TheDrugRehab.com

In 1902, American philosopher and psychologists William James coined the following words: “The only cure for dipsomania is religiomania.” Social legitimization of faith-based drug rehab highlights a significant breakthrough in modern long-term drug abuse recovery methods. The pathway to healing is not and never has been restricted to a single solution.

Modern day drug treatment programs are typically categorized into secular, spiritual and religious frameworks, but wisdom prevents excluding one in favor of the other. For many drug abuse patients, faith oriented rehab centers establish a gateway between medical treatments and religious beliefs. The blending of the two provides abusers with spiritual recovery as well as physical recovery.

Faith-based Recovery – A Chronological History

This history is American-based. As such, it may offend persons of faiths outside of the Christian religion. That is not the intent or purpose. The closing discussion is not dependent upon a specific faith, but rather upon the processes associated with faith-based drug rehabilitation.

Yet efforts to understand the benefits associated with faith-based rehab programs can be strengthened by knowing the history of the process. It evidences the backbone of a tried and proven recovery system that begins with the success Christianity has provided to people who abuse alcohol.

According to a white paper released by William L. White, MA and David Whiters, MSW at Faces and Voices of Recovery, faith-based rehab takes its beginnings as a by-product of Native American abstinence-focused religious activity. The history of American faith-oriented drug recovery spans the years between the 17^th century and the modern day drug rehab options.

History records Dr. Benjamin Rush  (1784) as among the earliest physicians to recognize and acknowledge the value of religion as a realist antidote to drug abuse and alcoholism. In later years, Christian evangelists such as Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey made urgent appeals to a society often troubled by alcohol addiction and abuse. Revivals that focused on the testimony of sobered alcoholics became a major evangelist outreach program of the age.

Such programs continued throughout the 1800s, including urban mission movements that extended into the human health battlegrounds of the Salvation Army. By 1876, the influence of religious oriented rescue efforts included inebriate homes such as the Christian Home for Intemperate Men.

Most of the early faith-based rehab programs focused on the abuse of alcohol. However, in 1906, a new style of clinic appeared on the scene. The Emmanuel Clinic in Boston served as an integrated rehab that combined medicine, psychology and religion as a holistic treatment for nervous and mental disorders. Although still specializing in treatments related to alcohol abuse, the Emmanuel Clinic spawned a growth in secular approaches to lay psychotherapy, including the process that combined sober fellowship with specific psychological counseling.

Since then, the pattern of Christian-centered recovery has wavered in and out. Many groups have chosen to focus on spiritually with a less religious core. The 1930s birthed Alcoholics Anonymous as an organization independent of Christ-centered rehab. By 1947, the overlap into treatment of people with a chemical dependence had produced a cyclical shift from religious to spiritually faith-based rehab.

Islam, A Late Arrival Yet Still Prominent in the Faith-Based Drug Recovery History of America

When a drug abuser identified as “Detroit Red” encountered faith in the Islam religion, a conversion of great proportions took place. Renaming himself, Malcolm X, this reformed street hustler awakened the American public to the power of faith-based drug rehabilitation via Islam teachings. Malcolm eventually carried the Islam-based drug recovery system into the urban and prison communities associated with African Americans.

Modern interest in Islamic support for alcohol and addiction recovery ministries continues to expand. Many modern 12 Steps recovery programs now incorporate Islamic principles. Current Islamic literature often sets focus on khamr (intoxicants) and the clear teaching that forbid these substances.

Government Intervention Includes Support For Faith-Based Rehab

In 2003, then acting president Bush initiated a $600 million federal drug treatment initiative. Designed to ensure that individual Americans would not suffer the ravages of substance addiction, the program aimed to expand individual access to drug treatment programs. Thus the Access to Recovery (ATR) program came into existence as a voucher program that enables drug abusers an option for seeking government approved recovery assistance.

Throughout the U.S. the ATR program has been put into place. The 3 primary principles are:

1. Paid access to results-oriented treatment centers with the ability to provide individualized treatment by certified and/or licensed treatment professionals.
2. An increase in the capacity to attain recovery support
3. The freedom of consumer choice.

These options point toward one simple and critical truth: Drug recovery is a personal endeavor. The pathways to recovery can include emotional, mental, physical and spiritual solutions. People who abuse drugs are not members of a cult social pattern. They are individuals with specific needs and specific responses to the illness of drug addiction.

In order for government issued vouchers to work, each drug user must have the freedom to select the programs and the providers that most benefit his or her particular situation. Multiple options help motivate, protect and encourage individuals to take aggressive steps toward addiction recovery.

When dealing with faith-based drug rehab, the freedom of consumer choice takes on an additional and critical role of importance: Faith drives character development and a desire to succeed in life.

Even Congress, in recognizing, approving and supporting the ATR program, acknowledges the benefits of faith-based drug treatment programs as a functional option. The reasoning is simple. In any drug rehab effort, the effectiveness of the process can be measured by results – results such as the patient’s:

• Continued abstinence from addictive substances
• Ability to attain and hold employment
• Capacity to enroll and succeed in educational training programs
• Capacity to obtain stable housing
• Freedom from any involvement with the criminal justice system.

ATR is designed to open multiple pathways of recovery to individuals with drug-related problems. The associated drug rehab programs provide access to inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities, medical detoxification, relapse prevention plans, residential services and other recovery-oriented processes, including faith-based solutions.

Benefits of Faith-based Rehabilitation: Inpatient or Outpatient Style

Faith-based recovery centers typically provide the same program formats as those used in secular drug and alcohol rehab clinics. For example: Faith-based inpatient facilities typically include onsite drug detox centers. Faith-based outpatient facilities tend to provide loose structuring, relapse prevention and faith as the bond that holds it all together. Both clinic types offer aftercare services, transitional support and the added characteristics unique to religious and faith-based treatment centers.

The programs fit into two classifications: holistic or traditional. Many spiritual rehab programs, such as the 12 Steps system, focus on the strength and support that can only come through a Higher Power. Yet faith-based rehab is not limited to that aspect of faith. Alternative faith-based rehab programs may include:

• Acupuncture
• Drama and art therapies
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Massage
• Meditation
• Ti Chi
• Yoga
• AND various luxury options

The faith-based recovery framework now spans both well-known and little known religions. The core teachings typically remain constant. Whether identifying drug abuse as a “sin of the flesh” or “fruit from the tree of ignorance,” the goal is to establish a catalytic understanding of how drug addiction takes root in the user. Once the drug is identified as an opponent, whether “demonic” or as “idolatry,” the patient can then gain the rationale for resistance and abstinence.

Faith-based drug recovery systems can help an individual:

• Transcend selfish desires
• Reconstruct his or her personal sense of values and identity
• Break free from toxic relationships
• Establish new interpersonal relationships
• Gain a ready-made support system
• Create new rituals of confession, self-forgiveness and an attitude of service
• Embrace the community strength of a shared faith
• Grasp the power that exists in a supernatural deity.

Fellowship may be the major benefit of faith-based drug rehab programs. When multitudes of people come together under the same mindset, great power can spring forth. Fellowship provides a deeper sense of group safety. Sharing in the same beliefs as non-affected family members can also strength individual commitments. Participating in familiar religious activities helps create a sense of bonding. Personal feelings of group support increase.

The evolution of drug rehabilitation in the United States is not a glamorous part of our history, or even one filled with the fond nostalgia commonly found in high school textbooks. Instead, it is more of a subtle piece of history that few know much about. From its hesitant beginnings, over the decades, drug rehabilitation has developed into a modern approach that has become a multi-faceted aspect of our history.

Perhaps surprisingly to some people, the modern approach to drug rehab goes back over 75 years. From the rise of cocaine use in the 70s and 80s, to the need for drug treatment in the prison system, and now, to the many independent rehabilitation facilities sprouting up throughout the country, the evolution of drug rehabilitation is as intriguing as many other aspects of our culture, and has touched almost every person in one way or another.

Early Treatment

Prior to the 20th century there were a number of published accounts of drug addiction and attempted treatment. However, the effectiveness of such treatment and validity of the methods used were not as proven by today’s standards. With that said, early on in the evolution of drug treatment, many observers of drug users only saw them as weak or unwilling to demonstrate the necessary self-control to avoid drugs. According to Alta Mira Recovery Programs, the thought of a sober person actually helping a drug abuser get better did not come about until about the 1930s. Around this time, members of the scientific community began to look into the physiological and psychological processes of addiction, as well as, how to potentially treat such an illness. In its infancy, the process of drug rehabilitation moved slowly, and it was not until the mid-1930s that the government actually took action to help drug users seek recovery. Even so, it would be many decades until there was any sort of significant success rate by government funded drug treatment facilities.

The First Federal Drug Treatment Center

By 1935, the federal government had started to get involved with helping drug abusers seek help and find recovery. That year the government opened its first drug rehabilitation center in Lexington, Kentucky, according to William White, author of: Slaying the Dragon “The History of Treatment and Recovery in America.” The first U.S. Public Health Prison Hospital, or what was commonly known as the United States Narcotic Farm, was both a voluntary and involuntary treatment center. In other words, users would either be held as prisoners, or could commit themselves as walk-ins. In 1938, a second similar facility was opened in Fort Worth, Texas by the federal government.

According to NPR, The Narcotic Farm was undoubtedly a trailblazing facility for drug treatment in the United States, and was perhaps most famous for treating many prominent jazz musicians of the era. Heroin had become delicately intertwined with the jazz music community in the 20s and 30s, leaving many amazing musicians addicted to its effects. As the institution remained open for 40 years, it definitely left its mark on the idea of drug treatment. However, its success rate was not nearly as high as today’s facilities. In fact, it is estimated that somewhere around 90 percent of the patients at the Narcotic Farm returned to drug abuse after being released from the facility. While in retrospect, the effectiveness of the first drug treatment center may not have been the most effective, or had the highest rate of success, it did lay the groundwork for further generations of treatment that would undeniably have higher amounts of success with treatments.

Further Evolving Treatment Options

As World War II came and went, there was suddenly a slew of soldiers coming back from battle that had been administered morphine after being wounded in battle, then, consequently, became addicted to the drug. Many soldiers used the opiate drug so much that they developed serious dependency issues upon returning home, only to endure intense withdrawal symptoms without it. Additionally, the increase of such drug users created even more of a need for treatment options in the country, and forced many government officials to look at the pain drugs that were being administered so freely during war.

During the 1960s, several states around the country began to initiate civil commitment programs for drug abusers addicted to narcotics. This trend signified a switch of the government’s drug treatment responsibility from federal to the state level.

Modern Drug Rehabilitation Centers

Through the creation, and subsequent notoriety in popular culture, of the Betty Ford Center, a transition to what we now know as the modern drug rehab center took shape. The Betty Ford Center was founded in 1982, and named after former First Lady, Betty Ford. Upon its founding, the Betty Ford Center ensured that females receive proper treatment for their dependencies. More specifically, the treatment center located in Southern California, is still serving patients and actively reaches out to both genders equally. The treatment center does so by maintaining half of its treatment spots for females and the other half for males. What’s more, the Betty Ford Center is designed to help users with chemical dependencies, not just alcoholism, find a full recovery.

New Programs and Breakthroughs

1982 was a big year in the evolution of drug rehabilitation, as it marked the federal government’s Block Grant, which transferred the handling of drug addiction treatment and prevention to the state level, which had been slowly happening over the previous two decades. Additionally, that same year, Cocaine Anonymous was created to aid cocaine abusers is a simpler format as Alcoholics Anonymous. Later in the decade, the Regan Administration took several actions to intensify the fight against the rising amount of drug usage in the country. This meant delegating $4 million to the cause. In 1987, the American Medical Association (AMA) started treating drug addiction as a legitimate disease, furthermore, making it part of the American practice of medicine.

