Labels: Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 6/13/2007 07:31:00 AM ----- BODY: A recent article in the Novus Medical Detox newsletter addressed the issue of being able to afford the cost of getting yourself or someone you love through drug detox and a successful drug rehab program. With so many lives in ruin because of alcohol or drug addiction and dependency, the obvious question is ‘can I afford not to?’ Nevertheless, cost is a consideration. The article specifically addresses prescription drug abuse, which is right on the heels of heroin, methamphetamine and other street drugs and, in some areas, has actually become the bigger problem. As the author points out, when someone starts taking prescription drugs, the cost is often covered by insurance. But dependency and addiction change all that and, when their doctor can no longer justify continuing the prescription for its original purpose, the person starts looking for the drug elsewhere. And that can cost big money. OxyContin, for example, costs 11 to 16 cents per milligram at the drugstore, but the price goes up to 50 cents or a dollar on the street. With 160 milligrams/day being a low average of daily consumption for an addicted person, what was costing them $18 to $26 dollars a day when obtained legitimately suddenly turns into $80 to $160/day, and it’s no longer covered by insurance. Where does somebody get $160 a day – that’s about $58,000 a year - to spend on drugs? Now you know why drug abuse often leads to a life of crime. If someone you love is addicted to drugs, find a successful drug rehab program fast. No matter what the cost, it’s not going to be $58,000 a year for years and years on end, and it may save their life.Labels: alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, Drug Abuse, drug addiction, drug detox, drug rehab, drug rehab program, prescription drug abuse, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 6/11/2007 06:42:00 AM ----- BODY: Prescription drug abuse in Tennessee causes more deaths than heroin addiction A recent article highlighting the prescription drug problem in Tennessee stated that prescription drugs now cause more deaths than heroin addiction, methamphetamine and cocaine. Over 1200 deaths were linked to prescription drugs from 2002 to 2005, according to Medical Examiner (ME) records, and the number increased by 62 percent over that four year period. The deaths of several people are covered in the article, one of them the daughter of a man who, in retrospect, wished he had gotten a court order to force his adult daughter into drug rehab when he saw there was a problem. That would have been exactly the right thing to do. The State ME said that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the overall problem as most people who abuse prescription drugs don’t die, they just live with the consequences. What are the consequences? The daughter who was not forced into drug rehab was a nurse who damaged vertebrae in her neck while on the job. The doctor prescribed mild painkillers, but they didn’t work. More prescriptions followed, as did dependency and addiction. She became completely non-functional, had to quit working, moved back home with her parents and couldn’t even cook a meal. On four prescription drugs simultaneously – methadone (which used to be used to help end heroin addiction but is now prescribed as a painkiller and is highly addictive in itself), an antidepressant, and two other powerful medications – she finally died of an overdose at age 42. Those are the consequences. Don’t let them happen to someone you love. Get them into a successful drug rehab program.Labels: cocaine, drug rehab, drug rehab program, heroin addiction, methamphetamine, prescription drug addiction, prescription drug dependency, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 6/08/2007 06:59:00 AM ----- BODY: Abuse of OTC drugs may indicate a deeper problem, and the need for drug rehab I read an article this morning on cough medicine abuse. Amazing. Nearly 17 visits to the ER, every day, for abuse of cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan. That’s ‘abuse’ – i.e. non-medicinal use. Just taking it to get high. One third of the visits from 18 to 20-year-olds also involved alcohol. I’m sure some people assume that this is primarily a problem with young people, but more than half the visits involved adults. Anyone at the point of using cough medicine to get high is a prime candidate for addiction, and there’s a good possibility that they’re already using street drugs and hit the cough medicine because they didn’t have any of the other stuff. Someone who cares about that person should get them into drug rehab. Over 100 over-the-counter medicines contain dextromethorphan. If you’ve ever watched television, you’ve heard of them. Cute little TV commercials that depict people with a cold or cough going about their usual daily activities all bright and chipper, or sleeping peacefully through the night. Are they bright, chipper and peaceful, or are they high on Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine, Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold, Dayquil LiquiCaps, Dimetapp DM, Robitussin, Sudafed, Triaminic, Tylenol Cold products, Vicks 44 Cough Relief, or NyQuil? Side effects: confusion, dizziness, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, loss of physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart beat, drowsiness, numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation. And the ‘high’ end of it - mild distortions of color and sound or visual hallucinations, "out-of-body" dissociative sensations, and loss of motor control. We live in a medicated society. For the person who is stressed out, looking for an escape from life’s problems and confusions, these over-the-counter drugs can easily lead to addiction. If your cough medicine supply is running low, but no one in the household has a cough, suspect the worst. Find out who’s using it, and you might well find someone with a drug addiction problem who is, or soon could be, taking serious drugs. Get them into a successful drug rehab program before they become one of the ER statistics.Labels: drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 6/06/2007 07:50:00 AM ----- BODY: Successful drug rehab saves one lucky guy’s career – do the same for someone you love This morning I read an article about the reinstatement of a pharmacist whose license had previously been revoked because of addiction to Vicodin. Reinstatement took two years, during which time he was subjected to random drug tests. He’s under drug watch for another five years, but, nevertheless, he’s one of the lucky ones. For every life that’s saved, there are millions out there who never get into a successful drug rehab program that can help them end their addiction. What’s his story? A clean guy, no drug problem, he got started on Vicodin when suffering from a painful knee problem. Before you know it, he was hooked. At one point he was taking 45 pills a day. All told, he admitted to stealing thousands of pills from work. Is it really that easy to get dependent on or addicted to a prescription drug? