Posts Tagged ‘rehab’

Heroin and opiates are physically addicting. Heroin detox becomes necessary when the body adapts to the presence of the drug and more and more is needed to reduce the cravings for the drug. Withdrawal symptoms will definitely occur if heroin use or opiate use is abruptly discontinued.

Generally speaking, withdrawal from heroin and other opiates may occur as early as a few hours after the last use. The withdrawal symptoms of heroin addiction include:

•  drug craving
•  restlessness
•  muscle and bone pain
• insomnia
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• sweats and cold flashes

Major withdrawal symptoms of heroin addiction and other opiate addictions peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose. Without proper medical care seizures or convulsions can occur. The good news is that an addict can usually complete heroin detox or opiate detox within five and seven days.

Choose Inpatient Heroin Detox or Opiate Detox Programs

Heroin detox and opiate detox can be a very challenging process both physically and emotionally. It is my opinion that anyone undergoing heroin detox or opiate detox, should do so in drug rehab programs or addiction treatment programs that specialize in medical detox programs. All heroin detox programs should be medically monitored, complete with 24 hour nursing, able to dispense medications as needed and directed by a physician trained in addiction medicine (addictionologist).

Ongoing Addiction Treatments

Even after heroin or opiate detox is complete, many people require ongoing addiction treatments, therefore heroin detox should take place within one of many drug rehab centers or addiction treatment programs. Drug rehab programs provide a smoother transition from heroin detox and opiate detox programs, which are medically driven, into a clinically driven level of care within the drug rehab.

Structure is Key

Another reason we feel that heroin detox should be provided within the confines of drug rehab programs or addiction treatment programs is due to the structure they provide. Many people attempt heroin detox on an outpatient basis. While outpatient heroin detox can work for some, most addicts require the structure of inpatient detox programs to deal with the cravings and keep them away from their environment, old friends and access to opiates.

While in the grips of heroin or opiate addiction, addicts are often involved in high risk activities. By undergoing opiate detox or heroin detox in drug rehab centers, addicts receive a comprehensive physical examination. This will help identify any medical problems that are present and need to be addressed. This examination process is begun in detox and ongoing support is available if a person transitions into drug rehab.

A successful intervention can lead a person you love toward a drug rehab treatment program that can help them improve their lives and bring happiness and relief to those around him. However, many interventions fail because the families of those afflicted by drug addiction do not know how to lead a successful intervention. Certain factors must be in place and followed in order to get the addict to a drug rehab. Treatment may seem impossible if the addict isn’t willing to seek help. However, a formal intervention will work if done in the proper way.

After spending time interviewing several interventionists and intake counselors from various drug rehab treatment programs, I have come up with the top 5 reasons why an intervention would fail:

1. Failure to use a Professional: This may sound pitch for interventionists, but the plain fact is that most family members are not accustomed to confronting and addressing problems easily amongst themselves. They may carry guilt from the past, bring up unresolved and unrelated issues and the entire situation may turn into a screaming match which results in nothing but pain for everyone. Interventions can get so ugly that the exact opposite effect occurs, that the addict refuses help and swears off his family and jumps deeper into his own self-destruction.

Many drug rehab programs have staff trained to facilitate an intervention, or can refer you to one. These individuals guide the intervention towards the ultimate goal, which is to get your loved one to a drug rehab treatment center. They bring an unbiased opinion to what is bound to be an emotional and difficult situation for those involved and are able to see things far in advance and can lead the way towards success.

2. Wavering from the Determined Goal: Ultimately, you want your loved one to check into a drug rehab. Treatment is the only option if you are even considering an intervention, not meetings or to let him do it on his own. Do not lose focus on this once the intervention starts and make sure that all involved are willing to do what it takes to make this happen. Sometimes the addict will shift blame to other family members and try to take on the role of a victim. This can be a powerful tool of manipulation as there may be truth or guilt connected to it. Once this happens, family members start to negotiate with the addict or doubt themselves. This will have disastrous effects on the success of the intervention.

