Crocodile Drug (Krokodil Drug) Causes Skin to Rot and Decay

Most commonly reffered to as Crocodile Drug or Krokodil in Russian, this homemade opiate that really mimics that of heroin, goes over the top by decaying the skin starting at the injection point…  Pictures of the crocodile drug are gut wrenching and difficult to bare, so we made sure to include quite a few and a video in this article (Good old 12stepsahead.com)!

Desomorphine (Crocodile Drug)

Found in large quantities primarily in Russia, the crocodile drug (scientifically known as desomorphine) is a derivative of morphine.  it is an Opiod which is relatively easy to produce.  It can made easily by mixing codeine, iodine and red-phosphorus.  Mix it together the right way and…  Presto!  A drug that will rot your skin off as you continue to inject the highly addictive cocktail of “dirty morphine.”

Tissue Atrophy- Crocodile Drug Effects

You Heard it, every paragraph says it, that’s what happens…  Truly.  Because this dirty concoction is made of such a dirty chemicals, upon injection, the chemical make up infects the skin. This infection causes the skin to literally deteriorate and rot.  The dead flesh ultimately leads to exposed bones and loss of appendages.  It has been reported that daily users of the crocodile drug put a 2 year death sentence over their head… The price for a cheap high…

© 2013, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

Entering a plea agreement for both tax evasion and a narcotics possession,rapper, Beanie Sigel has been sentenced to do 23 months. Sigel has been in custody since August 29th following a traffic stop in Tinicum Township.  Hours after his last album release.  The police stopped him for swerving in and out of his lane.

His car turned up several unidentified prescription pills wrapped in plastic bag as well as a bottle of codeine syrup. Cops also found a loaded caliber handgun in the car, forbidden for both the rapper and the driver of the vehicle who are both convicted felons and banned from possessing firearms.

“Obviously, he’s had an incredible amount of success and opportunity in his life. He’s also made some mistakes, which have ended up putting him in custody. He’s ready to go ahead and put that behind him and move on with is life.” Said Carson Morris his attorney.

© 2013, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

Three things disrupted my lovely, tranquil world early in 2012, each devastating in its own way.

While a friend and I discussed her fifteen-year-old daughter’s addiction problem, my immediate temptation was to think that this was unique and different, a special problem that needed to be dealt with in an extraordinary manner. I thought—there must be some kind of therapy, magic medication or miracle action which could fix the problem once and for all. Rescue and fix—that’s the answer. These thoughts raced through my head and I’m sure through her parents’ minds as well. How can we make the problem just go away?

My husband, Bill, was complaining about a floater in his eye that had been there for nearly a month affecting his vision as he was trying to finish a large wood carving. His balance and driving skills were rapidly deteriorating along with his peripheral vision. Off to the emergency room where we discovered a brain tumor and possible lung cancer. This all started on Monday and by Friday he was in surgery to remove an egg-sized tumor from his optic nerve. Life was looking rather bleak—these are not things I would ask for. These are gifts wrapped in barbed wire. Surely, this is unique and special? What can I do to fix it?

In late March my dear friends lost their beautiful mountain home – one of twenty-seven homes lost – in a sudden and devastating wildfire. The fire started after a controlled burn got whipped into reactivation during one of the windiest days I’ve ever experienced in Colorado. Wind is relentless; it worms its way into the tiniest flaps and cracks to rip apart a seemingly solid structure. Add fire to the mix and there is real trouble. The controlled burn had been considered safe and contained since it had been conducted nearly two weeks prior, in winter––albeit an unusually dry winter. Tragically, a few deep pockets of embers flared during the windstorm that blew through that day. What is to be done when everything is gone—all the material stuff? Isn’t this the worst thing ever? How do we make this better?

My friends said, “The fear of losing everything is worse than the actuality.” When I asked if we could trade gifts (fire for cancer) they said, “No, we don’t want yours.” And rightly so. Each of us receives the “gifts” we are meant to have –– the experiences our souls crave in this life. So how do we cope? In truth, there is no magic to keep “bad” things from happening or to “fix it” when they do, but there is something that helps in all difficult situations. I look to the teachings of Recovery.

