Relapse
Do I need to go to rehab?
Aug 12th
This is a question many facing drug addiction and alcoholism try to figure out on their own. But every individual is different and may need to be assessed with a treatment counselor to assess their current situation and whether they need to be in a residential rehab setting.
Scientific research since the mid–1970s shows that treatment can help patients addicted to drugs and alcohol to stop using and drinking to avoid relapse, and successfully recover their lives. Based research, key principles have emerged that form the basis of effective treatment programs:
• Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior.
• No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.
• Treatment needs to be readily available.
• Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse.
• Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical.
• Counseling—individual and/or group—and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment.
• Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
• An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs.
• Many drug–addicted individuals also have other mental disorders.
• Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long–term drug abuse.
• Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
• Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur.
Residential treatment programs can also be very effective, especially for those with more severe problems. For example, residential facilities are highly structured programs in which patients remain at a residence, typically for 30 days to 12 months. Treatment centers differ from other treatment approaches principally in their use of the community—treatment staff and those in recovery—as a key agent of change to influence patient attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors associated with drug use. The focus of rehab is on the re-socialization of the patient to a drug-free, crime–free lifestyle. Please call today to discuss your needs for treatment.
How do I stop drinking?
Aug 9th
This is a question that many people ask themselves day after day and end up with the same results, drinking yet again. Unfortunately there is no magic pill, doctor, exercise, or holistic remedy or cure. Alcoholism is a chronic pervasive and progressive disease, and left untreated can have life threatening effects.
Alcoholism is a progressive disease in that if left untreated one will have to keep consuming more and more alcohol for the desired effects. The “right” treatment for alcoholism depends on the individual. Alcoholism affects everyone differently; there is not just one program or one pill or one highly educated experienced doctor that can cure the alcoholic. Everyone needs to be treated as an individual and be assessed to get to the root of the disease. Many individuals find entering a treatment center for 30-90 days best supports them. Entering a treatment center or rehab allows the individual the time and safety to not only detox from alcohol but also to begin the journey towards sobriety where they will find coping mechanisms to live a life free of alcohol.
Ending the cycle of drinking is often times a terrifying event for one whose only coping mechanism has been drinking. Being active in the disease of alcoholism can often times be severely isolating and depressing, but there is hope many individuals have taken the leap to a life filled with hope and relief without alcohol. All it takes is picking up the phone, reaching out, and asking for the help you deserve.
Suboxone for Opiate Detox
Aug 8th
Suboxone can be used for opiate detox and is now used for those withdrawing from opiates. With Suboxone clients can do so safely and comfortably through the use of Suboxone, a medication that virtually stops withdrawal symptoms from opiate drugs such as Vicodin, heroin, codeine, morphine, and OxyContin. In many facilities the drug is only used during the detoxification period so that once a client is stabilized, he or she can be free from the debilitating effects of opiate addiction. Consulting physicians assess the client’s need for Suboxone and determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Suboxone is approved by the FDA to treat withdrawal from opiates and is one of two forms of the medication buprenorphine, which is an opiate agonist that was originally developed to treat pain syndromes. Suboxone binds to the opioid receptor in the brain, which is the same receptor to which morphine, heroin, and other opiates bind.
What makes Suboxone unique and valuable in addiction treatment is that it is a partial agonist. This means that at low doses, it acts the same as any other opiate in suppressing pain. But as the dosage is increased, it starts to block the opioid receptor, and doesn’t allow it to be stimulated. This allows clinicians to stop withdrawal symptoms without having to worry that the patient will begin abusing Suboxone. In addition, Suboxone makes it impossible to get high on other opiates. If someone is taking Suboxone and then uses heroin or OxyContin, they won’t feel any euphoria from the illicit drugs. Suboxone used to treat the withdrawal effects from opiates along with therapy and supportive care in a residential facility gives clients a fighting chance against the disease of addiction.
Study Involving Heroin-Addicted Rats Expose Relapse Gene
Jul 26th
Through studying heroin-addicted rats, researchers have identified genes that may be involved in drug relapse. Science Daily reports that Kara Kuntz-Melcavage, from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and a team of researchers found a group of genes in the rats whose expression is significantly altered following being exposed to drug paraphernalia after an enforced “cold-turkey” period.