Since the Betty Ford Center’s founding in the early 1980s, numerous treatment centers offering a similar intimate and private setting for users to recover from addiction have sprouted up all over the country. These small drug treatment centers provide the necessary care, and have subsequently served as an effective means of treating abusers of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and other harmful substances.

How it is Now

As of 2010, heroin remains the most harmful drug to users and those around them, with crack cocaine ranking as a close second. The harmfulness of such drugs refers to the effects it has on the body after usage. It goes without saying that addiction to drugs, like heroin and cocaine, are still very serious issues in America. And while the country’s treatment options have certainly evolved quite significantly since the first federal treat center was introduced in the 1930s, drug treatment still incurs a substantial need for improvement in our society. Even despite high profile awareness brought by TV shows like Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, the fight to help drug users experience a full recovery and go on to live a clean and healthy lifestyle is something that many people further encourage moving into the future.

The State of Addiction Today

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 23 .2 million people in the United States older than 12 years of age required treatment for drug abuse in 2007. Only 10.4 percent of these people received treatment in a drug rehabilitation center, meaning that 89.6 percent of these drug abusers did not get any type of formal treatment. Drug detoxification is the process of eliminating a patient’s physical dependence upon drugs, although it is not a treatment for drug dependence by itself. Drug rehabilitation centers use a variety of specific detox programs which may generally be classified into complete withdrawal, gradual withdrawal and substitution programs.

Complete Withdrawal

Complete withdrawal, commonly known as “cold turkey,” involves the complete and immediate cessation of drug use. It’s the most common detox method, although it also causes the most severe withdrawal symptoms. Complete withdrawal often requires treatment in an inpatient setting to ensure the withdrawal symptoms don’t become life-threatening.

The suitability of complete withdrawal as a detox method varies greatly according to the type of drug. Cocaine and methamphetamines are often treated with complete withdrawal. The patient typically experiences a range of unpleasant symptoms during complete withdrawal from these drugs, although it’s rarely life threatening. This method may also be used to treat a dependence on opiates, although substitution methods are more common for this class of drugs.

Complete withdrawal is less suitable for treating a dependence on other drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines. It may be an appropriate method for treating a mild to moderate dependence on these drugs, but a severe dependence is more often treated with gradual withdrawal. An article in Psychology Today describes the dangers of using complete withdrawal to treat a severe dependence on these drugs, as they can cause symptoms requiring immediate medical attention.

Patients with a severe dependency on alcohol can experience symptoms such as diarrhea, delirium tremens and extreme nausea when they suddenly stop drinking. The presence of DTs is especially dangerous and can be fatal. Complete withdrawal from a long-term dependence on benzodiazepines such as Ativan, Valium and Xanax may also be fatal. The withdrawal symptoms of these drugs are typically long-lasting and may require more than six months to resolve.

Gradual Withdrawal

Gradual withdrawal generally consists of reducing the patient’s normal dosage of a drug over time, according to a specific schedule. This method must take place in an inpatient setting to ensure that patients is not take additional dosage is of the drug during their detox. Alcohol and benzodiazepines are the drugs most commonly treated with gradual withdrawal, especially severe cases.

The primary detox period for a dependence on alcohol lasts a total of five to seven days, with the severity of the withdrawal symptoms peaking after one to three days. However, withdrawal symptoms of alcohol may require weeks or even months to disappear completely. Patients who experience is a gradual withdrawal from alcohol typically require supportive care. It may be necessary to monitor their fluid intake carefully to ensure these patients receive adequate hydration without incurring the risk of pulmonary edema, especially among patients with heart disease.

Alcohol inhibits the absorption of vitamin B1, so patients will typically require large doses of this vitamin during the detox process. Long-term abusers of alcohol may require a healthcare professional to administer vitamin B1 intravenously due to the severe deficiency of this vitamin that’s common among these patients. A detox program involving the gradual withdrawal of alcohol may also include the use of benzodiazepines to reduce the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.

What Works Well

A dependence on benzodiazepines, other sedatives, and hypnotics typically responds well to gradual withdrawal methods. These techniques may generally be divided into treatments for short-acting benzodiazepines and those for long-acting benzodiazepines. The primary difference between treating a short-acting benzodiazepine and a long-acting benzodiazepine is that long-acting benzodiazepines require a longer detox period and a more gradual withdrawal of the benzodiazepine. Short-acting benzodiazepines have a total detox period of seven to 10 days, while long-acting benzodiazepines have a detox period lasting 10 to 14 days.

A typical program for the gradual withdrawal of benzodiazepines begins with 10 to 20 milligrams of Valium four times per day. A healthcare professional will gradually reduce the dosage to five to 10 milligrams four times per day by the end of the detox program. It may be necessary to adjust a patient’s dosage as the clinical picture changes, although the treating physician should avoid administering the benzodiazepine as needed.

Substitution Method

Substitution methods of detox involve replacing the patient’s drug of choice with a similar drug that has a lower potential for dependence. This method is most common with a dependence on opioids. This class of drugs is well-suited to a substitution form of detox because the withdrawal symptoms for these drugs follow a clearly identifiable and predictable pattern. Methadone and buprenorphine are currently the preferred medical treatments for a dependence on opioids. A medical professional must administer these drugs during the detox phase in a hospital setting to ensure the patient gets the correct dose. However, methadone and buprenorphine can also be used as part of a maintenance therapy on an outpatient basis.

Methadone

Methadone cannot be used as a detoxification treatment in the United States if the patient’s primary condition is opioid withdrawal. However, it can be used if opioid withdrawal is only a secondary condition. The primary reason for this restriction is that methadone is also an opioid, which has its own potential for dependence. A typical substitution therapy with methadone involves an initial dose of 10 mg, with an additional 10 to 20 milligrams every four to six hours as needed to be alleviate the withdrawal symptoms.

The total dosage of methadone should not exceed 30 milligrams for the first day. Patients should receive this same total dosage for the next two to three days with one to two doses each day. The physician should then reduce the daily dosage of methadone by five to 10 mg each day until discontinuing the methadone treatment completely. Substitution withdrawal with methadone typically takes five to seven days.

Buprenorphine is sold under brand names such as Subutex and Suboxone. The primary difference between these two formulations is that Subutex also contains naloxone in a ratio of one part naloxone for every four parts buprenorphine. The primary purpose of adding naloxone is to produce withdrawal symptoms if the patient attempts to inject Subutex intravenously. However, the effectiveness of naloxone for this purpose is controversial.

Professional Involvement is Needed

The healthcare professional may administer buprenorphine personally or observe the patient taking this drug. A single dose of lasts two to three days, although some programs administer this drug one or more times per day. The primary advantage of this greater frequency of administration is that it allows the medical professional to ensure the level of buprenorphine in the patient’s bloodstream. The dosage for the first day is typically 8 mg, which increases to between eight and 16 milligrams of buprenorphine per day on the second day. A health professional will typically reduce the daily dosage gradually beginning on the third day so that it is being completely witheld within 48 hours of the end of the detox program.

Overcoming an addiction to drugs or alcohol is challenging. Fighting an addiction requires an appropriate treatment solution. Since every individual has different treatment needs, it is important to recognize personal beliefs and goals to find the right treatment center. In some cases, a faith based rehabilitation center might be the appropriate way to overcome the addiction.

Treatment Approaches for Addiction

Determining whether a faith based center will provide relief from addiction depends on the situation. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance abuse has many dimensions and it is often challenging to treat. The needs of one individual will differ from those of another.

The best treatment approach for personal needs might focus on spirituality and personal faith, but that does not always work for every individual. In some cases, the focus of treatment is overcoming a traumatic experience or treating a mental health condition that is leading to self-medicating. The situation and cause of an addiction will often determine the treatment approach that is most appropriate.

What Is a Faith Based Treatment?

Although a faith based rehabilitation center will provide tools that are based on spiritual beliefs, it is not limited to only religious faith. The spiritual side of treatment is only one aspect of overcoming the addiction, so the center will offer additional treatments to help fight the drugs or alcohol.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, treatment for an addiction will often take many components. When an individual has a physical health condition that is causing the addiction, a doctor will work with that person to improve physical well-being. If the addiction stems from mental health or trauma, then the treatment will include appropriate counseling to work on the cause.

In addition to traditional treatments, a faith based program will also provide spiritual guidance according to personal religious beliefs. An appropriate leader in a religious organization will provide counseling and teachings that are appropriate for the faith.

Leaning on Spiritual Beliefs

The key element that sets a faith based treatment facility apart from other types of facilities is the focus on spiritual beliefs. The program allows drug or alcohol abusers to remember their belief system and lean on the support of a higher power.

Leaning on spiritual beliefs is useful for treating some individuals. That belief that a higher power or a spiritual entity is providing support can strengthen the heart and mind against the addiction. Gaining strength from faith and belief is not easy, so it is not always the appropriate approach to treating an addiction for every individual.

Leaning on spirituality and religious beliefs is most effective when a strong faith is part of a general belief system. For many individuals, faith is not enough to fight the addiction because doubts arise when the temptation to abuse drugs or alcohol becomes challenging.

Evaluating Personal Beliefs

Before entering a faith based rehab program, it is important to evaluate personal beliefs or the beliefs of a loved one. Addiction is not easy to overcome because of the physical and mental toll it has on an individual. Fighting the withdrawal symptoms, breaking the habit and then maintaining a lifestyle that does not include drugs or alcohol takes time and effort. If personal beliefs in a higher power are not strong, then a faith based program is not the appropriate treatment facility.

Evaluating personal beliefs or the beliefs of a loved one will take a little time. When it relates to the addiction of a loved one, it might be necessary to ask questions and talk about a religious belief before getting involved in the treatment center. For personal evaluation, it is primarily about asking internal questions about the level of faith and the belief in a higher power.

Any time doubts arise during an internal evaluation or while asking questions of a loved one, it might be better to look for another program. Doubts can make it easier to give into temptation. If faith is not a primary part of a personal belief system, then the treatment will not have a strong impact on overcoming the addiction.

Selecting a Treatment Center

Regardless of a personal belief system, selecting the appropriate treatment center is the key to fighting the addiction. By keeping a few ideas in mind, it is possible to identify the best treatment centers to reach the goal of fighting an addiction.

The aspects of a rehab facility that are important for any individual to recover from an addiction include:

• Supervised detoxification programs
• Medical staff available throughout the treatment
• Multiple treatment options
• A personalized treatment plan
• Aftercare services
• Educational workshops and classes

While every treatment program should include personalized evaluations and care, it is important to recognize that a faith based center should also include workshops related to religious beliefs and spiritual guidance from appropriate leaders in that belief.

If the treatment center does not include several methods of fighting the addiction, then it is not a good choice to overcome the problem. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction has several causes and the treatments need to address different problems that might arise. Even a faith based center should have several treatment approaches to address the mental and physical needs that occur after abusing drugs or alcohol.

Selecting Centers for Spiritual Beliefs

Although a faith based treatment center is not appropriate for every individual, it can help in many situations. After deciding that a faith based center is the best way to fight a personal addiction or encourage a loved one to fight an addiction, it is important to select the right type of facility for personal needs.

The first consideration when selecting a treatment center that includes faith is finding a center that is focused on religious beliefs. It is possible to find treatment facilities that focus on any religious belief, even if it seems less popular in a particular area. A faith based program does not necessarily mean it is related solely to Christianity or the other major religions.

After finding a few facilities that are based on a personal faith, such as Christianity, Muslim or Buddhist beliefs, narrow down the choices based on additional treatment options. Consider the treatment options, workshops and educational tools that the facility provides.

The final part of selecting a treatment facility is contacting the program and asking for more details. Depending on personal interests, goals and the facilities that are remaining, it may be necessary to contact several programs to make a final decision. The only way to make an educated decision about the programs that are likely to work best is by finding out as many details as possible before selecting a treatment center.

