If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

According to a review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, by scientists at the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo, excessive intake of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in the brain to function normally. Whoah! This is huge news-especially for those of us who drink diet soda like it’s going out of style. The review went on to say that high consumption of aspartame may lead to neurodegeneration. For many years, there has been much speculation as to exactly how safe artificial sweeteners are as well as what their impact on the human body is, with rumors flying around that aspartame causes cancer (which was based off of a study performed on rats). However, there has been nothing conclusive thus far.

What’s Aspartame Made Of & Where Can it be Found?

Aspartame is made up of phenlalanine (50%), methanol (10%) and aspartic acid (40%). Even if you had never heard of aspartame before, chances are you’ve probably consumed it at one point or another. It can be found in almost any food and/or beverages labeled “diet”. Most often, these food and beverages take the forms of diet soda and low calorie foods and chewing gum.

What Are the Consequences of Aspartame Consumption?

According to the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers discovered that aspartame can:

..disturb the metabolism of amino acids, protein structure and metabolism, the integrity of nucleic acids, neuronal function and endocrine balances. It also may change the brain concentrations of catecholamines, which include norepinephrine, epinephrine and domapine…

As a result, this leaves people susceptible to headaches, insomnia and seizures.

For more information on substance abuse prevention, contact Mark Houston Recovery today!

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: drug news, Addiction, Drugs, Health and wellness // Add Comment »

Whenever you apply for a job, there is usually a place on the application that asks you whether or not you’ve ever tested positive for drug use. Now, if you answer “yes,” it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t get the job. Usually, you’ll have a chance to explain yourself. However, drug use is taken very seriously when it comes to employment. Substance abuse can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to perform or do their job correctly. This can be a big deal, especially if the type of work that you do affects other people directly. For example, if you had to take a flight somewhere, would you feel comforted knowing that the pilot was high on drugs? Likewise, if you had to use public transportation, how comfortable would you feel getting into a taxi cab or a bus while the driver was consuming hard liquor?

It’s a Liability

For a lot of employers, hiring someone who used to be a drug user has it’s risks and consequences. Many employers are afraid that the person will begin to use drugs again, which could negatively affect business production. Not only this, but if the type of work that the employee does for the employers company is something like construction or operating heavy equipment, there is always the chance that they could get hurt because they are using drugs. Another issue that concerns employers is that employees who are addicted to drugs may go to extremes to keep their drug habit going. They may begin stealing items from the workplace to sell on the street so that they can get money to support their drug habits. This is part of the reason that certain workplaces have random drug screening in place.

For more information on drug and alcohol relapse prevention, contact Mark Houston today!

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Drug-Free, Recovery // Add Comment »

Do you ever think about what happens when you flush the toilet? Most people don’t think twice about flushing the toilet. However, scientists all over are beginning to develop an increasing interest in sewage because as it turns out, sewage contains a plethora of information about a community of people and their waste habits as well as their personal habits. Now, scientists can conduct drug tests, in essence, on entire communities simply by analyzing their sewage. Yuck! Here’s what Popular Science Magazine had to say on the issue:

The approach is, in essence, a community drug test. By analyzing wastewater at treatment plants or at strategic spots throughout sewer systems, scientists can run extraordinarily accurate and anonymous tests on an entire population without ever asking anyone to hand over a cup of urine.

Some might speculate and say that this is somehow an infringement on a person’s right to privacy, but do you really want to claim your sewage? I’m sure that if any one of us had our personal sewage analyzed, it would be somewhat shocking to see how “wasteful” we actually are. When it comes to drug use, think about how often the police raid a drug house and the criminals inside, in a mad dash to get rid of the drugs, flush them down the toilet. Even the urine of a drug user that gets flushed down the toilet contains drugs. All of this makes you wonder, “what is it doing to the environment?” Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, however; supporters of wastewater testing agree that conducting a urinalysis of an entire city would give officials an opportunity to examine whether or not police efforts are decreasing drug use. I guess we’ll see what happens.

For more information on drug and alcohol recovery in Texas, contact Mark Houston Recovery today!

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: News // Add Comment »

The staff at Mark Houston Recovery knows all about drug and alcohol relapse prevention as well as what causes it. Recovery is a journey that lasts a lifetime. Just because you go through a drug and alcohol rehab program doesn’t mean that you’ve successfully rid yourself of the bad habits that landed you there in the first place. Recovery, instead, is something that you will need to be mindful of for the rest of your life if you are ever to remain “drug or alcohol free”. For this reason, relapse can occur at any time if you are not mindful of what you are doing as well as the situations you put yourself in. The following is a list of 10 Common Relapse Triggers. For the full list of relapse triggers as well as advice on how to avoid relapse, visit Mark Houston’s web page on relapse.

