Addictions
What Makes Russians Protest Against Methadone Treatment For Heroin Addiction?
Posted on March 14, 2012 |
When the Soviet Union fell and greater freedoms became available to its citizens, an undesirable side effect of this change was greater access to narcotics. In particular, heroin. And, as in many other countries, along with a heroin epidemic comes HIV infections resulting from the sharing of needles used to inject heroin. Estimates of the number of heroin addicts vary from three million to six million of the country’s 142 million citizens. Like in America, some Russian doctors propose the use of substitution therapy with methadone. But unlike America, the treatment of heroin addiction with methadone is illegal. In fact, the discussion of the subject is forbidden, as is the promotion of the treatment on a website. Sometimes, even the mentioning it in conversation can bring legal sanctions down on a person. In 2006, an influential anti-methadone article was published in the Russian Medical Newspaper, then reprinted and distributed to addiction treatment specialists. The article claims that the methadone will be subject to illegal diversion and that heroin addicts are kept addicted while the pharmaceutical companies make a profit. Passions run high as medical and government officials bicker back and forth on risk reduction through substitute drugs that keep people from injecting heroin illegally, and other forms of treatment. “If harm reduction is one’s only goal, then methadone may be a viable treatment,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions and Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “However, if a person’s goal is to live drug-free, then methadone may not be the best option to treat heroin or opiate addiction. Some drug treatment professionals may keep a person on methadone substitution for a long time, meaning that the person does not learn to live drug-free on their own.”The Narconon program is a fully drug-free program, meaning that every participant goes through a withdrawal step at the beginning of the program, assisted by nutritional support and physical exercises that calm and extrovert the person and relieve the discomfort of withdrawal. This is followed by a sauna program that uses a dry-heat combined with nutrition and an exercise program. This step flushes out old drug residues that may be connected with cravings. With lowered or eliminated cravings, the former addict is now free to take part in the counseling that allows them to leave guilt and depression behind, and learn the life skills that can enable them to make drug-free decisions in the future. “The Narconon program offers a viable alternative for the person who wishes to experience life without any reliance on drugs,” added Mr. Hallmark. “Our seventy percent success rate means that we are able to return many drug-free individuals to productive lives.”If you know anyone who needs help to overcome a drug addiction, please contact us at http://www.stopaddiction.com
Overcome Addiction in 60 Days
Posted on March 12, 2012 |
Of course you want to overcome your addiction, but you just don’t know where to turn for the right addiction help. Maybe you’ve wanted to overcome your addiction, but have been afraid of the societal stigma and shame that accompanies traditional treatment programs? You may have even tried other treatment programs only to find them unsuccessful, or maybe you’ve achieved recovery only to find yourself relapsing and returning to addiction!
This is where I come in. You see, I’ve discovered the secrets of the root cause of addiction, and the 5-Step process to uncover it, confront it, and overcome it in the privacy of your own home! But, first let me ask you a question;
What do drug, alcohol, sexual, shopping, gambling, and food addictions all have in common?
Well, there are many types of addictions, and they all have a common denominator, but I’ll get to that in a moment. First, let me say that there have been many theories proposed by countless numbers of degreed professionals in the addiction recovery field, but unfortunately, none of them have been clinically proven – especially the disease model! Think about it, if the current treatment approaches to addiction were actually working, the number of addicted Americans would be decreasing. However, The number of addicted Americans has increased 62% from 2002 – 2006, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency.
Traditional Programs Fail in Excess of 90% of the Time!
My experience has taught me that the mainstream approach to addiction is fundamentally amiss because formal Drug and Alcohol treatment programs attempt to defeat the symptoms of addiction rather than address the core issue. The majority of all treatment programs offer a group recovery approach as the primary or as a secondary component of their treatment modality. Unfortunately, these groups are often counterproductive and leave the individual at risk for continued relapse.
Recovery groups place a great deal of emphasis on spirituality, powerlessness, and the emergence of a person’s sense of soul. They claim many of the steps of the twelve-step program to be paradoxical. Concluding that you are powerless over addiction, but like magic, you some how become more powerful! The goal of the program is a spiritual awakening although they often admit that most people find it difficult to make this connection because they feel victimized by someone else’s behavior. My experience teaches me to conclude that admitting you are powerless does not promote empowerment and nor does it restore self-esteem! In my opinion, many of the twelve steps are unnecessary, and they are actually counterproductive to making a spiritual connection, increasing self-esteem, and achieving addiction recovery.
