Archive for March, 2010

Staff splitting is a complicated thing, but it does happen all the time in behavioral therapy. The environment here does not create the phenomenon, nor does it make it possible, it just happens to match the circumstances necessary for it to occur. Staff splitting, then, is something that happens in treatment programs, and this discussion will focus a bit on what this actually means, and what the implications are.

Staff splitting is a term that comes from psychoanalysis, where the patient makes conscious and unconscious distinctions, just as in any normal thinking process where discrimination is necessary. Except in these cases, it becomes abnormal because there is no rational basis in thought. There are things that are place in the good category, and others placed in the bad, and those are ignored entirely, usually. This suggests that it’s origins come simply from a coping mechanism to avoid that which is unpleasant, and is the psyche’s attempts to keep out the things that threaten it.

In therapy, it’s much more concrete, but still somewhat ethereal. A patient will begin their recovery and meet some professionals whom they like, and some that they don’t. They’ll put them into two categories again, good and bad, and treat them in manners consistent with their feelings. For the staff, they will unconsciously internalize these judgments, and some will feel the patient is perfectly wonderful, and others will see the patient as impossible. The staff is split.

In cases of addictive personalities, there are similarities to any kind of disorder that is characterized by complexes of manipulation. The addict is also prone to enormous changes in mood, without even realizing it, and these factors can all contribute to the staff splitting. Again, some will perceive the patient as kind and doing their best to get better and participate, and others will see their behavior as entirely problematic, and in need of more severe treatment. In these cases, then, the best course of action to take is to create more dialogue and communication among the staff, so that they can get a whole picture of the patient, and then start developing the course of action that can facilitate the recovery.

There are a number of toxins in cigarette smoke, and all of these contribute to the addiction in some way, but this discussion will focus on nicotine specifically, looking at its particular role. It’s a large one, you may have guessed, and is the most addictive component. The way it reacts with the body is the major reason why people become addicted.

Cigarette addiction is extremely fast, and one of the fastest drugs to get hooked on. The body becomes accustomed to its effects very quickly, and the withdrawal is severe. The fastest way to cure withdrawal is always more of the drug that you’re withdrawing from, so it’s easy to see how it can turn into a vicious cycle very quickly.

Nicotine stimulates the glands that produce adrenaline. Blood pressure, heart rate, and the nervous system experience an increase, and the effect is rather pleasant, at least in the early stages of smoking. Soon enough, however, the body and the brain get used to the pleasure effects, and only care about the physical effects on these systems. Again, this all happens very quickly. When you inhale a cigarette, the nicotine hits the bloodstream within a few seconds, and the body experiences these effects right away.

Some of these are not even conscious, but the body gets used to speeding up, and with cigarettes, it can happen hundreds of times a day. When the drug is taken away, the body responds to the lack of the chemicals, and for the smoker, this is experienced as increased nervousness and anxiety, shakiness, sweats, and a very urgent feeling that something is wrong.

The only way to return to a normal state, then, is by prolonged separation from the drug, or to continue to administer it to the system. It’s always easier, in the short term, to continue the cycle of addiction, than to have to experience withdrawal. With some substances, the withdraw is so acute that it seems to be a better choice to just continue, and this is where addiction really takes over, because the addiction is finding ways to perpetuate itself in the body.

Withdrawal does have an end point, however, and it usually only lasts for a few days in its acute form, so that quitting is the most reasonable option to take.

Withdrawal is a very complex thing, and there’s no question that it’s one of the most difficult things anyone could ever go through. There are a wide number of factors that can affect withdrawal. Withdrawal from every kind of drug is a very different experience, and other factors, such as the presence of other chemicals, along with someone’s chemical make-up, can also have extreme effect. The most important thing to know about withdrawal, however, is that it doesn’t last forever, and is actually rather short (of course, it won’t feel short).

There are many treatment centers and drug and alcohol programs that can help, where trained professionals can work with the addict through every phase of withdrawal. It may not be very pleasant, but it is much safer than trying it alone. Checking with other addicts who have been through the same thing will usually give the best results, but there often isn’t time to wait for the advice to come in, in which case, contacting substance abuse hotlines can guide someone to centers that can help.

In withdrawal, what is happening is two fold. First, there are the immediate physical responses that will come when the body stops getting the chemicals it’s become used to. The longer the period of use, then, the more intense the withdrawals can be. In most cases, the body becomes clear of the toxins, or at least clear enough to start functioning normally again, after just a few days. For some substances, like heroin, it can be longer, up to a week or possibly even two. It still takes time to get rid of all the toxins, and some, like alcohol, can take the better part of a year to completely leave the body.

Second, there are mental and emotional responses, and these can take a lot longer to work through. In the initial stages, though, for the days when the body is withdrawing, the addict is reacting emotionally to the loss of the ability to take the edge off. The body is also going through cellular changes, and when the cells are at their hungriest, the mind will interpret the body’s responses as an emergency situation. This can lead to extreme emotional discomfort, possible mood swings, and other states of consciousness.