10 Common Drug and Alcohol Relapse Triggers

1. Putting Yourself in Difficult Situations: This can be anything from visiting your favorite bar to hanging out at a particular friend’s house while there is a party going on.
2. Isolation: Keeping yourself isolated is one of the worst things anyone can do. This is especially bad for recovering drug or alcohol addicts. Make sure that you attend all of your meetings and work with your sponsor (if applicable).
3. Keeping Drugs and/or Alcohol Where You Live: If you are recovering from a drug and/or alcohol addiction, NEVER keep any sort of substance in your house. If need be, a close friend or family member should know that you are in the process of recovering and should volunteer to hold on to any necessary medication should you need any.
4. Obsessing: Many recovering drug and/or alcohol addicts find themselves craving, even obsessing over drugs and drinking. This is not unusual but can be avoided by staying busy. Join a local community organization, meet new people. Do things to enrich your life so that you are not always focusing on negative things that will hurt you.
5. Skipping Appointments: This is a one way trip to getting yourself in trouble. Always make it a priority to keep up with doctor’s appointments and any other form of therapy that you may be receiving. If you fail to keep up, you are only failing yourself by not following your relapse prevention treatment plan.
6. Am I Strong Enough? This is a hard question that many recovering drug/alcohol addicts find themselves asking. If you are having doubts, talk to someone about it; let them know how you are feeling. Realize that you had the strength and foresight to go and seek help in the first place and let this guide you!
7. Relationship Strain: Being an alcoholic or a drug addict can put a significant strain on a relationship because there are a lot of emotionally draining things to deal with. If you are a recovering alcoholic or drug abuser who has went through the recovery process but who is still living with someone who abuses drugs, your best bet is to either get them the help that they need or walk away. You will be unable to take care of others if you haven’t taken care of yourself first.
8. High Expectations: It’s great that you went through the whole drug and alcohol rehab process and were a success. However, setting your expectations too high can lead to disappointment. Don’t be too hard on yourself though. Remember that recovery takes time!
9. Changing Your Routine: Maintaining a set schedule is absolutely vital to recovery. If you constantly make sure that you have something to do every minute of the day, then you’ll never be bored. Idle time is what gets most people into trouble after all!
10. Ignoring Sudden Changes: Any sudden changes in your mood or attitude should be noted. Try keeping a journal to record your thoughts and how you are feeling. Also, make sure you let your therapist know, this way different causes can be ruled out.

For more information on drug and alcohol relapse prevention, contact Mark Houston Recovery today!

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Relapse Prevention, Addiction Relapse, Recovery // Add Comment »

Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They all died due to overdosing on prescription medication. Some speculate otherwise, but the news media reports that each one was taking some form of prescription medication for one or more ailments. For example, Heath Ledger (the most recent death) supposedly overdosed accidentally due to a combination of prescription drugs that included: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine.

Anna Nicole Smith’s autopsy report showed that the 39 year-old celebrity died of an accidental combination of the following drugs (which were found in her system): Chloral Hydrate, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Clonazepam (anti-seizure drug also used for panic attacks), Diazepam (Valium-used to treat anxiety), Nordiazepam, Temazepam, Oxazepam(used to treat anxiety), Lorazepam (Ativan- used to treat anxiety), Atropine (drug used in resuscitation), Topiramate (Topomax-used to treat seizures, migraines and sometimes used for weight control), Ciprofloxacin (Cipro-an antibiotic) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol). It turned out that Anna Nicole Smith was also battling depression after having just lost her only son, Danny, just five months earlier when he died of a supposed prescription drug overdose.

Marilyn Monroe died from overdosing on sleeping pills and even Elvis’ death was questionable because he, too, was taking several prescription medications which may have led to his having a heart attack. The bigger question to look at here is: “Are prescription drugs being given out without any sort of discretion?” To test out this theory, you needn’t go very far. Look at how quickly a child can be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and placed on Ritalin for it! Perhaps we are becoming a culture that is too overworked, overstressed or just lazy in the fact that we don’t want to have to deal with our problems. As a result, we turn to prescription drugs, alcohol or other illegal substances for some sort of temporary relief. I now open it up to you: What do you think about the ease with which a person can acquire prescription drugs as well as its impact on society?

For more information about prescription drug addiction, visit Mark Houston Recovery today!

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Addiction Relapse, Addiction, Drugs, Health and wellness // Add Comment »

Who would’ve thought that food could be linked to depression? Well, it’s true. Think about it. People who drink coffee can sometimes experience an initial rush of clarity or energy from the coffee but then feel anxious and jittery afterwards because of the caffeine contained in the coffee. For some people, this means that they will be full of nervous energy and up all night. And we all know that staying up all night is not a particularly good thing, especially if you have to be up early in the morning for work. Some people don’t even realize that their eating habits are what is causing them to feel anxiety.