Addiction is not a Disease!
Unfortunately, most psychologists, psychiatrists, interventionists, drug and alcohol abuse counselors, and addiction specialists still believe that addiction is a disease, and an incurable one at that! They believe that there is no cure and there is no such thing as completely overcoming an addiction. However, addiction is not the disease that the medical community has deemed it to be. In fact, it is not a disease at all! Addiction is a choice, or what many view as a solution to temporarily remove their underlying emotional pain! Someone that is suffering from addiction merely has a co-dependency to a substance or compulsion in response to removing their emotional pain. This temporary solution quickly becomes a trap because the body and mind adapt requiring more and more of the addictive behavior or substance to remove the pain! However, if you understand why you made this choice in the first place, you can make another by choosing a better solution that will remove the pain, permanently! Yes, there is a better solution! One that you can work through in the privacy of your home, and one that will give you what you truly desire, happiness!
The Square Root of Addiction
So, what is the common denominator for addiction? the root cause of addiction is the underlying emotional trauma cause by family dysfunction.
Take a brief inventory of your feelings. Why does abusing substances or compulsions make you happier? What emotional pain do they temporarily remove? Were you unloved as a child, controlled, inadequately parented, verbally, physically or sexually abused? Did your parents manipulate you, reject you, or abandon you as a child?
You see, the key to beating a drug addiction is to uncover and remove the emotional pain and the inner turmoil that is causing you distress.
Addictive behavior is a symptom of underlying emotional trauma. Therefore, when you fix the root of the problem habitual behavior becomes repulsive. Instead, the mainstream philosophy has followed a pattern of bombarding people with multiple theories and confusing psychobabble, neither of which address liberation from underlying emotional trauma or restoring self-esteem.
The following is a brief outline of the 5 steps to addiction freedom. Prior to following these steps or any addiction recovery program, take the necessary time to ascertain whether you require the additional support of an addiction counselor or medical attention regarding withdrawal.
1. Step One: Unearth the Square Root
Family dysfunction is the common denominator, or square root of all addictive behavior, and until it is brought to the forefront and confronted nothing will change! This is by far the most important and critical step of the entire process. There are two parts to step one, and they are as follows:
A. Uncovering your family dysfunction
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Verbal abuse
Alcoholic parent
Controlling parent
Inadequate parenting
B. Confront the parent or parents responsible for the dysfunction
The thought of confronting the person that is responsible for your emotional trauma is one the most frightening situations you will face. However, it is also the most liberating and empowering thing you’ll ever do! Why do you need to confront your parent or parents? Well, first let me clarify the meaning of the word confront and in what context we are using this term. Confronting the person does not at all mean that you should verbally attack them for your misfortunes. On the contrary, you are not doing this for them. You are doing it for you! The confrontation is not meant to be an attack, but it is rather a chance for you to set the record straight and drop the emotional baggage that you’ve been toting around.
Step Two: Remove your Emotional Baggage
You have completed step one and have confronted your parent or parents. This in and of itself will have removed much of the pain and emotional trauma. However, to fully free yourself from their emotional stronghold, it will be necessary to find forgiveness in your heart for a family member that has committed an atrocity against you. Forgive! How can I forgive someone that committed these atrocities against me? Many people have a misconception about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not reconciliation! There is a drastic difference between the two. Reconciliation would mean that you have accepted and submit to their behavior and have agreed to try and continue the relationship under those circumstances. Forgiveness means that you merely give up or cease the resentment of the offender.
Step Three: Cure Wounditis
Without question, partaking in habitual behavior not only causes you pain but, it inflicts pain on the people around you as well. However, do not allow what you have done in the past or what others have done to you, to cause you to live in fear of what the future holds. The past is the past, it is over, and living in it does not serve anyone well. Live in the present moment, be kind to yourself, and learn to love yourself. How can you love someone else if you don’t love yourself? The answer is you can’t!!! It isn’t a big secret that you’re feeling shame and guilt for what you’ve done. In fact, you’re probably questioning right now as to whether you should be punished for your past actions. Well guess what, its ok! God doesn’t punish people, we punish ourselves. God is a loving and forgiving being. So if you thought that you would continue to punish yourself with shame and guilt before God gets a hold of you, you can stop right now! We do not have defects of character, are not full of shortcomings, and we certainly are not powerless! On the Contrary, we are all the same, we are all connected, and we all have the same power to change!
