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10 Signs of Opioid Addiction

According to the National Institute on Opioid Abuse, if you experience the urge for the drug on a daily or multiple daily basis, it could be a sign of addiction. Other aspects of your life take a back seat to your opioid use. Without it, you don’t feel normal. You may use it to cope with stress or anxiety and feel you need it to get through each day.

If these symptoms appear in your life — or in the life of someone close to you — it may be time to seek therapy. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to getting clean; with so many options, you may choose what works best for you and gives you the best chance of long-term recovery.

You’re consuming Opioid for a longer duration than you intended.

The most crucial thing to remember is that all drug use, including prescription opioid addiction, begins with a decision. You’ve had a tough day and need to take some medication to feel better. Then it becomes second nature—not just taking the prescription when you’re anxious, but doing it daily. If you have underlying mental health concerns like depression or anxiety, or even chronic pain, this process can be sped up.

You want to quit but can’t

  • You want to quit, but can’t.
  • You can’t control how much of the drug you use.
  • You continue using it despite knowing it is causing you problems.

If you’re noticing any of these symptoms, it’s possible that your opioid use is more than just a passing fancy. But don’t worry—addiction is a treatable disease, and there are many options available to assist you.

You spend a large amount of time to getting, using, and recovering from the substance.

A lot of time is spent on activities relating to using opioids. You may spend a lot of time:

  • Making or receiving phone calls to get, arrange for delivery, or pay for the drug
  • Driving around looking for someone who sells drugs
  • Preparing your environment and setting the mood for use
  • Taking the drug, waiting for and monitoring its effects, and recovering from its effects (for example from a hangover)

You’ve given up important social, work-related, or leisure activities because of your drug use

When a person gives up significant social, work-related, or leisure activities because of their drug usage, this is one of the most telling indications of opioid addiction. As a person’s drug usage increases, their priorities shift, and drug use takes precedence over other aspects of their lives.

Opioids can cause people to lose interest in hobbies, sports, or leisure activities, as well as social events that do not entail drug usage. Because they are no longer interested in spending time with their family and friends, people may separate themselves from them. Opioid abusers may cease taking part in things they once enjoyed, such as sports teams, clubs, or even going to school.

Your use has caused problems in relationships with others

You’re missing work or school, and you’re falling behind on your studies. Or maybe you’re not showing up for social events or spending time with friends and family because you’d rather stay at home and use drugs. This is a sign that your opioid addiction is causing problems in your relationships with others.

Don’t be afraid to ask those closest to you if they’ve noticed any warning signs of drug abuse in your life lately. Their observations may be helpful, especially if they’ve noticed changes in your behavior that don’t seem like the old you anymore. If they notice things like financial problems, falling out with family members, or becoming more secretive about how you spend your time, then it might be time for an intervention—or at least a talk about what’s going on in your life so that they can better understand how to help you through this.

Your drug use puts you in dangerous situations

You may find yourself in compromising situations because of your drug use.

In these situations, you might drive while under the influence, or put your health at risk by sharing needles. You could also have problems paying bills and taking care of other responsibilities.

These behaviors can lead to serious health consequences beyond the risks of opioid addiction itself. For example, driving under the influence increases your risk of motor vehicle accidents and injuries. Sharing needles during injection drug use puts you at risk for contracting infectious diseases such as hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV/AIDS.

Your tolerance has increased so that you need more of the substance to get high.

Tolerance is when the body becomes accustomed to a drug and requires increasingly larger amounts of that substance to feel its intended effect. Therefore a user will often increase their dosage in order to continue feeling high. Tolerance can lead to addiction, which occurs when the substance becomes necessary for normal functioning because of physical or psychological dependence.

The following are signs that tolerance may develop:

  • The need for more of the drug than originally intended in order to feel its effects
  • Taking the substance more frequently or for longer periods of time than planned

You have withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop using opioids.

One sign of opioid addiction is that you have withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop using opioids.

These symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Muscle aches

Withdrawal symptoms are often the opposite of the effects the drug has on the body. For example, if an opioid makes you feel sleepy or tired, withdrawal from it can cause insomnia and agitation. Withdrawal from opioids can be severe and life-threatening. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, seek medical treatment immediately.

You continue using despite knowing it will cause problems.

It can be a harsh wake-up call to realize that you have a problem and, while your brain may already know this at some level, it may still feel like an insurmountable one. It’s hard to admit that you need help. But if you’re aware of the negative things happening in your life because of opioid use and yet continue using drugs anyway, then it is officially time to ask for help.

Unfortunately, there are people who will try to make excuses for their drug use or deny that there even is a problem. If this describes you (or someone you love), think about these questions: How important are these substances in my life? Do I think about them often? Do I avoid other things so I can do them instead? If my loved ones knew what was going on, would they be upset with me or proud of me? Am I in control of my use or am I controlled by it?

The answers to these questions may not be easy to face, but when you finally decide to get treatment, you’ll realize that this was an essential step towards recovery.

These are some signs that can show an unhealthy relationship with drugs.

some red flags that can give you a head start in spotting the signs.

  • You’ve stopped taking your medications as prescribed
  • Your boss or doctor has noticed that you’re not responding well to their advice after discussing your medication
  • You have more money than usual coming into your bank account each day, and you’re spending more than usual
  • When someone around you dies, you feel like they died because of drug use.

It’s important to get help if you think that you or someone else is struggling with drug abuse. The sooner drugs are a serious problem and addressed, the better it is for both the user and those around them.

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Healthy living tips you should know for summer in 2022

Everyone is looking forward to getting out and about during the summer. Many people don’t realize that the laid-back days of summer are the perfect time for healthy living and beefing up your immune system.

Follow these tips if you’re looking to live healthy this summer and take full advantage of the health benefits summer brings.

