A plethora of people are under the illusion that, only alcohol or drug addictions need rehabilitation or interventions. GAMBLING addiction stimulates the brain’s reward system, consequently giving you the urge to indefatigably gamble, regardless of the toll it takes on your life and those around you. If you have a problem with gambling which is affecting your work and life, famly and finances – perhaps you are in need of a primary care facility,
Recently, globally, we may face an economic
resurgence and gambling is very likely to surge as well. However,
there is no harm in growing your money, but there is harm in being
addicted to the idea of growing your wealth with compulsion and
constant risk and a desire for instant rewards and returns.
Compulsive gambling, is classified as a psychiatric disorder, as the
symptoms and signs are directly identical to those of other
addictions, namely drugs or alcohol.
The following are some common symptoms of a
gambling disorder:
Needing to gamble with increasing amounts to
get the same excitement
The expression, “Winners do not know when to
stop “ emanates from this symptom. This is a dangerous situation in
which to find yourself and may easily result in a spiral of loss.
A gambling addiction does not only cause
psychological problems, but it is also may trigger existing
psychological problems. Yes, there are people who gamble to avert
depression , stress, or any other socioeconomic conundrum.
Biological, genetic and environmental factors may also be added to a
gamblers make-up.
Although there are no ways to prevent gambling
problems, there are educational programmes and support groups that
may be helpful , which are available in or via rehabilitation
centres. Interestingly , you can have yourself BANNED from a casino
at your own request but in reality a pointless exercise that in no
way assists the gambler from ceasing to gamble as he or she may
merely go elsewhere or gamble online. Whether you bet online or at a
casino, a gambling addiction can strain your relationships ,
interfere with your work , and lead to financial disaster. That is
why you should feed your gambling addiction – REHAB!!
If you or a loved one are battling a gambling addiction and are in search of rehabilitation from gambling – know that help is readily available. The road to recovery is not always an easy one but getting yourself or your loved one the best care from the team at Crossroads Recovery Centre, Johannesburg, provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad things seem, there is hope and it’s just a phone call away. If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex, gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
At Crossroads Recovery Centre in Johannesburg, we frequently come across a range of addictions, including crack cocaine or “the rock drug”. Crack cocaine is also known by other street names such as – rocks , ball, base, candy, cloud, cookies, or crumbs.
What is the “Rock Drug”?
Crack cocaine is hard, off-white in colour and crystal-like in appearance. The name was initially used as it describes the crackling sound it makes when heated. Unlike the powdered form, crack is smoked rather than snorted.
How Does the “Rock Drug” Differ from Cocaine?
Crack is a derivative of cocaine. It is produced by combining cocaine with water and baking soda to create a mixture that eventually forms into solid crystals. Crack is far more potent than cocaine. The side-effects are thus more far-reaching and devastating. Cocaine has a high street value, while crack is sold cheaply and is therefore easier to acquire. Unfortunately, the substances that are often used to produce crack include toxic substances such as rat poison or arsenic. For those addicted to crack cocaine, there are simply no guarantees as to what is being taken into the body and what the effects thereof will be.
Crack is a strong central nervous system stimulant. It interferes with, and releases excess amounts of dopamine throughout the brain. It is regarded as the most potent and most addictive form of cocaine as the effects wear off quite quickly and this results in needing multiple “hits” during one session. It often leads to bingeing for days, sometimes weeks until the person can no longer function effectively.
Crack addiction is highly destructive and is not commonly found as an isolated addiction. In most cases, crack addicts use additional substances such as heroin, crystal meth and CAT in addition to crack cocaine. The combination of these drugs is used in order to avoid the intense ‘come-down’ that comes with smoking crack. An addict will get an intense high from smoking crack and then use heroin to avoid the sharp ‘come-down’. The result is a highly dangerous combination of extreme highs and lows throwing the body into a confused state of being.
South Africa is by far the largest market for illicit drugs entering the Southern African region with Johannesburg considered one of the largest city with the most potential users.
Drug trafficking and abuse have escalated since the end of Apartheid (1992). The extreme income inequalities between the different broad ethnic segments affect drug affordability and thus consumer choice. Heroin, cocaine powder, crack, and methamphetamine (called tik) are less common, but have grown significantly over the past few years. Drug distributors also attempt to expand the market for other drugs by mixing cannabis with heroin, cocaine, crack, mandrax, methamphetamine, and other drugs.
Similar to other countries located along the major drug-trafficking routes, South Africa has started to fall victim to a major drug epidemic of crack-cocaine. The relative affluence of South Africa in the region make it an attractive ‘emerging market’. South African society is already characterized by high rates of crime, violence and firearms, all of which contribute to the availability and usage of crack in the metropolitan areas.