Why is recovery THE answer?
Recovery tells me that my attitude is the only thing I can change and therefore is the only thing I am responsible for. The 12 Steps give me a way to change my attitude, although seeing what my real habitual attitudes are can be painful and humiliating. Step Nine is to take responsibility for my past actions by admitting that they have harmed and disturbed others in my life. Ironically, these are often things that hurt me more than they have anyone else, and revisiting them is equally painful. They are the things I don’t want you to know about me.

I don’t want to tell you that as my friend struggled with her daughter’s addiction, I thought, She at least got to have kids; if that were my daughter, I would have handled it differently – in other words, perfectly!

I don’t want you to know that when Bill was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lung cancer, my first thought was, He’s losing weight and I’m not!

I don’t want to admit that when my friends’ house burned my thought was, They get a new house, what about me?

I share my innermost thoughts and feelings many times in 12 Step fellowship meetings. It is an incredible and freeing experience and while I wouldn’t wish the way I have felt, thought, and behaved in these instances on anyone, it sure is comforting to know that others in the room have at times thought, felt, and behaved just like I have.

Yes, the old, habitual ways of thinking are still there – the petty focus on myself, the desire for a quick fix. Perhaps it’s the human condition that allows the shitty little kid inside of me to whine and complain, or that allows me to think I can solve everything. But, I no longer simply have to live with the most unattractive parts of myself. The 12 Steps give me a way to recognize and accept those parts because without acceptance there can be no change. When I attempt to hide those parts of myself they grow and grow, in the darkness that is my belief in the lie, and I can certainly gather the evidence that the lie is true. But once I accept them, I can change my attitude and, ultimately, my thinking and my behavior.

Like the old Chinese proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” the Steps teach me a way to deal with the uncertainties of the universe, my human condition, the shitty little kid and the lie that constantly tries to invade my life. They teach me how to fish.

The beginnings of the change in my thinking are detailed in our book “Dig Deep in One Place” but the change continues today as I journey on this great adventure finding out who I can be if I just stop believing the lies of the habits of a lifetime –– that whining, unattractive part of myself.

http://www.digdeepinoneplace.com/

© 2013, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

Drug addiction is a destructive illness that infiltrates every aspect of a sufferer’s life.  An individual is addicted to drugs when he or she lacks the ability to abstain from the use of a mind and mood altering substance.  Addicts go to great lengths to obtain drugs and usually leave a path of destruction in their wake.  The drug of choice may vary among users but one commonality among all drug abusers is that they depend on a chemical substance for satisfaction and comfort. The result of all effective drug addiction treatments is absolute sobriety for the individual undergoing the process.  Drug addiction treatment begins with addressing the problems associated with drug use and then building a foundation for quality and lasting sobriety.

The first steps in drug addiction treatment are for an individual to recognize that they have a problem with drugs and to obtain the willingness to change the way they are living.  Without willingness to change, a drug addict will never be able to begin the transformation required to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.  An addict must seek help to treat their addiction once they become aware of their problem.  Often loved ones may be instrumental in assisting a drug addict in finding the proper resources to recover from the mental, emotional, and physical state of devastation they have reached.  With or without the help of family and friends, a suffering addict must seek help and find a suitable drug addiction treatment.

Safe drug addiction treatment may include a monitored detoxification process.  It is sometimes critical to utilize a drug detoxification facility to safely clean a user’s system of all harmful toxins.  The next phase of the recovery process begins after an addict’s body is free from drugs and alcohol.  Once engaged in treatment, addicts soon realize that drugs are only a symptom of their problem.  Deeper personal issues need to be addressed as soon as physical sobriety is achieved.  Effective drug addiction treatment centers assist addicts in evaluating themselves and making the appropriate changes needed to live a purposeful and successful life.

