The creation of life is a beautiful thing, something that nearly all hopeful parents dream about as they grow older. They say men become fathers the minute their child is born, and women become mothers the minute they discover they're pregnant. But despite those inherent traits of mankind, not every parent is perfect. We all make mistakes and learn from them, only some are more drastic than others. And our first priority should be cultivating the finest life for millions of children that will be entering this world. But not all of them have an equal chance at survival. That's because each year a number of those babies suffer from birth defects directly resulting from substance abuse and drug addiction that occurred during pregnancy. That number has grown to include over 4% of Pregnant women. Which can be traced back to nearly 176,200 babies that are exposed to potential birth defects!

In recent years, a large number of substance abuse rehab centers have opened, and many of them proclaim to have the latest and greatest treatment modalities, replacing so-called “outdated” alcohol treatment plans.

At 12 Palms Recovery Center, there is one method of alcohol treatment that will never be regarded as “outdated,” and that’s the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Taking Medication and Staying Clean

To just about any addict, the phrase, “Take as prescribed” is considered as a suggestion. Instead of one every four hours, they take 4, every hour. To recovering addicts, this is a joke. To others that think they don’t have a problem, this may be a warning sign.

Talk to Your Doctor, Sponsor and Friends

An addict’s body doesn’t know the difference between prescribed drugs and street drugs. A drug, is a drug, is a drug. So, when we go to the doctor for anything we explain that we are recovering addicts and ultra-sensitive to any mood or mind-altering drugs. We take a sponsor or another recovering addict with us to our appointment. We talk to our doctor about any alternative treatments that may be available. We find out if we can take a smaller dose. We can go to meetings and share about our upcoming surgery or let our support group know we’ve been suffering, and been in pain. The best policy is always honesty.

Feeling Good is an Inside Job

So, you’re clean and sober and your body begins the process by detoxing. Our bodies are ultra-efficient machines when they are working at their optimum potential. However, when we’re getting high and drinking, our bodies have been working overtime to filter out all the chemicals we’ve been abusing. Our liver is tired! Our lungs, exhausted! And our brains… worn out. Our bodies have been overworked and it, too, needs to recover.

Striving for Perfection

In our minds, we all have an idea of what life is supposed to be like. These ideals can extend into various aspects of our lives – from our relationships to our families, to our children, our work and more. Striving for perfection is a noble endeavor, but only if we are also able to understand and accept our limitations, which we all have; otherwise, we set ourselves up for constant disappointment. Life rarely goes according to plan, and those who expect things to be perfect are going to be regularly disappointed.

The same is true for substance abusers who enter recovery with high expectations of themselves; they develop an all-or-nothing approach to sobriety that sets them up for disappointment and threatens their chances for an enduring recovery.

No doubt, if you have a loved one who is are abusing drugs or alcohol you’ve probably heard all the excuses in the book. And if you are abusing, you’ve probably used them all too. Here are some common myths addicts convince themselves are true, but are not.

I can stop anytime I want

For an addict, using alcohol or drugs make them feel in control of their lives. Many addicts convince themselves that they only use by choice -- that they can stop anytime they want. But in reality, it is just the opposite. Drug and alcohol addiction controls the lives of the addict so much, they harm themselves and the ones that they love. Addicts cannot stop themselves, they need help from a treatment facility or program.

An intervention can be a powerful tool a family can use to encourage someone who is abusing drugs or alcohol to seek the treatment they need. However, a poorly executed intervention can actually make matters worse. Here are 5 things not to do during an intervention.

When an individual decides to enter rehab, he or she is making a lifelong commitment to maintain sobriety. Once in rehab, substance abusers learn that recovery isn't a destination, but a life-long journey, one that they must learn to navigate to avoid the danger of a relapse.

The Relapse Process

The warning signs of a return to addiction can be better understood in the context of a relapse process, which usually begins inside the individual’s mind long before they actually relapse:

Addiction is a disease, right?

In today’s “now” society, many of us are looking for a quick solution to a problem. Addiction is a disease, right? Isn’t there a medication that can cure it?

While it is true that medication during treatment can help reduce cravings and withdrawal, addiction recovery requires the rewiring of the brain and medication alone is not enough. Addiction is more than just physical dependence. Even after detox and physical dependence is cured, addicts are at high risk for relapse. Psychological and social factors are often powerful factors which can trigger relapse. Things such as the following can create ongoing urges to use drugs or alcohol: