Racing to get to the office on time, you didn’t see it. The car ahead of you. Between the sunrise making it difficult to see and email notifications on your phone distracting you, you saw it too late.

When you realize what’s about to happen, you take a shocked, frightened breath. Then you slam into the car in front of you.
You escape with a minor concussion, a broken ankle, and a prescription for Oxycodone to help manage the pain. You were lucky.

But as the weeks go by, the pain from the accident is still there. Your coworker accidentally bumps your leg? Take a painkiller. Your dog hits your leg with his tail when he greets you after coming home? Take another painkiller. Even after starting to walk again, you complain to your doctor you’re still in pain and he writes you another prescription.

Before you know it, you’re looking for any excuse to pop a pill. Your relationships and career all take a back seat as Oxycodone becomes the center of your entire life.

While Oxycodone may be prescribed by a doctor, it doesn’t change the fact that it is a drug you can become addicted to – even without realizing it. Find out why Oxycodone is so addictive and what you can do to stop it.

What Is Oxycodone, and How Does It Work?

Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic opioid. That means it originally comes from elements of the opium plant and is then modified in a lab. This particular drug is the main ingredient in drugs like OxyContin and Percocet.

When Oxycodone enters the bloodstream, it binds to areas of the central nervous system responsible for communicating pain.

It also releases a surge of dopamine—the natural feel-good chemical your system produces when you receive a hug from a loved one or eat your favorite food.

This rush can be quite an experience—particularly for someone who has been dealing with constant pain. It’s often intended for a slower release, but those addicted to Oxycodone will seek for a stronger effect by:

• Crushing and snorting pills
• Chewing the pills or capsules
• Dissolving the medication in liquid and injecting it

Diminishing Returns Leads to Dependence and Worse

As you continue taking Oxycodone, your body builds tolerance. This can lead to situations where you feel like you have to take more and more to feel better. A typical progression may look like this:

1) Normal prescription use helps you deal with your pain
2) A tolerance develops, leading to you increasing the dose
3) As you up the intake, your body feels like it depends on the drug to function normally.
4) You might start hiding your use out of shame or guilt, and addiction causes you to put using above personal and professional responsibilities.

When prescriptions run out or when the habit becomes too expensive, many people struggling with Oxycodone addiction turn to heroin to get their fix, which leads to an even greater addiction.

The Doctor Told Me to Take These. What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

The widespread availability and social acceptance of prescription painkillers has contributed to the opioid epidemic plaguing California and the rest of the nation.

The initial experience with Oxycodone can lull you into a false sense of security, as it makes you feel:

• Happy
• Confident
• Less anxious
• Relaxed

However, it’s not all good feelings all the time. Common side effects of Oxycodone may include:

• Blurry vision or dizziness
• Depressed breathing
• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting

When you continue taking the drug, you might also experience:

• Constipation
• Heart failure
• Insomnia
• Muscle pain and cramps
• Seizures

As tolerance increases, you also increase your risk of overdosing. When combined with other drugs (like alcohol or benzodiazepines) that depress the central nervous system, the risk of overdose and death is much greater.

Get Help for Oxycodone Addiction in Palmdale, CA

You’ve figured out you are abusing painkillers and you want to stop. But how?

Trying to stop quit Oxycodone cold turkey is both difficult and dangerous. Many doctors and treatment programs recommend gradually reducing your dosage to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Depending on how long you’ve been using or abusing the drug and a number of other factors, you might experience mild flu-like symptoms as your body begins to detox.

However, heavier users may face intense withdrawals similar to heroin or morphine users. While withdrawals from Oxycodone typically aren’t life-threatening, you do face a significant risk of relapse due to the pain and discomfort. Tolerance can fade somewhat quickly, which can make an accidental overdose much more likely.

At Cycles of Change Recovery Services, you don’t have to try to overcome your Oxycodone addiction alone. We provide the support you need throughout your recovery journey. From the initial detox period to counseling and therapy to beyond your initial inpatient treatment, our staff cares about your success and will be here for you every step of the way.

We understand the guilt and shame that can come with addiction. Don’t let those feelings stand in the way of getting help for this chronic disease. Begin the healing process and contact us now.

