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.

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Recovery from drugs and alcohol can be addressed in different settings depending on your specific needs. Residential offers the opportunity to concentrate on both the addiction and how past and present events in your life may have impacted or fostered your substance abuse. Residential addiction treatment usually offers Group Therapy to address interpersonal issues as well as issues that you haven't been able to see and how they may relate to substance abuse. Some residential settings may also offer Individual Therapy which can increase your ability to develop coping skills to help prevent relapse. Individual core issue work can also be done in the individual therapy in order to recognize and change how your core issues have supported your addiction. That's the kind of work the best drug rehabs and best alcohol rehabs do.

Best Alcohol Treatment

When searching for an alcohol treatment program, there are many choices out there. Everyone is probably saying they have a great program. It is up to you to be able to figure out which ones really are the best alcohol treatment programs.

Some things to consider are whether you want a more private alcohol treatment program or one that is public, whether you want a cookie cutter, group-only approach, or if you want individualized therapy as part of your treatment, do you want to be in a peaceful setting or a hospital-like setting, do they do detox, and how much do you want to pay.

If you want an alcohol treatment program that costs about as much as many of the famous hospital-like environments with many beds, that provides treatment for you as an individual, does alcohol detox, in a beautiful beachfront setting, then Paradise Recovery is for you. Give them a call today: 1-866-478-9898. A counselor will be there to help you.

Easy Ways to Stop Drinking Alcohol

If you are looking for easy ways to stop drinking, it indicates that you have a problem. If you didn't have a problem, stopping drinking would be easy and you would not have to hunt for "easy" ways out of the problem.

If you can't easily stop drinking on your own, then there are ways in which you will be able to stop as well as get yourself into recovery. Even though there are solutions, they are not easy. Like most things, they take work. The first thing to recognize is that you need help. You can't do it on your own. You have already tried to control your drinking. That's what everyone tries at first. It didn't work. The best help is going to be found in a top alcohol rehab program. The best alcohol rehab programs are going to help jump start your recovery and put you on the right path. They can also do alcohol detox, so you don't have to worry about dangerous or uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Most things worth having take work. Addiction recovery is one of the most valuable things you could ever have. Be willing to put in some hard work in order to get it.

How to Overcome Addiction

Overcoming addiction. That's what everyone wants to know, right? Well, first of all, you need help. There is help for alcoholics. There is help for drug addiction. You can't do it by yourself. Overcoming addiction is not done by cutting back or limiting use. Surprisingly, it is not overcome just by stopping drinking or using drugs!

The answer to overcoming addiction can be complicated at times (the help of a top drug rehab or alcohol rehab can get you going on the right path), but it essentially boils down to this:

Make Recovery your Numero Uno Priority! That means that nothing else is more important than your own personal recovery. I don't care if your house is on fire, recovery has to be the number one priority. After all, let's say your house is on fire, if you are falling down drunk or stoned out of your mind, you are not going to be helpful putting out the fire. In fact you might find yourself on fire in addition to your house!

The point is this: if recovery is always your number one priority above everything else, you are well on your way to a new and much better life. There is a terrific private drug and alcohol rehab program called Paradise Recovery, located in Hawaii, that can teach you exactly how to make recovery the number one priority in your life. Are you ready for change? Give them a call: 866-478-9898.

Hawaii Alcohol Rehab

There is only one licensed and accredited private alcohol rehab in Hawaii: Paradise Recovery. Located on Oahu, Paradise Recovery is limited to 8 beds, ensuring the ultimate in individualized treatment with some of the best addiction treatment professionals in Hawaii. Paradise Recovery takes a holistic approach to addiction recovery and alcohol rehab. However, the treatment itself utilizes scientifically proven methods to help put you on the road to recovery. Give Paradise Recovery a call today to speak to a counselor at their toll-free number: 866-478-9898.

How can I Stop Drinking?

The reason that you are asking the question, most likely, is because you have not been able to stop drinking alcohol by yourself. But therein the question, lies the answer. You can't stop drinking. You are trying to control your drinking. Trying to cut back. Limit the number of days that you drink, or maybe the time: "I won't drink before 8pm or after 11pm". "I won't drink on Mondays through Thursdays.

These are all the "control" types of questions that most people with an alcohol addiction go through on their way to finally realizing that they can't stop drinking. Once you stop asking, "how can I stop drinking?" and realize "I can't stop drinking on my own", then you are ready for help. Many times, a person will go into an alcohol rehab as one step in which they are reaching out for help.

To stop drinking alcohol when you are an alcoholic requires more than the cessation of putting a glass or bottle of alcohol to your lips. It is a much, much more than that. It requires a transformative change of your person. Your way of thinking, the lens through which you view the world and yourself, your interactions with people, your leisure activities, all must be revamped. In this case, change is not a negative thing. It ends up being extraordinarily positive and allows you to really start living again. That's a big difference from just not taking a drink anymore!

