It’s open enrollment: Are you or your loved one ready for rehab?

By David Heitz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the holidays upon us, you may be thinking now is the right time to sit down that special someone in your life who you have been watching slide down the slope. That alcoholic, that person addicted to heroin, that friend desperately unable to break free from meth addiction. Deciding to have that intervention is a great first step. But what happens once your special someone agrees to rehab? Before you decide to stage an intervention, make it easier by fully knowing your options first. By purchasing insurance for yourself or for your loved one during open enrollment period, either through the healthcare exchange or through your employer, you likely will have decent coverage for most residential rehab plans.

 

One of the biggest things that Obamacare did was to require mental health and substance use disorder treatment to be covered on parity with physical health. That means plans must cover therapy and counseling and inpatient drug and alcohol rehab. According to Healthcare.gov, it amounted for the largest national behavioral health expansion in a generation. If the person needing rehab already is insured, don’t think the march to recovery already has taken its first steps. There are a variety of centers out there. At many places, there are long waiting lists. So, plan ahead, and choose which rehab center you think seems most appropriate for you or your loved one. Visit several. Perhaps narrow it down to two or three from which your loved one can choose. Usually when someone becomes “rehab-ready,” so to speak (is willing to go into treatment), it’s because a crisis has just occurred. During these moments of crises, an addict or an alcoholic often will agree to go into rehab, but only if it happens immediately. Not having insurance when that time comes leads to much higher rehab costs. What’s more, finding a facility with an open bed at the last minute can be difficult, especially when you have not made prior contact.

 

Inpatient v. outpatient treatment; a child who refuses to carry insurance

 

Under Obamacare, a dependent living under their parent’s roof can be covered by their parent’s health insurance until age 26. This isn’t always the case, however. More on that in a second. In a 2006 article published in Health Services Research, scholars demonstrated that in California, substance abuse treatment has a repayment benefit to society. After analyzing data from more than 2,500 patients, the researchers showed a 7:1 cost benefit to society ratio. (1) The benefits to society were calculated based on lower crime rates reflected in available arrest data. The study even looked at residential treatment versus outpatient treatment costs and benefits. It concluded that while the outpatient treatment proved less effective at keeping people sober, it also cost loss. In the end, outpatient treatment actually had a higher net return to society per dollar spent for that reason.

 

When all is said and done, you may be in a situation where your loved one had health insurance through his or her work but stopped paying the premium. Indeed, they could be diverting that money to drugs or alcohol. You may want to consider talking to them about their health, irrespective of drug use, and the importance of having the insurance. It is very important to do this in an extremely non-judgmental and unsuspicious manner. If they insist they cannot afford health insurance, consider paying it for them if you feel you are able (directly of course…not by giving them the money). You could simply ask them for the premium notice or have them provide a number for their employer’s HR department.

 

 

Why choosing a treatment center carefully is so important

 

When searching for a treatment center, the most important thing to ask yourself is this: Does this place have a fair shot at getting my loved one well? It’s important to ask for this cold, hard fact: Rehab often fails. If it fails too many times, insurers will stop paying for it. In a 2015 NPR piece, reporter Ben Allen talked to people whose loved ones were turned down for rehab and ended up dead of a heroin overdose two weeks later. Deb Beck represents the Drug and Alcohol Services Providers of Pennsylvania. She said even with the parity law, rehab centers have to haggle with insurers all the time. “The whole thing about who is worthy to have insurance coverage gets tangled into it,” Beck said. “But if I had a heart problem, and I didn’t do everything I was supposed to do, I would not be denied coverage. In fact, if I got sicker, you would increase the coverage for me.” (2)

 

The good news is that most treatment centers have insurance specialists skilled at handling all that red tape for you. One of the biggest reasons for getting insurance for your loved one before choosing a treatment center is to make sure your plan and your treatment center of choice match up. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers can’t jack up premiums or co-pays on substance use disorder treatment. Addiction and rehab must be treated just the same as any physical ailment and its corresponding treatment. But that’s easier said than done, according to Clare Krusing of America’s Health Insurance Plans. She told NPR, “When you’re comparing those treatment plans, it’s essentially comparing apples and oranges. And that’s an inherent challenge for health plans, and for their patients and providers.”

 

Plans differ wildly from state to state, from high-quality coverage with low premiums to high-premium coverage that doesn’t offer much. For the most part, fewer and fewer plans are being offered as more and more carriers leave the exchange. The Trump administration has axed the subsidiary given to Americans buying health insurance off the exchange in order to pay for ambitious tax cuts. Whether a person is a fan of the Affordable Care Act or not, it made drug addiction and alcohol treatment available to millions of people. The Republican plan to replace it earlier this year would have “stranded drug addicts without access to care,” according to Vox.

 

In the piece by German Lopez, Richard Frank, a health economist at Harvard, is quoted as saying “Over the last 60 years, 70 years, or so, insurers have scrupulously avoided enrolling people with mental health and addictions as much as possible. That’s because they are more complicated and expensive to treat. And they did so by offering either no coverage or limited coverage.” (3) In such times of uncertainty, having a plan to get your loved one off of drugs and alcohol forever needs to be a top priority. It begins with making sure that person is insured, and then selecting a treatment center.

Bibliography

Ettner, S. et al. (2006, April). 41(2): 613. Benefit-Cost in the California Treatment Outcome Project: Does Substance Abuse Treatment “Pay for Itself?” Health Services Research. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1681530/?report=reader#!po=35.9375

Allen, B (2015, Aug. 16) When Rehab Might Help an Addict: But Insurance Won’t Cover It. NPR. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017, from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/08/16/430437514/when-rehab-might-help-an-addict-but-insurance-wont-cover-it

Lopez, G. (2017, March 13). The House’s Obamacare Repeal Bill Would Strand Drug Addicts Without Access to Care. Vox. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017, from https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/7/14841876/ahca-obamacare-repeal-opioid-epidemic

 

 

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Checklist for injection drug users after an HIV/Hepatitis C diagnosis

By David Heitz

You just found out you have HIV and Hepatitis C. And, you’re addicted to drugs. Now what? Perhaps no low seems lower – except death – to an injection drug user who finds out they have contracted HIV, Hepatitis C, or even both (not uncommon). But what that injection drug user may not know is that Hepatitis C now is curable, and living with HIV is no different from managing diabetes. Talking about a cure for HIV isn’t even considered heresy anymore. So, don’t turn an HIV/Hepatitis C diagnosis into the end of the world when it isn’t. In fact, it might be the start of a whole new way of life. Now, what should you do next?

Immediately see a doctor and work to obtain the treatment and medications you need. Consider getting sober, it would be a great time to do it.

You might have learned you have HIV and/or Hepatitis C via an outreach worker, at a local testing center, or at a needle exchange. Or, maybe an injection drug use (needle sharing) or sexual partner told you they have the disease(s), and you suspect you do, too. If you live in a rural area and there is no HIV/AIDS service organization near you, call the AIDS service organization in the biggest city closest to you if you’re not sure about where to get treatment. Most people who learn of their HIV status also receive referrals to treatment at that time. It is absolutely critical to get into treatment immediately. Once you get your HIV treated, it drops to levels so low you cannot even transmit it. There are various medication assistance plans sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies. You can learn about those by clicking here: AIDS Healthcare Foundation and HCV Advocate also are great websites for beginning to learn all you can about HIV and Hepatitis C and how to obtain treatment. If left untreated, it is believed the diseases work in entourage to advance disease even faster than one without the other. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “approximately 25% of people with HIV in the United States also have HCV. Among people with HIV who inject drugs, about 50% to 90% also have HCV.” (1) “In people with HIV/HCV coinfection, HIV may cause chronic HCV to advance faster. Whether HCV causes HIV to advance faster is unclear,”(AIDSInfo.gov reports)

Understand that you probably are going to live just as long a life as someone who does not have HIV or Hepatitis C, or both. All the more reason to get sober.

There have been revolutionary breakthroughs in the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis C. Today, there even is a cure for Hepatitis C that is a simple, once a day pill for two months. However, this medication can be very difficult to obtain depending on what kind of insurance you have and where you live. As for HIV, injections that would last 90 days are in the works in terms of treatment. The end of daily pills could be fast upon us. Meanwhile, modern treatments keep the virus at undetectable levels with relatively few side effects. Today, not only is there talk of a vaccine for HIV (we’re not there yet, however) but even a cure. In November, The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego announced their latest HIV research results: Stopping the replication of the virus in mice.

The study was led by TSRI Associate Professor Susana Valente. It was published online Oct. 17 in the journal Cell Reports. Valente used “a natural compound called didehydro-Cortistatin A (dCA), which blocks replication in HIV-infected cells by inhibiting the viral transcriptional activator, called Tat, halting viral production, reactivation and replenishment of the latent viral reservoir,” according to Scripps. (2) “No other anti-retroviral used in the clinic today is able to completely suppress viral production in infected cells in vivo,” Valente said in the news release. “When combining this drug with the standard cocktail of anti-retrovirals used to suppress infection in humanized mouse models of HIV-1 infection, our study found a drastic reduction in virus RNA present—it is really the proof-of-concept for a ‘functional cure.’”

