The Cost of Addiction

Times are a bit tough economically. Housing prices have slumped. Massive job cuts. And let's not even talk about the stock market or our 401k plans. Not exactly the best time to invest in recovery. When the cupboards just about bare (or seeming so) treatment for addiction should take a bit of a back seat priority wise.

Unless of course we consider the cost that use has had in our lives.

Give this a try--should just take a minute:

Take the amount you drink or use each day and put a price to it. Let's take a moderate amount--say a six pack of decent beer each evening. Seven bucks a night. Forty nine bucks a week. One-hundred and ninety eight bucks a month. Maybe add a little for holiday months.

Begins to add up.

Now think of any meals you've cooked but not eaten due to drinking/using. Add that on.

Ever have a DUI? Need a lawyer? Have to pay a fine? Add that on.

Crash your car? Add that on.

Skip work due to a hangover or a drink? Add that amount on.

Ever need to see a doctor due to your use? Add that on.

Divorced due to use (even distantly so)? Paid court fees, lawyers, alimony? Add that on.

Ever break anything when drunk or high? Add that on.

Ever lost a job or job opportunity because of alcohol or drugs? Add that on.

Kids need some type of therapy because of your use? Add that on.

Spill stuff on your clothes? Carpet? Friend's clothes or carpet? Add that on.

Less productive at work? Add that on.

Seeking therapy to help with some kind of problem which really of course couldn't be your drinking (but your just so darned depressed and irritable all the time and not like you used to feel)? Add that on.

Using something to let you sleep, wake you up, douse the fire in your skull, get your stomache to stop wrenching around like a couple of sneakers in a dryer? Add that on.

Logic kind of fails, doesn't it. It doesn't matter what the economic climate is like, addiction costs; and the price is high. Whether it's your money, your dignity, your life--you will end up paying.

Comparably--treatment is a bargain.

If you or someone you know is paying the full price for their addiction, reach out. Help is available. Paradise recovery--the path to a new life awaits.

Study Shows Too Much Drinking Shrinks Your Brain

Do you polish off this much alcohol each week?

Debating on whether or not to have that last drink for the night? A new study at the Wellesley College in Massachusetts has found that the more alcohol you consume, the more your brain shrinks.

The brain will normally shrink with age, but researchers have found that drinking more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week will speed up this process of brain shrinkage.

Memory problems, along with the beginnings of dementia have been linked to shrinkage of the brain.

A study was done on 1,839 men and women over two years, asking them how much alcohol they drank on a regular basis. Most people reported drinking one to seven alcoholic beverages a week, which is considered low intake. Men were more likely to report drinking higher amounts of alcohol – more than 14 drinks per week.

Brain scans were performed and researchers found that the more a person drank, the more their brain volume diminished.

While women tend to be lighter drinkers, the study showed a greater effect of this with women. Researchers state that this difference in gender could be the result of women generally being smaller in size and their higher susceptibility to the effects of alcohol.

Carol Ann Paul, from Wellesley College, who led the study, warned: "The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol."

"There was a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total ... brain volume."

"I don't know about you but I will need all the brain power that I can muster to be able to negotiate these tough economic times".

Problem Drinking Is Treatable.

Looking honestly at your own drinking can be difficult.

This is called “denial” and is part of the problem.

Many treatment options for alcohol abuse are available.

For help and information follow the Nike Slogan "Just Do it".

Call us at Paradise Recovery now for the best alcohol treatment and addiction services!

Don’t give up!

People can and do get better, every day.

Recovery is possible.
P.L. Wong
Labels: alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment center, alcohol treatment program, best alcohol rehab, Paradise Recovery

Is Abstinance the same as Addiction Recovery?

Some people think that abstinence from drugs or alcohol is the same as being in recovery. The truth is, abstinence is only a part of true addiction recovery.

Recovery is a process. Abstinance is one of the events that occurs as part of addiction recovery. True recovery is more about a transformation of the your person into someone who acts, thinks, and behaves differently than someone who acts, thinks, and behaves like an "addict". In other words, you take the best parts of your person, develop them more fully, and take away many of the negative parts that helped foster the addiction. You become a better you!