Step Four: Awaken the Power within
Whether you want to admit it or not, all of the pain you have been through concerning your habitual behavior is a spiritual lesson. And until you view it as such, it will continue to cause you suffering and unhappiness. Every dark cloud does have a silver lining, and if you look hard enough you’ll find one in this habitual situation too. However, to find that silver lining you must ask the right questions;
1. What can I learn from my addiction?
2. How can I grow from it?
The answers to these questions can be found in a place that is uncharted by most, and it is just waiting to be explored! It’s called your true self!
To embark on a journey of Self -reflection requires the practice of Mediation.
For more information on mediation you can visit my website below.
Step five: Practice Acts of Random Kindness
Happiness is a state of mind. Individuals that are suffering from addictive behavior are not happy! Ironically, in an attempt to find happiness, they chose a vehicle to mask their emotional pain through the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and various other compulsions. However, happiness is never found on the outside in material possessions or in the abuse of substances and compulsions! True life happiness can only be found in one place, and that place is within! Happiness is not found in the practice of outward ideals or in other people. To the contrary, it is actually the small acts of random kindness that opens the heart and fuels the principle of unconditional love!
To practice spirituality is to be of service to your fellow man and make no mistake about it that is why we are all here. Begin with small acts of kindness such as opening a door for someone, letting someone go before you in the checkout line or just taking the time to offer a kind word to an older person or a child. You get the picture! The first thing I do upon waking in the morning is think of how I can be of service and throughout the day I am always mindful of opportunities that present themselves for me to do just that. You know, the paradox of the whole thing is that the more kind and generous you are the more love, kindness and abundance you’ll receive back. Don’t believe me! Just try it and watch what begins to happen to you.
Do I Love an Addict-part 2
Posted on March 7, 2012 |
So in these two blogs I am trying to paint the picture of what addiction might look like if it shows up in your life. And I have made the point that it can look a whole lot of different ways, and most of them are not the stereotypical way that we ‘think’ addiction looks. And this, my friends is what will get you in trouble.
One of my readers recently made the point that addictions, all addictions, are enough to drive a sane person quite nearly mad. One of the things that causes this is the atmosphere of lies. This is especially true when you are not expecting it- or when the person you love does not look addicted, and is not naturally a lying kind of person. When you meet with these lies, and incongruities, you begin to question your very sanity. Now sometimes the addict literally does not remember what you remember because he or she was high or drunk at the time- but she will try to cover up her doubt and place the blame on you. In my personal experience, my husband Dave could tell me the sky was green. But he did it with such believability, such assurance, and such ease that you might soon find me looking at the sky thinking “By golly, that sky may just be green today”.
One recurring trait of an alcoholic is a self assurance that literally repels doubt. As time goes on this self assurance often becomes arrogance, and a common AA term is that alcoholics are actually egomaniacs with an inferiority complex. My husband epitomized this saying. He was always 100% sure that he was right in all things. But if you knew him really well you could see, there was not a lot of self-love there. Now on the flip side we who love addicts tend to have equally low self-esteem. Life experience has generally created us to be malleable, tending to doubt ourselves, and more than willing to put our faith in someone else. This was generally how it was with Dave and I, so when he said his own version of ‘the sky is green’ my first thought as I looked up was always and inevitably “I must be crazy.” So if you find yourself in a relationship that looks like these two polar opposites co-existing in doubt (We’ll call them the self-centered and the selfless)-and if it seems like insane things are being said, argued, and justified- and if you question your own sanity inside of all of this. You may be living in an addictive relationship. In Alanon it is said that we, the spouses of alcoholics, are addicted to ‘mind altering, mood-changing men’… or women.
So addicts lie, or they simply don’t remember what they said in some alcoholic or drug induced blackout. But they are supremely adept at making others think that they are the crazy ones. Addicts will also cheat, steal, threaten, intimidate, dominate and even use physical force. But when they have pushed you to their limit, they will throw out the hook and bait that will reel you back in. Now keep in mind when I say addicts, I am speaking of the sickness of addiction, and not of the native nature of the human being under the drug. This nature is generally good, and often supremely so- but when 10 trillion cells are addicted, the good person you love does not show up very often.
