So you have had enough of your drug or alcohol addiction, and maybe you’ve taken steps to get yourself into treatment. Or maybe your substance abuse has finally caught up to you and you are being forced into detox for family, financial, or legal reasons. Or maybe you are just finally seriously thinking of getting help and entering treatment in the near future.

Oftentimes there is a lag between the time the decision has been made, the trigger has been pulled, and when treatment actually starts. Ideally, once a person has admitted they have a problem and are willing to seek help, they should be whisked off to rehab, so as not to change their mind or get distracted again. But for the many times that this isn’t possible, it is important to consider what you should do with your last few days before treatment.

Don’t Over Abuse Your Substance

Do not go nuts and give yourself one last party on the substance, or one last crazy weekend of overindulgence. Just like the perpetual “diet starts tomorrow” attitude that causes would-be dieters to stuff themselves day after day, so it can go with substance abuse. You may think this is your last chance to live it up and to get as high as you possibly can, but these kinds of thoughts can be very damaging. For one, it may result in less motivation to enter treatment because you think, “Why would I want to give this up?”. It also creates a very dangerous environment for you or for others. Many people have overdosed just before entering treatment, causing serious injury or death. Many other people that are living it up before rehab cause accidents or injury from things like DUI or domestic abuse.

Focus on Positive Activities

It is not expected that you quit the substance on your own just days before your scheduled detox or treatment. After all, that’s why you are admitting yourself; to get help doing something you are unable to do yourself. But you should certainly keep the substance abuse in moderation. Now would be the perfect time to focus on eating right, maybe going for a daily walk, and most importantly, setting goals for your future. Keep yourself focused on what you really want for yourself and your family, so when the time comes, you are motivated to stick with the treatment program.

Look through old family photos of the “good old days”, read an inspirational book, attend church, or hear the stories of others that have succeeded in sobriety. All these positive things will help you much more in the long run than going out and partying one last time.

Sources

7 Things to Know Before Starting Drug Rehabilitation

Expert: Jail Time, Rehab ‘Best Thing’ for Lohan

Lindsay Lohan is turning a new leaf even before her jail sentence begins

EXCLUSIVE: Brooke Mueller Partied With Charlie Sheen Hours Before Going Into Rehab

Wouldn’t it be nice to be substance free? Not just heroin free, or oxycontin free, but also methadone free, alcohol free, even free from everyday crutches we may have gotten used to. Holistic treatment centers on overcoming substance abuse by looking at the whole person, by trying to get the big picture into focus, by promoting a natural, healthy lifestyle.

Whole Treatment

Many treatment facilities now offer a holistic approach to helping people get sober. This works because when someone has a drug or alcohol addiction, it is more than the substances that are the problem. Mental illness, events of the past, and family circumstances can all be factors that drive someone to abuse drugs or alcohol. In order to fully treat a person, it is necessary to create order in the rest of their life also.

Many people detox from drugs or alcohol, only to fall apart and turn back to it after treatment. This is because the pressures, the insecurities, or the things causing unhappiness are still present and cause the person to feel the need to rely on substances. But with whole healing, a person is able to stand on their own and be at peace without substances.

Types of Holistic Rehab

There are many different types of holistic rehab. There are the ones we might expect, including acupuncture, organic food, and medication. These things help us focus on complete health without using modern medicine. Some facilities offer culinary experiences with locally grown organic food, tailored to meet all of the body’s basic nutritional needs. Others have massage therapists, or acupuncturists that can cleanse the body of discomfort. Many programs have a spiritual core that helps a person rely on a higher power to live a clean, healthy life.

Other holistic approaches are maybe not what would come to mind when we think holistic, but they also help redirect the body and mind toward complete health. Experiences in nature, such as staying in the midst of beautiful mountains, powerful oak trees, or a sunny seaside help patients connect with the simple things in life. Adventure therapy gives patients a mission, to help them center on something other than their substance abuse. Equine therapy also provides a positive tool  to aid in recovery.

By providing a nurturing atmosphere filled with positive experiences, along with nutritious meals, support groups, and therapy, holistic patients can become completely sober. No more drugs or alcohol, no more medicines to take the place of the illegal drugs, no crutch. The journey is not easy, but with the right kind of holistic treatment, patients seeking a natural lifestyle can learn ways to bring themselves to a completely healthy mind and body.

Sources

Holistic practices can offer medical options

The Canyon

Michael’s House

The debate over whether we should offer treatment or punishment to drug-motivated criminals is still causing a stir. There are many people that support treating addicts that have committed crimes, but just as many people feel we should not give these people any special care.

