Natural disasters are some of the most harrowing experiences that can happen to people. They’re frightening, unpredictable, and they come with a lot of stress. Many people will turn to alcohol or drugs during these times as a coping mechanism for their distress, but it’s important to remember that this is usually not the best idea. A luxury drug rehab will have addiction recovery programs that often include steps for staying sober during natural disasters.

Keep Yourself Busy

Staying busy is a great way to prevent addiction from resurfacing, because it gives your mind something else to focus on other than the stress and discomfort that comes with natural disasters. If you’re not staying busy, it’s easy for addiction thoughts and memories to sneak up and take over your mindset.

Stay Sober During Natural Disaster

Get Rid of All Temptation

If you want to make sure addiction doesn’t rear its head during this time, it’s important to get rid of anything that could trigger addiction cravings, especially if you must remain home for a long period of time due to a natural disaster. This may mean getting rid of alcohol or other substances in your home if they are associated with addiction triggers. It may also mean doing what you can to avoid places where drugs and alcohol were once enjoyed in the past.

Stay Sober During Natural Disaster

Spend Your Time Helping Others Who Are in Need

If thoughts are overwhelming, it is best to take proactive or productive action. Serving others is a healthy way of focusing on something else. This can help you feel proud. Serving others is the best way to stay sane during a crisis. You can help someone in your own home, a friend, or someone in the community.

Stay Sober During Natural Disaster

Don’t Turn to Self-Medication

Don’t turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms when dealing with stress during natural disasters. For example, don’t overeat or try to cope by smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol if you’re trying to stay sober. These kinds of unhealthy behaviors can lead to addiction triggers, addiction cravings, and addiction relapse.

Stay Sober During Natural Disaster

Don’t Ignore Your Trauma or Triggers

Once the initial danger is gone and the shock has subsided, it’s time to recognize the difficulties you have been through. You should be honest about your emotions. Allow yourself to feel happy, sad, indifferent, or any other emotion. You can feel whatever you want. It is crucial to address trauma when it happens so it doesn’t become PTSD.

Self-Care is Key

Food, water, and other necessities might be limited or unavailable during or after a natural disaster. It is recommended that you live a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy, exercising, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule. You should also avoid reading or watching any triggering content, such as the news, when you feel you may relapse. Do not be afraid to seek help, such as one-on-one therapy or group therapy, to talk through your emotions. You can even create a gratitude list. 

Stay Sober During Natural Disaster

Conclusion

Addiction recovery doesn’t have to be hard. All you need is the willingness to get help for your substance abuse, the ability to access addiction resources near you, and several key steps that will keep your sobriety intact during natural disasters.

DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TEENAGERS

Research has shown that drugs have become more potent over time. Also, there is increased accesses to these drugs making them ubiquitous. What was considered safe and neutral grounds in the past, like schools and colleges, have not been spared either. In fact, the most common drugs abused by teenagers can be easily accessed from their homes. They include prescription drugs and alcohol. Studies have shown that most teenagers are subjected to different drugs at the average age of 12.

 

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMONLY ABUSED DRUGS BY TEENAGERS?

 

Most drugs available to teens come in their natural and synthetic forms. While some of these drugs have been in existence for a very long time now, it seems like new drugs keep popping up as the years go by. If you visit a treatment center today, you will be surprised by the numerous number of times they find themselves dealing with a drug they have no knowledge of. However, the most common drugs abused by teenagers include:

 

• Cocaine

• Heroin

• Inhalants

• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

• Marijuana

• Synthetic Marijuana

• Ecstasy (Molly)

 

When it comes to prescription drugs, the ones most commonly abused by teens include:

 

• Xanax

• Ritalin

• Vicodin

• Adderall

• Ambien

• Oxycodone

• Codeine

 

Out of all these drugs, the most commonly used among teenagers is marijuana and alcohol. Studies have shown that while the use of illicit drugs has waned among teenagers over the years, marijuana use has surpassed regular cigarette use.

The increased demand for these drugs has made most teenagers susceptible to the use of adulterated drugs. This is because a majority of the drug dealers and pushers lace the drugs with substances meant to improve the potency levels so they can keep up with the demand. This can have a devastating effect on anyone who uses these drugs.

 

CAUSES OF DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG TEENS

There is no clear indication as to why some teenagers fall into drug and substance abuse. However, there are a number of factors that have been proven to increase the likelihood of them using and abusing drugs. They include:

 

• Abusive parents

• Lack of parental involvement

• Mental or emotional strain

• Traumatic events

• Poverty

• Environment

• Genetics

• Peer pressure

 

Research has also shown that drug and substance abuse is more prevalent in men than it is in women. The gap, however, is not that huge. A child or teenager who grows up in an environment where drug use is rampant is more likely to start using drugs destroying their minds. There has also been an increase in drug and substance abuse among teenagers who attend affluent and upper-class schools. This is because of the availability of disposable income, coupled with, often, absentee or disengaged parents.

 

EFFECTS OF DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TEENAGERS

 

Drug and substance abuse can have detrimental effects on a teenager’s life. The level of addiction is based on the type of drug being abused. Many a time, teens will feel like they are unvanquishable and immune to the dangers posed by drugs, but that is never the case. Teenagers who engage in drug and substance abuse are prone to the following risks:

 

•Becoming ill or serious injuries

• Being kicked out of school

• Job loss or difficulty finding employment

• Acquiring financial debt

• Serving time in jails or prisons

• Loss of pregnancy or birth defects

• Becoming a degenerate

• Contracting sexually-transmitted diseases

• Overdose

• Death

 

HOW TO TREAT DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

 

Under the right conditions, a person suffering from drug and substance abuse can be treated. Most teenagers fall into this kind of life because of an acquired behavioral problem. However, if the cause of the problem is ingrained and biological, the recovery process can be difficult. There are quite a number of traits that can tell you if a person is strung-out. They include: trouble at school or work, financial problems, change in hygiene, and lying, among others.

 

The first step is to help the person in getting help. There are helping clinics all across the country that have qualified staff to help treat drug addiction, properly. Some of the most common available treatment options in most of these centers include counseling and therapy. Just because someone is a drug addict doesn’t mean that they can’t turn their life around. They can be helped.