Consider working or volunteering with an organization that helps others know they are not alone

HIV and Hepatitis C via injection drug use has become a national epidemic that must be talked about to be addressed. We can’t just sweep it all under the drug. amfAR has created an online Opioid & Health Indicators database. It shows, by Congressional district, how well prepared our country is in the battle against the opioid epidemic. Some places are better prepared than others. “The amfAR Opioid database provides local and national statistics on new HIV and hepatitis C infections, opioid use, overdose death rates, and the availability of services like drug treatment and syringe services programs,” the organization explains in a news release. “Users will also be able to examine data at the state and county levels to view and compare the differential impact of the opioid epidemic in communities and states across America.” (3)
“This tool was developed with the goal of raising awareness of the opioid epidemic while educating the public on how they can get involved in their communities to minimize overdose rates and maximize recovery rates.”

If you’re reading this, are actively injecting, and not ready to get sober, please make sure to always use clean needles. And don’t judge those who do inject if you don’t.

There is no debate about what is scientifically proven to stop HIV and Hepatitis C among injection drug users: Needle exchanges. As America’s opioid epidemic is thrust into the national spotlight, and so is the public financial burden for treating it, needle exchanges are being looked upon with less judgement. Not only do they save lives that eventually become ready for sobriety, but they also save taxpayers and third-party payers hundreds of millions of dollars by preventing the infection of HIV and Hepatitis C. In an exclusive interview with Plus, Don Des Jarlais of Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City explained how needle exchanges have saved injection communities from an HIV/Hepatitis C scourge before. Des Jarlais is known as the “father of the modern needle exchange.” He is Director of Research at the Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City. Des Jarlais has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to help fund research aimed at helping injection drug users break the cycle. They will be taught skills on how to discourage someone who wants to shoot up for the first time. “Almost all injectors are at least ambivalent about injecting. It clearly has created a lot of problems in their lives,” he told Plus. ”Most of them do not want to do that to their friends.” But he added, “They may feel they do want to initiate somebody.”
Des Jarlais also said it’s important to be non-judgmental so as not to further stigmatize the situation. (4)
Bibliography
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HIV and Hepatitis C. (2017, July 25). AIDSInfo. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv-aids/fact-sheets/26/88/hiv-and-hepatitis-c
2. The Scripps Research Institute. (2017, Oct. 17). New research opens the door to ‘functional cure’ for HIV. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/2017/20171017valente.html
3. Opioid & Health Indicators Database. amfAR. More information at http://opioid.amfar.org
4. Heitz, D. (2015, May 11). Grant may help needle exchange trailblazer clear new paths. Healthline via Plus. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from https://www.hivplusmag.com/stigma/2015/05/11/grant-may-help-needle-exchange-trailblazer-clear-new-paths

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Narcan’s Role in Opioid Epidemic

by Lindsay Carnick

 

Americans are increasingly dying from opioid-related overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999. Heroin-related overdose deaths alone have quadrupled since 2010, and three to four heroin users report having abused prescription opioids before they started using heroin.[1] Opioid overdoses cause life-threatening levels of respiratory depression as well as other severe medical complications. The dangers of accidental death due to opioid overdose are increased when these substances are mixed with other medications, particularly short-acting anxiety medications; alcohol or other drug use; or the presence of other pre-existing medical conditions such as COPD, sleep apnea, compromised kidney or liver function, or a substance use disorder.

Society’s ability to mediate the opioid overdose mortality crisis has been significantly bolstered by the development of Narcan, which is a short-acting, brand name formulation of the opioid antagonist medication Naloxone HCL. Antagonists are medications that bind to the same receptors sites in the body as a given class of substances, effectively blocking the molecules of the substance from binding to the receptor sites. Unlike the actual drug, antagonists do not cause the release of endorphins and pleasurable neurotransmitters that are the driving force of drug use. Opioid antagonist medications inhibit opioid substances from eliciting the classically addictive experiences of opioid drugs from the body, making opioid use unrewarding.

Naracan is an emergency, short-acting opioid antagonist that binds to opiate receptor sites in the body with a higher affinity than actual opiates. By displacing the opiate molecules with imitation molecules that do not have the respiratory depressant effects of opioid drugs, Narcan temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdoses when given immediately. It is available in intravenous injectable, auto-injectable, and nasal spray forms. It can be given multiple times to an overdosing individual by laypersons until emergency medical assistance is available to the overdosed individual, and can be administered again if a person shows signs of relapsing into an overdosed state of unconsciousness or respiratory depression. Narcan is considered safe for children who are suspected of having overdosed on opioids. It has no effect on individuals who have not taken opioids. Individuals who have opioid dependence issues may experience withdrawal symptoms after Narcan intervention.

 

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The injectable form of Narcan has been used by emergency medical professionals for many years since its inception in the 1960s, but the 2015 FDA approval of the nasal spray formulation, which is easily used by laypersons and available in many states without a prescription, has significantly impacted community efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. Data from the CDC suggests that providing a significant number of opioid overdose deaths—over 26,000 between 1996 and 2014—have been averted by providing laypersons with access to Naloxone in the injectable form (prior to the Narcan nasal spray development and it’s wide availability without prescription. Additionally, like the auto-injectable, the nasal spray formulation is available without the training requirement of the injectable).[2]  It is virtually impossible to tell how many lives are actually being saved by Naloxone in either formulation, as many individuals who receive it from a friend or family member may never seek additional medical care once they are no longer in an acute overdose. Whether administered by emergency medical services or laypersons, naloxone is intended to be used as a rapid intervention until more comprehensive treatment can be accessed in an emergency department. However, due to the cost, legal issues, stigma, and other variables often associated with accessing professional, emergency medical care for a drug overdose (accidental or intentional), it is probable that a significant number of individuals who have overdosed and then been stabilized through the use of Naloxone have not been identified. Furthermore, anecdotal data suggests that due to the extreme challenges of recovering from opioid addiction, many individuals who have been rescued from overdose death with naloxone have had repeated naloxone rescues. If these individuals do not present for the recommended follow up care after overdose or do self-report their number of overdose rescues by laypersons, there is no telling how not just how many individuals have been saved by Naloxone, but how many times they have been saved.

It is readily apparent that the wide and relatively easy availability of naloxone to the public without prescription and at relatively affordable costs has been a significant development in saving lives that might otherwise have been lost in opioid overdoses. However, there is also a general consensus that while saving an addicted individual’s life from accidental overdose is a critical step in recovery, emergency naloxone does not address the larger issue of opioid addiction. Once an individual has been rescued from overdose with naloxone, they still will have the same physical and psychological cravings for opioids as they did prior to overdosing. If relationship, financial, chronic pain, mental health, or legal problems contributed to their opioid abuse challenges, those challenges will still be waiting for them. Naloxone is a life-saving medication and can be an important safety measure as part of treatment plan, but it is not a stand-alone answer for treating opioid dependence or abuse.

The availability and accessibility to the public of Narcan in formulations that require neither prescriptions nor professional medical intervention has made a tremendous impact on the lives of many persons struggling with opioid dependence, and their families. The CDC estimates that the vast majority of opioid-related overdoses are accidental, and Narcan is saving the lives of persons who otherwise might not survive, regardless of if they had been appropriately using their prescribed medications or abusing an illegal substance. Additionally, as prescription opioid medications have flooded the American medical landscape, these medicines are increasingly proliferating into unintended hands such as children, adolescents, and individuals suffering from other kinds of opiate addiction such as heroin and seeking a less expensive, legal alternative. There are a wide range of circumstances under which any of these individuals might accidentally overdose on opioid medications, and as persons regularly prescribed opioids are increasingly encouraged to also store an emergency Narcan kit, the possibility of providing life-saving interventions to those who might inadvertently ingest these medications is greatly increased.

Opioids—even when legally dispensed– can be deadly a under a number of circumstances. Narcan is providing a remarkable and lifesaving opportunity for individuals, regardless of how they opioid use has entered their lives. Narcan is a remarkable development for those working towards recovery, as well as those who rely on opioid medications as a matter of medical treatment for a higher quality of life.

 

 

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/index.html

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6423a2.htm

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Couples Recovery with Family Involved Therapy

by Kendra Winn

Can you relate to having a desire to beat addiction? Has a fear of stumbling and walking alone been a roadblock to your recovery? Is there someone you love who is also struggling with the perils of addiction’s grip? Do they have the same desire to get away from the crippling effects of their lifestyle? You both can enjoy getting your lives back on track with our treatment facility’s couples’ recovery program. We tend to think of addiction recovery as a solitary maneuver with a group of strangers and professionals. However, our ways to help you recover and to be the person you want to be, have changed from yesterday’s traditional approach to an atmosphere of familiarity. Struggling with addiction alone can leave you feeling hopeless and defeated. That’s why we have opened up our center to treating not only the individual but also those who may be going through addiction with you.

 

What exactly does it look like for couples recovering together? We hope to provide you with an outcome that will give you a stronger bond and relationship with your loved one while giving you the necessary tools for gaining triumph over the foe of dependency. Our goals are to establish foundational instructions and objectives tailored to the specific needs of each person. We also want to provide the highest level of care by equipping you with a real person who can empower you both by giving you the resources most beneficial to helping you meet your recovery goals. Couples therapy aims at reducing the tension and conflict that may arise when challenges that test your will to succeed arise. Therapy for couples is truly designed to restore ruptured relationships while stimulating a productive walk forward to meet both people’s milestones.