Driving in severe weather is a nerve-wracking experience. Your tires could slip on the road at any second. Your windshield wipers are working furiously to provide visibility, but to no avail.

It’s difficult to see the path ahead and the maneuvers that would be safe under normal conditions can become incredibly dangerous. Your mind, senses and reflexes all must operate at a high level to help you navigate the treacherous road and make it home safely.

Now, imagine that your perspective is warped, preventing you from noticing the inclement weather and hazardous road conditions.

To you, it looks like a bright, sunny day. You don’t realize it, but by behaving “normally” from your point of view, you are putting yourself and others around you at risk.

That hypothetical situation might sound farfetched, but alcohol rewires your brain and prevents you from seeing things clearly.

Heavy alcohol use can make profound changes to your brain chemistry without you realizing it, and you may find yourself in a dangerous situation, unaware of the peril facing you.

This is particularly true for those who are already struggling with a mental health disorder like anxiety or depression. Alcohol can worsen symptoms caused by a mental illness and may even play a role in their onset.

Surprising Facts about Alcohol and Mental Illness

Nearly one in five Americans struggle with mental health issues each year. Stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder and other painful conditions can cause you to seek relief wherever you can find it.

With 70% of the nation reporting they’ve had an alcoholic beverage in the past year and more than half admitting they drank in the past month, it’s easy to see that alcohol is often the self-medicating drug of choice.

However, the relief alcohol grants is temporary, and when used or abused for long periods of time, it can contribute to mental illness.

How Alcohol Rewires Your Brain and Leaves You Vulnerable to Mental Illness

While alcohol use might start as a way to deal with feelings of anger, fear or guilt, the changes it spurs in your brain can actually cause more anxiety and troubled thoughts.

That’s because it alters your brain’s chemistry. It depresses activity throughout your central nervous system, which can numb your anger, shame, guilt or other difficult feelings.

But as your body tries to adjust, a few things happen:

• Your serotonin levels drop considerably.
• Reduced serotonin can lead to a depressed mood, low energy and negative thoughts.
• You get less quality sleep because your body can’t rest properly while trying to process alcohol.
• With sleep deprivation comes extremely elevated risk of clinical depression or anxiety.

Ultimately, drinking helps you feel better for a little bit before it makes you feel worse, leading to a devastating cycle of escalating abuse for some individuals.

Manic Depression is a Frustrating Mess

The classic Jimi Hendrix tune is a great track, but that line is a gross oversimplification of how difficult manic depression, more commonly referred to today as bipolar disorder, can be.

Roughly 2.5% of American adults grapple with this condition, and 4 out of 5 cases are considered severe. Substance abuse is considered to be a contributing factor in developing bipolar disorder. Some of the difficulties encountered can include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Physical Pain
• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Drastic shifts between optimism and pessimism
• Fatigue
• Suicidal thoughts

Break Free from the Cycle of Alcoholism and Anguish at Cycles of Change

At Cycles of Change Recovery Services in Palmdale, CA, we are equipped to treat co-occurring conditions like alcoholism and mental illness. This dual diagnosis treatment can lead to lower rates of relapse in recovery.

Our experienced, caring staff will work with you to customize a treatment plan that meets your individual needs. We offer a variety of therapies, including treatment aimed at helping heal the family, as well as, the addict. If you need help organizing an intervention for a loved one, we have experienced interventionists on staff who can assist you.

Break the cycle of alcohol abuse and achieve positive, lasting change in your life. Start the process of healing and contact us today.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of the US population drinks alcohol. Not everyone who drinks has a problem, but drinking to self-medicate for depression or anxiety can quickly lead to trouble.

When addiction takes hold, it warps the body and mind and could lead to irrational choices and self-destructive behavior that affect those close to them. As family members and friends helplessly watch their loved ones spiral out of control, they end up experiencing mental, physical, and even financial anguish.

If you’re a loved one or someone struggling with alcoholism, you don’t have to go through this experience alone. Groups like Al-Anon are specifically designed to provide incredible support to families of alcoholics.

What is Al-Anon?

Al-Anon Family Groups, often abbreviated as Al-Anon, are not the same as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Anne B. and Lois W., wife of AA co-founder Bill Wilson, recognized that the families impacted by alcoholism also needed support, so they created Al-Anon. It shares some concepts like the 12-step process, but it is translated to meet the alcoholic’s family’s needs.

For kids who have a parent or other family member suffering from alcohol abuse, there is Alateen. Alateen is a subgroup within Al-Anon targeted to help teenagers work through issues caused by a loved one struggling with alcoholism.

How Does Al-Anon Help Families?

As the spouse, child, or parent of an alcoholic, you are in a particularly vulnerable position. You may be dealing with shame, secrecy, manipulation, financial trouble, legal issues, and various physical and emotional trauma resulting from your loved one’s addiction. Al-Anon puts you in contact with other families experiencing similar struggles. You can seek confidential counsel from people just like you and share your successes, failures, and concerns in a supportive, nurturing environment.

Al-Anon can help whether your loved one is still drinking or is in recovery. Unless the family works to heal the damage caused by addiction, anger and resentment can continue to wreak havoc in your home. Al-Anon can help you work through those negative feelings, so you can understand your loved one’s chronic disease and learn to forgive their behaviors and actions caused by addiction.

Al-Anon Can Help with Self-Blame and Self-Esteem Issues

Many people struggle with self-blame over their loved one’s addictions. When your loved one was in the thick of the addiction, you and your family may have fallen into the victim triangle, taking turns:

• Smothering your loved one
• Persecuting them for not being able to stop drinking on their own, and
• Getting down on yourselves for not being able to stop the addiction

But the reality is, alcoholism is a chronic disease that isn’t anybody’s fault. Al-Anon helps you break free of these victim triangle habits so you can begin to recover from your loved one’s addiction.

By keeping the focus on yourself and what you can control, you can begin to change your own attitudes and actions in ways that will foster healthy growth and development.

Alcohol Rehab at Cycles of Change that Heals the Whole Family

If your family is ready to heal from alcoholism, Cycles of Change is here for you. Whether you need help with an intervention or therapy designed to repair your familial relationships, our luxury residential rehab center in Palmdale, CA, is equipped to deal with your unique situation.

The experienced, caring staff here is fully invested in helping your loved one achieve and maintain sobriety, as well as assisting your family throughout the recovery process. Talk to one of our specialists today and begin the healing in your home.

Music is a powerful tool. It has been used for thousands of years as a means of expression that can transcend language, cultural and social barriers. It can transport you to the past with powerful nostalgic connections and help you identify and experience strong emotions. Music therapy aims to harness these powers and allows you to invest your mind, body and spirit into the recovery process.

Benefits of Music Therapy

Where addiction isolates you from the world around you, music helps put your mind at ease, relaxes your body and reconnects your spirit. You could experience other benefits, as music therapy may:

• Boost your immune system
• Increase the release of natural endorphins
• Lead to better sleep
• Lower your blood pressure and heart rate
• Promote feelings of optimism that last far beyond your therapy session
• Reduce anxiety and stress
• Reduce physical pain
• Stimulate your brain

Two Types of Music Therapy

Music therapy in addiction treatment can be divided into two kinds of experiences: active and receptive.

Active Music Therapy

Active music therapy involves the direct creation of music. At Cycles of Change, we use guitars, drum sets and other instruments to help you heal. And even if you’ve never played an instrument before, electric instruments allow you to create music with a touch of a finger.

When clients enter a music therapy session at Cycles of Change, they spend 90 minutes playing with the instruments to help them focus on the present moment instead of thinking about the pain and frustrations that were on their minds before walking in.

By time the session is over, their moods are lifted and they feel more relaxed. This is particularly important for those who are also suffering from co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental or emotional issues.

“Music therapy also helps with regaining motor skills, which many clients lose after using alcohol and drugs for a long time,” says Robert Ormsby (Bobby O), the Director of Music Program at Cycles of Change Recovery Services, who has over 20 years of experience working as a substance abuse counselor and music instructor.