Regardless of what “dirty laundry” may come out on the table, the fact of the matter is that the addict is the one that needs help the most and although everyone may have problems in life, the addict is the one who the focus must be on. He may do or say terrible and hurtful things to get our of the intervention and back onto drugs and that must not happen.

3. A Family Divided: Involve all members of the family in the intervention planning, providing they are there to help. Ensure that everyone who will be attending is in agreement with the ultimate goal of getting the addict to a drug rehab treatment center. If one family isn’t on board, he may secretly tell the addict about the intervention in advance or may take sides with addict, thus weakening the argument for treatment and ensuring a failure. If the family members doing the intervention are bitter towards each other, the addict can turn the entire meeting into a circus of finger-pointing in order to escape the situation.

There must always be an ultimatum which is: Drug Rehab Treatment or nothing. This can be difficult for a mother who doesn’t want to “see her baby on the street” or a father who knows his son or daughter “can’t survive on their own”. If the addict knows that the parents will cut him off but the grandparents will ALWAYS take him in no matter what, the leverage is lost. If all family members have the same goal in mind and stick together, the better chance the intervention has of succeeding. After all, the idea is to HELP the addict, right? Enabling someone to continue their lifestyle of self-destruction is hardly help but a silent condoning of it.

4. Failure to have an Immediate Plan of Action.Prior to the intervention, make sure you have a plan of action that will actually get your loved one to a drug rehab where he can be treated for his addiction. Often the addict will agree to go to treatment “later” after he “takes care of a few things”. Offer to take care of those things for him so that it is one less thing to worry about. He may make excuses as to why he can’t go now; his job is too important or his school is almost done. In fact, he may convince you that his considerations are valid and it can seem like there really is no way her can go.

However, you must not let that happen. The odds are against him that he will actually make it to the drug rehab treatment center. Have a plane ticket, a ride, and an escort ready to get him there within 24 hours after the intervention takes place. You may be able to stretch this time to 48 hours at the VERY LATEST, but make sure the addict has close supervision the entire time. I spoke to several parents who were devastated after they allowed their child to put off treatment until some “important things” were taken care of, only to find their child had overdosed. Not one of these parents felt that it was worth it to wait to get the addict into treatment and all of them regretted not doing whatever they could to get their child into the drug rehab. Also, none of them foresaw the danger the addict was really in.

5. Inadequate Research of Drug Rehab Treatment. There are many types of drug rehab treatments out there and it is important to research which one will best help the addict in your life. Once you have made a decision, get in contact with the drug rehab treatment center and let them know about the intervention and you can often get some great advice. Have some of their literature on hand during the intervention, so the addict realizes that drug rehab is not prison, but simply a place to change your life.

Every drug rehab program has rules, and rightly so. Learn what they will allow and not allow. For instance, some programs do not allow cigarette smoking. If the addict smokes, this program would not be a good choice. If the intervention is on the right track, having this information immediately available will help speed the process along.

An intervention can seem overwhelming and frightening to the family of an addict and should not be underestimated. However, it can be successful if the reasons above are resolved and the corresponding steps above are followed. There is hope in getting your loved one into a type of a drug rehab treatment program that changes their lives for the better.

Source: Narconan by John Frank

A dual diagnosis is when a person has been diagnosed with two or “dual” conditions: an alcohol, drug or other substance addiction coupled with a mental health disorder. Many patients that are in addiction treatment are found to have a dual diagnosis. Of the two million people in the United States that suffer from mental illness, about 50% of them also are an alcohol, drug or other type of substance abuser. For an alcoholic, whether they have a dual diagnosis or not, they need to enter an alcohol addiction treatment program. For others that have substance abuse and addiction, a dual diagnosis, addiction treatment is not only warranted but desperately needed. Not every addiction treatment center is equipped to help this illness. It’s vitally important that a center with professional staff prepared to work with patients with a dual diagnosis is chosen.