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CouplesRehab.com

Realistically, you can expect our group to take time to listen to each of you. Your needs are why we are here. With confidentiality being our professional priority, having the freedom to allow us to personalize your treatment plan gives you control over how successful you will be. We will be with you each step of the way, and help you at your pace. When one of our counselors meets with you as a couple, you will be allowed to voice your concerns and the expectations you have, and your aide will be able to design a plan that will provide the best possible introduction to wellness. Though the groundwork for the treatment plan specifically made for you may seem too basic, we want you to know that working the plan together will make all the difference. Our staff is carefully chosen based on the highest credentials and working knowledge of helping people. They have the heart for serving people. If it were not so, we would not have them here. A careful review of your needs from our counselors will help them to create better a plan that works for your recovery. They will consider what is most important to you and your spouse, and detail a blueprint which will show you both how recovery is possible not just for one of you: but for both of you! Sometimes the stress of withdrawing can cause emotional disruptions among couples. Because we take a look at every aspect of the healing process, we expect some bumps in recovery, and we are here to help you handle them. Gaining your life back after addiction comes in steps. They are not all smooth, and they are not all easy. The challenges that you face and conquer together will strengthen you in the long run: you just have to trust the process. Withdraw can have some negative impacts on your relationships. At our facility, we support you during every trial and misunderstanding. Getting you to your goal is as important to us as it is to you. As you walk forward with your significant other during recovery, you will find that they may desire the same replacement for addiction as you do, and you may also learn that their weaknesses are your strengths, which make you a great team for recovery!

 

 

Overcoming an addiction alone may feel like an insurmountable task. The one struggling along the side of you may be the only one who completely understands the hardship you face. Does success seem possible if you could recover with that one that you love and trust? Drug and alcohol abuse can leave you feeling very isolated and scared. You do not have to take these steps alone. Recovery from alcohol and drug addiction can benefit you just as just as much as it can provide recovery and healing for those you love. We want you to experience the benefit of recovery with a loved one.
Addiction is hard for every person at any age. It is a subtle darkness that envelops more than just one person before knowing what happened. In most cases, drugs and alcohol begin as a social or medical association. Before long, addiction is blinding and binding. It comes with no rhyme or reason, though it may come with hidden triggers. What is an addiction? It is an escape from reality. It can be a way to overcome your insecurities. The reality of addiction is that it is a trap, bondage, and a heavy chain. Stepping outside of the darkness that veils the truth of drug or alcohol abuse can be similar to finding a previous wound that never healed. You wonder suddenly what the cause of it was, and you question how did it ever get so bad? Whether the addiction forms in a gradual state or rapid succession, there is no doubt of the wounds they will cause. People suffering from addiction come from all walks of life: all backgrounds, all races, all over the world. There is no one immune to having a dependence on drugs or alcohol. What a person does have control over is deciding to end the cycle that can destroy lives.

 

Statistically, 1 in 5 individuals in a recovery program is likely to succeed. That is only 20% of the population who is trying to gain their life back from drugs or alcohol. Those between the ages of 25 and 49 have the highest rate of admission into a treatment facility. Addiction affects millions more, either personally or by relation. Those brave enough to get help are usually ushered through a program without attention to the greater healing aspects of emotional repair and salvaging damaged relationships. Programs will offer the needed group support, counseling, and facility to protect you during your most vulnerable time, but is it enough? According to American Addiction Centers, only about 10% of those who need rehabilitation from drugs are receiving the treatment that will help them. That leaves 90% who have not received help. Without help, their spiral of addiction continues.

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Relapse can often send even the most determined individual into a state of discouragement and even depression. It leads to an attitude of despondency or even hopelessness because the goal now seems unattainable. Recovery takes work and getting back up after a relapse can seem pointless. Reverting to a harmful lifestyle, even once, will have an adverse reaction from those who were skeptical about your plan to succeed. The statistics involved around relapse are tricky, however, because certain variables are used to attain them. Rock bottom must happen before you want recovery, and your recovery depends on your purpose to achieve the life you want. It can happen!

You may be wondering how the average solitary recovery program works. In most cases, trying to recover with the basic tools given to you by a treatment facility leaves you with questions and little to no accountability. Not having someone to talk out your sessions with makes getting answers more difficult than if you were able to discuss sensitive matters with someone you intimately trust freely. Some things are not easy to talk about when it comes to addiction, especially when you are talking with someone you have met only for a few hours. Sharing your burdens with your partner in addiction recovery may potentially aid you in speaking with a counselor at the treatment center and further your progress. Recovering alone can also stimulate relapse. Having someone to guide you through temptations that will hinder you from reaching your goals will help you beat addiction. Doing this alongside a person who will help you remember the importance of the fight and help you navigate those hard turns in the road.

At our treatment facility, we want to offer you the assistance that will be most beneficial to your recovery: a partnering addict. It could be a spouse or a significant other. Couples in recovery have a larger recovery rate than any solitary program in the country. Why is that? With your partner, you will receive tools to help you reach healthy goals, a plan to focus your recreation time toward more productive to recovery, constructively give reasonable guidelines for success, and you will receive accountability by someone who supports your decision. Your loved one will be more than a valuable sponsor to you: they are someone who is willing to go through the battle with you unconditionally. Those in your life who have seen your toughest moments will be encouraged to watch you grow and meet milestones in your recovery: all while cheering you on the right by your side. Together you will focus on your healing first, but before long the relationship between you that was once suffering and revolving around strongholds will begin to be restored. Recovering with the background of a strong personal relationship transitions recovery from the individual effort to a team effort, and it balances out the burden you feel. Attending therapy with your spouse may improve your relationship. What was damaged by mistrust or hurtful words or actions, can begin to repair in a controlled setting. Therapy sessions attended together will grant both parties a chance to connect. It will give you both an avenue to bring pleasure to your relationship once again out of a place of deep pain. Instead of putting the focus on the problem, which enabled the addiction, we like to emphasize the potential of the right direction. Dealing with the addiction together facilitates an atmosphere of understanding and working together for the greater cause. Consider the time you will spend in therapy with your loved one. It will not just be a time of helping your loved one through the challenges of addiction, but you will also be counseled to be the best asset. You will answer pointed questions, but they are not meant to harm. In fact, you may be surprised at the insight they will provide to help you more appropriately respond to symptoms and behaviors related to addictions.

Recovery is just as important for the overcoming individual as it is for your sidekick who wants to see you well again. Your greatest support system is found closest to you: a close friend or partner in a relationship that desires to succeed with you. Why not give the one close in heart to you the chance to change for the better? Your success is very important to the ones who love you and taking the time to recover as a couple is an opportunity to take charge in healing.
Family involved therapy is another opportunity we provide to our clients who want to beat addiction. Can recovery happen when an individual puts his mind to it? Emphatically, yes! Consider how much encouragement boosts confidence. It’s time to overcome the snares of addiction, and you can be the added strength for those in your tribe who need help as not to fight alone.

Given the mainstream pop culture in society today, we can understand the negative influences that pressure America’s youth into a lifestyle of addiction. Glamorizing drug or alcohol use is frequently seen by those idolized by teenagers. When a parent sees a young person through the ups and downs of any addiction, their chief concern is doing all possible to help facilitate a full life of happiness once again. At our centers, we can constructively guide what may seem a tense and uncomfortable situation of heartache into a sensitive design to help your closest relationships restore. Parents attending recovery with a child they love can be viewed as help thanks to the preparation and training of our mentors and counselors.
Watching a parent or parental figure in your life battle with addiction can be just as painful. Consider attending treatment sessions with your parent and letting them know you unconditionally love them and support their need to be independent of the chains of addiction. Reassuring the ones who care the most for you makes recovery very productive and worth the fight.

Fighting the giant of addiction can be overwhelming. Even in a program that offers 24-hour support, sponsors, and hotlines, you can begin to feel alone in high-pressure moments. Trying to change your daily routine to separate from harmful influences would be more manageable having someone else to lean on. Addiction is an enormous villain that can steal away the happiness from life. The uphill battle can be tough when you grow weary. Gentle support from your companion will greatly enhance not only your recovery time but also your resolve to get well. The theory of replacement can act as a rewarding agent to both parties in recovery. For the most fruitful recovery process, you must realize the need to introduce some positive activities into your life where you once may have abused drugs or alcohol. Filling in the time gaps, or altering your daily routine for the better will avert cravings or triggers associated with relapse. Your partner in therapy can not only help you with tools in overcoming your addiction but also participate with you to continue encouraging your commitment to do right.

Bringing someone through recovery with you gives you a sense of ease. The mountain does not look as big when someone is willing to climb it with you. Those who seek help with a companion find it is more helpful to recovering and completing treatment, and even essential to success, versus going through an addition program alone. Whether you are the person seeking help, one who is encouraged to fight addiction’s battle, or whether you are a supportive spouse or family member, we welcome you to take a chance on improving your lifestyle as a whole. Give us a call to find out more of our benefits as we work with families on the road to recovery.