The mental faculties will return, however, and the body will adjust, but for the immediate period of withdrawal, there can be physical danger to the addict as well as an extremely difficult situation to get through psychologically. This is why it is so very important to get help during this time in particular. There is another side to it, and people do get through withdrawal every day, and it can lead to a new beginning and a new life.

Flomax is a drug that was created to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. In plain English, this translates to enlarged prostate in men. This medication was designed specifically for men. The FDA has not tested this drug for women. It is designed to help the urinary flow for men who have trouble urinating due to BPH. In rare cases, some doctors will prescribe this medication to women who suffer from cystitis or kidney stones. It helps to open up the flow of the urine and eases the pain felt when urinating. The use of Flomax for women still remains controversial. The FDA has not deemed it inappropriate for women, but it also has not extensively tested it on women.

Even in men there are many reported side effects. Some of the side effects include interruption in ejaculation, diminished semen, ringing in the ears, headaches, lower libido and insomnia. Since there have not been any studies done on women and not many women have been prescribed Flomax, the side effects are not yet known. It is important to consult your doctor and pharmacist before taking any medication. Some women do not know that Flomax has only been approved for men. It is important to make sure you are aware of your body and any changes that take place once you begin to take a newly prescribed medication. Both negative and positive changes should be noted. Not all medications affect all people the same way. Some people are more sensitive to certain medications than others. There are some cases where the benefits outweigh the costs. This is a personal choice that everyone must make for themselves with their doctor. It is especially important when trying unconventional methods to report any side effects that may be linked to the medication. It is not known whether Flomax is safe for women or not, but the bigger question is: is it safe for you? Even if a medication is safe for most people, you should not take it blindly or treat the side effects lightly.

Many people decide to go to rehab in order to beat their dependency and fight their addiction. More than one-third of people who enter rehab are able to beat their addiction. That comes out to about 35% of former alcoholics who are able to beat their dependency. Each substance that people become addicted to has its own treatment program and success of recovery rate. In the end the best way to beat an addiction is to avoid creating one.
Unfortunately, each year that passes causes an increase in the number of people who are suffering from addiction. Whether it be an alcohol addiction or any other type of drug or substance abuse once you the individual finds themselves trapped in the addiction it is very difficult to come out from under its control. Many times addiction can come about without the addict even being aware that he/she is addicted. For example, a person can become an alcoholic very easily. After a long day of work a person might get off and go directly to a bar or restaurant for happy hour with friends and get some drinks. This may become an everyday habit and then even when the friends can’t make it the person may go and drink alone. After the happy hour is over that person might go home and have a few beers or shots there. Then at that point it will only be about 7 or 8pm and that person may go out again to a club or party and drink more or out to eat and have some wine and drinks, or even just stay home and continue to drink. Doing this every day will cause a person to form a habit and that habit can soon become an addiction. The person will become dependent on the alcohol and feel that they need it to get through the day.
Even though the addiction can set it, once it is on doesn’t mean that the person with the addiction can’t beat it.

Coming to terms with a chemical addiction problem can be one of the toughest, and one of the most rewarding challenges a life can offer. When you’ve already decided that you need help, things begin to change. Life might not suddenly turn for the better, and all the usual daily problems go away, but there is a profound shift that opens up the doors for recovery, and a full life lived comfortably in your own skin. As you start to look into the different types of therapies and treatments available for you or for the one you love, you’ll notice a wide variety of approaches, and here we’ll look at why individual therapy is important for recovery from chemical addiction.

For most treatment programs, in-patient and out-patient, there is usually a very strong component that stresses peer support. Studies have been suggesting for a long time that one of the best ways to treat addicts and alcoholics is to have them work with each other. People in different stages of recovery can help to shed light on the journey for others, they can share advice, and addicts tend to trust others who have been through the same thing rather than trained professionals who may not know what it’s like from the inside out.

At the same time, individual therapy is also extremely important. This gives the recovering addict the chance to really focus on their own issues, and their own process, and it gives importance to their own individual concerns. One of the most common distinguishing features of an addict is a rather pronounced self-centeredness. This is a personality trait that is formed after years of use and abuse, that leads to the spiral of addiction. By giving this self-centeredness a place in therapy, it has a place to find expression, ultimately leading to a breakthrough where they can discover that they are not unique, and not at all alone. In therapy, they can develop the necessary skills to talk about their own feelings, and this is one of the most important steps toward becoming a whole human being, free of addiction.

Addiction is a lifelong battle to overcome a disease. There are many different schools of thought on how to overcome addiction. Addiction is different for everyone, and therefore, there is not one way that works for everyone. Choices to help in recovery range from community support to anonymous groups and everything you can think of in between.

One new type of therapy is called MRT. This program is done in a group setting and is designed to have patients motivate themselves to be a part of society and follow societal norms. Generally speaking it loosely resembles a 12 step program. The idea is that the patient begins to think about others and how their life can affect others, and others affect them. This therapy is especially successful for those suffering from co-occurring disorders such as anti social personality and depression.

