ALCOHOL & DRUG ADDICTION
Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol Recovery
Question & Answers about Alcohols
What you should know about Alcohol
Drug Addiction
Parents of drug abusers
What you should know about Heroin & Opiates
What you should know about Marijuana
Tobacco Addition
Gambling Addition
Quick Links for more information:
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Alcoholics Anonymous
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Al-Anon/Alateen or call toll-free
1 888 4AL-ANON (1 888 425-2666) between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
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Al-Anon and
Alateen are organizations for friends and families of alcoholics (and other addictions).
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Al-Anon meets at Asbury Methodist Church every Tuesday (8:00 PM, room 9), Wednesday (10:30
AM, room 21) and Saturday (8:00 PM, room 9)
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Alateen meets at Asbury Methodist Church every Tuesday and Saturday at 8:00 PM in room 19-20
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Designed for friends and family of problem drinkers.
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The Christian Recovery Connection or toll-free
1 800 310-3001.
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Central Florida Helpline or
407-740-7477 -
24 hours a day
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Teen Talk Hot Line 407-740 8255 or
407-740 TALK
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Local Crisis Centers:
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Celebrate Recovery -
The purpose of
Celebrate Recovery
is to encourage fellowship and to celebrate God's healing power in our
lives as we work our way along the road to recovery.
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Members of Asbury contact your Ministers:
(Click on their picture to send them an E-Mail or call
407-644-5222.
Note: This is the church office number and may not be answered after office hours.
Pastor Scott
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Pastor Brian
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A.A. RECOVERY
www.aarecovery.com Whether you are an alcoholic trying to face your addiction or already in recovery, this is a solid source for information and support. Filled with personal stories
and words of encouragement, this site offers help for anyone battling an addiction to the bottle. links and chat rooms, including a voice chat and a cheery clubhouse, put visitors in touch with other recovering alcoholics. Bottom Line: The site for recovering alcoholics on the Internet.
Q & A
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Asbury United Methodist Church
AA - Tuesday & Saturday
Al-Anon - Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday
Alateen - Tuesday & Saturday
Celebrate Recovery - Friday
Evening |
What you should know about alcohol
Alcohol is without doubt America's most abused drug. Witness the devastation: alcoholism has become America's third largest health problem (behind only heart disease and cancer); kills more people than any known drug (besides contributing to many suicides); and afflicts an estimated ten million Americans. The journal of the American Medical Association points out that 97% of all alcoholics inhabit our offices, factories or schools. And finally, adolescent use continues to increase.
Because alcohol is legal and easy to purchase, up to 93% of American teenagers have at least tried it. In turn, the drug kills more youths than anything else and causes 50% of all auto accidents. A national watchdog group reports that 3.3 million Americans between ages 14 and 17 are alcoholics - one in nine teens! Most of them began with their parents' alcohol stock at home. Many have no idea that one can of beer contains as much alcohol as a glass of wine or shot of whiskey.
Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, which in turn impairs coordination, judgment and reflexes, causes hallucinations, inappropriate behavior and harmful withdrawal symptoms. It impairs memory, damages internal organs and can kill or damage a fetus through fetal alcohol syndrome.
Symptoms
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Odor on the breath and heavy use of breath fresheners
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Droopy eyelids, glazed eyes which have trouble focusing
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Unusually passive or aggressive behavior
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Poor physical coordination or uncooperativeness
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Absenteeism or poor job performance
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Change in peer groups or trouble relating with others
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Loss of memory (blackouts)
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Depression and confusion
Courtesy of Rapha, Caring for people ... God's way.
National Headquarters - 8876 Gulf Freeway, Suite 340
Houston, Texas 77017
1 800 227-2657
Drug Addition
Quick Links for more information:
Q & A
Where can I get more information about addictions?
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Asbury United Methodist Church
AA - Tuesday & Saturday
Al-Anon - Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday
Alateen - Tuesday & Saturday
Celebrate Recovery - Friday
Evening |
Parents of Drug Abusers
THE ANTI-DRUG
www.theantidrug.com
This fact-filled, multicultural site features tips in six languages to help parents keep their kids drug free. The site promotes caring and conversation, offering tips on how parents can be role models and stay involved in the lives of their children. It also gives excellent drug descriptions so that parents know what to look for if they suspect a child is using drugs. Although the site doesn't offer advice if a parent confirms that a child is using, it offers links to sites that do.
BOTTOM LINE: A good site to check out before kids are exposed to drugs.
What you should know about Heroin & Opiates
This longtime staple of hardcore addicts shows signs of a comeback. A semi-synthetic derivative of morphine, heroin is a white or brown powder usually made by scraping the residue of poppies, boiling the gum into opium, and extracting the morphine through simple, inexpensive laboratories. This major narcotic has no medical use and depresses the central nervous system. It is three times more potent than morphine and much more addictive.
Although most opiates can be taken orally or smoked, most abusers inject a mixture diluted with water. The use of needles signals serious abuse and often involves contamination that could result in AIDS, hepatitis, or death from overdose. Since purity is difficult to determine, potency and effects are unpredictable. Often the added ingredients used to "cut" the heroin have debilitating physical effects.
Known on the streets as "H," "horse," "junk," smack" or "scag," this drug is often a mixture of heroin and sugar, talcum powder, Epsom salts, soap powder and even strychnine. Other opiates include opium, morphine, codeine and methadone, which are used medically in a variety of ways. They are among the most addictive drugs known and generally cause painful withdrawal symptoms because of the strong tolerance the body develops to them. They work on the respiratory center of the brain and reduce feelings of hunger, thirst, pain and sexual desire, while causing shallow breathing.
