My Friend Drinks Too Much, What Should I Do?

My Friend Drinks Too Much, What Should I Do?

Does “just one drink” always turn into a night of endless drinks for your buddy?

Does every event or get together you go to end up with them in a sloppy mess? Or maybe they don’t go out at all and are drinking by themselves constantly?

Whatever the circumstances might be, if you ever had the thought, “my friend drinks too” and if you’re here reading this, it’s not a great sign. Now, this article isn’t meant to diagnose alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder but the fact is, if you’re worried, you likely have a reason to be.

It’s a noble thing and a sign of a great friend to be concerned so kudos to you already for going the extra mile for your friend.

Alcohol use disorder affects about 15 million people in the United States and only about 8% receive treatment according to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Therefore, your concern could very well save your friend’s life.

What Are the Warning Signs That My Friend Drinks Too Much?

From a medical perspective, a person needs to meet particular criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to be properly diagnosed as having alcohol use disorder. It’s a pretty lengthy list of questions but they’re all very straightforward.

Note, you shouldn’t, under really any circumstance, just start interrogating a friend that you suspect drinks too much. That type of accusatory approach will bring nothing but defensiveness and resentment. Moreover, it’ll serve to create a rift and distrust between you and your friend.

Rather, you should be on the lookout for warning signs and these pull from/relate to the aforementioned DSM-5 manual:

  • They spend an inordinate amount of drinking and recovering from drinking (aka hangovers)
  • Inability to cut back, even when they try to
  • Falling behind and failing to keep up with responsibilities at home, school or at the office
  • Strained or lost friendships because of drinking
  • Continually increased tolerance and needing more and more to reach the same level of drunkenness
  • Drinking until blacking out unintentionally
  • Foregoing and just plain giving up on activities they used to enjoy because of alcohol
  • Financial and legal issues related to drinking
  • Unable to relax, feel like “themselves” or generally confident without drinks

It’s a pretty long list and to be honest, a lot of their behavior will start to become more and more noticeable the longer their affair with alcohol continues. It’s a snowball effect in a sense.

How Do I Get My Friend Help?

The warning signs are piling up and the question becomes what to do if your friend is becoming an alcoholic.

As noted earlier, don’t go straight in confrontationally, that’s bound to have negative results. There are vital things you can do though to lead them towards help and the first thing on the list is learning about addiction yourself. You’ve already started that by reading this and understanding the signs of alcohol abuse.

The next thing is to learn about the various treatment options available depending on the scope of the problem.

At a certain point though you will have to have that conversation and the preparation you do is key. Talk to a rehab facility, know what detox and recovery entail in advance. In as delicate a way as possible you want to explain your worries and that it’s affecting not only the relationships they have with you and others but that it’s holding them back. See if there’s anything you can do to help.

Reach Out to Lake Arrowhead Recovery Network Today

At Lake Arrowhead Recovery Network, we’ve seen it all before and have helped countless souls get on the path to recovery. If you’re not sure what to do next, please, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and just ask. That’s what we’re here for.

What Do Drug Intervention Specialists Do?

what do drug interventionists do

Often the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the word intervention is the long-running A&E TV show of the same name.

It paints a riveting, harrowing and sometimes hard to watch portrait of addiction and how tough it is to get someone the help they desperately need. While the drama is amplified for TV, interventions don’t routinely escalate into the fireworks on the show, the general concept and point of what you see is the same in real life.

The idea is to get people into addiction treatment.

An intervention specialist is the one that creates the plan to give that outcome the highest likelihood of this happening. 

On a deeper level, according to the Association Of Intervention Specialists, “the interventionist is the individual who helps identify the appropriate people in the life of a person who is experiencing substance use, mental or behavioral health problems that will become an influential part of a recovery team. The team will enable their person and family to accept treatment and recovery. The interventionist supports, educates, provides guidance, direction and training, as well as the facilitation of the intervention and aftercare”.

Drug Intervention: Who Needs One?

Unfortunately, there’s no set in stone answer to that question. Each case of addiction is unique and therefore the solutions are always uniquely tailored.

If you have a loved one struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, you’ve most likely already noticed how fruitless it’s been to suggest that they just cut back or seek help. They don’t want to hear it because, in their minds, they don’t have a problem. There’s nothing to seek help for in their view.

There are signs you can look for that would clue you in on if it’s time to go the intervention route:

  • Tolerance is markedly increased
  • Physical appearance changes dramatically
  • Moodiness and volatile emotionally
  • Work, school and/or family life are suffering
  • Increasing isolation

What Happens During an Intervention?