The Right Treatment Works

Living a drug free lifestyle is possible with the right treatment program. Although it can take time to find the best treatment facility that incorporates a personal faith, it can be worth that additional effort to some individuals. Fighting an addiction to drugs or alcohol requires a treatment approach that works on more than just the physical symptoms of the addiction. If a religious belief is an important part of a personal lifestyle, then it can help to include that faith into the treatment program along with traditional approaches to recovery.

You Are Not Alone

Families may find themselves in uncharted territory when it comes to confronting a family member about drug abuse. Whether the drug abuser is a son or daughter, husband or wife, mother or father, there’s only one way to get them back on the right track: drug rehabilitation.

Even if drug abusers don’t take the first step toward rehab themselves, family members can offer the push drug abusers need to get help. However, confronting the addiction is one of the most difficult parts of rehabilitation for family members of drug abusers. Concerned loved ones may not know how to sensitively bring up the topic of drug rehab without angering the drug abuser and worsening the situation.

Don’t Ignore the Problem

While this is a legitimate concern, family members can’t ignore the problem. A common myth is that drug users must enter rehab of their own free will for treatment to be effective. However, most drug abusers finally submit themselves to rehabilitation because of positive family involvement and intervention.

Rehab isn’t easy – for drug abusers or family members – but this life-changing decision provides the help drug users need to overcome powerful addictions. Here’s how families can support a family member before, during and after drug rehab according to PsychCentral.

Prior to Drug Rehab

Even the most well-meaning families can unknowingly enable a situation of codependency with the drug abuser before entering rehab. By pretending nothing is wrong, families unintentionally give the drug abuser permission to continue bad habits since everyone is ignoring the problem.

On the other hand, family members may become angry, distant or resentful toward the drug abuser. They may be fearful that there’s no way to approach the situation without angering the drug abuser or intensifying the destructive behavior.

Intervene Before it’s Too Late

The key is to intervene before either of these negative situations escalates. Still, every circumstance is different. Some families seek a counselor’s help to learn how to begin the intervention process. Others prefer to have a private, honest talk with the drug abuser. The key is to be non-confrontational when suggesting drug rehabilitation. A good tactic for many families is to communicate to the drug user that the entire family is suffering because of the drug abuse.

Whatever tactic a family chooses to bring up the need for rehab, there should be positive family involvement and encouragement every step of the way.

During Drug Rehab

After a family intervention, the best-case scenario is that the drug abuser realizes their selfishness and is compelled to enter a rehab program. Two main programs exist, which are designed to meet different patients’ needs as effectively as possible. These are:

• Outpatient programs: These provide drug addiction treatments without taking patients away from their home or family. They are expected to attend classes nearby and can continue treatment over an extended period of time.

• Inpatient programs: Also known as residential programs, these rehab options require a patient to relocate to a facility where they undertake intensive month-long detoxification and recovery. This fully immersive option does not allow drug abusers to leave the facility during their treatment. Intensive inpatient programs are ideal for removing drug abusers from tempting situations. They are fully immersed in treatment and avoid toxic distractions that could slow their recovery.

Having a family member away from home can be stressful for a loving family, but the enhanced perspective about the drug abusers behaviors can be very enlightening. While visits to the treatment facility may be frequent, the separation helps families step back and recognize the negative behavior patterns they employed prior to rehab. This realization can have a healing effect on family members of drug abusers.

Even if a family insists on an inpatient program for the family member, frequent visits and interaction with family are encouraged. In fact, quality inpatient drug rehab programs are supported heavily by frequent positive visits from family members.

Families can provide much-needed support to drug abusers in rehab in a number of ways:

• Visit throughout the week and on weekends: If a drug abuser is entered into a drug rehab program without their complete consent, negative feelings of resentment and betrayal may linger for a while. Even it not every visit goes perfectly, frequent family visits are important to prevent the drug abuser from feeling abandoned.

• Enroll in educational programs: Family members who have never felt the grasp of prescription drug addiction can become educated by attending recovery workshops and educational sessions. It’s important for families to understand what their loved ones are going through in order to provide support.

• Attend Nar-Anon meetings: Nar-Anon is a worldwide fellowship for friends and family members of drug abusers. If families are struggling with feelings of desperation and fear, no-cost Nar-Anon meetings help members share experiences and garner strength, peace and hope from others in similar situations. These meetings are helpful before, during and after the family member has entered rehab.

After Drug Rehab

While drug abusers in inpatient programs may return home and resume life as usual (minus the drug use), and outpatients feel confident enough to stop attending classes, there is no clear-cut end to addiction therapy. Families may struggle with the effects of their family member’s drug abuse even after the dust has settled. That’s why it’s appropriate to continue attending Nar-Anon meetings for ongoing support and education.

Relapse is certainly a possibility, even years after formal drug rehab, but, according to Columbia Health, family members can help former drug users avoid that destructive path by doing the following:

• Remain supportive: It’s helpful if families sit down and decide together how they will be supportive once their family member is out of rehab. A great way to get ideas is to contact the rehab facility for helpful suggestions.

• Be open: Apart from working together for the drug user’s sake, families should also ask the drug abusers themselves how they want life to look when they return home. Agree upon factors of rehab that will and won’t be discussed, and decide to be open about when the family member needs space.

• Listen: After rehab, former drug abusers may have fears about coping without drugs or relapsing back into bad habits. Families should listen to these fears and help wherever possible.

• Reduce social and environmental stress: Families should be clean in all they do to hlep the former drug abuser resist temptation. Everyone must be completely sober, even if they once smoked, drank or took drugs in a controlled manner, to keep temptation at bay.

• Be genuine: The first few weeks and months after drug rehab are the hardest. Families may feel attacked by their angry, sad or distant family member as they come to terms with and overcome their addiction. Even during these challenging times, families should remain genuinely concerned and compassionate.

There is no no-size-fits-all solution to supporting a family member through drug rehab. However, with the right approach and external support methods, families can get through the trying time of drug abuse recovery.

Sources

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2011/family-involvement-is-important-in-substance-abuse-treatment/

http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/supporting-loved-one-after-drug-rehab

http://www.nar-anon.org/naranon/

Approximately 40 million people in the United States experience serious injury or illness as a result of drug abuse and about one in six people have a drinking problem, according to the National Institutes of Health. The good news is that alcohol and drug addiction are highly treatable.

How it Works

Detoxification, known as detox for short, refers to the process of eliminating a toxic substance from the body. Medical detoxification is the same thing, only it is done through medical supervision to manage withdrawal symptoms, offer support, and provide relapse prevention counseling, among other things.

With the assistance of a professional medical team, detoxification is not only safer, but more manageable. Medical detoxification can be conducted on an in-patient basis in a hospital, medical clinic or residential rehab facility, or administered on an out-patient arrangement through any of these types of facilities.

A full service medical detoxification team consists of a physician who specializes in addiction, licensed nurses, and counselors who provide treatment, support, and care during the detoxification period. Medical detoxification is conducted in a confidential, private and comfortable environment.

Goals of Medical Detoxification

1. To provide an environment for safe withdrawal from a drug or alcohol.
2. To provide a detoxification and withdrawal process that is humane to alleviate the pain and suffering of withdrawal.
3. To prepare the patient for dependence avoidance and relapse prevention.

Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms of drug and/or alcohol abuse vary depending on the drug or alcohol, length of use and intensity of use. After prolonged or heavy use of drugs and/or alcohol, withdrawal symptoms may include sweating, tremors, shaking chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, headaches, sleeplessness, agitation, depression, behavioral changes, confusion, in addition to the craving for the drug or alcohol.

Medical Detoxification Process

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, there are three main and sequential parts to the medical detoxification process: evaluation, stabilization, and readying the person for substance abuse and rehabilitation treatment.

Medical detoxification programs use one or more types of treatments/therapies. Including:

• Weaning off of the drug or alcohol. This usually is accomplished within four days. This significant first step is accomplished under medical personnel supervision to ensure the utmost in safety.
• Treating withdrawal symptoms. It is very common to experience withdrawal symptoms when detoxifying from an addicting drug or alcohol. As needed, medical staff will provide medication to make the withdrawal symptoms more manageable. Common withdrawal symptoms include chills, tremors, nausea, sweating, and headaches, although other withdrawal symptoms may be present depending on the drug addicted to, the dosage, and length of addiction. Patients should be rest assured that they will be kept as comfortable as possible at this stage of the detoxification process.
• Learning and dealing with cravings. Cravings are par for the course when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction. But that doesn’t mean cravings can’t be managed. Once a patient’s body becomes free of the chemical dependency, the cravings for the drug or alcohol of choice will subside.
• Regaining health. Once the withdrawal symptoms have ended and the patients’ body is free of toxins, it is time to regain health. Healthy eating is encouraged as is adequate rest to regain strength and energy.
• Learning about rehabilitation and treatment. Although this is the last phase of medical detoxification, it is perhaps the most vital. During this phase, the patient learns about counseling, support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy, and education available about the causes of addiction. The patient learns about relapse triggers as well as prevention relapse techniques during this important phase. It is in this phase that the patients is introduced to the substance abuse treatment options available.

Depending on individual circumstances, the entire medical detoxification process can take as short as days or as long as a week or two, Most detoxification process is accomplished in a matter of a week.

Alcohol Detoxification

Alcoholism is a chronic disease, which left unchecked can unleash a host of health problems, which may be life-threatening. After having alcohol in the body’s system on a constant basis, alcohol detox helps bring the heavy drinker’s body back to normal.In some cases, sedatives, such as Valium or Ativan are used to make withdrawal more comfortable. Naltrexone may be used to curb the craving for alcohol during detoxification. Ranging from mild to severe, withdrawal symptoms from alcohol include sweats, tremors, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, agitation, convulsions and others.

Even though alcohol is readily available to the legal-age public, abruptly discontinuing long-term alcohol addiction without proper medical supervision can result in severe adverse health effects, which may include death.

Drug Detoxification

Whether it is an addiction to cocaine, heroin, Oxycontin, ecstasy, PCP or some other drug, medical drug detoxification is initially designed to relieve or reduce drug addiction withdrawal symptoms in a safe and medically-supervised environment. Drug detoxification is aimed at the physical dependence on the drug, rather than the long-term addiction.

Medications, such as suboxone, can be used to counteract the effects of declining levels of a toxic drug in the body’s system. These types of medications, not only help to stabilize a person vital body systems, but helps them to cope with adjustment to living without the drug. Some drugs have more intense withdrawal symptoms than others. Sedatives withdrawal can be more lengthy than opiates withdrawal.

Detoxification vs. Treatment

While detoxification is an important part of the care associated with substance abuse conditions, it is important to highlight that detoxification is different than treatment. Detoxification is the required first step for the addicted patient to begin a journal of drug-free or alcohol-free living. It is a set of interventions designed to manage acute withdrawal and intoxications, while preventing potentially life-threatening complications.. Detoxification is aimed at reducing the physical harm that can occur when withdrawing from substance abuse. Once individuals have cleared the chemicals of the body, they are able to think more clearly while also being more stable emotionally. It is only then, that medically supervised addition and rehabilitation treatment will be entered into.

Substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation, on the other hand, includes an continual, ongoing assessment of a patient’s psychological, physical, and social status, analysis of environmental risk factors, determination of substance abuse factors, and prevention and coping strategies to deal with cravings and relapse.

The Road to Recovery

If you or a loved one is suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction, medical detoxification is the important first step. Our team of trained and certified detox and recovery experts understand how to manage your detoxification and treatment, and can offer a private, tailored plan for your success.

Sources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64119/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugabuse.html

Attempts to prevent drug use and abuse among teenagers and adults has led to the creation of a number of myths. Drug addiction myths cause harm in a number of ways. For one thing, they create a stigma around people who use drugs, according to Adi Jaffe, an addiction psychologist. Myths also make it difficult for people to find and accept treatment and once in treatment, can make it harder for users to succeed.

