Are You A Social Networkholic? Part 1

Many of us are getting addicted with online social networking websites like myspace, facebook, twitter, orkut, friendster, etc. It is an addiction, which will one day become as bad as alcoholism. Lives will be destroyed because of this disease and families will break up. Am I joking or what? No, I am very serious about this issue that will soon takeover as the main cause of lifestyle issues. Are you one who will get affected by social networking? Let us find out.

Time:

How much of your time is spent on social networks? How much of your time is devoted to useful work that is of quality and gives you material results? How much is your total work time? How much time do you spend with your friends and family? Make a estimate and write it down. Now find out how much of your time is spent on social networking sites every week? At what percentage level should you get worried? This exercise will tell you about your time spending habits and may also give some clue about relationship strength, work achievement and other such issues.

Quantity:

How many social networks have you joined? There are about hundred social networking sites that have substantial membership. Are you a member of only one site that you had joined when you began or do you join every new network that pops up? Do you keep a track of which network is doing well and shift there immediately or keep your faith in your old network? There are people who join networks because somebody said that it was most popular. Some join a website because a friend joined it. Some join a website because it is a subject specific. All of us have our own reasons to join a social network. Before changing sites or adding more ask one simple question – what do I wish to achieve on this network? Is it to connect with friends? Is it to develop business? Or is it only for some fun? And ask another question- does my goal help improve my lifestyle?

In the second part of this article, we will look closer at the goals we hope to achieve by joining social networks.

The author likes to write text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like twitter backgrounds and myspace graphics. He also writes quizzes on subjects like career, personality, etc.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/are-you-a-social-networkholic-part-1-887543.html

Are U.S. College Students Drinking More Than Their European Counterparts?

Everyone knows that it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of 21 in the United States. There are five or six developed nations in Europe that have a minimum drinking age of 16. With the focus on education about safe drinking instead of restriction, as these other countries do, they claim many problems are avoided. Though the per capita consumption of alcohol in countries like France, Spain, and Portugal is greater than in the U.S., the rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse is lower. This comes from education of gradual drinking, which leads to less incidents of young adults getting drunk and wasted.

Drinking learner permits have been proposed as a way to reduce alcohol abuse among young adults. Proponents of alcoholic beverage drinking learner permits argue that they should be available to adults age 18 to 21 so they can drink with parental or guardian permission after successfully completing an alcohol education course and written tests. The permit would restrict the locations, times, and amounts of alcohol that could legally be consumed. The permit could be revoked immediately at any time by the parents or guardians or any law enforcement officer upon coming across anyone that is drunk.

American teenagers, unlike European teens, do not learn how to drink gradually, safely and in moderation, as is taught in the European countries. We should educate our friends, families, and our kids, about alcohol abuse, and teach them how to drink safely, instead of punishing them for drinking. With a little education, people that party might be less inclined to get drunk and wasted.

Over 40% of college students binge drink (5 drinks in a row for men and 4 for women. College students that binge drink also have many disruptions, such as missing class because of a hangover or not getting enough sleep the night before, not studying for a test, and because alcohol affects ones judgment the person may get into an altercation with someone else.

For most people, alcohol is a pleasant accompaniment to social activities. Moderate alcohol use is not harmful for most adults. Nonetheless, a substantial number of people have serious trouble with their drinking, they are drinking at parties to become drunk and wasted, as you can see in these drunk and wasted party pictures. Currently, nearly 14 million Americans–1 in every 13 adults–abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. Several million more adults engage in risky drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems. In addition, approximately 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem, and are either drunk or even wasted on a regular basis.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/are-us-college-students-drinking-more-than-their-european-counterparts-886086.html

Acknowledging the Huge Polka Dotted Pink Elephants

When I was a girl, we had this huge polka dotted pink elephant that took residence directly in the middle of our living room. Now even though this elephant was annoying and affecting the view of each other, we never talked about it. It affected everyone in our home, but no one dared speak of it. Each of us, my brother, my sister, my dad, and myself arranged our lives around the pesky pachyderm. I am not sure why conversations about its presence were an unspoken taboo, but everyone knew that it was. Because of the shame that was brought on by this bothersome boarder, the members of our home rarely, if ever, invited anyone to our house, and when we did, we each had our own set of excuses to distract the visitor and to explain it away.