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, prescription drug addiction has become so common it’s threatening to overtake heroin and methamphetamine. That’s a big problem. Don’t for a minute think that because a doctor prescribed a pill, you cannot become addicted to it. You can. And those drugs are no less dangerous than street drugs. If someone you know is taking prescription drugs, make sure you do something about it. Unlike this pharmacist, not everyone gets a second chance. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be. Get them into drug rehab.Labels: drug addiction, drug rehab, heroin, methamphetamine, prescription drug addiction, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 6/05/2007 11:54:00 AM ----- BODY: I recently heard about a fellow who has been in and out of drug detox, jail and halfway houses for 10 years. He started drinking and smoking pot at age 11, doing cocaine at 17, heroin at 18. During all those years, the longest detox program he did lasted about a week. What’s behind his story? Truthfully, until he gets into a drug rehab program, he’ll probably never know. Going through detox after detox is not uncommon. Some people think that if they can just make it through withdrawal, they’ll have it beat. But that’s not all it takes. You need full drug rehab to get down to the bottom of things and get healthy. The fellow above is now an older guy, still in a halfway house, and attending meetings three times a day to try to stay straight. That may be better than the life he had before, but it’s not a life. You can’t work, can’t have a career, can’t take care of a family. His whole life revolves around those meetings. Don’t let this happen to someone you care about. If you know someone who has a drug or alcohol problem, get them into drug rehab now.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 6/04/2007 10:24:00 AM ----- BODY: Unfortunately, some people believe drug addicts and alcoholics when they say they’re going to quit. I’ve seen this go on for years. One broken promise after another. But the truth is, it’s very, very hard to quit drinking, and very hard to stop taking drugs. Don’t count on someone getting themselves into an alcohol or drug rehab on their own steam. There are two factors at play. The first is withdrawal. For many drugs, and for alcohol, withdrawal can be excruciatingly painful. And anyone who’s been drinking or taking drugs heavily for a while has probably already gotten a taste of that when they’ve gone too long between doses or drinks. If they haven’t had it happen to them, they’ve heard about it. Someone on alcohol, for example, can start shaking and vomiting, get severe headaches and sweat profusely. That can move onto the DTs, panic attacks and seizures. Opiates have similar withdrawal symptoms, as well extreme muscle and bone pain. No one wants to go through that. The second factor is addiction. Withdrawal symptoms are a result of physical dependency, but what about the rest of it? That person is using drugs or alcohol to cope with something – they need to find out what it is and address it before you can depend on them staying clean. If you’re counting on someone you love quitting on their own, and they refuse drug rehab, get an interventionist to help. And get someone who really understands drugs and addiction and knows what your loved one is going through. It’s no secret that drugs and alcohol ruin lives – for both the addicts and the people who love them. It’s not going to get better unless you do something about it. So, take matters into your own hands and get some help. Getting addicts and alcoholics into a successful drug rehab program is the best thing you can do for them.Labels: alcohol rehab, drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/31/2007 07:24:00 AM ----- BODY: Have you ever been concerned that someone you love might be taking drugs but have no way to verify it? Many of the effects of drugs are felt only to the user, but there are signs and symptoms noticeable to an outsider and they may be an indication that your loved one is using drugs and might need drug rehab. Here’s a list of what to look for, and what drug to suspect. Poor memory: Although all drugs can impair memory, it is most common with marijuana, tranquilizers, designer drugs and ketamine – one of the ‘club drugs’. Coordination problems: Also common with marijuana, tranquilizers and ketamine. Changes in appetite: Stimulants and PCP tend to depress the appetite, while marijuana does the opposite. Difficulty concentrating or confusion: These are also common with marijuana and tranquilizers, but opioids should also be suspected, especially if the person seems sedated and is having digestive troubles. Opioids are among the most addictive and dangerous of drugs. If you suspect opioid use, get the person into drug rehab fast. Certain drugs manifest in ways that are somewhat unique to that drug: marijuana produces red eyes, for example, and someone using tranquilizers often seems drowsy and has slurred speech. LSD can cause tremors, someone on stimulants tends to speak much faster than normal, and stimulants also cause insomnia and weight loss. PCP can create a noticeable sense of panic, which sometimes turns to aggressive or violent behavior. Ketamine causes stomach problems such as nausea and vomiting. If you notice any of the above symptoms in someone you care about, don’t ignore them – even if you only notice them occasionally. Occasional use can easily turn into a serious drug abuse problem, dependency, and addiction. The fact is this – if a person is taking drugs, there’s a reason for it. Unless that reason is found and addressed, there’s a good chance that the situation will get worse. Get them into a successful drug rehab program fast and you could avert disaster.Labels: Drug Abuse, drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/29/2007 07:24:00 AM ----- BODY: Exercise and good nutrition are vital to an addict’s recovery. All drug users damage their bodies. In fact, one of the first signs of a drug problem is the person’s appearance. How bad the damage will be depends on what drugs they’re using and for how long, but drug users tend to age rapidly, and get that haggard, worn-out look often associated with drug abuse. Successful drug rehab should include a healthy diet and exercise as part of the treatment. One of the most common reasons addicts start using drugs is low self esteem. The change in their appearance while using drugs doesn’t help a bit, and sometimes those changes can be drastic – extreme weight loss, old beyond their years, mottled or sallow, yellowed skin, muscles wasted. A good drug rehab program that incorporates a nutritious diet and an exercise plan will help the addict in more ways than one - eating well and exercising improves their overall health and stamina, makes them feel good physically, and helps restore their self-esteem by improving their appearance. Many drug rehabs offer a small exercise room, but if exercise is not actually incorporated into the treatment plan, many addicts won’t bother with it. I always suggest to my clients that ensuring the treatment plan includes exercise and a balanced diet is the best way to go when looking for a successful drug rehab program.