How does addiction recovery happen? Basically, it happens through great guidance and a lot of hard work. The best drug rehabs and best alcohol rehabs offer a great way to jump start your recovery and save your life. They are able to offer the guidance and support that it takes to put you on the right path. Always remember that addiction recovery has to be your new number one priority in your life from now on.

Private Addiction Treatment

Private addiction treatment is important to many people. One of the reasons is the quality of care. Imagine the difference in care when you go to a rehab that has 100+ beds versus going to a private drug rehab or alcohol rehab that has 8 beds. Often, in larger facilities the greatest emphasis is on group work. Group work is important. But what about the individual issues that you have? Or what about things that are too sensitive for you to share in a group setting? This is one of the reasons why it is important to have a combination of both individual and group work for your addiction treatment.

Another reason is that studies are showing improved results for people who get treated for both their addiction and other issues that may be contributing to their addiction (such as depression, anxiety, trauma, etc). That is called dual diagnosis. How are you going to address your anxiety in a group setting? Very difficult without individual work!

Take care when selecting a drug rehab or alcohol rehab. It is well-worth looking into a more private setting for yourself where your therapy is going to be more individualized.

Holistic Drug Rehab

What does a holistic drug rehab really mean? It should mean a drug rehab that takes a multi-faceted, integrated approach to the treatment of addiction.

You know the saying "man does not live by bread alone"? Well, addiction is not overcome by just one method alone. The latest studies show that a more broad and varied approach is needed to treat addiction. Why is this? Because addiction is multi-factorial. That means it has many different causes. Addiction also has many different factors that keep it going. That's what is called the "fuel" behind the addiction. Addiction is expert at keeping you off-balance and off-track. A disease that has many different causes and which fuels itself in many different ways, requires a combination of multiple types of treatments.

Thus, for most people group therapy or the 12-steps alone is not the answer. Individual therapy is not the answer. Neither is family therapy, medication, yoga, acupuncture, education, nutrition, or exercise. Actually, the answer lies in a unique combination of many of the above elements. Just one without another can't treat a disease that has so many different faces. The elements that you will need in your treatment may not be quite the same as the elements another person might need. The unique combination and differing intensities of these treatments that is tailored to what you need is what produces a truly individualized addiction treatment approach.

That's why it is important to select a holistic drug or alcohol treatment program for yourself or a loved one. And not just one that says they are holistic. Select one that has a truly integrated approach, one with many facets that work in a harmonious way to help you overcome the disease of addiction.

Kauai Addiction Treatment/Rehab

Finally there is one of the best drug rehabs and alcohol rehabs in the country able to cater to the residents of Kauai and all of the Hawaiian Islands. Paradise Recovery is an addiction treatment center that also treats the psychiatric conditions that also happen very commonly with addiction (co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis).

Kauai residents now have a choice to get private addiction treatment with individualized care. Paradise Recovery can also do detox if that's what you need. But detox is only the beginning. Paradise Recovery will teach you how to live a new life. A life of sobriety. They have a HelpLine that you can call to get more information about the program. It is toll-free: 866-478-9898. They can also help you if you are looking for treatment for a loved one, but your loved one refuses to come in to treatment.

Best of luck to you and your search for sobriety. Hopefully, the search has now ended and you can start acting on a plan to get well.

Oops! I had a Little (Big) SLIP!

Unfortunately, slips happen, right?

Often, however, slips don't just passively "happen". Most often slips "happen" because of something that we have actively done or not done. The best addiction treatment centers will tell you that sobriety has to become a lifestyle. It has to be the main priority in your life. If it isn't, you are on your way to a "SLIP".

S = Sobriety
L = Loses
I = Its
P = Priority

Once Sobriety Loses Its Priority, your "slip" is right around the corner. Drug rehab, alcohol rehab and addiction treatment trains you how to make sobriety a priority in your life. It teaches you how to transform your life and your thinking. If sobriety becomes interwoven in the very fabric of your being, it will always be a priority for you. Then, you won't have to go through those little (big) SLIPS.