Receptive Music Therapy

Receptive music therapy is the act of simply listening to the music being played. If you’re not in the mood to actively play or don’t have any interest in learning how to play an instrument, just listening quietly can have a calming effect and help you focus your attention on the present instead of worrying or feeling stressed.

At Cycles of Change, you can choose to participate in receptive music therapy, or you can even perform a relaxing activity like drawing or writing as you’re listening to music. Bobby O states that receptive music therapy is effective for clients who are just beginning the recovery program and are experiencing both physical and mental withdrawal symptoms and stress.

To help these clients relax and open up, he’ll oftentimes play songs on the piano or with a guitar. “Most clients sing along with me by the time a couple of songs are over,” says Bobby O.
Whether participating in active or receptive music therapy, music is a powerful way for those suffering from addiction to regain self-esteem, confidence and joy in life.

Examples of Music Therapy Exercises in Addiction Treatment

Music therapy comes in many shapes and forms, including songwriting and relaxation training. At Cycles of Change, our music therapy program includes drum circles and Blues song writing, giving you exposure to improv lyric and music creation to help you express and work through your feelings and moods.

Personalized Treatment for Addiction in California

Studies show that treatment programs customized for individual patients can lead to better outcomes. While research into music therapy and other alternative practices is still ongoing, it has already been linked to incredible benefits to help improve your overall health and addiction treatment experience, especially when tied into a 12-step recovery program.

At Cycles of Change’s luxury residential drug rehab facility in Palmdale, CA, we utilize music therapy alongside holistic treatment to meet your unique, individual needs. Addiction is a disease that requires treatment to reduce your chances of relapse. Our experienced, compassionate staff can work with you and your family to begin the healing process. If you need help making a lasting, positive change in your life, talk to our team today.

“Cocaine’s a hell of a drug,” is one of the most quoted comedy sketch lines of all time. It’s used as a punchline to explain musical artist Rick James’ dangerous and erratic behavior in a series of scenes reenacted by talented comedians. The presentation of the material and the distance between the audience and the situation makes for humorous television, but the reality of being around someone struggling with cocaine addiction is anything but a laughing matter. Emotional and physical pain are often involved as well as financial and legal trouble. If you’re worried your loved one might be using cocaine or could be addicted to the drug, here are some of the warning signs.

Who Uses Cocaine?

Cocaine can be an expensive habit to maintain, but it’s not solely a problem for the wealthy. Nearly 15% of Americans will try cocaine at some point in their lifetimes. People under intense pressure to perform at a high level are more likely to use the drug. A number of co-occurring mental health issues can also increase the risk of cocaine addiction. These are worrying statistics because cocaine is one of the most psychologically addictive substances available. Some may develop addiction after the first time trying it.

Signs That Someone Might Be Using Cocaine

Highs with cocaine come and go quickly—lasting maybe 15-30 minutes. This can lead to binging behavior which greatly increases the chance of addiction. People experiencing the effects of cocaine may feel hyperactive or hyper-productive. They can feel like they’re generating good ideas or artistic work and will try to accomplish as much as possible while those feelings of euphoria are still present. Nosebleeds are a common physical symptom, and you may notice muscle twitches or tremors.

Identifying Cocaine Addiction Symptoms

As the body begins to go through withdrawals, your loved one may seem depressed or muted in comparison. Feelings of lethargy, fatigue and discomfort lead to less activity. Irritability is another common symptom. The length and severity of the addiction as well as other factors unique to each person can make the experience different. If you notice your family member or friend having frequent swings between these highs and lows, there might be a problem with cocaine addiction. While withdrawals are not typically life-threatening, they can lead to relapse and overdose.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Palmdale, California

Cycles of Change is the premier cocaine rehab treatment program in California. Our Palmdale center specializes in making the detoxification process as smooth as possible. This first step in the addiction recovery journey is vital, and our compassionate, experienced staff wants your loved one to succeed. We know that addiction harms the entire family, so we use family therapy to begin the healing process for everyone. These are components in comprehensive, personalized treatment plans that aim to help our clients make positive lifestyle changes and regain control of their lives. Reach out to our team now for a confidential conversation about how you can help your loved one recover from cocaine addiction.