But at any rate there is a high level of manipulation in addiction- and addicts will use every trick in the book to get you to stay when you are ready to leave. There will be sweet words, gifts, tears, loving gestures, remonstrances, and any other means to tug at your heart strings. And all of these are quite believable, and most likely heart-felt by the addict- who truly does love us, I believe. So whenever I was near a breaking point, the tenderness that came out of my ex-husband was palpable. So another sign of an addiction being present is that you may see a pattern of arguments and upsets that come to a near desperate breaking point. And they may be followed by loving sweetness that you almost can’t resist. Most addicts are not fully grown up, and most people who love them are quintessential caretakers. So with Dave and I the little boy or that I loved to take care of would also come to the forefront at this point of desperation, and I would always succumb.
There are other signs of addiction. I believe I spoke of addicts hiding their stash as it becomes a problem. At this point the craziness really begins. Dave used to swear he was not drinking. In those days I was beginning to see the signs- but there was no alcohol anywhere. Again I was thinking ‘I must be crazy.’ Until one day I went into the far corners of the garage and found 2 months worth of old bottles hidden under some tarp, and the junked up old college-sized refrigerator was being used for the fresh, cold supply of beer. Drug addicts will hide their pot, and put their prescription drugs into vitamin bottles, sex addicts will hide their porno-magazines and videos, gamblers will hide the house bills so you won’t know they are not being paid.
Addicts will go to all extremes to be sure no-one sees the amount of drugs, alcohol, or sex they are consuming. Dave used to drive 2 towns over to get his alcohol, and he would vary his suppliers. This is another sure sign of a problem. He didn’t even want the store owners to know how much he drank! Another thing he did was to only bring out half of his recycling. He wanted the can only half full so the garbage man would not know how much he drank! Now I never understood why he did this at the time. He didn’t tell me until years later. But it is something to look for. Is your loved one doing weird, inexplicable things around his drinking, drugs, or addictive behavior. If he is, then he knows he has a problem and is trying to cover it up.
And if he knows there’s a problem, then there’s a real problem. Because we loved ones, living in the confusion, the lies, the manipulation, and our own low self-esteems- are often the last to know. And if you think there may be addiction, but you can’t find the source, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. It just means that you can’t find it. And if you ever do find a stash hidden somewhere, you can be sure, there’s addiction at play.
But the biggest sign, and I do mean the biggest sign, bar none, of loving someone with an addiction is your own state of mind and behavior. It is a little known fact that
people who love addicts often act crazier than the addicts themselves. We are driven to the brink of insanity by the lies, manipulation, the questioning of self, and the constant play on our emotions. I remember one time with Dave getting into an argument over a submarine sandwich. This was the insanity of our lives. We could argue for an hour or more over a sandwich. So we were driving on the highway and I took the sandwich and flung it out the window, bag, napkin and all. Another time I nearly got out of a moving car myself. Another time I flung my engagement ring into the tall weeds, and once a patio chair went flying across the porch. All of this happened at my hands and I wasn’t even the drinker!
There were other crazy things I found myself doing. Jagged hour-long crying attacks on the bathroom floor, hiding in the shrubbery of my house for half an hour to get away from him, a panicked pacing of the floor for hours when he did not show up, locking myself in the bathroom with the shower running to drown him out. Fortunately my ex was a home-drinker, or you might also have seen me scouring the bars to find him. I did however contemplate the feasibility of veering the car into the guardrails, and I wondered how I could do that and not harm anyone else.
So your crazy behavior that is simply not how you know yourself to be, is the single biggest clue that you may have someone else’s addiction on your hands. And if you think you’re crazy, the question is, who or what is driving the car that got you there?
It’s probably some kind of addiction that has the wheel of that car, and the car is aimed straight for that guardrail- whether you know it or not.