The Missing Link:

When discussing food and depression, you need to be responsible for what you are putting into your body and pay attention to how it is affecting you. Look at all of the people who binge drink; initially, the alcohol might make them feel really good, but when they wake up the next day with a hangover, it might make them feel depressed, emotional or physically ill. You have to ask yourself why you are drinking in the first place. What is causing you to drink? Is there something that you are upset about that you think alcohol can temporarily make you forget about?

Look at the reasons why you are consuming the food you are. If you begin to notice a pattern of sleeplessness or agitated behavior about yourself or that other people are pointing out to you, sometimes food may be the cause. For example, I am extremely sensitive to pesticides in foods. A few weeks ago, I purchased some grapes from the supermarket. Every night, for 3 nights in a row, I had some grapes after dinner as a sort of dessert/snack. When I went to bed an hour later, my throat was itching me and I felt very irritated. As a result, I didn’t sleep well. This went on for three days; in the meantime, I was having trouble focusing at work due to my lack of sleep and I began to feel more anxious about getting my work done on time since I was tired. I managed to figure out that it was all because of the grapes I had eaten a few days before. See how things can snowball from food?

Food can help us and nourish us, but it can also hinder us. Ask anyone who is currently recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction why they did drugs and alcohol, and you’ll see a fairly similar correlation. For more information on alcohol addiction, help, rehab and recovery, visit Mark Houston Recovery today.

Also make sure you visit the following new pages on the Mark Houston Recovery Web site:

Relapse Prevention Myths

Myths About Relapse Prevention

What NOT to Believe in Relapse Prevention

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Addiction, Texas Drug Rehab, Drug-Free, Drugs, Health and wellness // Add Comment »

According to Wikipedia, human growth hormone (HGH) is a hormone that stimulates the growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals. It plays a significant role in the body, the most noticeable thing being the increase of a child’s height throughout childhood. HGH has also played a significant role in the treatment of several diseases, helping people who are dying due to AIDS treatments as well as those who are suffering from major burns as well as other surgical procedures.

Is it Actually Working?

Many people who don’t have anything physically wrong with them are turning towards HGH for other reasons. The most widely publicized use of HGH that has been in the news lately is the drug’s abuse by professional athletes. Many athletes believe that using HGH will give them an additional “boost” over the competition by making them leaner, stronger and faster. However, there has been little research done that positively concludes that this is the case. Additionally, many people over the age of 50 are now turning to HGH as a form of anti-aging therapy, believing that it will get rid of wrinkles and produce healthier, more vibrant skin. Again, the results of this are somewhat inconclusive at the moment.

What are the Dangers?

Some of the possible dangers of using HGH are as follows:

1. Little to No Research Done
2. Abuse of Drug may lead to abnormal heart, bones, nerves & other diseases
3. Over the counter (OTC) HGH pills would be ineffective

For more information on Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Texas, visit Mark Houston Recovery today!

Also visit the following new pages on the Mark Houston Web site:

Relapse Prevention

Why Relapse Prevention Fails

Effective Relapse Prevention

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Drug-Free, Drugs // Add Comment »

…and here I am sitting in my car in the middle of the night not knowing where to go, who to talk to- the phone in my hands, but I don’t have anyone that I can call- what would I say if I could tell someone what was wrong with me.? Even I didn’t know what was wrong with me or why I felt this way…I knew I have been having some problems in my relationship, but why do I feel so trapped and alone?…

This may not be your story, but the point is that people get depressed all the time. Most realize that they are depressed-or at least- that something is wrong with them, while the other people are in complete and total denial that anything is wrong. Some of the things that will usually send people spiraling out of control and into depression include: bad breakups, abusive relationships (mental and/or physical), unsatisfying work experience (i.e. you hate your job), feelings of failure (i.e. divorce, losing an important sporting event or client at work), death in the family or close friends, drug and/or alcohol use.

So, how can we stop being so depressed? To solve the depression cycle, we must first understand what it is that is causing the depression. Everyone knows why they are upset or what is making them upset. If they say that they don’t, then they are simply avoiding the issue which is never a good thing because part of the healing process is being able to confront what is making you upset or unhappy (no matter how difficult it might be). Depression is all about understanding your feelings and emotions and learning to process them. So, for example, if you just got out of a bad relationship and you are doing everything you can to avoid thinking about it because thinking about it makes you upset, stop. All you are doing is bottling up emotions that need to be processed. Every time you choose to avoid your emotions, you are actually creating a worse situation for yourself that could be adding to your depression. If you are afraid to be upset, don’t be. Allowing yourself to cry or feel certain emotions can be very healthy.