It has been a long time since I had thought about that elephant, almost 30 years. The memory of it was brought back to me by my interaction with a very young courageous girl of 13. My girlfriend’s granddaughter, Brandey, was embarking on the acknowledgment of her own huge polka dotted pink elephant that was resides in her home. I was just her age when I too began to acknowledge my own elephant. I discovered that many other kids my age were experiencing the same thing. You see this taboo subject and huge obstacle that sat between all my family members was brought on by a disease that gripped the family – Alcoholism. My mother was an alcoholic.

Alcoholism is a disease. It is a disease that affects the entire family. Even though it affects everyone, no one talks about it; it was like a huge polka dotted pink elephant sitting right in the middle of our living room.

I remember how wonderful it felt, so many years ago, listening to other kids who revealed their own stories. In their experiences, I could see my own life. The shame, fear, desperation, and hopelessness were replaced with understanding, action, and hope. Finally I found a place where others not only had huge pink polka dotted elephants, but they were also willing to talk about them. This place of such enlightenment was called Alateen.

Alateen taught me that I was powerless over the elephant, the alcohol, and my mom’s drinking. I couldn’t make mom sober, but I could help myself. Her drinking wasn’t my fault. I learned how to cope with my problems and build a life filled with hope.

A teenager who had a father that was an Alcoholic developed the program of “Alateen in 1957. The Alateen program is patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA has had great success with helping alcoholics obtain sobriety. Alanon was developed for spouses or family members of the alcoholic and. Alateen developed for the teenagers. All of these programs have helped many family members to understand their family disease. Since attending Alateen 30 years ago Pre-Alateen has also come into existence. The motto for all of these branches of AA is “It works for you if you work the program.”

I found a local Alateen meeting for Brandey. There we both met Brittany, a most impressive young lady who shared her experiences with Brandey. I know the two of them had an instant rapport. How could they not, they were both the owners of huge polka dotted pink elephants. Brittany 13 and her younger brother 12 have both been “working the program” for 8 years.

I marveled at the grandmother who religiously took these kids to meetings. I don’t know if anyone can possibly know the long-range effect that this can have on children. You see, when one becomes emotionally healthy, it opens your life to all possibilities. And, research has proven that children with alcoholic parents have a greater chance of becoming alcoholics themselves.

This mental health help and Alateen may save their lives’ I believe it saved mine. So if you are a relative of a teen who may need help, please take the initiative to help in finding and driving these kids to meetings.

If you are not sure if there is an elephant in your home Alateen has put together a list of questions. It can be found at http://www.al-anon.org/questions.html. There is a similar list for those wondering if Alanon is for them.

Let me assure you there is hope. My mother has been sober for 30 years. What alcoholism robbed from us in my early years has been restored a hundred fold. She has grown into a woman that I not only admire, but also deeply respect!

If you would like to talk to someone about your huge polka dotted pink elephant you can find meetings in your area by searching your local Alanon web site located at http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/ Let me encourage you to keep trying the contact numbers. Don’t give up, if one does not work encourage people to give you another, or go to the next on the list. You might also want to call the numbers in off-hours. Some people may only answer the phones before and after meetings, just before 7:30 p.m. or after 9:00 p.m.

If your elephant goes by another color or name, there are many different organizations that are helping individuals with all sorts of problems like; low self-esteem, gambling, sex addiction, drug addiction, and many others. All of these programs are patterned after AA, and have proven to be highly effective. Do a search on the Internet for the words recovery and your a word that resembles your addiction. Once again be persistent in calling and in seeking help.

All of the programs are free and many offer free literature. With a little work you not only will be able to recognize your huge polka dotted pink elephant, but you will soon be able to function better, feel healthier, and see your family members a little clearer in your life and from across the living room.

Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer and public speaker. Her artwork and writings are featured on her, fine art website at www.creativesculpture.com. She is also the owner of the God’s Word Collectible Christian Gifts and the host of the Inspirations/Generations Christian woman’s podcast, where three generations of Christian women share their thoughts about different issues and aspects of life. Give God’s Word as a gift, collect God’s Word in your heart. Copyright B. Mongeon 2009

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/acknowledging-the-huge-polka-dotted-pink-elephants-882541.html

How to Control an Internet Pornography Addiction

How to control an internet pornography addiction does not have a simple answer. IT does not have a one shot cure all fix because internet pornography addiction is at its root, a psychological issue and so everyone has a different journey to solve there own issues.