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/28/2007 08:57:00 AM ----- BODY: One of the most common questions I’ve heard from the many families I’ve helped find drug rehab programs is whether drug rehab can really help figure out why the addiction started in the first place. The answer is a resounding yes, and it’s vitally important that it does. In fact, a drug rehab that doesn’t address those issues is not likely to be successful. I can’t stress this aspect of drug rehab enough. Many programs gloss over the past and, instead, focus on more recent events in the user’s life. This is a real disservice: if the reasons a person started using drugs are not fully addressed they will resurface later and cause the same problems all over again. This is one of the major reasons so many of the shorter term 30-day programs don’t work. During such a short stay in treatment it is impossible to fully address those issues. Not many families can afford to get their loved one through treatment over and over again, but that’s exactly what you’re likely to be up against if you don’t choose a treatment program that gets down to the bottom of things. If someone you love is at the point of needing drug rehab, there is no question that their past has led them to this point. Get them into a successful drug rehab program that addresses these issues the first time, and you’re much less likely to have the problem recur.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/27/2007 07:57:00 AM ----- BODY: Although not true of all drugs, the withdrawal process for some is so severe, and potentially dangerous, that medically-supervised detox is vital as a first step to drug rehab. Heroin, methadone, alcohol and benzodiazepines such as Xanex, are good examples - about one in four people coming off these drugs are at risk of seizure or other medical complications. To avoid life-threatening situations, and help with the extreme pain one can sometimes encounter during withdrawal, I usually recommend medical detox. Some drug rehab programs offer detox as part of the treatment, but others may require patients to attend an outside medical detox facility before admission. It’s important when trying to locate a detox that you give complete information about the drugs being used so they can determine exactly what will be needed. High dosages of methadone are especially difficult to handle. However, once the detox is done, full drug rehab that gets down to the bottom of why the person started drugs in the first place can begin. If you or someone you know needs treatment and you’re not sure if drug detox will be needed as the first step, call Addiction Help Services at 1-877-554-7308. We’ll help you determine whether detox is needed, and help you find a safe medical detox, and a successful drug rehab program.Labels: addiction help, detox, drug detox, drug rehab, medical detox, medically-supervised detox, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/26/2007 08:19:00 AM ----- BODY: Drug rehab is more successful when other drugs aren’t substituted I was recently doing research on alcohol abuse and came across some startling information – the current trend in alcohol and drug rehab programs is to get the person off drugs or alcohol by putting them on another drug. In other words, they simply substitute one drug for another and send the ‘former’ alcoholic or addict on their way – allegedly cured. This is called ‘medication therapy’ and, believe it or not, is actually considered valid ‘treatment’. However, successful drug rehab programs offer a drug-free approach. Let me clarify the role of drugs in stopping addiction: When an alcoholic or drug addict wants to quit the habit, they first have to go through withdrawal. How painful an experience that will be depends on how much they’ve been drinking for how long, or what drugs they’ve been taking, and how much, for how long. Withdrawal can be severely painful and sometimes dangerous, even life-threatening. In fact, fear of withdrawal symptoms is often enough to deter any efforts to get clean. To get through withdrawal safely and relatively comfortably, many people choose to do a medically-supervised drug or alcohol detox. This process often involves the use of drugs to lessen the withdrawal symptoms. However, the drugs are given for a very short time – sometimes just a few days – not enough to cause addiction. By the time the person has completed the detox and goes back out into the world, they are no longer taking drugs – not the drug they walked in on, and not the drug that helped them through withdrawal. Having come through withdrawal safely and relatively comfortably, the person can now get into full drug rehab, as needed, to address the reasons they turned to drugs or alcohol in the first place so they can fully handle their addiction. This bears no resemblance to ‘medication therapy’, and you should not confuse the two. I’ve worked with many families and friends of addicts over the years and most are looking for programs that don’t require a person to be drugged up on pharmaceuticals when they leave treatment. The fact that so many places are now promoting the use of these substitutes for any type of addiction was shocking to me, especially in light of the fact that none of the drug rehabs using this type of treatment have a decent success rate. How could they? They’re not addressing the problem in any way, shape or form. To the average person looking for help this may seem like the way to go. Personally, I would much rather not have to wake up every morning and take a pill just to get through the day. There are plenty of successful drug rehabs out there that don’t use ‘medication therapy, it’s just a matter of finding one that is the right fit for the user. If you’re looking for help for yourself or someone you love, my advice would be to ask for a drug-free drug rehab program.Labels: alcohol detox, detox, drug rehab, drug rehab program, stopping addiction, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/25/2007 07:44:00 AM ----- BODY: Over the past few years I’ve noticed a trend among many of the families I’ve worked with: many haven’t sought treatment in the past because they thought all drug rehabs were beyond what they could afford. It’s not true. There are thousands of drug rehab programs in the United States and the majority are available to anyone, regardless of ability to pay. Although many highly effective programs are private pay it doesn’t mean it has to cost a year’s salary to get someone enrolled. It’s unfortunate that so many people don’t seek help simply because they think it will be too expensive. I would be glad to help anyone find a program that can be highly effective without breaking the bank. Addiction can be overcome without spending your life savings with the right drug rehab program.