Independence Day

Here we are at the early days of July and, like the rest of the nation, we turn our eyes towards fireworks and flags, hot coals and park activities. All this celebration and it centers on freedom. An opportunity for all Americans to celebrate the vision of our founding fathers who knew that all people yearn to be free--out from under the yoke of tyranny, able to make their own decisions about their lives and beliefs, able to do what they want.

Statistically at least one in ten Americans suffers from a drug or alcohol problem. This is a population that has little reason to celebrate (although in all likelihood they will be taking the three day weekend as an opportunity to celebrate with a vengeance).

Alcoholism and addiction are the opposite of freedom. Once under the spell of substances, addicts lose any independence they might have had. Drugs and alcohol begin to shape their decisions. They no longer have the ability to direct their lives. They have to do what the substance wants them to do. Addiction becomes the tyrant, the substance king. The addict becomes the slave.

With treatment however, freedom is possible. If you or a loved one are enslaved by alcohol or drugs, know that support is available. Paradise recovery offers premier addiction treatment, we can help remove the yoke and begin a path with you towards true Independence. Please contact us at 1-866-478-9898

Paradise Recovery I

Paradise Recovery is a licensed primary addiction treatment program in Hawaii. It is a private, highly effective treatment experience unlike any other addiction treatment program in Hawaii. In fact, Paradise Recovery is one of the finest drug rehab centers in the country. They offer a unique blend of holistic drug rehab programming which is expertly and seamlessly integrated into a highly effective rehab for drugs, alcohol and other addictions. The Paradise Recovery staff are wonderful!

Paradise Recovery is always able to help. They have a 24-hour HelpLine with a counselor standing by. They can make sure that you get the treatment that you or your loved one needs. Their toll-free number is 866-478-9898

Help for Alcoholics

The internet is abundant with self-help articles, recommendations, treatment groups, therapies, etc. for alcoholics and drug addicts.

The truth is, alcoholism and drug addiction are diseases of isolation. Human nature being what it is, we usually try to find the "easiest" solution to our problems. It would be great if we could just stop drinking on our own or if we could just read a book that would make us stop. Maybe there is a pill or something we could take that would make us stop.

Well, unfortunately, it is not that easy. However, there is help for alcoholics and drug addicts out there. Isolation is not the answer. Addiction treatment does work. If you are thinking about inpatient treatment (and you should be.... this is a deadly disease!), the best alcohol rehabs and drug rehabs are those that take a holistic approach to the treatment of the disease. That is to say, they take a treatment approach that hits the disease from multiple angles, but in a carefully coordinated and integrated way.

If you are looking for alcohol or drug treatment, just know that treatment works. It takes time and effort on your part. But it is well worth every single thing that you put into it.

The Addiction Cure

No one has the "cure" for addiction, even though some claim that they do. Let's be realistic. If there were a cure for addiction, we would no longer see it in our society. This is far from the truth.

The reality is that addiction recovery requires a lot of work and focus. That is as close to a cure as we can get. It is very possible, with the right treatment program and focus on your part, to have a sustained recovery from addiction. Hopefully, forever. But it requires an ongoing effort.

Seeking the best addiction recovery program is the other part of the equation. The best drug rehab or alcohol rehab can put you on the path of recovery and give you a road map. Once the map to recovery is laid out, your consistent efforts and passion to remain in recovery are what will allow you to prevail over addiction.

International Drug Rehab Treatment Program

Paradise Recovery is truly an international drug rehab located in an international destination location: Hawaii. Hawaii is the gateway from the East to the West. Likewise, Paradise Recovery uses an integrative, holistic approach to drug and alcohol treatment. We utilize a unique blend of Eastern and Western approaches in giving cutting-edge, best-practice addiction treatment.
There is only one Hawaii. And there is only one place like Paradise Recovery. Receive the best in addiction treatment with us. Our HelpLine operators are standing by: 001-714-925-9102.

A California Drug Rehab Alternative

California is famous for many things, including the Malibu-style drug rehabs and alcohol rehabs. Some are good, some are not so good. If you are looking for an alternative to the California rehabs, consider this: there is a drug, alcohol and addiction treatment program located in one of the most beautiful places on earth: beachfront Hawaii.

