Bill Urell

Drug abuse is a very serious problem in many places in the world, particularly the United States. What starts out as a simple curiosity or use that is considered social may result in a serious addiction. Many individuals start using a particular drug and find that they have total control over their habit. However, after a certain period of time, these people may start to lose the control that they once had.

Alcohol is often mentioned in one breath with drugs, especially when the subject is abuse or addiction. More often, alcohol is referred to as a separate substance and in fact, its abuse is often discussed separately from that of drugs. But can alcohol be considered a drug?

Drug defined

If a textbook definition is used, a drug may be defined as a substance that has an effect on living cells and their function and is also used for medical purposes for the diagnosis, prevention and cure of disorders and diseases.

The answer to the question of what is relapse prevention in addiction recovery, lies greatly in the definition of relapse. Simply put, relapse, for the recovering addict or alcoholic is commonly thought to be the act of taking that first drug or drink after maintaining a period of abstinence. Even though this is a generally accepted definition, the recovery, and drug and alcohol treatment communities generally agree that there is a relapse process that begins long before the actual first use has occurred.

There is a group of symptoms that arise as a drug addict or alcoholic attempts abstinence from their chosen mood altering chemicals. These symptoms which can include sleeplessness, unclear thinking and stress, generally appear 7 to 14 days into abstinence during the stabilization phase. This impairment is recognized as PAWS or Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and can last 6 to 18 months after the addicts' last use.

The principles of the 12 steps can be very difficult or very simple to understand. This is an effort to simplify the meaning of the principles of the 12 steps for those who may be having difficulty. These are the principles that are incorporated into our daily lives as 'we walk the walk'. Employing each of these behaviors will help to rebuild a life of increased self esteem and self confidence.