The best alcohol rehabs can get you started on the path of starting your life anew. They do this by helping you positively transform yourself, both on the inside and on the outside. Find a top alcohol rehab program now to begin your transformation.

A Guaranteed Cure for Hangovers

I know you have searched for a remedy for your current hangover. A headache, disorientation, lethargy, etc. after some binge drinking the night before. I am not going to recommend some of the "short cuts" to getting through your hangover...something that you probably want at this time.

What I am recommending is a guaranteed way to cure any hangover - the answer is RECOVERY! Once you begin to use your own God given wisdom and realize that your life is out of control with the alcoholic binge, and you need help, then you are on your way to your hangover cure!

Medically, "veisalgia" (medical term for a hangover)there are many theories about what a hangover is and how it affects you. It is commonly agreed upon that is has something to do with your liver's response to a toxic or close to toxic levels of alcohol. Also, there is almost always dehydration and headache. All affects from over consumption of alcohol.

If you, or someone you love is struggling with the effects of alcohol in your body and more especially in your life, then please call us today at (866)478-9898 and speak to one of our recovery counselors for treatment options.

Recuperatio Primoris! (Recovery above all else)

Dr. Bill Heran

Alcohol and Drug Addiction: Issues of Self-Esteem

When a person struggles with chemical, alcohol or behavioral addictions, self worth often suffers and in a strange manner, it perpetuates the addictive process.

Self esteem means the appraised and felt "self worth" of an individual at any given time. We all suffer with periodic poor self-esteem. For example, when we lose a competition, or making mistakes that hurt others, etc. However, many people have fixed, chronic low self-worth.

In the early days, weeks and months of substance abuse the effect is euphoria, "top of the world". However, this is a false, delusional reality. You've done nothing to earn such a euphoria. That is the drug's allure! Later, when you cannot stop the addiction, you begin to realize how the drug, alcohol, sex, etc. has caused you tremendous personal, interpersonal, vocational and economic crises.

How to sustain a healthy self-worth? First, to understand you are vulnerable and permit others in to assist you. Later, you may be one of those people and help others. Once you gain your self-worth back you will feel no greater, no lesser than anyone. You are able to thrive...being FULLY ALIVE!

NO DRUG ADDICT OR ALCOHOLIC CAN TRULY ATTEST TO BEING FULLY ALIVE! If you, or someone is suffering with drug/alcohol addiction please call us at our 24/7 Call Center at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery counselors.

Recuperatio Primoris,

Dr. Bill

Great Alcohol Detox

Many people are afraid of alcohol detox because they are afraid of feeling sick and having all of the withdrawal symptoms that go along with it. Paradise Recovery, though, has a great alcohol detox program that is very easy on the body. They combine medications, really good food, and a new process called auricular acupuncture (which is optional if you want it) that makes your alcohol detox very comfortable. You are able to start participating in your treatment usually within a day. In other words, you start to feel "human" again very quickly. The transformation that people experience early on is truly amazing.

You can call them and get more information about alcohol detoxification. They have a toll-free number and they are located on a beautiful beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. What better place to get recovery both on the inside and the outside? Here is their number: 866-478-9898. If you make the call, you'll be happy that you did!

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.

Gratitude as a tool for recovery: Wisdom from the Rehab

Today, we often hear in recovery circles how we should develop an "attitude of gratitude". I wonder if many people know what that is, let alone putting it into practice on a daily basis to fight the spiritual ravages of addiction. Gratitude comes from the Latin grates, or habere, meaning to feel gratitude. When people think of gratitude, they think of thankfulness, or the response when you receive something of value from someone. However, it is much, much more.

Practicing gratitude is acknowledging that you are vulnerable and able to receive and be aware, intimately, of the person giving or exchanging with you. You may just have a thought of gratitude, while not receiving anything other than the overwhelming sense of gratitude for living, breathing, loving, etc. A person in this state most likely seeks what is good and right for themselves and others.

If you, or someone you love is struggling with an addiction. Please call our Call Center and speak with one of our recovery counselors at (866) 478-9898.

Primoris,
Dr. Bill Heran

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by the spark of another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Albert Schweitzer

Thinking Errors

Loss of sobriety can often be linked to Cognitive Distortions which are also called thinking errors. A cognition is a thought. A distortion is a misrepresentation of an object, situation, or thought. For example, when you stand in front of a mirror in a fun house it reflects a distorted image of yourself. A Cognitive Distortion, or think error, is also a distorted reflection of a situation.
"All or Nothing" thinking is a Cognitive Distortion. An example is when some says: "I am always late" when they arrive after the start time of their work schdeule. They may be late occassionally they may be late frequently; but, it is doubtful they are late every day and still have a job.
Recognizing thinking errors is often part of the treatment for addiction in the best alcohol rehabs and the best drug rehabs.