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/24/2007 06:51:00 AM ----- BODY: Now that OxyContin has formally been acknowledged by its manufacturers Purdue Pharm as having a high risk factor for abuse and addiction, what will be done for those who have suffered damage from the drug and may well need drug rehab? Many people start taking OxyContin when it’s prescribed by doctor as a pain reliever. However, getting off the drug on your own is almost impossible. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe – the restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements may cause many to choose to stay on the drug despite the fact that they are no longer suffering from the pain for which it was initially prescribed. This then leads to prolonged use, during which time you build up a tolerance and, consequently, require higher doses to create the desired effect, and to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal. Taken long enough, you can become addicted. That’s the legitimate route. The illicit route is another story – but the result is the same, if not worse. On the street the tablets are often crushed, then snorted, eaten, or injected to get a bigger rush. Along with the high, abusers can experience side effects like nausea, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, sweating and difficulty breathing. In fact, in the first few years of its release, over 30,000 people went emergency because of the side effects and overdose, and some of them died. Drug rehab and treatment centers are already seeing an astounding number of admissions for OxyContin abuse and addiction – some as high as 90 percent of those who come to them for help. Hopefully, part of the nearly $700 million fine levied on Purdue Pharma, or, possibly fines from the many law suits that are sure to come in the near future now that the cat’s out of the bag, will be used to get OxyContin victims into a successful drug rehab program before it’s too late.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/23/2007 07:50:00 AM ----- BODY: Imagine what it must be like for a kid whose parents are usually stoned or drunk. One person I helped grew up in an environment full of alcoholics. She was the oldest child – about 10 years older than the next oldest – and, even at that age, was the designated babysitter and caregiver. In fact, she raised her siblings. She took them to daycare before she went to school in the morning, picked them up afterwards while other kids her age were staying at school playing team sports and doing other extracurricular activities, she made them dinner while her parents hit the bars after work, and kept her bedroom door closed against the noise of her parents and their friends partying while she tried to do her homework at night. It went on like that for years, until she finally moved out at the ripe old age of fifteen. If someone had taken the time to get her parents into a successful alcohol or drug rehab program, it would have changed her life. As bad as that sounds, it’s nothing compared to some of the situations I’ve seen. But it was, nevertheless, enough to get her started along the same road – not an unusual situation, many children of drug addicts and alcoholics follow in their parents’ footsteps. Even those who vow that they will never be like their parents. However, a good alcohol or drug rehab program can turn the parents around, change their lives, save the family, and save the children. If you know a parent who is abusing drugs or alcohol, get them into a successful drug rehab program fast. It will not only help the addict, it will give the children an opportunity for a good future they might otherwise never have.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/22/2007 06:04:00 PM ----- BODY: Now that OxyContin has formally been acknowledged by its manufacturers Purdue Pharm as having a high risk factor for abuse and addiction, what will be done for those who have suffered damage from the drug and may well need drug rehab? Many people start taking OxyContin when it’s prescribed by doctor as a pain reliever. However, getting off the drug on your own is almost impossible. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe – the restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements may cause many to choose to stay on the drug despite the fact that they are no longer suffering from the pain for which it was initially prescribed. This then leads to prolonged use, during which time you build up a tolerance and, consequently, require higher doses to create the desired effect, and to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal. Taken long enough, you can become addicted. That’s the legitimate route. The illicit route is another story – but the result is the same, if not worse. On the street the tablets are often crushed, then snorted, eaten, or injected to get a bigger rush. Along with the high, abusers can experience side effects like nausea, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, sweating and difficulty breathing. In fact, in the first few years of its release, over 30,000 people went emergency because of the side effects and overdose, and some of them died. Drug rehab and treatment centers are already seeing an astounding number of admissions for OxyContin abuse and addiction – some as high as 90 percent of those who come to them for help. Hopefully, part of the nearly $700 million fine levied on Purdue Pharma, or, possibly fines from the many law suits that are sure to come in the near future now that the cat’s out of the bag, will be used to get OxyContin victims into a successful drug rehab program before it’s too late.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/19/2007 07:43:00 AM ----- BODY: I recently worked with a family whose son had been using heroin. He’d tried various detox and in-patient programs with no success. The family and I talked about the possible reasons why his past attempts had failed. They were able to give me a lot of information on the history of his abuse and the treatment programs he’d tried so I could help them find a drug rehab program that would work for him. One of the most important factors when selecting a program is that the environment of the treatment center is conducive to recovery for that individual. Their son’s chief complaint was that each of the drug rehabs he’d attended had a sterile hospital-like environment. Since it’s very important that the person feel comfortable while in treatment, I took this into consideration when looking for a drug rehab program that was right for him. We were able to find him a program that could handle his detox and provide the type of care he needed, and it was a safe and warm environment. He spoke with the center on the phone and was actually eager to get started due to the “care-factor” he felt from the staff and the fact that it was not a hospital setting. He enrolled two days later. His family emailed me recently to thank me for helping them. He’s now been in treatment for two months and described the experience as “the best program he has ever been to.” His parents told me he sounded great and they were getting very positive progress reports from the center. His mother also visited him and said she, too, like the warm environment and kind staff. I was glad to be able to help and will continue to recommend non-hospital based drug rehab programs whenever possible.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, heroin
