Alcohol abuse treatment is not easy to find. Many facilities advertise that they address “drug and alcohol addiction” but really their specialty is drug addiction. Though usually it does not matter whether you are treating drug addiction or alcoholism, sometimes a person who has an alcohol problem is not able to relate with other people who have a drug problem. That is why when researching alcohol rehabilitation centers make sure that they specialize in alcohol addiction.
During this process you should know whether or not the alcoholic will require a medical detox. If they have delirium tremors or have shown signs of seizures when coming off of alcohol then you should definitely pick an alcohol rehab program that offers a medical detox. The detox process makes it easy for a person to come off of alcohol rather than “cold turkey it.” Most alcohol rehab facilities require a person to go through detox first before treatment starts.
Once a person is detoxed than counseling and therapy will be used to treat the underlying issues. This is very important because this is what will keep the person from returning to alcohol as a means to cope. This is where the person will learn life skills to better manage their life as a whole. Many alcohol programs offer an aftercare which can be very helpful as well.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Does Intervention Work?
Drug addicts and alcoholics are not always the most responsible people in the world. Nor are they the most trust worthy either. Families who have a loved one suffering from drug or alcohol addiction can get so frustrated because they try so hard to get the person to enter into a drug and alcohol rehablitation center and fail.
That is why an intervention is so important. Whether it is a drug intervention or an alcohol intervention, these are the first step to overcoming addiction. The reason is a trained intervention specialist knows how to educate the family on enabling an codependency and then organize a strategic game plan on how to confront the person refusing to get help with their addiction.
Once the family has been educated then the intervention occurs, usually the next day. The drug intervention is considered to be done once the person has agreed and is then escorted into a long term drug rehab.
That is why an intervention is so important. Whether it is a drug intervention or an alcohol intervention, these are the first step to overcoming addiction. The reason is a trained intervention specialist knows how to educate the family on enabling an codependency and then organize a strategic game plan on how to confront the person refusing to get help with their addiction.
Once the family has been educated then the intervention occurs, usually the next day. The drug intervention is considered to be done once the person has agreed and is then escorted into a long term drug rehab.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Drug Addiction Treatment
Drug addiction treatment centers are finding new ways to cure addiction. The old philosphy of treating an addiction like a disease is stale and out dated. Not to mention there is absolutely no science that can back any type of theory like that up. A disease is something that will show up on a blood test like diabetes or cancer. Addiction is not a disease rather it's a choice. Please do not think that my philosphy is that an addiction is something easy to overcome. I too was an alcoholic and drug addict for years but learned how to live life drug-free and found ways to be more resposible and accountable for my condition in life.
Any type of drug rehab program whether its an inpatient faclity, or long term drug rehab always remember that you hold the power of overcoming anything in life.
Any type of drug rehab program whether its an inpatient faclity, or long term drug rehab always remember that you hold the power of overcoming anything in life.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Drug And Alcohol Rehablitation
Drug and alcohol rehabilitation can be very confusing to locate. There are so many websites on the internet that a person can get overwhelmed at which program is the best. Many times it is good idea to speak with family references that have sent their loved one to a drug rehab program that you are looking at. We recommend you do this before you send your son or daughter to a treatment facility. You may want to speak with one of the addiction counselors of the medical doctor on staff. Usually they can provide medical information on the program that an admissions counselor can’t.
Treatment programs very state to state. Whether you are looking for a Michigan drug rehab or a Georgia drug rehab, don’t rule out the possibility of sending someone out of state. Sometimes the most effective form of treatment is changing a person’s environment.
Treatment programs very state to state. Whether you are looking for a Michigan drug rehab or a Georgia drug rehab, don’t rule out the possibility of sending someone out of state. Sometimes the most effective form of treatment is changing a person’s environment.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Does Outpatient Treatment Work?
A question that many families ask is does outpatient drug rehab really work? Statistically speaking you have about a 1-5% chance of being successful after completing some type of outpatient treatment. This is not a high rate of success for many reasons.
For cocaine treatment or heroin treatment to be effective one should change his or her environment. The reason is friends and family can actually cause a person to crave drugs and alcohol or even remind them of the wrong things they have done.
The other reason is they need to be in a controlled environment for at least 90 days before entering into real life situations. They must detox first than learn how to deal with life issues and learn coping skills before facing underlying or emotional problems.
For cocaine treatment or heroin treatment to be effective one should change his or her environment. The reason is friends and family can actually cause a person to crave drugs and alcohol or even remind them of the wrong things they have done.
The other reason is they need to be in a controlled environment for at least 90 days before entering into real life situations. They must detox first than learn how to deal with life issues and learn coping skills before facing underlying or emotional problems.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Ritalin Addiction
In America today we face a grave issue, the overuse of prescription drugs to combat attitude and emotional problems. America has become a drug society, and I am not speaking of common street drugs such as marijuana, heroin, or cocaine, I am speaking of prescription drugs, drugs that you can obtain from your local physician or psychiatrist. One drug in particular that is being sold on the black market, college campuses, high schools, and even middle schools, is a drug called Ritalin. The prescribing of the drug Ritalin to cure Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD, and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD is a serious problem today I will inform you as to why Ritalin is not the solution to the problem.
In his sophomore year of high school my uncle was recommended to visit a psychiatrist. After a series of tests the psychiatrist diagnosed my uncle with ADD, and he prescribed the drug Ritalin as a medicine for this diagnosis. Within the next two months following the prescription my uncle became very addicted to Ritalin, he crushed and snorted it, and even dealt this drug to other kids at his school for two to five dollars a pill. Later, my uncle had a , which is a common story for people who take Ritalin, because of the similar nature of the two drugs. In fact the Drug Enforcement Administration categorized all drugs, legal and illegal into five categories. The first category of drugs has the highest addictive capabilities and lowest medicinal use. Essentially, category one contains the hardest drugs. Category two is only a notch below one, and it contains drugs such as Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Methylphenidate, or Ritalin as it is more commonly known. Yes, both Cocaine and Ritalin have been classified Category II narcotics by the DEA, yet one is illegal and the other is given to young children by doctors and their parents.
