Understanding what it is like to have a loved one with a drug or alcohol addiction – Drug addiction treatment for recovering addicts in British Columbia and Alberta – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and recovery.

Opiate Rehabs In Alberta And BC

Family Understanding : Why Their Loved One Has An Addiction

When it comes to family, most people feel like they can rely on their loved ones for the support they need to get them through some tough times. However, when a family member is living with an addiction, things can quickly take a turn for the worst for everyone involved. Addiction is considered a complex disease that is difficult for those dealing with it, along with their family members. When a person becomes addicted to drugs or even alcohol, they are no longer making wise decisions because the substances they use are taking control over the way that they think. Addiction is something that can have such a negative impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing.

The complex disease often creates problems for family members. They love their son, daughter, sibling, or parent so much, but they do not know how to handle the person that he or she has become because of the addiction. Caring about someone with addiction often leaves family members feeling stressed and hopeless without knowing where to turn to help their loved one. While it is not always obvious, each person within the family does have a role in the other person’s addiction. It is important for family members to try to remain as understanding as possible while realizing that addiction is more of a disease than a simple choice that people choose to make.

Addiction is not just a horrific disease – it is also the kind of disease that steals the lives of many people each year. Those who struggle with it often feel alone and isolated with nowhere to turn to make their lives any better. They often become even more dependent on drugs and alcohol because they are trying to self-medicate and want to feel better. Recovery takes time and is something that must happen in steps.

When an individual misuses certain types of substances, addiction will eventually occur, and that means everyone in the family will eventually suffer from the pain that addiction causes. It will hurt the person who suffers from addiction, but it will hurt their parents, children, siblings, and other relatives just as much. The sad thing about addiction is that the common signs of it are often overlooked by loved ones for far too long. If a loved one is acting out of the ordinary and you have concerns, you should act quickly instead of avoiding the situation.

Opiate Rehab in Alberta and BC

An addicted person often behaves differently. They may no longer seem like themselves anymore. When this happens, you should try to find help for your loved one rather than avoiding the situation at hands. If you choose to avoid the situation, it will only continue to go on and get worse. However, if you are willing to take a stand for your loved one, you can make sure that he or she gets the professional help before hitting rock bottom.

Continuing Care and Aftercare in Alberta and BC

Co-occurring Addicted in Alberta and BC

Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Drug Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331

Talking to a recovering alcohol addict – Alcohol Rehabs in British Columbia and Alberta – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating alcohol, drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin addiction and recovery.

Alcohol Rehabs In Alberta And BC

Understanding the powerful nature of an addiction can be challenging, for those of us who are not afflicted by mental illness. It may therefore feel awkward when interacting with an alcoholic. Trying to use irrelevant topics to fill a discussion with a recovering alcoholic is normal. To help ease the uncertainty, keep the following list of guidelines in mind.

Talk Normally

The pal in question remains your pal. Just like you, he is human. After a friend of yours, who suffers from osteoporosis or diabetes, returns from a month long treatment program, would you feel uncomfortable around them? Unlikely. Discuss your shared interests when talking to a friend, who is also a recovering alcoholic, with whom you’ve always enjoyed seafood and sports.

Keep things simple when it comes to discussing the alcoholic’s time in rehab. Anonymous fellowship literature, AA slogans, other recovering alcoholics, life lessons etc. surround the alcoholic while in a rehab center. It’s likely that he/she is ready to talk about normal stuff once he is free of the full-time focus on recovery. Everyone isn’t the same in this regard however.

If you share a close bond with a recovering alcoholic, consider the following from this point onwards:

1. Distinguish Helping From Enabling: If you are about to do something for him/her, such as covering the debt owned on their credit card for the month, is something they can handle on their own if they got rid of the overdependence on alcohol. By following through you will be doing yourself and your alcoholic friend wrong if the answer is to the affirmative. The addict’ motivation to be accountable for their own behavior is eliminated by enablers who step in to “resolve” the problems of the addict.

2. Be Objective: In your mind separate your friend from the problem of alcoholism he/she is struggling with. You can even view him/her as a person with two brain hemispheres, a logical side and an alcoholic one. Attribute to their alcoholic wiring, any talk you identify with their alcoholic brain. You can separate their lucid self from any alcoholic behavior.

3. When They Relapse, Don’t Overreact: You might end up pushing your friend into social withdrawal and isolation if you yell at him/her for going back to their drunken ways. The alcoholic’s focus on your anger and words will depend on the severity of your reaction a stronger reaction results in a stronger focus. On the other hand, the alcoholic will be forced to think about their actions if you do not overreact to the relapse.

