Drug and Alcohol Use During Pregnancy: Get the Facts
It has been said time and time again that the joys of having a baby are unparalleled. When a woman becomes a mother, she takes on the world’s most selfless role, providing her baby with a healthy, loving, and supportive environment. Whether you are currently pregnant or planning on it, every mother wants a healthy baby. Treatment Alternatives, a drug rehab center in Florida, knows that the love between a mother and her baby is unique, and wants you to learn how you can create the safest, healthiest environment for your child by avoiding drug and alcohol use during pregnancy.Just because a mother may not experience long-lasting effects of drug or alcohol use, the same cannot be said for your baby. Health issues caused by irresponsible behavior can be passed down to your unborn baby, causing drug or alcohol dependencies, heightened stress levels, and sometimes abnormalities and development issues.
Learn the facts of the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use during pregnancy from Treatment Alternatives:
Not only are illegal drugs and alcohol dangerous to an unborn baby, over-the-counter drugs may have harmful effects as well. Testing on pregnant women is unethical, but despite the lack of official scientific studies, doctors recommend pregnant women avoid any OTC medications during their pregnancy to avoid complications.
If you smoke, drink, or consume caffeine, your fetus does too.
Cocaine may lead an unborn fetus to have a stroke, which could cause death.
Mothers who smoke during their pregnancy are increasing the likelihood their baby has congenital heart defects. If these heart defects do not kill your child, they will put your child through a lifetime of health issues and disabilities.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause your baby to develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Babies born with FAS experience abnormal facial features, development issues within their central nervous system, and growth deficiencies.
The effects of drug and alcohol use during pregnancy don’t stop while the fetus is in the womb; pregnant mothers are also more susceptible to experiencing birthing issues.
Using methamphetamines while pregnant increases the risk of a miscarriage.
Using drugs during pregnancy increases the chance of premature birth, underweight birth, and stillborn births.
Babies exposed to drugs experience withdrawal symptoms, such as excessive crying and trembling at birth.
The damage does not stop once the baby is born:
Drug and alcohol use during pregnancy can cause your baby to be irritable. You may experience excessive irritability and feeding difficulties.
Cocaine exposed babies are more likely to have heart issues and brain damage.
In early childhood, these babies born to mothers who used drugs and alcohol during pregnancy will experience issues in the development of their brain structure. As they grow older, they will face deficits in cognitive performance, information processing, and attentiveness. Drug and alcohol use of the mother will cause the child to suffer from damage to the development of memory.
These children are noted to have behavioral problems in early childhood.
Treatment Alternatives can help you get on the right path in order to ensure that you are creating the safest and most nurturing environment for your baby to develop. If you or a loved one is pregnant and has a substance abuse issue, contact our drug and alcohol rehab facility in Boca Raton to
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Should You Tell Your Parents About Your Addiction?
Addiction is increasingly common among teenagers and young adults, who often feel like they have no one to turn to for help. Unfortunately, almost anyone caught in the grip of addiction will come to a point where they’ll have to conceded to some higher level of authority -whether it be medical, spiritual, or familial -in order to reclaim control over their lives.
Those facing an addiction may be hesitant to discuss it with their parents, for fear of lectures, consequences, or punishment. Some might believe that their addiction is no one else’s business. While it might seem cliché, Treatment Alternatives Boca Raton drug rehab agrees it is true that the first step to treating the problem is first admitting there is a problem.
Talking to your parents about such a serious issue can seem like a loaded conversation, but your parents are the most likely to help you when you need them.
Why should you tell your parents about your addiction?
Support: First, being open about your struggle opens the doorway for others to help you. When it comes to an addiction, it is seemingly impossible to beat it entirely on your own. Knowing you are not alone in your addiction can make all the difference in your path to recovery. Asking your parents for help invites them to comfort you, and find you the proper resources you need to get sober.
Accountability: Allowing your parents in on your recovery plan can help them to hold you accountable for your actions. Knowing that your loved ones are involved, concerned, and care about your recovery can help you keep fighting each day to reclaim your life. They can help you set your goals, and together you can help to work toward a new positive and sober life.
How Should You Tell Your Parents?
Our treatment professionals recommend clear and concise language. Ask to speak to your family in a private setting, and open with a request; you need help, patience, and compassion, and judgements and lectures will not be helpful. Be open with the facts of the situation. Make it clear to them that you are struggling with an addiction, you are reaching out for help, and would like to join a drug treatment program.
