Staying Healthy In Treatment

Eating well and choosing nutrient-rich foods can a play a big role in efficient recovery. Choosing healthy foods over processed foods and junk food can aid in: Replacing nutrients lost during active addiction Continuing the detox process after addiction Improving the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep Improving mood Increasing immune system and the ability … Read more

Testing for Dual Diagnosis

Having a substance abuse problem or a mental health disorder can be frustrating. The symptoms of dealing with one or the other can cause physical, psychological, and emotional problems. Unfortunately, the presence of one can proliferate the other or the two can exist simultaneously. The case of co-occurring disorders (COD) is called comorbidity, or Dual … Read more

What Are the Risks of At-Home Detox?

When it is clear that drug use or alcohol abuse is a problem, the natural inclination is to assume that the best way to address the issue is simply to stop using all substances. This impulse is correct; abstinence is the best policy in the face of addiction. However, it is far easier said than … Read more

AA for Atheists

One of the key components to a sustainable and prolonged recovery from substance abuse or dependency is often the active participation in a support or self-help group after successfully completing a drug or alcohol treatment program. Peer support and the creation of a healthy network of individuals with similar circumstances may help maintain long-term sobriety. … Read more

What to Expect

Each patient has different needs in recovery. Each patient experiences different things prior to addiction, uses drugs or alcohol for different reasons, struggles with different underlying disorders or problems that exacerbate their addiction issues, and will require a different combination of therapies and treatments during rehab in order to effectively address these issues. In general, … Read more

Same-Day Rehab Admittance

Your loved one is in crisis and, right now – perhaps for the first time – he is ready to enter a drug treatment program and begin the process of recovery. His agreement may be fleeting – tomorrow, he may feel differently – and you want to get him into treatment today in order to … Read more

Finding Treatment for Drug Addiction

It’s been a tough call to make, but you’re finally ready to get substance abuse treatment for yourself or your loved one. You’ve made the right decision – even if things seem to be improving, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that 40 to 60 percent of people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol … Read more

Aftercare for Drug and Alcohol Rehab

Completing drug or alcohol rehab is a major accomplishment, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s not more work to do. During the weeks, months and even years after completing rehab, individuals in recovery are still at risk for relapse. Having a co-occurring disorder — a mental health condition that occurs along with a substance use … Read more

10 Things You Should Know About Treatment

1. Dual diagnosis is not a rare phenomenon Some studies indicate that as many as half of those with a drug or alcohol addiction also have some form of mental illness 2. Dual diagnosis comes in many forms Any combination of mental illness (including anxiety disorder, depression, etc.) and addiction (alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, etc.) … Read more

What’s the Cost of Rehab with Kaiser Permanente Health Insurance?

The first place that most patients and their families turn when they are ready to pay for treatment for drug and alcohol abuse or addiction is health insurance. The Affordable Care Act has determined that treatment services for addiction are among the 10 essential services that all health insurance policies should provide to patrons. For customers of … Read more

Modified Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Services within an Integrated Treatment Program

Highlights Integrated treatment targeting co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems were delivered through modified ACT services to improve housing stability, clinical outcomes, and quality of life for persons who were homeless or living in temporary and unstable housing (e.g., doubled up with friends). From March 2002 to December 2003, 560 persons with co-occurring mental … Read more

Outpatient Bipolar Disorder Treatment Centers

The best way to describe outpatient treatment is “flexible recovery.” Try as you might, life has a way of interfering with healing. Even when you know it’s for the best to stay the course, sometimes the demands of family, work or school can be too much. There’s no reason why your treatment should be interrupted … Read more

Intervention for Manic Episodes

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 4 percent of all adults in America experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives.1 While all of these people might share the same diagnosis, their symptoms might be radically different. For example, some people with bipolar disorder feel depressed much of the time. Others have episodes … Read more

12-Step Support Groups

When talking about recovery from drugs and alcohol abuse, the phrase “12-Step support groups” is used a lot. Because you only ever hear them in the context of treatment and rehabilitation, there’s a lot of misconception and mystery over what these groups are, what happens in these groups, what their goals are, and how they help … Read more

