Spotting the Signs of Cocaine Abuse

photo of a Junkie woman with cocaine abuse problem snorting cocaine powder with rolled banknote on black background

Cocaine begins affecting your brain in a matter of seconds – whether it’s snorted, smoked or injected into the bloodstream. And while the high is short-lived – typically ranging from five to 30 minutes – the physical and mental damage is lasting. Chronic, long-term use can result in everything from nosebleeds to complete psychosis to permanent lung damage – and, of course, death.

What to look for in your loved one’s appearance:

  • Dilated pupils
  • Frequent runny nose
  • Frequent nosebleeds
  • Lost sense of smell
  • Track marks
  • Burned lips or fingers
  • Weight loss
  • Jaw clenching
  • Profuse sweating
  • Tremors and muscle twitches
  • Headaches
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased body temperature

What to look for in your loved one’s behavior:

  • Odd sleeping patterns (A person addicted to cocaine can go a few days with no sleep.)
  • Seeming dispersed/not being able to concentrate
  • Restless or fidgety
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Lack of motivation
  • Paranoia
  • Extreme happiness and energy
  • Overconfidence
  • Aggressiveness
  • Irritability
  • Poor judgment
  • Delusions
  • Mood swings
  • Paranoia
  • Distrustful of other’s intentions
  • Feelings of rage and/or hatred
  • Antagonistic behaviors toward others
  • Defensiveness
  • Fearful

Since cocaine is a pretty expensive habit, you might also take note if someone you love starts experiencing money troubles, steals or begins asking you for money. The bottom line: The best thing you can do is to get help right away.

10 Acre Ranch Rehabilitation for Cocaine Addiction
It’s extremely difficult to stop abusing cocaine without professional help. An addiction to cocaine impacts nearly all aspects of life, from physical and mental health to family life to finances. At 10 Acre, we’ll help you or someone you love begin the journey of recovery surrounded by a caring community. To learn more about our holistic treatment approach, call today: 877-228-4679.

Addiction Recovery, Hope and Purpose

Friends funny dance on the beach under sunset sunlight

It’s nearly July already, and hopefully your summer is going smoothly. Perhaps you are finding yourself with some extra free time that will allow you to get outside a bit more than usual. One of the greatest parts about summers in Recovery is that you are afforded an opportunity to spend time with your higher power outdoors. Free from the constant noise of our technologically wired homes and apartments. Going to the beach or taking hikes with your addiction recovery peers is a wonderful opportunity to be grateful. I had one peer who was addicted to pornography from websites similar to https://www.nu-bay.com/ and he tells me getting away from technology has helped him in developing a healthier relationship between the two.

Even if you have not accrued years of clean and sober time, you are still able to appreciate the few gifts that recovery has afforded you. Just a couple months in the program can give you a new sense of purpose. Accompanied by the calm that comes from not having to worry about your next fix or drink. As you surely know, figuring out how you will afford your drug of choice or get away with it one more day is a great comfort.

In active addiction, we all spent an exorbitant amount of time and energy manipulating people and our surroundings. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, day in and day out. It could drive anyone to the brink of despair. An uphill battle that required all your attention and energy, just to wake up the next day and start the process all over. Perhaps over the course of your travels you came across Albert Camus’ “The Myth of Sysiphus?” Even if you haven’t, one need only read the first paragraph to spot the lot of the addict and alcoholic in Sysiphus:

“The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.”

Addiction Recovery is Hope and Purpose

While Camus’ short essay veers off into the theatre of philosophical absurdity, in the end Sisyphus finds himself happy with the task that the gods gave him. “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.”

The illustration of pushing the boulder is apt. In many ways, active addiction is a futile endeavor towards self-destruction. There aren’t any merits to slow suicide. A repetitive series of actions that strips you of your identity and casts you down to a living underworld. At some point, you no longer have the strength to push the boulder of addiction. One must either pivot towards recovery, or else. Conversely, addiction recovery is a series of repetitive movements that allows one to move, slowly, into the sunshine of the spirit. At times, you may feel like daily meetings and coffee sessions with your sponsor are both tedious and mundane. But, like the addiction boulder, the recovery boulder must be elevated each day. The difference is that your recovery is not futile, and your actions have purpose—saving your life.

The point, albeit in a somewhat roundabout way (no pun intended), is that there are ways to break up the monotony, and actually strengthen your relationship with your higher power. After you get to your daily meetings, take some time to embrace nature and all that is the natural world. Each day, try making a point to elevate your program to new heights, through prayer and meditation, perhaps. By doing so, the days where you find yourself struggling, may be fewer and farther between.