Exercise and Yoga have also proven effective to help overcome addiction. While these activities do not tackle the disease itself, a clear and healthy mind is definitely important. In many cases relapse is caused by stress and boredom. Yoga and exercise regimens provide structure to your day. Yoga especially can provide a place to refocus and center your energy.

Boredom is one of the top reasons for relapse! People say they get high because they were bored. Boredom causes anxiety and restlessness. It is imperative that you have a plan at all times. As you progress in your recovery you will find that your life is starting to take shape on its own and you will not need to have so much structure. The things that seem so hard in the beginning, attending meetings, going to the gym, bypassing certain parts of town, will all become second nature. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous both provided meetings at all hours of the day, seven days a week in order to meet your scheduling needs. Resisting excuses and forming new habits is the second hardest part. The hardest part is realizing you have a problem and getting started on the road to recovery.

Drug and alcohol abuse continue to be major issues in this country and while ongoing efforts to combat addiction and fight the war on drugs, there continues to be a major problem and instead of slowing down, it remains strong and in some circumstances it continues to grow. One of the changing circumstances that is frequently associated with drug abuse is the nature of the drugs that are being abused. While certain illegal street drugs are actually showing a decrease in use and abuse, prescription medications are becoming more common on the abuse charts.

Regardless of the type of drug being abused, there are certain aspects of addiction development that remain typical. There should actually be an exception made here as drugs like crystal meth and heroin are much different than pain medicine addiction potential. The use of these two illicit drugs almost always ends up in addiction and the process is much quicker than a behavior oriented addiction development.

The actual addiction development for most drugs is a combination of use and behavior intention. What frequently begins as experimentation or social use can escalate into a problem, especially when there are certain personality or life circumstance traits involved. When a person with certain emotional issues, such as those caused by previous traumatic events, experiments with drugs they frequently find that the substance helps to alleviate pain. This can lead to self medication, which in turn can turn into problem use and addiction. There are other aspects of addictive behaviors and not all trauma survivors become addicts, nor are all addicts trauma survivors. Sometimes the use simply becomes so regular and a daily aspect of the user’s life that they become addicted without realizing the extent of their use. If you have a concern about drug addiction for yourself or someone you care about, you should contact a professional and not try and make a diagnosis yourself, though you can recognize warning signs.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a nasty thing, and because of the very nature of the problem it can be hard for people to admit that they are an addict. However, family members can usually tell, and when an addict is finally willing to accept help, the first place they need help is from the family around them. This is why it can be very important to include a spouse in a drug treatment plan. There are a number of places in California that have started insisting on things like Marriage and Family Therapists as part of the treatment plan. These can be in house sessions, in which case the husband or wife must drive in and visit, or they can be part of an treatment plan in which the addict still lives in their own house, in which case it may be harder to make them go, but can be just as effective if they are willing to get the help. Partially this is important because it allows the addict to understand the pain their actions have caused others. It can also help the spouse understand what made the other person become an addict, what things they are going to need to stay away from in the future, and how to best help their spouse. It gives husband, wife, and kids a better understanding of the techniques necessary to keep the addict from falling back into old habits. It can also demonstrate to the partner not being treated that they also need treatment, or that they simply need to also give up alcohol in order to help their spouse.

It is harder to find a place that will treat both a husband and a wife together for drug addiction. This is because it can be rather dangerous to treat both people and can be a conflict of interest for any therapist that tries to help both people. An addict’s spouse can be a part of the problem, and it can be hard to treat someone when they are so deeply connected to that problem every day. As a rule it is good to include a spouse as help to clean someone up, but it is not good to try to get treated together.

Coming to terms with a chemical addiction problem can be one of the toughest, and one of the most rewarding challenges a life can offer. When you’ve already decided that you need help, things begin to change. Life might not suddenly turn for the better, and all the usual daily problems go away, but there is a profound shift that opens up the doors for recovery, and a full life lived comfortably in your own skin. As you start to look into the different types of therapies and treatments available for you or for the one you love, you’ll notice a wide variety of approaches, and here we’ll look at why individual therapy is important for recovery from chemical addiction.

For most treatment programs, in-patient and out-patient, there is usually a very strong component that stresses peer support. Studies have been suggesting for a long time that one of the best ways to treat addicts and alcoholics is to have them work with each other. People in different stages of recovery can help to shed light on the journey for others, they can share advice, and addicts tend to trust others who have been through the same thing rather than trained professionals who may not know what it’s like from the inside out.

At the same time, individual therapy is also extremely important. This gives the recovering addict the chance to really focus on their own issues, and their own process, and it gives importance to their own individual concerns. One of the most common distinguishing features of an addict is a rather pronounced self-centeredness. This is a personality trait that is formed after years of use and abuse, that leads to the spiral of addiction. By giving this self-centeredness a place in therapy, it has a place to find expression, ultimately leading to a breakthrough where they can discover that they are not unique, and not at all alone. In therapy, they can develop the necessary skills to talk about their own feelings, and this is one of the most important steps toward becoming a whole human being, free of addiction.