Keeping this in mind, the addiction treatment professionals at Treatment Alternatives Boca Raton Drug rehab can help you learn how to effectively communicate with your loved ones about your addiction. Contact us today for help.
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Why You Should Choose Outpatient Treatment
Everything You Need to Know about Marijuana Rehab
How to Tell If a Loved One Needs Help from a Boca Raton Drug Rehab
Everything You Need to Know about Marijuana Rehab
Did you know that marijuana causes a psychological addiction in about 11% of users?
Despite the common notion that marijuana is a “safe” drug and not easy to get addicted to, plenty of users end up needing the help of a Boca Raton drug rehab. In fact, marijuana addiction causes a number of problems, some of which include relationship, health, financial, work, legal, and family issues.
If you find yourself craving weed on a regular basis, neglecting important areas of your life, and continuing to use despite the negative impact it has on your life, then you are a candidate for a Boca Raton drug rehab. In order to better understand what to expect throughout an addiction program, check out this guide from Treatment Alternatives of everything you need to know about marijuana rehab.
Initial Assessment
When you first check into a Boca Raton drug rehab, the first thing they do is an initial assessment; the main things they are looking for are the causes of addiction, the severity of the drug abuse, and any underlying emotional or mental illnesses. Based upon the findings, a custom treatment plan will be created for each person.
Medical Detox
The initial assessment will be able to determine if a medical detox is necessary or not; if it is, then addiction physicians will be able to help you navigate through the marijuana withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, cravings, headaches, insomnia, mood changes, nausea, and sleeplessness. If an underlying emotional or mental illness is diagnosed, then medications such as antidepressants may be prescribed as part of the marijuana rehab treatment plan.
Psychological Treatment
When it comes to marijuana rehab, science has proven that behavioral therapies are the most effective treatment for an addiction. Treatment Alternatives has a long list of therapies designed to put you on the path to recovery; some of our treatment methods include individual and group counseling, as well as alternatives and holistic therapies. Your Boca Raton drug rehab will help you address unhealthy behaviors, and in turn teach you how to manifest positive coping skills.
Marijuana Education
For those checking into marijuana rehab, understanding the addiction is one of the most important components to a successful recovery. Educational sessions will help users understand how marijuana affects their central nervous system, their mental health, and their decision making; by providing education on the effects of abusing marijuana, your Boca Raton drug rehab will help you make more informed decisions in the future.
If you have any additional questions regarding marijuana rehab, don’t hesitate to call Treatment Alternatives today for more information.
How to Tell If a Loved One Needs Help?
Addiction is a disease that can strike someone you love without you ever being cognizant of it. Whether the cause is a genetic disposition, a negative life event, or any combination of the two, the onset of a drug habit may become present in your household without you knowing it. If you are concerned that a loved one in your family may be suffering from addiction, then you should review these following signs that your loved one needs help from a Boca Raton drug rehab.
Secretive behavior. It is common for an addict to go to great lengths to hide their addictive tendencies from the family. Sometimes this is because the person does not want to worry the family, or the person is fearful that a member may intervene. Often, an addict is in denial that he or she truly has an issue and needs
Tendencies to lie. Someone hooked on a substance is consumed with the desire to continue the drug habit he or she has sustained. Therefore, lying becomes an easy task. If your loved one is lying frequently, then this should be a red flag that something is wrong. Pay close attention to the kind of lies you are told. If you notice that the person feels the need to lie about small details that are inconsequential, then that should tell you that the person is willing to lie about more prominent issues as well.
Personality changes. If your family member is a reserved person, and suddenly he or she is acting boisterous and rather aggressive, then this is cause for suspicion. On the other hand, if the person is outgoing and has transitioned into an introvert, this too should strike you as odd. Often, a person takes up a drug habit that counteracts his or her predominant personality qualities as a means of balancing out an overpowering trait.
Stealing. A person with a serious drug habit will go to any lengths to get his or her fix. Therefore, the person’s morals go out the window in exchange for values of using an addictive substance. If you notice this starting to happen, then this is a clear sign that the help of a Boca Raton drug rehab is needed.
Appearance and lifestyle changes. The change in one’s appearance may include an involuntary alteration, such as fluctuations in weight. However, the person may engage in some intentional changes also, such as style of dress, demeanor, and general attitude. The person’s frame of mind is likely being tampered with by a substance, and in turn it may cause the person’s perspectives about life to shift with it.