Tip#1 – Add a Berry Boost To Your Diet :

You already know that eating right is essential to being healthy, and there are many, many ways to do it out there. From air fryer recipes so you can still enjoy the taste of fried food without the unhealthy consequences to staying hydrated, there’s a lot to choose from.

If you’re looking for an added way to live healthy this summer, add a berry boost to your diet. A good mix of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries will give you a healthy boost in antioxidants if eaten every day. Not only are they good for you, but they’re a cool treat on a hot summer’s day.

Tip#2 – Excercise Daily :

Exercise Outside After being cooped up all winter, it’s a great idea to get out and about. Get some summer sunshine. Even if it’s just taking a walk around the block in the mornings and after dinner. You feel much happier and healthier when the day is done. Pick one activity to do daily, whether it’s walking, hiking, or swimming, and alternate if you get bored. Of course, you can still go to your group exercise classes weekly; just get out and have fun in the sun at the same time.

Tip#3 – Stay Vaccinated:

Stay Up to Date on Vaccines Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that Covid can’t rear its ugly head. So if you haven’t gotten the vaccine, do it now, or if you have and are due for a booster shot, don’t skip it just because the sun is shining and you feel fine. The booster doesn’t last as long as you think, and you can still get sick with Covid or the variant, especially when you’re traveling on vacation and around a bunch of other people. Taking that long overdue vacation this summer will help you unwind, and it might just save your life.

Tip#4 – Sleep Well:

Sleep well along with the sunny days of summer, you get long hours of daylight. But unfortunately, that’s not the best idea if you want to stay healthy. Instead, keep your normal bedtime and normal wake-up time. Remember not to drink alcoholic drinks within three hours of your bedtime. It’s also best to avoid taking naps during the day if you want to sleep well at night.


Final Thoughts:

These are just a few tips for a healthy living during the summer to come. But remember, even being out in the sun and active will not keep you healthy if you don’t take care of yourself.

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Everything you need to know about stress: management & prevention

Stress can come in many forms, some of which are quite stealthy and sneak up on you before you even realize it. It may be too late by then to take action to defend yourself against stress. What you need now is to focus on relieving the stress that has already hit you. Try these tips to see if you can let go of some stress today and remember what peace feels like.

Techniques to reduce stress

A great way to reduce stress is not to sweat the small stuff. You have probably heard that before many times because it is true. People with high-stress levels tend to get upset about trivial things more often than people with low-stress levels. Sometimes it is best to step away from a situation and think about whether it is worth getting upset over.

1.Make a list to remember things:

Use lists for remembering things instead of depending only on your memory to give yourself a little bit of a break throughout the day. When we are overwhelmed with stress it’s harder to remember everything we need to take care of, so prepare for all that your day holds by making a list. Not only will the lack of having to recall details spare you stress but it will save you time as well!

2. Do excercise daily:

In order to keep your stress level under control, it would be wise to make sure that you get a regular amount of exercise. This is important because exercise releases chemicals that work as natural tension release agents. As little as a half-hour a day, a few times a week is enough.

3. Meditation:

A fantastic way to help you keep your stress levels down is to meditate. There are many different ways to meditate. Meditation is great because it helps you forget about all of your worries for the moment. You’ll be able to think more clearly just by meditating a little bit each day. Download digital health application on your phone to help yourself in this

4. Save your time:

Making duplicate keys and keeping them in safe places will give you one less thing to stress about! Being locked out of your home or car can ruin your entire day so think ahead and have a few spares made and stored wisely to avoid being stuck. These easy tricks will save you time and save the stress of having to worry about it!

5. Engage yourself in healthy activities:

A great tip that can help you keep your stress down is to draw or paint something. Drawing and painting are great ways to fight stress because you focus on being creative. It’s a great way to keep your mind off of certain things and you’ll also have some art to show off.

6. Breathe your emotions out:

When you are feeling overwhelmed and are dealing with a great deal of stress, it is important to learn how to breathe. Stress is most common with fears, sadness, and anger. When you feel any of these emotions, breathe and imagine you are breathing the emotions out of you. Awareness of what triggers stress is the first step to tackling it and breathing will ground you at the moment and make you aware of what you are feeling.

7. Focus on your diet:

A great way to deal with stress is to consider changing your diet. This is important because it is very possible that there is something in your diet that is directly responsible for your moods or feelings. Take a look at what you eat and consider changing it around to test and see if you feel any better.

8. Take a Hot Bath:

A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to take a hot bath. The hot water will make you feel relaxed and you’ll forget about all of your troubles. Taking a hot bath can help keep your stress in check and it’s something you can do every day.

9. Start drawing or painting :

If you have extra time to spare grab a pencil or pen and start drawing or doodling on a piece of paper. This will tap into your creative side and let your mind wander alleviating the stresses that you may have. Draw a picture or random designs to help feel better.

10. Listen good music:

If you can choose and listen to your own music at work, this can help you a lot. Listen to lower key music so that it can calm you. If you prefer upbeat music, stick to something that has happy lyrics and a fun tempo.

11. Stop overthinking:

A good tip that can help you fight stress is to not overanalyze things all the time. By overanalyzing everything that happens to you, you’ll never be able to enjoy a single moment of your life. Give your mind a rest by engaging in some kind of activity.

Conclusion:

Some say that all of us are born with a peaceful personality inside. See if you can get away for a day or two and go somewhere calm so that you can think about the problem objectively. Being stuck in the thick of a situation makes it difficult to see what a disconnected observer might find obvious. However, stress and other feelings, act like layers upon our calm souls. When you learn stress relief techniques, you are acquiring tools that allow you to let go of these stress layers so they do not accumulate over time and bury your true inner nature.