Not only can you be addicted to love – like you can be addicted to almost anything – but new studies are comparing love addiction and the effects of a break-up to the effects of drug addiction and trying to ‘kick the habit’ with your drug of choice. Brain scans reveal that physiologically, the changes that occur when we heal from a broken heart are very similar to those who are healing after a physical and psychological dependence upon an addictive substance.

Brain Scans? How is a Breakup Similar to Drug Addiction Recovery?

A biological anthropologist at Rutgers University, Helen Fisher, took a look at the brain scans of college-age students when they were shown pictures of their ex. Apparently, the same parts of the brain lit up on the scan that were associated with cocaine and nicotine addiction, physical pain and distress.

In a way, it makes sense. Consider the actions deemed acceptable by those going through a serious break-up – would an objective person obsess over their ex, imagine that he or she wants them back and take measures to make that happen, or crave their attention by calling obsessively or showing up anywhere where the ex might appear? It’s the same kind of behavior displayed by someone fighting drug addiction: they, too, obsess over their drug of choice, rationalize why continued use won’t hurt them or is even good for them, and go out of their way – even making dangerous choices – to get more of the drug they crave.

The end result is a deep depression or anxiety and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts and ideations. The solution? Treatment.

Is There Treatment for Love Addiction?

No. But there is treatment for drug addiction and very often the two issues collide. Many who go through a breakup report heavy usage of alcohol, painkillers, heroin and other drugs designed to ‘numb’ the pain. They are so depressed that they see no reason to pull themselves out of their growing addiction despite all the problems they are causing themselves as a result. Drug addiction treatment can help those in this situation to get back on track, while also receiving counseling and grief treatment for the issues related to the breakup. This two-pronged approach to recovery can help the individual struggling to get back to a place of balance emotionally and further their progress in drug addiction treatment.

Drug Addiction Treatment Help for Women

If you are a woman who is struggling with a breakup as well as drug and alcohol addiction, an intensive treatment program can help you to process what happened and move forward in your life. Contact us at The Orchid today to learn how we can help you.

Whitney Houston has famously struggled with her own drug addiction issues – on stage, on TV and in the tabloids. Maybe it’s her experience with addiction that has made her hypersensitive to the issues her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, is experiencing. According to AOL, Whitney Houston is not taking the pictures that surfaced of Bobbi Kristina lightly – these pictures show her daughter snorting cocaine.

Perhaps there have been a few other incidents at home as well – we may never know. But the word is that Bobbi Kristina is headed to rehab because Whitney is taking no risks.

Other tabloids add a few more details. Some say that Whitney has taken away the Lexus she gave her daughter and cancelled her 18^th birthday celebration as well. Tabloid reporters say that sources are reporting that Whitney is extremely worried about her daughter – while her daughter reports nothing but disdain for these articles, saying she’s a perfectly normal and healthy young woman with no need for rehab.

Parents Protecting Children: When It’s Time to Step in and Send Your Child to Drug Rehab

If you are a mother in recovery, you likely credit someone close to you with having recognized your need for help and given you the push you needed to get the treatment you needed. If you didn’t, you probably wished someone had done it for you earlier than you had to do it for yourself. Whitney says that her own mother, Cissy Houston, helped her get treatment for her struggle with crack cocaine addiction. In fact, Whitney told Oprah that Cissy made her go to rehab after getting a court injunction that gave her permission to stage an intervention with the assistance of armed police at the front door back.

Where’s Dad? The Father’s Role in Helping a Child Get Treatment

Bobby Brown is Bobbi Kristina’s father and Whitney’s ex-husband. He, too, spent a great deal of time living with an active addiction and received treatment as well. Whether or not he is currently living in recovery or in relapse is unknown, but some reports say that he is just as concerned about his daughter as Whitney is and that the parents are working together to make sure that Bobbi Kristina gets what she needs.

The support of both parents – no matter what their personal relationship or feeling for each other – is imperative when it comes time to help a child enroll in drug rehab. In fact, the more family members the better from both sides of the family. The teen may not feel excited about entering treatment no matter how is there to help her make the transition, but later he or she will appreciate that there is a strong foundation of support waiting and available no matter what.

If you would like to learn more about enrolling your teen daughter over the age of 18 in our woman-centered drug rehab program here at The Orchid, contact us today.

Hormones play a huge part in menstruation and menopause, and they also play a large part in the development of and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. These issues alter the course of recovery and create certain issues that men will never have to deal with. Through Hormone Therapy, women learn exactly what is happening in their body, what they can expect with the hormonal shifts and changes that occur naturally, and how it will affect their drug addiction and recovery. Knowledge is power, and knowing how to handle stumbling blocks before they arise can keep them from becoming a problem that throws your recovery off track.

Menstruation and Menopause as a Cause of Drug Addiction

Whether you are experiencing monthly hormonal shifts due to menstruation or are entering into peri-menopause, menopause or post-menopause, the feelings and physical symptoms associated with these shifts can create emotional and physiological chaos. Not feeling well is always an issue that can cause drug addiction – many self-medicate to feel better mentally and physically. Hormones increase the emotional response, making small events that much more difficult to deal with and difficult events even more overwhelming. The problems that result are often another reason to get high or drink, either to escape the situation or numb the pain associated with it.