There is one very important step to controlling your browsing habits that can be used by everyone facing this problem. Out of sight out of mind may seem a very simple solution but it can be a help to stop you from stumbling upon pornographic material online or offline. Some quick tips to get a clean slate for browsing:

This will not stop you from going straight to porn sites however. It will however help with fighting cravings and keep your willpower higher. The next element to control an internet pornography addiction is to get an adult content blocker. While these are usually used for children it is a perfect way to simply lock yourself out of porn sites completely.

You can of course bypass this by entering the password and unlocking the program though it is still a mental deterrent. If you have someone who understands that you are break your addiction to pornography and who you trust then you may be able to get them to enter the password completely lock you out with no way around; the cold turkey approach.

So if you or a loved one suffer from these symptoms and causes and need help overcoming pornography addiction before it becomes too out of control click below to find out how you can beat this addiction once and for all or help someone else to do it. Pornography Addiction Treatment

kick addiction

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Help For Addiction – How To Stay Clean On The Outside

A person seeking help for addiction and guidance about how to stay clean from their addictive behaviours will have a wide variety of options to choose from. However, most do not realise that in order to stay clean once out of treatment, a daily programme of recovery is needed such as a Twelve Step Programme to keep them present and aware.

When a person is immersed in obsessive and compulsive behaviours, their life revolves around this behaviour. Whether it is substance abuse, sex addiction, gambling addiction, alcoholism or any other addiction, the addict will usually have been on a path of avoidance regarding their feelings and reality for a long while. Addiction is seen by many today as a disease, incurable, progressive and eventually fatal if it is not arrested.

Addicts in recovery often report having felt ‘different’ and somewhat uncomfortable with life and normality since a young age, despite sometimes appearing normal, healthy and well balanced on the exterior. Most addictive behaviours are not simply about the substance or the behaviour, they are about the individual. Abstinence is the start of the recovery process. Change and healing is the rest of the process, occurring for the rest of a recovering addict’s life.

Going Into Rehab
When a person seeks help for an addiction by going into a rehabilitation centre this provides a safe and constructive environment for their being able to deal with their deeply rooted issues and begin a healing process.

Life in a rehabilitation centre is also a learning experience and preparation for them to begin a new life after rehab. Any addiction requires the using habit to be broken and ceased completely before healing can begin.

Intense therapy will help deal with issues of the past, anger of the present and fear of the future. However, after a period in treatment, an addict will often leave, feeling they have been ‘cured’ and can carry on their lives without attending to themselves any further. This usually leads to relapse, taking the addict to an even darker place than they were before.

Secondary Care and a Programme of Recovery
So how does an addict stay clean after leaving a treatment centre? Therapy and abstaining for a time seems not to be enough, which is why many treatment centres endorse working a Twelve Step programme and continued treatment at a secondary care facility.

A primary care facility is usually a facility where patients stay on the property under supervision the entire time. A secondary care facility is a rehabilitation centre where addicts have more freedom and responsibilities than in a primary care facility and is an incredibly helpful step in assisting newly recovering addicts in re-integrating back into normal life in a safe and assisted manner.

An addict has the best chance of maintaining sobriety if working a programme set to help them deal with life constructively and provides a tight net of support and guidance. Life is not easy, whether clean or using. Every person alive has to face pain. Losing a loved one, work problems, break ups and divorces and other problems and disappointments, even simple boredom. Yet addicts deal with these emotions in self-destructive ways.

It is easy for an addict to slip into old ways. An addict needs constructive methods to process heavy emotions, the same thing applies to happy emotions. Some addicts have no idea how to feel happiness and celebrate without using. Extreme emotions are one of the hardest things for an addict to experience after years of numbing themselves with compulsive acts which remove them from their feelings.

Applying the Steps
The only price an addict will pay for working a Twelve Step programme is vigilance.

