Sometimes, I just have to STOP ~ and listen to the whispering telling me “Peace be still”

(ARA) – Courtney Lovett didn’t want to let her friends down. Knowing that her friends wanted her to be happy, and disapproved of her compulsive urge to cut herself, helped Lovett break the cycle of her self-destructive behavior. Now Lovett and other students at West Brook, a high school on the East Coast, are reaching out to other young people, sharing their experiences in an effort to foster prevention and provide hope to others struggling with self-harming behaviors.

Cutting to control the pain

Hurting oneself externally comes in many forms. Cutting one’s skin with a sharp object is most common, but there’s also burning.

Lovett, a senior, used to engage in the latter. “It didn’t quite satisfy like I needed, but it would take the edge off and was small enough not to be noticed,” she says.

The satisfaction Lovett talks of is what gets people hooked on hurting themselves. Once they try one method, most usually want to try more to see what relief other methods will bring.

The temporary relief and satisfaction brought on by physically hurting oneself becomes an addictive quick fix for whatever emotional problems or difficult situations the person goes through.

One misconception, especially for cutters, is that people who hurt themselves are doing so in an attempt to end their life. Junior Sarah Ballin displays scars on her arm that have gotten her sent to a counselor every year since she’s had them.

The scars Ballin has on her arm have gotten her weird looks from teachers and fellow students. Cutters hope that, even if non-cutters don’t understand the behavior, they can have compassion and not judge based on the scars.

Deadly disorders take control of those desiring to be skinny

Other methods of handling emotions and stress such as eating disorders can be just as destructive as self-harm.

“The eating disorder mindset takes over people,” says Carolyn Costin, founder and clinical director of The Eating Disorder Center of California and Monte Nido residential centers and author of several books. “They will say ‘I don’t like cheese’ because they may be afraid of the fat. It’s actually fear that makes them say they don’t like it.”

Fear of food is just one potential part of an eating disorder, but the way the person feels after eating certain foods does influence the amount they intake or if they try getting rid of it afterwards.

Much like cutting and burning, eating disorders can become compulsive no matter what health risks may be encountered.

Common health risks associated with anorexia include electrolyte disturbances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and loss of muscle mass. Recurring bouts of vomiting can also cause dehydration and disturbances in electrolytes, which are made worse with laxative or diuretic use or by consuming excessive quantities of water. Fatal abnormalities in heart rhythm can occur, the stomach can perforate from binging, and vomiting can cause tears in the esophagus, gastrointestinal bleeding, and ulcers. The more serious health risks take longer to be detected or to become worrisome enough for the people with eating disorders to seek help.

Reaching out, leaving shame behind

“The first step [in getting help] is acknowledging there is a problem,” Susan Steely, a licensed professional counselor of Good Therapy Works, a Midwestern counseling center, says. “Listening to other people [helps]; they may notice it or point it out first. Sometimes we can’t see the truth for ourselves. Seek someone in counseling to deal with [the problem].”

Professional guidance is often advised. Having friends or family supporting one’s recovery also helps.

“What really helped me [stop cutting] was that I had friends who said I shouldn’t do it,” Ballin says. “It wasn’t always enough, but it helped. I’d be like, ‘Kevin loves me, and I don’t want to let him down.’”

Costin also feels that having a support system around an individual during the recovery process makes a difference. For parents and friends to better help their loved one, she offers this advice: “Understand that the person is taken over by their illness. Friends and relatives have to align with the person against the illness. It is important not to be in battle with the person.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

When you think of drug addiction, what kind of picture do you get in your mind? Do you see a person dressed in tattered clothes sitting in a rain soaked alley with needle in hand? Do you picture addiction in terms of a person begging on the street for money to buy just one more hit? The picture of drug addiction can be either of these images, but you might surprised to learn that there is another side of drug addiction you may never have thought of.

Consider that the picture of drug addiction includes a man in a business suit sitting at a desk every day working a full-time job. He has a family, children, a dog, and a wife. To everyone else, he projects the picture of having it all. The only problem is, the pressure of life got to him and he looked for a way out. A colleague offered him some cocaine. He liked the way it made him feel. Now he juggles credit card advances to pay for his $100 a day habit.

The picture of drug addiction could also be the popular cheerleader at your child’s high school. She’s blonde, beautiful, smart, and personable. But every morning, she takes a shot of vodka to stop the shakes. At lunch, she drinks a six-pack in her car, and at night, she’s at all the parties drinking until someone has to bring her home because she’s passed out.

Finally, the picture of drug addiction could also be in the form of a bored housewife. She has three children, laundry, dishes, and many other responsibilities. She’s tired all the time and sometimes just can’t get out of bed because of her exhaustion. She saw something on television about housewives taking their child’s Ritalin for energy. She decides to try it with her own 7-year old’s medication. Now she has to make excuses to the pediatrician why her child has run out of medicine before he should have.

Sure, we all picture a person with drug addiction as the homeless, down-on-their luck bum (so to speak) begging on the streets for money to buy drugs, but the cold reality is that drug addiction occurs in all walks of life to all types of people. Drug addiction has no boundaries and doesn’t pick and choose its victims.

The picture of drug addiction has changed over the years to include your neighbor, your child’s teacher, and even possibly your clergy. No one is immune, but all can get help. If you notice drug addiction in someone you care about, have a talk with them and encourage them to get help for their problem. Maybe one day, the picture of drug addiction will be a blank canvas.

Drug Addiction

Alcohol and Drug Addiction can be cured. The success of the cure is fully dependant on the user. The user has to want to be cured. The wanting the cure can not come from any other outside influences like friends and family. While friends and family can be a great support system, the abuser has to want to change before any change can begin.

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Treatment Hotline – Counseling and Referrals in Substance Abuse Emergencies.

Cocaine Hotline – For Emergency Questions About Cocaine Use

Drug Abuse Information and Treatment Referral Line – For Drug-Releated Information, Referrals, to Local Treatment Programs and Support Groups

Marijuana Anonymous – For Information and Local Referrals

Parent / Friend Resources

Talking to your kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol is important and it isn’t as hard as you think. By having regular conversations with your children, they are up to 50% less likely to use. We’re here to help make talking even easier. We’ve got free, easy-to-use, research-based tools and tips to help you have ongoing conversations with your kids to keep them healthy and drug-free.

Across America, communities are mobilizing to build on HBO’s groundbreaking series ADDICTION, premiering March 15-18. Our colleagues at Join Together, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), and Faces & Voices of Recovery have united with HBO to promote the Addiction Project, which helps Americans understand addiction as a treatable brain disease, spotlights new treatment advancements, and provides hope for long-term recovery.

Visit www.AddictionAction.org to learn more about the project and find opportunities to mobilize your own community through house parties, Town Hall meetings, and other special community events already taking place in your area.

Drug Addiction Info

How can you stop Drug Addiction:

Volunteers are standing by to provide prayer, scriptural guidance and literature for people who call this line. The counselors will listen to you, pray with you and offer encouraging words.

This online book will help you to overcome sinful habits and break the generational curses in your life. You can view it chapter by chapter for a wealth of information.

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