Couples therapy is an amazing way to support someone you care for deeply. Building trust takes a long time to repair once broken; however attending treatment together can bring a fuller understanding to each party. Differences may be resolved, misgivings about truthfulness during a therapy session will be removed, and truth can safely and freely move about the room.

Sources:
Drugabuse.gov
AmericanAddictionCenters.org

 

 

 

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Detox, Withdrawal, and Treatment

detox withdrawal treatment

 

There are a wide range of alcohol withdrawal symptoms (AW) that range from relatively mild to life-threatening, depending on a variety of factors. Recommendations for acute detox, treatment, and ongoing recovery strategies are contingent on individual level variables such as the individual’s overall health, severity and duration of alcohol and other substance use, psychosocial supports, and motivation to engage in treatment. External variables include the availability of resources and financial resources.

Symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal typically emerge between 6 to 48 hours after an individual reduces their alcohol intake, but there is a great deal of variability as to when any individual may experience the onset of withdrawal due to their unique histories and health. The more alcohol the individual has been consuming, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms are likely to be. Mild to moderate, non-life threatening psychological symptoms may include depression, irritability, nervousness, moodiness, and unclear thinking. These symptoms may last for up to several weeks. Physical symptoms can include headache, nausea, decreased appetite, sweating, elevated heart rate, clammy hands/skin, sweating and insomnia. The most severe form of alcohol withdrawal is called Delirium Tremens, commonly referred to by recovering individuals and healthcare professionals as “the DTs”. These symptoms can include significant disorientation, intense agitation, cardiac dysregulation (uneven or elevated heart rate), fever, hallucinations, severe sleep disturbance, restlessness, and seizures, in addition to varying degrees of the other physical and psychological symptoms of more moderate withdrawal.

Severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms (regardless of whether or not an individual meets criteria for Delirium Tremens) can be lethal. Over time, the body attempts to compensate for the depressive effects of alcohol on the central nervous system by producing higher levels of certain hormones and neurotransmitters (naturally occurring chemicals that help the body regulate life-sustaining, autonomic systems and processes such as breathing). If a person who has been consuming significant amounts of alcohol on a regular basis suddenly stops doing so, those elevated levels of hormones and chemicals are still active. These individuals are then at risk of heart attack, stroke, lethal dehydration, deadly choking on vomit, and fatal errors in judgement.

There are a number of models for safely detoxing from alcohol under medical supervision, including outpatient monitoring and treatment and intensive inpatient care, where detoxing individuals are monitored closely and also may be prescribed medications and other interventions to help stabilize them against the dangers of the more severe symptoms. Inpatient detox treatment is considered the highest level of safety as participants are under twenty four hour observation and care by medical specialists. Some communities offer hybrid detox opportunities that do not provide medical management, but do provide round the clock observation of participants by medical professionals who can intervene and escalate the level of care and intervention if it is warranted or the individual’s symptoms worsen. Mild withdrawal symptoms that are unpleasant but do not pose medical risks may be managed through the assistance of common medications prescribed on an outpatient basis by the individual’s primary care provider, and in conjunction with participation in appropriate outpatient treatments for substance dependence.

Once and individual has been medically stabilized and is no longer experiencing dangerous psychological and/or physical withdrawal symptoms, they should immediately be established in a therapeutic program for long-term recovery engagement and support. There are a wide range of clinical treatment programs available in individual and group treatment formats, and some of these programs offer comprehensive services including medication management and ancillary services such as peer support groups and other mental health services. Often, alcohol dependence has created a myriad of other difficulties in an individual’s life, and therapy can help chart a course towards addressing emotional and relational issues that have resulted from and/or contributed to the alcohol dependence. The support of friends, family, and colleagues is frequently the determining factor in getting an individual to commit to treatment, and the involvement on one’s community can be a critically important part of their recovery success.

Treatment for alcohol dependence is available in a number of different formats, and there is a great deal of variability between individuals as to what may be most helpful to them. Clinical treatment programs are those that are facilitated by recovery professionals who are licensed by the state to provide evidenced-based addictions treatment protocols, and frequently are housed in a medical or behavioral health setting. Clinical treatment is available in individual and group formats. 12 step and peer support programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Al Anon are group sessions facilitated by other individuals in recovery or their family members (Al Anon is for family members), and offer group and individual support (sponsors) to participants. AA and Al Anon have been vitally important parts of recovery for many individuals.

“The Wall” is an expression in recovery that refers to negative feelings arising in an individual who has been sober and feeling well for several months. The individual may suddenly feel as if they have stopped making progress in treatment, after the initial enthusiasm of doing well. “Hitting the wall” often occurs when the an individual who has been feeling the pleasant effects associated with new sobriety (feeling physically and mentally better due to having passed through withdrawals; increased feelings of well-being associated with improvements in physical and mental health due to abstaining; other positive feelings associated with sobriety after heavy and protracted use including social approval and improved functioning overall) is forced to reckon with other, more difficult and lingering issues that may have been obscured by or contributing to the substance abuse. Often, alcohol has been serving as a means of avoiding very painful emotional realities, and facing these issues sober often seems daunting. The “honeymoon” feelings of new sobriety may seem to have held false promise when individuals are faced with the very serious personal, legal, and financial consequences of alcohol dependence and misuse.

Sometimes individuals who have been sober for short or extended periods of time (even years) relapse, which means they briefly go back to using alcohol (or any other substance from which they have been abstaining for an extended period of time). Relapse can happen due to any one of a number of triggering events (which are not necessarily stressors or distress).  Regardless of what precipitates a relapse, this experience frequently elicits strong feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment, hopelessness, failure, and depression. While regrettable, relapse is a common event for individuals in recovery, and relapsing does not mean that a person is “back at square one” or has in any way “failed” at sobriety. It is imperative that the treatment professionals and personal supports are compassionate and encouraging in the event an individual relapses, as additional guilt and feelings of failure most likely will exacerbate the depth and extent of the relapse. It is important to encourage individuals to immediately resume treatment and continue on their recovery work.

Being established with and engaged a supportive recovery community of peers and professionals can help individuals navigate the challenges of recovery and of dealing with life stressors without the self-medicating and numbing effects of alcohol. Different treatment models have proven helpful for different individuals, and often, it is a combination of supports (medical, professional, peer, 12-step, personal) working collaboratively that offer the most promising pathway to recovery from alcohol dependence.

 

<a href = “https://couplesrehab.com/services/detox/”>LEARN MORE about our detox program</a>

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Heroin Epidemic in America

opiates in america

by Danica Barnett

When heroin gained notoriety in the 1960s, the typical image of a “junkie” was someone who lived in a big city. Unlike other substances, the drug wasn’t thought of as a drug that impacted the average American. However, as heroin use began to spread, heroin has become a big issue in suburban and rural areas, as well as within cities.

Many people think that the heroin epidemic began with an increase in opioid prescriptions like Oxycodone in the 1990s, where doctors would prescribe opioid painkillers to treat anything from dental pain to post-surgery pain. Like heroin, prescription painkillers are highly addictive and those that take them have a high risk of developing a physical dependence on them. As prescriptions increased, people began using opioid painkillers with or without a prescription, which led to the DEA making it harder to obtain prescriptions for opioid painkillers and harder for users to crush pills to snort or inject.

Opioid painkillers give users a high that is similar to heroin, which is why opioid painkiller users began to turn to heroin, which can be cheaper and easier to obtain. Heroin can also be easier to use. Unlike prescription opioids, heroin is a fine powder that is easy for users to snort or inject.

Heroin addiction has become a major problem in the United States, which is currently in the middle of an opioid epidemic. Let’s take a look at what heroin is, signs and symptoms of heroin use, and how the opioid epidemic is affecting America.

What is heroin?
Heroin is a member of the opiate family, which means it is derived from the opium poppy plant, that was invented in 1874. Heroin was created from morphine in the hopes that it would be less addictive and used in cough medicines, to reduce pain during labor, and during surgery. However, when it was found to be just as addictive as opium and morphine, heroin was banned under the Heroin Act of 1924.

Heroin can appear several different forms–a white or brown powder and a solid sticky substance, known as black tar or sticky tar. The color of the substance denotes the purity of the heroin–white powder has the highest levels of purity. Typically, the appearance of heroin can vary by geographic location. White or off-white heroin is most common in the eastern United States. Brown powder and black tar heroin is most commonly sold in the western United States.

Pure heroin is difficult to find on the market because most dealers use other substances to cut the heroin, which allows them to sell more heroin to make a higher profit. However, adding other substances can make heroin more dangerous. Typically, heroin is cut with the following substances:

• Baking soda
• Caffeine
• Fentanyl
• Flour
• Laundry detergent
• Sugar
• Talcum powder
• Rat poison

Heroin can be cut with other drugs, like fentanyl, that make the drug more potent and increases the risk of overdose. However, they can also be cut with substances that appear to be harmless. However, some substances, like caffeine, can mask the symptoms of overdose.

Heroin is known by several street names: dope, horse, junk, and smack. Although there are several ways to ingest heroin, it it typically smoked, snorted, or injected. Heroin can be injected directly into the vein, subdermally (under the skin), or intramuscularly (into the muscle).