4. Establish Boundaries: Threatening an alcoholic about the consequences of a relapse isn’t necessary. To set out the details of your new boundaries after your friend leaves rehab, use a light and friendly conversation. Take the time to explain that the boundaries are the result of beneficial differentiation and not a type of punishment.

Relapses occur after rehab, in most cases. Relapsing is in usually likely and not just possible given the chronic nature of this condition. A relapse does not simply mean that the process was ineffective.

If you are there to see the difficulties your friend faces once he/she goes back to their old ways, it’s only normal for you to want to offer assistance. Strengthen your resolve by remembering that “the only behaviors you can control are your own” the basic principle on which AA is founded. Without being an enabler, focus on being a great friend. You don’t have to choose between loving your pal and establishing healthy boundaries.

Alcohol Addicted in Alberta and BC

Contact us, at Options Okanagan if you would like to learn more about alcoholism, or are in search of answers relating to the rehab process. You will get the best quality care, and all the answers you seek from our admissions counselors, who are ready to help.

Alcohol Addiction in Alberta and BC

Teen Addiction in Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta and BC

Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Alcohol Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331

Learn about treatment when PTSD and drug opioid addiction are co-occurring – Drug opioid addicted individuals in British Columbia and Alberta – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and recovery.

Drug & PTSD Treatment In Alberta & BC

Diagnosed as having Co-Occurring Disorders

Drugs and alcohol can sometimes provide temporary respite from the symptoms of PTSD, helping someone avoid the painful memories that are associated with their trauma. As these drugs wear off, though, then the levels of stress and the symptoms of PTSD might actually get worse. Doing drugs or drinking can also interfere with a person’s decision-making abilities, even increasing their risk-taking behaviors, which would put a person at a much higher risk of getting involved in accidents, suffering more trauma, or falling victim to violence or crime. As such, substance abuse might actually contribute to an onset of PTSD, just as much as PTSD symptom might initially induce an individual to abuse alcohol or drugs for the purposes of self-medication.

Symptoms of drug withdrawal can actually make PTSD symptoms worse, and when the condition deteriorates even more, stopping drug use is even harder to do. In much the same way, the abuse of alcohol or drugs as a way of coping with a person’s PTSD symptoms can delay treatment progress, making the symptoms of PTSD last longer, as warned by both the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Affairs Canada. Studies conducted in various inpatient treatment centers for substance abuse have discovered that half of those who receive treatment for their addictions also suffer from simultaneous PTSD, as reported by both American and Canadian Psychological Associations.

Treatment For Co-Occurring PTSD And Addiction

When addiction and PTSD co-occur, then it’s crucial that these two disorders be treated simultaneously in an integrated and orderly fashion. If the drug dependence is rather significant, then detox is usually going to be the first step in any detailed treatment plan.

PTSD might heighten how severe the withdrawal symptoms are, so it’s optimal to have medical detox take place. During a medical detox, the patient would be admitted into a specialized facility where they might stay for a couple of days. Medical detox centers are able to provide mental and medical supervision and health care 24/7 in an environment that is safe and secure. The combination of pharmacological tools and supportive care is typically used in helping a person reach a new level of physical stability that prepares them for admission into an addiction treatment center that specializes in and has experience with the treatment of co-occurring disorders.

Behavioral therapies, like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), might help clients learn better ways of managing their stress and dealing with potential triggers, on top of giving them help in the modification of negative thoughts and the enhancement of self-esteem.

Exposure therapy might help patients with PTSD learn how they can face their traumas and fears. Trained professionals are able to help patients develop coping techniques so they can learn how to move on past their fears. Also, Seeking Safety is yet another therapy that is trauma-focused, evidence-based, and highly flexible and advantageous in the treatment of co-occurring PTSD and addiction.

Opioid Addiction Clinics in Alberta and BC

Medications might also be useful in conjunction with the application of behavioral therapy techniques in order to induce restful sleep while dispelling depression and anxiety. Counseling sessions might be done at the family, group, and individual levels, and support groups and educational programs can both provide continuous encouragement in order to minimize relapse so that long-term recovery is enhanced. Specialized treatment facilities have providers who are able to perform detailed assessments prior to their admission into programs which are designed and implemented to best provide the individual a good chance at personal recovery.