Drug Related Crime

There are an estimated 2.3 million inmates in the U.S., and more than half of them are there because of drug-related crimes. This shouldn’t come as a surprise – drugs make people do dumb things. Crimes are committed because an addict is desperate to get their hands on more drugs, or are not thinking clearly because they are high. Many burglaries, accidents, and fights or murders are a direct result of the control drugs have on people. Drug addicts that receive no treatment for their substance abuse while in prison or afterward are likely to relapse. A convicted felon may detox in prison, but even after years of being clean from the substance, when they reenter society, many go right back to the drugs and most likely back to their life of crime. In fact, 50% of inmates will turn back to crime and drugs once they get out of prison. The vicious cycle of putting felons in prison, letting them out after their sentence is up, and catching them for the same kinds of crimes has many people thinking there must be a better way.

Pros and Cons of Treatment

Treatment while in prison and afterward is a solution that definitely helps. Detox alone doesn’t heal lives destroyed by drug abuse, but counseling and therapy do help. These addicts need to learn how to stay drug free, and how to live a healthy life. Addicts have a disease that has changed their brain chemistry, and will only get better with treatment.

But providing treatment for criminals in prison or instead of prison is not the solution everyone would like to see. Some people can’t get past the fact that these people committed crimes and deserve to be punished. Others feel that providing treatment instead of punishment is being soft on drugs, leading others to try to get away with more. Still others can’t support spending all the money up front that is necessary to treat inmates.

Stopping the Cycle

We have to keep going back to the effects of substance abuse on the human body. People that are addicted to drugs lose control of their lives. Only the drugs matter – stealing money for drugs, lashing out at or abusing others that stand in their way, or hurting innocent people are all consequences of a mind that is influenced by drugs. We don’t have to go easy on drug addict criminals, but we do need to keep them from hurting any more people. The most effective way to stop the drug/prison cycle is to treat with rehab. Recidivism rates go down 30% among those that receive treatment.

Money is a big concern in the prison systems right now, and only 1/5 of drug addicted inmates get help for their drug problem. Many states, struggling with budget cuts and money constraints, have been quick to cut funding for treating inmates. In the long run, however, treatment is the way to go. It is cheaper to treat than incarcerate, and the money saved from not having to arrest and imprison these people over and over again will save a substantial amount of money.

Sources

US Prison System Falls Short In Treating Drug Addiction, Study Finds

Treating Drug Addiction: What Families and Offenders Need to Know

The Case for Treating Drug Addicts in Prison

Sometimes we need to meet people where they are with drug and alcohol treatment programs. There are treatment centers in all different areas of the country, for people in all different walks of life. There are facilities that specialize in family therapy, those that offer luxury rehab, and programs that work with only adolescents or women or older individuals.

However, many more groups of people could certainly benefit from therapy that is tailored to their specific needs. Police, firefighters, and emergency response workers respond well to being in treatment with others in their field. This concept could be applied to others as well; treatment for moms, treatment for certain religious groups, and treatment for other types of professions. People often feel ashamed and intimidated when they enter treatment, but if they are able to bond with others that are also recovering, they become surrounded by a support system that helps all the patients greatly in their recovery.

Sober College

A new kind of treatment for college students has emerged in recent years. One such facility is called Sober College, and it offers specialized treatment along with college courses. The college is located in Woodland Hills, California, and it offers inpatient treatment and a drug and alcohol-free environment for learning. The students of Sober College have been in college before, or had hoped to apply, but weren’t able to follow through with their education because of drug or alcohol problems. The center has partnered with Woodbury University, which is a nonprofit institution nearby that offers master’s level courses. Professors from Woodbury teach online courses to Sober College students, and the credits can be transferred to other universities as credits earned at Woodbury.

Staff and faculty of Sober College work to get students back on the right track toward continue their education. Its primary goal is to help bring these young people through the struggle with substance abuse that has been hindering their long-term goals. There is an alcohol abuse and drug addiction epidemic on college campuses right now, and this is detrimental to the learning ability of students. But by taking the students away from those temptations, getting them help for their addictions, and letting them offer encouragement and support to each other, a program for college aged patients can be successful. By adding college-level courses on top of it all, these patients are now on their way to setting priorities in life that include getting an education.

When we find out that people just like us struggle with substance abuse, it makes it a little easier to open up and face our problem. We all fall sometimes on our journey through life, and it’s good to have people around us that have been through the same thing to help us get back up. College students are no different. With programs like Sober College they can encourage each other in their studies while learning to be sober. 