Knowing is not enough – an addict in recovery needs to work at bettering themselves on a daily basis. A Twelve Step programme will help them to have a better quality of life – as has been mentioned, pain is inevitable. Yet misery is optional. With working a programme, an addict will heal the pain of living and have a method of coping with life on life’s terms, not the addict’s terms.

A Twelve Step fellowship offers a daily programme for maintenance and growth for an addict, mixed with the support of other member’s experience and new comer’s needs. When two addicts help each other in life to find a better way of living, true recovery is seen. The main purpose of addicts working a Twelve Step programme is to help those that still suffer so the suffering may find help and the addict who is helping may find a way to give back what they have been given.

Such a fellowship is not affiliated with treatment centres but treatment centres are allowed to advise clients to follow the programme and work the steps whilst they are there as well as participating in therapy. A Twelve Step programme is what will help an addict to stay clean from compulsive and self-destructive behaviours after leaving treatment.

The programme consists of attending meetings regularly, working the Twelve Steps through written work on the Twelve Steps, giving back to their respective fellowship (such as Narcotics Anonymous), reading literature, working with a sponsor (a more experienced member of the fellowship – it does not relate to finance), giving back through service (such as sponsoring, helping out at meetings or even putting chairs out before a meeting) and allowing a loving higher power and spiritual principles to work in their lives (the Twelve Steps are not religious, they are based on spirituality).

Through working the Twelve Steps, an addict will find their life become more focused on doing good for themselves, becoming responsible for their actions and finding a new way to live that is far from the hell of active using. The steps help an addict stay present and aware of their behaviour and patterns and can be a powerful force in alerting an addict as to a possible imminent relapse or negative behaviour.

At meetings, it is emphasised that “alone we can’t but together we can”. Knowing that they are not alone is incredibly comforting and helpful for any addict in recovery – especially an addict that is struggling or wanting to get abstinence from their compulsive, self-destructive behaviours.

After getting help for addiction and learning how to stay clean, an addict faces quite a big feat in staying abstinent from using. With the help and support of a programme in their lives, they are able to find a reprieve from themselves and live a normal life, without the use of addictive behaviours. Many addicts become extremely successful, marry and become wonderful parents and constructive members of society. But due to the nature of their disease, vigilance and awareness of themselves and their condition as well as working on their patterns is an important tool for their continued survival.

Oasis Counselling Centre is an extended primary care treatment facility situated in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, who provide intensive therapy and help clients to begin a programme of recovery. Solar House is their secondary care facility, allowing clients to reintegrate into society safely.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/help-for-addiction-how-to-stay-clean-on-the-outside-818561.html

What Is Sex Addiction – Treating Sex Addiction

Sex addiction is an illness that is experienced worldwide by men and women from different backgrounds and cultures. When a person is a sex addict, they suffer from a disease which is incurable, progressive and capable of destroying the lives of not only the sufferer but of their families as well.

Sex addiction can be managed with a recovery programme and therapy but whilst in the grips of this addiction, sufferers cannot escape their obsessive and compulsive behaviour. Often sex addiction is experienced with other addictive behaviours such as drug use and eating disorders. They are all behaviours of the same disease of addiction.

Similar to other addictions such as drug addiction and alcohol addiction, sex addiction is based on obsessive and compulsive needs. The behaviour of a sex addict can include repeated empty affairs, compulsive masturbation, frequent use of prostitutes and other sex services and in extreme cases can even progress to exhibitionism, voyeurism, child molestation and rape.

Sex addicts however are not bad people. Their condition is not a moral failing: It is a spiritual unrest.

Why is Sex Addiction So Destructive?
In some Twelve Step fellowship support groups, ‘bottom line behaviour’ is identified. Bottom line behaviour is a term used to define the specific sex addict’s behaviours which they act out on.

Most sex addicts experience ‘intrigue’ which is the mental preoccupation with sexual acts. Objectifying people, constant obsession with sexual acts, flirting and generally spending much time with the preoccupation of sex is the mental state of a sex addict. These obsessions are then followed by the compulsive acting out on sexual behaviours.

Sex addiction is progressive. It may begin with compulsive masturbation and an affinity for pornography which then develops into a serious problem involving the use of prostitutes, money troubles, families being broken up and unemployment, further to which suicide can be a consequence.