The value of participating in one of the various Twelve Step programs has proven to be indispensable in the recovery process.   A successful drug addiction treatment center often integrates Twelve Step meetings and principles into their treatment process.  An addict looking to recover must have the willingness to change and a competent drug addiction treatment center will provide him or her with the tools to be successful on their journey.

-12 Steps Ahead

© 2013, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

This video was Published on May 17, 2012 by vice

© 2013, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

The physical, substance and emotional “fix” has been projected and created in every level of our society. Tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, fast food, shopping, internet, gambling, television, video games, porn, new and improved, all ingredients, all flavors, all colors, sharper, bigger, smaller, better … and it goes on and on. We are psychologically bombarded with the message to seek and buy the temporary “fix” every minute, every second of our day. On the flip side, we need a strong economy, and three quarters of a strong economy is the country buying and purchasing “stuff”. It can be enjoyable to own the newest arrival, the fastest hardware and all the new shiny stuff we have immediate access to. What I’m describing is the difference between being a consumer and seeking the “fix” to heal our deeper codependency disconnect and spiritual void. The “fix” creates a compulsion pattern to purchase, use, burn out, discard and quickly seek the next “fix”. If it doesn’t “fix”, we delete, change the channel, change our face, change our body, buy new cars, shoes, TV sets, computers and cell phones. We get high, buy more, feel higher, numb it, dumb it down, purchase again and escape. Everything is updated and replaced within a few months in order to feed our endless obsession, to find the mythological “fix” that will finally heal and connect all the painful broken pieces and parts of ourselves and make us feel connected, secure and whole.

I believe the addict’s loop projects itself into our society, creating a powerful unconscious “pusher” of the “fix” and temporary relief from our collective codependency conditioning that gravitates us far away from our authentic self. The addict’s loop sends the fear-based message that we must seek the “fix” to fit in and feel connected or we will be rejected and abandoned. The cosmetic surgery industry has become the epitome of this damaging message.

In my workshop, “Living In Your Proactive Present,” a hula hoop is placed on the floor with a card inside that states “Proactive Present”. This mechanical demonstrates that when we are centered in our “spiritual circle” and “proactive present” we are the perfectly potted plant, with the right amount of water and sunshine to completely self-actualize our “core identity”. Outside the circle of the hula hoop, four more cards are placed accordingly: “Future”, “Past”, “Dependent” and “Controller”. When a codependent or addict stands in their “proactive present” and discusses their life issues, they are asked to walk (unconsciously gravitate) out of their “proactive present” and stand on the appropriate card. Within seconds of discussing their problems, most codependents and addicts gravitate out of their “proactive present” and become stuck in their future, past or codependency role(s). The hula hoop exercise helps create a new default setting and a path back home to their core identity. The goal is to counter condition their codependency and learn how to set boundaries and stay in their “hula hoop” or authentic self.

Many codependents and addicts have been conditioned out of their core identity at a very early age and feel very uncomfortable attempting to navigate their life from their new center of gravity and root honesty. I’ve also noticed that many codependents and addicts remain stuck in their past and future and become frustrated and lost and want some kind of “fix” to help them cope. Most would confess, “This is when I start using”. An example of being stuck in the future might be the codependent or addict losing their job. Instead of using a pen and paper to create a game plan, the codependent and addict catapult themselves into an extreme, false and fearful future. The addict or codependent might visualize themselves homeless, pushing a shopping cart, and living under a bridge in a cardboard box. An example of being stuck in the past could be a codependent or addict creating resentments and obsessing for days about the negative past event, “they ruined my childhood,” or “look what a mess I’ve made”. The addict’s loop betrayal and repressed pain load patterns create a nonstop resentment machine.

The temporary “fix” gives the codependent and addict the numbing illusion and distraction of being connected and safely back in one’s core identity, free of pain. This “fixing” system is fed to us 24/7 by society to keep the false illusion alive, that we can be saved and find relief through some kind of “fix”. It is not a conspiracy, but rather a projection of our deep, collective, unconscious codependency patterns and conditioning.