Not only is this program in Hawaii, it is one of the best drug and alcohol rehabs in the country. With a holistic, integrated treatment philosophy, Paradise Recovery offers an addiction treatment program that is highly private and individualized.

Hawaii has always been known as a spiritual, healing place. Experience the healing of addiction first-hand. Give us a call on our toll-free HelpLine. We can help.

Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: Lessons Learned

Most people have difficulty taking a meta-perspective to their addictions and figuring out what and why they are doing while addicted. However, I've treated both women and men in recovery who often say "I thank my addiction. I wouldn't be the person I am today without it!" It sounds strange. Why would you want to thank your addiction? It causes much pain and isolation. It appears that when a person can discern meaning in their life's narrative, they are more likely not to return to these behaviors, since they have learned what they needed to learn and moving on to the next phase of their lives.

What can a person "learn" from their addiction? Well, the learning usually occurs in contrast to the recovery they practice secondary to their addiction. For example, a client recently shared with me "without my addiction I would not have learned to have empathy for those struggling with addiction and other dark forces in their lives". This person is a physician who travels the world assisting poor countries with outbreaks of epidemics and their health care needs. He has become empathic secondary to his addiction to alcohol and pain medications. He came to understand the "meaning" of his addiction and replaced it (with the help of professionals and the 12-Steps)with a life of giving kindness without counting the cost!

Addiction is not to be glorified. However, once you begin the contemplative journey towards recovery, don't necessarily reject your experiences as an addict, but bring them along with you into your recovery. If you, or a loved one is struggling with addiction and trying desperately to be sober, please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866)478-9898.
"There is no coming to consciousness without pain"
Carl Jung

Recuperatio Primoris! (Recovery above all else)

Dr. Bill Heran

Steve Tyler goes to Rehab: Recovery from addiction

Aerosmith's Steve Tyler has gone back into drug rehab. He apparently had a long period of sobriety dating back to the 1980's before presumably relapsing.

This is a good opportunity to talk about why we don't say you have "recovered" from addiction. That's because no one is ever really "recovered". However, there are many people in "recovery". Recovery is a constant process. You spend the rest of your life working on your recovery. It is a day to day process. Addiction is a disease that can be managed. If you begin to believe you have "recovered" from addiction, that is the time that you are likely to stop working on recovery. Your life no longer focuses on recovery. It is the time that you are most likely to relapse.

I am not saying that this is what happened with Steve Tyler. I don't know why he relapsed. Only he can tell us that information. But it goes to show that no matter how long you are in recovery, you have never really recovered from the disease of addiction.

Don't be too depressed over this fact of life. Many diseases are quite manageable but require daily attention. If you don't manage it, the disease recurs. If you do manage it, the disease is much less likely to recur. I frequently compare addiction to the disease of diabetes because it helps people better understand addiction in a more concrete way. If a person is diagnosed with type II diabetes, they will hopefully begin to manage it. Ideally, they will make lifestyle changes. They change what they eat, maybe where they eat, how often they eat, what time they eat, and how much they eat. They see a dietician for consultation, begin to exercise on a regular basis, start a weight loss plan, become educated about the disease, enlist the support of friends and family, start on medication, etc. As the weight comes off and the diet improves, many type II diabetics are able to "recover" from the disease. As such, there blood sugar comes back down into the normal range and they no longer require medication.

But think about it for a second.... this person had to make tremendous lifestyle changes in order to get themselves into recovery from the diabetes. They had to give daily attention to the management of the disease. Let me ask you this: What if the diabetic who now has a normal blood sugar stops managing the disease? They stop with the special diet and frequent small meals. They are no longer careful with what they eat, don't check their blood sugars, skip the appointments with the dietician, etc. Well, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.... the diabetes relapses! Addiction is absolutely no different. It is a disease that continually needs to be managed. It takes work, focus, and priority.

We salute Steve Tyler for the life changes that he made in the face of tremendous temptation in order to get into recovery and stay in recovery for many years. He should rightly be proud of his years of sobriety, as well as his decision to recognize the need for treatment for himself again. We all wish him many, many more years of sobriety and recovery in the future.