Whenever you start to feel depressed or upset, write down what you are feeling in a journal or a piece of paper. Record how you are feeling and what is making you feel this way. See a psychologist if you have to so that someone else can help you process your feelings and emotions better. The sooner you begin to confront your emotions, the quicker a self-actualized, happier person.

For more information about drug and alcohol recovery in Texas, visit Mark Houston Recovery today!

Also, make sure you visit some of these new pages for Mark Houston:

Relapse Assistance Program

About Relapse Assistance

Continuum of Care

Continued Care 

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Alcoholism, Recovery, Health and wellness // Add Comment »

When I looked up what the most popular drinking game was on the Internet, all of my search results came back with “beer pong” as the number one drinking game. If you are at all interested in how to play this game, the materials and directions can be found below.

Materials Needed:

• some cups of beer (no specified amount)
• 1 ping pong ball
• 1 ping pong table (or any similar table will do)

Directions:

Set up the cups of beer on either side of the table like you are setting up bowling pins. Ideally, you should have at least six cups on both sides. There are two teams. One team stands on one side of the table and the other team on the other side of the table. Each team takes a turn (one person at a time) by trying to get the ping pong ball into the other team’s cups. If they succeed, the other teams must drink that cup. The cup is then removed from the table while the remaining cups are re-grouped so that they are close together. Both teams alternate back and forth like this until all of the cups from one side of the table have been cleared. When this happens, it means that the team who cleared all of the cups has won. Upon winning, the team that lost must drink all of the alcohol from the winning team’s remaining cups.

Sounds pretty incredulous, right? Well, it was voted the most popular drinking game. It makes you wonder, “Who is thinking these things up?” Why do we need to have all of these drinking games? Are these drinking games encouraging alcoholism to develop earlier than we thought?

For more information on drug and alcohol rehabilitation, visit Mark Houston Recovery today.

Also, make sure you visit the following new pages for Mark Houston Recovery:

Alcohol Addiction Stories

Drug Addiction Stories

Prescription Drug Addiction

What can be done about it? 

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: General Category // 4 Comments »

Sure, advances in medicine and technology have helped us live longer lives now; but what is the point of living longer if you don’t have your health too? The following is a brief list of just five ways that you can improve your health so that living longer will be THAT more enjoyable.

Five Ways to Improve Your Health

1. Sleep! While the amount of sleep a person needs to feel refreshed varies from person to person, it is generally suggested that you get somewhere between 6-8 hours of sleep a night. Not getting enough sleep can actually subtract years off your life! So, the next time you’re feeling cranky or can’t think straight, think back to how much sleep you got over the past week; you may be sleep deprived. When you get home, head straight for the bed!
2. Exercise! Many people hate exercising because it’s not fun. That’s just it though; you have to make it fun. Join an adult hiking club or sports team, or call up a friend so that you can meet up twice a week and walk for 30 minutes or so. Exercising is good for you in a number of ways: it keeps your body conditioned (i.e. good for your heart, cholesterol levels, etc.), it’s a great way to socialize AND it’s good for your self esteem (exercising raises dopamine levels)
3. Be More Intimate! Did you know that people who have more sex are usually happier? Having sex with your partner is actually really beneficial for your body. It releases chemicals in your body (i.e. dopamine) as well as strengthens the bond you share with your partner. Additionally, having sex can burn calories!
4. Get Up! Don’t just sit around in the house; get out and do something whether it’s with friends, your partner or your kids. Studies show that people who stay home more often are prone to overeating as well as leading a more sedentary lifestyle, which is not a good thing. If it’s a sunny day, go for a walk outside (wearing sunscreen of course). If it’s rainy, head to the library and maybe read a book about something you’ve never read before. Do things to enhance your life!
5. Kick Those Nasty Habits! Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol (in excess) at all costs. If you hang out with people who smoke, tell them that you would prefer that they not smoke around you. Take control of your health. Get regular check ups and cut down on the fatty foods and late night binges at the drive-thru. It’ll be worth it in the long run!

For more information about drug and alcohol addiction, please visit Mark Houston Recovery today.  Also, make sure you visit some of these new pages on the Mark Houston Web site:

Prescription Medicine Addiction and Recovery

Prescription Drug Rehab Centers in Texas

Energy Drinks with Alcohol

Caffeine Could Fuel Addiction

Please visit our main site while you're here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for our RSS Feed! Got an RSS Reader? Grab this: http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/blog/feed You can also share this post using the “share this” button below.

Share This

Tags: Health and wellness // Add Comment »