Deciding to go to rehab and choosing a drug treatment center are big decisions that should not be taken lightly. Deciding which program and facility would work best for you or your loved one is a decision that requires a lot of thought. Fortunately for those living in San Bernardino County, California there are many to different residential facilities to choose from.
When choosing a treatment center, one of the first things that you want to consider is whether or not it is residential. There are many benefits to a residential program. Often the number of residents is lower, which helps the counselors provide more one on one attention. There is often more structure with a residential facility as opposed to a non-residential facility; which can be of significant importance to those who are suffering extreme addiction. It also provides a safe environment so that the residents can focus entirely on getting well. The next thing that you want to consider when choosing a treatment center is the program. Many facilities use some form of the 12 Step Program. It is a program that is based on the recognition of the problem, the need for outside help, and making amends. Since it’s foundation in the 1930′s, it has helped thousands of people through the recovery process. Lastly, consider the location. Look for a facility where you or your loved one will feel comfortable; a place where they will be able to relax and focus on recovery.
Whether you live in California, Virginia, or someplace else it is important to consider all of your options when deciding on a residential drug treatment center. Though much of the responsibility for recovery lies with the individual, it is the treatment center that can make or break the process and the road to recovery.

The assessment tools used to treat adult drug and alcohol users primarily focus on determining whether or not the use of these substances impair the user’s ability to function and participate in daily life.  The first step is for the treatment center to diagnose the problem.  The following is criteria used to determine if a person is in alcohol withdrawal; these symptoms may vary from mild to severe:

After ceasing or reducing a heavy and sustained use of alcohol, two or more of the following criteria may develop anywhere from a few hours to a few days: sweating or a raised pulse rate more than 100 beats a minute; tremors in the hand; insomnia; vomiting or nausea, brief visual and auditory hallucinations, anxiety, psychomotor agitation, grand mal seizures.

A treatment center will also consider whether or not these symptoms impair other areas in a person’s life, such as work and social interactions.  They also will consider whether or not the symptoms are due to another medical condition.  Often alcohol-related problems don’t occur in a vacuum, and there’s more than one health or mental problem to diagnose.  In a detox center, a combination of drugs will be used to ease these symptoms, so that the person may safely pass through this dangerous period of withdrawal; remember that this is something that should always be conducted in an official setting, such as a detox or rehab facility.  To assess the level of alcohol withdrawal, treatment centers will often use a checklist based on the criteria above to determine the severity, observing the following areas: nausea and vomiting, tremors, paroxysmal sweats, anxiety and sweats, tactile disturbances, auditory  and visual disturbances.

Mainly, though, the assessment is done through observation, medication, and examination.  As the patient improves, he or she may participate in group or one-on-one therapy sessions to better understand the drinking problem and seek possible solutions.

Thirty-eight years ago, the National Association of Alcoholism Counselors and Trainers was founded.  Ten years later, the association changed its name to the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor, adjusting to the changing times, bringing together professionals working in the addiction field.  To reflect this, the organization became known as NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.  The name change reflects a wider range of services offered, embracing various professionals, such as counselors, social workers, and administrators.  The NAADAC offers national certification for those professionals who meet their criteria, beginning with Level I, and moving on to Level II and MAC (Master Addiction Counselor), and they’ve credentialed over fifteen thousand counselors.

Each of these three certifications are designed for those professionals who have worked for years within the various addiction fields and want to show others that they’ve acquired abilities honed from these years of supervised experience.  In order to be certified at the MAC level, you’ll need a Master’s degree in any of a number of health-related disciplines, such as social work, nursing, counseling, psychology or family therapy, as well as five hundred hours of training and education.  You’ll need also to be certified as either a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or a Licensed Social Worker (LSW).  You’ll need a year of supervised experience before a master’s degree, and an additional two years after you’ve received the degree.  If you’re a new applicant you also must prove that you’ve taken HIV/AIDS and Ethics training and education within the last half decade.

The standards for the Level II certification requires a bachelor’s degree from a university or college that’s accredited, and you’ll also need a state license in your profession that’s current.  In the area of training and education, the Level II certificate requires that you have four hundred and fifty contact hours in substance abuse, and twelve of those hours must be in HIV/AIDS training and ethics training, divided equally.  There must also be five years of experience (full-time) or ten thousand hours of supervised experience in substance abuse counseling.  As with the MAC, new applicants must have proof of training and education in ethics and HIV/AIDS received recently, in the last five years.

Level I certification, though, is the starting point, and requires less strenuous criteria.  However, it’s still fairly vigorous.  In order to qualify, you’ll need to have a current certificate or license from the state as a counselor specializing in substance abuse.  You’ll need to take training in substance abuse counseling for two hundred and seventy hours, also with twelve hours of training — six hours in ethics and six hours in HIV/AIDS.  While new applicants still need to provide proof that they’ve had ethics and HIV/AIDS training within the last five years, there’s a lesser requirement for the work experience.  You’ll need two years and four thousand hours less: Three years of work experience (full time) or six thousand hours of supervised experience with counseling for substance abuse.