Written by Second Hand Addiction specialist, writer, and spokesperson, Lorelei F.
www.secondhandaddiction.blogspot.com
Causes and Consequences of Addictions
Posted on March 1, 2012 |
The task of defining addiction has challenged physicians, judges, clergy, addicts, their families, and the general public throughout history. There are as many potential definitions as there are groups with an interest in defining addiction. These definitions emphasize such things as physiological dependence, psychological dependence, family dynamics, behavioral problems, and morality. This list could be expanded at length, and NA could come up with its own definition and add it to the list. Addictions can be physical (of the body), psychological (of the mind), or both. In fact, almost any behavior can be termed an addiction if it becomes the primary focus of a person’s life, and especially if it results in harmful effects to one’s physical health and well-being. The term addiction is most commonly associated with a person’s compulsive and habitual desire to consume a chemical substance, such as alcohol or other drugs. The addict’s life is eventually dominated by the craving. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of the American population displays some form of addictive behavior.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that reduces inhibitions and anxiety. As the body becomes accustomed to a particular quantity of alcohol, more and more alcohol is needed to alter the drinker’s mental state in the desired way. Eventually, the liver (an organ that plays a key role in digestion, filtration of the blood, and the storage of nutrients) can become damaged by constant exposure to alcohol and its metabolites (by-products of alcohol’s breakdown). A damaged liver loses its ability to detoxify the blood, which can result in permanent mental changes, organ failure, and death.
Opiates (also called narcotics) are addictive drugs derived from opium, a drug made from poppy juice. They have a narcotic effect upon the body, meaning they dull the senses. In moderate doses, they relieve pain, promote a sense of well-being, and induce sleep; excessive doses, however, can cause coma or convulsions. Opiates include opium and its derivatives—morphine and heroin. Opium, a drug derived from the poppy, has been known since ancient times for its pain-relieving qualities and its ability to induce sleep. From the 1600s through the 1800s, it was widely used in Western medicine to treat a variety of ailments and was highly effective in deadening the sensation of pain during surgery. In China, addictive opium smoking was rampant by the late 1700s, where opium dens flourished. Some artists and writers of the nineteenth century claimed that opium use intensified their creativity by reducing their inhibitions.
Opium is grown around the world, and in some countries smoking the drug continues to be common, though it is outlawed except for medicinal purposes in most Western nations. Preparations of opium, such as paregoric, are sometimes prescribed for diarrhea. Codeine, an opium derivative, is an ingredient in many pain-relieving medications and cough syrups. Morphine is the active ingredient in opium. It is the most effective naturally occurring compound used for the relief of pain in medicine and surgery. Its narcotic properties also produce a calming effect, protecting the body’s system during traumatic shock. Once the hypodermic syringe (needle) was invented in 1853, the use of morphine injections for the relief of pain was adopted enthusiastically by the medical community. (Some doctors even taught their patients how inject themselves.) Morphine’s popularity extended to America’s Civil War battlefields, where the drug was used to treat wounded soldiers. Tragically, thousands of people worldwide became addicted to the drug.
In 1898, the Bayer corporation (the maker of aspirin) synthesized (produced by chemical means) heroin from morphine and marketed it as a remedy for morphine addiction. Heroin, however, proved to be even more addictive than morphine. Used in a powder form that is dissolved in water and injected into the user’s vein, heroin provides an immediate sensation of warmth and relaxation. Physical or mental pain is relieved, and the user enters a deeply relaxed state for a few hours. The powder also can be inhaled for a milder effect. Heroin is extremely habit-forming: with only a few doses the user is “hooked.”
Cocaine is a white, crystalline powder produced from the leaves of the coca plant, a South American shrub. It is extremely and powerfully addictive—some people need only a single exposure for addiction to occur. For centuries, South American -Indians have chewed the coca leaves for their stimulating and exhilarating effect. Cocaine came into use as a local anesthetic in the late 1800s because of its numbing properties. As a pain reliever and stimulant, it was a common ingredient in popular nonprescription medicines of the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the end of the twentieth century, cocaine was used only occasionally in the medical field, sometimes as a local anesthetic for some kinds of surgery. Most cocaine now is purchased and used illegally. The white powder is often inhaled (“snorted”), sometimes injected, and as free base is smoked. A solid crystalline form known as crack, the most potent form of cocaine, is also smoked. Unlike the opiates, which cause drowsiness, cocaine gives its users energy.
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and cola drinks. It has been part of the human diet for many centuries and is one of the most widely used central nervous system stimulants in the world. In recent years, researchers have raised questions about possible risks associated with high caffeine intake, but no definite conclusions have been reached about the harmfulness of moderate amounts. However, some experts consider drinking large amounts of coffee or cola beverages evidence of a true addiction to caffeine. Nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco, is highly addictive, and cigarette smoking is among the most difficult habits for people to break. Many societies throughout the world have prized nicotine for its mood-altering properties: it is said to produce either relaxation or arousal, depending on the user’s state. Addiction to nicotine results in more than 400,000 premature deaths each year from smoking-related illnesses such as emphysema and lung cancer.