Independence Day Recovery

Next Tuesday is the 4th of July. A day that can be difficult for those who are working a program of recovery. Especially those of you who are new. Please make a point of having a plan in place. Avoid risky situations that might precipitate relapse. There will be meetings every hour of the day, and there isn’t a reason why you can’t go to several. There is a good chance that recovery BBQs will be going on, too. Try to attend, it is possible to have a lot fun in recovery. We are not a glum lot. Whether you have 24 hours or 24 years, we at 10 Acre Ranch wish everyone in recovery, a safe and sober Independence Day.

U-47700: China Bans Four Synthetic Drugs

Synthetic Marijuana Synthetic Drugs

When talking about synthetic drugs, one of two things should come to mind: Dangerous chemicals used to make bath salts or synthetic cannabis; or powerful opioids such as fentanyl, carfentanil, and U-47700. Regardless of which we are talking about, they all have two things in common. They are deadly and are made in China.

To be sure, it is a fact that the United States makes up a small percentage of the world population. We also have safeguards in place providing oversight to protect people from dangerous substances and that we have more oversight than most countries. Yet, the people of America have the highest demand for drugs, especially opioids. Americans use the clear majority of the world’s prescription opioid supply, a problem of epidemic proportions. The problem has grown arms in recent years, with addicts branching out to illicit opioids like heroin.

But they are not just doing heroin. In many cases, the powerful opioid analgesic fentanyl is introduced to batches of heroin. In other cases, an even more deadly animal tranquilizer known as carfentanil is present in heroin. Over the last year there has been talk about another designer opioid, dubbed U-47700. Also, known as “Pink.” And like fentanyl, is made in laboratories in China to be sold to drug cartels an ocean away.

Reining In China’s U-47700

Until recently, China was doing little to combat the flood of synthetic drugs being made within its borders. Due to pressure from foreign governments, like our own, China is finally making efforts to curb the problem. They have already banned a number of chemicals that were being used to make synthetic marijuana. Now, they are going after synthetic opioids, like U-47700. Pressure from America has led to China agreeing to ban U-47700, Stat News reports. This follows the DEA’s move last year to add Pink to the list of Schedule I controlled substances. Drugs that have no accepted medical use and “a high potential for abuse.”

As of July 1, 2017, four compounds will be added to China’s list of controlled substances, according to the article. Including:

  • U-47700
  • MT-45
  • PMMA
  • 4,4′-DMARbe

While this is promising news, we are still faced with the reality that chemists will be quick to alter the formula. Allowing them to skirt the bans put in place by both American and Chinese officials. A trend that Yu Haibin, a division director at the Ministry of Public Security’s Narcotics Control Bureau, realizes fully.

“My feeling is that it’s just like a race and I will never catch up with the criminals,” Yu told a news conference. “Actually, we just want to make a breakthrough in dealing with this.”

Playing With Fire

If you are buying compounds like U-47700 over the internet, please be advised that there is no telling how chemists will alter the formula. Nor the side effects that will result from such a change. Synthetic drugs are highly unpredictable. They are addictive and can be deadly.

If you feel that you might be addicted to synthetic drugs, please contact 10 Acre ranch today. We can help you break the cycle of addiction and set you on the path of recovery.

4 Reasons Why Men Should Meditate During Recovery

photo of a man in gray long sleeve shirt and white pants sitting on green grass field during morning meditating

With guys like Russell Simmons and Hugh Jackman touting its benefits, meditation is becoming more and more mainstream among the male population. In the recovery community, however, addiction experts and clients alike have long realized the perks of this incredible practice for men.

“Meditation not only assisted me in overcoming my addiction, but also made me acutely aware of the emotional and psychological obstacles I was so desperately trying to avoid. It helped me to transition my pain into progress, and for the first time in my life I was able to accept myself for who I truly was — flaws and all,” wrote Quentin Vennie, who overcame addiction, depression, and an anxiety disorder, in a recent article for MindBodyGreen.com.

Pretty powerful stuff from a seemingly simple practice – don’t you think? If you’re still skeptical, we have a few more reasons why meditation should be part of your every day and overall recovery plan.

  • You’ll sleep better. You likely know by now that insomnia and addiction are bedfellows. In fact, studies show that rates are five times higher among those within recovery than in the general public.
  • You’ll fend off depression. Unfortunately, many men struggling with chemical dependency are also dealing with depression – and if both conditions aren’t treated together, relapse is more likely.
  • You’ll feel less lonely. Loneliness is yet another emotion that men wrestle with along the journey toward sobriety. And not only does it impact your recovery, but one study says it’s as dangerous to your overall health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
  • You’ll better control your anger. For many men, anger management is a big challenge during recovery. When left unchecked, anger can become hazardous to your health and sobriety. In fact, many experts cite untamed feelings of anger as a major relapse trigger.