Extreme vs. Restraint: The Path towards Addiction Recovery

I have often met people who say they are in recovery from alcohol, drug or any other type of addiction. Sometimes people in recovery go from being addicted to a substance or process (e.g. sex, work, love, etc.) to being addicted to recovery!

You've met them. They've SEEN THE LIGHT! They are apostles for the Gospel of clean and sober living. They have memorized the Big Book and carry the message like a zealous apostle. They may have the same intensity and desire as they had when they were using. True, being addicted to AA/NA meetings, strictly adhering to a clean and sober life will not kill you, but you may end up with very few friends and missing out on what it means to be in recovery in the first place. Are they truly in recovery? Have they truly transformed?

You don't have to be a "Meeting Nazi" to experience the transforming effects of recovery!Recovery usually occurs from the inside-out. We transform as individuals seeking to thrive and experiencing life...FULLY ALIVE!

Restraint is a much better virtue to practice than the extreme practices of an addict. The recovering addict needs to transform that extreme energy into a practice of questioning, examination and prudent decision-making. It takes a while to consistently make the right choices for yourself. Relapse is a too often element of this disease, but if you embrace recovery and prioritize your recovery "above all else", then you are more likely to have healthy and sober options when stressed, triggered or tempted to act in an "extreme" manner.

If you or anyone you love has an addiction problem, please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery counselors.

Recuperatio Primoris! (Recovery above all else)
Dr. Bill

There are limits to self-indulgence, none to restraint!
Mahatma Ghandi

Do you have to Hit Rock Bottom for Rehab?

It is a good question. Most people say that an addict has to hit "rock bottom" before they can really be helped. This may not always be true. Also, keep in mind that rock bottom means something different for each of us. For some, the loss of a job or a relationship is rock bottom. For others, it might be the loss of family, house, car, job, and living homeless. Most people don't need to experience that kind of rock bottom in order to seek help! To lose everything, you have to be either incredibly stubborn or incredibly stupid. Or both!

The purpose of hitting rock bottom, if there is one, is that at that point you are able to admit that you are powerless over your addiction and you will do anything you can to try to treat it. (Which, not coincidentally, is the First Step of AA). If it takes the loss of everything and everyone around you, then that's what it takes. For some, the simple threat of a loss of important things in their life is enough for them to realise that it is time to get help. For others, the loss of a job or loss of a relationship with a loved one is rock bottome enough to realize that "this is serious and I need to get help".

If you are thinking about getting help, or a loved one is in need of help for their addiction, haven't they hit rock bottom enough? Maybe they are not at the point of admitting they have a serious problem and they need a little "push" in the right direction. Getting an intervention could be the little push (or big push) that they need to realize that they have hit rock bottom enough to get help. Give our HelpLine a call at 866-478-9898. We can help with an intervention referral and also work with you to get your loved one into treatment.

The Symphony of Drug Rehab

Most people try outpatient treatment for their addiction before considering drug rehab or alcohol rehab. Most of those people fail.

The reason is that addiction is extremely resistent to treatment. It takes a supreme, concerted effort to get an addict on the road to a lasting recovery. The best drug rehabs and best alcohol rehabs are those that orchestrate a multi-pronged approach that involves a myriad of individualized and common treatment elements. However, each of these elements do not exist in isolation. They are integrated, much as a conductor would conduct a symphony of many players and instruments. The result is not a conglomeration of noise but, rather, beautiful music.

There are only a few top rehabs out there. Ours is one of the few. Call our HelpLine at 866-478-9898 for more information. Let's get you on the road to recovery.

CNN reporter Richard Quest in Rehab

You might ask yourself why a high-profile person such as Richard Quest of CNN would have been caught in Central Park engaged in questionable activities and in possession of crystal methamphetamine.

I have the answer for you. It is called the disease of addiction. Addiction is something that you don't have control over. You need help to overcome addiction. If you don't get help, addiction will overcome you. It is that simple.