Heroin is a schedule I substance, which means it as a high potential for dependence and addiction, and is illegal in the United States.

What are the signs of heroin use?
There are several behavioral and physical signs that someone may be abusing heroin. Behavioral signs of heroin abuse include:

• Loss of appetite
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Weight loss
• Changes in mood
• Intentionally hurting themselves or faking pain to receive painkiller prescriptions
• Avoiding loved ones
• Forgetting responsibilities and commitments
• Becoming violent
• Lying about their behavior

Heroin use can quickly cause a physical and psychological dependence. Physical signs of heroin abuse include:

• Dry mouth
• Flushed skin
• Decreased cognitive function
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Unconsciousness
• Sweating
• Constipation
• Constructed pupils
• Lightheadedness
• Euphoria
• Lack of coordination
• Pain suppression
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Irregular heartbeat
• Low blood pressure
• Hives or rash
• Difficulty breathing
• Seizures

What are the long-term effects of heroin use?
Depending on how it is ingested, heroin can have several long-term effects, including:
• Dependence
• Addiction
• Depression
• Antisocial personality disorder
• Abscesses or boils
• Infection of the heart lining or valves
• Collapsed veins
• Damage to the tissues in the nose or perforation of the septum
• Stomach cramping and constipation
• Sexual dysfunction in men
• Irregular menstrual cycles in women
• Pnuemonia
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• Bacterial infections
• Arthritis

Can you overdose on heroin?
Large amounts of heroin can drastically slow down the heart rate and breathing, making it impossible to revive someone without medical help. Nalaxone is an opioid receptor antagonist that is commonly used to revive someone that has overdosed. Thousands of heroin overdoses are reported each year, which has led to an increased use of Nalaxone by emergency medical personnel.

It is easy to overdose on opiates and opioids, especially heroin. Potency can vary greatly between batches, which means the amount required to overdose can also vary.

Heroin and co-occurring drug use
Nearly all heroin users use other drugs, with the majority of heroin users using three or more additional drugs.
What is the heroin withdrawal timeline?

Heroin is a fast-acting drug, which means it is typically completely out of the body 5-7 days after use. While heroin detox varies based on the individual and their heroin use, most heroin users have a withdrawal experience similar to the heroin withdrawal timeline. Heroin withdrawal begins up to four hours after the last dose and typically continues for up to a week. Heavy or frequent heroin users may experience withdrawal symptoms for up to four weeks after their last dose.

In the first phase of heroin withdrawal, which can last between 1-3 days after last use, users typically experience the following symptoms:
• Headaches
• Increased aggression
• Irritability
• Muscle pain
• Sweating
• Stomach pain
• Anxiety
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia
• Panic attacks

In the second phase of heroin withdrawal, which can last between 3-5 days after last use, users typically experience the following symptoms:
• Stomach cramps
• Muscle aches
• Fatigue
• Shivers

Heroin withdrawal can be uncomfortable, but it is very rare for heroin withdrawal to result in death. However, there are several medications that can assist in lessening heroin withdrawal symptoms.

Heroin and the opioid epidemic
Heroin use is growing at an alarming rate all across the United States and many people blame the prescription of opioid painkillers. On an average day, 580 people on the United States use heroin for the first time. Three out of four heroin users claim to have been abusing prescription opioid painkillers before they began abusing heroin. In 2015, opioid overdose deaths hit a record high of 33,000. Every day, opioid overdoses kill about 78 people.

According to researchers, heroin use is increasing among all demographics. With the increase in use comes an increase in dependence and overdose. The effects of the heroin epidemic are being felt across the country, particularly in rural communities. However, as the heroin epidemic continues to expand across the United States, lawmakers are working to increase programs to combat heroin addiction and make opioid receptor antagonists available to the public.

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Grief

grief loved ones and addiction

In my experience grief means to learn acceptance. Learning to accept someone or something lost.

Maybe the loss was a loved one, a pet, or even a car. Although some grief feels stronger, all mourning holds common ground. During my transition from being an active addict to an addict in recovery grief was the one topic I had no desire in touching. I believed if I ignored the hurt somehow it would disappear. My grief became a part of me, locked to the deepest part of my core. If I was capable of masking such trauma no one would be able to make me relive the heartache. It wasn’t until years later that I realized the key to peace would be found in reliving that moment over and over. Addiction stole my life from me in more ways than one. It stole my family, my sanity, my innocence, my possessions, everything I stood for.

Unfortunately addiction also took my love and best friend. It was June 20th when I received the phone call. As I heard the words “Nathan has overdosed” slowly break away from his sisters quivering lips I turned cold and dropped to my knees. While I sat in the car on the way to the hospital the rage subsided and disbelief began to take over. The world became still, dark, I too had died. As his body laid motionless in the hospital bed; I remember the exact position of the equipment, the way his lips felt cold, the sound of him gasping for air while on life support. I laid beside him and wept while I kissed his perfect face, begging for him to stay. I promised I would keep him safe. Just after midnight God had plans of his own and called him home

I went into rehab unable to process the grief, convincing myself that his death didn’t truly happen. I distorted my own reality by saying he was either in jail or away playing lacrosse. In dismissing my feelings I shut out his family who was my own, I became angry, and could no longer find happiness. I battled with my grief for three years and never spoke a word. As his fourth year death anniversary approached I felt the inability to hide from the sadness I carefully buried. The pain hit me, suddenly and hard. I spent months crying, unable to get out of bed, questioning everything leading to the event when I finally caught a glimpse of relief. The memories of our seven years spent together came flooding back and I enjoyed reliving every day with him. The sadness of losing Nathan has not lessened nor has it gotten easier but it has become bearable. Once I decided to replace sorrow with love, I started to heal.

Throughout my journey with grief I’ve learned many different things, one being the inability to compare loss. Understanding one’s underlying distress can be attempted but never genuinely felt. This is what individualizes grief making each case its own. Another key point I found helpful was recognizing that there is no correct way to grieve. In the beginning I ignored the pain by pushing it further down and allowed the fury to consume me. It took me years to realize that allowing myself to grieve meant I was brave, strong, and capable of letting the suffering go. Initially I thought accepting loss meant I was allowing the loss to become real, that it was okay. I felt I was welcoming the idea of no longer having that physical love. I questioned myself as to why I would consider accepting such loss. In questioning myself I found that I didn’t “want” acceptance but “needed” it.

I spent endless nights wondering if there was something I should’ve or could’ve done to prevent his death, but there wasn’t. In doing this I destroyed myself in thinking if I got into the car two seconds earlier, I could have prevented the overdose. If he would have answered the phone or even brushed his teeth for an extra minute, he wouldn’t be gone. Maybe the two extra minutes could have saved him. Maybe the loss was inevitable or maybe his life would have been taken the next day for a different reason.

I strongly believe the beauty of the world would disappear if mankind had the ability to control heartache. Lessons wouldn’t be of value. I now remind myself I am only human, not intended to be perfect. Nor am I intended to comprehend how or why death happens. Today I understand I am only capable of damage control. I can either choose suffering or I can choose to be in control. After all, grief is the price paid for loving so much. What would loss mean if love wasn’t attached? It would be considered a win. Losing something or someone meaningless show no attachment. I chose to embrace the ebb and flow of every unseen wave while learning to swim.

I am able to relive the pain because I chose to control my grief, not allow the grief to control me. Accepting loss isn’t hard, it’s quite possibly the most traumatic lifelong roller coaster one can endure. I loved hard but I lost even harder. Love covered all of my offenses and most importantly it changed me. Would I be happier if I could avoid grief all together? The answer is no. If loss meant I was given the opportunity to love I would do it all over. I’m happy I was able to love Nathan for as long as I did.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DEALING WITH ADDICTION

Recovery isn’t just about sobriety, it is about living life on life’s terms and becoming responsible and productive. After an often lifelong struggle with addiction, many people find themselves without some of the basic skills to make their lives comfortable and happy.

At Broadway Treatment Center we are equipped with a compassionate and highly trained staff, where we can help you address these issues. Their first priority is making sure our clients are comfortable and on the right path to recovery. We have many different program tracks, amenities, and approaches to addiction recovery. This allows us to treat a wide range of patients, we truly have something for everyone. Please give us a call today at 714-443-8218 to speak with one of our addiction counselors, or visit our website at www.broadwaytreatmentcenter.com.

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How to Deal with Enabling and Co-Dependent Behavior

Couples Rehab Articles - Dealing with Enabling and Co-dependent Behavior - Photo 01

How to Identify and Correct Enabling and Co-Dependent Behavior

Do you have a friend or family member who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol? Are there times that you feel worried about and in despair over that person? Do you also want to help your loved one cope with his or her addictive behavior? If yes, you must know how to really deal with the issues at hand and avoid enabling and/or becoming co-dependent.

What is Enabling and/or Co-Dependent Behavior?

Co-dependency usually occurs when an individual, usually a family member or spouse of the addict, is controlled by the addictive behavior. Co-dependents exist because they believe that providing acceptance, love, approval, security, as well as taking care of the addict, is a way to protect their loved one. When this happens, the addict is in charge of dictating what and how they need things. Unfortunately, this behavior nurtures the dependency of the addict, and their addiction.