I believe the difference between “fixing” and “spirituality” can be described in the action and lessons of tending and cultivating a garden. If the garden represents our “proactive present”, we plant seeds of footwork to reach our goals in life. Let’s say tomato plants represent searching for a new job. We do our footwork in our proactive present, planting the seeds (or resumes) and making sure they are updated and delivered on time. From ten planted seeds or resumes, one or two may sprout. We nurture the new sprouts, making follow-up phone calls, taking meetings, and hopefully creating a path toward a new job. Spirituality is a path we learn to walk and nurture. In a spiritual process, there is proactive footwork and wisdom (awareness of spiritual boundaries). With a spiritual process we learn when to take action and when to release control and let the planted seeds self-actualize, or possibly accept that nothing has grown and more proactive footwork is needed. Codependency behaves completely the opposite way. An example of codependency and the relationship with our spiritual garden would be planting all the seeds and returning the next day and begin screaming at the garden because the seeds are not fully grown. Most of us would never do this consciously, but unconsciously codependency wants the “fix” and it wants it now. Codependency fears abandonment and will over-control, lie, manipulate and damage people, places and things to receive immediate gratification to feel safe. Spirituality does not fear rejection or abandonment and knows when to step forward and when to step back.

Our society has become our drug pusher promoting the great “fix” that sells a false, temporary numbing, connection and distraction with ourselves to avoid our deep unconscious fear of rejection and abandonment. Spirituality is not something you feed with “fixes” from the outside in, but something you grow from the inside out.

My name is Rene Eram and I have been studying and researching alcoholism and addiction recovery for 15 years. I have been clean and sober since August 1st. 1987. I teach a series of workshops on recovery, codependency and spirituality for addicts in treatment and all self help programs. I am also a filmmaker, a writer/director and have lived and worked in Los Angeles and Idyllwild Ca., More information, details, graphics and solutions can be found on my website http://www.therealcauseofaddiction.com

© 2012, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

What really causes addiction?

Science has identified addiction as a “chronic brain disease” but Gene Heyman, a Harvard psychology lecturer describes it as a “disorder of choice”. These two extreme models and descriptions of addiction represents the conflicting ideology in the addiction community. Until a Grand Unified Theory of Addiction is agreed on, we will continue to put band aids on the symptoms of addiction never truly understanding it’s root cause and pathology.

So, what really causes addiction? Here’s my own addiction model, I’ll throw into the mix. Hopefully, it will bring us closer to solving the mystery of addiction.

During several of my educational workshops on addiction, spirituality and codependency, I started noticing many addicts with long term sobriety had very little awareness or understanding of their unconscious, codependency patterns and behavior. I also observed addicts are “pulled” out of their “core identity”, by an unconscious, negative, gravitational force. This opened a new door and exposed deeper patterns I believe have not been revealed or discovered. Through my continual workshops and spiritual exploration, I have discovered in the addicts deep unconscious a pattern I have named “The Addicts Loop”.

The “addict’s loop” is created by two destructive, maladaptive, codependency roles, inherited and/or unconsciously learned and conditioned during child/teen years. One codependent role is the “controller”, who learns to rescue, save and fix a dependent personality, to feel connected, loved and received. The second codependent role is the “dependent”, who emotionally leans on and desperately needs the “controller”, to survive and help carry their emotional life to feel loved and received. These two roles create a powerful unconscious, magnetic, revolving door attraction of…

“Longing – Connection – Love Bond – Euphoric High/Fix – Reveal – Rejection – Longing – Abandonment”

An example of this progression would be a child on a roller coaster that goes around the “addict’s loop”. On the left side of the addict’s loop the child obsesses and dishonestly performs for their connection, love bond and “euphoric high/fix”, to feel accepted, received and loved. This left side could be considered the bright, “sunny side” of the loop filled with hope and promise.