Rules in Drug Rehab

The best drug rehabs and best alcohol rehabs have a structure within which the staff and clients go about their business of achieving recovery. Why are rules so important? Because rules are a major component of the structure. OK, so why is structure important?

Structure = Recovery. Got it? Structure is the essential foundation for building a lasting recovery. The rules, adherence to the rules, and enforcement of the rules promotes addiction recovery. Addiction loves chaos and confusion. Addiction hates structure and rules. The lack of rules and structure promotes chaos. Addiction loves that!! If you want to get well in rehab, there has to be a structure rooted in personal and house rules.

Rules and structure may seem a bit painful or bothersome at first glance. However, they are the foundation to your beginning journey on the road to addiction recovery. Call Paradise Recovery at 866-478-9898 to learn more about what it takes to get on the recovery path.

Alcohol Detox in Rehab

There are several different types of alcohol detox that you will encounter as you are looking for an alcohol rehab program. They can be classified into several categories:

1. None
2. Almost none
3. Medically supervised detox

Let's start with the first. The vast majority of alcohol and drug rehabs do not offer detox, period. You have to go off site to another center which is most likely a hospital-like, cold environment for your detox. However, this is generally a safe option if the detox center is good.

The second category is "almost none". I refer to social detox centers as "almost none". That's where the center says "sure, we offer detox", but in reality the detox is mostly in the form of encouragement and support from others who survived the experience. There is no medication given which would ensure your safe detox from alcohol. (Some people die from alcohol detox. It is one of the most dangerous detoxifications out there). This is not a safe form of alcohol detox and is not at all recommended. In this category I also place alcohol rehab centers where medications are used for alcohol withdrawal but on an extremely conservative basis. Hopefully the detox is medically monitored, so you would presume it is safe. However, you have to be in extremely rough shape in order to receive medication to make you more comfortable. So, you go through the detox feeling extremely ill, tremulous, and miserable.

The third category is that of alcohol rehab programs who offer alcohol detoxification which is medically monitored and provided in residence. Staff are trained to measure your alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Medications are given to slow the withdrawal, so that it is much more comfortable and safe for you. You are able to do some treatment work often times during the detox period. The psychiatrist and internist work closely with the staff to provide a detox protocol that meets your safety and comfort needs.

Take the time to find the alcohol rehab and alcohol detox program that is best-suited for you. You might just save yourself a lot of misery by chosing wisely.

Drug Rehab in Hawaii: Rejuvenating in Paradise

When choosing a rehab for your alcohol, drug, sex, gambling, or any other addiction, you may want to look towards the tropical island chain in the Pacific...The Hawaiian Islands. Thousands of tourists come to the sun-drenched destination to replenish their hearts and souls! What a great place to receive treatment for addiction and emotional instability.

Stop the chaos and the insanity! Treatment has been proven to assist alcoholics and addicts with the sober time and space needed to return to their families and loved ones.

Paradise Recovery offers a private, best-practice, medically monitored 30-90 day program in Honolulu! We are the first private rehab of its kind in Hawaii. We have treated dozens of individual and their families, introducing them to the tools needed for sustained recovery. We focus on the individuals core issues, while offering excellent group therapies, family therapy and psychiatric consultations.

If you, or a loved one needs a private, high quality rehab in one of the best destinations in the world, then call one of our recovery counselors on our 24/7 HelpLine (866) 478-9898 and arrange for a consultation and admission to our facility.

Recuperatio Primoris!

Dr. Bill
CEO

Paradise Recovery: The Graduate School of Alcohol and Drug Rehabs

When choosing the right treatment center you need to determine what are your needs and what can a program offer you and more importantly, what are you prepared to offer yourself!

A Graduate Program in any University is an opportunity for a student to dedicate time and efforts to furthering their knowledge, experience and being able to articulate their learning with others. A typical Graduate program is not interested in "passive learners". They are seeking individuals who actively participate in their learning and are beginning to contribute to their chosen profession (e.g. nursing, social work, psychology, or computer science). Also, a good Graduate Program gives you more individual attention, more than your undergraduate program.

Our program was described as the "Graduate School of all Rehabs" by one of our former clients and after several re-admissions to a program in California, he came to Paradise! At Paradise Recovery, we expect a great deal from our clients and our clients hopefully expect a lot from us and themselves. Our program offers personalized care, which helps you to work on YOUR core issues that contributes to your disease of addiction.

If you, or someone you know is seriously considering recovery from addiction, please speak with one of our recovery counselors at (866)478-9898.

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Carl Jung

Recuperatio Primoris!

Dr. Bill Heran

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 True Cure of Addiction

A rehab in Malibu, California, falsely advertises they have a "cure" for addiction. Their processes and interventions, most people would agree, are helpful and would aid someone with an authentic desire to stay clean and sober from addictions of any kind. However, their program does NOT offer a cure. I know this. I've treated individuals who have completed this particular program, and they were far from "cured!"

