The line between substance abuse and drug dependence is defined by the role drugs play in your life.  Addiction and drug dependence occur when drugs become so important that you are willing to sacrifice your work, home and even family. Once your brain and body get used to the substances you are taking, you begin to require increasingly larger and more frequent doses in order to achieve the same effect.

​

     Drugs such as alcohol, opiates, and benzodiazepines often cause compulsive drug-seeking behaviors and affect self-control and judgment. These drugs are highly addictive and require a medical detoxification (detox) to cleanse the chemicals from your system. The severity of withdrawal symptoms such as chills, shakes, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and cravings can be reduced in detox with prescribed medications that can be slowly decreased over time.

     

     Sobriety can be described as a way of life that involves healthy relationships, communication, and personal growth.

Abstinence is stopping the use of all mood altering drugs, and must be the goal in working toward a life in recovery.

 

The Lawrence Wellness Center’s extended outpatient detox program provides the opportunity for our patients to comfortably work on the reasons behind their use in order to achieve long term sobriety.

      

DO I HAVE A PROBLEM?

​

Health and behavior

​

• Continuing to use drugs even though you have health problems that are affected or caused by your drug use

​

• Irritability, anger, hostility, fatigue, agitation, anxiety, depression, psychosis (seeing or hearing things that are not there), lack of coordination, difficulty concentrating

​

Financial and legal issues

​

• Paying bills late, collection agencies calling, inability to keep track of your money

​

• Being arrested, doing things that you would normally not do, such as stealing to obtain drugs

​

Employment or school

​

• Continuing to use drugs even though you realize your job or education is in jeopardy

​

• Missing work or school, or going in late due to drug use

​

Family and friends

​

• Feeling annoyed when other people comment on, or criticize your use of drugs

​

• Feeling remorse or guilt after using drugs

​

• Associating with questionable acquaintances or frequenting out of the ordinary locations to buy or use drugs

​

Social life

​

• Scheduling your day around using drugs

​

• Focusing recreational activities around obtaining drugs, using drugs, or recovering from drug use   

​

• Using drugs when alone

​

DRUG OR ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE: 

 

Cravings and relapse

​

• Strong and overwhelming desire to use your drug of choice at a specific time of day or several times a day

​

• Drug seeking behaviors

​

• Trying to stop using the drug but failing more than once

​

• Feeling that you must have the drug to deal with your problems

​

Tolerance

​

• In order to feel the same effect, using more of the drug than intended and using the drug more frequently

​

Withdrawal symptoms

​

• Alcohol: Agitation, insomnia, anxiety, depression, anger, cravings, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shakes, irritability, muscle pain

​

• Benzodiazepines: Sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, feeling shaky, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, and in extreme cases, seizures

​

• Heroin: Dilated pupils, goose bumps, watery eyes, runny nose,  yawning, chills, nausea, muscle cramps, stomach cramps,  diarrhea, vomiting, shakes, sweats, feeling jittery, irritable, panic, tremors.

​

​