Myth 1: It’s All About Willpower

One of the most prevalent myths about drug use and addiction states that addiction isn’t a chemical problem in the brain or a type of disease. Instead, the myth claims that addiction is the result of a lack of willpower in a person. The myth puts forward the idea that a person who struggles with an addiction chooses to continue to use drugs, even as their world falls apart around them.

Initial drug use is a choice, which may be why people believe that continued use is a choice. A person decides to use a drug for the first, second or even third time. But as the addiction takes hold, chemical changes in the brain turn the drug use from a conscious choice to a compulsive behavior that the person often has no control over.

The belief that people who abuse drugs are deficient in character or are flawed in some way goes hand in hand with the myth of willpower and choice when it comes to addiction. People don’t become addicted to drugs because they are “bad” people, though. The addiction forms because of changes in the brain, which leads many people to make decisions that aren’t the best.

Myth 2: The User Needs to Want to Beat the Addiction

Believing that a person needs to consciously choose to get help or treatment for an addiction does more harm than good. It keeps many people who would benefit from professional assistance and treatment from getting the help they desperately need. According to this myth, when the court orders a person who abuses drugs to get help, the help is completely ineffective because the person is not seeking it out on his or her own. Even if a drug user expresses no interest in treatment, family members and other loved ones should pressure him or her into getting help. As the person begins to battle the drug, he or she is often able to see that treatment is necessary and effective, according to Help Guide.

Myth 3: Addiction is Forever

Thinking that addiction is permanent, that treatment can’t be effective or that addiction ruins a person’s brain harms drug users and their families. The myth stems from the fact that some people need to go into treatment multiple times before they are able to recover. Relapses don’t mean that addiction can’t be treated. Instead, a relapse or struggle can mean that a person needs to a new approach to treatment. It can also mean that a person has gone off course and needs to refocus his or her efforts on beating the drug use.

Belief that addiction permanently damages the brain contributes to the stigma many in recovery experience. Drug use does harm the brain, but it does not completely destroy a person. Thinking that drug addiction destroys the brain can mean that a person in recovery has fewer job opportunities or may be denied housing, healthcare and other opportunities. It’s a myth that can be more damaging than the addiction itself.

Myth 4: Not all Drugs are Addictive

Different drugs affect the body in different ways. Different people experience different reactions to various drugs. But, each drug is potentially harmful and addictive in its own way. A particularly prevalent myth claims that marijuana is not an addictive drug. About 10 percent of people who use marijuana are dependent on it, according to the Addiction and Science Research Center at the University of Texas. Thinking that some drugs are safer or less habit forming than others can lead to a higher rate of use as well as lower rate of people who get the help they need.

People also have the mistaken belief that prescription drugs, which are legal if prescribed by a doctor and used as directed, are safer than illegal street drugs such as heroin or cocaine. The myth leads to more people using and abusing prescription drugs, although their use can be just as dangerous, if not more so, than abusing street drugs. According to Adi Jaffe, “legal” drugs are more risky for teenagers than illegal drugs and in many cases act as the gateway drug, not marijuana.

Myth 5: Drug Users Need to Bottom Out Before Treatment Can Help

The myth that a drug user needs to reach “rock bottom” before seeking treatment might be the most dangerous addiction myth of all. Treatment of an addiction is generally more effective the earlier it begins. Waiting to get treatment for drug abuse gives the drug more time to take hold of a person and to cause chemical changes in the brain. The myth of hitting bottom goes hand in hand with the belief that a person needs to want to get help for it to work.

“Rock bottom” is different for each person. For one person, rock bottom might be when they lose their job. For another, it might be when they get caught stealing to pay for their drugs. Finally, for some, rock bottom might be when they take too much of the drug at once and lose their life. In that case, rock bottom is far too late for treatment. 

Help a Loved one Get Help

If the person using drugs can’t see the impact it is having on his or her life and relationships, it’s up to those who love him or her to step in. Depending on how much the drug has taken hold, a person who abuses drugs might agree to seek treatment without much prodding. It might take more effort and a larger group of people to convince a person to get help. No matter what it takes, intervening sooner rather than later means the person is more likely to get through a recovery program.

Sources

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/health/jaffe-addiction-myths

http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/myths.html

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effect…

 

Rehabilitation is the best option for helping a recovering substance abuser become clean and remain free from substance abuse over the long term. Although many people understand the importance of treatment centers, either for themselves or for a loved one, they may not realize just how vital it is to choose a center or facility that offers the right fit.

The Rehab Experience Matters

Contrary to popular belief, different rehabilitation facilities can actually provide varied and unique experiences. Some facilities may have luxurious accommodations while others may simply supply basic needs. For many people it’s important to find a treatment option that keeps them close to home and allows frequent visits from family members. However, other recovering substance abusers may actually need a substantial physical separation from their old lives and contacts. While some facilities serve both male and female clients together, others keep them separate and still others only serve one or the other.

Different facilities may also offer various combinations of treatment programs, including:

• Individual therapy
• Holistic treatment
• Medically supervised detox
• Long term treatment options
• Transitional living programs
• Group therapy
• 12 step programs
• Relapse prevention classes
• Cognitive behavioral treatment

When choosing a rehabilitation center it’s extremely important for people to find a facility that that can provide the best environment and combinations of programs to fit an individual’s needs.

However, even though a person’s unique preference must be closely considered, there are some qualities that every successful treatment center should have. Anyone who is searching for a solid drug or alcohol treatment facility should look for the following qualities, which can go a long way toward helping a recovering substance abuser find success.

Professional Staff Members

Regardless of what types of treatment methods a rehabilitation center uses, it’s vital that all the staff members are highly knowledgeable, well trained, helpful and caring.

When people enter treatment programs, they are typically leaving behind family members, friends and familiar surroundings. That shift, in addition to the challenge of overcoming an addiction, can feel like a significant adjustment.

However, with a compassionate staff in place, the transition can be much more smooth and comfortable. In addition to being caring and having recovery expertise, the staff should also be genuinely invested in each new client’s success. When positive and supportive people are around, it can boost recovering users’ confidence in their own strength and abilities to overcome addiction.

A Substance Free Zone

Often recovering users have come from environments where they could easily gain access to drugs and alcohol. One of the primary reasons people enter rehabilitation centers is so they can finally leave behind their habits of drug or alcohol dependence.

Staying in a rehabilitation center should feel like being in a safe zone where recovering abusers don’t have to worry about encountering substances they are trying to give up. If even one client is able to bring alcohol or drugs within the facility, it can put that person at serious risk and cause setbacks for the entire population of people in recovery.

All centers should be vigilant and strict about making sure nobody brings any unpermitted substances onto the property.

Therapy Options

While rehab centers offer various types of programs for clients, therapy is one of the most essential components of successful treatment and it should always be provided in any high quality facility. Recovery doesn’t just require physical abstinence from substances, but it also involves addressing psychological and emotional components that play significant roles in addiction.

Often, therapy will get to the heart of why a person became addicted to alcohol or drugs in the first place, which can help recovering abusers avoid falling into the same traps after leaving rehab. Therapy addresses other common feelings that recovering users may experience, including depression, guilt and shame.

It’s also important for people in recovery to deal with the effects addiction may have had on their personal relationships. including marriages, friendships or the connections between parents and children. Therapy can provide the necessary tools for repairing damaged relationships and working toward rebuilding trust with loved ones.

Of course, there are many types of therapy, including individual, group and cognitive behavioral therapy. Many people use a combination of different counseling and therapy options – such group and individual therapy – so recovering abusers should choose a facility that provides the exact types of therapy they would like to experience.

Post-Rehab Strategies

Many recovering substance abusers are worried about what will happen after they leave the comfort and safe environment of a treatment facility. This anxiety is not unfounded. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the relapse rates for drug abuse fall somewhere between 40 and 60 percent.

However, this number shouldn’t scare anyone away from entering treatment. Instead, substance abusers and their family members should look for facilities that offer solid post-rehabilitation strategies and preparation that can prevent relapses.

Approaches like aftercare treatment, relapse prevention classes and transitional living programs are all geared toward making sure people have the best chances at remaining sober immediately after treatment ends and, more importantly, over the course of their lives.

For example, relapse prevention classes can help recovering abusers identify the behaviors and situations that put them at higher risk for using again. Professionals in the classes can teach students how to avoid those triggers and choose healthier, low risk activities instead.

Aftercare Treatment

Aftercare treatment is another option that may provide some relapse prevention strategies as well as practical skills to help recovering abusers achieve overall success after rehab. These skills may include legal guidance, job placement assistance, interviewing techniques, financial classes and other offerings that can keep recovering substance abusers away from desperate situations that sometimes lead back to addiction.

Another asset that can increase a person’s chances at success is a transitional living program, which can serve as a bridge between the more structured living situations at treatment facilities and the complete freedom of typical housing options. Transitional residential centers are supportive, substance free environments that can create a smoother and more successful shift back to regular life.

Personalized Approach

Perhaps the most important aspect of any treatment facility is the ability to respond to each individual person’s needs. While many rehabilitation centers have signature styles, environments and program offerings, a great treatment facility will still be flexible enough to create a course of treatment that is customized for each client’s needs. This personalized approach may involve:

• Customized counselor matches, rather than random counselor assignments
• Detailed evaluation for each new person who enters treatment
• Flexibility in daily scheduling, with increased flexibility as treatment progresses
• Frequent evaluation of progress
• Choices of recreational activities

This personalized approach not only helps individuals in recovery have a better chances at success, but it can also allow them to find more enjoyment and fulfillment in the treatment process.

 Choose Success

Choosing a treatment facility will always be a highly personal choice, but every rehabilitation center should provide a substance free environment, a qualified staff, post-rehab strategies, therapy options and personalized treatment. Fortunately, there are many high quality rehabilitation centers around the country that provide all these features and more, while offering excellent access to care and recovery.

 Sources

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/science-drug-abuse-addiction

For a parent there are many things that will break your heart regarding children. Knowing that they have become dependent on drugs or alcohol is a nightmare. Erratic behavior, stealing, and sexual escapades are just three things that will be a part of your experience with them. They may not fall victim to every ‘bad’ thing that can happen to someone with a substance abuse problem, but what they consider ‘nothing’ can be a huge terror to you.

A child that finally realizes they need rehabilitation is on the first step to cleaning up their lives. While they are finally in rehab you might be wondering how to pick up the pieces of you and your family’s lives. The stress of a child going through substance abuse and then rehabilitation can bring many families to the breaking point. Divorce and siblings of the dependent child may be only two of the broken pieces.

It Isn’t Your Fault

If you are taking the time to research how to help your family, chances are you have been the best parent you possibly could. We all make what we consider to be mistakes when raising our children. The vast majority of parents do not abuse their children to the point that the child begins drinking or doing drugs to cope. That does happen, but trying to help your child by assisting in their recovery for a better life is one sign that you are not one of those people.

Wasting time and energy in a self-blaming episode will just lower your morale. You need to be sure of yourself and understand that your child made their own choices. Like everyone, children can make bad decisions that affect others around them. You may have taught them what you believe is the ‘right’ way to handle problems, but you are not responsible if they choose to ignore what you tried to install.

You Are Not Their Counselor

You may wish that you could ‘fix’ the problems your child will face. But, unless you really are a counselor, you can’t understand how to help your child repair their dependence. Even counselors have children that have fell victim to substance abuse. Counseling your own children would be counter-productive, as we parents feel we know how to fix everything in our children’s lives.

What you can do is to offer an ear when your child needs it. Offer understanding. Be there, even during the times when they are attacking you with words. You will need to learn when to walk away – but reassuring your child that you will always love them unconditionally can go a long way to helping them in their recovery. You don’t need to be anyone’s counselor to love your child.