Sources

Sober College Rehab

Sober College

Sober college: Sober Living by the Sea’s Extended Care Program

Maybe you’ve known for a while that you have an addiction to something. If you know deep down that you can’t get sober on your own, now is the time to do something about it.

An addiction can be very devastating. It can ruin lives and family relationships. Some people that are addicts are very easy to pick out, as they are the ones that can’t keep up their regular life because drugs have taken over. Other people, however, can almost elegantly balance a full life of work, family, and drugs. Both kinds of people need help, and they need help soon.

Reason for Not Wanting to Get Help: Shame

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that 20.8 million people in our country are not getting the treatment they need for drugs or alcohol. There are many reasons why someone puts off getting help for an addiction. One of the main reasons is embarrassment over their problem, and the fact that they don’t want to let their family down. But what the addict fails to see, however, is how much a drug or alcohol problem really affects a family. Abuse, neglect, and emotional pain are all characteristics of a family with an addiction. Most families agree that they suffer much more with an addiction than they would if the person would get treatment.

Reason for Not Wanting to Get Help: Fear and Isolation

Some addicts are afraid they will feel isolated if they get help, and are unsure of what lies ahead. But someone that enters treatment does not do it alone. Relationships form between patients and staff, and support groups build lifelong bonds. Many treatment centers now realize the importance of family involvement, and family therapy is commonplace today. And treatment does not necessarily mean detox or an inpatient stay. There are many people that can recover with outpatient treatment and counseling.

Reason for Not Wanting to Get Help: Financial Burden

Another excuse that might be given for not getting help is the cost. New steps are being taken in the field of health care and insurance, so that many plans will now cover substance abuse treatment. Government programs will also cover many patients’ treatment. Even if the patient has to pay for their treatment, drugs themselves aren’t cheap. Enduring the financial burden of a drug habit or alcoholism is taxing on any family, not to mention loss of work, loss of productivity, health problems, and the toll on society.

An addiction certainly affects all those involved. It may be hard to give in and admit that a problem is too big to handle alone. But it is so important to get help. Today. Those people that put off getting help today will likely talk themselves one last day of drugs, or one more week of drinking, but these often turn into weeks, months, and years longer of the addiction. Don’t let an addiction continue to control a life any longer.

Sources

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

Drugfree.org

NIDA InfoFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction

In a world where drug addiction affects so many different people, it is important that we each do all we can to fight the good fight against drug abuse. This may not always be at the top of people’s minds, but employers could (or should) play a huge role in stopping drug abuse among employees. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the annual cost for drug use in the workplace is $100 billion due to lost time, accidents, health care and workers compensation costs. Besides the obvious reasons, like that employees on drugs are less productive, less responsible, and less reliable; it should be the moral duty of employers to help those under them that abuse drugs.

Cheating on Tests

Sadly, too many employers are willing to let their workers that are abusing drugs slip by. Drug tests are often easy to cheat on and some employers will use the easiest test to pass or look the other way when they know someone is cheating, just to prevent a big hassle. Most managers either need to or would like to show they’ve tested their employees and that they’ve turned up clean, but the sad thing is that to many of them, this is simply a formality that they can easily tamper with. After all, in many people’s minds, a positive drug test would mean they have to either fire the person, or help them get into detox or treatment, and that would use up money or resources. Besides, a lot of drug addicts have become pretty adept at balancing drug abuse and a job.

Help for Employees

So what needs to be done? There’s plenty that can be done to help employees with their drug habit. To start, employers can bite the bullet and do what’s really best for their employees. They could have an Employee Assistance Program in place that will provide a counselor to help determine the type of help an employee needs. Employers can also provide insurance plans for their workers that cover substance abuse treatment and mental health care. Employers should never shirk their duties to provide a fair drug test, and then, based on the results, should give time off for the person to recover, or let them go if that’s the policy.

Drug-Free Workplace

There is even more that managers can do. They can encourage preventative care or early intervention for employees by providing incentives for regular doctor’s visits. They can host educational events to help employees learn the benefits to staying clean. And employers can create an attitude around the workplace that focuses more on healthy living.

Employers should not assume that recreational drug use is ok. It is harmful and illegal, and it can lead to addiction. Look for outside help, like from the Department of Labor, for ways to get started in providing a drug-free workplace.

