Drug Addiction Stories & Info

Former AFL player, Ben Cousins was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1978, is now aged 33. He was by any standard an outstanding football player, playing between 1996 and 2010, with 270 games to his credit.

Cousins played for West Coast 238 games, with 205 goals and then later for Richmond in the Australian Football League, with medals, awards, honors and sponsorships to match. Cousins’ father was, in his day, a star player for Geelong football team.

Cousins is currently hospitalized in a psychiatric ward, apparently suffering from paranoia, and drug induced psychosis as a result of “chasing the dragon” with meth drugs – using for several days in a row. Many drug users see meth drug addiction as the beginning of the end of the road. Meth drug is a stimulant, highly toxic to the body, and extremely addicting.

Photos of Cousins have appeared in the press, showing unmistakable signs of the physical deterioration that rapidly sets in with regular meth drug abuse.

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 This current situation is all the more disappointing because it was only late last year that Cousins became a father for the first time, claiming that this fresh, innocent young child meant all the world to him. Love for his partner, love for his child were not powerful enough to prevent Ben Cousins’ continued poly drug use and addiction.

Whatever drove Ben to use drugs in the beginning has led to public shame and humiliation. Cousins has his fans, he also has outspoken detractors. Many feel that as a top AFL player, Cousins’ had an obligation, a responsibility to be a good role model for the younger generation,

Cousins has run off from police, leaving his then girlfriend in his car, been found passed out in the street, had many issues with attempted drug rehab and missed sessions of football training. Cousins’ drug using behavior has caused him to be accused of having criminal connections.

In many ways it is easy to blame the addicted person – for immaturity, lack of backbone, lack of moral values – for appearing not to care about anything else but drug use.

To see the drug user, in a negative way is perhaps to misunderstand the nature and causes of drug addiction – which at the end of the day is a form of compulsive behavior over which an individual lacks control.

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The story of Ben Cousins is of a life that went out of control – due to abuse of drugs, and a failure of many attempts that he made to complete drug detox and rehabilitation.

 Footy identity and former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse says now that he was warned three years ago that Cousins would eventually relapse when considering taking him into the Collingwood team  in the 2008 pre-season – a year after Cousins was sacked by the West Coast team for problems associated with his drug taking.

It was said of Cousins that all it would need would be some form of setback to trigger off his drug dependency again. Richmond club took him in on the basis that Cousins would make a genuine attempt to overcome his drug addiction.

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The Malthouse article is revealing in that it hints about another side of the football industry, one that causes immense pressure to top players, in terms of their commitment to the game, and to sponsorship deals. There is big money involved in AFL – it can both make and break the players.

Ultimately it is for the managers to offer mentoring and protection to players who mostly come into the game as talented kids – unprepared for the politics and pressures of what has undeniably become big business. Many blame the aggression and escapist behavior that has crept into football today on high financial stakes, and constant pressure to perform.

 Cousins has been reported as recently saying that if it hadn’t been for the football – he would have gone into drug rehab fifteen years ago. Ultimately it is for the individual to sort their priorities out – no easy thing for anyone to do who is caught up in the lifestyle, the public profile of a high pressure, yet highly rewarding career. So much easier to take the pressure – and use drugs to compensate.

For Cousins it has been a very public battle against addiction since 2007 when he was sacked by West Coast for issues relating to drug use. Five years later and it would seem that drugs have got the upper hand despite every best intention.

Mainstream drug rehabilitation does not appear to have worked for Ben Cousins, nor for many other addicts. The assumption behind traditional rehab is that addiction can never be overcome, that recovery is never complete.

As a result many people never try alternative methods for addiction recovery that offer success, believing it to be impossible, particularly for drugs such as meth.

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Meanwhile levels of drug dependency and addiction are increasing worldwide, and those addicted are dying.

There comes a time when those who say that something is impossible, need to stand aside, and get out of the way of those who are out there doing it.

It is not only sports stars and famous people who suffer from drug use and pressure, however reading about their stories can help to reassure us that we are not alone when trying to deal with our problems and getting caught up in drug use.

