Addiction Help Center

If you have been diagnosed with having bipolar disorder, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over five million American adults are affected by bipolar disorder in a given year. In addition over 60 per cent of people with bipolar disorder also struggle with a substance abuse disorder according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Psych Central reports that these two problems occur together so frequently that some experts suggest that all young adults with a bipolar diagnosis should be screened for possible additional problems.

The two go hand in hand: the discomfort you feel from the chaotic moods can be so disturbing that you will do anything (including taking drugs) to stop feeling so unsettled.

In previous years many people who suffered from bipolar disorder also suffered stigma and discrimination because they had a mental health disorder. Neither scientists nor doctors fully understood the nature of the disease, and insurance companies were unwilling to pay for treatment. Some people were dropped from their insurance companies.

Others were denied treatment because the disorder was considered a pre-existing condition. If insurance did cover bipolar disorder under its benefits, the companies required higher premiums, set different yearly or lifetime limits and lowered the benefits given to the person insured. Undoubtedly this made treatment more difficult to obtain and maintain. Fortunately, recent laws have been created and enacted to remove the unfair treatment of mental health disorders.

How Does Having a Bipolar Diagnosis Affect My Insurance?

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, or MHPAEA

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (also known as the Parity Law or MHPAEA), was passed as law in 2008 and was enacted in 2010. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Parity Law requires health insurance carriers to treat mental illness with the same terms and conditions as any other illness like diabetes or an appendectomy. As a part of the MHPAEA, insurance companies must provide equal limits on the number of days or visits for treating a mental illness that is provided for a physical condition.

According to the American Psychological Association, most health plans do not have annual limits on the number of office visits for medical care, so the same opportunities must be made available for treating bipolar disorder. Furthermore, an insurance company must also make deductibles and out-of-pocket limits equal as well. The law also denies insurance companies the ability to deny coverage of bipolar disorder as a pre-existing condition.

Important Things to Know about the Parity Act

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act applies only to private or public-sector employers who have more than 50 employees on the payroll, but nearly all employer-sponsored health plans in the U.S. provide mental health benefits even if the company is small. Furthermore, if an individual state has stricter requirements for providing mental health coverage, the insurance companies in that state must comply with that law.

It is important to know that insurance carriers do not necessarily have to offer mental health insurance at all. However, if a company offers a policy that provides for physical health, then it must provide equal treatment for mental illnesses like bipolar disorder. On a positive note, less than two per cent of companies dropped their mental health coverage because of the Parity Act. This means that getting help for bipolar disorder should be easier.

It is also important to know that the federal law does not outline specifically what mental disorders must be covered by insurance. Rather the federal law allows each state to define what is to be covered according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. However, given the prevalence of the bipolar disorder in the United States, your insurance company likely covers the condition. A quick call to your benefits hotline will provide the answer to that question.

The Parity Law applies to several state and federal entities. For example, Medicaid managed-care programs, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Medicaid Alternative Benefit Plan all must comply with the law and provide you with help with your bipolar disorder. In addition, if you have insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, your condition is also covered.

If you …

How Does a Parent’s Addiction Affect Children?

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| Help for Friends & Family

Children of addicts may be more likely to try drugs or become addicted as they see their parents use drugs to have fun or deal with stress. Addiction takes the place of healthy relationships and behaviours, so without being raised with healthy examples children are unlikely to find healthy alternatives to drug use.

Growing up in a home with addiction often means more stress and less healthy interaction with loved ones. Addicted parents may be consumed by legal trouble, financial hardship, arguments with other loved ones, health problems and other issues that distract them from spending quality time with their children. Addiction sometimes causes anger management problems and may lead to physical or emotional abuse aimed at children. Children may retreat into their own lives and ignore other family members, or they may shoulder more responsibility in an effort to help their addicted parent.

How a Parent’s Addiction Hurts a Child’s Development

Children growing up with an addicted parent may be unsure of themselves and slow to develop social skills. Schoolwork may be hampered by problems at home, and children may not be motivated to succeed without a healthy role model. The stress of dealing with addiction in the home may lead to children developing anxiety disorders or depression as teenagers or adults; these issues may be compounded by an inability to cope with stress in a healthy way.

