While we all know substance abuse is a social issue and learning that a loved one is affected by the problem can be nearly heart-breaking. It is definitely not something that can be easily accepted. At the same time, the affected individual needs all your love and attention and more importantly support to get through the situation. It is important to not show anger or frustration at the person but to empathize and help them get out of the situation. 

Read on to know some of the ways in which you can play an active role in supporting your loved one under such circumstances. This involves both of you coping with the situation at hand, as well as helping the person come out of the abuse. 

Educate yourself: When you are trying to help a person, you should know in detail about the substance that was being used and its ill effects. This gives you greater credibility, unlike the person who got carried with the happy feeling it gave and got into abuse. 
Ensure safety: This is both for the affected individual and yourself. With the required substance not being available, the person could look at harming either self or others, especially ones who are trying to get them out of the abuse. Though the intent is to help, they are looked at as people who are depriving the feel-good feeling produced by the substance, which is no longer easily available. Therefore, ensure safety. 
Talk openly: In the beginning, be a good listener. Once you get their confidence, make them understand that the entire situation is making you upset and perhaps angry or frustrated too. Get them to focus on your proposal of getting out of the habit together. If they are willing then this can ensure greater success in quitting the habit. Get to understand how exactly the habit developed including the people responsible for it, the circumstances leading to it, and the various chemicals that were used. The duration and frequency are also important. Tell them it is okay and that you will both get out of it with each other s support. 
Participate in therapy sessions: Individual counseling will work effectively for the primary client, but it is also important for family members to get involved. The counselor also would need support beyond the few counseling hours for completely getting rid of an individual s habit. Therapy can help you learn how to manage the issues back at home. 
Find your  me-time : With all that is going on, you will need some time for yourself to just be. Eat well, stick to your workouts, sleep well, keep your friends, and make time for your hobbies. These will ensure you are in good shape to support the affected individual. It is not possible for you to help another person when you are not in great shape yourself.

Substance Abuse - How Should You Cope With Someone Going Through It?

Little or limited caffeine amount can definitely boost energy levels, but an excessive amount might lead to addiction, which is really quite a serious issue. This addiction cannot be kicked away with medications and rather you have to follow the natural ways. Practicing yoga asanas is one of the most improved solutions that can help you to get rid of acute or severe caffeine addiction and that too in a natural way without inviting any unhealthy side effects.

5 leading asanas that can help avoid caffeine addiction:

Mayurasana: This asana is mainly well known as the Peacock pose. The pose is very much useful for maintaining digestive and circulatory functions. The hands should be clasped backside and you should bend your head towards your feet. Standing straight is needed and you have to take deep breaths at the time of holding back the concerned posture.
Chakrasana: This is nothing, but a wheel pose which helps in system detoxification and toxin release. Your thyroid and pituitary glands will get naturally stimulated as a result of this pose. Extending arms overhead by keeping feet together you can perform this pose. You should bend backwards with your face down towards the floor, and you have to use your palms for support.
Sarvangasana: This pose needs to be done by keeping your shoulders in support. Without using yoga mats, this pose cannot be performed comfortably. Parathyroid and thyroid glands are stimulated along with the normalization of different body functions. Relief from constipation and indigestion can be gained from this pose. Keeping your shoulders in support, the legs should be extended upwards at 90-degree angle. The shoulders should take your full body weight at the time of doing this asana.
Halasana: This plough pose can help in reducing lethargy, fatigue and stress. Your nervous system can be calmed down, and you will feel completely relaxed. Energy channels of your body can be easily opened up by practicing this asana regularly. In this case, legs should be bended at your hips so that the legs can be flat over the ground. You should keep your hands beside your body.
Nadi-sodhan Pranayama: if you have got accumulated stress, then nothing can be a better option other than doing this asana. Both body and mind get completely relaxed as a result of practicing this pose. In this case, breathing patterns or techniques can be corrected along with the balancing of the nadis. You have to get a proper guidance in order to perform it in a correct manner.

