It is widely accepted by addiction professionals throughout the country that the first phase of recovery from drug addiction or alcoholism is a medical detox. Detoxification is an essential element of drug treatment as it helps manage medical symptoms associated with drug withdrawal, while assessing and treating any accompanying medical problems. Most drug detox programs will manage drug withdrawal symptoms by designing a protocol for each patient and dispensing the appropriate medications to offset withdrawal. Due to the medical issues that can accompany drug withdrawal, not to mention how compromised a person’s health is, there should be a physician trained in addiction medicine and 24 hour nursing care.

When most people hear the words detox, they automatically think of managing drug withdrawal. While this certainly is the most important aspect of any drug detox, a service equally important is the ability to evaluate every individual as to their need for ongoing treatment. For this reason all centers need to employ clinicians trained in addiction and mental health problems, in conjunction with medical personnel, to evaluate each patient’s individual needs.

Credentials

There are many factors to consider when choosing a drug detox such as; ensuring that you are choosing a reputable and effective program. One way to achieve this goal would be to review the licensure of the program and the credentials of the staff.

Licensure

A program should always be licensed by the state in which they provide services. In Florida for example, it would be the Department or Children and Family Services. Secondly, and most important, is a program should be accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations (JCAHO). This accreditation insures the drug detox maintains certain standards of care as determined the Joint Commission.

Drug Detox Staff Credentials

The physicians providing the drug detox services should be board certified in their particular discipline and secondly credentialed by A.S.A.M., the American Society of Addiction Medicine. This insures the physician has a thorough understanding regarding the disease of addiction and drug detoxification protocol. The nursing staff should consist of Registered Nurses (R.N.) and Licensed Practical Nurses (L.P.N.) both trained in the treatment of drug addiction, alcoholism and the dynamics that accompany the person in drug detox. The clinical staff should as a minimum be master’s degreed or be a Certified Addiction Professional (C.A.P.). They should have experience in the treatment of drug addiction, alcoholism and psychiatric disorders and have spent some time working in a drug detox.

This article was provided by Dan Clark with Recovery Connection Addiction Treatment Helpline at www.recoveryconnection.org

Sometimes it can be hard to understand addiction. If you have never experienced it, it may be hard to sympathize. Some even wonder why drug addicts can’t quit on their own!

Many drug addicts actually feel this way themselves. Especially in the beginning, they feel that they can quit on their own – that they have complete control and power over their addiction. Either out of shame over their addiction or pride in their will, they try to stop without treatment. Long-term resistance usually is not accomplished in these situations.

Long-term drug abuse has long-lasting and significant effects on the human brain. These problems can continue long after the individual ceases using drugs. This can include the continued compulsion to use drugs as a behavioral effect, despite the well-publicized consequences of the habit.

Realizing that drug abuse has such biological effects can explain why that person has such difficulty maintaining their resistance to drug abuse without proper treatment and rehabilitation. Relapse occurrences are especially more common when these biological effects combine with locations and objects that remind one of their past with drugs, running into people from their drug-using days, or even the stress and pressures of family or work.

The important thing to remember is that all of these can be overcome with proper treatment from a professional. Research supports the notion that even the most severely addicted individual can actively participate in a treatment and rehabilitation program. This active participation is crucial to the success of the treatment and encourages the continued long-term abstinence from drugs and addiction.

With proper help, the drug addicted person learns the appropriate strategies for coping with their addiction and cravings. This includes ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, as well as dealing with a relapse if such a thing occurs. Behavioral therapy, including psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, and counseling, can be a huge benefit to an addict learning these strategies and the proper behavior. Treatment can also include medications to combat some of the biological effects, like the ones that were discussed above.

The best treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of the individual, as factors such as age, race, gender, culture, history of abuse, and type of addiction can all contribute to the variables of the addiction. This can include behavioral therapy, medication therapy, or a combination of both.

The drug addict is not alone, and it is important to ensure them that they are not. Through proper treatment and rehabilitation, they can succeed in overcoming this problem.