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/17/2007 06:38:00 AM ----- BODY: I have been helping families and friends of drug users find treatment programs for many years. It can get very frustrating when the media portrays drug rehab as a quick fix that doesn’t work – it’s simply not true. Recently there’s been a wave of big name celebrities checking themselves into treatment programs and, just weeks later, the media reports a relapse. However, no details are given regarding what treatment program they entered, why it didn’t work, and so on – they’re simply looking for a reason to print something controversial about a celebrity. The thing that really bothers me about this is that people who really need help can get the idea that all drug rehab programs are the same, and that none of them work. Consequently, they won’t even bother to take the steps necessary to find a successful drug rehab program to get the help they need. If a relapse occurs, there’s a reason for it. Perhaps many of these celebrities are going into a treatment program that doesn’t have a history of success. If that’s the case, relapse is almost inevitable. I’ve worked with and seen great results from many drug rehabs across the US, and I know for a fact that help is available for those who need it. If the right drug rehab program is chosen, there is a very high probability that the addiction will be overcome. I would be glad to help anyone locate a successful program near them. The idea that all treatment doesn’t work is just not true. Successful drug rehab does exist.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/16/2007 08:55:00 AM ----- BODY: One of the fastest growing drug problems today is the abuse of prescription medications. Opiates in the oxycodone/hydrocodone families and benzodiazepines such as Xanex are especially popular, and are highly addictive. Many people are initially prescribed these medications for legitimate medical conditions and don’t see the warning signs of addiction before it’s too late. The fact that the doctor prescribed the drugs also delays recognizing that there is a problem since it adds legitimacy and justifies taking them. So, the situation goes on and on – and then I get the call from someone looking for a drug rehab program. When the legitimate reason for taking the drugs has passed, and the initial doctor will no longer write the prescription, users start doctor shopping – looking for a doctor unscrupulous enough to write a medically-unnecessary script. Or sometimes they get the drugs online. Regardless of the source, make no mistake - these drugs are just as addictive as street drugs, and for the user to stop taking them, they need a successful drug rehab program. I recently worked with a family whose son had been buying Xanex on the Internet. They were totally unaware of his problem but had become curious about the regular packages he’d been receiving in the mail. The parents pressed the issue, and he finally admitted he had a problem. His mother told me they had no idea what to do – not only was it a legal drug, she didn’t even know if there were drug rehab programs designed for his addiction. In fact, they didn’t even realized you could become addicted to prescription drugs. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be one of the most difficult, so we had to be sure the program we found for him would be able to really handle his situation instead of just putting him on substitute medications. We located a drug rehab that could address his addiction fully and offer the care he needed. Needless to say, they were very relieved to find a program so quickly and be able to help their son. If you know someone who abuses prescription drugs, find a successful drug rehab program and get them help before it’s too late.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, prescription drugs
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/14/2007 06:26:00 AM ----- BODY: Out-patient drug rehab programs are the least successful form of treatment. Over the past few years I have worked with many families who have tried various out-patient programs and the consensus is that they are short term fixes, but offer no real long-term results. The biggest problem seems to be that the addict is still very close to their home environment with easy access to drugs and drug friends. The amount of supervision required is not available like it is in an in-patient drug rehab program, and this burden often falls on the addict’s family members. Unfortunately, when the person then relapses this can cause the family to feel that they have failed to help and makes them less willing to try to help again when it’s most needed. For a change to actually occur, it seems that an inpatient drug rehab is required. Most families I’ve worked with whose loved ones were unsuccessful with out-patient programs wanted to “try” that first, in the hopes that maybe the person wasn’t as bad off as the junkies they hear about in movies and TV. But it’s a big mistake to try to qualify the addiction based on stereotypes used solely for dramatic purposes. That’s not to say that addicts don’t get themselves into those situations and, in some cases, much worse than seen in the media, but the idea that there’s a quick fix for a problem that took a long time to develop is incorrect. Going a few nights a week to meet with other addicts from the same area does nothing but help the addict make more connections and possibly meet new people to get high with. Couple that with the dismal success rates of most out-patient drug rehab programs and you get a pretty good idea why so many counselors in the addiction field push so hard for longer in-patient stays as the best route - it eliminates the around-the-clock pressure on the family to keep the person occupied and sober, and prevents cravings and potential relapse by removing the person from the environment where they’ve been taking the drugs. For this reason, I never recommend out-patient programs. If a person truly wants to be successful, in-patient drug rehab is the only viable solution.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, inpatient drug rehab