Withdrawal symptoms are caused by psychological, physiological, and chemical reactions in the body that are brought on as the amount of the addictive chemical in the blood begins to fall. Abrupt withdrawal from alcohol can result in uncontrollable bodily shaking, hallucinations, and seizures. Withdrawal from cigarettes can cause irritability and intense craving for nicotine. A coffee drinker may experience headaches and mood changes without the beverage. The hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine produce intense, sometimes violent, withdrawal symptoms. Abdominal pain, nausea, chills, tremors, sweating, hallucinations, and panic increase until eased by more of the same drug or treatment with medication to relieve the symptoms.
Interestingly, in addition to chemical addictions there are many physical addictions too which we either love to crave for out of our ignorance or appreciate and strive to rush for due to lack of proper information to the effect. Few of them may be cited here as prototype cases. Compulsive gambling begins with placing small bets on horses or playing low-stakes card games or craps. As the gambler experiences the exhilaration of winning, he or she engages in bigger, more frequent, and more irrational betting. Gamblers place ever-larger bets to make up for their losses and have been known to lose their jobs, their homes, and their families as a result of their addiction.
Among addictions, no other is so willingly embraced than that of a workaholic, or a person addicted to work. On the surface, it might be difficult to tell if a person is a workaholic or just a hard and loyal worker. However, if work overshadows all other responsibilities in a worker’s life, then the results can be telling. Focusing on work, workaholics tend to neglect their families, leaving the responsibility of raising their children solely to their spouses. All other social obligations are often neglected, as well. Finally, workaholics tend to neglect themselves, experiencing deteriorating health as they push themselves to the limit at work without regard for sleep or food. Counseling to identify the reason a person throws himself or herself into work is key for overcoming this addiction.
The Internet connects people all over the globe, exposing them to new cultures and offering vast amounts of information. But when the computer world begins to rival the real world, it becomes an addiction. Internet addiction insulates people from intimate settings and relationships. Some people would rather commune with a computer than with their spouses and children. Many marriages, families, and even promising careers at work have been lost because an individual has become addicted to the Internet. Other compulsions or addictions include exercise, especially running. Running long distances triggers the release of morphine like substances in the brain called endorphins, producing a feeling of euphoria or happiness. This is the “high” that runners often describe. The high feels so good that the compulsive runner may engage in his hobby despite bad weather, injury, or social and family obligations. Excessive weight loss can also occur as a result of compulsive exercise.
The single characteristic common among all addicts—whether their addiction is chemical or nonchemical—is low self-esteem. Some experts believe that certain people are born with the predisposition (tendency) to become addicted to drugs or alcohol, particularly if one or both of the biological parents was a substance abuser. Social and psychological factors also may lead an individual to addiction. A desire to fit in, an attempt to relieve anxiety, an inability to cope with the stresses of daily life—all of these factors have been cited as possible springboards to addiction.
Treatment of chemical addiction includes medical care of symptoms related to substance abuse and enrollment in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program. In addition, participation in a self-help group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous can provide the emotional support an addict needs to stay away from drugs or alcohol. Psychological counseling and self-help groups can also be effective in treating nonchemical addictions. It is often difficult to break the psychological and physical grip of addiction. Success depends upon the willingness of the addict to admit that a problem exists—and possession of the strength and determination to overcome it. Many former addicts have enough resolve to avoid drugs and alcohol for the rest of their lives, but studies show an equal number will take up the habit again.
Free Online Addicting Games
Posted on February 26, 2012 |
(1) ONLINE GAMINGPlay is an important contributor to human development, maturation and learning. That is why games are an essential ingredient in the curriculum of every school and college and also a popular pastime for adults. However, today’s busy lifestyle and living in matchboxes leave neither time nor room for outdoor games. This is when the internet comes in as a saviour to all those sports freaks who lack the opportunity.
Yes, online gaming is here to stay! Though computer games have been around for as long as there have been personal computers, online gaming is an increasing pastime and is popular due to the convergence of virtual worlds, games and social networking spiced up with Rich Internet Applications. Thousands of players from all over the world come together in one massive web that knows no team, nationality or boundaries. It is just a one to one challenge in a click’s notice!
