Seeking Addiction Treatment While Pregnant

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Using Drugs and Alcohol While Pregnant Can Be Damaging to Mother and Baby

The impacts of drug and alcohol addiction can have serious side effects and implications on a person’s overall health and well-being. As you engage in alcohol or drug abuse, there are serious impacts to a person’s physical health including damage to specific organs such as the liver, kidneys, and heart, Substance abuse can significantly impact a person’s immune system and overall physical functioning of the longer your addictive behaviors continue. Drugs and alcohol can create severe physical dependencies within users that can lead a person to experience mild to severe withdrawal symptoms that can significantly impact their day-to-day functioning and create a vicious cycle of addiction as they attempt to drink to mitigate and manage the onset of withdrawal symptoms. 

Although addiction can have significant impacts on a person, when you are pregnant and living with an active addiction, the impacts can be devastating for the mother and baby. During pregnancy, the health of the mother is crucial for the proper development and health of the unborn baby. While a mother is pregnant, it is important for the baby’s health that the mother is getting proper nutrition, nutrients, and sleep for the fetus to grow and develop. Engaging in substance abuse can cause a baby to have a deficiency in the essential nutrients and vitamins that will promote positive fetal development. There are increased risks for pregnant women to have full-term pregnancies while engaging in substance abuse as some women may experience premature births or, in some cases, there may be birth defects due to exposure to drugs or alcohol. Infants are at risk of having low birth weights, having a small head circumference, and, in some cases, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or babies being born stillbirth. . Depending on the severity of your substance abuse and specific drugs or alcohol use that you engage in, there is an increased risk for a baby to be exposed to these substances leading to the baby being born addicted to those substances from birth. This can be damaging to the child’s first moments of life as they will need to endure withdrawal symptoms upon birth that can be difficult for a newborn to move through. Although there are potential risks for pregnant women and babies, there are treatments available that are safe for the mother and the baby that will maintain safety for both mother and child while offering effective forms of treatment that will alleviate the physical dependence on drugs and alcohol. Pregnant women and their babies will be able to restore their health and facilitate a healthy birth and new life for the infant. 

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The Dangers and Effects of Binge Drinking: What to Know

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effects of binge drinking

What is the Definition of Binge Drinking?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is defined as “a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent or higher.” For most women, this pattern of alcohol abuse corresponds to drinking four or more drinks in two hours. For men, it’s five or more alcoholic drinks in two hours. Studies show that fewer drinks in the same timeframe results in the same blood alcohol concentration in youth with only three drinks for girls and three-to-five drinks for boys, depending on their age and size. The effects of binge drinking in adolescence can impact the brain development of youth. Research shows that repeated binge drinking during the teen years can alter brain development and cause lingering deficits in social, attention, memory, and other cognitive functions. 

Research from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) shows that binge drinking is the most common and costly pattern of excessive drinking in the U.S. While most people who binge drink are not dependent on alcohol, binge drinking is associated with serious injuries and diseases, as well as a higher risk of alcohol use disorder. 

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How Does Co-Occurring (Dual Diagnosis) Treatment Work?

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What is a Co-Occurring Disorder (Dual Diagnosis)?

When you are in the midst of an active addiction, it can feel like an uphill battle. While you know that your substance abuse has become a growing concern and recognize the impacts that it has had on your life, the stronghold of drugs and alcohol keeps you in a constant cycle of substance abuse, and want to seek help to overcome it creating an inner battle within yourself leading many to feel alone in how to safely and effectively heal from the impacts of addiction. Similarly living with an ongoing mental health or behavioral health condition can have similar impacts on a person without the proper treatment and coping strategies. The symptoms and side effects of mental health disorders can be debilitating for those who are not provided with essential treatments for mental health and develop healthy methods of managing and coping with symptoms. 

There are a large number of Americans who are facing both struggles with substance use disorder and mental health conditions at the same time. Experiencing the negative impacts of both of these conditions can present challenges and difficulties in the ability to maintain daily functioning leading many to feel as though there is little hope of finding balance within their life again. However, there is support available through specific methods of treatment that will ensure that you are able to put your history of substance abuse in the past while also gaining the ability to develop effective tools to manage any presenting side effects of your mental health condition allowing you to have balance and stability within your life. 

A dual diagnosis is a form of treatment that focuses on supporting individuals in addressing and healing from the underlying causes of their addictive behaviors while also placing a focus on treating their mental health concerns. In order to undergo treatment for a dual diagnosis, requires a complex and comprehensive approach that understands the intricate workings and impacts of both disorders. Often those living with a dual diagnosis will experience a cycle of substance abuse and worsening symptoms of mental health that both tend to exacerbate the severity of each other. With the support of a dual diagnosis treatment center, patients are able to receive the appropriate levels of care for both co-occurring disorders all within the same recovery facility. This has historically not been so widely available with many having to attend addiction treatment first without having access to appropriate mental health conditions. That created barriers to patients’ success in their recovery journey which is why the progression and availability of dual-diagnosis treatment centers have allowed patients to have a holistic healing experience that focuses on health, sobriety, balance, and stability. A dual-diagnosis treatment center invites patients to develop the skills and coping tools that will support them in creating a new lifestyle that fosters sobriety and optimal mental health management. 