“A number of gene expression studies have investigated changes induced by drug exposure, but few reports describe changes associated with the mental state that leads to relapse. We identified 66 genes involved in the relapse response, including some that are important for neuroplasticity, and through that role may impact learning and behavior,” said Kuntz-Melcavage.
The researchers attached rats to a drug supply that for 3 hours each day delivered heroin into their jugular veins when they licked a particular empty spout. Over a two-week period, the animals were free to self-administer heroin, while control rats to whom they were linked received saline instead.
One group of addicted rats and their non-addicted partners were then kept without heroin for two weeks before being re-exposed to the spout, which no longer yielded drug infusions. After 90 minutes in this narcotic-associated environment, during which the addicted rats compulsively returned to lick the unrewarding empty spout, they and their control mates were humanely killed and gene expression in their brains was studied.
By comparing the gene expression in the drug-seeking animals with that in a second group of addicted rats re-exposed to the narcotic environment after only one day of abstinence, and with the controls which were given saline, the researchers were able to identify genes involved in relapse behavior.
“The session with the inactive spout served not only to provide an opportunity to observe drug-seeking behavior, but also mimicked a real-life situation in which environmental cues precipitate relapse behavior following an extended period of abstinence,” said Kuntz-Melcavage.
She added, “As data accumulate, the existence of a single ‘relapse gene’ is looking increasingly unlikely–it is likely to be a constellation of different genes. Therefore, large scale views of gene expression, like this one, will prove very useful for guiding research into human drug-associated behavior.”
Yoga And Recovery
Jul 20th
12 Step Yoga Therapy: Treatment for the Body, Mind and Soul
Yoga is an ideal recreational activity for those recovering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other addictions. Yoga conditions the body, mind and soul. Recovering from an addiction takes physical, mental and spiritual strength, which can be developed by practicing yoga. Recreational activities are an essential part of recovery for residents at long-term alcohol and drug rehab centers. Although therapy, counseling, and 12-step meetings are tremendously effective, people in recovery still want to have fun – and it is crucial they learn to enjoy themselves without substance abuse. Many treatment centers offer yoga as a therapeutic tool which can have a dramatic impact on a person’s life.
Strengthening a Recovering Body
The practice of Yoga comes from India and the word can mean “union” or “control”. People must unify their body with their mind and spirit to successfully control their whole self if they are to master yoga techniques. The beauty of yoga is that you do not need a very strong body to begin learning it. Practicing yoga consistently will help a person to develop their core muscles and improve their balance and posture. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that each person learns about their body and increases their control over it. Building a physically strong body can help combat the physical dependencies that come with alcoholism or drug addictions.
Yoga and the Mind
When it comes to addictions, psychological dependencies are very common. Young adults may be in the habit of giving up or giving in mentally to their addiction. It takes time and perseverance to train the mind to become strong enough to change that behavior. Yoga helps improve mental concentration through various methods. Take deep breathing exercises as an example. In yoga, deep breathing is conducted slowly and consciously. There should be no day dreaming but instead a profound, internal attention on the quality of breathing. Not only does this practice assist in clearing the mind, but it also improves the mind’s ability to focus. After improving one’s mental abilities through yoga, it should be easier for the person to clearly make decisions that will lead to positive outcomes.
Developing the Spirit to Stop Substance Abuse
Unlike other physical activities and sports, yoga is performed slowly and quietly with a great peacefulness. The practice of yoga can even be said to resemble a kind of meditation and its effects can be described as spiritual. Since yoga is not a religious practice attributed to any one religion, people of any belief system can enjoy it.
The poses and techniques found in yoga vary in their degree of difficulty. Continuously working to improve and accepting the challenge to learn the more difficult poses takes a lot of determination, but the process fosters a resilient heart. A strong spirit is needed to successfully complete drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Deciding to stop making poor choices that are self-damaging can be a challenge, and a strong resolve to change is what will prevent relapse in the future.