Arizona is a great place to go for drug treatment if you have no means to pay. There are approximately 86 drug treatment facilities throughout the state that offers a substance abuse program of free. There are 25 places in the city of Tucson, 25 in the city of Phoenix, 5 in city of Yuma, 11 in Mesa, 2 in Bisbee, 7 in Prescott, 8 in Scottsdale, and 3 in Wickenburg. Some facilities are brand new, others may have closed due to mismanagement, while others are well established and successful. A majority of these drug treatment facilities are what is called in the industry as ‘Halfway’ homes, or ‘Out Patient’ facilities. There are a few of these drug treatment facilities are located in hospitals or in a facility that specializes in ‘In-Patient’ recovery programs for substance abusers and will stay for 30-days. For these facilities, the fees can be on a sliding scale or for free.

Halfway homes, otherwise known as outpatient programs in Arizona are great for low-income or homeless families with no income. They offer programs for adolescents, women and men, for residential long-term treatment that offer beds for the client and their children. Half-way homes also offer short-term treatment, which is basically good for court ordered substance abusers who are dealing with DUI/DWI offences and helps them remain clean and sober and out of the jail system.

Full fledged drug treatment facilities that offer ‘In-Patient’ programs, which usually average 28 to 30 days, or sometimes 6 months to a year for free if the substance abuser qualifies, which will vary on each individual basis and if the drug treatment facility is privately, state or federally run.

All drug treatment facilities, whether it’s an ‘Out-Patient’, halfway home or an ‘In-Patient’ facility, offer their services for free, but they don’t advertise this to the general public. These facilities can offer drug treatment for free, because they apply for federal and state grants. These grants allow for these facilities to offer a certain amount of substance abusers to get drug treatment for free.

It is hard to find actual data on the cases of drug users who went to prison that have been clean due to treatment in 2009, in the research one finds that maybe anything is possible. There has been many people who have been able to stop the addiction to whatever, and enjoy a much better life. It always takes support and a plan. Some of the best ways to change your life is to make a plan and stick to it. It seems the more you focus on the plan of what you can do and have the more you forget it about what you aren’t doing or getting.

Substance abuse and drug addiction is an ongoing problem in the United States as well as other countries. And despite efforts to eliminate addiction with the famous war on drugs, abuse of alcohol and illegal street drugs remains strong and in fact there has been a new type of drug abuse to enter the scene. This, unsurprisingly, is pharmaceutical medications. And while pain killers have been abused for decades, recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of abuse that occurs and also in the variety of pharmaceutical drugs that are abused. Today’s abuse market includes various psychotropic medications, whose actual purpose is to counter emotional and mental health care issues.

With all of the potential for drug abuse it is no wonder that adolescents continually to experiment with these substances, frequently creating a dependency. And adolescents are not the only ones at risks for addiction. Adults are the primary market for many of these prescription drugs, which is why we have seen such an increase in new addiction among older adults. Now more than ever it can be confusing as to what drugs produce what biological effect and what drugs are most likely to be abused as well as create a dependency.

For this reason, drug reference charts have continued to change and adapt to the continually changing face of addiction. These charts generally categorize the drugs into particular classifications according to their make up substance, such as narcotics and stimulants, and also according to their effects and potential for abuse and addiction. It is possible to get one of these charts through your local mental health care facility, and if they don’t happen to have any they can refer to a different source. Sometimes educational and outreach organizations also have them.

Methamphetamine is one of the most dangerous drugs on the streets today.  Addiction is almost inevitable after only a few usages and the physical and psychological consequences are extreme. The initial pleasure that some people feel after the first or second time of use is quickly diminished and eventually ceases to occur at all. However, by this point the addiction has already kicked in and the addict now needs the drug simply to function. The physical damages done by this drug and addiction to it are easy to identify and one of the common symptoms is horrible skin as well as rotted and sometimes missing teeth. The addict’s appearance is unnaturally aged and scabbed over scratch marks are frequent. This doesn’t paint a pretty picture and the imagery is disturbing. It’s supposed to be because this is a drug that should never be experimented with and information on it cannot be overly presented.

Once an addiction is recognized, deciding how to treat it becomes the next important step. Addicts to this drug are extremely unlikely to seek treatment and are some of the most likely to relapse once treatment has been received. In addition, the drug is so damaging that many people find themselves to be a shell of their former self and this contributes to a sense of hopelessness that leads back to use. Treatment for this addiction has two basic approach perspectives. One of the programs incorporates a multi-level matrix approach and uses positive reinforcement. It generally combines individual and group therapy sessions at a rate of approximately three times a week for thirty six weeks. Continued support by twelve step programs is also recommended. The use of medication in dealing with meth treatment and withdrawal is complicated because an effective drug to reduce the life threatening symptoms of overdose doesn’t exist. Nor does a drug to deal with all of the psychological damages and paranoia as well as violent behaviors that are associated with early cessation. Treatment for methamphetamine is a complicated process and research into improving methodology is ongoing.