What is the cure from addiction? The cure, in my opinion, is your daily surrender that you are not in control of your addiction and when you relapse you and your life becomes chaotic and unmanageable. Ever heard that logic in the past? I hope so. It is the First Step of Alcoholics Anonymous. You don't have to subscribe to AA or NA to benefit from its wisdom.

To surrender, submit, make humble yourself and believe that if you do not drink, pop pills, snort, or shoot up today then you life will be less chaotic and more manageable. Now, for the addict that is a BIG STEP, since the drug of choice has "helped" them through some tough times. Believe me, I've been to too many funerals of addicts and alcoholics, including my 42 year-old brother's, to deny the effects of prolonged addictive behaviors.

What is the TRUE cure of addiction? Transformation. Addiction requires your full attention and wants nothing less than your total destruction and death (whatever that means and looks like in your life). In turn, recovery requires nothing less than your full attention towards health and recovery! So, there is a cure, but its not in some book or in some "passage" in Malibu.

If you, or someone you know is in need of quality private rehab services, then please call our 24-Hour HelpLine and speak with one of our recovery counselors today. Call (866) 478-9898 today!


Recuperatio Primoris!

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.

Tropical Alcohol and Drug Rehab: Whats the importance of location when choosing a rehab?

When choosing a rehab for your recovery needs, there are dozens of high quality programs in the U.S. Some of these programs are located in cold, harsh climates with environments that resemble a hospital or institutional setting.

We at Paradise Recovery capture the importance of "location" and "environment" when designing our program here in Hawaii. Many of our clients have commented that our location has helped them tremendously in this early phase of treatment!Imagine if your environment was rejuvenating how that could affect your recovery in the early phases of your work. Often, at best we are ambivalent about changing our lives, but if the environment and location is ideal, then you may find yourself benefiting from the climate, floral smells, or the soft, feelings of "Aloha" in a tropical rehab setting.

Paradise offers a sun-drenched, tropical and comfortable environment. However, we also offer best-practice, medical and psychological interventions and support for you to move from an addictive state to a clean and sober life...being FULLY ALIVE!

If you, or anyone you love are experiencing struggle with addiction, please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery counselors. Make sure you factor in location when you are choosing a rehab for your recovery needs.


Recuperatio Primoris!

Private Rehab: What should you expect and not expect

Choosing a private rehab for your alcohol and drug addiction recovery needs is a smart choice. However, there are considerations you should be aware of prior to and upon admission to the program.

1) Be aware of spa programs: Being in early recovery, there is so much to learn and so much to purge in order to move forward with a recovery that is sustaining. To integrate massage, acupuncture, movement therapy, aroma therapy, etc. into your treatment is recommended for a holistic program attending to a mind, body, spirit approach. The program should offer several individual psychotherapy per week, family/loved ones sessions, traditional and complimentary medical staff, and relapse prevention training. These critical services are a MUST, in conjunction with spa services.

2) Be aware of a penitential model: Some programs have a heavy emphasis on being punitive and punishing their clients. Often these programs have "gurus" who have answers for all your recovery needs. You have punished yourself way too much, you don't need someone allegedly in recovery, playing power games with you and pretending to know you and what your needs are in a matter of days. The staff at the private rehab should respect you and attempt to approach your issues with a solution-focus, resiliency approach.

3) Be aware of "The Cure" model: The current scientific literature on addiction is clear that there is no cure for addictions of any kind. However, we have many strategies on managing our illness. We have medications, self-help groups, personal transformation, spiritual support, physical fitness and improved self-esteem is all aids in sustaining a recovery and managing your lifelong illness. Some programs will tell you they have a "cure" with unscientific research findings. Some would say, its unethical.

Overall, you need to interview key staff prior to admitting to a private rehab. If key staff (clinical director, program manager, etc.) are not available to you, then you may want to move on to another program. There are many choices...choose the right one for you!

If you, or a loved one needs rehab services, please contact one of our recovery counselors on our 24 Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898.

Always direct your thoughts to those truths that will give you confidence, hope, joy, love, thanksgiving, and turn away your mind from those that inspire you with fear, sadness, depression.
- Bertrand Wilbertforce

Recuperatio Primoris!

Oahu Drug Rehabilitation

There is a choice for people from the State of Hawaii who want to stay in the islands for holistic, private addiction treatment, including drugs and alcohol. Several years ago, the people of Hawaii had to turn to the mainland if they wanted private, quality help for alcoholics, drug rehab, or treatment for addiction of all types. This is no longer true. We have one of the best drug and alcohol rehabs in the entire country, located right here in our home state!

Give our HelpLine a call, today: 866-478-9898. We will help you get the help that you need.