How Does a Parent’s Addiction Affect Children?

How to Help Children of Addicted Parents

Talk to children about healthy ways to cope with stress, depression and anxiety. So that they may guard against it as they grow older, teenage and adult children of addicts should know that they have an increased risk of addiction. Young children need to talk about their problems in a safe setting without drugs or alcohol. Children may be confused about the turmoil in their home and feel as if they caused it. They need to know that they haven’t done anything wrong and that their parent’s behaviour isn’t their fault. Children of all ages may benefit from family counselling to improve relationships and encourage the addicted parent to seek treatment.

Children of addicted parents should be encouraged to participate in age-appropriate activities with others. Healthy peer relationships can offset troubles at home and may prevent them from using drugs as a way to cope. Adult relatives can help children by serving as healthy role models and providing emotional support.

If you think that a parent is neglecting a child’s basic needs for drugs, then you should consider intervening. Attempt to talk to the parent’s spouse, older children or other loved ones about your concerns. Talk to others about planning an intervention to encourage treatment. If all else fails, consider calling Child Protective Services.

How to Find Treatment for Addiction

If you or a parent you know suffer from addiction, call us now. We can help you find a treatment or plan an intervention. Our counsellors are available 24 hours a day on our toll-free helpline, so call now to learn more about recovering from addiction.…

Recreational Alcohol Use among 18-25 Year-Olds

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| Uncategorized

The recreational use of alcohol by 18-25-year-olds is constantly increasing in our culture. Although driven largely by partying college students and hard-drinking military personnel, few members of this demographic are immune to the risks. As they exit high school and enter into the next phase of their lives, 18-25-year-olds are actively laying the foundation that the rest of their lives will be built. Substance abuse may be a “normal” or socially acceptable aspect of young adult culture, but that does not mean that it is safe or healthy at all.

The following are common factors in young adult alcohol abuse:

Young people are curious about the effects of alcohol.
Peer pressure from certain social groups drives most substance abuse.
Underlying emotional insecurity, anxiety, self-esteem deficiency, and depression increase young adults’ susceptibility to alcohol abuse and addiction.
The lack of accountability and discipline that comes with college and the military fosters experimentation and abuse.
Addictive patterns develop much faster in younger brains than in older brains.
Social acceptance and media promotion of alcohol abuse are ubiquitous in youth culture.

Alcohol abuse is particularly hard on the brains of young adults. Critical neural pathways are being formed every day in the brain, with peak development happening at age 25. Introducing alcohol during this time greatly increases the likelihood of the development of addiction patterns and reduced brain performance. In addition to chemical dependence problems that young adults may face for the rest of their life, drinking can have a significantly negative impact on their ability to learn new skills and perform on the job. Millions of young people sabotage their future by drinking heavily while their brain is still developing.

Recreational Alcohol Use among 18-25 Year-Olds

According to a 2009 study by the US Department of Health and Human Services, alcohol abuse is higher among 21-25-year-olds than any other age group. This same study reveals that just under 50 percent of 18-21-year-olds and nearly 70 percent of those aged 21-25 use alcohol regularly. People who start drinking regularly as teenagers are up to 15 times more likely to become alcoholics than those who wait until they are of the legal drinking age. The dangers of some of the most vulnerable people in our society abusing alcohol at the highest rates measured should seem obvious, but informational and interventional outreaches are often highly ineffective at changing the behavior of this age group.

Helpline for 18-25-Year-Olds

If you are an 18-25-year-old who has developed a pattern of recreational alcohol use, please call our toll-free, 24-hour helpline for immediate help. Our counselors are always standing by to offer you any of the following free services:

Helping individuals with drinking temptations when they occur
Helping young people determine if they have developed an addiction to alcohol
Confidentially helping young people confirm insurance coverage of treatment costs
Connecting high school and college students with highly successful treatment programs
Helping parents, friends, and family develop strong communication skills as they confront the alcoholic young adult in their home

This help is available for free at any time of day. Call now and let us help you break free from the crushing devastation of alcohol addiction. You have a long life ahead of you. Don’t compromise your full potential by continuing to abuse alcohol.…

Is There a Connection between Prostitution and Drug or Alcohol Addiction?

