Narconon Fresh Start: Are Your Children Abusing Drugs?

In life, if problems are perceived early on, a solution to the problem can be found easier. This fact is more obvious in certain parts of life, but it holds true for all kinds of problems people find themselves in. As time moves along, more damage takes place more energy is needed to resolve the problem. This point is especially true when it comes to a personal health, drug abuse and rehabilitation to be specific. So, this is why spotting a drug abuse problem in its early stages of development is much more preferable to taking a wait and see approach.

Initially, experimentation with drugs and/or alcohol is not bragged about by the user. Parents are not likely to come across drug paraphernalia, joints or prescription bottles. It is only later and the user has developed a regular habit that their actions become more obvious that they become careless with their words, actions or appearance and identifying a drug problem becomes quite obvious.

Many parents avoid taking action or even simply speaking to their children about drug use until their child’s change in behavior has become blatantly obvious. Unfortunately, waiting until their child’s drug experimentation has developed into an entirely new lifestyle built upon illegal shenanigans, dishonesty and filled with drug using peers can be very risky and dangerous. At Narconon Fresh Start they think attacking the issue from the start is more advantageous and leads to better outcomes in the long run. There are several indicators to watch out for.  If these indicators are clear, it's action time!

Common indications of drug abuse in children:

-Changes in your child’s friends – becoming part of a new/different group
Developing new friendships is normal, and a natural part of growing up. But, if your child is no longer spending time with their previous friends and only their new group this may signify a noteworthy change.

-Acting reclusive
Kids enjoy sharing their interests they are involved in. However, if they know their parent’s are going to disapprove of them they will begin to keep to themselves and become more introverted. They will be sure to keep specific items private, and by doing so they are signaling a suspicious change in the behavior.

-Deteriorating family relationships
When a child starts to keep secrets it changes their demeanor and how they interact with their parents. The child wants to keep their secrets private and if the parent gets close to uncovering them the child will blow up at them often shouting and claiming their privacy is being invaded.

-Noticeable changes in their behavior and attitude
When a typically happy and outgoing child suddenly becomes short tempered it is a warning sign that something is wrong. Often times intense reactions to insignificant issues mean that that is not the real issue. It is almost never truly about what the actual disagreement is over; instead, it is the fact that their secret was nearly discovered.

-Lack of School Interest
Drug and alcohol abuse are known to lead to lessening of performance in school. When a usually well performing student begins to underperform there may be the reason behind their decline.
While these are certainly not all of the possible signs of drug use in children, they are a good general overview of what to look for if you suspect your child is struggling with drug or alcohol abuse. The most significant item to take away is not to wait until things worsen in your child’s life. Addiction to drugs and alcohol will be the reality of anyone who chooses to abuse these substances. The quicker you identify and resolve the issues, the higher the probability of the individual having a positive and successful recovery.

brought to you by Narconon Fresh Start :)

Narconon Fresh Start: Myths of Drug Addiction

There are many drug addiction myths told and retold over and over again. Here, we have gathered several of the most common drug and alcohol addiction myths and provided a clear understanding of drug and alcohol addiction.

A very widespread myth told by those who are inexperienced with addiction is that drug and alcohol addiction is not curable. The definition of a “cure” is to alleviate or free the individual of the detrimental issue; their illness or bad habit. With this definition in mind, to actually cure drug addiction the addicted individual would need to be restored to a healthy state and completely overcome their bad habit of using drugs and/or alcohol.

Restoring health and ending bad habits is accomplished at drug rehab centers around the country everyday. In fact, I have personally experienced this myself. I have been sober for over thirty years, thanks to completing a drug rehab program. Long ago, I was heavily addicted to drugs and now have maintained sobriety for years and have not had any health issues caused from the years I was an addict. Additionally, through the years I’ve met hundreds like myself who have fully recovered from their addictions.

Another drug addiction myth is that addiction is a choice. While drug use initially is a decision the user makes, it develops into an automatic action as the drug user begins to rely and depend on the substance. When the individual puts that bottle, pipe or cigarette to their mouth and partakes for the very first time, for whatever the reason, that decision is consciously made. When they repeat this action it is also a conscious decision they are making.

However, soon things change and their urge to use drugs or alcohol recreationally is no longer a decision, it becomes a necessity. They no longer experience any mental questioning whether they should use or not, their substance use become unthinking and automatic. At this point they no longer question if they should use, it is more a question of what they will use, where they will get it and how they will afford it. Their decision to use or not use has seemingly been stripped from them, leaving them with only the choice of whether to seek and accept help to quit their addiction problem.

