There are different methods utilized in substance abuse counseling to bring about positive moral change in an addict. Probably one of the most commonly used is the Twelve Step approach practiced by the Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous groups.

In this method, steps 4 and 5 and steps 8 and 9 deal with life inventory of the wrong deeds done and who was affected by them. In addition to

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                              "Guilt": The Third Barrier to Successful Recovery

The third and final barrier to recovery from addiction is guilt. Guilt acts as another strap in the harness that keeps the addict trapped in his addiction.

An addict is filled with guilt. He feels guilty because he has lost his integrity; he has become a dishonest person and consequently loses his self-esteem. For any

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                         The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction

"Depression": The Second Barrier to Successful Recover        

Depression is another factor that keeps an addict harnessed in his addiction Depression is the source of a constant and significant amount of discomfort that prompts continued use. It is also the second major barrier to successful recovery for those seeking help

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                       The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction

"Cravings": The First Barrier to Successful Recovery

The first challenge for any addict wishing to kick his addiction is overcoming the mental and physical cravings for drugs or alcohol. Cravings are strong, uncontrollable urges to use drugs or alcohol that drive the addict to once again use addictive substances.

To get an idea of what

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There is volumes of information and science avaialbe on the subject of drug addictions its causes and cures.  There are multiple philososphies on how addiction comes into being and how to overcome it.  For those addicted to drugs it gets to be pretty hard to decide what program and what addicition philosophy to buy into when looking for help.  So how does one steer through the massive amount of

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Seeking to remove unapproved prescription drugs from the market place, the Food and Drug Administartation on March 31st ordered nine companies to stop manufacturing narcotics whose theraputic claims have not been proved. 

The FDA's warning letter notified the companies they may be subject to legal action if they do not stop manufacturing and distributing "prescription unapproved products"that

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If you have been struggeling with an alcohol problem or have fallen into prescription pain killer or other prescription med abuse.  If you had a heroin problem and are now trapped with a methadone habit or your abusing methamphetamins, cocaine or any drug for that matter and you have made it through the holidays the time to get help is now.

Maybe you have never been through rehab before or maybe

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I think most people will agree that the media has a great influence over us and  how it molds the way we act and feel about many issues.

Take the subject of drug addcition.  Going back to President Lyndon Baines Johnson every president since has had their administrative plan of attack and subsquent war on the drug problem.  Despite the billions and billions of dollars that the government has

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If you are a parent of a teenager(s), I strongly suggest you read this year's "Back-To-School-Survey", sponsored by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, (CASA) at Columbia University (http://www.casacolumbia.org/). 

This survey sends a pretty strong message to parents of teens to wake up and smell the coffee in regard to your children and their chances of becommig drug abusers in

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After 30 plus years of working in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation and prevention field I thought that there wasn't much that could shock me anymore on the subject.  Well I was way wrong.   I just finished reading the 13th Annual "back-to-school survey" entitled The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse- Teens and Parents, conducted by the folks at the National Center on

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