In today’s society, most of us know someone who uses drugs or alcohol perhaps a little more than should and many know someone whose drug or alcohol use has gone from recreational or social to a true addiction. A drug or alcohol addiction not only affects the addict, but also the family, friends and even co-workers of the addicted individual. However, the addicted person sometimes doesn’t realize that they have a problem or how it affects their lives and the lives of others. Caring family members and friends often want to do something to help an addicted person realize the seriousness of their addiction and seek help, but simply aren’t sure what they can do. Of course, most have heard the term intervention, but few know how to intervene without making the situation worse. The fact is, there are actually four distinct steps to intervention.

Pre-Intervention

The pre-intervention stage of an intervention is the stage in which those close to addicted person realize that the person suffering from the addiction needs to seek treatment and begins to think about finding out how an intervention works. One of the best things you can do during this stage is to contact a competent interventionist or intervention specialist and have them explain to you exactly how an intervention works, and when it should be used. If you live in Fort Lauderdale Florida there are plenty of resources you can check with about staging a Drug and Alcohol Intervention.

Preparation

The next stage in the intervention process is preparing for the actual intervention. During this stage, family members and friends meet with the Interventionist and discuss what they will say during the intervention and how to say it. It is also during the preparation stage that the people staging the intervention with the help of the Interventionist makes arrangements for treatment should the invention be successful, pack clothes and accomplish other tasks to ensure that if the addicted person agrees to treatment that everything can continue seamlessly while the addict is willing to seek treatment.

The Intervention

The third stage is the intervention itself. The intervention will be lead by the competent interventionist and family members and friends will follow a plan that agreed to during the preparation phase. After the loved ones of the addicted tell the addict the things they need to the interventionists then tries to talk the addict into seeking immediate treatment. Often times the intervention is successful, but sometimes it isn’t.

After Intervention

Should the intervention be successful, then the interventionists immediately escort the addict to a treatment facility where they can get the help their need.

While it may seem difficult to confront someone you love and risk their anger, an intervention may be the most loving thing you can do to help someone addicted to drugs and alcohol. Doing so the right way with a Fort Lauderdale, Florida drug and alcohol interventionists can help to improve the chances of successfully getting your addicted loved one to seek the help they need.

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Knowing When To Talk To Your Loved One is More Important Than Knowing Exactly What to Say

If you really want to help an addict that is denial then you need to be able to know when the best time is to talk to them. Never talk to an addict when they are high they are unlikely to be able to pay attention and may actually get angry when you try and talk to them.

Instead, wait until they are sober and perhaps feeling some of the negative effects of their addiction since they will be more likely to listen to what you have to say. You may also want to take a professional interventionist who understands the addiction, with you to help guide you through the discussion.

Approach Your Loved One with Concern Not Criticism

You want your loved one to know that you truly care about them which they will if you approach them with concern. No one likes to be criticized and an addict in denial may feel that any criticism is a personal attack on him or her as a person.

When talking to your loved one-use I phrases such as “I miss being able to spend time with you.” or “I worry about you when you are gone all night.” You can also talk about the negative effects that their addiction has on things on individual cares about such as his job, marriage, and his children.

When using examples deal in specific instances when something clearly happened, such as “I was heartbroken when you missed that special dinner we had planned for weeks.”

Keep Your Expectations Modest

Don’t approach your loved one expecting them to agree with what you are saying. It is likely that they will continue to deny that they have a problem. Instead of getting angry, take heart that you have planted a seed that may continue to grow over time.

Be Prepared

While your loved one may continue to deny their problem, you should come prepared in case they are ready to get the help they need. At the very least you should come prepared with the contact information so that you or your loved one can get in touch with a program that will be able to help them.

If your loved one is ready to get with help with their addiction, you want to be able to act quickly before they have an opportunity to make excuses or change their mind.

Keep in Contact

Even if your loved one is not yet ready to get help, keep in contact with them and continue to show your love and concern. By showing them your care about them they will be more likely to turn to you for help when they are ready to deal with their addiction and get the help that they need.

The post How To Help A Drug Addict In Denial first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

It seems that every year new designer drugs hit the underground market, resulting in addiction and the loss of life. One of the newest drugs to be hitting the news is a drug known as Alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (Alpha-PDP) and going by the street name of Flakka or gravel. The drug itself has actually been around for some time but recently has become a popular recreational drug in Florida and other southern states. While little is known about this drug, what is known suggests that this can be one of one of the addictive and destructive drugs yet to make itself known.

Availability

One of the reasons why Flakka is increasing in popularity especially in poorer economic communities is its widespread availability. Alpha-PDP has not yet been banned making this drug legal to purchase. The majority of this drug comes from China and be purchased from gas stations and over the Internet for as little as $5.00. Those buying it can take Flakka through a variety of methods including vaporizing through e-cigarettes and other sources, snorting, smoking, and even eating it. A high from a very small dose can last 1 to several hours.