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Inpatient vs. Outpatient Drug Treatment: How to Choose the Right Option

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If you’re considering seeking treatment for drug and alcohol use and aren’t sure if you should choose inpatient or outpatient drug treatment you’ve come to the right place. A multitude of factors will influence your decision, find out more about drug treatment programs and how they can fit into your life below.

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Meth Withdrawal Timeline: How Long Do Symptoms Last?

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how long do meth withdrawal symptoms last

One of the main questions many people have when considering quitting meth is “How long do meth withdrawal symptoms last?”. Of course, this is an important consideration, but with the right support and care inside a professional and safe medical detox program, you will get through the short detox period without having to suffer unnecessary pain and mental health issues.

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How to Stay Sober on New Year’s Eve

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How to Stay Sober During New Year’s Eve

The New Year is a time of great excitement, celebration, and reflection. However, if you have struggled with addiction at any point in your life, you should always have a keen focus on having a sober New Year’s eve. This is something that can be challenging for many people, particularly if they are new to the premise of being sober. However, there are several ways to set yourself up for success regardless of whether you plan to spend the night in or enjoy a night out with friends. 

First and foremost, it’s critical that you surround yourself with people who will always have your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, when you are around people actively drinking or doing drugs, you put yourself in a position where you may be more prone to partake in this activity with them. Therefore, making sure that you’re around sober individuals who truly care about you is a great way to start the new year. 

It’s also just as important to have a plan to maintain your sobriety throughout the night. For example, if you are going out, you may want to plan to go to an AA or NA meeting first so that you can be around people who will reinforce the same values that you have when it comes to remaining sober. One of the great things about NA and AA meetings is that they occur at nearly any time throughout the day or night, seven days a week. In fact, there are some areas that offer additional meetings during the holidays due in large part to the fact that this can be a challenging time of year for many people. There are many virtual NA or AA meetings, making it much easier for you to log into a meeting when you truly need it. 

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Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms: A Timeline

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What is Xanax?

Struggling with addiction is something that is challenging for any person at any age. Anxiety can make you feel as though you have absolutely no control over what is going on in your head or with your body. Some people, are able to find ways in their life that can help them to work through or overcome their anxiety. However, for many other people, their anxiety is so severe that they need medication to help them manage it. While there are several benefits of incorporating a medication such as Xanax into your daily routine to help you to manage your anxiety, it’s important to remember that there are also several drawbacks of it as well including the fact that there is a possibility that you could develop an addiction to this substance. 

If you suspect that you or a loved one may be suffering from an addiction to Xanax, the best thing that you can do is to reach out for help. At TruPath, our team of addiction experts is here to help you to address your Xanax addiction on a holistic level. Taking this personalized treatment approach will help you to not only work through your addiction but help you to remain sober going forward. 

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Celebrities Who Don’t Drink Alcohol

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celebrities who don't drink alcohol

Are A Lot of Celebrities in Recovery?

There are numerous people around the world who put celebrities up on a pedestal. They mistakenly believe that since celebrities have an abundance of money and people who love them, they don’t struggle with many of the issues that a “normal” person would have to face. The reality is that, in many ways, celebrities are just like us. There is always the possibility that a celebrity could fall prey to the trap of addiction, which is one of the reasons why many celebrities don’t drink. Deciding not to drink is something that has not only saved their career but it’s also something that has saved their physical and mental health. 

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What Happens If You Get Caught With Fentanyl?

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What Happens If You Get Caught With Fentanyl? 

Did you know that being in possession of fentanyl is against the law? Unfortunately, there are numerous people throughout the country who are arrested every day as a result of fentanyl possession. But what actually happens when you get caught with fentanyl? This is greatly dependent on the situation. In some cases, depending on the amount that you have in your possession, there is a strong possibility that you may be incarcerated. This fear, alone, is something that may scare a person into changing their life and getting the help and the care that they or need to overcome their fentanyl addiction and get the help and the care that they need.

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Telltale Signs of Cocaine Use

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8 Signs of Cocaine Use and Addiction

The signs of cocaine use are something that can come in many different shapes and forms due to the fact that cocaine addiction is something that impacts every person differently. There are many people who are unable to hide their addiction, which is something that can make cocaine abuse more telling. There are many other people who are able to hide their addiction, which is one of the reasons why it becomes part of normal life.

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