Are You a Caffeine Addict? These 5 Yoga Asanas Will Help You Kick the Habit

Addiction for physical intimacy can result from a lot of reasons, while the scientific community still does not pinpoint this as a disease, an increasing number of individuals are being identified who are suffering from an addiction to sex. While there is no quick fix to it, Ayurveda has ways that can address sex addiction and fix it for good:

Food is essential: There should be razor sharp focus on eating. Sattvik Food such as curd, milk, bread, wheat, rice, sugar, milk is some of the best food items to curb sex addiction. Fruits such as apples, bananas, grapes, mangoes and pomegranates play rich dividends in checking sex addiction. Popular meal preparation such as Havishya Annam and Charu are extremely helpful in curtailing sex addiction.
Food to avoid: In Ayurveda food items such as meat, eggs, fish are considered as detrimental as far as sex health is concerned. They tend to increase sex addiction. The meat of buffalo, sheep or goat increases sex drive in an individual.
Breathing exercise: Pranayama or slow breathing is another excellent way to reduce sex addiction. This is slow release and intake of oxygen. An expert supervision is required when it is performed for the first time.
Working out: Daily jogging, running, working out or simply walking will go a long way in ensuring that an individual cut down his sex addiction over a period. Working out helps to profoundly sweat and helps the organ perform better. Not to mention, it lifts a person s mood and installs loads of positive energy.
Avoid addiction: Any addiction is it smoking, drinking, substance, drugs or marijuana can be extremely detrimental. External stimulus not only increases sex addiction but proves to be hazardous for the body over the long term.
Stay hydrated: Remaining hydrated throughout the day is important. Drinking water, fruit juice, and other non-sweet drinks prove to be very handy in cutting down sex addiction. However, it should be ensured to refrain from drinking carbonated drinks. They increase fat in the body and make a person lethargic.
Quick meditation: While meditation sounds daunting at times, it is not that difficult to do it. Sitting down in a quiet place and counting numbers from 1 to 100 is also a form of meditation. The idea is to concentrate and keep the focus for a stretch of time. Meditation greatly helps a person to curb sex addiction by keeping the mind focused.
Ayurvedic tonics: Ayurvedic items such as ashwagandha, Brahmi, and turmeric can help to reduce sex addiction.

Sexual Addiction - 8 Things That Can Help Control It!

Drug addiction is an addiction of a very severe kind. This causes the sufferer i. E. The drug addict to seek and use drugs compulsively despite the destructive consequences to themselves and those around them. This is known as a chronic brain disease because of the functional and structural changes it causes in the brain. It is the overpowering dependence on illegal or legal medications and drugs. One cannot quit taking drugs just by strong will or good intentions. Ayurveda's holistic method combines exercises, meditation, and herbal medicines to cure addiction towards drugs.

Ayurvedic remedies:

Panchakarma therapies-only an ayurvedic expert should perform the panchakarma therapies and rituals on you. It promotes cleanliness and helps in detoxifying the body. These therapies are done using various herbs and oils in accordance with the ancient traditions to eliminate negative conditions.
Virechana-it is the most useful panchakarma therapy to treat addiction. Virechana is known to cleanse the gastro-intestinal tract and purify the blood of toxins of a period of a few days. It helps decontaminate your spleen, stomach, liver, kidneys, colon, intestines and sweat glands through varied herbs and laxatives such as castor oil, mango juice, raisins, cow's milk, psyllium seeds, flaxseed husk, prune and senna.
Rasayana therapies-rasayana therapy is another very useful ayurvedic treatment for treating drug abuse and addiction. It is based upon the transmutation and conservation of energy to improve the mental as well as physical characteristics in order to increase your body's natural metabolic processes while enhancing your immune system and brain function. Rasayana therapy consists of intricate face, head and full body massages which are combined with medicated creams and herb oils. This therapy is also useful to remove artificial aging which occurs due to prolonged drug abuse.
Yoga-the chaotic chemicals are known to wreak havoc on the drug addict's brain during the process of recovery. Resorting to exercise or yoga will help generate extra endorphins which are very helpful for clarity. To recover from drug addiction, you must join a structured yoga class along with other ayurvedic therapies. Yoga is beneficial since it stimulates every part of your body without applying too much stress on any one part.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Drug Addiction

In order to determine whether a person is having a drug problem, there are several signs, which can be interpreted to know about the exact drug abuse state of a person. Drug abuse requires immediate attention before it becomes more problematic. There are several patterns and stages of drug use that have been listed below:

1. Hard drug use: Heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine fall under the category of hard drugs and are the most dangerous drugs. There are severe effects on the health and behavior of a user of hard drugs. Some people use these kinds of drugs for recreational purposes, but some can get addicted just after using them once. Such people usually isolate themselves from society and possess a high-risk behavior.

