent drug in the United States. It is even legal for medicinal purposes in some states; however, marijuana is highly abused. When an individual smokes or ingests marijuana, the individual will experience distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Several research studies have shown that chronic marijuana users have difficulty learning and decreased memory function, which can last for days or weeks after the actual physical “high” or effects of the drug wear off. Therefore, chronic marijuana abuser are functioning at a suboptimal intellectual and physical level of capability all of the time.

Many studies also show a direct correlation between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and various mental illnesses. There are numerous misconceptions about cannabis addiction and treatment and about the actual addictive qualities of marijuana. Many pro-marijuana users ridicule the idea that marijuana is addictive. At Passages, we see people addicted to marijuana every day. Marijuana is a gateway drug, meaning that individuals who abuse it typically drink alcohol more and abuse other drugs, drastically increasing their chances for becoming addicted to numerous substances. Cannabis has definite withdrawal symptoms when an abuser stops using, which include vivid dreams (caused by the chemical THC), anxiety, irritability, decreased appetite, paranoia, tension and insomnia. At Passages Malibu, we treat marijuana addiction and provide a medically supervised detox.

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Music Therapy in Drug Rehab Centers

Posted on June 25, 2011 by admin

Many holistic, non 12-step rehab centers are now incorporating various non-traditional, cutting-edge treatment modalities into their programs.  When someone enters a rehab center for drugs or alcohol, typically their body, mind and spirit are all in need of help and healing.  After getting through the initial difficult physical withdrawal, repairing the emotional and psychological damage can be an even greater challenge.  One of the new forms of non-traditional therapy that treatment centers are employing is music therapy.

Music has shown to reach out to kids, teens, and adults of all ages and all backgrounds.  Scientific research has actually shown that music has a direct effect on the brain and body.  Depending on the pitch, frequency of the sounds waves, or rhythm of music, the human brain can either be stimulated by increased blood flow or it can also be relaxed. Many individuals who enter rehab have been abusing drugs or alcohol as a way to escape their feelings and emotions.  Music can help an individual get in touch with their emotions on a deeper level, and it tends to truly resonate with the listener, allowing them to have a creative outlet to express them.  At Passages, we incorporate music therapy into our treatment program.  We have several instruments available for client use, and once a week we have an “open mic night” where clients are encouraged to express themselves musically.  Learning to produce music can be a positive, constructive, and life-long hobby without drugs or alcohol, and allows clients to put in hard work to achieve a greater goal and skill.

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Eating Disorders and Alcohol Addiction

Posted on June 24, 2011 by admin

Eating disorders and alcoholism are a very dangerous and damaging combination.  Addiction experts are noticing a troubling new trend with these compounding disorders;  often times, an individual will restrict the amount of food they eat in order to consume greater amounts of alcohol. The largest demographic that admits to engaging in these starve-and-binge drink behaviors are college-age female students. According to an article in Behavioral Pharmacology, many college age women engage in this behavior to cut down on calories, and are also bulimic.  Roughly 40 percent of bulimic women also report a history of drug or alcohol abuse. 

Although eating disorders in conjunction with alcohol abuse is not a new condition, its prevalence is increasing.  Severely restricting food intake and then drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is very dangerous.  Food in the stomach acts as a buffer to slow down the absorption of the alcohol; drinking on a completely empty stomach can lead to rapid intoxication, blackouts or alcohol poisoning.  In addition, women’s bodies produce lower quantities of the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than men’s, placing them at a higher risk for alcohol-related health problems.  Alcohol abuse increases the risk of liver cancer, heart disease, arthritis, kidney disease, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.  If you or someone you know is engaging in an eating disorder, alcoholism, or both, professional treatment can help.  At Passages Malibu, we specialize in co-occurring disorders and have eating disorder specialists on staff.

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Substance Abuse during Holidays

Posted on June 23, 2011 by admin

For many individuals who are newly sober or who struggle with substance abuse issues, the holiday season or holiday events can be a time of both happiness and stress. The period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s is a difficult time for many people, and it often results in many drug addicts and alcoholics making poor decisions in order to participate in family gatherings, company parties and celebrations.  However, this is not the only time of year that is difficult for people, as the majority of American cultural holidays have evolved to focus heavily on drinking:  Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, or the 4th of July are some examples.  All of these holidays can be difficult for some people, especially when it comes to resisting the temptation of going out and partying.  Studies show that cases of suicide, depression, drunken driving accidents, and domestic violence all increase around the holidays.  It is clear that these statistics are a direct result of people either engaging in too much partying or trying to cope with holiday stress.  During these times, family members and friends can be a great source of support for recovering addicts.  There are many options to avoid holiday partying.  Try a non-alcoholic drink, or attend parties with a friend who also intends on staying sober.  It is also important to be sure to get enough sleep, exercise, and try to ease the stress of the season as much as possible. If you need help coping during the holidays when there are more partying opportunities and stress, Passages can help.

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