The major modalities for substance abuse, like methadone maintenance, outpatient programs, therapeutic communities and civil commitment treatments ordered by the criminal justice systems, have all been reported to be successful by most criteria. All the respective treatment programs are considered drug intervention treatments and have proven to be cost effective.

Goal oriented, flexible policies and philosophy programs produce better results than inflexible programs, especially when the adopted combinations of treatment components, which are suited to individual substance abusers, deal with their specific needs and problems. The drug clients lengths of time in a rehab facility is highly correlated with positive outcomes, but the dropout rate is high for most modalities. Clients entering treatment under either a family intervention or the intervention of legal coercion do as well by most outcome criteria as clients who voluntarily check themselves into a treatment facility.

The evidence on treatment effectiveness suggests that local and state social policy to expand treatment capacities and increased attention to above adequate implementation of treatment programs. The adverse social consequences of substance abuse have led to allocation of substantial public resources for drug treatments. Governmental policies are seeking to contain the spread of drug use to adolescent and to break the link between criminal behavior and illicit drug use in order to reduce the overall crime rate.

The traditional approach by the criminal justice system have not achieved much success with curbing or stopping drug use. But, it’s been proven that by drug intervention with treatments as mentioned above, has been effective and will reduce the amount of crime cause by individuals who are addicts, which in turn reduces the cost incurred by these crimes such as tax-payers money to pay for the defendants lawyers, cost incurred while in jail, cost incurred while in prison after a conviction.

As the substance abuse treatment field continues to evolve and the methodologies of treatment improve, it is important to continue examining the cost-effectiveness of these treatments.

There are many reasons for starting a drug treatment facility, and different scenarios where it might sound like a great idea. Someone who’s recently gotten sober might decide that this would be the best way to carry the message and help others, or a family member of an addict or alcoholic who didn’t get better might decide to open something in their name, or at least in their memory. There are also those who might see it as an opportunity to help pay the mortgage, by turning their home into a halfway house. Whether it’s a money-making enterprise or the desire is purely beneficent, both issues of money and charity will come into play, so it’s best to be reasonable about both of these.

To begin, it’s a good strategy to decide whether you want to make money from the center, or whether you want to open it as a non-profit. A non-profit does not mean you can’t pay yourself or employees, but only suggests that you’re not in business to generate income for the benefit of you or shareholders, and that all the profits will go back into the treatment center. This might be the better option if you don’t have a lot of start-up funds, and it may be easier in the long run to maintain. There are grants and loans available for non-profits as well as profitable businesses, but this does seem to be an area where people are more likely to contribute if their donations are deductible.

Next, it’s time to think about location, particularly if you haven’t already. Chances are, however, that you have an idea of the area in the city, or at least the city. Here, you’ll want to begin to do more research on what else is available for rehab programs here. Look carefully at what’s offered, and try to determine what it is that you can provide that no one else can. Also, what resources are at your disposal? On the human scale, what experiences do you and your potential staff have to bring to all of this? If there are diplomas involved, along with other qualifications and certifications, then you have a lot more to offer at the get-go. Be very aware of all the local laws regarding the administration of treatment, and make sure you meet all the requirements. It’s not a simple task by any means, and more than just a business or a specialty hotel, a treatment center is a commitment to a way of living, that combines solid business practice with a spirit of philanthropy, as well as a compassionate interest in helping people to find their way.

Substance abuse and addiction habits are actually a lot more common than what many people realize. And while almost everyone knows someone who has been affected by substance abuse there is still an element of silence on the subject. This is actually more harmful to both those that have an addiction and those that it affects than it is to be out in the open with these issues and talk about them. In addition, the more open we are as a society about the nature of addiction and substance abuse, the more likely those that suffer from it will seek treatment. Meanwhile, it is frequently those who are most closely associated to abusers that are the first to try and find treatment opportunities for them.

This is why husbands and wives are frequently the ones to do the calling, the research and the initial contact with various treatment facilities. And while this is extremely well intended, it should be remembered and understood that the addict is the only one who can actually make the change and they have to want to get treatment and deal with the problem before that change can take place. However, with that being said, it is also the threat, or actuality, of loosing one’s spouse and or family that can finally provoke an addict to admit they have landed at rock bottom and become willing to seek treatment.

Once a substance abuser is willing to enter a treatment facility or participate in a program it becomes necessary for the spouse to seek his or her own therapy. Depending on the nature of the addiction and the amount of damages to the relationship and lifestyle that have occurred, different treatment options are available for the partner. Sometimes, in the case of alcohol addictions, there are programs such as Al Anon that are particularly focused on helping the family members of alcoholics learn to deal with their own issues as well as cope with the effects of living with and loving an alcoholic. It is important to remember that whatever the addiction, it does not only affect the life of the addict, but also those that love him or her. And it is equally important to receive support services and not to ignore your own needs when you have a partner who is addicted to drugs and or alcohol.

