addiction
The realities of addition; the truth about living under, above and beyond the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Substance Abuse Treatment Across the U.S.
Substance abuse is a very serious matter. One glass of wine may be harmless, until it’s not. We all like to think that ourselves and our loved ones have control over our alcohol consumption and drug usage, but unfortunately that’s not always the case.
By Pam Jannes6 years ago in Psyche
Getting Sober While Grieving My Father's Death
I was 21 when I first tried to get help for my drug problem. Only two years prior I had tried my first opiate out of curiosity, I could not fathom where taking that first pill brought me. I had gotten caught stealing from my family, and was told I must go to treatment. Without any other option, that’s what I did. I surely did not want to hurt my family anymore but I also did not think I had a big problem and treated those couple years as a bad phase. I did what I have seen a lot of people do, I went to treatment because I was in trouble, not because I was ready to change my life forever.
By Daniel Wittler6 years ago in Psyche
Hell on Earth
The truth of the matter is this is a place where; if you have ever lived here, you could very easily understand where it is I get my self-diagnosis from. Sure, I may have only lived in the area for two years at the time of writing this, and no I have not by any degree seen the very worst of what the Downtown Eastside has to offer. I do thank my lucky stars every day for that little gift. I have seen some extremely disturbing things within those two years mind you; drug use, of course, because it is rampant- overdoses, yes because they are very common, death, another thing that until I came to the downtown Eastside I had a small experience with and absolutely never, this kind of death. This is a form of death that is slow, very slow for the majority. This comes from killing oneself from within. Sure, there is always the drug overdoses that the paramedics (God bless them for the things they do down here) cannot reverse. Sometimes they just cannot get there quick enough or the drug itself was just too damn lethal in the first place. People get shot and stabbed, and they have the living hell beat out of them. There are rapes and murders and the entire gamut of the things you would see in the likes of places such as New York city or South Central Los Angeles. I know this is Vancouver, supposedly a safe and beautiful city where this kind of thing does not occur—wrong, wrong on so many levels.
By Joseph Willson6 years ago in Psyche
Gambling + Me = Bad Combination
So a little about me.. I’m 38. Live in a lovely city in England. I work in Retail and I work as a screenwriter in my spare time. Believe me, the retail job is simply to pay the bills and the debt. The writing career is yet to take off, although I’m currently working on a television series, which one day could get made.
By Lee Taylor6 years ago in Psyche
My Life with Robin
My name Robin McArthur I am a spirit guide! Many of you may be thinking, what exactly is a spirit guide? The easiest way to understand both who I am and what my job is here on earth is to envision the story of Pinocchio. Do you remember Jiminy Cricket, who served as a kind of ”conscious guide” for Pinocchio? Like Jiminy Cricket, I am that little voice in your head that tells you right from wrong. I remind you of those lessons that your mother taught you when you were young, and I accompany you when obstacles appear or when important decisions must be made. In no way am I complaining about my plight, you see, because being a spirit guide is considered a huge honor in the non-physical world.
By Melissa Hevenor The Psychic In Your Pocket6 years ago in Psyche
Read This When You Want to Drink
In my earliest days of recovery, when I was the must gung-ho about turning a new leaf and writing a new chapter, there was a voice in the back of my head that kept telling me I wouldn’t succeed. It wasn’t telling me it was only a matter of time before I picked up another drink, but rather telling me that I would get this under control and be able to drink again one day. It romanticized my drinking and made me think of nights spent reading by a fireplace-glass of wine in hand, sitting oceanside with a tall, tropical drink I had yet to try, watching a baseball game, beer in hand, surrounded by laughing friends, and having (truly) just one Bloody Mary with the rest of the family Christmas morning.
By Emily Christyson6 years ago in Psyche
Coffee and Cognitive Functions
Although legally sold all over the world, caffeine is the most popular psychoactive substance worldwide. According to Healthline, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that about 80 percent of US adults take some form of caffeine on a daily basis.
By Christos Poulakis6 years ago in Psyche
Adult Addicts Living with Parents
Parents want their grown addicted children to live at home. Why? So they can cure them? Because they feel responsible? It’s their parental obligation? They feel it is in their power and control to heal them? If they are diligent, they can keep their child out of harms way? Constantly asking themselves or God, “Where did I/we go wrong”? And finally, that really big ‘What if’ question’. What if I put them out on the street, and while they are out there, they die? What if they die from an overdose, or suicide, or at the hands of someone else? These are really BIG questions. Now let’s expose some of these fear thoughts.
By Charlotte Kratchmer6 years ago in Psyche
Little Motel
I've cleaned up my act for the time being. I am sober, I pay my bills on time, I remember to wash my hair, I don't smoke anymore, and have replaced most of my vices with a newfound love for Diet Coke. I’ve found that there’s not much sense in trying to get rid of vices altogether; they can just be substituted for something less offensive. It's not much to write home about, but it's a gentle and consistent existence. I say "for the time being" because I know there's still this creepy, mangled thing that lives inside of me. It is hibernating right now, but I know myself and I know that it's only a matter of time before I go back to my "old ways."
By Carrie Elizabeth Bice6 years ago in Psyche
Holidays with an Addict in the Family
This is our favorite time of year, celebrating holidays together with our immediate family and our extended family. We decorate, we bake, we invite everyone over, and we look forward to seeing everyone all dressed up. It is usually a whirlwind of activity getting ready for the holidays. However, yesterday, I heard something at a support meeting for families of addicts, that made me stop and think.
By Sarah Seas6 years ago in Psyche