At a certain point, you’ve reached your limit. It’s a tragic place to arrive as a family member or a friend. You simply can’t take it anymore and confronting the drug or alcohol abuse head-on is the only remaining option.

The Mayo Clinic does an excellent job breaking down what happens before, during and after an intervention:

 

  • Make a plan – This is where the intervention specialist comes in, this is a very intense situation and having a pro from the outset makes things easier. 
  • Gather information – Understanding the scope of the problem and the best treatment options.
  • Form the intervention team – It’s critical to involve the right people from the family and friend circle. Those who will have the most impact on the user. Then rehearse the message and set the plan in stone.
  • Decide on specific consequences – Arguably the toughest scenario is if your loved one refuses help and you and your intervention team need to lie out the steep consequences of that choice. You need to be ready to stick to those 100%.
  • Make notes on what to say – Given the emotionally charged nature of an intervention, it’s critical to write your message down. With care, explain how addiction has created issues, financially and emotionally.
  • Hold the intervention meeting – Get your loved one to the chosen location and enact the plan you formulated. Everyone expresses their feelings and treatment options are made available which need to be accepted right there and then.
  • Follow up – Make sure the treatment is on course and that you remain completely supportive and available

 

Who to Talk to About Intervention

Even having to consider an intervention is understandably emotionally taxing. Addiction isn’t something anyone plans for but once it happens, it’s at least possible to plan for a way out. At Lake Arrowhead Recovery Network, we can help you decipher if intervention is the right move and then connect you with an intervention specialist well-suited for your particular needs. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

How to Identify a Meth Addict

how to identify a meth addict
Crystal meth aka ice, glass, crank, speed and a whole host of other names, is shorthand for crystal methamphetamine. No matter what you call it, the fact of the matter is that it’s an incredibly addictive stimulant which affects the central nervous system. Crystal meth causes dopamine to flood the brain, which leads to potent feelings of euphoria and pleasure. This is an experience so powerful that it can hook users extremely quickly and have them seeking the high aggressively. It can be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected, and the method of intake and administration can dramatically affect the intensity of the high. The binge-crash pattern is also notable; the intense pleasure is followed by feelings of depression and tiredness, which are accompanied by severe cravings when the drug wears off. Methamphetamine is not something that occurs naturally, it’s a purely man-made drug and aside from dire effects on the person taking it, the production of meth is itself a wildly dangerous operation that involves dangerous chemicals, and the very real possibility of causing explosions.

How Does It Affect a Meth Addict’s Body?

To put it in no uncertain terms, crystal meth devastates the body. You’ve likely seen the photos of people suffering from a crystal meth addiction, that show the before and after of the horrors of prolonged methamphetamine use. They make for a difficult, but ultimately sobering viewing and provide the most powerful insight into the scourge of this drug. Given the ubiquity of those pictures, the effects on the face of long term crystal meth use are the most well-known and clear. Serious tooth decay. Constant grinding wears down teeth. The general neglect of personal hygiene leads to erosion of the gums. Users can experience liver, kidney and lung damage and permanent damage to blood vessels. Depending on how the drug is ingested, someone who is addicted to crystal meth for a prolonged period can destroy tissue in their nose if snorted, have breathing issues if smoked or develop infections, diseases and abscesses if injected. On top of that, crystal meth has a drastic effect on appetites to weight loss and malnutrition accompany and exacerbate the degradation of the body.

Signs of a Crystal Meth Addiction

A crystal meth addiction isn’t something that necessarily sneaks up on you. The good news is it can be spotted before it gets way out of control. If you’re concerned your loved one may be addicted to meth, there are a number of signs and symptoms to look for that can clue you in.
  • Disregard for their appearance, hygiene or grooming
  • Sores on their skin or picking at it obsessively
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss that’s rapid or extreme
  • Twitchiness and facial tics
  • Erratic movement 
  • Mood swings or outburst
  • Paranoia
  • Increasingly unusual sleeping patterns
Additionally, if someone has used too much meth; seizures, heart attacks and heart attack-like symptoms (i.e. chest pain) and heatstroke are possible, and require immediate attention.