Some believe that addiction is a subject of morality. Using addictive dangerous drugs is obviously not a safe choice, but is it immoral? Consider this, is choosing to do something that is deemed unsafe an immoral action? Is skydiving, or racing motorcycles immoral? No, these actions are not considered immoral but they are known to be unsafe. The difference is, when a person goes skydiving they are not breaking the law; but, if that same person were to choose to use heroin they are knowingly breaking the law and that would be considered to be immoral. It is my personal belief that using illicit drugs or abusing prescription drugs IS definitely  immoral. Not because the action is risky or unsafe, but rather because inevitably it will be damaging to the user. If this were the same for skydiving, then it would be considered immoral too. But in the case of skydiving, the vast majority of all people who choose to participate in this activity do so safely and without injury. There may be some very rare case of an individual who might intentionally choose to become addicted to drugs or alcohol, but 99.9999% of the remaining addicts do not wish to be afflicted with addiction. While there are numerous drug addiction myths and false beliefs that surround the subject of addiction, there are also clear cut facts too. The best way to avoid being caught in the trap of addiction is to first become educated on the subject and to understand the mechanics of how addiction occurs.

Brought to you by: Narconon Fresh Start :)

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Getting Off and Staying Off Drugs with Narconon Fresh Start

There are many challenges and obstacles to get through on one's road to recovery. You may think that after the recovered addict has met and conquered these difficulties to become free from drugs it would be unlikely that they would return to using drugs again. Unfortunately that's not the case. During a person's active addiction they are afflicted with many issues, and lack of knowledge is at the top of the list. Often, people believe that what is truly missing in the addicted individual is personal strength, power and enough determination not take the drugs and return to living their previous drug free life. However, what is truly missing from the addict's brain is the information and understanding of how to avoid using drugs. They need the actual knowledge and how to apply it to remain sober that usually comes from of being distanced from negative influences associated with substance abuse for a long time. Part of the know-how that these individuals are lacking to remain sober is relapse prevention techniques. They do not know the many important signals that predict a slipup could be coming.

Narconon Fresh Start has several tips that will help the recovered addict:

-Be mindful of the people you surround yourself with.

When a person is off drugs or alcohol and living a drug-free lifestyle spending time with past friends they once used with is going to result in one of two consequences. The time they spend with their old using buddies is going to put them in contact with things that may tempt them unnecessarily that will stretch their ability to resist. When people use drugs they just don't like being around sober people. They feel uncomfortable and embarrassed to be stoned and act strange when the other guy is sober and watching what is going on from a sober vantage point. The other consequence of hanging out with past drug using buddies is that the recovered addict gives in to getting high with their friends to fit in again.

-Focus your attention outside yourself 

A person who is introverted by nature will find that their power diminishes and they begin to draw inwards and become anxious and worried. Finding an activity to focus on outside oneself means that the attention that would have been worrying about nothing is less available and can be directed into constructive thoughts and planning on the outward task at hand.

Always keep in the front of your mind how it could be easy to fall back into your old routines.
Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a problem that is long-lasting and a cycle that takes time to break. It is not atypical for an ex-addict to find themselves around a lot of drug abusers after having had time spent living a sober lifestyle. It can happen so quickly, the urge to use becomes the action of using and in time the person's addiction begins again. Because of how quickly this process takes place it is important you don't ignore this warning sign. Live each day as if you're newly recovered from addiction. Keeping your guard up to such an extreme degree is necessary to maintain your sobriety.

-Last but not least, a vital piece of advice for a person trying to recover from addiction is:

Find a life's purpose! It cannot be just anything, but one something worth your effort puts meaning into your life and that's outcome will be obvious because of your endeavor to remain focused on it. Having a purpose will help make the significant impact on the speed and longevity of your recovery and the long term results you reap from remaining focused on the purpose you have chosen. Quite literally, by finding a purpose in your life you won't have time to stray from your path because your energy will be spent working on something greater.

Often times you hear of someone that struggled with a substance abuse and was able to stop using when they started a family. This may be the purpose some need to achieve lasting sobriety, but for others it isn't enough. Take a long hard look within yourself and find what will be more significant to you than getting high. Find that purpose, and you will have found the your own path to a drug free life.

Brought to you by Narconon Fresh Start. :)