If you or someone you love is considering treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, there are many decisions you may need to make in order to find the right facility. Below are some things to consider when choosing a facility, as well as things to expect once you get there.

First of all, it might be necessary to call a hotline to get immediate help for an addiction. This would be used when a person doesn’t know where else to go for help, or possibly someone is in immediate danger. If this is the case, the individual on the other end of the phone can give you valuable information about immediate treatment options.

Types of Facilities and Programs

If the decision is something that is thought about for a while and discussed, there are many different types of programs that might be useful. The first questions might be whether the facility offers residential, in-patient, or out-patient treatment, or a recovery house or long-term care. Some facilities are gender or age-specific, which might be particularly helpful to adolescents or females who might feel more comfortable in a setting with their peers.

It may be necessary for the treatment facility to have a detoxification program for the individual to rid their body of harmful substances while being monitored by a staff of medical professionals. After the physical dependency of the substance is addressed, the patient can begin counseling and treatment to manage the psychological dependency. Many treatment facilities have different activities to aid in this part of the recovery process. Things such as group therapy and family involvement have proven successful in treatment, as well as the 12-Steps for recovery. Some specialized facilities also provide programs such as equine therapy, recreational activities, cooking opportunities, and other things geared toward giving the mind and body something positive to focus on.

Recovery is an Ongoing Process

It is important for patients to be directed to long-term care to assist them in staying sober in the future. By learning about the risks of relapse and the skills needed to cope with stress and addiction triggers, an individual will be more likely to stay substance-free. A facility should provide follow-up services to give the recovering patient a support base when they move back into their lives. Recovery is an ongoing process. The groundwork is laid when an individual goes through treatment, but recovery continues on as the person is put back into their lives and families and has to effectively put what they learned into practice.

Entering into a treatment facility is a scary thing for most people. The unknown is hard to face. But the right facility can ease discomfort with their caring staff and positive programs. It still won’t be easy, but the goal is for the treatment to be successful. By working with counselors and staff to learn about oneself and taking accountability for the addiction, an individual can actually aid in the recovery process. So while you can expect treatment to be a challenge, it will hopefully be the best thing you’ve ever done.

Sources

T., Buddy Components of Effective Treatment Programs What Makes Alcohol Treatment Programs Work? January 22, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_rehabilitation

Drug abuse in the workplace can be a big concern in any occupation, but what about when the addict is a doctor, or more specifically, an anesthesiologist? Some may think that this group of employees should understand the risks and dangers of controlled substances better than anybody. After all, they deal with these drugs everyday and have studied them in depth.

This may be the exact reason some doctors are able to successfully support a drug habit without getting caught. They have easy access to the drugs, being around the drugs every day may lead to cravings for the drug, they see the positive results patients experience with the drugs, and they know the symptoms of drug abuse and how to hide them without getting caught.

Anesthesiologists and drug abuse

A recent study examined the risk of anesthesiologists being exposed to low levels of drugs through patients exhaling them or through the skin. While more studies are being done on this subject, it could be said that just the constant presence of the substances near a person could easily drive them to try it. Many anesthesiologists who are addicts started using drugs when they were under the stress of their residency training period and were not experienced enough with their profession to say “no” to the temptation to try a drug. It’s easy to become addicted to such powerful drugs, and it often doesn’t work to “just try it once”.

Even though the statistics are low- as few as 2% of anesthesiologist residents abuse substances- the drugs that they do use are usually some of the most powerful intravenous drugs around. This often leads to death because of the strong substances and addictive nature of them. A few additional problems result from anesthesiologists using drugs: being so educated about controlled substances, anesthesiologists may be more able to cheat on drug tests to keep from getting caught. The chances of an anesthesiologist making it through treatment and going back to their work are not very good; 1 out of 9 will end up dying from relapse and subsequent addiction. And the public safety issue is very concerning – how do we ensure that those responsible for our lives are sober when treating us?