How to Get Help

Given its highly addictive nature, crystal meth is very much among the hardest drug addictions to treat. It’s just so utterly potent. That being said, getting clean from crystal meth is without a doubt doable, but not a task to be undertaken on your own. The psychological pull and drive to continue using crystal meth is something that requires dedicated and knowledgeable professional intervention. With the right treatment and support program, it’s possible for anyone to get through a crystal meth addiction. At Lake Arrowhead Recovery Network, we truly understand the importance of finding an addiction treatment program that suits your needs. Get in touch with us, talk to one of our certified advisors who knows this process intimately, and we will provide treatment options specific to what will help you the most. Contact us today. Don’t wait, take action today, addiction to crystal meth only gets worse when left untreated. 
Get Help Now

Ending the Stigma of Addiction Together

Many people believe that addiction is related to moral problems, and that people with substance abuse disorders choose to abuse drugs or alcohol. Unlike other people with chronic illnesses, addicts are blamed for their condition. This kind of stigma creates fear, guilt, and shame that prevents thousands of people from seeking help and getting the proper addiction treatment.

Stigma is the most formidable form of an obstacle when it comes to effective addiction treatment. Addicts have a much better chance of recovery when they feel supported and understood.

Establishing What Stigma Is

Stigma can be defined as a set of negative beliefs in a society about a topic or a particular group of people, and it is mostly fueled by misinformation. It is also a significant cause of discrimination, as it contributes to the abuse of human rights. Stigma not only affects the individual dealing with addiction but also:

  • Their friends
  • Their families
  • Their employers and colleagues 
  • The members of the justice system
  • Health care providers

People with substance abuse disorders are generally discriminated against and excluded because of their health status. Friends and family or the general public that have a negative feeling about drug abuse, may use derogatory terms to refer to them. These labels and negativity can quickly perpetuate stigma. Studies have found that the general public is more likely to have a negative feeling or attitude towards people dealing with substance abuse than those with mental illness.

What Is the Stigma Surrounding Addiction?

The stigma surrounding addiction is fueled by the lack of information about the subject. While scientists have found and helped us understand that addiction is chronic, society is yet to catch up, as most people still believe that addiction is a personal choice. No one chooses to get addicted. Addiction can be caused by many factors, like environmental influences and general vulnerability.

People who don’t understand the medical part of addiction may view it as a willpower problem and may assume that the addict brought it upon themselves. However, like any other health problem, addiction requires proper medical treatment, and adicts require the same support, respect, and treatment as a chronic health patient.  

How Can We Prevent This?

No one likes to be devalued or negatively judged, no matter the situation. To help addicts start their treatment and recovery journey from drug abuse, it’s up to us to get rid of the stigma surrounding addiction. Since the stigma of addiction is closely linked to lack of understanding and proper education, there is no simple way of stopping it, but there are steps that we can take to hasten and make progress in the area. 

When we start speaking up against the stigmatization of addiction, we shed some light on the society about their perception. Some of the most effective ways of reducing stigma include: 

  • Displaying kindness to people dealing with addiction  
  • Offering compassion or being compassionate
  • Listening without subconsciously judging a person
  • Avoiding hurtful labels and speaking out about them
  • Viewing people for who they are and not the kind of substance they use
  • Doing adequate research about drug or substance dependency 
  • Speaking up when you see people being mistreated because of drug use
  • Treating people who are struggling with addiction with respect and dignity
  • Replacing negative comments and posts with evidence and facts
  • Sharing stories of addiction

Reducing stigmatization is a collective effort from the people dealing with addiction and nonaddicts. Everyone has a role to play in bringing positivity in the world of addiction recovery.

We Can Help

Addiction today is a growing problem. With proper treatment plans and support, anyone struggling with addiction can make a full recovery. Don’t let stigma prevent you or people you care about from getting help. 

At Lake Arrowhead Recovery Resource, we are here for you because we care about you and the people you love. Reach out to us if you or someone close to you is looking for a suitable addiction recovery center, and we will help connect you with our holistic centers who will offer you the best addiction treatment plan based on your needs. Our support teams will also be with you throughout your recovery journey. Make your call and start your journey to sobriety today!

How To Reach Out For Help With Addiction

Are you suffering from addiction? If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you realize your drug or alcohol use has become a problem. You may know that you can’t break your substance abuse behavior by yourself, but reaching out for help seems to be too difficult. Maybe you’ve always been the strong one that others looked to for help and you feel you can’t show anything you perceive as weakness. Maybe you feel you’ll be judged negatively by others or that you’ll be considered a burden. We completely understand your concern and want to let you know you aren’t alone. We also want to let you know the worst of your fears are not going to happen. You’re only human and have nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone needs to be helped at some point in their lives. It just happens to be your time now. 

Don’t Be Embarrassed

Addiction is a disease and seeking treatment shouldn’t be any more embarrassing than seeking help from a heart doctor or eye specialist. Even though you feel vulnerable, it’s likely that your friends and family have been concerned about your drug abuse for a long time. They will be over the moon that you want help and will be happy to help you in any way possible. There’s absolutely no reason to be afraid of people finding out something they may already know. They’re still in your life so it’s probably obvious that they care about you. The emotion you’ll receive from those you reach out to will most likely be compassion, love, and relief that you are finally seeking help.