Treatment Accreditations

Addiction is a powerful enemy, and the weapon to fight it – namely, treatment – is similarly potent. When wielded improperly, carelessly or unprofessionally, treatment can be as damaging and destructive as the addiction it is supposed to combat. That is why treatment accreditation exists: to promote healthy rehabilitative institutions and practices, and to protect … Read more

Treatment for Suboxone Abuse

Opiate abuse and addiction (including addiction to heroin and prescription painkillers) present complications when use is discontinued or if the familiar amount is reduced. For this reason, withdrawal symptoms are often treated and managed with other medications. A few years after its initial introduction in the US in 1947, methadone was adapted from its traditional use as … Read more

Dual Recovery Self-Help Support (Part Two)

Dual Recovery Movement In recent years several new dual recovery twelve-step fellowships have been established. Currently, the fellowships continue to grow and are gaining wider national recognition. Today, meetings are held in both community and agency settings in the United States, Canada and abroad. The purpose of this series is to provide information that may help … Read more

Privacy and Anonymity in Recovery

Often, substance users question how many others are struggling like they are to manage their drug or alcohol addiction. Results from 2010 government research notes that 23.5 million Americans are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.[1] You’re not alone, but illicit substances and depressants like alcohol can often make you feel like you are. It is human … Read more

Relapse Prevention

In January, people all across the United States come up with long lists of tasks they’d like to accomplish in the coming year. They might vow to lose weight, exercise more, stick to a budget, or purchase more organic food. But when February comes around, many of these same people have relapsed to the behaviors … Read more

Where to Find Help: Outpatient vs. Inpatient Programs

The terms “inpatient” and “outpatient” aren’t unique to the field of addiction. In fact, these are terms that could be applied to almost every single type of medical or mental health intervention a person could get, and they have a deep impact on the overall cost and treatment outcome of someone who needs care. Experts … Read more

Treatment for Methadone Abuse

Methadone is well known in the mainstream as a treatment for opioid addiction (such as addiction to heroin) or a treatment for severe pain. Its origins go back to Germany, during World War II, when this opioid was created to serve as a long-acting pain reliever for surgeries and cancer treatment. After 1950, methadone was used … Read more

Relapse and Recurrence

There is no cure for depression, thus there is always a concern among patients and their family members that there may be a recurrence of depression and/or a relapse if substance abuse is also an issue. It’s a viable concern, and it’s one that is often the focus of treatment. Dual Diagnosis rehab can provide patients … Read more

Costs of Outpatient Treatment

Treatment services for drug abuse and addiction can get expensive, even if the patient opts for outpatient care. The good news is that this cost is extremely modifiable, determined based on the combination of services chosen and whether or not health insurance will cover all or part of the cost. What treatment services will best help … Read more

The Evolution of Administering and Consuming Medicine

Human interactions and experimentation with drugs and medications reach back as far as our written history extends. As long as humans have existed as a species, illness, disease and pain have been there too. Ancient humans may have attributed these maladies as spiritual or godly intervention and may have viewed any attempts to heal others … Read more

Foundations Model of Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual Diagnosis Treatment is one of the most specialized, complex areas of addiction rehabilitation. Treating those with both a mental illness and a drug or alcohol addiction is a complicated, delicate process that requires experts in both fields in order to be successful. Through its groundbreaking treatment centers, Foundations Recovery Network has developed a highly … Read more

Traveling for Treatment

Addiction treatment facilities aren’t hard to find. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are more than 14,500 facilities in the United States that specialize in providing help for people with addictions to drugs, alcohol, or both. That means it’s likely that people who have addictions can find the help they need … Read more

How Much Does Anger Management Cost?