2. Frequent drug use: Frequency alone cannot determine whether a person is addicted to a certain drug. Some people may take drugs only once and twice a week, but still suffer from acute addiction. Frequency of drug use may indicate tolerance and a person may require more with each day. Frequent drug users usually keep on continuing the habit and it is hard for them to quit.

3. Early drug use: Some people start taking drugs at an early age during adolescence, and they are likely to develop severe drug problems later in life. People who take drugs before the age of fifteen turn out to be addicts as they grow up. The earlier a person uses drugs, the earlier he becomes addicted. Early drug use is a common phenomenon in today's world.

4. Solitary drug use: Using drugs and addictive substances while a person is alone may result in fatal addiction and various problems in life. Teenagers using alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes are prone to serious drug problems during adulthood. Solitary drug users are usually poor in studies and have a violent or abusive behavior.

5. Escapist drug use: Many people use drugs for dealing with stress, several problems in life or for building self esteem. These are used as a substitute for escapism, which allows a person to escape from reality to a place where nothing bothers them and they can be at peace. Such people are likely to develop drug problems. Some people may experiment with drugs just for the sake of trying, but slowly they may like it and get addicted. This causes several problems in life, and a drug problem arises. Such drug problems may affect the health in many severe ways.

Drugs are used in several patterns. All people do not use drugs in the same pattern and frequency. The pattern of drug use by a person lets the doctor determine the level of drug abuse he is on, or if he is addicted.

Patterns of Drug Abuse

Drug addiction is one of the social menaces and in most people, what starts off as a result of peer pressure and trying to be cool ends up affecting lives significantly. It is not just social, but also affects financial, physical, emotional, and social well-being. The small periods of happiness given by the drug is followed by months and years of torment.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has identified that drug addiction causes chemical and structural changes in the brain, leading to dangerous and self-destructive behaviours. The brain s response to stimulus like pleasure, joy, happiness, and pain are altered with constant drug abuse. For instance, the neurotransmitter called dopamine, which makes one feel good, is usually produced by the brain in small amounts. However, drugs increase this level to 2 to 10 times more, making the person feel extremely high and happy. Since the body is unable to reach the highest level of happiness on its own, the dependency on these drugs to feel good increases.

Repeated use of the drugs leads to increased dependency, wherein the brain refuses to feel good without reaching those high levels of dopamine. The issue is mostly seen in teenagers and young adults but can be seen in any age group.

October 2 is recognised as National Anti-Drug Addiction Day and nationwide campaigns and drives are done to help people overcome addiction. One of the main reasons a drive this size is required is because of the social stigma attached to the problem. Most families shun away from recognising it as a problem that can be easily treated, and so the affected person is sucked deeper into the problem.

Overcoming addiction: One of the main success factors for treating addiction is for the affected person to recognise that he or she is addicted and needs to get rid of the problem.

    There are national toll-free helplines that are set up, which can guide through the whole program. This way, if required, anonymity is maintained and support for overcoming addiction is increased.
    It involves a group effort involving the affected person, family and friends, medical and clinical personnel, and counsellors in some cases.
    Cognitive behavioural therapy: The person is made conscious of the change in behaviour and the way drugs affect it. Healthier patterns to be happy and joyful are discussed.
    In most cases, the underlying reason for reaching out to drugs needs to be addressed also to prevent relapse.
    Group therapies where the person makes friends who have faced similar issues and overcome the problem. This increases their accountability and commitment to getting rid of the problem.

Drug abuse is a national social menace and needs more free admittance and management.

National Anti-Drug Addiction Day - Overcoming Addiction

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