What Flakka Looks Like

Flakka is a grainy crystalline powder that looks a bit like aquarium gravel (thus the nickname gravel). It is normally slightly grayish in color and some claim it has a foul odor, but when vaporized the high hits the system incredibly fast. Other methods of taking the drug are somewhat slower, but the high is no less potent.

What A Flakka High is Like

People on a Flakka high feel stronger and faster and a person on the drug does appear to exhibit unusual strength as it has been reported that it took up five officers to subdue one average size man high on the drug. The drug also causes hallucinations and several cases have been reported of people on Flakka being excessively violent.

In many people, Flakka tends to raise the body temperature alarming high with temperatures of 105 degrees Fahrenheit being reported. There have also been several incidents in Florida where people high on Flakka rip off their clothes (which may be due to their rising body temperature and an unconscious attempt to cool off.)

There also appears to be an increase among those high on Flakka to be violent towards others as well as higher incidents of suicides and a number of heart attacks after taking the drug. People taking Flakka can suffer from permanent neurological effects and kidney damage and failure.

Flakka Addiction

Although there have been many studies done on Flakka Addiction yet, one telling study done with laboratory rats strongly indicates that Flakka is more addicting than Meth and is far more dangerous to the person taking it and society at large.

Flakka Overdose

The scientist has determined that it is difficult to control the exact dose of Flakka a person takes in and therefore overdoses of this drug can be extremely commonplace and that without immediate treatment this drug can easily lead to death and serious permanent conditions such as having to live with dialysis for the rest of your life.

What’s Being Done to Protect the Public and Users

Right now the first step in protecting users of Flakka and the Public from this drug is to ban this substance and to educate people quickly on the dire effects of this drug. While these steps won’t prevent the use of Flakka it will slow down its availability which will help prevent some people from trying the drug in the first place.

The next step once the substance is banned is targeted those selling this drug before it has a chance to spread any further than the states that are now in.

Treating those already addicted to this drug may prove to be someone more difficult due to the long-term physical and neurological damage that using this drug even for short period may cause.

The post The Dangers of Flakka and Flakka Addiction first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

Kevin Dixon, President of KD Consulting Corporation was contacted by the CBS Early show in order to help with educating America about what is an intervention, how do we help someone who doesn’t want help. He facilitated a professional intervention on behalf of the Jecka Family in saving their loved one Jennifer Jecka. She struggles with substance abuse, mental health, and co-dependency to her boyfriend along with her denial of her addiction. Through Kevin Dixon’s help and preparing the family he was able to prepare them for the toughest part with Jennifer, her saying “NO” to accepting treatment.

Kevin speaks with Tracy Smith on the CBS Early Show.

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It seems in the past year, clients have become sicker than normal. I have come across so many clients that end up in the hospital from their dependency to opiates, excessive alcohol abuse, or injecting heroin into their bodies and the majority of them have been abusing substances for close to 20 years.

I recently had four cases that were all in the hospital on deaths door and most of them are still in the hospital waiting to be released because their dependency to substance brought them to rock bottom which for them, is no return and waiting for their bodies to heal itself with the help of the medical professionals in the hospital healthcare systems.

I am a bit lost and sadden to see so many families waiting and waiting in hopes and anticipation for their loved one addicted to drugs or alcohol to quit or they let it be because they have been functioning for over ten years. They attend work, they play the parenting role, and they can do and act as a normal non-alcoholic or non-substance abuser. But eventually, it is a matter of when their dependency can become the full driving force in their day to day life and come down spiraling leaving them helpless to their addiction.

In my experience for 18 years plus, it is never good to wait. I recently lost someone because the family let his addiction go on too long, but it was not their fault, they had no clue about interventions and how to help someone struggling with addiction. But this is the sad truth that happens daily. And with all the medical professionals in the world, his body kept rejecting every solution for this heart.

It is now so important more than ever to bring more awareness of the steps families can take before it gets to this level where individuals that struggle with addiction are in the hospital for 45-60 days waiting to be released from the hospital care. The only downside to this is that we need families and the individuals to understand the importance of aftercare and just because you were in the hospital for 45 days does not mean you went to treatment. It is recommended that you enter into a substance abuse treatment for additional 30 days with transitional intensive out-patient for 8 weeks more after treatment. Because of the fact that you were in the hospital for such a long period of time with no extensive treatment to help you maintain sobriety that the possibilities are extremely high for you to return home drinking or abusing drugs once again. Especially those that have been in the hospital for weeks at a time, there is a high probability that you may not make the next round after abusing substance and your life is on the line.

For families, this is so important and why you need to get educated on addiction. Too many people pass away daily due to their own dependency to drugs or alcohol; and this why you need to understand your role and what you can do to help someone who is in denial or minimizing or says all the excuses in the book of why. But do not ignore the signs of their addiction because eventually, it gets them to the point where there is no coming back and it is too late to help them recover. Once their dependency starts to affect their internal organs, it can be challenging for our bodies to recover from so much of the toxins put in and then the body cannot handle another drink or drugs entering the body. This leads to kidney, heart, and liver failures and so many more medical concerns.