Enabling behaviors occur when an individual or a codependent helps an addict to continue his or her use of drugs, indirectly or directly. Examples of people involved in enabling behaviors are spouses or friends who often hide their addictive partner’s actions from neighbors or family members. They also tend to financially support their addicted loved ones, which enables them to buy drugs and keep their addiction alive.

couples drug rehab



The Role that Enabling and Co-dependency Take in Addiction

Enabling and codependent behavior are closely related. When used in a positive and healthy way, enabling manifests empowerment. It can be an act of helping or encouraging someone to better themselves. This works only when the individual is healthy and in a positive state. This can bring about positive effects in an effective and positive manner. When it comes to addiction, enabling and co-dependency carry many negative effects.

In this modern age where drug addiction is rampant, enabling behaviors have taken a negative meaning of doing things for others that could otherwise have been done for themselves. This is especially true when it comes to covering up their wrong doings and allowing them to continue their bad and unhealthy behaviors. Negative enabling behavior can actually hurt both people involved. This also prevents the onset and development of an individual as it builds resentment to an enabler. It also prolongs the recovery process and in some instances can also contribute to the death of an addict.

Co-dependence is where an individual makes their life about taking care of someone else who cannot help themselves, i.e. an addicted person. This person always creates excuses for the addicted individual and literally and figuratively cleans up their mistakes and messes for them. Distinguishing the difference between codependency and enabling behavior is best described in an old, yet well-known saying, “it is always better to teach a person to fish than to just give him a fish”.

When you are practicing co-dependent behaviors, you allow the addict to live with their habits without showing disagreement in what they do. This is the reason why they continue to have an unhealthy lifestyle because they know they have someone who will take care of them. No matter how serious their drug addiction is, they are guaranteed to have someone who will continue to support them through their addiction.

With the negative effects that both enabling and co-dependency offer, as far as drug addiction is concerned, it is best to address these issues early on. There is a need to think of an effective way on how to best deal with the situation in order to save your loved one from dying of addiction complications.

Enabling and Co-Dependent Behavior

There is a need to recognize the difference between codependency and enabling behavior. Co-dependency is actually a whole spectrum of behavior. These are usually from a person who has experienced growing up with a family of addicts. Here are some of the major dysfunctional areas of people with co-dependent behaviors:

  • Denial
  • Low self-esteem
  • Compliance behavior
  • Control behavior
  • Avoidance behavior

As you observe this type of behavior, it is essential to ask for help from Broadway Treatment Center. They can offer you help to overcome these behaviors, and to support your addicted loved one in a healthy and positive way.
Apart from the co-dependent behavior that you might experience, there are also some enabling behaviors that you may encounter:

  • Bailing them out again and again.
  • Giving them chances.
  • Ignoring their problems especially when they are very defensive.
  • Joining them in the negative behavior they have, especially when they are dealing with some of their problems.
  • Joining them every time they blame other individuals for their misfortunes, feelings and even problems in life.
  • Accepting some of their rationalizations, excuses and, even justifications.
  • Avoiding their problems.
  • Helping them fix their problems.
  • Repeatedly rescuing them.
  • Removing or softening some natural consequences of their behavior.

As far as enabling behaviors are concerned, taking immediate action to avoid such behavior from continuously affecting, not only your life, but the life of the addict is a must.

You can now differentiate co-dependence from enabling behaviors as far as drug addiction is concerned. If you or a loved one is struggling, it’s best to seek immediate help from Broadway Treatment Center who will support both of you all the way through the recovery process. These behaviors will be addressed and you will learn new ways to interact with your newly sober loved one.

Couples Rehab - Dealing with Enabling and Co-dependent Behavior - Photo 02

How to Break Enabling and Co-Dependent Behavior Surrounding Drug Addiction

Do you want to break the cycle of enabling and co-dependent behavior? There are many different methods on how to break unhealthy behavior and to completely detach yourself from it.

Attend ‘Anonymous’ Meetings

If you have a friend or a loved one who continues to abuse drugs or alcohol, one of the things you can do for them is to find your local AA or NA meetings. You, as a loved one, can also attend these meetings, where they can address unhealthy behaviors that surround an addict. There are also groups such as Al-anon and Nar-anon that are designed specifically for the families of addicts. You could surround yourself with people who also experience the same problems. The main purpose of the meetings is to learn from one another and to stop being codependent and enabling an individual suffering from addiction.

Prevent Yourself from Giving What They’ve Asked for

Stop offering a long-term place to stay, or money, to people who are struggling with addiction. Instead, try to insist that they must undergo treatment for their addiction. Some people also undergo Detox before they turn to another long-term treatment solution. Detox is usually included in a drug rehabilitation program. This detoxification process depends on the type of drug or alcohol you have been abusing and the quantities. After the detoxification process is complete, the addict will now be sent to either Residential, Outpatient, or Intensive Outpatient Treatment.

Giving Them some Tough Love

Tough love refers to the family of an addict and their refusal to give them what they want until they have fully recovered. When the codependent and enabling behaviors are put to a stop, the addict will feel the full effect of their addiction. They will then be given a choice on whether they want to recover from their addiction or they would want to continue the same unhealthy lifestyle.

Due to the very nature of drug and alcohol addiction, some addicts decide to continue their addictive behaviors no matter what. In this regard, their families must be tough. This is also true when their loved ones who are addicted ask something of them. They may be homeless and hopeless while they hit rock bottom. It is best to refuse saving or rescuing loved ones from this place. Often times it is needed for them to realize they need help.

Learn How to Say No

It is important that you learn how to say no to a loved one who is suffering from addiction. It may be one of the hardest things you have ever done, but their recovery and health depends on it. Nevertheless, you have the ability to make the right decision related to their path and purpose in life. In addition to that, you must learn how to say no every time they ask you to do something for them that could hide or excuse their unhealthy habits. Doing so is essential, especially to those who hate to see their loved ones suffering. Do not be a crutch for someone who is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. Let them feel your absence, especially when they are in need.

These are some of the simple, yet the most effective things to do to be able to break the enabling and co-dependent cycle. When you implement the strategies listed above, you not only help your addicted family member, friend, or loved one, but you also help yourself from not being a contributing factor to their addiction. There are going to be times when your help is needed, and it will be hard to say no. Let them feel the consequences from their drug or alcohol addiction. There are times that refusal of help could and will benefit them a lot. Ask for help from Broadway Treatment Center who offers the best addiction treatment services in Orange County. They are professionally trained to help addicts recover from their drug and alcohol addiction problems.

How Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation can help

As far as alcohol and drug addiction are concerned, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers are trusted in offering you the best type of help. Broadway Treatment Center can offer the most effective addiction recovery treatments and programs that promise safe and thorough addiction recovery among addicts. They also offer comfortable, inviting, and family style facilities that appeal to their clients. Despite the fact that addiction recovery treatment initially takes a couple of months, you can rest assured that their addiction problems will be given the necessary care and attention in a comfortable environment.

Broadway Treatment Center has a professional team that is skilled in providing the best recovery programs, services, and treatments. Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centers are essential to help addicted loved ones recover. These treatment centers can also address any codependent or enabling behaviors that they see, and give options on how to correct them. There are counseling programs that can teach them to listen, communicate, and be more assertive. These types of programs help the enabler become more knowledgeable and aware of non-helpful behaviors and actions. These must be corrected to stop the enabling and co-dependent behavior.

These programs are conducted by professional and knowledgeable teams who are trained to identify and help people correct these behaviors. Once these enabling behaviors are corrected it will lead to faster recovery for their addicted loved ones. Broadway Treatment Center can help address all these issues, as well help your loved one on the road to recovery. We are equipped with a compassionate and highly trained staff. Their first priority is making sure our clients are comfortable and on the right path to recovery. We have many different program tracks, amenities, and approaches to addiction recovery. This allows us to treat a wide range of patients, we truly have something for everyone. Please give us a call today at 714-443-8218 to speak with one of our addiction counselors, or visit our website at www.broadwaytreatmentcenter.com.

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LSD Rehab Centers

LSD Rehab Centers

LSD Addiction Couples Rehab

LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, which is a hallucinogenic drug made from the lysergic acid. LSD can dissolve in water and is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. It is available as a liquid, in capsules, and tablets. Up until now, this drug has no legitimate use medically. Thus, all use of the drug is considered as illicit.

The physical addiction to the drug is very rare.  This is why the drug is not included on the list of highly addictive drugs. LSD does not produce the cravings that we associate with the physical addiction. Unlike addictive drugs, this will not cause withdrawal symptoms in users.  This is why many people are able to stop using it without any help from the experts.

The drug moves in our brain the same way serotonin does and it can influence our mood. In works on the cerebral cortex, that involves our perception, mood, and thought. It also affects the brain’s locus coeruleus, which is the one responsible for coordinating our sensory perceptions. Drug or alcohol addiction can cause serious harm to the user and cause issues among friends and family members. If you are looking for a treatment center for drugs or you are looking for a rehab that accepts couples please contact the number provided and speak with an addiction specialist.

couples drug rehab

 

LSD experience is referred to as the trip. If the experience is a sickening or frightening one, it is considered a bad trip. The usual duration of these trips are around 6 to 12 hours.