Don’t Bail Them Out

As tempting as it may be to be the parent that always swoops in to rescue their child, this is counter-productive. You are not protecting them by ‘saving’ them from trouble their substance abuse has caused. Not only will bailing them out of jail, financial trouble, or job trouble give them an excuse not to face life, it can strain your relationships. Always running to help your dependent child strains you and pulls you away from the life you need to live.

In rehabilitation your child will learn to face their own problems. He or she may call you and complain about this aspect of rehab – it is up to you to be understanding, but not to pull them from the program or encourage them to leave.

You may feel awful for allowing your child to fall on their face. The wonderful thing about life is that eventually we all pick ourselves up again. We learn to put our lives back together. Sometimes this takes a program of some sort. If your child has checked themselves into a rehabilitation program or you have done so – don’t feel as if you have failed as a parent. You are doing the right thing by letting them learn how to live.

Family Trouble

Husbands and wives face strain on their relationship when one of their children are substance abusers. In addition to the self blame, they may begin to blame the other spouse for the child’s addiction. Sometimes this fact might be true. If that is the case it is even harder to accept that a relationship can be repaired. Perhaps it cannot and the couple should seek a divorce. If one spouse is abusive, then a step to helping a child recover may be to remove the abusive spouse from the family. As harsh as this sounds, removal from the family can help the child heal faster than if there are exposed to the abusive parent.

Abuse can come in forms other than physical. Mental abuse is just as likely to scar someone and have far reaching effects. Counseling can help the family some times. But if the abusive parent refuses to change, divorce could be the only option.

Some siblings may wish to separate themselves from the family and distance themselves from the substance abusing child. This is natural in some families, especially of the child using drugs is physically or mentally abusive to their siblings. You can help the siblings through this by respecting their wishes. Trying to force anyone in the family to embrace the rehabilitating child can drive a wedge between everyone.

 In the end…

Unconditional love is always the right answer. You cannot go wrong by showing your child and your family that you love them all. There will be times when one sibling or a spouse may feel as if you are favoring the rehabilitating child over other family members. This is usually due to their own insecurities and can be helped by always showing your love for them as well.

Make time to spend with your family. You are not doing anything wrong by not going to visit your child in rehab every single day, all day. The rest of your family needs you. Your friends need you and ultimately, you need you! Work on your own life and if you need it, seek counseling. Sometimes you need a little extra help to learn how to be the parent of a child in rehab. There is no shame in counseling or even in using medication to help with anxiety or depression. These two conditions are often present in parents that had children who are substance abusers. Your doctor or even your church can often help you find counseling. Considering joining a support group for parents and encourage your spouse and other children to come with you. If they aren’t comfortable going with you, find groups where they can go on their own.

Substance abuse is a problem that impacts the lives of families and individuals around the country. Although every city will have some statistics about the number of substance abusers seeking treatment, the deaths related to drugs and criminal activities that occur as a direct result of drug use, certain cities have a higher rate than the rest of the cities around the country.

Espanola, New Mexico

The small city of Espanola in New Mexico is one of the top cities in the nation for drug addiction and problems related to substance abuse. According to Nathan Vardi on Forbes.com, the small city has much larger rates of drug-related deaths than the national average.

According to Nathan Vardi, the number of drug-related deaths in Espanola is 42.5 out of 100,000 in the population. When compared to the national average of 7.3 per 100,000 in the population that number is shockingly high.

A major reason for the high rates of addiction and drug-related deaths is the unemployment rate. The small city has a very high unemployment rate and a large number of the population has limited options for work. That makes substance abuse a major problem within the area.

The primary drug that is abused in Espanola is heroin. Although efforts are underway to help reduce the impact of withdrawal symptoms from heroin, the changes are slow-going and continued efforts are required to impact a larger portion of the population.

Missoula, Montana

The small city of Missoula is another area that has surprising results when it comes to substance abuse. In Missoula, the substance abuse rates based on surveys and population data show surprising results. According to Nathan Vardi, around 13.8 percent of the population has reported illicit drug use within the last month on surveys.

The rate of illicit drug abuse reported in the small city is the highest in the nation. Although the drug problem in Montana primarily relates to methamphetamine drugs, which account for roughly 50 percent of all arrests within the state, the small city of Missoula is also struggling with cocaine and marijuana addictions.

The illicit drug problem is Missoula is the main criminal activity in the city. While efforts are underway to make changes to address the problems, many within the community are still abusing different illicit drugs for recreational purposes.

Washington D.C.

The nation’s capital is an area with a large drug problem. According to Nathan Vardi, the area has a problem with cocaine and crack cocaine. The large number of the deaths related to cocaine overdose within the nation comes from the capital. According to Nathan Vardi, 75 overdoses to cocaine occurred in 2006 and the following years saw similar high rates of abuse.

Among the arrests that take place in Washington D.C., roughly 33 percent of those involved in a crime were tested positive for cocaine in their system at the time the crime was committed. The arrest figures suggest that the drug is a serious problem that the city must address to start putting it back in order and fight against the addictions that are developing.

As a large city, it is not surprising that Washington D.C. is among the top in the nation for drug-related problems. Despite the significance when it relates to the country’s government, the city continues to see high rates of addiction and is working on fighting the problem.

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is one of the cities that remain at the top of the list when it comes to substance abuse. According to Carter M. Yang on ABC News, the city is the capital for heroin abuse with roughly 1 out of 10 residents facing an addiction to the drug. Although the city has made efforts to reduce the risk of developing an addiction to drugs, heroin remains the primary problem that residents and city officials are facing.

A major reason that Baltimore faces a heroin problem is the location of the city. According to Carter M. Yang, the city has been a distribution point for the drug from South America since the 1990s. Due to that fact, the drug is readily available and easy to find throughout the city.

The availability is not the only problem that relates to the drug. In Baltimore, the heroin is particularly pure and strong when compared to the drug that is available in other major cities. Since it is among the purest form of the drug found in the United States, many residents assume that it is safer than less pure forms of the substance. The problem is that it is also more potent due to that purity, which makes the drug more dangerous.

The misconception that the drug is safe as well as the availability combines to make it a major problem within Baltimore. According to Carter M. Yank, the city officials expect that the rate of addiction will continue to rise despite efforts to try quelling that tide.

New Orleans, Louisiana

The city of New Orleans has one of the most tragic drug problems in the United States. According to Nathan Vardi, the drug problem increased after Hurricane Katrina, when opportunistic gangs selling crack cocaine took advantage of the situation. After the hurricane, many of the gangs did not leave the city, which has resulted in more than just an increasing rate of addiction.

In New Orleans, the addiction problem is only part of the drug-related deaths that are reported each year. Gang turf wars account for 95 murders out of 100,000 in the population and that number is growing as more gangs attempt to sell drugs within the city. Although the drug-related murders are a key factor in the problem, addiction to crack cocaine is another concern that officials are trying to address.

While the drug-related deaths are tragic, some of the numbers in the city are suggested to relate to the constantly changing population. People moving in and out of the city make it hard to determine the set figures and the numbers can change dramatically each year.

Fighting an Addiction

Although the top five cities for substance abuse display the problem that the United States continues to face, fighting an addiction to drugs can occur in any state, city or small town. The best way to fight against substance abuse and addiction is finding a treatment facility. The best treatment facilities will include:

• Several treatment options
• Personalized plans for recovery
• Aftercare services
• Long-term care options
• Medically supervised detoxification programs
• Educational workshops

Giving up drugs is challenging, but help is available for residents of any state or city. Getting professional help will make it possible to give up the substance and start looking forward to a life without drugs. Although certain cities have a higher rate of substance abuse, options are available to overcome the drugs for a lifetime.

The top five cities that have a high risk of drug addiction illustrate a problem that the United States is still working on overcoming. While the top cities for addiction risk or drug-related deaths are making efforts to try stopping the problem, the road ahead is not easy. It will take time and effort to prevent addictions and provide appropriate treatment to those who are struggling to overcome an addiction, but it will have a positive impact on the future of the city.

Sources

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/20/narcotics-heroin-cocaine-biz-beltway-cz_nv…

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92699&page=1#.UWPv9Td8xK8

In this article you will find the signs of opiates addiction admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery contact us for help immediately.

Look For The Signs Of Opiates Addiction

Opiates are a form of narcotic drug that act as depressants in the body, particularly in the central nervous system. Opiates are typically used to relieve pain and can cause euphoria or a “high”. The most commonly identified opiates include heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. People who use opiates for a long period of time can develop an extremely high tolerance and addiction to the drug. If a person uses opiates for a long time and then ceases use, they may experience feelings similar to the flu. Regular use of opiates can lead to addiction. Addiction to opiates is when a person increases their use to the point where they feel so inclined to consume it that they may go to extreme levels to obtain it despite negative consequences associated with its use and obtaining.

Signs Of Opiates Addiction:

• Drowsiness
• Dilated pupils
• Shallow breathing
• Needle or track marks on the skin
• Redness and raw nostrils
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Vomiting
• Possession of paraphernalia
• Constipation
• Euphoria
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Muscle spasms

The signs of opiates addiction are noticeable. This is especially true if the person increases his or her use to the point where they feel so inclined to consume it that they may go to extreme levels to obtain it despite negative consequences. If the person continuously experiences these side effects of the opiate drug and their behaviors are altered in order to obtain and consume the drug, it is possible that an addiction is present. Treatment is available for individuals who have an addiction to opiates. Although withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate drug use are extremely painful, entering an appropriate treatment program can have positive effects on the future.

Signs Of Opiates Addiction Are Noticeable

If you or someone you love has the signs of opiates addiction contact The Drug Rehab immediately for help and we will begin your path to recovery with our help.

Alcohol addiction has many consequences here in this article you will learn of the signs of alcohol addiction. Drinking alcohol is very different from taking other drugs, such as opiates and narcotics. Drinking in the United States, just like in other countries, is a normalized part of a variety of societies. Sharing a glass of wine over a meal is considered normal. Whereas, popping a couple of narcotic painkillers with dinner would not be considered as normal.

Recognize The Signs Of Alcohol Addiction

Because of alcohol’s normalcy in our society and because of its commonality among many cultures, developing a drinking problem is harder to understand, accept, and treat compared to other abused drugs. Developing alcoholism or abusing alcohol can sneak up on a person, being aware of the signs and recognizing the presence of a problem will be the first step to cutting back and getting help. Here are a few signs that are evident when a person has a drinking problem:

• Feeling guilty or ashamed about your drinking
• Lying to others or hiding your drinking habits
• Having family members or loved ones who are worried about your drinking
• Having a need to drink in order to calm down or relax or even to feel better
• Forgetting what you did while you were drinking or experiencing a “black out”
• Typically drink more than you intended to

There is a marked difference between abuse and alcoholism. Alcohol abusers tend to have limits on their drinking but instead do it in large proportions that lead to negative consequences. Here are some signs of alcohol addiction:

• Continuously neglecting your responsibilities because of drinking
• Usually alcohol in situations that are extremely dangerous
• Experiencing legal and financial troubles because of drinking
• Continuing to drink when faced with relationship problems because of your drinking
• Drinking as a way to de-stress or relax

Noticed Signs Of Alcohol Addiction Shouldn’t Be Ignored

If you or someone you know experiences these signs of alcohol addiction, a drinking problem may be present and help should be sought immediately.

The side effects of opiates are described here in the following article. Opiates are a narcotic group of drugs that are most often used to relieve moderate to severe pain. The most commonly used opiates are heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.