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| Drugs and Alcohol

There are many connections between prostitution and drug or alcohol addiction, and an addiction to drugs or alcohol is often an integral aspect of prostitution.

Drugs, Prostitution, and Organized Crime

Prostitution, like the illegal drug trade, is big business for organized crime. Crime syndicates receive a percentage of profits from smaller operators in both prostitution and drug dealing. This organized crime system emerged in its complete, modern form as a result of the prohibition against alcohol in the 1920s. Mobsters honed their craft by importing bootleg liquor into the country and soon branched out into many other enterprises. Once prohibition was repealed organized crime needed new enterprises to finance its continued existence and turned to activities like prostitution, drugs, and gambling.

Addiction as a Risk Factor for Prostitution

At the street level pimps often use drugs to exert control over prostitutes. Many pimps are also drug dealers and may initially attract and lure girls with free drugs and an apparent “high roller” lifestyle. Often the girls are simply invited to the party. The pimp has every intention of getting the girls addicted to drugs and targets girls who are at increased risk for addiction. This includes girls with financial or emotional problems, runaways and girls from dysfunctional families, and girls who are already addicted to drugs. Once a girl is addicted, she is likely to show up looking for drugs and will be willing to do whatever it takes to get them.

Is There a Connection between Prostitution and Drug or Alcohol Addiction?

At this point, the pimp will inform the girl that he can’t keep financing a free ride, and the time has come for her to start pulling her weight. In her addicted state, she is experiencing overwhelming cravings for the drug and will do what she has to do to satisfy them. She has impaired judgment and is susceptible to control by a domineering personality. Drug addiction helps pimps keep prostitutes virtually enslaved.

It is a sad fact that many girls and young women and some boys and young men become involved in prostitution as an indirect result of addiction. Some people turn to prostitution as a means to finance their addiction. Some turn to prostitution after addiction has ruined their lives and left them no apparent alternative. Some turn to prostitution after fleeing dysfunctional homes and abusive, drug-addicted, or alcoholic parents.

Addiction may be a factor in causing some people to patronize prostitutes. Addiction can impair judgment, cause serious problems in a person’s personal life, and enable a person to become accustomed to engaging in illegal behavior, all of which can contribute to a proclivity to visit prostitutes.

Questions about Prostitution and Drug or Alcohol Addiction?

If you or a loved one is struggling to escape prostitution and addiction, call our toll-free helpline. All calls are confidential and involved no obligation, and we are here 24 hours a day.…

Treatment Centers for Eating Disorders

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| Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are real psychological illnesses in which self-deprecating eating patterns cause emotional and physical damage to an individual. There are two major recognized eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa – Anorexia is an extremely dangerous eating disorder in which a person deprives himself or herself of food, sometimes to the point of starvation. This refusal to eat is based on a self-perceived image of being overweight, even when that person becomes emaciated. Losing as much weight as possible is viewed as an achievement in the mind of an anorexic person. Anorexia nervosa is specifically defined as being at least 15% below one’s normal body weight relative to height and age, as well as a refusal to maintain any sort of normal minimal bodyweight.
Bulimia – People who suffer from bulimia practice a pattern of binge eating, followed immediately by purging. Bulimic people will eat an abnormally large amount of food in a short period of time, and then immediately force themselves to throw it back up. This can lead to a myriad of physical and psychological health problems.

Properly Treating an Eating Disorder

The first step in treating an eating disorder is to address the physical well-being of an individual. For those suffering from bulimia, the first step in stopping the binge-purge cycle is to gradually establish a pattern of normal-sized meals, and the encouragement of a healthy exercise routine. For anorexic patients, the physical condition can be a much more serious issue. Sometimes, hospitalization is necessary just to keep a person alive. Eating disorders almost always go hand-in-hand with psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. Psychological treatment and counseling are of great importance when treating eating disorders.