When sex addiction has progressed to a severe level, the sex addict is unable to resist the impulse to act out on their sexual behaviours. They become more involved with the behaviours for longer periods of time, with greater intensity and violence to have the desired effect, resulting in their responsibilities being neglected. Without being able to fulfil their obsession and act out on the behaviour, they become irritable, restless and angry. Despite the desire to abstain and stop the sexual compulsivity because their lives are beginning to crumble, they are unable to do so. They are powerless over their sexual addiction and their lives begin to become completely unmanageable.

Treatment
Sex addiction is treatable, but incurable. Yet with therapy, abstinence from the disordered sexual behaviours and maintaining a programme of recovery on a daily basis, a sex addict can regain a normal life again. Inpatient treatment in a counselling centre can be extremely beneficial to a sex addict seeking help for their problem. Many sex addicts will be in a state of denial about their problem but once they have admitted that they have a problem, they can begin the healing recovery process.

Inpatient treatment will usually provide group therapy and individual therapy which have been found to be the most successful methods of dealing with sex addiction. Treatment facilities are a safe place for sex addicts to recover where they can process their condition with experienced and understanding people. They need never be alone in their struggle again.

Whilst in a rehabilitation centre, a sex addict will need to begin working a daily programme of recovery, such as the Twelve Steps. There are fellowships which are devoted to helping sex addicts receive support and help in their behaviour. For a sex addict to be abstinent from the behaviour does not mean that they must stay celibate for the rest of their life – it is a normal human behaviour to engage in sexual acts, just not ones which begin to destroy their lives and keep them in a terrible cycle of shame and self loathing. A sex addict who turns to celibacy as a way of dealing with the problem is not addressing the root cause – similar to a ‘dry drunk’.

With proper treatment and therapy, coupled with a programme of recovery, a sex addict can begin to lead a happy and normal life again. A recovery programme will keep a sex addict aware of their behaviours and dangerous situations which may lead to relapse and will teach them tools to cope with daily life.

Oasis Counselling Centre is a rehabilitation centre in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, who offer in-patient treatment for sex addiction consisting of therapy, a healthy lifestyle and a programme to help the sufferer remain in recovery from their addiction.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/what-is-sex-addiction-treating-sex-addiction-818566.html

Substance Abuse And Addiction Disorder: A True Mental Health Story

In 2003, “Amylin,” a young mother in rural Tennessee, was very addicted to methamphetamine. After she started manufacturing it at home to maintain her addiction, she lost custody of her children. The loss of her children drove her deeper into despair and more meth use which ended up resulting in a prison sentence and permanent damage to her heart. Because of meth, Amylin ended up losing everything, including her freedom, her children, her job, and her health. However, because of Amylin’s will to change and the work of her area community mental health center to provide evidence-based treatments, everything was not lost forever.

After a 2-year prison stay, Amylin was released and entered a local drug court where she was sentenced to a 90-day inpatient treatment program. Following her inpatient treatment she was mandated by the court to continue her treatment in an intensive outpatient program. Amylin was referred to the methamphetamine evidence-based treatment and healing (METH) program at a community mental health center in Tullahoma, TN.  Made possible by a federal SAMHSA grant, the METH program provided comprehensive, evidence-based and community-based treatment services for adults who abused meth and other emerging drugs as well as helped increase community awareness and education concerning prevalence, risks and effective treatments through outreach activities. The METH program, following the Matrix Model, gave services to each participant for 16 weeks, includes 3 group sessions a week & individual therapy. It taught participants effective strategies for treating meth addiction and techniques to help them remain drug free after the program was completed.

Amylin entered treatment in December of 2006 and, without missing a session, successfully completed the program in early April 2007. A key lesson that Amylin learned was how to recognize her triggers to use methamphetamine. Amylin stated, “This program helped me learn ways to recognize triggers and how to properly deal with them. I know that when I think about using or crave meth I need to talk to someone, ‘play the tape forward’ and think about the consequences of using, or go to meetings.” The METH program helped Amylin realize that she could no longer interact with people using drugs or go to places where drugs were being used: “I know now that I can’t go to ‘those’ places with old friends and the METH Program gave me alternatives to be aware of.”

