Addiction Treatment Archives

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.

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

October 23, 2017/by Admin

Addiction Treatment

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.

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.

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.

June 1, 2017/by Admin

Addiction Treatment

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.

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:

Dry mouth or salivation

Weakness

Erratic behavior

Rapid heart rate, convulsions, nausea, and dizziness

Blurred vision

Chills or sweating

Paranoia, depression, anxiety or depression

Mood swings

Tingling toes or fingers

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.

Numbness

Body odor

Loss of Appetite

Muscle Weakness

Goose Bumps

Heavy perspiration

Palpitations

Poor Coordination

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.

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.

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.

March 10, 2017/by Admin

Narcan’s Role in Opioid Epidemic

How to Deal with Enabling and Co-Dependent Behavior

How to Identify and Correct Enabling and Co-Dependent Behavior

What is Enabling and/or Co-Dependent Behavior?