Probably the most challenging area for health care providers is diagnosing patients who truly have a dual diagnosis. The reason a dual diagnosis is so difficult to determine is because more cases than not, a mental illness is coupled with a substance abuse and addiction situation. It is for this reason that many of these patients are placed in addiction treatment homes or centers only to discover that they are in fact dealing with a dual diagnosis. The problem is that substance dependence can masquerade as a psychiatric disorder, so many times the mental illness is not discovered or revealed until much later than at the initial evaluation.

It can be a very difficult situation to identify a patient with dual diagnosis. Most times they are in denial about their substance abuse so when the addiction is discovered, they overlook the fact that the mental illness is still exacerbating the substance problem and vice-versa. Therefore only one of the two issues is identified. And with teens it is even more difficult. With kids going through puberty and all of the emotional fluctuations that accompany that, how can you be sure that this young man or woman are actually suffering from a bi-polar disorder or even depression? For that very reason it is imperative that when seeking an addiction treatment center you find one that has an acute awareness of this dual disease. It is only then that you can truly have hope for a full recovery.

by Groshan Fabiola

Facing the fact that someone you love is not only suffering from drug addiction, but now must receive help to overcome the addiction, is difficult for anyone. Where should you start? Who do you turn to? What questions do you need to ask about drug treatment programs? Perhaps, you may have been at this point before, and you now feel a sense of hopelessness in finding a residential treatment center that will work this time around. Maybe, though, this is the first time you’ve had to take these steps to help someone you love. The process can feel overwhelming.

Ultimately, you want your loved one back. You want that person you love free from drugs. You want that person to live a healthy and productive life. By asking the right question on each of the following areas when choosing a residential drug treatment center, your chances of making this happen for your loved one will increase.

1.Success Rate –
What is the success rate of the residential drug treatment center? Obviously, the higher the success rate, the more likely your loved one will succeed. Ask to speak with graduates of the drug rehab facility or their families. Get real opinions from real people.

2.Methods –
What method does the drug treatment center use? Ask yourself if they are addressing all aspects of your loved one’s addiction, including what led them to drugs in the first place. Methods that only deal with one aspect of addiction are more likely to fail. Remember addiction results from a combination of many factors, including a lessening of morality and integrity and an increasing burden of guilt and shame. The life of an addict includes bad habits, poor health and difficulty facing problems. After speaking with the facility, ask yourself if they are handling not just the psychological aspects, but also the physical and mental aspects of addiction as well. Are they providing practical skills that will help your loved one succeed once the drug rehabilitation program is completed?

3.Services –
What services does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is not only for your loved one, but for you as well. Will they help with legal issues? Will they assist in an intervention? In other words, to what length will they go to make certain your loved one gets the drug treatment they need?

4.Staff –
Who are the staff members at the residential drug treatment center? The best trained staff will have had experience with drug addiction. They will not have learned about it in a book. Are they qualified for their positions? What real-life knowledge do they have with drug addiction? What is their reason for working in this field?

5.Follow-up Program –
What type of follow-up program does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is important. Sending a newly rehabilitated drug addict back into the world without any follow-up can be disastrous. Make sure that there is a program of this type in place. Good programs keep in touch over the phone regularly after one leaves the program.

6.Location –
Where is the residential drug treatment center located? A residential drug treatment center should be protected. Ask how easy it would be for your loved one to leave. Many addicts when first coming off drugs want to leave. Ensuring that this is difficult, while not seeming like a prison, increases the chances that the person will stay to finish.

7.Length –
How long does the residential drug treatment center take? Although the standard program is 28 days, if the residential drug treatment center offers a longer program, it is more likely your loved one will succeed. However, if the residential drug treatment center allows your loved one to work at his or her own pace, without imposing time constraints, your loved one has an even greater chance of overcoming drug addiction.