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/12/2007 09:58:00 AM ----- BODY: I’ve worked with many treatment centers over the years, and have attended a few as well, some faith-based, some secular, and some that appear to be secular but are, in fact, religious - traditional 12 step-based programs, for example, promote themselves as secular, but most of the meetings I attended pushed a Christian viewpoint as the only acceptable higher power. While in drug rehab, a person can be very vulnerable, making it harder to resist any religion that is pushed and, while faith is important, those circumstances are probably not ideal for making that kind of decision. The programs I’ve worked with that don’t have a religious bias seem to get much higher success rates and, at the same time, are able to help more people since they don’t alienate anyone based on their religious beliefs. It would seem then that drug rehab programs that are not faith-based are a better option. I think all drug rehab programs have a spiritual aspect to them, and that they should. Again, faith is important for most people. But it seems that a religion should be something a person comes to on their own rather than having it dictated to them as part of their treatment. Also, although many of the Christian-based drug rehabs advertise high success rates, their retention rates are not that great. One nation-wide program that runs an average of 8 to 12 months claims a high success rate but also has a very high number of drop-outs, which lowers the actually success rate significantly. One of the best drug rehabs I’ve worked with is a longer term program that admits people of any religious background. When it comes to spirituality, the program simply has the clients take a look at what that means for them and what role it plays in their life. I found this very refreshing - there is no religious undertone because no specific religion is promoted. It creates an inclusive environment where a person can truly find out who they are which, to me, is the most important element of a successful drug rehab program. God can play a big role in a person’s life, but when it comes to putting down the crack pipe, it’s the individual who has to do it. God may be able to offer direction, but He can’t take the pipe out of their hand. I think for a drug rehab to be successful a secular option is the best way to go.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/11/2007 08:17:00 AM ----- BODY: I recently helped a woman whose son was addicted to heroin. He had been using cocaine since he was in high school and was now 26. He claimed to have attempted to quit on his own, but was never successful. His mother couldn’t convince him to get help, so she called me to find out what she could do to get him to agree to go into drug rehab. We talked about interventions - what they are, how they work, and the importance of having a successful drug rehab lined up so that once the intervention was complete, he could get straight into treatment with no delays. I helped her select a program that would be able to handle his addiction once and for all, and then got her in touch with a professional interventionist. He put her at ease and she finally felt that her son was going to get the help he so desperately needed. She hired the interventionist and the next day he flew to her home to help her son realize why treatment is so important and necessary to his recovery. She called me the next day to let me know that the interventionist was successful, and her son had agreed to go. It was set up for the interventionist to accompany her son to the facility and, in fact, they were already en route to the program I had helped her choose. She was so thankful and couldn’t believe that after all her personal efforts in the past had failed, getting her to agree to go to drug rehab could be accomplished so quickly by a professional with an objective viewpoint. He is now getting the help he needs in a successful drug rehab program. All it took was a little help from a professional to get him there. If you’re having trouble convincing someone you love to get help, call me.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/10/2007 08:27:00 AM ----- BODY: Researchers and scientists in the drug rehab field have been trying to focus most of their time and efforts into developing drugs to overcome addiction, but treating a chemical problem with more chemicals has never produced long-lasting, stable results in a drug rehab program. One recent push is the use of extended-release injectable naltrexone for alcoholism. However, Naltrexone is an opiate blocker and no one really knows how, or if, it will work with alcohol. This guessing game – let’s try this and see if it works - is another reason why giving addicts replacement drugs doesn’t work for long-term recovery. Other problems with Naltrexone include side effects such as nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, drowsiness, fatigue, headache, dizziness, anxiety and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts and behavior. Also, the recommended dose of 380 mg., injected intra-muscularly, hasn’t been tested to find out what affect it will have on the liver – it could result in toxicity. Who would want to subject themselves to that? Alcohol and drug rehab programs are supposed to detoxify, not introduce more toxins. A successful alcohol or drug rehab program works by finding alternative solutions to problems in life that caused the person to turn to drugs or alcohol in the first place, and thereby reducing the desire to drink. The results of Naltrexone speak for themselves - a six-month study showed only limited reduction in the number of heavy drinking days, and little effect on abstinence. That doesn’t effective to me. Really successful alcohol and drug rehab programs fix the body, get the person in better shape physically, and address the underlying issues that got them there in the first place.Labels: alcohol, alcohol and drug rehab program, drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/09/2007 06:32:00 AM ----- BODY: The number of people seeking drug rehab for abuse of prescription painkillers continues to escalate. In fact, there was a 9 percent increase between 2004 and 2005, to 64,120 rehab admissions. These statistics were provided by the annual Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, and includes nearly 2 million drug rehab admissions to facilities that report their characteristics. Drugs abused by those seeking rehabilitation in this category included codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, morphine, opium, oxycodone, pentazocine, propoxyphene, tramadol, and other drugs with morphine-life effects. Popular brand names in these categories include Oxycontin, Vicodin, Lortab and Percocet, to name a few. Officials had largely underestimated the destruction caused by these drugs, but recent observances have found that between 1995 and 2005 there has been an increase of over 300 percent in prescription drug rehab admissions regarding these painkillers.Labels: drug rehab, painkillers, prescription painkillers