Opiates attack the brain where opiate receptors are located and the central nervous system. Typically the body’s natural opiate receptors bind to opiate receptor sites and produce chemicals such as endorphins. However, when opiates enter the body, the drug does this function rather the brain itself. Over time, the brain may completely cease the production of such chemicals because of the drugs ability to do so when taken for a long time or in large amounts. Opiates have the ability to relieve pain and cause pleasure when abused. Side effects of opiates are listed below, some of which are adverse effects when abused:

Adverse Effects / Side Effects Of Opiates:

• Drowsiness
• Dilated pupils
• Shallow breathing
• Raw nostrils or redness around nostrils
• Constipation
• Euphoria
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Muscle spasms

The Side Effects Of Opiates Can Be Life Threatening

When first used, the opiate drug can cause euphoria and pleasure. However, when the person abuses the drug by taking large amounts of it or for a long period of time, the body may develop a dependency and addiction may occur to the drug. The person may develop an extremely high tolerance to the opiate drug and require more and more of it to feel similar effects of the first use. This may alter the brain’s functioning especially at opiate receptor sites. The person may require the drug to simply feel normal at this point. Addiction will most likely develop in the presence of a dependency in which the person will crave the drug and seek it out no matter the consequences.

If you or someone you love is addicted to opiates, or may have the side effects of opiates abuse, contact The Drug Rehab immediately before its too late , and you can begin your path to total recovery and get the life back you once had.

Side effects of antidepressants can be fatal and you should seek help immediately if you or someone you love is addicted to antidepressants. Depression medication is used to alter a person’s mood in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. However, antidepressants can have a wide range of side effects. Some of these general side effects include: dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, vision trouble, sedation, weight gain, sleep disruption, nausea, headaches, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen, inability to achieve an erection, inability to achieve an orgasm, loss of libido, anxiety, and agitation. In the past, doctors have prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) because they have been proven to be safer in overdose.

Types and Side Effects Of Antidepressants

Some common SSRIs include Paxil, Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft, and Celexa. However, such antidepressants, also pose greater risks when taken with other drugs and also have been proven to increase thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Other side effects of antidepressants specific to the use of SSRIs are nausea, diarrhea, headaches, loss of libido, and erectile/orgasm trouble. Seratonergic Syndrome is also a worrying condition that is associated with the use of SSRIs. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are also a commonly prescribed antidepressant. Side effects specific to TCAs are dry mouth, blurred vision, dizziness, tremors, skin rash, and weight gain or loss. Another type of antidepressant that is prescribed often is monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Some common side effects of antidepressants associated with its use or overuse includes: weight gain, constipation, dry mouth, drowsiness, insomnia, and sexual problems. If you’re concerned about the side effects of an antidepressant that you have taken or currently are considering, check with your doctor or other specialist about alternative way to control and deal with depression. Even though there are a variety of alternative treatments for depression, many people persist in taking antidepressant medication or use a combination of both.

Is Someone You Love Showing The Side Effects Of Antidepressants Abuse?

If you or someone you love is addicted to antidepressants and are showing side effects of antidepressants and are seeking help before its to late contact us immediately to start your path to recovery.

Signs of cocaine addiction are evident if you or someone you know is addicted to cocaine call immediately. Cocaine addiction is a psychological dependency on the regular use of cocaine. It can also result in brain damage and cardiovascular, specifically in the central nervous system. The use of cocaine, depending on the severity, can cause mood swings, insomnia, high blood pressure, paranoia, psychosis, panic attacks, cognitive impairments and drastic changes in the personality that can lead to aggressive, criminal and erratic behaviors.

There are a multitude of signs of cocaine addiction and symptoms too that a person can look for when attempting to assess a cocaine addiction in another individual. If a person is compulsively seeking out and using cocaine even in the presence of negative consequences, they most likely are addicted. Below are some warning signs that a person may be using and/or abusing cocaine or crack cocaine.

Signs Of Cocaine Addiction and/or Abuse:

• Bloodshot eyes
• Dilated pupils
• Job loss
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Frequent mood swings
• Difficulties in performance of prior responsibilities (e.g., at work, home, or school)
• Legal and/or financial trouble
• Nose bleeds
• Anxiety
• Irregular heartbeat
• Relationship issues

The Signs Of Cocaine Addiction Show A Distinct Change

It is important to rule out any other issues or disorders before labeling someone as an addict and confronting them. Many of these symptoms may resemble something like depression or anxiety. However, there are some symptoms, if seen in increase and magnitude, which may surely point to a cocaine addiction. A person who has signs of cocaine addiction will show a distinct change in personality and mood. If you or someone you know if preoccupied with using cocaine, find it difficult to abstain or reduce from using cocaine, or is suffering common withdrawal symptoms from cocaine, it may be time to seek treatment.

Opiate withdrawal is a serious life threatening problem you need to seek professional help if you are having withdrawal symptoms. The range of symptoms that occurs when a person ceases to use opiate drugs after heavy or prolonged use is referred to as opiate withdrawal.

Opiate Withdrawal Has A Range Of Symptoms

Common opiate drugs include codeine, OxyContin, morphine, and heroin. Opiate drugs can cause physical dependence when used for a long time or very heavily. This means that a person relies on the drug to prevent physical symptoms of withdrawal from occurring. With time, the person requires more and more of the drug to feel the same effects. If an individual ceases use of the drug, withdrawal symptoms will occur. Symptoms experienced by the user in the early stage of withdrawal include: anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, sweating, running nose, and agitation. Symptoms experienced in the late stage of withdrawal include: cramping in the abdomen, dilated pupils, nausea, and vomiting.

Opiate withdrawal reactions can be very uncomfortable but are not life threatening. A doctor can diagnose opiate withdrawal and can then recommend treatment for the individual. This is important since withdrawal symptoms can be so bad that the user continues heavy and prolonged use of the drug to escape late symptoms of withdrawal. These withdrawal symptoms can be treated. Treatment for these symptoms typically involves support, management, and medication. A common medication used to alleviate withdrawal symptoms is Clonidine. This medication has been shown to reduce anxiety, agitation, sweating, aches, and runny nose. Other medications can be used to treat others symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. Those medications include Methadone and Buprenorphine.

Opiate Withdrawal Sometimes Requires Medication

Individuals dealing with the opiate withdrawal symptoms have found that joining support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous have been helpful in learning to cope with their addictions and preventing future relapse. The importance is to seek treatment for these symptoms that will also allow the person to heal long-term and remain drug-free!

Opiates are a form of narcotic drug that act as depressants in the body, particularly in the central nervous system. The most commonly identified opiates include heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Methods of taking opiates vary based on the drug and for how the person expects to feel when using the drug.

The Most Common Methods Of Taking Opiates

The most commonly used methods of taking opiates include orally, intranasally (snorting), subcutaneously (under the skin), intravenously (into the veins), smoked or inhaled, and sometimes even eaten. There are popular methods for each of the drugs included in the opiate list. For example, a user wanting to take heroin could use to snort, inject, or smoke it. Injection is the most popular and delivers the biggest bang for one’s buck whereas snorting the drug would not have the same effects if it was the same amount and of the same caliber or potency.

The method of taking opiates for which a person chooses to consume the opiate is almost always a personal one. This is done so that the user can feel what is expected and with the least amount of negative side effects. For some drugs, however, there is only one way to deliver its effects, and the person may develop an addiction and care very little about the adverse effects of that method. Some methods of opiate use, if different from what a person is used to, can lead to an overdose. Symptoms of an overdose include: bloody urine, fever, hives, seizure, trouble breathing, flushed skin, and/or swollen lip, face, tongue, or throat.

All Methods Of Taking Opiates Are Equally Dangerous

No matter which methods of taking opiates are performed by any person, the effects of opiate abuse are equally damaging. This damage happens not only physically to the person’s body, but also socially, emotionally, and mentally. Using opiates in an abusive way leads to serious life altering damage.

If you or someone you love has a drug addiction call now before it’s too late.

Relapse from opiates is one of the many challenges that a recovered alcoholic faces every day. Relapse refers to returning to a pattern of behavior that once existed, one that was intrusive and negative in the person’s life. For a person who once abused opiates and sought help to recover, avoiding relapse is no easy task. Putting oneself back into a similar environment or around people who once used the drug can easily trigger a lapse or slip up. Once this happens, a person is very likely to experience a relapse returning to their abusive behavior of opiates.

Relapse From Opiates Isn’t Entirely Preventable

Addictions are very difficult to overcome. The future prevention of relapse from opiates may be an even more difficult task to overcome. Research shows that 40-60% of people who receive treatment for an addiction will experience a relapse in the years to follow. This number is extremely alarming, and anyone who was brave enough to seek help in the past should continue to do what is necessary to avoid a relapse from opiates in the future.

There are programs that can help a person stay clean after going through rehab and recovery. For example, Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step program that allows individuals to attend regular meetings and discuss as well as seek support for the addictions that are or may have once ruled their lives. Some people take part in replacement therapy, receiving injections or medications that are safer to their once abused opiates (e.g., Methadone for the recovery of heroin abuse).

Seek Help If You Notice A Loved One Going Through The Relapse From Opiates

Relapse from opiates is a serious matter. There are many risk factors that may put a person at risk for experiencing a relapse. However, there are also many protective factors (as mentioned above) as well. Seek help if you or someone you know is experiencing a relapse from opiates.

There are multiple ways for a person to use heroin. Some choose to inject, smoke, or snort the drug. These methods of taking heroin are outlined below:

Methods OF Taking Heroin

Injecting Heroin

The most common methods of taking heroin is to inject the drug into a person’s system. The person will go to extreme measures to obtain the paraphernalia necessary to “shoot up” the drug. The user cooks the heroin in order to melt it so that it can be injected into the body via needle and syringe. Most people typically choose the veins in their arms (e.g., bend of their elbows) to begin with. However, repeated users find it difficult to inject the drug into these veins over time and may choose another body part to inject into. For these users, using the veins in their legs may be the first alternative.

Smoking Heroin

Smoking heroin is one of the more tricky methods of taking heroin. Users will use aluminum foils or pieces of paper to put the heroin into. They will then put a straw or other hollow piece of material into their mouth while they heat the heroin underneath the foil or paper. This causes fumes to be released, and the person can then inhale the fumes through the straw or hollow material. This method is widely used and is considered by many users and non-users as a more accepted in comparison to injecting or snorting.

Snorting Heroin

This method is usually how many people first use the drug. This happens because the individual may be afraid to inject the drug or too inexperienced to find a method to smoke it. Most users give up snorting because you would have to use a more potent form of heroin (e.g., typically most expensive) in order to feel the same effects as other methods of taking heroin.

Call Today For More Information On The Methods Of Taking Heroin

Ecstasy is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs ecstasy can induce euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others, and diminished anxiety. In the field of psychology and cognitive therapy, many studies have suggested that ecstasy has therapeutic benefits for certain individuals, a practice which formally has been used in the past.

Therapeutic Potential With Ecstasy

They are now testing the therapeutic potential of ecstasy for post-traumatic stress disorder and also anxiety that is associated with terminal cancer. Under an agreement with the UN ecstasy is illegal in most countries, also possession, manufacture, or the sale of ecstasy can result in criminal prosecution, although they are some exceptions that are limited for scientific and medical research.

One of the most recreational drugs in the world is ecstasy and it is taken in a variety of contexts that is far removed from its roots in psychotherapeutic settings. It is commonly used at dance parties (or raves) and electric dance music scene. There have been some suggestions that ecstasy might be very useful in psychotherapy. World drug reports that the average U.S. retail cost per tablet is 10 to 15 dollars, but if bought in quantity it can be bought at lower prices such as 4 to 6 dollars per tablet.

Common Effects Of Ecstasy Consumption

The common effects of ecstasy consumption are predictable and consistent among users. They report that they feel the effects of ecstasy within 30 to 60 minutes of consumption that usually hits a peak at approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, reaching its plateau that lasts about 2 to 3 hours, which is followed by a comedown after a few hours, which can be followed by fatigue and minor effects.

