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

A new study published November 5th in the Journal of the American Medical Association seems to show that addicted teens that are treated long-term with detoxification medications, including buprenorphine and naloxone, respond better than those treated for a short time. The drugs that were used in this study are two medications that were approved in 2002 by the FDA for the treatment of opioid addiction. Only about 7,000 physicians in the country are registered as potential providers of these drugs, and even less of that number will administer them to young people.

Opiate Detoxification Medications

Buprenorphine is a medication that significantly reduces the cravings of opioids. When combined with naloxone, an opioid antagonist, the results seem to be even better. Naloxone reduces or prevents the effects of drugs such as heroin or prescription painkillers, making them much less desirable to the addict. Naloxone also prevents the patient from misusing the buprenorphine combination because those that would try to inject the drug for a high (instead of taking it orally as prescribed) would suffer severe withdrawal symptoms.

While these medications have been used for adults in many instances, there has been little research on the effectiveness among young people addicted to opioids. The overall number of adolescents that abuse drugs has decreased since 2002, and while this is a very positive trend, the number of painkillers and opioids abused among teens has increased.

Study on Treating Adolescents

Dr. David A. Fiellin of the Yale University School of Medicine reports that as many as 10 percent of ninth graders have used opioids, and that 200,000 to 400,000 adolescents have abused some of these drugs. It seems that drugs are even more readily available to teens today than alcohol, as teens are able to order drugs online or steal them from their parents’ medicine cabinets. Often drug addiction starts as a fun thing that teens try, and ends up as a lifetime of dependence on the substance.

The study done by Dr. George Woody of the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry is one of the first of its kind. As was reported this week, researchers found that those teens that were put on a buprenorphine/naloxone combination (Suboxone) for an extended period of time (12 weeks or longer) were more likely to stay opioid free than those only given the medication for a short period of time. When taken off the medication, the drug use went up. Even with detoxification and counseling, the individuals that were taken off the Suboxone were back to using drugs in a short period of time.
While more research needs to be done on this topic, it seems that Dr. Woody and his team of researchers have shown that Suboxone is an effective treatment in the addiction of opioids when used for an extended period of time. There are those that disagree with the use of drugs to treat drug addiction, but if it means these adolescents have a chance to continue their life free of opioid addiction, many think these more drastic measures are worth taking.

Sources

Reinberg, Steven Extended Therapy Helps Drug-Addicted Teens November 4, 2008

Carver, Alice Extended Therapy for Young Opioid Addicts Better than Short Term Detox, Study November 5, 2008

Opiate Detox

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