You Aren’t a Burden

If you’re used to people depending on you, which is often the case of many addicts, you may feel that expressing the need for help will make you a burden to others. They won’t feel that way. In many cases, your loved ones will welcome the chance to take care of you as you’ve taken care of them. The fact that they are still standing by you through this addiction says they love you and believe there is hope that you will get help. Your substance abuse has most likely put more of a burden on those you love than asking for help ever will. By asking for help to get clean of your drug abuse, you’re actually taking away the burdens of pain, fear, and concern they’ve been feeling throughout your substance abuse.

Reach Out to Family

Those who care the most about you are often family members; they’re stuck with us for better or for worse. Family could be a parent, aunt, or grandfather. It can also be a cousin or someone you feel comfortable around. Family doesn’t always have to be blood. Maybe you feel comfortable with your sister’s husband. The idea isn’t to take time over-thinking who to ask but go with what feels right. The you inside knows who will grab hold of that hand reaching out for help.

Reach Out to a Friend

If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to a family member, another option is to find a friend or colleague you can count on. It can be someone you’ve been friends with for a while or a new friend. Chances are the person you reach out to has either helped someone in the past or has battled their own addiction issues. Never underestimate the power of empathy. There are people out there who want to help you.

Reach Out to Us

Lake Arrowhead Recovery Resource is here every hour of every day to help you. We can help you find a place that fits your needs and will work with you in regards to admission and even insurance procedures. Our support is available throughout your healing process and we want to answer your questions. Reaching out to us is free so you don’t have to worry about the money just yet. Don’t spend another day feeling that your need is bothersome. In reality, your reaching out for help is a great gift to those who love you.

 

Signs Your Loved One May Be Addicted

Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. The term is most often used with regard to drug abuse or alcohol use, but it can be any activity that is carried to an extreme and can’t be stopped without causing great distress, even though the activity may itself be causing great harm. Someone who is addicted needs professional help and usually doesn’t know it. There are also a variety of treatment programs available in the United States so it can seem daunting trying to find the right program. Lake Arrowhead Recovery Center is here to help you identify if your loved one is suffering from addiction and how they can get help. 

Signs Your Loved One May Be Suffering From Addiction

The signs of addiction may be subtle at first. The two most common reasons for this are that in the early stages, the physical damage of drug or alcohol abuse hasn’t taken place yet and the addicted individual can still keep their usage a secret. However, over time, the addiction becomes more powerful and their life becomes unmanageable. 

Work or School

A student who has previously made good grades may suddenly start failing or coming close to failing. They lose interest in sports or other school activities. Truancy and an overall decrease in academic performance is an issue. They stop hanging out with their friends and socializing. 

A working professional may start calling in sick at work or just now showing up at all. Someone addicted to drugs can also become confrontational with coworkers or clients. Their quality of work will decrease and they probably don’t care about their appearance anymore. 

Secrets and Lies

Your loved one may disappear for long periods of time and refuse to say where they have been, or even lie about it. They may deny using drugs or alcohol when confronted and start hiding their use so you don’t see it. They may make promises to stop using drugs or alcohol and you find that they haven’t kept the promise. Money from your wallet may randomly disappear or your loved one will frequently ask to borrow money even though they have a job.

Volatile Moods

Your loved one who has previously been easy-going may suddenly exhibit bursts of rage. They may be happy one minute and suddenly seem depressed the next. Things that once brought them enjoyment may no longer interest them and they become irritable if questioned about why. You’ll try to force them to attend an event that takes time away from their substance abuse, so they refuse to go. You feel like you no longer know who your loved one is and they know nothing about you anymore.

How to Get Them Help

Help is out there for suffering drug or alcohol addicts. If you think someone is struggling, you can confront them and tell them you’re worried about them. You can let them know they’re hurting themselves and need to stop using. You can also use the help of a trained interventionist to do this.

Whether you are confronting your loved one alone or in an intervention, it’s important to remain calm and non-judgmental. You don’t want your loved one to feel attacked, you just want them to know you’re here to help. Reassure them that they aren’t alone and you will stand by them as they undergo treatment.

Let us Help

We know how scary watching someone battle addiction can be. Lake Arrowhead Recovery Center is here to answer all your questions on what to do and help guide you in figuring out the first steps.

We’re an addiction treatment matching service that will work with you to find the best possible help for your loved one. Our help is available 24/7 and most importantly, free. Today could be the start of a wonderful future. Contact us now!