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/08/2007 06:42:00 AM ----- BODY: A drug rehab court is given the responsibility to handle cases involving substance-abusing offenders through supervision, drug testing, drug rehab services and immediate sanctions and incentives. There are approximately 1,800 drug rehab courts in existence or being planned. Drug rehab courts typically deal with non-violent drug offenders, with charges such as possession of an illegal substance. The design and structure of drug court programs are developed within each participating community to address specific needs. A drug rehab court allows the community to address multiple factors in each drug abusing case, not just the addiction itself. Through an extensive rehab, education, participation and monitoring period, additional issues such as unemployment and child support can be addressed. Multiple studies have been conducted regarding the effectiveness of drug rehab court systems as a form of community sentencing, and the retention and overall success rates have been very favorable, especially when compared to the results of incarceration. In addition to being socially successful, drug rehab courts are also very cost-effective to the community. Whereas incarcerating a drug-using offender may cost between $20,000 and $50,000 per person, per year, a comprehensive drug court system costs about one tenth of that, plus the cost of a drug rehab program. A recent analysis was done in a section of New Jersey on the cost of dealing with non-violent drug-using offenders, and they found that for every dollar spent on drug rehab courts, ten dollars were saved from the correctional system.Labels: drug court, drug rehab, drug rehab program, illegal substance
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/07/2007 07:35:00 AM ----- BODY: It seems that the average drug treatment program is getting shorter and shorter. This is largely dictated by what insurance companies will pay, but a simple comparison of success rates and program lengths shows that the most successful drug rehab programs fall into the 90-180 day range. I have worked with thousands of individuals and families over the years and I am always hearing about previous failed drug rehab attempts. In almost all of these cases, the programs lasted around 30 days. That isn’t even enough time to allow the body to repair itself and get the person feeling better, let alone address the reasons the person started taking drugs. Addiction doesn’t happen overnight. For drug rehab to be effective, the program must allow enough time to fix the body and handle the issues that got the person there in the first place. It seems simple enough, yet many people look for the quick fix. Sometimes they don’t want to be away from home for that long, or they’re afraid they’ll lose their job - there’s wide variety of reasons. However, regardless of the treatment model used, success rates are almost always higher with longer term treatments. Some of the best advice I could ever give to those looking for help is to ensure that the drug rehab they select is 90 days or longer. Why risk having to do it again? Do it right the first time.Labels: drug addiction treatment, drug rehab, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/06/2007 10:10:00 AM ----- BODY: I have been hearing from quite a few people lately who have tried treatment programs that use substitute medications. The problem with them, quite frankly, is that they just don’t work. One family I counseled not long ago had a son who had been to three such programs trying to handle his heroin addiction. Each program prescribed a medication to supposedly handle the cravings - he’d tried methadone, suboxone and buprinorphine – and each time he was unsuccessful at staying clean. I suggested that this time around he find a drug rehab that uses a different approach. The unfortunate truth is that many hospital-based drug rehab or treatment programs are very quick to put a person on these types of medications as a “solution” to the problem. Sadly, it’s basically trading one drug for another, which makes no sense and doesn’t lead to long term success. In fact, what most people don’t realize is that it can take far longer to fully withdraw from drugs like methadone than the street drugs they are supposed to replace, and the process can be far more painful. But finding a drug-free treatment approach can be very difficult. Luckily for this young man, I was able to help his family find a successful drug rehab program that didn’t use substitute drugs. He enrolled about a month ago - the treatment is working and he couldn’t be happier. His family called me the other day to thank me again for helping them. Like many families in similar situations, they wished they could have found this drug rehab program sooner so he wouldn’t have had to go through all the failures with other treatment approaches, and the agony of continued addiction. They’re very happy that he’s finally enrolled in a program that will help him. It’s clear to me that substitute medications hurt more than they help. Finding a successful drug rehab program that doesn’t use them is definitely the way to go.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/05/2007 12:25:00 PM ----- BODY: I recently worked with a man whose daughter needed help with her heroin addiction. She had been in and out of detox several times and had no success with any of the local programs. Regardless, she had taken it upon herself to check in, once again, to a detox program that only lasted five days, and she was due to be released in two. But this time he insisted she follow up with an inpatient drug rehab. He called me to see what options were available in his area. Having tried many of them, he knew that finding a local successful drug rehab would be difficult - unfortunately, most of the programs close to home were government–run, short term treatments that he already knew had some of the lowest success rates. We agreed she needed to try something different, and we discussed changing her environment so she could focus on herself – without the distractions of being close to home. He was nervous about sending her very far, but he also knew it would handle those distractions. Being in a different city would also make it difficult for her to walk out while still in treatment and confronting the issues that got her into drug rehab in the first place. We finally settled on a drug rehab facility in California that offered a comprehensive approach in a safe environment that was very conducive to her recovery. Dad was very pleased to find exactly what he was looking for so quickly, and she checked herself in. He called back the other day to offer his thanks, and to tell me his daughter had been doing wonderfully. As a result of the change in environment, and finally finding a successful drug rehab program, his daughter now has a real chance of recovery.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab program, successful drug rehab, successful drug rehab program