Studies over the years have shown that three out of four people incarnated today, would benefit from drug rehab and substance abuse programs that are offered in prison.  Unfortunately, some states are looking to cut these programs in order to save money.  And what is unfortunate too, is that many of the programs offered, are filled to capacity, and those wishing to enter them while they are in prison are forced to wait months and even years in order to get involved in them.

The penalties for offenses which involve drugs are harsh, and these programs are sometimes denied from the people who need them the most.  Prisoners who are suffering with an addiction, and who do not receive the benefits of the programs are not only left to suffer, but they usually end up spending more time in jail, costing the state more money in the covering of the costs of that incarceration.  These programs benefit everyone involved.  For women, a rehab that is designed just for them, speaks directly to the issues that they, as women, are dealing with and trying to get a grasp on.

In his book, “The Gift of Fear”, Gavin de Becker states the result of his own study.  He went to every prison that had a death row.  One hundred percent of the men on death row in the United States, were victims of severe child abuse.  For women, many of those in the prison systems today, have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.  They need a safe place when they are recovering from addiction.

So in this case, they need a place without male presence.  The women can build up their trust in an environment that can focus directly on their issues at hand.  Studies have shown that when people have been charge with and imprisoned due to drug offenses, and they do receive treatment in jail, the number of those committing those same crimes again significantly drops.  And again, this is good for everyone involved, the individual themselves and society as a whole.

For many people whom have never experienced it, addiction may seem to be a dent in a shiny character.  A blip, on the computer screen of a person’s personality.  But it is complex and heartbreaking.  It is a double edged sword.  The addiction itself, causes pain.  And when one realizes that they are addicted, to anything, that becomes a secondary pain.  A pain of the mind, and a pain of the heart.  When addicted to anything, be it cigarettes, coffee, heroin or day time soap operas, what one realizes when they suffer an addiction, is that they no longer have control over certain aspects of their own lives.

Horrible, devastating consequences can result, but when people are in the midst of it all, none of that matters.  Nothing matters.  People lose the ability to make choices that would benefit them.  And most people, who have never found themselves in this kind of situation, do not understand the double edged sword, the “double whammy”.  When behavior becomes compulsive, it messes with the functions of the brain.  Just as whatever chemicals one may be dumping into their system messes with the brain, the knowledge that this is happening, and the inability in a given moment, to stop it can lead people into despair.

Motivation gets lost.  The ability to control one’s own behavior, gets lost.  But what does not get lost, is the sense that if they could, they would do something about it.  If they just had one bit of help, they might make it through.  Rehab programs offer this help and support.  In a non-judgemental setting, people can begin to be motivated.  They will gain knowledge and support from those who have been there before, those who will not criticize, but will offer understanding and caring in their time of desperate need.  People do survive addictions, everyday.  And because they do, they just quite simply…survive…and find that this is a beautiful life, a wonderful world.

Charlie Sheen was addicted to drugs, alcohol and sex. His addiction progressed during the 1990′s and coincided with a slump in his career, so much so that his family staged an intervention in an attempt to get him to control his drinking and drug-taking and to get him into rehab. Charlie did go into a drug rehab program for 30-days. When he got out of the rehab facility and publicly announced his goal for staying sober. His sobriety lasted 366 days.

It was a full year of staying sober, but the next day, Charlie began drinking again over at a friends house. He fell into another spiral down with his addictions. During an interview, Charlie told them he had begun drinking all the time. He was shooting in New York City and go out every night until 3 and 4 in the morning and then show up on set at 6am. He himself was stunned that he could do that every day. He said there he’d be doing cocaine, drinking, popping pills all the while telling himself that he’s not an addict, an addict does heroin and he didn’t do heroin. His true drug of choice was alcohol, he would drink two to three bottles of vodka every day. One time he nearly died from alcohol poisoning, but that didn’t stop him from drinking as soon as he got out of the hospital.

Charlie struggled with alcohol and drugs all through the 90′s. In 1998 he finally hit rock-bottom when he was hospitalized for a nearly fatal drug overdose. In the hospital, he was ordered to go back into rehab, but it took him almost two more years after that to totally overcome his addiction.

Charlie was also addicted to sex, in 1995, Charlie was called to testify at the trial of the Hollywood Madam, Heidi Fleiss. During the trial, he admitted to spending almost $50,000 for call girls, 27 in all at a cost of $2,500 each. After the trail, he was named ‘Charlie the Machine’. Women came out of the wood work saying he has an insatiable sex drive. Needless to say his marriage in 1995 to model Donna Peele was short-lived. It has been reported that Charlie did go to a treatment facility for sexual addiction, but the press is still out if he’s a recovering sex addict.

The American Medical Association did something very important for the recovery community over 40 years ago, when they publicly declared that alcoholism, and by association, drug addiction, were in fact diseases. Of the many stigmas that the addict has to live with, there is the assumption that they are people who make very bad choices over and over again. Admitting addiction into the category of disease does not take away all their responsibility for their actions, but should put the behaviors into a new light, and help us to understand what the options are for treatment, and more about what the stakes actually are. What’s the importance, then, of the disease model, rather that considering it to be a compulsion of the mind?

