Blog Entries tagged 'meth'

NO PLACE TO HIDE: ADDICTION IN AMERICA PART II

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

America - a country founded on principles of individual freedom, by strong-principled men and women who fought to create a social structure in which citizens could choose their religions and their own ways of life.

Some people may consider that the American way of life is under attack by political or economic factors. This may or may not be true - but one thing is certain: America and Americans are under concerted attack by those who manufacture, smuggle, distribute and sell drugs of abuse. T [...]

DRUG ADDICITION AND ABILITY

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

There is volumes of information and science avaialbe on the subject of drug addictions its causes and cures. There are multiple philososphies on how addiction comes into being and how to overcome it. For those addicted to drugs it gets to be pretty hard to decide what program and what addicition philosophy to buy into when looking for help. So how does one steer through the massive amount of information and treatment modalities to arrive at the best program a [...]

WHAT IS INTERVENTION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

WHAT IS AN INTERVENTION?

An intervention is the process of coming between two or more people or groups to change the anticipated outcome. When a person intervenes in any life situation, he or she is coming between some elements in life so as to change the course of events that are occurring. For example, a person might intervene in an argument between two other people to keep them from coming to blows.

When an addict is on a course of events that consists of daily use of drugs or [...]

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A REHABILITATION CENTER IS WORKING?

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

If you are currently involved in a rehabilitation center here are some tips that can help you identify if that center is leading you toward successful recovery.

Just about anyone in any treamtent center, no matter what philosospy and approach to recovery is being followed will help the addicted person feel better in the beginning of the program. This is primarily because any legitmate program will work to dry out or detox a person off thier drug(s) of choice. Once the intial [...]

THINGS ARE CHANGING IN THE DRUG ALCOHOHL REHAB FIELD

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

More and more rehab professionals in the Drug Alcohol Rehab field are agreeing that the traditional 28-day drug and alcohol rehab programs are not effective. For over 25 years the the traditional 28-day rehab program has been touted as the accepted model for treatment. The birth of the 28-day treatment program modality in the late 1970's was incubated by the recognition of major health insurance companies that drug and alcohol addiction needed to be included and cov [...]

ARE YOU IN REHAB? WHAT IS IT DOING FOR YOU?

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

There are many drug and alcohol rehab programs available for those in need of help with chemical dependency. There are also many treatment philosophys and approaches. If you are involved in a treatment program here are some things to consider and questions to ask your counselor. These pointers will help you determine where you will end up at the end of your treatment plan.

1. Is the program you are involved in helping you to address the physical [...]

MORE ON GUILT AND DRUG ALCOHOL REHABILITATION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Guilt is part of what holds addiction in place. The guilt and addict expereinces is directly caused by the dishonestty and misdeeds that an addict committs as the cycle of addiction contiues. The addict devlops memories of the dishonest actions done. Over time, the memories of guilt accumulate and when the addict sees people or places that were involved in these past misdeeds these sights can trigger the guilt surrounding the dishonest act(s). [...]

DEALING WITH GUILT IN DRUG ALCOHOL REHAB

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Feeling of Guilt plague all people addicted to drugs or alcohol. It would make sense then eliminating the guilt an addict feels is part of process of one being successful at the end of a course of treatment. Sobering up alone will not eliminate the guilt an addicts has over the decision and negative actions they have done that have become part of thier addicted personality.

The guilt an addict expereinces takes time to build up in an individual. It doesn't ha [...]

DEPRESSION; A BARRIER TO RECOVERY AND CAUSE OF RELAPSE

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Any treatment professional knows that depression is an intregal part of drug and alcohol addiction. The depression an addict expereinces is a factor that keeps an addict harnessed in addiction and if not delt with effectively will be one of the main reasons an addict who is unsuccessful in recovery relapses after treatment.

Some tradtional medical-psychiatric based programs diagnos and treat depression as the fundamental cause of addiction. Commonly the practioners of [...]

STORAGE OF DRUG RESIDUES IN THE BODY AND DRUG REHABILITATION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Today it is fairly common for many companies and federal agencies to drug test thier employees. Through a common urinalysis test, it can be determined if the eomployee has taken any one of several drugs.

This test of a person's urine not only detects if they have taken drugs, it also detects what type of drugs were taken. Drug tests detect the presence of any drugs or their "metabolites".

Metabolites are the products left behind in the body when it has br [...]