PTSD & Opiate Addiction Recovery in Alberta and BC

Oxycontin Heroin Rehabs in Alberta and BC

Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Opioid Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331

Feeling suicidal during recovery – Drug opiate addiction recovery in British Columbia and Alberta – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and recovery.

Drug Rehab In Alberta And BC

In many ways, there is little difference between drug and alcohol addiction, and suicide. while many won’t end up losing their life at the time they’re doing drugs, they are slowly, but surely, poisoning their body’s and their minds.

Many people have strong thoughts about suicide when they’re high and active in their addiction and during their recovery. Many of them who become sober are unable to stop the self-harm that addiction causes before serious permanent damage has been done. Many die tragically during their active drug and alcohol addiction phases. It’s important to take the time to understand how drug addiction and depression and suicide interact in order to help your loved one make the choice for help.

Impaired Impulse Control And Judgment

An addiction to drugs and alcohol is hard to overcome and the person tends to go all out every time they use. They will drink to become drunk, they will use drugs to get high. There is no in-between. When they do this, there are some serious psychological effects that are absolutely overwhelming. That is typically the point for them to escape the reality of their lives.

Sadly, heavy drug and alcohol use can also greatly impair the basic functions that let a person live their lives in a safe environment. While they’re using, they are at a greater risk to misjudge traffic and walk out in front of or pull out in front of vehicles that are headed right toward them, they are at a higher risk of falling, they lose their impulse control and don’t think before they act. They give in to their impulses and make poor choices that can put their health and their very lives at great risk. It can also disrupt other areas of their lives.

Impaired Judgment Can Increase Suicide Danger

Addiction multiplies the risk of suicide in a really frightening way. Combined with poor judgment, poor impulse control, and the emptiness and despair that addicts live with on a daily basis the risk of suicide is exponentially increased. At some point of time or another, issues begin to pile up and become overwhelming. The addict’s mind becomes very negative and they begin to have thoughts worthlessness, that no one cares, that others would be better off if they were gone, and many just give up on life because they feel absolutely hopeless and spiral out of control. Sober suicidal persons may reach out for help, but the intoxicated or high suicidal person lacks that impulse control and is far less likely to reach out for help. This is even worse for a person who has a history of depression or attempted suicide. If someone has become intoxicated, they are far less likely to make the right choices. They may make a suicide gesture for attention but accidentally follow through with it due to a misjudgment in their actions.

Drug Addiction in Alberta and BC

Reduce The Risk Of Suicide By Getting Sober Now

The best way to reduce suicide risk is to become sober now and remain so. It may take some time for the addict to begin to completely turn their life around. However, their risk for suicide will greatly drop if they are sober. As their lives improve, they will have less of a risk for suicide and fewer reasons to take their own life. It’s important to always have a safety net and plan with their recovery plan. Give us a call today for more information on how to become sober.

Drug Rehab in Alberta and BC

Opiate Addiction Treatment in Alberta and BC

Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Opioid Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331

Abusing drugs and alcohol can really hurt your brain – Drug Rehabs in British Columbia and Alberta – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and recovery.

Drug Rehabs In Alberta And BC

Most people learn early in life that drugs have the power to alter both the function and chemistry of the brain, in particular impacting the areas that control hearing, sight, logic, and inhibition, as well as thought process itself.

Most students attending middle and elementary schools are used to hearing how drugs have devastating impacts on the brain, and how the side effects of using drugs can wind up having an impact that lasts a person’s entire life. When someone understands just how much drugs can influence the brain, it should make it a lot easier for someone to say no their temptations to use them.

How Drugs Relate To The Brain

The human brain is quite a complicated organ, and it’s made up from quite a few different parts that collectively work together as one. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that drugs are able to alter portions of the brain which are responsible for the coordination and performance of specific functions. That includes many life-sustaining functions that can drive a person’s brain towards addictive behaviors.

The areas of the brain that get most frequently impacted by the abuse of drugs include but are not limited to the following:

1) Brain Stem: This is responsible for sleeping, breathing, and heart rate

2) Cerebral Cortex: This controls senses, thinking, decision making, and problem-solving

3) Limbic System: This is the reward center of the brain which can be activated by both drug abuse and healthy life choices.

The communication system of the brain uses neurotransmitters to send out messages to various portions or regions. When the human brain gets exposed to drugs, then the neurotransmitters don’t function as they were intended any longer. If a person is in pain, that can be a good thing, as prescription pain medication changes how the brain responds to such pain. However, medications used more than prescribed or for too long can mean the brain stops producing the neurotransmitters on its own, so the drug is needed just to feel normal. That’s a form of substance abuse that can lead to an addiction.