A compulsion almost always suggests that the root of the problem is one of will-power. The addict has to simply decide to be done with the drug, or the alcoholic with the drink, and then it’s a matter of getting help to get through the detoxification period and go on to live a normal life. There are plenty of studies now, and in the past, that suggest that something very particular happens to the brain chemistry of an addict after they’ve used drugs for a long period of time. It becomes altered in such a way that it is programmed to work with the drug in its system, and to revolt when the chemical is not present.

This does suggest that the addict or alcoholic is really not in control over their own brains. It’s not simply a matter of compulsion, and finding ways to keep the compulsion away. In these cases, the compulsion is actually a physical reaction in the body chemistry, and it seems as though once it has woken up, it never really goes to sleep. This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult for people who are close to addicts, because the capacity for irrational behavior is very high. However, treatment and recovery are ways of putting this chronic disease into submission, so that it can be possible to live a very full and healthy life. Thinking of this disease just as we might high consider high blood pressure, or perhaps even cancer in remission, then it’s possible to conceive of living with an addiction, and to be able to look at addicts, and ourselves, with more compassion. That’s one of the great gifts that came from the AMA’s decision.

There are medications that can be applied in re-establishing a normalcy in brain functions and will help to diminish cravings and prevent the chances of relapse. Right now, the medications for heroin and morphine addictions, nicotine and alcohol addictions have aided in the further development of other medications for treating stimulant such as methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana addiction. Many people with severe addiction issues are usually polydrug users (they use more than one drug) and require multiple treatments for the substances they abuse.

The treatment for Opioids, which is the main medication is Methadone, but for some addicts, they are prescribed burprenorphine and naltrexone are more effective. All of these medications act on the same areas of the brain just as heroin and morphine do. Methadone and burprenorphine act to suppress the withdrawal symptoms, which in turn relieve cravings. Naltrexone has not been as widely used as the Methadone and burprenorphine, but is used when methadone and burprenorphine are not helping with the withdrawl symptoms.

Nicotine replacement has a variety of formulations that act as replacements. The replacements come in many forms, such as gum, sprays, patches and lozenges, which are all available over-the-counter medications. Plus, there are two prescription medications, which have been approved by the FDA for nicotine addiction: varenicline and buproion. These each have different effects in the brain and both help with withdraw and with relapsing. Besides the use of these medication, most doctors recommend besides the use of medications to behavioral treatments, which includes group and individual therapies.

For alcohol withdrawals, the FDA has approved 3 medications for treating dependency on alcohol: disulfiram, acamprosate and naltrexone. There is a fourth called topiramate, which has shown encouraging results. Disulfiram runs interference with the degradation of alcohol, it basically produces a very unpleasant reaction, like nausea, palpitations and flushing if the patient begins to consume alcohol again. Acamprosate reduces symptoms that appear when one begins to withdrawal for alcohol, such as anxieties, insomnia, dysphoria and restlessness; actually, it may be more effective in patients with severe alcoholism. Naltrexone works on the opioid receptors involved in the rewarding effects of alcohol by blocking the receptors and reduces the chances for relapse. Naltrexone is effective in some patients, but not all.

Drug addiction, clearly, is a very large problem in the world, and one without simple solutions. It has likely been a problem for as long as people have been experimenting with intoxicants, which is to say, since the very beginning. What’s changed lately, however, is a set of attitudes and treatments for the addiction, and these are also related to definitions. It’s useful, then, to speak of definitions, in order to get some perspective on the options, so we’ll look closely here at what drug addiction actually is.

According to the standards set by the boards in psychiatry and other medical practices, addiction is a very complex phenomenon. It is something that happens to someone who uses drugs, generally for a long period of time. There is a lot of controversy about the notion of a genetic predisposition to addiction, and nothing conclusive has been found, although it seems as though there may be some ways of knowing ahead of time if someone is likely to become an addict. That may not be something we see in our lifetime, however, so it’s safer to assume that anyone can be predisposed to it. Addiction is repeatedly using the substance after there are demonstrable detrimental effects, a physical and/or psychological dependency on the effects, increased usage to obtain the same effect, and compulsion or craving.

Any one of these signs can indicate that there is the possibility for addiction, and this possibility should be enough to warrant an attempt to get help. One method for determining addiction or dependence is to cease using the drug altogether, and if there are withdrawal symptoms, then there is a very high chance of addiction. It has become common, since the 1960s, to place addiction and dependence together, although technically they are not the same thing. However, one usually leads to the other, and the treatment for both are effectively the same. Generally speaking, however, addiction is usually accompanied by an inability to see it as an addiction, and this sets off a chain of behaviors that make it so difficult on friends, family, as well as the addict. Like any chronic illness, it can be treated, and it can be controlled, and asking for help is a step in the right direction.