Solutions for hospitals

Some hospitals have measures in place to catch drug abuse among staff, including urine drug tests and strict monitoring of controlled substances being taken out of stock. While these may be useful tools to help keep people honest, some would argue that the thing hospitals need to focus on is prevention of the problem. Education and training should include drug addiction awareness, and stress reduction practices should be taught. Perhaps if we focus on the well-being of individuals before they feel the need to turn to substances we can prevent the abuse in the first place.

Cox, Lauren Urine Drug Tests for Doctors? Nov. 12, 2008

O’Brien, Keith Something, anything to stop the pain 11/9/08

Vogler, Mark Former Lawrence General Hospital nurse gets 41 years in federal prison Nov. 20, 2008

How would you feel if your insurance provider told you that the doctors’ visits and treatment costs for your illness were not going to be covered, or that you would have to pay a high deductible? Many people in our country are being told just that, and the reason is that the illness they have is substance abuse. There has long been a view in the world that substance abuse is a choice, or a character flaw, not a mental illness. Things are changing, however, and more and more research is being done on the complexities of the brain and its reaction to substance abuse. People today are beginning to see that while substance use might start as a decision to try something new, it quickly becomes an addiction that can’t be controlled.

Congress approves Mental Health Parity Act

Congress approved legislation last week that would change the way insurance providers handle claims for mental illness and substance abuse. The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 provides “equity in the coverage of mental health and substance use disorders by ensuring that group health care plans do not charge higher co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles, and impose maximum out-of-pocket limits and lower day and visit limits.” Supporters of this measure include many in the House and Senate, businesses, insurance companies, and physicians. However, a few questions remained and until last week, it was uncertain whether or not the bill would pass before Congress went into recess this year. By attaching it to the Wall Street bailout bill, however, Congress was able to pass it quickly.

Help is needed

Help can’t come soon enough for many Americans struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, mental illness is the leading cause, and substance use is the second leading cause, of disability among adults. Many of these adults are not getting the help they need to recover from their mental illness, and often it is because of the high cost of treatment. Another reason is fear of discrimination from their employer if they do seek treatment.

Equal Coverage for an epidemic

With legislation such as the Mental Health Parity Act, those with a substance abuse disorder can be reassured that their insurers will not be able to set a cap on healthcare coverage for mental illness or substance abuse that isn’t set for other illnesses.

In order to deal with the epidemic of substance abuse, we need more good addiction treatment facilities, more affordable health care to addicts, and more support behind families dealing with substance abuse. Through the passage of this bill, those with addiction should be encouraged to move forward and seek treatment, so that we can work toward decreasing the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse.

Sources

Congresswoman Shea-Porter Hails Passage of Mental Health Parity Act September 24, 2008

Many State Reform Initiatives Are Neglecting Mental Illness, Says Study July 08, 2008

Layton, Lyndsey Congress Approves Mental Health Bill Private Insurers Would Provide More Benefits Sept. 24, 2008

Ault, Alicia Equal Coverage For Mental Health?
Many States Require Parity, and Congress May Order It Nationwide November 6, 2007

Curley, Bob Congress, Bush Approve Addiction and Mental Health Parity Legislation October 3, 2008

It is a problem that has been around for decades. Adolescents feel stress from personal or family problems, high expectations at school, and peer pressure. One way teens deal with the pressure is to turn to drugs. In the past it was marijuana, LSD, heroin or cocaine that lead curious teens to try drugs. There are countless stories of teens who have suffered severe consequences because of abuse of drugs such as these. Brain damage, seizures, toxicity, and death are only some of the side effects of drug abuse.

With all the anti-drug campaigns in communities today, it seems that teens may be getting the point about the dangers of some of these “street drugs” and are actually turning away from them in some cases.

Prescription Drugs

Today, however there are many more drugs available to teens, and different drugs of choice are making their way into schools and homes. Prescription painkillers like oxycodone and Vicodin® have been used more and more by adolescents in recent years. Many teens today believe there is nothing wrong with prescription drugs when taken once and while for fun, yet statistics show that oxycodone and Vicodin® are the most common drugs involved in fatal overdoses by young people.