Sources

U.S. Department of Labor  

EAP

Intro to Drug Screening

The Canyon

The mind is a powerful thing. All the knowledge and information that is held there is really remarkable. But the mind can also do much harm when not working properly. Mental illness and substance abuse are sicknesses of the brain that are very difficult to control.

Years ago, substance abuse was considered a bad habit. Drug addicts were labeled lazy, rebellious, or selfish because they chose to turn their lives over to a bad habit. According to this kind of thought, addicts needed to be punished and taught that substance abuse is wrong and if they wanted it bad enough, they could achieve complete sobriety.

The Effects of Drugs on the Brain

But in the last 10 years or so research has started to show just how negatively and permanently substance abuse affects the brain. Sure, someone chooses to try the drugs in the first place – we can’t try to take all the blame away. But the mind can be permanently altered by the drugs, causing the person to need them more and more. The hormones that are released when a brain comes in contact with a drug give the euphoric feeling of the high. Over time, the drugs take the place of these natural hormones, so that the brain cannot achieve normalcy or excitement without them. All the brain wants at this point is more drugs in order to continue the high.

When looking at it through the physiological viewpoint of the brain, drug abuse doesn’t look so much like a bad person doing harmful things. Just like mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders, substance abuse quickly becomes an issue with the brain; one that the body cannot manage or control by itself.

There is still a general stigma in our world today that addicts are just not trying hard enough to kick their habit, that these people are being lazy and don’t really want to get better. While some people do continue in their drug abuse without even looking for help, many people try and fail to get clean.

Treatment for Drug Addiction

Treatment is available, and the right treatment does work. Someone whose brain is addicted to a substance won’t be able to quit without a fight, but like any other mental illness, the brain is able to heal. Treatment will first of all get the body and mind free from the substance, and then teach the person how to stay clean. Therapy and counseling will help the patient identify why the substance abuse started in the first place. Support groups and family therapy will help the person in their long term struggle to stay clean. With help, the brain can be relieved of substance abuse, and can learn to function again on its own.

Sources 

Substance Abuse In Florida – A Mental Condition?

Drug Abuse and Addiction

Technique Developed to Visualize Drug Addiction Brain Activity

When will we learn that, as cute and talented as they are, child stars often struggle with drugs, failure, and bankruptcy later in life? Another former child star has died, and drugs are the suspected cause. Corey Haim, the teenage heartthrob of the 80’s, has died at age 38. Sadly, this death was not a surprise to most.

We’ve seen this too many times before. A child actor realizes young fame, transforming their lives from a normal childhood to one of undivided attention, wealth beyond imagination, and freedom from every day chores and school. We should know this kind of life for an impressionable teenager has its consequences – we’ve witnessed it in numerous lives.

Corey Haim and Drugs

Corey Haim lived this life of conflict. He was known by every teenage girl in the 80’s, and starred in several films, including Lucas and Lost Boys. But sometime after that fame settled, he began taking prescription drugs. Valium was said to be his drug of choice, although he reportedly used others along the way. Fans that kept up with him saw him go from a funny, hyper child to a depressed, incoherent, miserable adult. Other things in Haim’s life began to suffer the effects; he couldn’t land good work, his weight increased drastically, and he went bankrupt. Like so many people addicted to prescription drugs, he didn’t care about other things in his life and his addiction simply got too powerful.

Haim’s drug abuse was evident to anyone who cared to watch. Videos of him doing interviews with slurred speech or garbled words are all over the web. He entered rehab a number of times and claimed to be drug free a few times in the last decade, but he always went back to the drugs. For anyone that has been through the struggles of drug addiction, or watched a loved one go through it, the Corey Haim story publicly depicts the pain a drug addict goes through on a daily basis.

Haim was eventually paired up with Corey Feldman, co-star of the 80’s, for the A&E show “The Two Coreys”. The show documented Haim living in Feldman’s suburban home. At that time Feldman, married with a child, tried to help out Haim, who was struggling with drugs and trying to get his acting back up and going. The show only lasted two seasons, and didn’t seem to improve anything in Haim’s life.

Corey Haim was then rumored to be recruited by Celebrity Rehab for their show, but turned it down, saying he didn’t need the help. Like so many of us, he denied he had a problem or needed real help, until it was too late.

It is tragic that another celebrity has died, reportedly because of drugs. It is more tragic, that we all saw it coming, and no one could do anything to stop it. This is the same sad story of many other people in this world caught up with drug addiction. 