After the roller coaster reaches the peak and creates the “love bond” and “euphoric high/fix”, the child/teen will attempt to manipulate and control their connection and “fix”, to establish any sense of security. Because the love bond is created from the destructive roles of codependency, the child/teen will sooner or later, be forced into the right side of the addict’s loop.

On the right side of the loop, imagine the child/teen entering a dark, scary tunnel that represents “rejection and abandonment”. As the child enters the dark tunnel, they close their eyes and deny the scary tunnel exists. The child/teen is overwhelmed and not able to psychologically process their “rejection and abandonment” and instead creates an unconscious reservoir of repressed anger, fear and emotional pain. After leaving the scary tunnel, the child’s fear and obsession fuels the child’s journey back up through the “sunny side” of the loop to find their “love bond” and “euphoric high/fix”.

The child/teen might circle the “addict’s loop”, a thousand times before leaving home, creating an unconscious “stacking effect”, of repressed emotional pain that continually and unconsciously tries to surface. During early teen years substance use or obsessive behavior, might be used to numb and escape the continual surfacing “pain load”, from the revolving door effect of the loop.

During several of my workshops on codependency, core personality retrieval and spirituality, I discovered that most addicts have both destructive “dependent” and “controller” roles conditioned and fixed in their unconscious. An analogy might be to imagine two high-tech machines, standing opposite each other in the addict’s unconscious that rotate and create the “addict’s loop” between them 24/7. The addict has the codependency addiction relationship, permanently fixed in their unconscious mind.

The Biochemical Loop

For generations the “addict’s loop” of…

“Longing -Connection – Love Bond – Euphoric High/Fix – Reveal – Rejection – Longing – Abandonment”

… has been unconsciously communicated to the human biology, that can create an analogous “biochemical Loop” of…

“Craving – Preparation – Connection – Euphoric High/Fix – Withdrawal- Detox – Craving – Depression”

Similar to the “addict’s loop”, the “biochemical loop”,is obsessive and aware of the left side, “craving, preparation, connection,”euphoric high/fix” and also blocks out the right denial” side, “withdrawal, detox, craving, abandonment and depression”.

This can explain why the addict blindly protects and makes excuses for their substance and behavior use and why they deny and block the right side withdrawal, detox, depression,hangover and experience it as something new and disturbing each time. The addict attempts to maintain and control their “euphoric high/fix”, unconsciously avoiding and escaping the right side of the loop’s withdrawal, detox and depression.

My name is Rene Eram and I have been studying and researching alcoholism and addiction recovery for 15 years. I have been clean and sober since August 1st. 1987. I teach a series of workshops on recovery, codependency and spirituality for addicts in treatment and all self help programs. I am also a filmmaker, a writer/director and worked for many years directing TV commercials in Los Angeles and Idyllwild Ca., More information, details, graphics and solutions can be found on my website http://www.therealcauseofaddiction.com

© 2012, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

The Real Cause of Addiction

Submitted by René Eram

Brittany Murphy- Beloved Actress (November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009)

My name is Rene Eram and I have been studying and researching alcoholism and addiction recovery for 15 years. I have been clean and sober since August 1st. 1987. I teach a series of workshops on recovery, codependency and spirituality for addicts in all 12 step programs. I am also a film maker, a writer/director and worked for many years directing TV commercials in Los Angeles, where I have lived most my life. In 2009 I was in pre-production as the writer/director on my indie film project. Just before filming began my lead actress suddenly passed away. Her name was Brittany Murphy.

I have lost many friends and family over the years to addiction but Brittany Murphy’s death motivated me more that ever to uncover and discover the real cause of all addictions and the solutions needed for the strongest recovery process. Here are the questions I have focused on.

What creates addiction and where does it come from? Why do some people become addicts and others don’t? Why do some addicts become full blown in their teen years and others later in life? Why are addicts in denial about their addiction? What can someone do to help an addict they love? Why does an addict lose complete control of their substance or behavior use? Why does addiction progress and lead to insanity and death? Does an addict love his addiction more than his loved ones? Why does an addict destroy their entire life for a substance or behavior? And finally…what is the cure or strongest treatment for recovery?