Taking time out for genuine alcohol and drug detox and rehabilitation at a comprehensive addiction recovery center can get you off drugs completely.

Don’t dream about drug addiction recovery – use a comprehensive program now and recover completely from your drug use and addiction.

Here’s a drug addiction success story in reverse. Instead of a top athlete falling into drug use and ruin, and then pulling himself up by the boot straps – this is the story of Rob Archuleta – for nine years addicted to meth, who became a top athlete – a runner.

Now four years into recovery from his meth addiction, Rob Archuleta is the founder of a self help sporting group that is called “Addicts to Athletes”.

The informal group meets on different fields once a week. There is half an hour of discussion, motivation, and companionship – then each person goes out to exercise as part of the group – walking or running – depending on their level of personal fitness.

Archuleta, who used to live for the next fix of meth drug, now lives for the “runner’s high” and has never before felt fitter, or better than he does today.

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 There are many text books and scholarly works that refer to the benefits of exercise for fitness, and tension relief.

Nothing is quite so persuasive or eloquent as the words of someone who is actually out there doing it, putting the “words” into practice – making exercise an important part of their life.

Says Archuleta – ” I just felt better about myself. I was not depressed and I was not having anxiety, and if I did feel stressed, I would just go out and run.”

When anxiety and tension, or painful depression is present in the mind, it has a very direct impact on the body. Anxiety fuels the “flight or fight” response - a rush of adrenalin, poised for movement and action.

 Anxiety attacks often come on with no apparent cause, and there is no ready means to “discharge” all the potential energy that anxiety generates. It makes perfect sense – and is biologically sound to act out as nature originally intended we should do when feeling stressed and tense – get into some action and movement.

 The benefits of an exercise program at any fitness level is that there is always a sense of achievement – of having done your personal best, plus there is the support, the synergy and energy of the “group” that helps with motivation.

For many addicts, and people in recovery from their addiction there is a history of having been or felt like a “failure”. Drug addiction is associated with feelings of low self esteem.

Running and exercise are not only productive of fitness, new optimism and energy – but people can actually achieve euphoric effects – called a runner’s high that can assist people to keep going with their fitness program – and keep off the drugs.

It is to be commended that Archuleta has not only thought in terms of his own recovery, but has reached out to others, and increased his social circle, bringing benefits to all.

 Comprehensive alcohol and drug recovery programs include a moderate exercise regime in the context of complete addiction recovery. Exercise promotes a healthy appetite for good food, and promotes healthy sleep and relaxation. Exercise also helps the body to rid itself of drug  metabolites and toxins remaining in the system that contribute to long term cravings, make people feel irritable – and more prone to drug use.

People into exercise groups as a means to drug recovery might like to consider taking their recovery one step further.

 Two aspects of the comprehensive alcohol and drug recovery program can assist Addicts to Athletes, and others get more into their recovery.

Exercise also comes highly recommended to help recovery from addiction to cocaine, as well as meth drug.

Firstly the sauna detox helps and supports the exercise, helps to remove residual drugs and toxins from the body. Using sauna eliminates toxins, and reduces cravings.

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Secondly, there is a set of life enhancement courses, that helps build self esteem, social confidence and allows people to work through painful issues from their past that can result in compulsive ways of behaving – and addictive drug use.

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All forms of compulsive behavior are a response to internal stress – often caused by unresolved issues from our past – and a lack of life skills to deal with the problems of the moment.

Comprehensive life improvement courses complement any exercise program that enables you to “let off steam“, that relaxes and helps the body to recover from drug abuse.

The aim of comprehensive addiction recovery is to eliminate cravings and compulsive behavior. People that originally took exercise in a compulsive way will find that the more into true recovery they get, the less compulsive is their behavior. They begin to have more control.

Meth is a hard drug to give up, it is both physically and emotionally addictive. Comprehensive drug addiction programs are experienced with meth drug.