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/02/2007 08:01:00 AM ----- BODY: Methamphetamine use, in particular, has been a growing problem in the rural South for years, reports The Herald Banner. Illegal drug use takes a heavy toll on families and relationships torn to the breaking point by chemical addiction and the poor decisions it causes people to make... Police statistics link drug use to property crimes and violence, both of which can be spurred by the drugs themselves and the irrational need to acquire more of them. Drug users waste millions of dollars to feed their habits, taking money from the legitimate local economy and giving it to criminals. Lives are lost as a direct result of drug use. People are killed in car accidents, by overdose and in violent, drug-related crimes. Effective drug rehab programs that do not substitute one drug for another, but actually free the person from their addiction and help them to rebuild their lives can impact these statistics.Labels: drug rehab, drug rehab programs, illegal drug use, methamphetamine
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/01/2007 07:01:00 AM ----- BODY: A year ago David Fetterer’s life was plunging further and further into desperation as a result of his marijuana addiction. But instead of giving up and losing his wife and children, he cheeked into a drug rehab center and beat his addiction. Now he is one of five Pennsylvanians who are being honored for turning their lives around. Fetterer said he owned up to the realization he had a problem and entered a drug rehab program in July last year. It was the first time he had attempted to quit his abuse. He said he hopes others who are in a similar situation will admit they have to make a change in their life and make the decision to enter a drug rehab program. “David is on the road to being debt-free in a marriage with honesty and trust in a drug-free environment,” commissioners Dave Cyphert, Donna Hartle and Donna Oberlander said. “He is truly a success story.” Source: www.thederrick.comLabels: drug addiciton, drug rehab, drug rehab program, marijuana
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 4/27/2007 11:57:00 AM ----- BODY: When looking at the overall cost of drug rehab programs, there are several things to consider. One of them is, what is the cost if you don’t try to rehabilitate? This means crime, incarceration, lives lost, broken families, spread of disease, etc. This also is a number that multiplies each year the addiction is left untreated. Some estimates have found that society saves $7 for every $1 spent on drug rehab programs. Depending on which drug rehab program you choose, the cost can vary. The cost of a residential drug rehab facility is about $7,000 per month. While some groups, such as methadone clinics, tout lower costs for outpatient treatment or only 30 days in rehab, it doesn’t mean they work. The relapse rate is actually pretty high for drug replacement treatment, regular outpatient rehab, and even traditional 30-day drug rehab programs.The Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (www.datos.org) provides statistics on this. To increase your chances for a successful recovery, a longer-term stay is going to be more beneficial, so you should expect the cost of drug rehab to be anywhere between $15,000 and $40,000 when looking at 90 days or more. But as mentioned earlier, you must compare the monetary cost to what it is really costing you – your life!Labels: Drug Abuse, Drug Abuse Treatment, drug rehab
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 4/26/2007 09:53:00 AM ----- BODY: A recent LA Times Editorial criticized Governor Schwarzenegger for reducing and diverting drug rehab treatment funds from California's Proposition 36 into a different fund that would provide the money to the counties who use it the most, but with restrictions. Proposition 36 was overwhelmingly passed in a statewide vote in 2000 to approve funding for nonviolent drug offenders to be given drug rehab and addiction treatment instead of jail. Under the measure, offenders were given up to 3 chances to successfully complete a treatment program. The Governor’s desire for change was sparked by the release of study information from UCLA saying that approximately half of the people sentenced to drug treatment programs from Prop 36 never completed and about one quarter never even showed up. On the upside, the study showed that the initiative still saved the state $2.50 for every $1 spent diverting non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of jail or prison. The Governor wants there to be some additional ramifications for those who fail to comply with their sentence, including some jail time, and possibly look at individual cases instead of a blanket sentencing agreement and financial obligation. Perhaps one major flaw in the system is being overlooked. Failure isn't in the intent of the law or even necessarily in the way it has been carried out over the last six years, but rather in the drug rehab treatment practices themselves. Programs that produce successful results should be funded, rather than those that are just part of the traditional system or are state-money savvy. Programs must also be held accountable along with the individuals attending them, and follow-up monitoring is essential. What are your views on other states adopting similar drug rehab programs to California's Proposition 36? And what do you think would make it more successful? Despite the less than rave reviews, should more nonviolent drug offenders be given the chance to complete a successful drug treatment program before being sentenced to jail or prison?Labels: California, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug treatment, Prop 36, successful drug rehab
-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 4/19/2007 05:24:00 PM ----- BODY: Some drug rehab centers are concerned about a guidance document that is currently on the Food and Drug Administration’s Docket (FDA No. 2006D-0480) that reveals plans to reclassify all vegetable juices, herbs and vitamins as FDA regulated drugs. Even things like massage oils and massage rocks will be classified as “medical devices”. According to the document, once these vitamins, minerals and other natural methods are regulated, the FDA can then ban anything that they feel is a drug and these supplements can be taken off the market. Currently, there are millions of people using natural supplements as they are much safer and cause no side effects in comparison to many of the drugs that are being approved and promoted by the FDA everyday. This could be a blow to the drug rehab field. It's been shown that drug free methods to handle addiction with the use of natural supplements statistically achieve the best success rates. Many of the clients that undergo this type of drug rehab treatment end up being successfully rehabilitated from addiction and do not have periods of relapse. Trying to regulate these natural methods would be disastrous in the substance abuse treatment arena as many non-traditional treatment methods are now being used. To comment on this docketLabels: alcohol rehab, drug rehab, FDA, natural supplements, substance abuse
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