Somewhere Richard Quest may have realized that he was nearing the end of his rope but could not bring himself to get help (addiction is a cruel disease that is unbelievably cunning when it comes to putting barriers up against the addict getting help. Addiction always wants to preserve itself). Maybe this was his cry for help. After all, he was "caught" in Central Park in the middle of New York City. I don't know about you, but if you are a high-profile person trying to not get caught doing something illegal and embarrassing, Central Park is not the place to do it. Yet, that is exactly the place that Richard Quest was arrested.

The judge in the case ordered him into treatment. Mr. Quest's cry for help was heard. Addiction can not use its cunning ways to stop him from getting treatment anymore. Now, he has no choice. When you think about it, it was his choice to have no choice. It may have been the only way that he felt he could be in a position to get the help he needs.

Let's hope he has entered into a drug rehab that has a holistic treatment program, one that will tackle the addiction from all angles and give him a great shot at success. We wish you the best on your road to recovery.

Addiction Treatment

When a drug addict is finally brought to a place where they can no longer deny the nature of their problem, caused by the use of drugs. When all the lies, all the rationalizations, all the illusions fall away, and they stand face to face with what their lives have become; a life without hope, isolated from society, disconnected in relations with loved ones, inability to perform at work, at home. This typically can be called "hitting bottom" to the drug addict.

Finding drug treatment is in the persons best interest. Though it may seem to the drug addict that all is lost, the truth is that many drug addicts must pass through this, what is referred to as "hitting bottom", before they can truly embark upon a journey of recovery.

If you are looking for Addiction Treatment, please call us toll free at 1-866-478-9898.

The Art of Manipulation: An Addicts Tool

Manipulation is a classic tool that alcoholics and addicts use and a close cousin to denial and other cognitive distortions. It assists an addict to maintain their addictive behaviors. Manipulation gives the addict a false sense of power and control over others, while actually feeling insignificant and powerless. Working on thinking distortions is a major task in alcohol and drug rehab treatment.

Manipulation can either be subtle, or not so subtle. Often when an addict is trying to divert attention from his abuse to something other than their addiction, they often use manipulation (e.g. "borrowing" money from your family with the intent of buying drugs, while telling them you need the money for food and paying bills). Each time an alcoholic/addict is able to successfully manipulate a person, a system, etc., it delays any possibility for recovery and will permit the disease to progress. More subtle forms of manipulation employs power and control, often the person being manipulated doesn't realize it until much later.

The good news is that once you surrender and begin to take an inventory of past personal and social errors, including manipulating others, you can begin to practice more adaptive and healthy ways of interacting with others, without the substance or process addiction. Making amends to those people you manipulated can be both scary and freeing!

Choosing treatment, entering a rehab, is an excellent start towards recovery and becoming less and less manipulative. Some may say that people in recovery use "manipulation" to convince people into treatment and clean and sober living.

If you, or a loved one needs treatment for their alcohol, drug, sex or gambling addiction please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898.

Can I afford rehab? Can I afford NOT to go to rehab?

When choosing an alcohol or drug rehab one of the considerations is price. The only times in our lives when we dispose of 20, 30, or even $50,000 for anything, its usually a luxury car or a house. So, to fork up that much money for treatment is hard for most people to imagine. Some people just cannot pay for private treatment, the same as most people cant pay for first-class seats on international flights, or purchase a house on the beach.

However, if you have the resources, choosing a private rehab with a focus of individual care, addressing your unique issues, seems to be a proven way to get back on track and gain recovery. Many programs in the U.S. provide group therapy with little to no individual therapy time. They do this for two reasons: 1) A group model has been best practice for addiction recovery for years, and 2) It's cheaper! That is the way most programs can afford to operate, while charging a small amount each month for treatment.

When you choose a program that includes multiple individual therapy sessions per week, individual nutrition program, personal fitness, massage, acupuncture, then you are receiving a much different product and the costs to the program are high.

I am not aware of a study that compares the outcomes of public addiction treatment to private, individualized care. However, with twenty years in the business and having worked for both lower cost and higher cost programs, I have seen significant differences in sustained recovery rates, the higher rates from the program that offers more individualized and multi-faceted care.