I feel that so many people are waiting due to denial, financial, insurance, excuses, life stuff and being unaware about addiction.  You need to learn about treatment options, learn about drug and alcohol interventions, aftercare, and what is an addiction to better help someone struggling with their disease or if you want help, it is never too late to start. But to keep waiting until the last minute you’re in the hospital is very dangerous because the last drink or drug use can be your last with no coming back alive.

The post Why Are So Many People Waiting So Long to Get Help for Alcoholism or Drug Addiction? first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

What Makes Boycotting So Addictive

Oxycontin affects the brain by blocking pain and triggering the release of dopamine, which makes people feel good almost happy. However, this feeling doesn’t last long and you want to get back that feel-good feeling.

In addition, the body quickly adjusts to the effects of oxycontin (which is known as building a tolerance) and you need more and more of the drug to have the same pain-relieving effects that the drug originally induced. Once a person becomes dependent on the drugs they don’t feel normal when they are not taking it.

Addiction occurs when a person’s desire to reduce or stop using the drug is not enough to accomplish that goal. They are not only unable to stop using the drug but find themselves unable to control their need for greater and greater and great amounts.

In the end, their compulsion to get their hands on the drug overrides every other thing in their life. They will lie, cheat and steal in able to support their growing habit.

Addiction to Oxycontin can be difficult to overcome because repeated use of the drug renders the brain unable to release dopamine when oxycontin isn’t pleasant.

In addition, stopping the drug results in some very nasty side effects. Withdrawal from this drug results in aches and pains, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, chills, and feeling like you are dying. And underneath all of these withdrawal symptoms, the brain is still craving the drug.

Treatments for Oxycontin Addiction

Successful treatments for oxycontin addiction often includes the use of other medicines such as methadone, which can help relieve withdrawal symptoms and reduce the cravings for the drug. Taking these medications may be needed over a long period of time sometimes years or over a person’s lifetime.

To increase the effectiveness of treatment medication is often used in combination with psychotherapy.

In many cases residential treatment may be needed for an extended period of time as a 30 or 90-day program simply may not be long enough to help distance the individual from their cravings. In many cases including family during therapy can help many addicts recover faster and stay on the right track. However, do keep in mind that there are cases when treatment does not take the first time and a person may have to go undergo treatment two, three or more time before they experience success. However, need the addict or their family should ever give up on treatment since it is the only way of overcoming their addiction and maintaining sobriety.

The post How Long Does It Take To Get Addicted To Oxycontin first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

What is a Gateway Drug

A Gateway drug is a drug that leads someone to go on to harder and harder and harder drugs. Marijuana was labeled as a gateway drug because people who became addicted to harder drugs used marijuana before they tried those harder drugs and so Marijuana use was automatically considered a gateway drug. But does Marijuana use lead to harder drugs?

The Truth About Marijuana Use

The truth is that Marijuana has always been more readily available than other illegal drugs so people who wanted to experiment with drugs did begin with Marijuana. Experts suggest that when people go from using Marijuana to harder drugs that this may due to the fact that in areas where marijuana is still illegal that the social aspect of being with people who use harder drugs may actually be a contributing factor to using these harder drugs rather than the use of marijuana. This is born out by the fact that the vast majority of people their use of drugs began and ended with Marijuana and these people could have desires to try other harder drugs. This proves that people who use hard drugs may have begun with using Marijuana, but that using marijuana can lead to the use of harder drugs. Therefore Marijuana should be considered a gateway drug. Those using marijuana can use other substances in combination which could lead to abusing harder substances.

What Further Studies Reveal

Recent studies have revealed that people who use marijuana to relieve pain may be helping to put a dent into the opioid crisis. It is a well-known fact that Marijuana is less addictive than opioids and many people who become addicted to opioids were prescribed these drugs for pain. People who elect to treat their pain with Pot rather than opioids still have the risk of becoming addicted. You become mentally dependent on the form of daily use and habits that are formed.

Early presentation to cannabinoids in adolescents diminishes the reactivity of cerebrum dopamine reward focuses later in adulthood. To the degree that these discoveries sum up to people, this could help clarify the expanded weakness for dependence on different substances of abuse sometime down the road that most epidemiological examinations have detailed for individuals who start cannabis utilize from the get-go throughout everyday life. It is additionally steady with adolescent testings demonstrating THC’s capacity to “prime” the cerebrum for upgraded reactions to different medications. For instance, young adults recently directed THC show elevated conduct reaction when further presented to THC as well as when presented to different medications, for example, morphine—a marvel called cross-refinement.

In states where laws have slackened regarding the use of marijuana, opioid addiction statistics have fallen. But there is a rise in marijuana users.

In addition, it has been proven that Marijuana has use in medicine since it can reduce pain for people suffering from arthritis, MS and other conditions. It can also help alleviate some of the negative symptoms of cancer treatments such as nausea and loss of appetite. But when it comes to the young adult’s populations and those that do not have any type of diseases or illnesses, it is making them lethargic and not motivated in life to where they seek out stronger drugs or abuse alcohol. Marijuana can be a gateway drug that can lead people to experimenting and abusing other substances.

The post Is Marijuana A Gateway Drug first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.