At a professional rehab center, those suffering from eating disorders have the opportunity to work one on one with therapists who specialize in treating eating disorders. Group therapy is another major benefit of entering an eating disorder treatment center. Group therapy allows patients to share their struggles and experiences, which offers a view from the outside of what is affecting each individual’s own life. This may help some patients to recognize the damage an eating disorder can really cause.

In treating both anorexia and bulimia, family therapy is often encouraged as well. Family members’ attitudes toward a loved one with an eating disorder play a huge role in the success or failure of the treatment process. It is important that a patient’s family members learn how best to care for their loved one in the recovery process. For people with bulimia, psychotropic medications have shown to be effective in treating anxiety and depression, thus making it less likely that the person will relapse.

Get Help Finding Eating Disorder Treatment Centers

Are you currently suffering from an eating disorder? If you are, we are here to help you find the resources you need to get help now. We are available 24 hours a day and our number is toll-free. There is no reason to wait; call now and get help before it’s too late.…

What Causes a Food Addiction?

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| Eating Disorders, Food Addiction

Any substance that is taken in excess, regardless of its harmful potential, is considered abuse. Addiction is then defined as the abusive behavior of those who are physically or psychologically dependent upon a substance; food can be that substance. In the same way as a drug or alcohol addiction, people eventually become dependent upon food. There is such a thing as food addiction and it is a serious issue.

How Food Addiction Develops

Just like drugs or alcohol, food has the potential to influence the brain’s reward system. Food can stimulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which in turn give the body energy, motivation, and even feel of pleasure or contentment. The body soon begins to crave the effects provided by the increase in dopamine and serotonin. Food, then, has unconsciously become the substance that someone uses for self-esteem rather than sustenance. The following are some of the underlying causes that can force a person into addiction and complete loss of control:

Some people self-medicate pain with food.
Emotional pain or trauma can cause a person to “eat her feelings.” Food can both stimulate emotions and also act as a coping mechanism for feelings of sadness or loneliness.
People with a mental illness are more likely to develop a food addiction than those without one. For these people, food becomes the only thing that they can control. Food can also temporarily alleviate some low feelings associated with their illness and can calm feelings of anxiety or panic.
Food addiction is also known to stem from physical or emotional abuse. People with low self-esteem tend to abuse food. Food can block unpleasant feelings and be used as a shortcut to false happiness.
Food addiction can also stem from a body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which makes people obsessively concerned about and preoccupied with their body image.

How to Recognize a Food Addiction

To determine whether or not you need help with a food addiction, see if you display any of the following behaviors:

Eat differently in front of others
Eat alone or in secret
Eat-in excess and later purge or take laxatives to get rid of the excess
Feel guilty, confused, or let down after eating
Continue to overconsume harmful foods
Eat when not hungry
Eat foods instinctively when feeling low or depressed
Feel better after eating

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be facing an abuse problem larger than you had imagined.

Food Addiction Help

Food addiction can come with serious health consequences such as obesity, diabetes, bulimia, and gastric anomalies. Treating addiction requires much more than just dieting or cutting back. If you are interested in learning more about treatment for food addiction or other eating disorders, please call our toll-free helpline now. Our rehab counselors are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you may have and can provide you with all the information you may be looking for. Your call is free and can let you finally speak to someone who understands what you are going through.…

How Much Counseling Will Help Me Recover from an Eating Disorder?

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| Eating Disorders

If you suffer from an eating disorder, the circumstances that led to it are unique to you and to your situation. Just as there is no one clear model for how an eating disorder develops, there is no set timetable for how long it will take to recover or how much counseling any given patient needs. Recovery from an eating disorder, like recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction, is an ongoing journey. As a recovering anorexic, bulimic, or overeater you must continue to be aware of your risks and of the potential for relapse. Taking advantage of follow-up counseling and remaining in contact with your support network can help you get through difficult times and ensure a successful long-term recovery.

Common Causes of Eating Disorders

Many people struggling with an eating disorder are also struggling with insecurity, low self-esteem, poor self-image, or a desire to achieve an unrealistic ideal of outward appearance. Eating disorders are more common among females but happen to males as well and maybe a symptom of living in a society that places a disproportionately high value on physical appearance. Many people learn to judge themselves and others based on physical appearance, and they may feel that they don’t measure up to the physical ideals they are constantly exposed to in the media.