The costs associated with addiction are high! The costs for the drugs, sex, gambling are extremely high. The relationship and career costs are also staggering! You may want to factor that in when thinking about whether I can afford a private rehab or not. At least, you may get a higher yield on your investment with treatment than with the expenses related to your addiction!

So, if you want to buy a "Ford", then you will get Ford. If you want to buy a car that meets more of your needs, wants and sustains you longer, then choose a program with more value and long-term success!


Recuperatio Primoris (Recovery above all else)

My Cat is an Addict... the Power of Addiction

Yes, my cat is an addict. To be specific, he is a sex addict. When there is a female cat around in heat, he becomes a different cat. It's not my cat. Must belong to someone else I think.... he is no longer the friendly, playful and loving being that he was. Now, he is completely focused on getting outside to mate with that female cat that is howling incessantly. He won't eat. He barely sleeps. He no longer grooms himself. He doesn't care about me anymore, the one who has loved him more than anyone.

As the loving father that I am, I had mercy on my cat. I had the family jewels removed in an unceremonious procedure. Now, he is happy again. He is loving, playful, and attentive. He eats and takes care of himself. I have my cat back.

Was my cat really a sex addict? Sounds kind of funny, but think of the human parallel. What happens with humans as their addiction spirals out of control? I would argue that the same thing happens with the human being as what happened with my cat. My cat didn't necessarily have a disease per se, but he did have a biological drive to reproduce that was rather overwhelming for him. He couldn't overcome it on his own. No one could reason with him or talk him out of his state of mind. Nothing could stop him, even though he was literally wasting away. Well, almost nothing... the orchidectomy did the trick this time.

Please don't run out to have an orchidectomy in order to overcome your addiction. It wouldn't work, of course, but ironically having a surgery would be much easier than what the addict has to do in order to maintain on a path of recovery. Fighting addiction is a battle. There is no easy answer. There is no easy solution. However, there are answers. And, there are solutions. Addiction treatment works. To have the best chance of success, look to the best drug rehabs and alcohol rehabs for help. The best rehabs will have a holistic treatment approach and they will work side-by-side with you to overcome your addiction.

Whatever you do, just get help. You can't do it on your own. There is no reasoning with addiction. There is no talking yourself out of it. Addiction is very powerful. There are other ways, however, which are clinically proven to be highly effective. Give this HelpLine a call and they will point you in the right direction: 866-478-9898. You have the power to dial the number. It is the first step.

Denial in the Family

If denial is a hallmark of the disease of addiction of the addict, it's presence in those around the addict or alcoholic is of marked interest. It seems that a little understanding of psychology is necessary to understand how someone who is drinking during the work day or spending the rent money on cocaine or ignoring their children might, out of pure self-defense, turn a blind eye to their addictive and self-destructive behavior. But for those around the addict to ignore the suffering and self-destruction, it seems more difficult to grasp.

After all, if any of us had a family member who developed a sore on their leg that they seemed oblivious to, wouldn't we at some point take them aside and say "You seem unaware, but there's this cut on your leg you might want to tend to." And if this same cut became infected and swollen and red, wouldn't we, in great haste, point it out? And if the limb attached began to blacken with gangrene and emit the odor of decay, and the person attached to the limb remained unaware, wouldn't we do anything in our power to make it clear to them that they need treatment?

This is not always the case with alcoholism and addiction. Family members living in the same household with a person dying in front of them seem incapable to act in any meaningful way to save their loved one. Not because the love is not there; not because they wish the addict's demise; and not because they're stupid. It's because of denial, this shared blind spot that has grown in relation to the disease process.

When the drinking first starts, the family thinks "oh, it's not really too bad." And as the drinking continues, families change in their perception of what defines "too bad" so that it's not until the disease is fully out of control (until the limb is blackened and putrid and horrid) that some families get the strength to speak up.

Recovery is possible of course, even in the worst and most life threatening cases. But recovery is never limited to the addict alone. The family will need to examine its own views on addiction and alcoholism. The best drug treatment centers make this a natural part of their program. So that if relapse occurs, it can be arrested by those around the addict before the sore gets fully infected.