Online gaming is a multi-million dollar industry today and thousands of websites have mushroomed in cyber-space that vie for the clicks of eager online gamers. Some have their link on another website but many are a separate entity. One such site is
addicting-games.org.uk which is solely dedicated to passionate gaming. Want to set the racing track on fire? Or be the sharp detective and break a coded message? Feel like helping Mario rescue the helpless girl? Then head for addicting-games.org.uk. From racing games to puzzles to board games to Harry Potter, this fantastic site offers a plethora of options to pacify gamers of all ages, likes and abilities.
As the name suggests one might get addicted to the site and never want to pull out of it! Besides giving the gamer the opportunity to learn new games and the pleasure of sharpening existing skills, online gaming also promotes social interaction. A player could have an opponent from the other side of the world who could be many years younger and from a completely different educational background. But all that matters here is skill. Interspersed with play is a chance to interact socially too. Best of all, online gaming follows a 24 x 7 calendar which is convenient for everyone living in any time zone on earth.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab the mouse! Surf the cyber space to enter the mesmerizing world of addicting-games.org.uk and addict yourself…..forever!
(2) BEST GAMES WEBSITE
It’s the weekend and you are bored stiff with too much TV. You are wondering what to do! Chances are you will hit the internet and logon to some social networking site to join an ever increasing web of online gamers!
The online gaming community is growing. At a fast and furious pace! And why not? There is no need of joining expensive clubs to play some golf or football. You can hit those fantastic fours and sixes against a Bret Lee delivery with a deft click of your mouse. Or blaze past Raikkonen on the winding tracks at a Grand Prix from your chair! Or, easier still, you can opt for a more intellectual challenge with games that test your skills at solving puzzles, words and other popular games like chess.
The expansion of online games is largely an outcome of easy internet access and ever growing social communities on the net. Endless possibilities have also arisen after the integration of software like Flash and Java to the internet browsers. This has enabled streaming audio and video on websites and also made user interaction easy. Ranging from simple text-based games to those with complex graphics, online games have come a long way from single user to Massively Multiplayer Online Games.
One of the resultant effects of this is the growth of websites with links to playing online games or those that are completely dedicated to the games itself. One such popular site is
addicting-games.org.uk. It is mainly a community driven online gaming website whose main focus is online games but also provides for meeting up with new people and chatting with online buddies. With 578 games categorized under various genres of action/adventure, sports, puzzles, racing, shooting etc, the site boasts of a more than 390 members and still counting! All you have to do is to log on, register and start playing. It is that simple. You can create your own profile and strike up some good online buddies as you play. The best thing is that all of it is for free and anyone can join!
So, look no further, log on to addicting-games.org.uk and discover a whole new world of challenges and fun. All from the comfort of your home!
(3) GAMES AND FRIENDS IN ONE WEB!
Are you an online gaming freak who cant wait to log on to the net to play? Then join the ever increasing web of online game addicts who pursue their gaming interests passionately. The world wide web has indeed shrunk the world by many degrees and one of the most popular gathering places are online gaming communities.
While there are many websites that offer various kinds of games for enthusiasts,
addicting-games.org.uk is one that offers its members a unique cocktail of variety and spice! With a collection of 578 games and more than 390 members, it is slated to grow with popularity. It has a simple system of registering and then, logging on to start playing.
The website addicting-games.org.uk is solely dedicated to games. In a mood for action or adventure? There are 32 different games to choose ranging from Exreme Racing to Lord of the Rings battle! There are a still more under various genres like Puzzles (like Code Breaker and Jigsaw Puzzles) Shooting (like Asteroid Attack and Liner Assault) Retro, Sports (like Billiards, Mini Golf and Football) and Racing( like 3D Motorbike racing and MotoRush). Apart from this is a collection of miscellaneous games to suit the needs of gamers who like to try out different games. For new users, there are trial lessons along with clearly mentioned rules. Some games offer the user the choice of continuing the game the next time he or she logs on. This eliminates the nuisance of starting from the easier levels all over again the next time. Statistics of games played, points won and highest ever score etc make it more interesting and meaningful. You can climb up in the rank charts as you are rated according to your playing ability and in comparison to other players.
While playing, the user can also strike up some buddies online as there is room for social interaction also here. Creating an interesting profile will definitely be an attraction to other members with similar interests and could be the beginning of a long lasting friendship for you. Facilities to chat while playing adds spice to the game because one could be interacting with a person from the other side of the world which provides a good, healthy opportunity to exchange information about the countries, culture etc.