There are no signs that the current epidemic is coming to an end soon. In fact, in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, crack-cocaine appears to be the second most used substance after cannabis.
At Crossroads Recovery Centre, Johannesburg we have found an exponential growth in the number of people presenting at our doors and testing positive for crack cocaine.
If you or a loved one are battling an addiction to crack cocaine and are in search of assistance in Johannesburg, know that help is readily available. The road to recovery is not always an easy one but getting yourself or your loved one the best care from the team at Crossroads Recovery Centre, Johannesburg, provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad things seem, there is hope and it’s just a phone call away. If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex, gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
If you have a loved one who is an alcoholic or addict, you’ve probably already heard that you may be an enabler. Al-Anon is an excellent organization which helps loved ones of alcoholics, not only cope with a loved one’s alcoholism, but addresses the role played by loved ones in enabling that behaviour. But how do you know if you are being an enabler or if what you are doing is normal helping? If you find that you have been an enabler, how can you stop?
Let’s talk about the difference between enabling and helping and then we will give you some practical tips and examples on how to stop enabling your alcoholic.
What Is Enabling?
Enabling is defined as doing things for the alcoholic that they normally could and would do for themselves if they were sober. In contrast, helping is doing something that the alcoholic could not or would not do for themselves if sober. Helping does not protect an alcoholic from the consequences of his or her actions. Anything that you do that does protect the alcoholic or addict from the consequences of his or her actions, could be enabling them to delay a decision to get help for their problem. Therefore, it’s in the best interest of the alcoholic, in the long run, if you stop whatever you are doing to enable them. Enabling is not helping.
How to Stop Enabling an Alcoholic or Drug Addict
You may realize at this
point that you have been enabling your loved one with alcoholism
(though you probably thought you were helping) and wonder how to
change. In a way, learning to stop enabling an alcoholic or drug
addict is very empowering. We can’t change other people, but we can
change our behaviours and reactions towards those people. Here are
several practical ways in which you can stop being an enabler today.
Do :
Support recovery efforts
Set boundaries
Let the alcoholic
deal with consequences
Don’t :
Make excuses for
the alcoholic
Take over personal
responsibilities
Save them from legal consequences
Cease Doing Anything That Allows the Alcoholic to Continue Their Current Lifestyle `
Are you working and paying some of the bills that the alcoholic would be paying if he hadn’t lost his job or missed time from work due to drinking? Or are you providing the alcoholic food and shelter? If so, you could be enabling. You are providing them with a “safety net” that allows them to lose or skip a job with no real consequences for those actions.
Do Nothing to “Help” the Alcoholic That They Could or Would Be Doing If Not Drinking
If the alcoholic has lost his license, giving him a ride to an A.A. meeting or a job interview is helping because that is something he cannot do for himself. However, looking up the schedule of meetings in the area, researching the requirements for getting his license back, or searching the classified ads for employment opportunities are things that the alcoholic should be doing for himself.
Stop Lying, Covering Up or Making Excuses for the Alcoholic
Have you ever had this conversation: “Sorry, he can’t come into work today, he has picked up some kind of bug” when in fact he is too hungover to go to work? That conversation is enabling because it is allowing the alcoholic to avoid the consequences of their actions. You might say, “But, he could lose his job!” Losing his job might just be the thing that needs to happen in order for the alcoholic or addict to decide to seek help.
Do Not Take on Responsibilities or Duties That Rightfully Belong to the Alcoholic
Are you doing some of
the chores around the house that the alcoholic used to do? Have you
taken on parenting responsibilities with your children that the two
of you used to share? If you are doing anything that the alcoholic
would be doing if she was sober, you are in a way enabling her to
avoid her responsibilities.
Do Not Give or Loan the Alcoholic Money
If you are providing money to the alcoholic for any reason, you might as well be going into the alcohol store and buying their booze for them. Buying alcohol for them is enabling behaviour. That’s what you are ultimately doing if you give an alcoholic money, no matter what they say they plan to do with the cash.
Don’t “Rescue” the Alcoholic by Bailing Him Out of Jail or Paying His Fines
Rushing in to rescue the alcoholic may satisfy some personal desire you have to feel “needed,” but it doesn’t really help the situation. It only enables the alcoholic to avoid the consequences of their actions. In Al-Anon, they call it “putting pillows under them” so that they never feel the pain of their mistakes.
Do Not Scold, Argue, or Plead With the Alcoholic
You may think that when you are scolding or berating the alcoholic for their latest episode, that it is anything but enabling, but it actually could be. If the only consequence that they suffer for their actions is a l “verbal spanking” from someone who cares about them, they can slide by without facing any significant consequences.