The risk with these drugs is that young people do not believe they are dangerous or illegal because they are prescribed by a doctor. Another danger with these prescription drugs is that teens are able to get them for a very low cost or even free from friends or relatives. The easy accessibility of these drugs leads to a higher number of teens getting their hands on them, simply stealing the pills from their parents’ medicine cabinet.

Drugs such as oxycodone and Vicodin®, when used under the supervision of a physician, can be very beneficial to patients. On the other hand, the abuse of these drugs can cause strokes, seizures, comas, addiction, and even death. These prescription drugs can be just as addictive as street drugs, and the effects can be serious on the bodies and minds of young, developing teens.

Prevention

Even though the problem seems staggering, there are ways for parents to help prevent the misuse of drugs in their homes. Parents need to keep track of their prescription drugs, and be aware that their children may be able to get drugs from family members or friends very easily. Parents should talk with their children about the use of medication, and alert them to the severity of abusing prescription drugs.

While it seems that many anti-drug campaigns have been beneficial in the past, funding is becoming an issue when it comes to teen drug prevention. Every year, Congress gives money to states for drug treatment prevention, allowing the states to divide up the money among some of the programs they wish. A recent trend shows many states often spend very little of the money on adolescent drug prevention. With the new problem of prescription drug abuse in teens, it seems it is important that organizations that educate teens on prevention and treat teen addicts would receive funding to continue to fight this national problem.

Sources

More Kids Dying, New York Times July 18, 2008

Heroin’s Hold on the Young, New York Times Jan. 13, 2008

OxyContin, Vicodin Grow Popular as Teen Drug Use of Choice, Think and Ask nonprofit news February 2007

Teens Turn Away from Street Drugs, Move to Prescription Drugs, New Report Reveals ONDCP Press Release February 14, 2007

Rx—A New Intentional High for Teens National Youth Anti Drug Media Campaign, Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 2006

We have all received them in our email boxes, messages from purveyors of prescription drugs claiming to offer these drugs at on-line pharmacies. These types of emails are not only annoying but they offer a portal into an on-line realm of readily available controlled substances. In a society where we are constantly being bombarded by the notion that every ailment from clinical depression to cancer has a “one pill fixes all” solution the availability of these dangerous drugs with little to no oversight causes real problems for our society.

According to the CASA report a total of 365 web sites were found which advertise or offer for sale controlled prescription drugs. Granted of the 365 206 were only advertising the sales of controlled substance but 159 actually offered these drugs for sale. Only two of these 159 websites were certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as legitimate on-line pharmacies. (you’ve Got Drugs V, Pg.1)

This puts dangerous drugs into the hands of anyone surfing the internet. It is no wonder that prescription drug abuse and addiction rates have been steadily on the rise since 2001, even as rates of other illicit drug use have dropped. It is troubling also to note the trends of who uses the internet when discussing how easily controlled substances are available in these on-line pharmacies. The CASA report states that while only 68% of adults in the U.S. have access to the internet nearly 100% of college students and 78% of children aged 12-17 years old have online access regularly (you’ve Got Drugs V, Pg. 2).

These internet pharmacies are also not verifying the age of customers either. Users 13 and under were allowed to purchase drugs even while admitting their true age (you’ve Got Drugs V, Pg. 9). This dangerous combination of ready availability and access by young people to the internet has led to an increase of prescription drug use especially by teenagers and young adults.

No longer is it necessary to venture to “the wrong side of tracks” to find drugs. There is no need to associate with drug dealers or have to seek them out any longer. Today drugs are so readily available on the internet that anyone can use them and purchase them at will. The disturbing statistics released in the CASA report reveal that we all need to be vigilant in watching our children and their friends for signs that they may be an addict, and offering the appropriate help when necessary.

Download the Full CASA report for free here
Sources:
You’ve Got Drugs V CASA whitepaper
Prescriptions drugs Abuse and Addiction, a research Report by the NIDA