Before I could answer any of these questions, I designed several integrated educational workshops on recovery, codependency, core personality retrieval and spirituality. These would be my tools to research, explore and build my addiction model. During several of my educational workshops on relationships, spirituality and codependency, I started noticing many addicts with long term sobriety had very little awareness or understanding of their unconscious, codependency patterns and behavior. This opened a new door and exposed deeper patterns that I believe have not been revealed or discovered. Through my continual workshops and spiritual exploration I have discovered in the addicts deep unconscious a pattern I have named “the addicts loop”.

I believe I have found and discovered the answers to all my questions stated above. The pieces and parts I have used to build my addiction model are not new, they have been around for many years. It was my concept and design that filled in the missing links and revealed the answers and hidden patterns.

Please explore my website www.therealcauseofaddiction.com

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© 2012, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

A Teen’s Experience in Sobriety

Submitted post from a guest user

I’m a nineteen-year-old garbage disposal type addict with five months of sobriety who is actively practicing recovery and who is working on his fourth step. In this past month I have felt like the light-switch has turned on, like my eyes have been opened again; it’s a feeling I can’t recall experiencing but other’s have told I have gained self-esteem and a sense of self-worth; all I know is that I feel good and I’m sober.

It’s been suggested that I remember to keep doing the internal work and to continue being honest in all of my affairs if I want to continue to move forward in my personal program. No explanation was given to me as to why to do this but one thing I’ve learned in the program is to just do, do, and do and the answers will come as long as you are doing. Well, I’ve been doing and I can see that regardless of how well I am feeling, how spiritually fit I feel, I have to do the right thing. If I am feeling good, as I have been lately, I can’t lose sight of how I got to that point; all the internal work and uncomfortable experiences I had to walk through. Just because I did something yesterday doesn’t mean it will do anything to keep me sober today. It’s a reminder to me that I can’t forget the basics just because I am doing well at this point in my sobriety. It’s reaffirmed to me that recovery is something that has to be consistently and constantly worked at, it’s not something I can just take a day off from. On the flip side of things, it also makes me see that even when I’m feeling down and out that I can’t take shortcuts just to make things easier in the short-term, that I can’t play into my obsession with instant gratification. I have to do the work on a daily basis, regardless of how I feel.

I have noticed that I get irritated when I find myself not feeling well because I set expectations on myself to always be feeling good. Well, I have to take a look at the fact that I can’t have the good days without the bad days, and no matter how much I think that my feelings are going to last forever, they never do. I guess this is something that I’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my sobriety, but I’m cool with that now because if that’s what it’s going to take, I’m game, cause now I know I want this way of life.

-Anonymous

Submit your own post at 12stepsahead.com, the recovery blog site!

© 2012, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.

Alcoholism and Self Cognitive Therapy

When a person has an addictive personality, it is usually because they have trouble facing things that are uncomfortable in life or they are suffering from some type of pain, be it mental or physical. This holds true for people who suffer from alcohol addiction, as well.

Alcohol addiction is by far one of the most physically damaging addictions that a person can have. When a person overindulges in their alcohol intake for long periods of time it can cause severe damage to many organs in the body including the brain. There are many downsides to alcohol addiction, so many in fact, that if enough people knew about them they might never choose to drink again.

FAS Babies

Fetal alcohol syndrome is by far one of the most tragic occurrences that can happen from the overconsumption of alcohol. Also known as FAS, fetal alcohol syndrome will affect the child who is born with it for the rest of his or her life. It has been found that there is a correlation of the amount of alcohol that a woman drinks while she is pregnant to the severity of her child’s symptoms. FAS children do not always suffer from the same exact symptoms as all the other FAS children. Doctors diagnose FAS by noting a collection of certain symptoms that are seen together. FAS children often have the following physical symptoms that physicians look for to diagnose the disease:

• smaller than average head circumference at birth
• smaller than average birth weight
• a low nasal bridge
• skin folds at the corners of the eyes
• short nose
• small eye openings
• thin upper lip
• a smooth philtrum (groove between nose and upper lip)
• a small mid face

In addition to these obvious physical characteristics, many FAS babies and children suffer from other damage that is not quite as noticeable right away. Many FAS babies suffer from brain damage that causes cognitive and functional disabilities such as poor memory, impulsive behavior, inability to observe cause-and-effect, lack of an ability to communicate, poor math skills, poor academic achievement, hyperactivity, inability to socially communicate, as well as poor motor function. Most FAS babies need a lot of therapeutic help at best to survive in society, and at worst have to live in a group home or other supervised environment for the rest of their lives.

Probably the most tragic thing about this disorder is that it is completely preventable by not drinking alcohol while one is pregnant; at this time there is no treatment that can reverse the effects of FAS.

Alcoholic Liver Damage

Another disorder that is very tragic to watch someone suffer from is alcoholic liver disease. Like FAS, this disorder is completely preventable, with the cessation of alcohol being the only preventative measure needed. Alcoholic liver disease develops to the point of being deadly in about 15 to 20% of people who are heavy drinkers. There are three stages alcoholic liver disease, with only one of them being irreversible.

The first stage of alcoholic liver disease is known as what is a fatty liver. The liver is the most regenerative organ in the body. Because of this, if a person develops a fatty liver due to that overconsumption of alcohol, all they have to do to reverse the damage is to stop drinking and their liver, unless there are other unknown factors involved, will completely regenerate. At the second stage, the disease is called alcohol induced hepatitis. Many people hear the word hepatitis and think of an infection caused by a virus, however alcohol induced hepatitis is only caused by the overconsumption of alcohol. At this point the disease is still completely reversible with again, the only treatment being needed is for the person to quit drinking.

The third stage of alcoholic liver disease is what is known as cirrhosis. Cirrhosis occurs when scar tissue begins to develop on the liver. Eventually the scar tissue will take over the person’s entire liver and it will no longer function and they will suffer from liver failure. Cirrhosis is irreversible and will lead to death if the person does not receive treatment. The only treatment available for person that is suffering from cirrhosis is a liver transplant. Liver transplant operations are very expensive and for those people who require a liver from a cadaver there is a very long waiting list. In the past 10 years there has been successful live donor liver transplants performed, although this is a very costly treatment as well.

Treatment for Alcoholism

Alcoholic liver disease and FAS are only two severe medical problems that are caused by the overconsumption of alcohol. Most people who are binge drinkers or alcoholics know at least some of the risks and dangers that they are putting themselves in by continuing to drink; however it is often still difficult for them to stop. When and if the alcoholic does decide to quit drinking, it is usually recommended that they seek some type of long-term inpatient rehabilitation with cognitive therapy included, as well as continual ongoing support once treatment is completed.

At the onset of treatment, the alcoholic needs to see a physician depending upon how much they have been drinking, at which point it will be decided whether or not they need a medical detox. In most cases for people who need medical detox a prescription of some type of benzodiazepine such as Ativan or Librium will be prescribed. Hypnotic drugs such as Ambien are not recommended because it has been found that recovering alcoholics have a very high potential for developing and Ambien addiction.

It is also very important that during detox the alcoholic take any vitamins, mineral and trace minerals that they may be deficient in. It has been found that the people who are the most likely to go into delirium tremens have severe magnesium deficiency. Additionally, prolonged deficiency of B1 can cause brain damage which is sometimes permanent. Eating a healthy diet and taking a multivitamin is very important for the physical recovery of an alcoholic. Alcohol addiction is a very severe addiction and any person recovering from it needs ample support as well as professional treatment usually.

Becky Winslow is a freelance writer and consultant for Narconon  where her primary goal is to educate young adults of the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. Winslow has been drug free for 3 years now and writing is her anti-drug.

© 2012, www.12stepsahead.com. All rights reserved.