Rehab center is a term for the processes of medical and or psycho-therapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so called street drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or amphetamines. The general idea is to get the patient to stop substance abuse, so that he or she can avoid the legal, social, psychological, and also the physical consequences that can be experienced, especially with extreme abuse. Psychological dependency is discussed in a rehab center that attempts to teach the patient new methods of interacting with others in a drug-free environment. Usually patients are mostly encouraged, or often required, not to associate with friends who still use the addictive substances.

Various Programs Offer Help At A Rehab Center

There are various types of programs that offer help in a rehab center including residential treatment which is in-patient; there are also out-patient, local support groups, extended care centers, and recovery or sober houses. A drug and alcohol rehab center will provide you with medication, guidance and the right environment needed, and will also give you the right doctors and qualified staff to provide help and support to the patient and also help them with their habits rather well.

Great Counselors Found At The Rehab Center

For patients that are addicted to prescription drugs, the treatment seem to be similar of those that are addicted to drugs that affect the same brain systems. In the rehab center the treatment administered to the patient will depend on the level and intensity of addiction.  Many rehab centers will provide facilities such as residential treatment, recovery houses and sober houses if the patient is strongly addicted to the substance. A rehab center has very good counselors that help the patients identify behavior problems that are related to their addiction.

Xanax addiction can happen a lot easier and quicker than most people would think that it would. Xanax is a drug used to treat panic attacks, anxiety disorders and depression and can cause physical and psychological addiction.  This drug is used at home or at the workplace to alleviate stress.  Xanax is one of used most often by doctors in the U.S.

Xanax Addiction Can Happen After Two Days Of Abuse

People who use Xanax are attracted to it because they feel relaxed and experience a lack of inhibition when the drug is taken.  Physicians who prescribe Xanax will only allow you to take it for eight weeks due to the drug’s highly addictive properties.  This is a limitation set by the FDA.

Addicts that abuse this drug are trying to achieve a high greater than the previous.  In order to feel stronger effects of the drug, some users resort to snorting or injecting Xanax.  Because of the drug’s highly addictive properties, one can develop a Xanax addiction after just two days of Xanax abuse and it is extremely difficult to stop taking the drug.  When used with alcohol or another drug, an addiction to Xanax can be fatal.

There are a number of side effects for Xanax abusers.  Some of those are as follows:

• Respiratory depression
• Short-term memory loss
• Headaches
• Agitation, hyperactivity, mania, restlessness
• Hallucinations
• Mental confusion
• Dizziness, lightheadedness
• Coma
• Death

Those Battling Xanax Addiction Should Seek Treatment In Order To Recover

Because Xanax addiction will consume the user until every thought and action is dedicated to obtaining and using the drug, Xanax can also be mentally and emotionally dangerous.  A person’s life is controlled by the drug causing relationship, financial and other problems.  Addicts with a Xanax addiction often find themselves out of work or drop out of school due to the fact that they are unable to perform their duties.

What is detoxification? Detoxification, or detox, is one of the first steps and the core element in a drug treatment program is the process of allowing the body to rid itself of a drug while managing the symptoms of withdrawal.  That step is called detoxification.  There are several types of detoxification; alcohol detoxification, drug detoxification, metabolic detoxification and alternative medicine.   This article will address alcohol and drug detoxification.

Detoxification Is Usually The First Step

During the process of detoxification, withdrawal symptoms can occur after long-term use of a drug has been reduced or stopped and should be treated.  Withdrawal has physical and mental symptoms which vary in length and severity based on the type of drug.

During alcohol detoxification, a heavy drinker’s system is brought back to normal after being used to having alcohol in his/her system on a continual basis.  A decrease in the production of GABA, a reuptake inhibitor, occurs in serious alcohol addiction.  Severe health problems or even fatal results can occur if the individual stops drinking alcohol abruptly without medical management.

During drug detoxification, the addicted individual also goes through withdrawal and can have serious symptoms.   The detoxification process helps to reduce or relieve the symptoms, either with medication or abstinence, while helping the addict adjust to living without the drug.  Drug detoxification is an early step in long-term treatment.  A residential community program that lasts several months will be used for drug detoxification and treatment rather than a medical center.

Most Centers Provide Detoxification As The Start To Recovery

Most detox centers provide treatment to avoid the physical withdrawal symptoms of the individual who is a drug user or alcoholic.  The center will also incorporate counseling and therapy during detoxification to help with withdrawal symptoms.

Remember, detoxification is not a treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction, but the first step for treatment.  Other treatments must be used to deal with the underlying addiction that caused alcohol or drug use.

Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused illegal drugs in the United States. A marijuana rehab center will focus on offering hope for those who suffer from the abuse and addiction of marijuana.  An effective marijuana rehab center realizes that many people combine marijuana with drugs like cocaine and/or alcohol and will adjust their treatment based on this fact.

A Marijuana Rehab Center Has Trained Specialists

A professional staff is employed at a marijuana rehab center.  A staff composed of certified addiction specialists, psychologists, and/or medical doctors or nurses.  These individuals work together to provide a comprehensive treatment package for the individual who suffers from addiction to marijuana.  There are many stages of treatment for patients who enter a marijuana rehab center.

These stages are not universal, but instead, tailored to the needs of the individual who enters the center.  A treatment program should address issues such as: underlying causes of abuse, dual diagnosis, family problems, work issues, and legal and financial problems.  Evaluations will be done to properly assess which issues and components will be incorporated into treatment.  Detoxification is the first step in treatment at a rehab center.  After detoxification, emphasis will be placed on remaining sober and recovering through learning new skills and mechanisms for coping in the future with a drug-free life.

A Marijuana Rehab Center Is Similar To Other Rehabs

A marijuana rehab center is similar to all rehab centers that treat substance abuse disorders.  The focus here is that recovery takes a different path, a path that involves elimination of marijuana abuse and promotion of other mechanisms for future prevention of relapse.

Inpatient rehabilitation is a service that is offered in a residential-type setting in which an individual receives rehabilitation for an addiction or other troubling issue.  People typically attend inpatient rehabilitation programs due to their intensive need for physical and/or emotional support.  Inpatient rehabilitation programs are also recommended for those whose needs extend a typical outpatient program.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Has A Range Of Different Settings

Inpatient rehabilitation is offered in a range of different settings from private clinics to remote locations near hospitals for those dealing with drug addiction or physical rehabilitation.  Several types of therapies and methodologies unite in an inpatient rehabilitation center.  These types of therapies performed by a variety of professionals work together to develop a treatment plan for the individual who suffers from addiction or other troubling issue.

During one’s time at an inpatient rehabilitation program, detoxification from the drug or alcohol (or other addicted substance) will occur.  Detoxification is medically supervised, allowing the individual to come off of the substance and provides services to cope with the withdrawal symptoms or other manifesting issues.  Once detox is considered and underway, assessments will be done to decide which treatment plan will occur.  This may mean that the individual attends counseling, group counseling, or some other specialized meeting in which they will learn to cope without the addiction and learn new skills to enhance their life.

Detoxification Will Occur With Inpatient Rehabilitation

Other considerations may be looked at if the inpatient rehabilitation treatment center has a strong focus on treating dual diagnosed individuals, gender specific individuals, or those who identify with a certain group or religion.

How long do drugs stay in your body will vary greatly.  It depends on your physical features (e.g., height, weight, amount of body fat, age, state of health, and amount of exercise you do).  If your body is under stress, this can also play a role in the length of time a drug stays present in your body.  Other considerations include your frequency of use, the amount of drug you consumed, and the length of time of consistent drug use in the past.  Even the potency of the drug you ingested determines how long the drug will stay in your body.

How Long Do Drugs Stay In Your Body?

Below is an approximated list of how long certain drugs will be detectable in your body.

• Amphetamines – 1-2 days
• Barbiturates – 2-3 days
• Benzodiazepines – 2-3 days/4-8 days
• Cocaine – 1-2 days
• Heroin – 1-2 days
• Marijuana – 2-5-days / for a heavy user, up to 30+ days
• MDMA – 1-5 days
• Methamphetamines – 2-4 days
• Nicotine – 1-2 days
• Opiates – 1-2 days
• Oxycodone – 1-2 days

For chronic users of any drug, a test can detect the drug for a much longer amount of time.  This means that for those who abuse drugs or use them very often, the drug can be retained within the body for several days.  For example, marijuana can be detected for up to 60-90 days after lengthy and heavy periods of use.  These are all estimated approximations.  As listed above, a person’s physical characteristic play a huge role in how long a drug will stay in the body.

Opiates such as morphine and heroin are commonly prescribed pain relievers.  Opiates act like natural chemicals that are released in the brain called opiate receptors.  These natural receptors bind to receptor sites in the brain to produce a variety of effects on the body.  Opiates replace these naturally occurring receptors and also have several effects to your body from opiates abuse.

Opiates Aid In Relieving Pain

Opiate drugs have pain relieving, pleasure, and tranquilizing properties.  However, due to their nature, opiates can be highly addictive once used for prolonged periods of time and with heavy use.  The pain relief caused in the body by opiate drugs is due to its interference with spinal cord function.  Opiates interfere with the transmission of pain that the spinal cord normally controls.

Some Of The Effects To Your Body From Opiates

Opiates, after ingested into the body, activate a chemical known as endorphins, a similar chemical released during intense exercising and other pleasurable moments.  When using illicit drugs, such as heroin, pleasure effects are induced within the body.  The drug attaches to opiate receptors in the brain and is involved in reward and arousal.  Opiates also have sedating effects.  For some, while using opiates, the mood of the user is calmed by activation of the central nervous system.  Additional effects to the body caused by opiate drugs include drowsiness and disorientation.  Other possible effects to your body from opiates include drowsiness, dilated pupils, shallow breathing, constipation, and euphoria.

Opiates Are Very Addictive and Can Be Dangerous

Opiate use for a prolonged period of time can lead to addiction and dependency in which the body no longer signals for chemicals like endorphins and others to be released.  The body then depends on the drug to be present to create these reactions.  This can lead to an increased tolerance and requirement of opiates to feel normal.

It is well known that alcohol addiction affects almost every single organ in your body, including the brain, liver, and heart. The effects to your body from alcohol addiction can be very life threatening.  However, a couple of drinks here and there will have a completely different effect to your body than abusing alcohol or developing a dependence on it.

Alcohol Addiction Causes A Physical Dependence

Alcohol addiction is marked by a physical dependence on the drug, also known as alcoholism.  This dependence is detrimental to a person’s body.  When the brain becomes dependent on alcohol to function, the results can be horrible to a person’s body.  Excessive and long-term use of alcohol can contribute to conditions that are bad to the heart, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and even heart failure.  People who are addicted to alcohol also tend to have irregular heartbeats from their alcoholic habits.  The kidneys are also affected from prolonged abuse of alcohol.

Dangerous Effects To Your Body From Alcohol Addiction

Some effects to your body from alcohol addiction can cause the body to not be able to balance what enters and leaves the kidneys, and this can lead to kidney failure.  The liver is also hit hard when a person has an alcohol addiction.  Cirrhosis is a buildup of scar tissue that changes the structure of the liver and prevents blood from flowing through it properly.  This disease can be life threatening, and many long-term alcoholics suffer from this disease.  Alcohol also has the potential to irritate the stomach of the abuser.  Prolonged use of alcohol can cause the stomach lining to begin to erode.  This can cause chronic blood seepage into the stomach, which can have very negative consequences for one’s health.

Call Us Toll-Free For Help With Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol, in moderate use, can also affect the body in negative ways.  In those who abuse alcohol or who are alcoholics have an especially high risk for developing serious medical conditions.  Seek medical attention immediately if you suspect any of these serious conditions from alcohol addiction.