Eating disorders are also often maladaptive coping mechanisms developed in response to emotions that are hard to deal with. Difficulty coping with feelings of anger, resentment, insecurity, inadequacy, depression, loneliness, despair, grief, or a host of other emotions may lead to developing the habit of self-medicating with food or controlling food consumption. An eating disorder may also be an effort to exert control over a life that feels out of control.

How Much Counseling Will Help Me Recover from an Eating Disorder?

Treatment for Eating Disorders

Treatment for eating disorders usually involves the traditional cognitive-behavioral model of psychotherapy that is used in cases of addiction and mental health recovery. Counseling will address the emotional and psychological root causes of the disorder as well as the behavior that results. A good counselor will help the patient to do the following:

Identify and address emotional issues at the heart of the problem
Learn to understand how food is used as an unhealthy coping strategy
Learn to recognize feelings that trigger disordered eating
Learn to see yourself as a whole person and as more than your appearance
Learn to accept your range of emotions and deal with them in rational and realistic ways
Learn healthy skills for coping with stress and emotional triggers rather than turning to the maladaptive response of anorexia or bulimia
Focus on proper nutrition, exercise, and healthy weight management

Just as your eating disorder developed over time, it will take time to treat it. Recovery should not be rushed. Signs of improvement do not mean that you are “cured” and should discontinue treatment. Follow through with your therapist’s recommendations, and remember that therapy can provide the basis for an ongoing support system.

Need Help Finding Treatment for an Eating Disorder?

If you would like assistance finding treatment for an eating disorder, call our 24-hour helpline today. We are here to talk with you and provide resources for recovery. All calls are free and confidential, so there is no reason to wait.…

3 Jobs Commonly Linked to Behavioral Addictions

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| Addictions Help

Behavioral addictions involve patterns of behavior that mimic those related to drug addiction. These addictions begin with a person getting pleasure from certain behavior and seeking that pleasure repeatedly, so much so that the person may require the activity to feel normal. Although this type of addiction begins with an activity rather than a drug, behavioral addictions can be just as devastating. Jobs that put people into tempting situations can make addiction difficult to overcome.

Casino Jobs and Gambling Addiction

One of the most common and devastating behavioral addictions is gambling addiction. Compulsive gamblers bet uncontrollably, often resulting in career loss, loss of family, and even homelessness. For a person who struggles with a gambling addiction, working in a casino can be devastating. People who work in casinos are constantly faced with the temptation to gamble, so they may immediately spend their wages on gambling machines or other games, leaving nothing to pay bills and support a family. Casino jobs, even those indirectly connected to gambling like serving food and drinks, but those struggling with this behavioral addiction in a dangerous environment.

Retail Jobs and Shopping Addiction

Another behavioral addiction that affects many people is an addiction to shopping. Shopping addicts spend money they do not have and run up credit card debt they cannot pay. The addiction is to the behavior of wanting items they see and buying them, even if they do not need them or never use them. Working a retail job can be a devastating career for someone with a shopping addiction. Most retail employees get an employee discount, which makes the temptation to buy even stronger. Retail employees identify items they wish to purchase during a shift and may end up spending an entire paycheck in the store where they work. Working in retail for the shopping addict is like working in a bar for the alcoholic.

3 Jobs Commonly Linked to Behavioral Addictions

Internet Jobs and Pornography Addiction

People who have Internet-based jobs and struggle with pornography addiction are putting themselves in a difficult position for recovery. Pornography is readily available on the Internet and without on-the-job accountability people addicted to porn face an uphill battle. This is especially true for those who are self-employed or work from home. Getting help for this type of addiction may include a career change or finding a way to work in public settings.