MORE ON CRAVINGS; THE FIRST MECHANIC OF ADDICTION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Some withdrawl symptoms and cravings are caused by poor nutrition and the vitamin depletion that follows substance abuse. When the body lacks certain nutrients, it cannot make some of the substances it needs for health and energy, causing a person to feel tired and moody. Depletion of certain vitamins and minerals can also cause shakiness, muscel tremors and pains.

Withdrawal symptoms and cravings may also result from the toxins (substances the body sees as poisons) that ac [...]

A VIEW OF DRUG ADDICTION FOR THE LAYMAN

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Traditional theories of drug addiction along with the treatment apporaches based on these theories help some addicts. However, national studies and statistics on results show that the majority of addcits do not successfully overcome drug addiction. It is not uncommon for an addict who has enrolled into a traditional medical and psychiatric program to be told that only 2% to a high of 10% of the addicts present in that program will make it. This does not offer much hope to th [...]

ARE ALL REHABS THE SAME?

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Rehabs vary in their brands of therapy, whether they are in-patient or out-patient, long-term or short-term; whether they are a 12 Step Program or a Theraputic Community, a medical or psychiatricly based program. There are many different types of rehabs and approaches and unfortunately many of the rehabs that exist to day are strictly for profit organizations. These companies have gotten more interested in thier bottom line then in actually offering [...]

GOOD OUTCOME SYSTEM MAKES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION SERVICES

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

When looking into a rehabilitation program one area to asked questions about is what follow up program and system does the rehabilitation program in question employ.

Most Rehabilitation Serivces are required to be licensed or certifitied by state or nationally recognized accreditation agencies and most of these agencies have specific criteria and standards that apply to how the program follows up with the graduates of the program to determine that centers effectivness and recovery rate. [...]

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN ADDICTION REHAB IS WORKING?

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

All addiction rehab should be working toward the final treatment goal of eliminating the guilt an addict carries with them because of the misdeeds and dishonesty they get involved in which is part of the addictive life style.

An addict feels guilty because he has committed dishonest deeds against the people he cares about. This is an integral part of the cycle of addiction.

A person who becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol dosen;t just wake up one day and say [...]

INPATIENT REHAB AND DEALING WITH DEPRESSION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Depression is another factor that keeps an addict harnessed in thier addiction. Depression is the source of a constant and significant amount of discomfort that prompts continued drug or alcohol use. It is also the second hurdle that must be overcome when treating addiction.

Some of the traditional medical and psychiatric based programs diagnose and treat the depression an addict is experiencing as a "mental illness". And that this "mental illness"& [...]

AN IMPORTANT SIDE BAR TO NOTE WHEN RESEARCHING WORKABLE REHAB THERAPY

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Most drugs and alcohol are metabolized, or broken down, in the liver but all tissues in the body will break down drugs alchol or other foreign substances for elimination. Drugs and metabolites, (def. metabolites are the by-products left behind in the body after the body has broken down, filtered and eliminated foreign chemicals, like drugs and alcohol from the system.), leave the body through urine, feces, sweat and breath but they are not fully eliminated from the body. Sin [...]

CRAVINGS; THE FIRST MECHANIC OF DRUG ADDICTION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

The first challenge for any addict wishing to kick his/her drug addiction is overcoming the mental and physical cravings for drugs or alcohol. Cravings are strong, uncontrolable urges to use that drive the addict to use again and again despite the consequences they may suffer in thier life and relationships because of thier abusive behavior.

To get get an idea of what drug cravings are like, think of a time when you went for a long period of time without eating a meal and you were [...]

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF DRUG ADDICTION

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Those who start down the path of addiction begin to accumulate so much damage to thier physical and mental selves and thier lives that the quality of their lives in general deteriorates. If drug or alcohol abuse continues unchecked, eventually the person is faced with so many unpleasant cirrcumstances that each sober moment is filled with despair and misery. All this person now wants to do is to escape these feelings by medicating them away. This is the downward spiral of ad [...]

IS ADDICTION A DISEASE?

garysmithccdc@gmail.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Some professionals in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation field say, "yes" addiction is a disease. A large rapdily growing number of other treamtent professionals are saying no it isn't and whether it is or isn't has nothing to do with the recovery process and addcition treatment.

Addiction does have a starting point. No one who ever got addicted to drugs or alcohol just woke up one day and said "gee I think I'll st [...]