Addiction is a very complex disorder. It refers to any dependence on a substance, activity, or thing in which the user does so to feel normal. In the case of drug or alcohol addictions, the individual develops an extremely high tolerance for the drug and grows dependent on it. This means that without the drug/alcohol the individual experiences withdrawal symptoms. Some of these withdrawal symptoms, if not medically watched, could be fatal.

Addiction Is A Very Complex Disease

Most individuals with these sorts of addictions seek not only psychological help but also medical help. Some common signs and symptoms that one may be addicted include having a high tolerance for the drug or substance, taking the drugs or substances to relieve withdrawal symptoms, abandonment of activities once enjoyed, losing control over drug use, and continuing to use the drugs or alcohol despite the negative consequences it causes.

Drugs most commonly abused that lead to addiction include:

• Sleeping pills
• Alcohol
• Painkillers
• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Methamphetamine
• Heroin

Warning signs of addiction include:

• Physical
• Behavioral
• Psychological symptoms

Physical warning signs of addiction include:

• Pupil dilation or redness of the eyes
• Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns
• Sudden weight changes
• Decline in physical appearance or personal grooming
• Unusual smells of breath, body, and/or clothing
• Tremors
• Impaired coordination

Behavioral signs include:

• Decline in performance at work/school
• Borrowing or stealing of money to obtain drugs or alcohol
• Engaging in suspicious activities
• Sudden change in environments or friends

Psychological symptoms include:

• Change in personality/attitude
• Mood swings
• Lack of motivation
• Increased anxiety and/or depression

Addiction Doesn’t Have To Be The Way

It is important for the individual or a loved one to first recognize these signs and symptoms of addiction and to seek help if needed. Nonetheless, it is important to know when to see a professional.

Teens are faced with issues today that many teens in the past never dealt with. Alcohol and peer pressure are the cause of many of these issues that can have immediate and long-term consequences. Many individuals who give in to peer pressure in relation to drinking alcohol may continue to use alcohol and be at risk for future abuse and maybe even addiction. Many teens turn to alcohol as a means to fit in with their peers. It is important to teach teens how to deal with peer pressure and what to do when offered or pressured into drinking alcohol.

Alcohol and Peer Pressure Affects Almost Every Teen

Teens at the greatest risk for giving into peer pressure associated with alcohol use are ones who meet the following criteria:

• Have a family history of alcohol use or abuse
• Have a low self-esteem
• Feel like they don’t fit in
• Those with risky personalities or thrill seekers

As parents, educators, or loved ones of a teen who may be at risk for giving in and consuming alcohol (or those who may be susceptible to abuse or addiction), it is important to educate teens on alcohol, alcoholism, and how to say no. Letting the teen know that if he or she is put into a risky or dangerous situation associated with alcohol to contact an adult is a wise decision. Being sure to remind them that no punishment will be given for doing the right thing is necessary.

Here are six ways to teach your teen how to say “No!”

1. No thanks.
2. I don’t feel like it—do you have any soda?
3. Alcohol’s not my thing.
4. You talking to me? No way.
5. Why keep pressuring me? I’ve already said NO!
6. Back off!

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Addiction rehab facilities consist of professionals and staff who are trained in the treatment of addiction. Addiction is a very complex disorder, with a majority of individuals seeking treatment with multiple addictions that are present. Addiction rehab facilities offer a wide range of treatments. Some may offer one or more of the following components: detoxification, therapeutic, medical, psychological, and physical support during recovery from an addiction.

There Are Two Main Types Of Addiction Rehab Facilities

Two main types of addiction rehab facilities are inpatient and outpatient rehab centers. An inpatient rehab facility creates a scheduled environment for the individual who checks in to stay. The regimen for each person who enters may be different, but the environment is drug-free, warm, supportive, and very organized. This is done so that the person is in a structured environment, an environment that was probably not present prior to entering the rehab facility.

At inpatient rehab facilities, a typical day may involve an individual therapy session, a group therapy session, and some education classes alongside community involvement. Some inpatient facilities are stricter than others, but it is important to find the inpatient facility that works best for the individual. Outpatient addiction rehab facilities offer the individual more freedom than would be found in an inpatient facility. Some of these facilities are similar to inpatient rehab facilities, but allow the person to choose what he or she would like to attend while going through detoxification. Other facilities let the individual life offsite while trusting that they will attend therapy and education appointments. For those individuals who feel like they can stay sober in their normal environments (e.g., home, work, etc.) then an outpatient facility may be of choice for them.

Choose The Right Addiction Rehab Facilities

It is important for the individual who is dealing with the addiction to choose the right addiction rehab facilities on his or her path to recovery.

Alcoholism detox is the first step that a recovering alcoholic will have to make it through in order to begin their final chapters in alcoholism recovery. Years ago, when someone was diagnosed with alcoholism, they were put in a room where no alcohol was given to them. The withdrawal side effects were significant and in some cases the patients died. Today, these alcoholism detox programs are considered inhumane and the medical world has put a lot of time and effort into making alcoholism detox safe, comfortable and most of all a beneficial.

Alcoholism Detox Is Usually The First Procedure

When you choose to get help for an alcohol addiction that may be present in your life, you are submitting yourself to treatments that are there to ultimately help you conquer your addiction to alcohol. The first procedure known as alcoholism detox will last anywhere from one week to even two months. This large time span depends on your willingness to give up the alcohol that you are addicted to and how submissive you are to the treatments that you will undergo. While inside of alcoholism detox you can be given pain medication to help you in the physical transition that your body will be undergoing through the entire process. When a person is addicted to anything, their physical being is effected as well. After a certain amount of hours without the alcohol being present in the blood stream, the body will begin to sort of crave the addiction and side effects such as nausea, headaches, and vomiting will occur. These side effects are natural and do go away within the next passing days.

Alcoholism Detox Shouldn’t Be Feared

Alcoholism detox is no longer a process to fear. Thanks to modern medicine and new addiction treatments, this stage in alcoholism detox can be a time of enjoyment and gratification knowing that within days you will no longer have to suffer from the physical constraints of addiction to alcohol.

Entering into rehabilitation centers is not something that you need to be concerned with. A rehabilitation center is a secure, safe and clean place that is equipped with all the things that are necessary for a promising recovery over any addiction. Rehabilitation centers, nine times out of ten, are in a perfect location, has a homey, cozy atmosphere, and has a large staff that is trained to handle all addictions and all kinds of severity of addiction. There are even some rehabilitation centers that offer daily massages and spa treatments that will make you feel as if you have gone away on a nice vacation instead of to addiction treatment.

Rehabilitation Centers Offer Helping Hands

When you first check into rehabilitation centers of your choice, you will first be astounded at the amounts of helpful hands that you will be given. Every staff member at the rehabilitation center is there to see you recover from your addiction. You will be assigned your own personal addiction counselor and he or she will be their when you are in need of moral support or simply someone to help you through any challenging stages that may be ahead of you.

Depending on your selection of where you want to get treated for your addiction, will depend on the views and atmosphere. For the most part, the rehabilitation centers will be located on a grassy hillside, overlooking the clean, clear oceans, or possibly atop a snow covered mountain. The atmosphere of the rehabilitation center also depends on the actual rehabilitation center that you choose. Today, most all rehabilitation centers incorporate natural colors and the nature from the location inside of the rehabilitation center. This calms addict’s nerves and helps them feel calm and comforted.

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Call today to learn more or to begin your journey towards the perfect rehabilitation centers for you.

Alcoholism is a disorder whereby an individual develops an addiction to alcohol.  Addiction to alcohol, or alcoholism, is characterized by compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol despite its negative physical and mental effects.  There are a variety of risk factors including social environment, stress, mental health, age, ethnicity, and genetic predisposition.  Alcohol damages almost every organ in the body, especially the brain.  This cannot only affect the individual physically, but also mentally.

Alcoholism Effects People With Anxiety Or Depression Easier

People with alcoholism are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and are also more likely to not receive treatment for such disorders, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism instead.  There are a variety of social problems arising from alcoholism.  Alcohol abuse is associated with increased risk of criminal offenses, including child abuse, domestic violence, rape, burglary, and assault.  An alcoholic’s behavior and mental issues may also lead to marital conflict, divorce, or even domestic violence.

There are many ways to seek help for alcoholism.  Several tools are available for those who may suspect alcohol abuse, including self-reports, questionnaires (such as the CAGE questionnaire), and doctor diagnoses.  Treatment for alcoholics varies greatly and management for the individual should be considered with professional help.  Several approaches include an abstinence-based zero tolerance approach whereas other approaches seek promotion of harm-reduction.  Sometimes medications such as Antabuse, Temposil, Naltrexone, and Campral are prescribed to an individual to reduce dependence and promote prevention of future abuse.

Alcoholism Detox Should Be Followed By A Treatment Program

It is important to note that detoxification (e.g., abrupt stopping of alcohol consumption) does not actually treat alcoholism.  It is necessary to follow-up detoxification with appropriate treatment mechanisms to lower the risk of future relapse.

Treatment of addiction and drug abuse is delivered in a variety of settings, using multiple approaches including behavioral and pharmacological methods.  Research on addiction classifies programs into general types or modalities that have been proven successful.

Various Forms Of Treatment Of Addiction

Detoxification/Withdrawal

Detoxification is the process whereby the drug is eradicated from the body with medical supervision.  Detoxification alone does not help deal with the psychological, social, or behavioral issues associated with drug or alcohol abuse.  This treatment is typically combined with another method of treatment.

Long-Term Residential Treatment

This treatment of addiction provides the individual with care 24 hours a day/7 days a week in a non-hospital setting.  The goal of this sort of treatment is to create an environment in which detoxification, psychological struggles, and behavioral repertoires can be controlled and managed for.  Treatment in long-term residential centers is highly structured and can be very confrontational, allowing the individual to recognize hurtful beliefs and patterns and to adopt new patterns that will help them cope in the present and the future.

Short-Term Residential Treatment

Short-term residential treatment typically provides an intensive 12-step approach to overcoming addiction.  These are hospital-based, inpatient, 3-6 week-long programs.  This attacks issues firsthand and assists the individual in gaining access to outpatient treatment programs in the future.

Outpatient Treatment

This sort of treatment can vary greatly in type and intensity of services available to the individual.  Group counseling tends to be a major type of outpatient treatment program.  Alcoholics Anonymous is an example of an outpatient treatment program.

Individual Drug Counseling

Drug counseling that is individualized allows the person who suffers from addiction to be a part of a treatment of addiction program that tailors the therapy to the needs of the patient.  All aspects of addiction including physical, psychological, and behavioral issues are examined one-on-one with a certified therapist.

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Signs of drug addiction seem more relevant with individuals who struggle with a drug or alcohol problem and may feel isolated, helpless, and shameful.  Addiction is an issue that many individuals and their loved ones face.  Addiction is a complex disorder marked by compulsive drug or alcohol use.  People faced with the addiction have an uncontrollable and overwhelming need for drugs of alcohol even in the presence of negative consequences.  This self-induced destructive behaving can be very difficult to understand and take control of.

The Common Signs Of Drug Addiction

Common signs of drug addiction and symptoms of drug abuse include neglecting responsibilities, taking high risks, getting into legal and financial trouble, and relationship problems.  Signs of addiction include a high tolerance for the drug or substance, taking the drugs or substances to relieve withdrawal symptoms, abandonment of activities once enjoyed, losing control over drug use, and continuing to use the drugs or alcohol despite the negative consequences it causes.

Drugs most commonly abused that lead to addiction include: sleeping pills, alcohol, painkillers, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin.  Warning signs of drug addiction include physical, behavioral, and psychological symptoms.  Physical warning signs include: pupil dilation or redness of the eyes, changes in appetite or sleeping patterns, sudden weight changes, decline in physical appearance or personal grooming, unusual smells of breath, body, and/or clothing, tremors, or impaired coordination.  Behavioral sig