So, enter this virtual world of online games and get hooked forever!
(4) AN ADDICTING GAMES SITE
Are you an online games freak in search of a website that offers you a variety of games to choose from? Then, addicting-games.org.uk should be a permanent bookmark on your browser.
This unique website unfolds before you a collection of fascinating games to satisfy players of all ages and with different likes and abilities. A simple registration makes you a member and then starts the fun. Each game has a brief description to guide newcomers through the game and of course, trial lessons can give you the feel of it before you plunge into the actual game itself. Once you’ve challenged yourself many times and mastered the game you can try your skills out against an opponent from the ever-growing list of members registered on the site.
The games are sifted into genres according to the fare they offer. Under Action/Adventure, you can choose from a variety of games. There is the Ninja Hunter where you can wield your samurai against the toughest of enemies. Never learnt Karate or Kung Fu? No problems. You can try it out here at IK, and that too without the risk of breaking your back!!! The sky is the limit they say. In the real world, that’s a tough one you will agree. But in Reach the Sky, all you need is a few deft clicks of the mouse and some well-timed keyboard moves! Feel like being Harry Potter? Well, get ready to use your charms and spells to escape from Knock-Turn Alley.
Feel like playing some real sports? Then, click on Sports link and enter the virtually real world of sports! Realize your unfinished childhood dream of being the star of the sprinting track here as you take the 100m Dash challenge. You could be living in the hot tropics but you can still have a go at Ice Hockey from your keyboard! Feel like doing a Ronaldinho stunt? Then, Kicker it is.
On those days when you are in the mood to tickle your intellectual skills, hit the Puzzles link at addicting-games.org.uk for a variety of brain tickling challenges. You can play Robert Langdon and crack the encrypted codes to get the Da Vinci Code feeling. Or try worming out of tough Labyrinths. Or piece together intricate jigsaws.
All this and a lot more under the Shooting, Racing and Miscellaneous sections awaits you. The website also offers you a profile page where you can post details about yourself which you would like to tell others. You too can browse through hundreds of other profiles to find friends with similar interests.
Shouldn’t be long before you to get addicted to this wonderful gaming site which is perfect mix of pleasure and entertainment!
(5) CALLING ALL ONLINE GAMING ADDICTS
Does the very mention of Games pump up your adrenaline and make you want to pick up the sports gear and dash off to the nearest club or gym? What do you do if there is no gym or club around? Well, you don’t have to get depressed because this is the cyber age where everything and anything is always a possibility. Including games and sports! It is a virtual explosion of play out there in cyber space where virtually all sports fields, courts and boards are created and becoming a champ is only a matter of dexterous clicks of the mouse!
The world of internet is experiencing a new high in the arena of online gaming especially after the induction of Flash and Java into browsers. While online gaming started with subscription rates for members, today it has become so popular that many sites have offers for free, though a paid member has access to more and better services.
This has given rise to many gaming links and websites wooing surfers to try out their skills. Many sites have well planned gaming choices that are attractive and also safe to use. For instance, addicting-games.org.uk is a site where a plethora of games that cater to a variety of age groups and ability levels are available. What is more, it offers a wonderful chance to mingle with other members as well through chat windows and discuss game strategies besides striking up a lasting friendship.
Though online games have been frowned upon for its addictive side effects, it is touted as one of the best ways of improving your game skills coupled with social skills. An online gamer often starts with a challenge against a programmed computer. This not only enables the gamer to sharpen his own skills but also to learn new tactics in the game. Later, when the gamer is pitched against another gamer, there is further opportunity to try out these skills, learn more and compare oneself to others, and all this from the comfort of your home. It is an arena where every player has no nationality or boundary or age limit or physical ability. All that is required is deftness with the mouse and keyboard and a zest to play!
Online gaming has become so popular that it is an essential part of many social networking sites where meeting people and making friends over a board of chess or a game of football has become a favourite pastime. Playing against an experienced, champion in the game can be a valuable lesson in picking up expert advice to improve strategies of the game. Playing against another person from another part of the world can initiate a sort of “mouse-pal ship” with meaningful exchanges of cultural information as well!!!
Online gaming is a global phenomenon and is here to stay. It is perhaps, the key to bringing about a universal union of human beings and wean people away from differences of caste, creed or religion, uniting them into peaceful earthlings.