Hormonal Therapy: What it is and How it Can Help

Hormone Therapy does not stop the function of hormones in the system or in any way change the symptoms that you experience. It does, however, prepare women for what to expect in terms of hormonal changes as they grow older and what those changes will mean in terms of temptation to relapse during recovery. Specific tactics that do not include addictive drugs and alcohol that can help mitigate the symptoms associated with hormonal shifts are discussed and women develop preparedness plans to successfully handle menstruation and menopausal changes. Women are encouraged to share their personal experience and come up with individualized plans that address their unique symptoms.

Hormonal Therapy at The Orchid

At The Orchid, our entire focus is on women in recovery. From the initial phase of detox through extensive addiction treatment that addresses multiple aspects of experience with drugs, addiction and recovery, our staff professionals are trained to assist with the specific needs of each individual. Each woman experiences a unique treatment plan that addresses her own drug history, history of trauma, co-occurring disorders and other issues. Our Hormone Therapy Program is completely unique in that it was developed by professionals at The Orchid and is implemented at no other drug rehab in the country. Call now to learn more about how we can help you or a woman you love to break free from addiction.

Arab women seeking help or attention in any way is not a common occurrence in the Middle East, but seeking drug addiction treatment – that’s a huge step given the cultural constraints put upon women. One drug abuse treatment center in Jeddah reports that about 200 women addicted to drugs sought treatment in one year, ranging in age between 18 and 43 years old. The women came from Turkey, Pakistan, Eritrea, Egypt, Yemen, and Palestine.

It’s hard to track numbers in terms of actual drug abuse and drug addiction in the area, especially among women. Reports say that though there is a lower percentage of women living with addiction in these areas than men, but a larger percentage of men seek drug addiction treatment than women. The Department of Girls’ Education in Jeddah released a study saying that about 20 percent of female addicts are secondary school students.

The center in Jeddah hopes that more women will seek help as they increase the number ads aired on satellite television.

Why Do Women Avoid Drug Addiction Treatment?

The reluctance to seek drug and alcohol addiction help in a formal drug rehab is not unique to Arab women. American women, too, are less likely to enroll in drug rehab than are men. Why? Here are a couple of commonly reported reasons women cite for avoiding drug treatment:

· Stigma. Women feel that there is greater harm done to them by the stigma of drug addiction and don’t like the idea of embracing the tag ‘drug addict’ by enrolling in treatment. Many continue to live without the help they need for years in an attempt to treat themselves.

· Childcare. Many women in America are the primary caregivers for their children or elderly family members. They don’t feel that they would have support for their children if they were to enroll in a treatment program, nor do they think that the benefits of treatment outweigh upsetting the kids by leaving for an extended period.

· Fear. Women who are fighting for custody of their children believe that their drug addiction will be used against them in court and that they will lose custody of their children if they admit to the problem by seeking treatment. Sadly, the damage done to the children as a result of continuing to live with a mother addicted to drugs is far worse than a brief separation to undergo treatment.

· Money. Women who work or have spent years working to build up their education and create solid career for themselves do not feel that they can put that on hold while they go to drug rehab. Unfortunately, many often end up doing irreparable damage to their careers and to their reputation as a result of their behavior and undependability while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

If you would like to seek treatment for addiction, The Orchid can help. We treat women who are prepared to walk away from addiction and create a new life for themselves without drugs and alcohol. Call now.

One of the most damaging myths about drug addiction treatment and its efficacy is the idea that one must want to go to rehab in order to be successful. The truth is that even women who would like to live a life without heroin addiction, alcoholism, painkiller addiction and addiction to other drugs, few really sign up for drug rehab with a happy, gung-ho attitude. Almost everyone is scared: scared of “failing” through relapse and scared of succeeding and living with the intimidating task of figuring out how to get through each day without drugs and alcohol.

There is no magical way to overcome these fears and the general reluctance of even the most willing, but if there were it can be summed up in a single phrase: “Act as if.”

What “Act As If” Means to Women Entering Drug Treatment

“Acting as if” means walking through the doors of a drug rehab like you want to be there, even if you don’t. Rather than beginning each day with overwhelming thoughts like “I can never get high again” or “I’m done with drinking forever,” you start the day thinking, “What do I want for breakfast?” You act as if living without drugs and alcohol were the most perfectly natural thing in the world and whenever nagging doubts start to creep in, immediately rearrange your thoughts to focus on the next thing someone without a drug and alcohol addiction would think about.

Is “Acting As If” Dishonest?

One of the primary tenets of any successful drug rehab program is honesty and some are concerned  that “acting as if” is just another form of lying. If you honestly feel like you want to get loaded, is it dishonest to ignore it and pretend that you feel anything different? It’s an interesting question, but when your goal is to strive toward stability and a solid foundation based on positive thinking that sets you up to make the next best choice in any given situation, then “acting as if” is the best way to get there on the days when this seems like the most difficult thing in the world.

When Does “Acting As If” Turn Into a Real Desire to Live Without Drugs and Alcohol?

This will vary from person to person. But desires, and feelings, come and go in early recovery, and they’re difficult to pinpoint and hold onto, much less use as a foundation for a new life. Even those who have been clean and sober for decades have days when they don’t feel like doing it anymore. But the whole point of “acting as if” is to let goal of sobriety rule your decisions as opposed to how you feel. Actions based on feelings are usually compulsive and rarely the best choice for you. Actions based on well-thought out goals and healthful positive directions for your life are always going to serve you better in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about drug addiction treatment for women, contact The Orchid today.