The Brain And Cocaine

Cocaine is one particular drug that can really hurt a healthy brain and how it functions. Brain scans that have been taken of people who didn’t use cocaine show quite a bit of activity. On the other hand, a brain scan of cocaine addicts usually indicates nearly no function. Even if those addicts stop their cocaine use for 10 days, another brain scan still indicates minimal brain activity.

Brain scans only show returning functions after consecutive and multiple months of abstinence. Also, based on how long the person was addicted to cocaine and how much cocaine they used, their brain still might not function at a full and normal capacity.

Alberta & BC Rehabs From Cocaine Addiction

In terms of treatment for cocaine addiction or just trying to stay sober following stimulant addiction, there is a combination of several intense physical withdrawal symptoms with even more severe psychological withdrawal. The first few weeks of recovery are really hard, and then another rough spot several months later. The patterns of both cravings and the compulsive behavior that comes with cocaine addiction, addiction to crystal meth, or prescription stimulant medication addiction means that the best move is usually a long-term cocaine residential rehab program.

Opiate Treatment in Alberta and BC

With inpatient treatment, you get a physical barrier put between yourself and the drug. If you’re not able to get cocaine, then you can’t use it. This fundamental truth gets held for a while so that you can build up some time without the actual drug, and this is crucial to recovery from your drug addiction. You start meeting new people, experiencing new things, and learning how to make it through your day without drugs of any kind. Reintegrating back into the so-called real world is a lot easier on anyone who has more time being sober and clean in drug rehab.

If you’d like to learn about the sober living programs we offer for long-term residential cocaine rehab, contact us right away.

Drug Addiction Rehabs in Alberta and BC

Opiate Rehab in Alberta and BC

Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Opiate Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331

Why does the use of drugs lead to addiction? Alcohol and drug rehabs in British Columbia and Alberta – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug, opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and recovery.

Opioid Addiction In Alberta And BC

Vital Things To Remember Concerning Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by the compulsive use of drugs despite the health risks. The use of drugs will alter the functions of the brain over time thus impeding self-control and affecting the addicted person’s ability to resist the substance they desire to take. It is this impact on the use of drugs that also makes drug addiction a relapsing disease. Relapse is the act of returning to the use or indulgence of something after attempting to quit, having been successful at it for some time. Relapsing bears testament to the need for more or different treatment and approach to dealing with the addiction.

What Leading To Drug Addiction?

The brain has a reward circuit that is affected by drugs to produce a high amount of dopamine. The surges of this chemical messenger (dopamine) into the reward circuits is what triggers that immense, short-term pleasurable feeling when taking drugs. It is this outcome that is linked with reinforcing such activities that turn into the compulsive behavior that is drug addiction.

The continued use of the substances, over time, causes the brain to adjust the production of dopamine resulting in a reduced high feeling compared to that felt when taking the drug for the first time. Such an effect is known as tolerance and as a result, causing the user to take higher amounts of the substance to achieve the desired high.

Becoming an addict to drugs cannot be an affirmed outcome since no one factor can predict such a thing. It is more or less an outcome that is subject to a combination of genetics, environmental, and developmental factors. The more the risk factors, the higher the chances of abusing illegal substances are and becoming addicted.

Since drug addiction is regarded as a disease, it can be treated and managed. Drug use and the subsequent addiction are preventable. Everyone in the societal setting, the parents, teachers, leaders, and health care providers should take an active role in educating the youth about the dangers of drug use and addiction.

Seeking Treatment For Addiction

Addiction to drugs has been a severe problem in many societies and has continued to be a thorny issue across North America. Fortunately, the drive to create awareness has started to bear a positive impact. But even then, a lot still needs to be done to help the millions of individuals affected by this social scourge.

Suffering due to addiction is there, and it is attributed to the low rate of the users to want to seek help and treatment. However, sobriety is not unattainable; it only needs the addicts to get the appropriate assistance and guidance via the right treatment programs. It is hard for an addict to admit to having such a problem. But it is best to have the addiction identified and treated as soon as possible for quicker sobriety.

Drug Opiate Addicts in BC and Alberta

The best treatment program is one that has an individualized approach that identifies and addresses the specific needs of each person. Options Okanagan is there to help. Get in touch with one of our professional counselors to know more about the steps to take towards recovery from drug addiction.

Opiate Addiction in Alberta and BC

Opiate Rehab in Alberta and BC

Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Opioid Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331