LSD Psychological Dependence

Although there is no physical dependence on the drug LSD, there is a tendency for patients to be psychologically addicted.  Users of this drug can be distracted with its dazzling high and pyrotechnic effects that can lead to addiction. For some people, this gives them an avenue to escape reality. Using the drug can turn into a habit for people whenever they are in a situation that requires them to interact socially.

The risk of physical addiction to the drug is little, as the drug is not an addictive one. This may be the reason why there is no documented evidence of patients showing signs of withdrawal symptoms.  However, many people keep on using this drug and develop an addiction to it due to it being psychologically addictive.

The Symptoms of LSD Addiction

‘Flashbacks’ are common experiences for the LSD users. This flashback refers to the short trip that user experienced long after the drug has worn off. The users can still experience flashbacks even a year after their last intake.   Many factors can trigger the flashbacks such as sleepiness and stress.

The users of the drug can also feel different emotions all at once or they can be subjected to mood swings that are dramatic. The drug can also produce visual hallucinations and delusions such as shimmering effects, and melting or bleeding walls. There are also times when the user perceives some alterations in his or her body. The drugs can produce hallucinations that can make the users panicky. This is why many of users suffer from self-injury and dangerous reactions in response to their hallucinations.

The signs and symptoms differ for LSD use and for LSD abuse, though. Some of the symptoms of LSD use include:

LSD couples Rehab

      Dry mouth or salivation

LSD symptoms Weakness

      Weakness

LSD symptoms Erratic behavior

      Erratic behavior

LSD symptoms Rapid heart rate

      Rapid heart rate, convulsions, nausea, and dizziness

LSD symptoms Blurred vision

      Blurred vision

LSD symptoms Chills or sweating

      Chills or sweating

LSD symptoms Paranoia, depression

      Paranoia, depression, anxiety or depression

LSD symptoms Mood swings

      Mood swings

LSD symptoms Tingling toes or fingers

      Tingling toes or fingers

LSD symptoms Dilated pupils

    Dilated pupils

For LSD abuse or addiction, the symptoms include:

  • Confused perception of reality
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Tremors
  • High Blood pressure
  • Permanent changes in perception
  • Hallucinations
  • Flashbacks

LSD use can bring about a lot of health risks. The following short-term physical symptoms are the other signs that can result from using the drug.

LSD health risks Numbness

      Numbness

LSD health risks Body odor

      Body odor

LSD health risks Loss of Appetite

      Loss of Appetite

LSD health risks Muscle Weakness

      Muscle Weakness

LSD health risks Goose Bumps

      Goose Bumps

LSD health risks Heavy perspiration

      Heavy perspiration

LSD health risks Palpitations

      Palpitations

LSD health risks Poor Coordination

      Poor Coordination

LSD health risks Trembling

    Sleeplessness

The Effects/Side Effects

The effects of LSD addiction can differ from one individual to another. What they will experience depends on their body chemistry and on the dose they have ingested. When taking LSD, most people experience mood changes. They can feel many things at once – there can be peacefulness, anxiety, euphoria, depression and more.  A high dose of the drug produces delusions and hallucinations. It can also change how people perceive their bodies.  Some of them even experienced the ‘cross over’ effect. It is a state where the senses are being confused. The user starts to perceived color as taste or sound. The drugs can also make the user feel panicky or terrorized.

LSD can cause long-lasting effects to its users even after they use the drug.  The flashback is one of those.  Flashbacks come without warning. There is also no way for anyone to guess or predict when it will come. This means that you can experience it even when you are at school, work or anywhere.  Moreover, flashbacks cannot be stopped. You need to wait for it to stop on its own and you have no control over it.

Using LSD and abusing it can lead to consequences. The consequences can be either short-termed or long-termed. Physical effects from the addiction of the drug may be minimal but they can be dangerous too. On the other hand, the psychological effects are extremely dangerous and intense.  The physical side effects of LSD include:

  • Hyperthermia
  • Impaired motor skills
  • Increased appetite
  • Rapid breathing
  • Hypothermia
  • Dilated Pupils

There are also numerous side effects psychologically. Prolonged use of the drug can lead to:

  • Pleasant emotions
  • Major depression
  • Unpleasant emotions
  • Panic attacks
  • Irritability
  • Psychosis
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety

Most of these side effects subside after the drug has worn off. However, some of them can continue even after the patient stops using it. We should also consider the accidents and dangerous things that the users can do while under the effect of LSD. Addiction to LSD can also lead to the ruin of relationships of the users between their family and friends.   Dependence to the drug can also cost you your financial resources and the job you love. There are even those who end up in prison because of their addiction.

 

LSD Rehabs

addiction treatment for LSD

 

What are the Treatments for LSD Addiction?

Addiction to LSD could take a quick turn from bad to worse so it would be best if you know the right treatments for the addicted person. The most popular being residential rehab or outpatient rehab. In curing LSD addiction, it is not enough that you just know what LSD is, you should have the correct insights into what is the best course of treatment for addiction to the drug. In knowing the right information, you have the edge to helping the patient recover. The information and treatment will provide the assurance that the patient will no longer use the Drug.

The following are the effective treatments in curing LSD Addiction:

Monitoring of Physical and Psychological Well-Being of the Patient

As one of the preventive measures, one can be assured that the patient’s addiction will lessen. In some cases, the right monitoring of the addict’s condition will provide a thorough examination of his or her behavior and the best treatments for their specific situation. With effective monitoring, the doctor could diagnose the right treatments. In terms of the physical testing, there will be series tests that could be done to the patient. The tests will determine the other possible complications the patient may be experiencing.

In terms of the psychological tests, the patient will undergo tests that make him or her no longer feel the effects of the drug, with the given counseling, the patient could take medication that will relieve his or her mind of the harmful results of drug use. The doctor will further run tests on the patient in order to make sure that his or her behavior is clearly monitored. If this happens, you can be assured that the patient will gain his or her sense of focus again.

The Group and Individual Therapy

Therapy is one of the best treatments for LSD addiction. This will give the patient a sense of worth and a direction of change. LSD addiction cannot be cured overnight. It needs time and patience to make it happen. In the therapy session, the patient is given the right treatment using group or individual sessions. These sessions will determine the condition of the patient. The right advice that will be done in the session will prevent the patient of returning to LSD use.

Taking the Proper Medication

It is never too late to take the right and effective medication for any side effects a patient is experiencing from their LSD use. Most doctors would recommend the drugs that would lessen the depressing result produced by the drug. This will relieve the tension and will provide the patient the assurance of a healthy recovery. Most of the medications that are prescribed curb the patients cravings for the drug. However, this cannot be done by medicine alone. It takes the willingness and the dedication of the patient to recover. Broadway Treatment Center also provides holistic measures as an alternative to medicinal help.

Seeking Out the Best Therapist

In most cases of LSD and addiction, seeking out the best therapist is one of the best treatments in curing addiction. The best therapist will provide you with the right and effective guidance on the things to do during these cases. There is a need for a therapist in order to make sure that the patient will have the medication that is best suited to him or her. The therapist can give recommendations on the right programs that could be used as a form of a therapy session.

drug rehab for couples

Entering a Rehabilitation Program

Yes, in most cases of an individual suffering from LSD addiction, taking the patient to the nearest rehab center is one of the best solutions to the problem. A rehab center has the effective facilities that would provide you and the patient excellent service. If you are determined in curing the patient, it would be the best option. However, choosing the right facility will ensure that the effects of LSD will gradually lessen on the part of the patient.

Engage in Support Organizations and Rehab

The treatment of LSD does not end in taking the patient to a rehab center or giving him or her the right medications. This must go on if you will engage in other support organizations or rehab centers. This could be the start of a campaign against LSD addiction. You will not only help one patient but will able to assist others as well. You can create the awareness on what is LSD and make sure that many programs will assist other LSD addicted patients. In this way, you have the assurance that the fight for LSD will never stop.

What treatments for LSD addiction? The above-mentioned treatments are to be effective. This will give you the assurance that when it comes to LSD, one deserves the right and effective treatments. It would add to your assurance that the addiction over the drug can be cured. Please Call Broadway Treatment Center today at 714-443-8218 today to speak with one of our counselors. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Couples rehab Call us toll free 247

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Relapse Prevention – Life Skills Training Addiction Recovery

Relapse Prevention

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Relapse Prevention, Jail Diversion Programs and Life Skills Training

Drug and alcohol addiction is very prevalent in today’s world. Many people’s lives has been changed and many couples and their families have been broken because of it. So, the fight against it has been tightened and various programs have been created to help these people live a new and better life.

If you are in need of help for an addiction, or would like to know more about how substance abuse treatment centers for couples work please speak with an adviser now at  (888) 500-2110

Relapse Prevention Plan

Congratulations! You and your partner have successfully recovered from addiction. For sure, you have faced a lot of obstacles along the way towards your recovery. However, it doesn’t end there. In fact, it is very much possible for you to experience relapse any time. Hence, as early as possible, you should equip yourself with the knowledge on how you can prevent them, with a relapse prevention plan.