8.Price –
How much does the residential drug treatment center cost? Before eliminating any program because of its price, ask yourself this: What are they offering? Look back at the points above and determine what the drug rehab is truly giving to the one you love. Yes, the more it offers, the more likely the price will be higher. However, your loved one will have a greater chance at becoming a healthy productive member of society. How much is that person worth to you?
Choosing a residential drug treatment center can be difficult. Dealing with a loved one suffering from drug addiction is devastating. By breaking the process down into what is important and finding out the answers to the questions above, you will be able to make an informed choice as to which residential drug treatment program can best help you and your loved one. Drug addiction can be dealt with and overcome.
By John Frank

The role of genetics in addiction has been debated for decades. Scientists and other health experts have successfully identified various risk factors for the development of addiction, but concise and objective predictors of drug addiction have eluded discovery. This past year, however, science has made significant strides in discerning how genetics may affect addiction.

A landmark scientific paper published in the April 2009 issue of Nature Reviews Genetics presented some groundbreaking new insights into the role of genetics in addiction by honing in on specific genes that are tied to all types of addictions. The study, conducted by addiction experts at the University of Virginia Health System and the University of Michigan, even found that some genes that are associated with alcohol dependence are also linked to various other  addictions. The gene was found to be a common factor in addictions to nicotine, cocaine, opioids and other substances.

Study co-author Ming Li, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the UVA School of Medicine, commented on the study and its potential impact:

“Addiction researchers have found that several genes are linked with multiple addictions. … So, we’re narrowing the scope to specific genetic targets. Once researchers can pinpoint exact genetic variants and molecular mechanisms, then we can create much more effective, even personalized, treatments for individuals addicted to a variety of substances.”

Li also believes that further research is needed to understand the full impact of genetic variations on addiction. “The exact nature of the gene variants and how they function are still unknown, so functional studies as well as studies using additional ethnic population samples may be quite revealing,” Dr. Li said.

Another recent study, conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado in Denver, pinpointed genetic pathways and genes associated with alcohol consumption. The researchers were able to identify genetic factors that predisposed both rats and humans to drink more; however, they were unable to discover a similar link between the genes and actual alcohol addiction. Nonetheless, according to Boris Tabakoff, a lead researcher, the study’s results may help scientists to eventually connect the dots between genetic makeup and addiction.

Tabakoff said, “We know that high levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of becoming alcohol dependent in those who have a genetic makeup that predisposes to dependence. This is a case of interaction between genes and environment. Indeed, in our study we found that, higher alcohol consumption in humans was positively correlated with alcohol dependence. However, because different sets of genes seem to influence the level of alcohol consumption, as opposed to propensity for alcohol dependence, we are confronted with great variation in humans. Individuals with a set of genes that predisposes them to drink moderate amounts of alcohol may still have the genetic predisposition to lose control over their drinking behavior, and perhaps become alcohol dependent. Conversely, individuals with a genetic predisposition to drink high amounts of alcohol may not have the genes that predispose them to become dependent.”

A study just completed at Brown University (the results will be published in the January 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research) succeeded in identifying a link between a gene variation and teen alcohol misuse. For the study, researchers examined the genetic makeup of 187 adolescents (98 boys and 89 girls) around the age of 15 years. They were able to correlate a polymorphism (variation in the shape) of the OPRM1 opioid receptor gene called A118G with heightened risk for alcohol-related problems and likelihood to meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Robert Miranda, Jr., assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and corresponding author for the study, commented on the implications of the study’s findings:

“Our current knowledge about the genetics of alcohol misuse during adolescence comes almost exclusively from family and twin studies. … But the relative importance of environmental and genetic factors appears to shift considerably over the course of adolescence … with genetics playing an important role once teenagers begin to drink. … Our findings provide the first evidence to suggest that teenagers who carry a certain variant of the OPRM1 gene experience more alcohol-related problems.”

Notably, the Brown University team discovered that teens with this variant were more likely to report drinking alcohol because of the pleasurable effects than for other reasons. The fact that the genetic variation enhances the pleasure experienced by youth when consuming alcohol helps to explain why teens with this variation might be more likely to develop problem drinking behaviors.

Miranda, Jr., explains, “The G allele, or variant, of the OPRMI gene is associated with the function of the body’s own natural opiate system. Research suggests that the G allele is associated with experiencing more pleasure and greater intoxication after drinking.”

By Emily Battaglia