Help for Behavioral Addictions

Behavioral addictions can have the same devastating consequences as substance abuse. But, like people who suffer from substance addiction, there is help for those struggling with behavioral issues. Our helpline operators are here 24 hours a day to answer your questions about behavioral addiction. They work at a toll-free helpline to help you understand treatment options for free. Call our number now and get the help you need to overcome your struggles.…

Anorexia Treatment Help

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| Food Addiction

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder and a disease that, if left untreated, slowly destroys the human body. Apart from physical damage and health risks, anorexia is also a psychological struggle; anorexics suffer from severely distorted self-perception. Despite being dangerously underweight, those suffering from anorexia believe themselves to be grossly overweight and continue to diet, fast, and purge in order to lose as much weight as possible. Anorexics may limit their portions until they face death from starvation, or they may exercise excessively purge, and abuse laxatives. They often believe that thinness is the equivalent of happiness and thus strive to be thin no matter the cost.

If an individual demonstrates signs of anorexia, he or she should be evaluated by a medical doctor for an official diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment immediately. Anorexics are often in denial of their condition and may need to be prompted to begin treatment through an intervention performed by their loved ones. After the anorexic acknowledges that he or she has a problem or is urged to begin treatment, the healing process can begin.

Anorexia Recovery Process

After any serious medical risks are stabilized and the patient’s basic nutritional needs are met, anorexia treatment consists of the following three main goals:

Restore a healthy body weight
Address psychological issues
Eliminate destructive thoughts and behaviors to prevent relapse

Because of the mental and emotional struggles that cause disordered eating, treatment for anorexia is often a difficult process. Due to a lack of self-awareness, many anorexics do not understand that there is a problem with their eating habits or realize that they are underweight. Therefore, patients may be uncooperative with treatment procedures and unwilling to strive to meet treatment goals. Psychotherapy becomes one of the most important recovery tools, as it helps anorexics acknowledge their condition.

Therapists build a relationship of mutual trust with their patients and help them understand and conquer their obsession with body weight. Patients may also be prescribed an anti-depressant to help with the recovery process. Recovery is emotionally trying and mentally exhausting, but the reward of a healthy mindset about food and the human body is worth the time and effort. Recovery from an eating disorder involves many changes but ultimately centers around learning to love and accept who you are, regardless of your body weight.

Need Help Finding Treatment for Anorexia?

If you or someone you love is suffering from anorexia nervosa, we can help. Please call our toll-free number. Our lines are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. We can answer your questions about help and recovery. Call us today.…

Work Addiction Therapy

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| Work Addiction

The symptoms of work addiction may include the following:

You tend to take on more work than everyone around you
You feel anxious about your work when you leave the office
It is hard to take a vacation and when you do, you think about your work
Your family or loved ones claim that you are not available or that you never spend time with them anymore
You may have trouble falling or staying asleep, or sometimes sleeping at all
You feel tired all of the time and often drink caffeinated beverages or use other means to stay awake and alert
You have headaches, blood pressure problems, ulcers or other health issues

When to Seek Help for Workaholism

Help for workaholism should be sought if any of the following occur:

Your relationships suffer—if your marriage, your family relationships, or relationships with parents or children are suffering because of workaholism, it is time to seek help.
You have a need for control—you know deep down that you cannot control everything. When you suffer from work addiction, the need to control everything may become overwhelming. While it is important to remain in control of your own life, there are some things you cannot control. The need to control can cause stress and strain on your life.
Health Concerns—Heart disease, ulcers, migraines, high blood pressure, heart attacks and aneurysms are among the hundreds of illnesses that are attributed to stress each year.
The thing you work for the most, your work, suffers—no human can maintain the schedules workaholics set for themselves. Whether it is small errors, mistakes in scheduling, competency or completion, your work suffers when you become stretched too thin.

Work Addiction and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Work addiction can be a symptom of deeper psychiatric issues. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) occurs when a person has obsessive worries that he or she cannot let go of. Because of these worries, the person feels compelled to perform certain actions to help fix the anxiety. For the workaholic, this can be making sure every work task is done perfectly and desiring to control the work environment.

Help Finding Work Addiction Therapy

Are you or a loved one addicted to work? We can help. Our toll-free number is available 24 hours a day. We work with a nationally-based network of treatment centres, counsellors, consultants, interventionists, family therapists and more. We can help you break the cycle of work addiction in your life and get you back on track to a more productive and rewarding life.…