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Using a regular exercise plan, and a comprehensive drug recovery program can get former addicts from being “in recovery” to being able to say “I’ve recovered completely from my addiction.” 

Many natural, and safe pain relief options are available for people with chronic pain, so why take the risks and the hazards of using opioid drugs. 

Did you know that endorphins (endogenous morphine) are chemicals produced by the body that have the capacity to provide much higher levels of pain relief, than heroin or morphine.

In fact the natural pain relief of endorphins is precisely what doctors try to achieve when using the many patented forms of opioid drugs.

 Endorphins also provide a euphoric high, when the body or mind is under stress - equal to and safer than any illicit street drug.

Fear of pain fuels opioid drug use by people who are not in touch with better drug free solutions for resolving long term pain.

Did you know that chronic stress intensifies pain, and that often with release of internal tension – symptoms of pain are gone.

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There are around 20 different kinds of endorphin in the body, that when people are under stress, will produce natural pain killing biochemicals, improve the immune response, create a natural high, increase the sex drive and make people feel strong and empowered – which naturally – they are! 

There is no risk of addiction, or negative side effects, such as you get when using synthetic drug products such as Ketamine or opiates for the purpose of pain relief, and of course – there is no cost.

Unfortunately, no cost translates into no potential profit, which might be a reason why medical research into endogenous chemicals has languished in favor of the creation of lucrative, commercial drug products.

The evidence today, with our increasing synthetic drug dependence,  is that we are totally failing to “manage” increasing ill health, substance abuse and addiction.

Specific types of chemical in the body that regulate pain and good feelings include the enkephalin group that are a type of endorphin, that occur in the brain and the spine, pentapeptides that help to provide analgesic effects and assist recovery from various types of chronic pain.

Did you know that our atttitude and response to pain can make pain stronger – or reduce, if not totally extinguish, the various types of pain. 

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Pain is warning that we need to attend to something amiss in our lives – mental stress and emotional pain are both expressed as physical pain – causing similar symptoms to the pain we get from a physical cause. Effective pain management is about dealing with causes, not the medicating away of symptoms by use of synthetic drugs.

 Together with the natural opiate pain regulatory system, the body has a complete repair and recovery function,known as the glial system, that assists with tissue repair, and promotes neuroplasticity.

The glial system supports good health and life, attacking alien substances and pathogens that are toxic to our health.

It is therefore with some surprise that we see an article written by scientific researchers, in the field of health care and it’s promotion - actually blaming the glial system for protecting the body against the intrusion and toxicity of their synthetic drugs!

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So called “tolerance” of the body to drugs, that means you need more of the drug to get the same effect, is actually a sign that the body is trying to regulate and deal with drug toxicity.

The natural health sustaining and restorative chemicals produced by the body don’t get a chance to self regulate and restore health when there is a synthetic drug regime imposed, when we keep increasing drug levels for “health”management, and sometimes outwit our natural defenses by suddenly changing the ‘script.

Once it is understood that all synthetic drug use is toxic, and promotes long term ill health, people will next want to know, what to do when they throw out their drugs. There are many options for better healthcare, such as massage, homeopathy, acupuncture and osteopathy – methods effective, and in tune with the body – and no adverse side effects.

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 There is nothing new in what it takes to bring about optimal health - attention to proper nutrition, adequate sleep and exercise, and above all else deconstructing the negative ways of thinking, the unhealthy values, that have been imposed upon us, that make us live our lives in a state of constant stress and agitation, preoccupied with worries.

 It is preoccupation with stress and worry that makes many turn to illicit drug use – both prescription medications and illegal street drugs.

Don’t give up on yourself!

Comprehensive alcohol and drug addiction recovery centers are based on holistic principles of health care that are 100% drug free.

With complete detoxification from chemical substances and drugs, using a sauna method, people can achieve complete freedom from drug abuse and addiction.

Changing our assumptions about good health and good relationships can bring about freedom from stress, drug use and promote good health and healing.

 People into drug use who want to be free can get the help that they need today by calling the Narconon helpline.