From 1990 to 2000 over 569 children were hospitalized due to Ritalin prescription, 38 of them were life threatening conditions, and 186 died. The National Institute of Health has even stated that “[They] do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there is no data to indicate that ADHD is due to brain malfunction,” which is what Ritalin treats. Dr. David Williams, who has researched ADD and ADHD has found that “ADD/ADHD is not a chemical imbalance in the brain, but rather is caused by food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low protein and high carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, thyroid disorders, amino acid deficiencies and other acid deficiencies.” Often times schools will recommend students to see psychiatrists, to fix their behavioral problem, these doctors in turn will then unnecessarily diagnose the students with either ADD or ADHD and prescribe them Ritalin, in order to give the student a quick fix solution to their behavior problem. According to a recent Washington Post article, an FDA advisory board recently voted to require a health warning on Ritalin. According to the article, “members of the board said the recommendation was driven as much by worries that the drugs are being overused in the United States as by the possible side effects: About 10 percent of 10-year-old American boys are taking such medications, and there have been recent sharp increases in the number of adults taking them.” It’s incredible to think that 1 out of every 10 ten-year-old boy in American is legally taken a category II narcotic.
Why do doctors and psychiatrists prescribe a highly addictive and poisonous drug that is ranked at the same level as Cocaine? Why do they want the quick fix drug that does not address the real issue of nutritional deficiency? Why don’t they instead work with their patients to improve their diet and put them on a strict vitamin and mineral regimen? Improving nutrition and diet is the non-narcotic solution to the ADD and ADHD problem, not the extremely dangerous Ritalin, which can cause death and is considered a gateway drug.
In closing, let me tell you about what finally happened to my uncle. Fortunately, he went through a successful drug rehab program and now lives a drug free life. He has often told me that he regrets ever being prescribed Ritalin, because it was the beginning of his major drug problem. He says that that many of the people who he met in the drug rehab facility and still meets today through his work as an intervention specialist have the same regrets. Ritalin was the beginning of a serious drug problem for them.
We as a society cannot allow the extremely dangerous quick fix solution of Ritalin for ADD/ADHD, but instead must work together to prevent doctors and psychiatrists from prescribing Ritalin as a cure for ADD/ADHD.
In his sophomore year of high school my uncle was recommended to visit a psychiatrist. After a series of tests the psychiatrist diagnosed my uncle with ADD, and he prescribed the drug Ritalin as a medicine for this diagnosis. Within the next two months following the prescription my uncle became very addicted to Ritalin, he crushed and snorted it, and even dealt this drug to other kids at his school for two to five dollars a pill. Later, my uncle had a , which is a common story for people who take Ritalin, because of the similar nature of the two drugs. In fact the Drug Enforcement Administration categorized all drugs, legal and illegal into five categories. The first category of drugs has the highest addictive capabilities and lowest medicinal use. Essentially, category one contains the hardest drugs. Category two is only a notch below one, and it contains drugs such as Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Methylphenidate, or Ritalin as it is more commonly known. Yes, both Cocaine and Ritalin have been classified Category II narcotics by the DEA, yet one is illegal and the other is given to young children by doctors and their parents.
From 1990 to 2000 over 569 children were hospitalized due to Ritalin prescription, 38 of them were life threatening conditions, and 186 died. The National Institute of Health has even stated that “[They] do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there is no data to indicate that ADHD is due to brain malfunction,” which is what Ritalin treats. Dr. David Williams, who has researched ADD and ADHD has found that “ADD/ADHD is not a chemical imbalance in the brain, but rather is caused by food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low protein and high carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, thyroid disorders, amino acid deficiencies and other acid deficiencies.” Often times schools will recommend students to see psychiatrists, to fix their behavioral problem, these doctors in turn will then unnecessarily diagnose the students with either ADD or ADHD and prescribe them Ritalin, in order to give the student a quick fix solution to their behavior problem. According to a recent Washington Post article, an FDA advisory board recently voted to require a health warning on Ritalin. According to the article, “members of the board said the recommendation was driven as much by worries that the drugs are being overused in the United States as by the possible side effects: About 10 percent of 10-year-old American boys are taking such medications, and there have been recent sharp increases in the number of adults taking them.” It’s incredible to think that 1 out of every 10 ten-year-old boy in American is legally taken a category II narcotic.
Why do doctors and psychiatrists prescribe a highly addictive and poisonous drug that is ranked at the same level as Cocaine? Why do they want the quick fix drug that does not address the real issue of nutritional deficiency? Why don’t they instead work with their patients to improve their diet and put them on a strict vitamin and mineral regimen? Improving nutrition and diet is the non-narcotic solution to the ADD and ADHD problem, not the extremely dangerous Ritalin, which can cause death and is considered a gateway drug.
In closing, let me tell you about what finally happened to my uncle. Fortunately, he went through a successful drug rehab program and now lives a drug free life. He has often told me that he regrets ever being prescribed Ritalin, because it was the beginning of his major drug problem. He says that that many of the people who he met in the drug rehab facility and still meets today through his work as an intervention specialist have the same regrets. Ritalin was the beginning of a serious drug problem for them.
We as a society cannot allow the extremely dangerous quick fix solution of Ritalin for ADD/ADHD, but instead must work together to prevent doctors and psychiatrists from prescribing Ritalin as a cure for ADD/ADHD.
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