From her first-hand experience Amylin now educates everyone that she meets about the effects of drugs and alcohol. She routinely participates in panel discussions at the community mental health center, telling people new to recovery her powerful story about the consequences of drug use. Through her volunteer work she has made a positive impact not only in her own life, but in the lives of other program participants and the therapists. The strategies she has learned from the program have helped her overcome her addiction and remain drug-free. Because Amylin has changed her lifestyle and now has tools to use to deal with her addiction, she is employed, has regained full custody of her children and has remained drug and alcohol free for 49 months. Additionally, her health has improved because she now takes daily heart medication and routinely sees her cardiologist. This past spring, Amylin successfully completed drug court with no drug court sanctions In August 2008 she completed her entire sentence and is no longer on probation. Amylin’s story is a story of courage and hope, reminding us that recovery is always possible even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Linda Rosenberg is the president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. TNC specializes in the treatment of addiction disorders and mental illnesses across the country. methamphetamine is a serious drug of abuse, but can be treated and overcome. Lean more at http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/substance-abuse-and-addiction-disorder-a-true-mental-health-story-819099.html

Reasons for Internet Pornography Addiction

The reasons for internet pornography addiction are varies and can be quite complex from case to case and person to person however there are some core issues that can be described as common to most cases.

Many people laugh at the idea that you can become addicted to internet porn as there are no chemicals involved that can make you physically dependant on it like nicotine in cigarettes or heroin or other hard drugs. This means there are no withdrawal symptoms associated with pornography addiction, no come down and people may be able to live very functional lives which addicted apart from the damages it is causing many other part of their behaviour.

While there are no added chemicals when the body becomes aroused by images and masturbation the brain releases its own chemicals that feel quite desirable and can be considered a ‘high’. This itself is not enough to form ad addiction but the psychological elements that go along with this mental illness can make it quite habitual and hard to shake.

This psychological element is the component of porn addiction that can is different depending on the person but this is the real cause to the browsing of internet pornography that can make it so hard to break

A small sample list of some common causes of internet pornography addiction are:

Because of these problem internet porn can be a way to escape, a fantasy to live even though after you may feel depressed, empty and guilty. The small moments of escapism become something you feel you need more of as each session becomes less fulfilling creating the cycle of addiction

If you or a loved one suffer from these symptoms and causes and need help overcoming pornography addiction before it becomes too out of control click below to find out how to beat this addiction once and for all.

Pornography Addiction Treatment

http://www.kick-addiction.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/reasons-for-internet-pornography-addiction-875433.html

Drug and Alcohol Rehab :: Once you quit drugs/alcohol it is all easy from there

We have all had the experience of a stressful “life challenge” along the way. However, that is all it is, a stressful life challenge along the way! Along the way to what? To where? You have heard it said, “Life is a journey”. (I will leave the afterlife talk to those folks that are willing to join the debate club.) Life is a journey to be enjoyed daily. Without getting into the frustrating and sometimes depressing questions of “what am I here for ?” Please think about your purpose. You have a purpose. Part of that purpose requires happiness. Yes, it REQUIRES happiness. Take a positive inventory of your life, a gratitude list. Start from where you are. Always and I mean this very strongly, always refrain from comparing yourself to anyone or to where you think you oughta be! It is a losing venture. Winners do not walk that road. What are my strengths in relationships? Producing income? What do I enjoy? Focus on your strengths. What do I want to be? Do? Have? Your virtues are an indicator of your purpose.

Over the past 28 years I have made mistakes, some very big mistakes, some life changing mistakes. But that is all they are, mistakes. They created an opportunity for me to change direction, or to correct my focus. As I look back I can see that all of my “life challenges” came from my choices and actions. They created who I was at that given time. What they did was allow me the opportunity to grow into who I wanted to be. I often found myself thinking, “if I can only get through this….. I will be OK”! Wrong, wrong, wrong… I will get through anything that occurs in my life. I will use the positive as a building block and the negative to grow from.
Life is good, no life is great! Choose life, live life to the fullest. Be, do, have and enjoy the journey! You are worth it and you want it, so go and get it! It is yours.