  • Be aware of yourself

First of all, you need to be aware of yourself. Is your behavior changing? Are you isolating yourself from the others again? You can also ask your family and friends if they have seen certain changes in your behavior. If you think that you are feeling anxious often, then you should do something about it. You can practice relaxation techniques or anything that can calm yourself down.

  • Meet up with a professional regularly

Oftentimes, the best way to prevent relapse is to go visit a professional regularly. This is because they utilize different techniques and therapies to find which one works best for you. They also know the best ways to make you sober. They can also provide you ways on how you can cope up with situations that are likely to encourage you to use drugs or drink alcohol again. Rehabs for couples offer treatment for both parties, and part of the therapy is to spot the triggers that make one or the other in the relationship use. Use the knowledge you and your partner learned to spot these issues and deal with them before a relapse occurs.

  • Distract yourself

If you feel the urge to use drugs or drink alcohol, then you should try and do whatever it takes just so you can distract yourself. For example, you can go for a walk or exercise. You can also meet up with your friends, have a chat with them and tell them what you are feeling right now. Surely, having someone to talk to would make you feel better. Just think of something to do like your other hobbies just to occupy yourself.

  • Talk with someone who has gone through it as well

Believe it or not, you are not alone. You are not the only one who suffered from drug or alcohol addiction. Just watch the news, there are a lot of people who are like you as well. Hence, you can consider finding someone who have gone through the same situation as yours and someone who have completely freed themselves from addiction. They can provide you great support in times when you find it hard to deal with the urge or temptations around you. After all, they know what you feel and they can relate with you as well.

So, now that you have been provided with relapse prevention tips and techniques, there is no reason for you to experience a relapse after all the things you have gone through. Of course, you also need to be consistent with your recovery process. With that, you can expect a better life ahead of you.

Jail Diversion Programs

Jail diversion programs are considered as an alternative way of sentencing and rehabilitating the non-violent alcohol and drug offenders as well as those who are suffering from mental disorders. Such programs has been created to avoid unnecessary and wasted time in a jail. Communities have decided to turn to it as they believe that it is capable of meeting the rehabilitation needs of these individuals. Instead of requiring them to stay in the jail, they are then required to receive treatment in recovery centers within the community. The primary goal of jail diversion programs is to help these offenders to go back to the community and address the scenarios that led to them committing the crime.

As compared to spending time in jail, they are given the chance to keep their current job, which is a big deal as it allows them to continue supporting themselves and their family. It’s not only that for they can also remain productive in the community where they belong. In some cases, the charges that have been filed against them can also be removed from their record. This is exactly the reason why it has been growing in popularity in the different parts of the world.

For the court and prosecutors, it is mandatory for these individuals to receive the treatment that they need. While they are in the treatment center, they would then need to participate in a group or individual counseling. They would also be taught ways on how they can keep themselves away from drugs or from alcohol. In some facilities, they also formulate plans to avoid relapse in order to help these individuals achieve long term recovery. A couples rehab allows the person to attend the treatment center with their partner if they are struggling with addiction as well.

There are 3 common types of jail diversion programs and the first one is the prebooking diversion, which takes place before one has been filed with charges against him/her and before they are sent to jail. It usually involves the collaboration between the police and the rehabilitation facility. The next one is the postbooking division in which the person has been charged with a crime formally and has already been arrested. The last one id the drug court in which drug treatments and judicial supervision is combined, especially for the repeat offenders.

Not everyone is eligible for the jail diversion programs. The only eligible ones are the non-violent alcohol or drug related offenses without any firearm involved, those who are involved in crimes related to drugs but are not facing other crimes that are not related to drugs, those who have been caught with marijuana, drug paraphernalia or cocaine, especially while they are driving, individuals who are cultivating marijuana for their personal use, those who have forged the prescription of narcotic drug for their personal use, those who have asked another person to acquire illegal drugs and those with DUI and other offenses that are related to drugs. So, if you are one of them, then you are eligible for it.

Life Skills Training For Drug and Alcohol Addicts

Typically, drug and alcohol addicts cannot address their addiction on their own. That is why substance abuse treatment centers were created. However, there are a number of people who experienced a relapse after the treatment. This is because the program is short or the patients quit due to some personal reasons. To effectively address the problem, healthy life skills training should be developed as it is an effective solution to attain a successful sobriety. All treatment centers should have important tools, resources and techniques in order to help many people overcome their addiction problems.

Importance of Life Skills

According to experts, there is a high percentage of individuals who died early because of taking drugs and alcohol. In connection to this, life skills are important things to achieve sobriety and improve quality of life as well. This includes the following:

  • Ability to maintain a strong friendship
  • Employment status
  • Mental health condition
  • Physical health condition
  • Effective and efficient coping tools
  • Stable and friendly living environment
  • Enhanced decision making abilities

Based on the study of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, they have found out that alcoholics who have strong life skills successfully enhanced the quality of their life. In other words, those drug addicts and alcoholics can overcome their condition through the help of the basic life skills. It is also said that they are essential steps towards achieving a lasting sobriety.

Handling Responsibilities 

Most addicts and alcoholics are mainly concerned about obtaining enough amount of money to satisfy their habit. They are after feeling high as well. They lose touch on how to handle daily responsibilities and confidence when it comes to their capacity to do so. In this manner, life skills training is very imperative to help them experience a lasting recovery they deserve in the first place.

Through the help of a couples treatment center, they will realize that they can still do all their basic obligations in their lives. However, the center for alcoholics and drug addicts should be relevant and responsive so that the issue will be addressed effectively and successfully. By having enough resources and well-equipped people, they will no longer use drugs and take alcohols. Their family relatives, friends and other individuals will surely have peace of mind.

Daily Routines

For recovering drug and alcohol addicts, creating a healthy routine is considered the most important life skill. All treatment centers put those people in various activities that can assist them to adhere to a schedule. These encompass of therapy and leisure time. Every authorized institution should integrate daily routines on a daily basis because it is salient to support recovering addicts to have a sober and healthy lifestyle. In addition, it can help them fight their bad habits.

Financial Stability

It is said that drug and alcohol addicts can lose touch of doing all basic responsibilities. Say for instance, they can completely become unaware on how to efficiently handle finances and other related situations. In this way, they should learn financial stability capabilities in order to get rid of the problems associated in taking drugs and alcohol. As a person who has financial stability, they can learn on how to live within their means, take care of all their obligations and use money in a responsible way.

Nutrition and Hygiene

Many people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol overlook the importance of nutrition and hygiene. That is why a recovery program should integrate light exercises and a healthy diet. In fact, nutrition is an indispensable life skill for rebuilding minds and bodies as well. When they have been damaged of addiction for long years, nutrition and regular exercises could be a huge support. To achieve the best results among addicts, all treatment centers should have dietitians. As a result, they will be properly and professionally guided in return.

 

Relapse Prevention Plan

 

Personal Responsibility

The environment where individuals live is a significant thing on how they think and feel about themselves. So, recovering addicts should be aware on their personal responsibility. They should learn to clean their own rooms, organize all their belongings and take charge for their entire living space. When you have a relative who has been having a hard time getting rid of his/her bad habit, you can count on a treatment center a lot. Furthermore, he/she will become personally responsible. Many rehab centers incorporate pet friendly tracks and equine therapy into their curriculum’s. This allows patients to not only learn personal responsibility but also the responsibility of caring for another living being.

Medication Management

Most addicts experience a lot of difficulties when it comes to their mental health disorders that require a holistic medication. Meaning to say, the individuals deal with other dilemmas. Mental health issues and addiction should be totally addressed as they are interrelated from each other. They should know how to manage medication in a responsible and safe manner so that they can fully achieve a healthy lifestyle in the near future.

At first, medication management could be a difficult thing to do. As time goes by, they will realize that the process is just a breeze with the help of a qualified and reliable recovery center. It should likewise have amazing people to provide proper care, compassionate attention and sympathetic love. With that, addicts will be able to acquire the skill to manage their medication within the required time as possible.

Some recovering addicts choose to use drugs to help ease the cravings for drugs or alcohol. One of the more popular medications available is Naltrexone. If can be taken orally, but some are choosing to have a Naltrexone pellet implanted into them. There are 2, month, 6 month, and even implants that last upwards of a year depending on the patient. These implants reduce the risk of relapse because they block the sensors in your brain from felling the “high” from certain drugs.

Social Skills

Addicted individuals are considered intrapersonal. They experience various difficulties when it comes to loneliness. Acquiring the ability to interact is a prerequisite among drug and alcohol addicts. Through the help of a recovery program, one of the life skills training that patients will encounter is to socialize to a group of people. Recovering in a relevant center can help them avoid hanging out with their old friends who are a bad influence.

Indeed, life skills training in a recovery program could be a huge assistance to all people who suffer from alcohol and drug addiction. However, a treatment center should have professional people and other important resources so that addiction will turn to a real happiness. With that, they can effectively help drug and alcohol addicts learn basic life skills. They can become a more responsible, complacent and productive person as well.

If you are looking for a drug rehab for married couples that offers couples behavioral therapy for individuals struggling with addiction callus toll free 24/7 at  (888) 500-2110

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