Physical and Mental Effects
Heroin and other opiates act as a depressant that impairs coordination, judgment, self-control, and causes a variety of physical abnormalities. Common signs of a user include euphoric-type behavior, a dazed look, needle scars, excessive nodding and itchy skin. A few seconds after shooting up, the face flushes, pupils constrict and a tingling feeling in the abdomen leads to euphoria (being "fixed"). Later the addict feels drowsy and will drift off into daydreaming accompanied by sleepiness or listlessness ("nodding"). The effects usually wear off in three to four hours.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Opiate withdrawal is probably one of the most misunderstood areas of drug abuse because of frequent sensationalizing in the movies. Even at its worst, heroin withdrawal is not as dangerous or as terrifying as withdrawal from barbiturates or alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, but heroin or opiate withdrawal is almost never fatal. Often, withdrawal symptoms result in addicts becoming convinced of their need for treatment.
The first stage of opiate withdrawal is restlessness and agitation. Profuse and violent yawning follow, along with restlessness. Then come chills, occasional hot flashes, and short jerky breathing. Meanwhile, large goosebumps appear on the skin, giving the appearance of plucked poultry (hence the term "cold turkey"). Drowsiness and deep sleep follow for up to 12 hours. After awakening, the user will experience flu-like symptoms including cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, plus muscle twitches, shaking and limb convulsion (where the term "kicking the habit" comes from). Profuse sweating commonly sets in, and the symptoms gradually decrease until they disappear. Professional Help Is Needed!
Heroin and opiate addiction requires immediate in-hospital treatment followed by strong aftercare and support group programs. Family members are urged to intervene and begin the admission process without delay.
Courtesy of Rapha, Caring for people ... God's way.
National Headquarters - 8876 Gulf Freeway, Suite 340
Houston, Texas 77017
1 800 227-2657
What you should know about marijuana
The "feel good" generation of the '60s introduced America to what they considered a safe drug marijuana. But evidence now shows it to be a psychoactive chemical (THC) that is anything but safe. "Pot," "grass" or "weed" has increased in potency up to 10 times since the early '70s
Adverse Reactions
After using marijuana, some people feel silly, easily amused, dreamy, relaxed, talkative, withdrawn, confused, depressed or anxious. With the use of hashish (resin from leaves and flowers of the plant pressed into cakes), THC potency can increase an additional five to ten times. Street product is often laced with dangerous chemicals like PCP.
Immediate physical effects of marijuana include increased heartbeat, bloodshot eyes, lung damage and a dry mouth or throat. It can impair or reduce short-term memory, alter sense of time, reduce concentration and affect coordination skills required for driving.
Heavy use has been shown to change the way a person thinks, learns and behaves. It further interferes with several important brain activities, causing mood swings, lowering motivation, blocking memory and frustrating attempts to learn and make decisions. It can also decrease fertility.
A common bad reaction is the "acute panic reaction," described as an extreme fear of "losing control" for a few hours. Long-term users report becoming psychologically dependent and have trouble limiting their use due to rapidly developing tolerance. Most importantly, marijuana is the most common "gateway" drug, opening the doors for other hard core substances.
How To Recognize Usage
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Finding seeds in a pocket, unused cigarette papers, or small pipes
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Poor grades, withdrawal from family activities
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A new, more undesirable peer group
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Radical change in appearance and dress, eating and sleeping habits
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Having the "munchies" and craving sweets
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Severe mood swings and defensiveness
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Sexual promiscuity
What Not To Do
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Don't make or accept excuses.
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Don't blame yourself or take it personally if they blame you.
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Don't be judgmental or critical in a demeaning way
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Don't ignore the warning signs.
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Don't delay in getting help.
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Don't let shame keep you from confronting the problem.
What To Do
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Educate yourself and follow your intuition.
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Communicate openly with your family members and talk about their behavior in an open, honest and calm manner.
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Recognize your own codependency issues.
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Accept the truth of the facts.
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It can happen in your family, even if you are Christian.
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Talk to their school counselor or a professional counselor to set up an assessment of the situation.
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Promptly seek a professional, Christ-centered treatment program.
Courtesy of Rapha, Caring for people ... God's way.
National Headquarters - 8876 Gulf Freeway, Suite 340
Houston, Texas 77017
1 800 227-2657
Tobacco Addition
NICOTINE ANONYMOUS
www.nicotine-anonymous.org
Based on other 12-step programs, this site follows the basic self-help tenet that you can curb your addiction through self discipline and encouragement. Not only a site for smokers, it offers practical tips for users of chewing tobacco, along with reams of information on the dangers of nicotine. There's also a section on how to start your own chapter of Nicotine Anonymous.
BOTTOM LINE:
Good support for nicotine addicts serious about quitting
ADDICTION RESOURCE GUIDE
www.addictionresourceguide.com
Facing an addiction can be difficult, but when you're ready to take a step toward recovery; this is an excellent place to look for help. With state-by-state listings of professionals and treatment facilities, this is an essential guide. You can find information on gambling alcoholism, eating disorders and drug problems. You can also find links to self help resources and intervention programs.
BOTTOM LINE: Essential guide to addiction recovery information.
Gambling Addiction
GAM-ANON.ORG
www.gam-anon.org
Here, gamblers and their families will find information on the causes of compulsive gambling and suggestions on how to deal with that obsession. Besides background on the addiction, there's a section that lists meeting times and places by state; hotline numbers are posted where available. There's also a questionnaire that helps family members determine if they are living with a compulsive gambler.
BOTTOM LINE: Get help with a gambling addiction.
Crisis Help -
Asbury UMC provides these pages as a service & is not responsible for any information contained on any linked page. The contents of these linked pages are the sole responsibility of the provider.
Revised:
May 11, 2009 |