Stay Hungry,

Dan :)

Founder Dan Callahan, LMSW has an extensive human service background dating back to 1980. Dan has been involved in recovery based human service, alcoholism and substance abuse services, forensic services, case management with individuals recovering from mental health issues and recovery based program development. Dan played a significant role in the growth and development of Hands Across Long Island, Inc. the largest and most prominent consumer run mental health agency in the United States. Dan is the co-author of a NYS training manual and program for mental health and correctional service professionals working with parolees with “serious and persistent mental illness”. Please visit the site, www.thelastresortpa.com for more details.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-once-you-quit-drugsalcohol-it-is-all-easy-from-there-823047.html

Addiction Freedom – The Blame and Shame Game!

Without question, partaking in addictive behavior not only causes you pain, but it also inflicts pain on the people around you as well. However, do not allow the previous actions of either yourself or others to chain you to the past and force you to live in fear of the future. The past is the past, it’s over, and living in it doesn’t serve anyone well. Live in the present moment, be kind to yourself, forgive yourself, and learn to love yourself. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today, today is a gift!”

 It isn’t a big secret that you’re feeling guilt and shame for the pain you’ve inflicted on those closest to you. But, on many occasions the blame and shame runs much deeper than that. In fact, a large percentage of people suffering from addiction blame themselves for their families’ dysfunctional behavior. For instance; “My father physically abused me, but I deserved it!”  Or, “my mother verbally abused me and told me I was worthless, but she’s right!”  This self-blame not only creates victimization, but it also it provides an excuse for continuing habitual behavior. And, until you are willing to see the truth concerning your family’s dysfunctional behavior and liberate your self from it, nothing in your life will change!

 So, if you’ve been blaming yourself, you’re probably questioning right now as to whether you should be punished for your actions. Well guess what, its ok! God doesn’t punish people, we punish ourselves. God is a loving and forgiving being. So if you thought that you would continue to blame and punish yourself before God gets a hold of you, you can stop right now! We do not have defects of character, are not full of shortcomings, and we certainly are not powerless! On the contrary, we are children of God, and he has given us all the power to create the happiness, love, and abundance in our lives that we desire. If you are not comfortable with the term God, you may utilize the term higher power, universe, or higher state of consciousness. Regardless what term you choose, the most important aspect is to unite with your higher consciousness and the source of unconditional love. The truth be told, love really does conquer all! That’s right; there is nothing more powerful than unconditional love. So, you should love your addiction, not hate it! Now I don’t mean that you should love it and continue it! On the contrary, you need to dissolve your habitual behavior. And, while giving thanks for it may seem paradoxical, it’s also a key component to beating it because the more you hate your addiction the stronger it will become! It’s easy to become bitter and angry about the situation, and to use it as an excuse to retreat! And, if you adopt the mindset of an angry, bitter, lifelong, victim of addiction, what will you attract in the future? Let me answer that for you; a whole gaggle of bitter, angry, victims of addiction who use their self-incrimination as an excuse to retreat to the camaraderie of a group! And, if you want to spend the rest of your days in the basement of a church complaining about how screwed up your life is, that’s your prerogative. But, you don’t have to adopt victimization by asking why me. Take the high road and get back up on the horse! Just because you got knocked down doesn’t mean that you can’t sprint to the finish line! Refuse to be the wounded soul and aspire to be the gentle warrior! Embrace the crisis as a spiritual lesson and ask what you can learn from it. Think about it for a moment! Would you be taking the steps to become a stronger, more confident, and loving person who is searching for their life’s purpose if you hadn’t been thrust into this painful drug addiction? Sometimes we have to wade through the mud puddle to get to the rose garden!

 For more information on how to beat your addiction in 60 days without ever leaving home, subscribe to my free, 40 page, 5 step e-guide below……

<a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.5stepstoaddictionfreedom.com”>overcoming addiction</a>

Regards,

 

David Roppo

The Addiction Freedom Coach

As a life coach, Roppo has helped addicted clients learn the secrets to overcoming addiction, and he has established his unique five-step process as a potential benchmark for recovery. His success has overwhelmingly convinced him that the mainstream approach to addiction is fundamentally amiss because formal treatment programs attempt to defeat the symptoms rather than address the core issue.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/addiction-freedom-the-blame-and-shame-game-826306.html

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