Memory loss. If a group is reminiscing about a past event that your loved one is part of, and he/she is not participating in the conversation, pay close attention to this fact. Memory loss is a common phenomenon with drug users. The substance is affecting the inner workings of one’s mind, and you can notice it when one’s memory becomes foggy. If you notice that this starts to happen with your loved one, then Treatment Alternatives is here to help.Loss of interest in other activities. Drug use is a consuming activity, and it takes up a large portion of one’s time. If you notice that a loved one has lost interest in activities he or she used to love, then this may mean the person is spending time elsewhere, forming negative habits. If this is the case, then help them get the treatment
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How to Deny A Drink?
Former addicts understand that undergoing treatment for an alcohol addiction is a process that requires hard work and persistence. However, this is not to say the effort stops once the treatment is over. For former addicts, sobriety is a choice that must be consciously made every day. Those who are now living outside of a halfway house or treatment facility must understand that it is very possible and very likely to be put into a situation where they are offered a drink, and it’s important to know how to properly navigate these types of scenarios.
If you are newly sober and participating in social situations, it is likely this will happen more often than you imagined. People will probably offer you drinks at dinners, bars, parties, concerts, events, and even at brunch. They may be offering you a drink to treat you to something, or to get you invested into a conversation with them. While their intentions are probably friendly, you might instantly feel all kinds of pressure that can overwhelm you: the pressure to accept, the pressure of explaining your situation, the pressure of politely refusing the offer, the pressure of hurting the person’s feelings, and even the pressure of discomfort or embarrassment.
The unfortunate truth is that sometimes being open about not drinking can feel harder than not drinking in the first place. Some people are uncomfortable with talking about their former addiction, or don’t want it to hinder their social life. Not to worry – Treatment Alternatives, an inpatient rehab in Boca can share simple tips on how to deny a drink.
Understand your options. The very first tip we recommend is to recognize that you have various options in this situation. You don’t necessarily have to deny the drink, get upset, leave, or even get into a conversation about the fact that you don’t drink. You can simply accept the drink and just not drink it – it’s as easy as that. If, however, you don’t feel this would be the best option for you, Treatment Alternatives inpatient rehab in Boca suggests simple solutions like “re-gifting” the drink to a friend, or gracefully declining.
Keep It simple. A lot of times, people feel the need to justify why they are saying no to something, but consider this: we don’t typically question people on why they’re having their third drink of the night, so why do we harp on someone who won’t even have one? Always remember that you do not need to justify your denial at any time. A simple “no thank you” is just fine. If they persist, repeat yourself, or just say “I don’t drink.” – this should do the trick. If, however, you would like to provide an explanation, go for it.
Practice ahead of time. Getting the right response down ahead of time can make the situation much easier to control. To get yourself comfortable with handling the scenario of someone unexpectedly buying you a drink, try practicing simple excuses that require little to no explanation:
Say thank you and offer it to a friend
“No thank you, I’m the designated driver”
“Thank you, but I’m pacing myself”
“Thank you, but I’d rather not drink”
“No thank you, I’m not drinking this evening.”
“Thank you, but I’m not feeling well tonight.”
Don’t take other people’s reactions personally. After kindly denying a drink offer from someone, it’s important to know that they may have a reaction that isn’t exactly what you hoped for. The professionals at Treatment Alternatives inpatient rehab in Boca remind you not to take it personally. It is likely they are not familiar with your circumstances. Remind yourself why you’re staying strong in your sobriety, and brush it off.
Above all else, never put pressure on yourself to drink. The first few times you are offered a drink you may feel embarrassed and wind up accepting the drink to avoid an awkward situation or making someone feel bad. But remember, there is a fine line between being considerate of another person’s feelings and defending your own boundaries.
Following this guide on how to deny a drink from our inpatient rehab in Boca can ensure you navigat
Warm Water and Lemon
What you do first thing in the morning is very important. If you make time for at least one morning ritual you can improve your health. Warm water and lemon is part of Chiropractic Health’s practitioner routine as it helps to:
Improve your immune system: Lemons are high in vitamin C which is essential for fighting colds.
Balance pH: Lemons are alkalising for the body. With many processed foods consumed in modern society our bodies turn into an acidic state.
Aid digestion: Warm water stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and lemons are high in vitamins and minerals which help to detoxify the body.
Act as a gentle diuretic: Lemon juice helps to flush unwanted toxins by increasing rate of urination – less stagnation of unwanted materials within the body.
Hydrate: Water is extremely important for body processes. Being dehydrated may lead to body fatigue, constipation, stress and so much more.