There is not necessarily any rhyme or reason to it: some children become addicted to drugs and alcohol. While there are genetic and social factors that can increase or decrease the likelihood, the fact remains that both good and bad parents can wind up with an addicted son or daughter. Now, your child will most likely not simply come out and tell you that they are abusing drugs or alcohol, so here are a few signs that should warrant your attention:

• As stated above, genetics do play a factor, so be alert if your family has a history of abuse.
• Have you seen evidence of their abuse, i.e. empty liquor bottles, marijuana joints, or other drug paraphernalia? Children generally try very hard to hide these things, and if they are found easily, it could be a sign that they are losing control.
• Has your child been showing a drastic change in behavior? This could be a loss of interest in family activities, loss of appetite, change in friends, depression, irritability or defensiveness, or many other signs.
• Is your child having money problems but won’t talk about them?
• Has your child received a DUI, or has he or she been involved in shoplifting or theft?
• Do you notice any burn marks on their fingers or lips, needle tracks, or sores on their face and nose?

If you do notice some of the above things and suspect that there is a problem, be careful in your reaction. Harsh punishment or lectures to your child may simply drive them further to abuse. So what can you do about it?

• Resist yelling. Try to create a healthy, positive atmosphere in your house.
• You can’t control your child; you can, however, control yourself. Focus on that and your dealing with it, rather than forcing your child to change.
• Sit down and discuss the boundaries of the home with the child. Explain reasons for them and consequences for their actions if disobeyed.
• Get your son or daughter enrolled in a rehabilitation program and be patient. This does not happen overnight. You may not be the factor that produces change, but rather your child’s experiences with other recovering addicts. It will take time.
• Keep a hopeful, positive attitude, and have a sense of humor. Overstressing over the situation only leads to a hostile environment, which will not produce the change.
• Get help yourself: for co-dependents. You’re not alone, so it’s important to help yourself recover as well as your child. You may need family addiction treatment.

It can be frustrating. You may be ashamed, or resent your child for acting the way they have been. The important thing to understand is that there is hope, and things can turn around – it will just take some positive action and a little patience.

The term “dual diagnosis” refers to someone who has been diagnosed with a major mental health problem and a substance addiction at the same time. Nearly half of all patients with mental health problems abuse drugs and alcohol. They often go hand-in-hand. For example, those dealing with alcoholism may be coping with mental illness. Those suffering from depression may disguise their symptoms with dependence on drugs or alcohol.

The first problem is diagnosis itself. A substance abuse problem can affect mental health disorder symptoms by either aggravating them, or masking them. On top of that, symptoms of substance abuse can closely resemble the symptoms of mental health disorders, so defining what is causing each symptom is increasingly difficult. Patients may also use one disorder to cover for the other. For example, an alcoholic patient suffering from bipolar disorder may agree to treatment of the disorder to cover up for his or her alcoholism. Upon completion of the psychiatric help, the patient may drop out of treatment entirely.

The families of those suffering from dual diagnosis also face increased problems related to the disorder. Most mental health services are ill-prepared to deal with both the mental health disorder and the compounded substance abuse problem. They also, then, cannot effectively treat and assist the families of those afflicted. Families also deal with the violence associated with their sick relatives. Domestic abuse and suicide is very common among those with the compounded diagnosis. It has also been reported that sexual abuse is prevalent among those dealing with dual diagnosis as well.

So what to do about these problems? For starters, many in the mental health profession are beginning to recognize that substance dependency is a problem, and they have stopped relegating it to a symptom. By doing so, they broaden their view of their patients and do not mistakenly categorize substance abuse under the mental health disorder “umbrella”. There has also been an increased awareness of dual diagnosis in the medical field. This has led to more discussions on treating both disorders simultaneously, rather than one at a time. By doing so, treatment effectiveness increases, as both the mental health disorder and the substance abuse are treated at each stage of rehabilitation. This increased awareness also results in more education on the topic for those in the medical field, which can only lead to further discussion, and treatment that can be effective for both the patient and their families.