Meditate Your Way to Better Recovery
Our daily mediation sessions help our male clients begin the day with a calm and open mind. And this state of calm can be revisited during the darkest hours of addiction recovery. To learn more, call today: 877-228-4679.

Heroin Vaccine Shows Promise for Addiction

heroin spoon syringe

Alcohol and substance use disorders have no known cure. There is not a pill you can take that will rid you of addiction. There are programs that you can work that will enable you to abstain from use for long periods of time without the need of relapse. And if such programs are worked with vigilance and honesty, people can refrain from use for the rest of their lives.

There are, however, drugs that people can take to assist in abstaining from drug and alcohol use. Such as Antabuse, Acamprosate, Naltrexone and Buprenorphine. However, they will only mitigate the risk of a relapse. Antabuse will make alcoholics sick when they drink. Regarding buprenorphine, more commonly known as Suboxone, users are still taking a partial agonist opioid receptor modulator. Which causes euphoria. The point is that these drugs are not intended to cure addiction. They are meant to help people get on the road to recovery. And stay the course.

In the field of addiction medicine, we could easily argue that at no other time in our history has a vaccine for addiction been more needed. People are dying in scores every day of the week from opioid overdoses. Those who seek treatment for opioid use disorder have especially high relapse rates. And there is no indication that the reality we all find ourselves living in today is going to change. At least not anytime soon. Nevertheless, addiction researchers continue to search in earnest for one.

Heroin Vaccine On The Horizon

As we mentioned earlier, relapse rates among opioid addicts are particularly high. Thus, and so, the need to mitigate the risk of relapse without the use of other opioids like Methadone and Suboxone is great. Fortunately, researchers have been working on a vaccine that would block the euphoric feelings caused by opioid use, Live Science reports. By blocking the high, the vaccine will reduce people’s chance of becoming addicted in the first place and prevent those already addicted from relapsing.

“The vaccine sequesters the psychoactive molecules that heroin produces and prevents distribution to the brain,” said study first-author, Paul Bremer, a graduate student at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).”It essentially uses your body’s own natural defense to neutralize the drug.”

Rather than cure addiction, the vaccine mimics part of the heroin molecule, according to the article. Conditioning the immune system to treat heroin molecules as foreign bodies. Disabling heroin’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and thus preventing the high. Trials on monkeys have proven successful, the next step is clinical trials. If the vaccine works on humans, it could have huge implications for the future of opioid addiction in America. The researchers at TSRI are talking with biotech companies to develop a human clinical trial.

“I hope the vaccine will be useful in conjunction with other drugs,” said study leader Kim Janda, a chemistry professor at TSRI. “While there are treatments out there already, I think we need to look at other ways of fighting this problem. This could be another piece of the puzzle.”

Opioid Addiction Treatment

It will be some time before opioid users can rely on any vaccine. In the meantime, addiction treatment is the only real course of action for those whose lives have been turned upside down from opioid use. If you are an adult male who’s addicted to opioids, please contact 10 Acre Ranch today. Our center has helped a significant number of people with opioid use disorder break the cycle of addiction, and begin the life-saving journey of recovery.

How to Find the Right Hobby for You

photo of Beautiful young female sitting on a car and looking outside the window

Discovering a hobby can be an important part of your new sober lifestyle. In fact, the right hobby will not only help you occupy your time but it can make you less stressed and more focused. It will also help boost your confidence, creativity and overall happiness. But what if you don’t have a particular passion as an adult? Where do you start?

Ask yourself these questions:

What did I enjoy as a kid? Chances are you still have the same if not similar interests – for example, if you loved climbing trees than rock climbing may be your thing.

What would help me unwind and distress? The right hobby shouldn’t be something that just occupies your time – it should give you a sense of me-time and make you forget the worries of your day.

What types of purchases make me happy? For example, are you always searching for the right wall art? Why not test your hand at photography or painting? Or maybe you love used books? Writing may be the answer.

How do you want to better yourself? A hobby can help you meet personal goals, whether you want to learn a new language or run a marathon one day.

What were my past hobbies? You may have had a hobby prior to your addiction and simply forgot about it. Think back about any DYI projects you used to love to do and you may rediscover an old passion.

What captures my attention? Start to take notice of the things and activities that appeal most to you – whether you find yourself drawn to cooking shows, golf games, music or something else.

10 Acre Ranch Recreational Activities for Men
For individuals who have abused their body with drugs and alcohol, healthy recreation is often a distant thought. The 10 Acre Ranch residential program exposes clients to therapeutic activities during treatment and encourages them to carry these lifestyle changes into post-rehab. To learn more, call today: 877-228-4679.