Sources

Still Buddies: 2 Guys With One Name

Corey Haim Dies

Corey Haim, Actor, Dies at 38  

Relapse is such a big danger to those attempting sobriety, and it is important that both the rehab facility and the recovering addict have a solid plan in place to help avoid relapse. For recovering addicts that go right back to their old life and friends, the chance of relapse is going to be much higher. Someone breaking free from addiction needs to surround themselves with positive activities, support groups, and continuing treatment for the best chance at success.

Sober Housing

One problem that some patients encounter is finding suitable living conditions. These may be people that lost their house and family because of their drug abuse or alcoholism. It is difficult to rise up from rock bottom, being alone in the world, living on the streets or in a shelter, with no family left for support. These people may break free from drugs with the help of a facility, but for many people, entry back into the real world can be a difficult task. That’s when aftercare housing comes into the picture. Some organizations offer housing specifically for people recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. These may be apartments or multi-level houses that offer a place to live and additional support for those recovering from addiction. This kind of housing is often a great benefit to those working to stay sober because it allows them to be surrounded by others that are recovering, it gives them access to treatment programs and support groups, and it holds them accountable to staying sober. Drug tests are usually mandatory for these housing facilities in order to ensure that residents are keeping their commitment to stay clean. Other benefits to these types of housing may include reduced or free rent for a period of time, and access to things like food banks, clothing donations, and job opportunities.

Encouragement to Stay Sober

Living in an aftercare facility is not necessary for everyone recovering from addiction. Many people are fortunate to still have the support of close family or friends to help and encourage them to stay sober. A family that has gone through treatment together will be stronger and better equipped to help their loved one avoid relapse. But for all the people that have no one close to rely on, aftercare housing is a great option. The fellow residents become their extended family and together these individuals are able to encourage each other to stay clean.

Relapse will still be a problem, even for patients with family or aftercare housing. It is important for treatment programs to continue to work with their patients after rehab, in order to encourage them to remain sober. Support groups are a must, as they offer valuable healing and encouragement on the road to recovery. Recovery is a life-long journey, and the risk will still be there to relapse, but people are able to carry on with a normal life after some time, with the help of support groups along the way.

Sources

Communal Housing Settings Enhance Substance Abuse Recovery

Mass.gov 

Finding a way out

Mexico is a country under pressure right now with wars between the government and drug cartels, as well as between different cartel groups themselves. When Felipe Calderon came to power as the Mexican president in 2006, he declared a war on drug cartels in the country. To do this meant they would stop trying to catch and punish addicts that were dealing drugs to support their own habit. Rather, the focus turned to getting them into treatment for their addiction, while focusing on seizing the big dealers. The result of this is that many drug addicts have been channeled into treatment facilities, but it also has caused drug cartels to get desperate.

War in Treatment Facilities

In the city of Ciudad Juarez last year, just across the border from El Paso, TX, members of the Sinaloa drug cartel opened fire in a rehabilitation clinic. This was just one of many incidents by desperate cartel members. Over the year, numerous attacks were made on either former addicts that were no longer going to be dealing drugs, or on members of other cartels that were recruiting dealers in the clinics. The battlefield has moved from the streets into rehab facilities in Mexico.

Recruiting Recovering Addicts

Drug cartels are now trying to take over the treatment industry in certain cities of Mexico. Their goal is to recruit more drug dealers for their organized crime. Using intimidation, brainwashing, and force, cartels are able control those trying to get out of addiction. Some cartel members check themselves into rundown, unlicensed clinics, posing as patients. After a short time, the cartels take over the clinic and begin to try to convince the patients to go out and sell drugs. If they refuse, the patients are beaten or killed.

Some of these cartel members are successful in recruiting new dealers from rehab facilities. They have the perfect prey; people who often don’t have any close family or friends, are at a low point in their life, and feel they have no place to turn. They often have no money, no hope of a job, and they are easily convinced that they can do no better than deal drugs. With the threat of bodily harm, many people are easy to convince.

The whole situation in Mexico seems almost unbelievable. But many people don’t seem too worked up about it, and think that it is just a last ditch effort by the cartels to gain some power back. While the Mexican government knows their country has a problem with both drugs and crime, they are waiting out the effects of the decriminalization. Other countries, including the United States, are watching this state of affairs closely. Everyone wants to find a good solution to the drug problem, and there will most likely be things our country can learn from the way things are turning out in Mexico.

Sources

17 patients killed in shooting at Mexican drug rehab center 

New Threat to Mexico’s Drug Cartels: Rehab Centers

Mexico drug cartels go into the rehab business