Do Not React to His Latest Misadventures by Allowing Them to Respond to Your Reaction Rather Than Their Actions
If you say or do something negative in response to the alcoholic’s latest screw-up, then the alcoholic can react to your reaction. If you remain quiet, or if you go on with your life as if nothing has happened, then the alcoholic is left with nothing to respond to except their own actions. If you react negatively, you are giving them an emotional out.
Do Not Try to Drink With the Alcoholic
Many family members, feeling abandoned by the alcoholic because of their love-affair with alcohol, have tried to become part of their world again by trying to drink with them. It rarely works. The alcoholic’s relationship with alcohol is cunning, baffling and powerful. “Normal drinkers” can rarely keep up.
Set Boundaries and Stick to Them
Saying, “If you don’t
quit drinking, I will leave!” is an ultimatum and a threat, but
saying, “I will not have drinking in my home” is setting a
boundary. You can’t control whether someone quits drinking or not,
but you can decide what kind of behaviour you will accept or not
accept in your life.
Carefully Explain to the Alcoholic the Boundaries That You Have Set—And Explain That the Boundaries Are for You, Not for Them
One thing that members of Al-Anon learn is that they no longer have to tolerate unacceptable behaviour in their lives. You may not be able to control the behaviour of someone else, but you do have choices when it comes to what you find unacceptable. Setting boundaries is something that you do for your benefit, not to try to control another person’s behaviour. In order to effectively do this, it’s helpful to detach to some degree. Detaching is letting go of another person’s alcohol problem which allows you to look more objectively look at the situation.
When You Stop Being an Enabler
Many times when an
alcoholic’s enabling system is removed, the fear will force them to
seek help, but there are no guarantees. This can be extremely
difficult to accept.
Take some time to learn
more about enabling and the family disease of alcoholism, attend an
Al-Anon meeting in your area. It may also be helpful to learn more
about the resources and information available for families affected
by alcoholism.
Attending Al-Anon in person will help you feel more empowered as you stop enabling, and less alone in the process. Unfortunately, none of us can control what another will do. Yet we do have the power to set boundaries and respect our own lives. Consider 10 things to stop doing if you love an alcoholic that can help you take back your own life whether or not your alcoholic gives up drinking.
If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex,gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
When an individual is looking for help with their addiction, they usually seek out a recovery centre that offers various treatment programmes suited to an individuals needs. Most recovery treatment programmes start off with a detox programme- clients are given a medical detox programme under the supervision of the consulting physician. This can be anything from 3 to 7 days depending on the history of the patient. They are then declared medically fit to enter the programme once the physical side effects have subsided, they begin a process of understanding the mental side of what has led to their addiction in the first place.
Crossroads Recovery Centre is a 12-step treatment facility that believes in a complete individual treatment programme for each client. Clients are guided through their programmes by an addiction counsellor. Upon exit, clients are assisted with the reintegration into society which is sometimes done with the assistance of secondary care. Whilst in care, clients are introduced to the Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous fellowships. Crossroads offers a 30-day treatment programme or a 90-day programme. Our programme is based on the Minnesota Model of addictions treatment. This approach is typically characterized by a thorough and ongoing assessment of all aspects of a client as well as multimodal therapeutic approaches. It does include group and individual therapy, family education and support and other methods. A multidisciplinary team of professionals’ plan and assist in the treatment process for each client, tailoring it to their needs.
Specific treatment programmes include welcome groups, didactic groups, powerlessness and damage, recovery coaching, occupational therapy, AA meetings, NA meetings, topic groups, spirituality, resident house meetings, goal-setting and farewell groups. Individual counselling is part of the process. This includes one-on-one therapy, addiction counselling, spiritual counselling, step-work counselling, trauma therapy, family counselling and co-dependence counselling.
Most treatment programmes make use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This is very relevant for addiction treatment because it is behaviourally based, and most substances abusers need a practical approach to dealing with their abuse. The core element of any personal behaviour change is based on the relationship between the client and either the personal counsellor or the approach of the treatment centre.
Treatment facilities focus on both long-term and short-term clients. Usually, clients will come through the centre with short-term stays in mind, due to finances. Long-term treatment is usually suggested as this will give clients the best possible chance of recovering from their addiction going forward.
Treatment centres may also make use of the Jelinek Curve as an assessment tool to help members of the community understand addiction when they come for an assessment for themselves or their loved ones. The Jelinek Curve is a chart that describes the typical phases of alcoholism and recovery.
If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex,gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