Anger management, or the treatment of angry outbursts or issues of temper, is something that is becoming much more common today, as more and more people successfully seek out treatment to learn how to control their anger. Thanks to the existence of many different types of anger management treatment programs and options, a person has … Read more

Treatment for Heroin Addiction

When Philip Seymour Hoffman died of a heroin overdose in 2014, the president of Drugfree.org took the opportunity to remind everyone that while Hoffman obviously knew that taking heroin was a bad idea, “his brain was constantly telling him that taking some heroin would be a very good idea.” Many people use heroin – in … Read more

The BFF’s Guide to Helping Someone With a Heroin Addiction

You’ve started to realize that your friend seems inexplicably exhausted most of the time. In fact, it’s not uncommon for him or her to starting falling asleep while sitting upright, even in the middle of conversation. Then you notice that there are marks on your friend’s arms, almost bruise-like and rather small. It might have … Read more

Does Insurance Cover Rehab?

Does insurance cover rehab? The short answer is: “It depends.” Concerns about paying for rehab pervade. According to the 2008 Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the most common reason substance abusers do not enter rehab is a lack of health insurance, insufficient insurance coverage, or other financial limitations related to paying for treatment services. Despite … Read more

Diagnosing Mental Illness Through Neuroimaging Scans

Diagnosing a mental illness isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be a subjective process that allows one clinician to see one disease, while another sees a different disease and a third sees nothing at all, even when all three medical practitioners are looking at the same patient. This kind of uncertainty can be annoying, … Read more

The Use of Neurofeedback in Treatment

You might have heard of biofeedback, a scientific approach of collecting information about the body and its processes through monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature and brain waves. Types of biofeedback include: Thermal Heart rate variability (HRV) Muscular (EMG) Neurotherapy, neurobiofeedback or neurofeedback Neurofeedback, in short, is an arm of biofeedback that reports on … Read more

Issues of Treatment by Special Treatment Requirements

Matching addicted people to the right kind of care is absolutely vital, as patients who affiliate with their treatment programs tend to stay enrolled and, as a result, they tend to improve. While it’s vital for referring professionals to match their recommendations with a patient’s physical and mental health needs, it’s also vital to assess what … Read more

Approaches to Pain Management

Pain can come in many forms, for many reasons. For some, when they hear the word pain, they think of emotional pain. The loss of a parent, child or even a close friend can bring with it the emotional pain of the grieving process. For others, a more clinical picture comes to mind. Perhaps they … Read more

Treatment for Tramadol Abuse

In 2013, the prescription drug tramadol was all over the news. Articles like this one in Chemistry World suggested that tramadol wasn’t a man-made substance, as experts had believed for quite some time. Instead, these articles suggested, tramadol was produced naturally, inside the roots of a very common plant. The research world got very excited at this … Read more

How Long Should You Stay in Rehab?

Length of stay is often an issue that patients attempt to address at the beginning of addiction treatment. Unfortunately, it’s not a question that can always be accurately answered early on. Most patients start by signing up for a standard 30-day program and then adjust that as needed, according to how their personal timeline of growth … Read more

Medications for Sleeping Disorders Treatment

In the treatment of sleep disorders, there are a few different types of medications commonly prescribed to patients. Some medications address disruptive physical ailments that make it difficult for patients to sleep while others aid in helping the patient to fall asleep or sleep through the night. Because there can be a number of causes for … Read more

The Matrix Model

The Merriam-Webster dictionary provides six definitions for the word “matrix,” including: “something from within or from which something else originates, develops, or takes form.” In this definition, a matrix is used as a sort of scaffolding, allowing something to take shape in a structured and controlled way. People with addictions may need a matrix like this, allowing them to … Read more

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual Diagnosis treatment is a relatively new innovation in the field of addiction recovery. Until the 1990s, people who were experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder — anxiety attacks, depressive episodes, delusional behavior or mood swings — were treated separately from those who sought help for drug or alcohol abuse. When these conditions overlapped, clients … Read more

Addiction Treatment Alternatives: The Way to Harm Reduction

The National Institute on Drug Abuse[1] defines addiction as a “chronic, relapsing brain disease.” There is no suggestion of moral weakness or failure here. Instead, this definition seems to suggest that people who have addictions struggle with a deficiency that’s outside of their control, and that must be treated in order for healing to take place. … Read more

Does Medicare Cover It?

Medicare, just like all health insurance policies offered on the open exchanges since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, does cover the cost of drug rehab. Distinct from treatment services covered for the treatment of alcohol abuse or alcoholism, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services acknowledge that different services may be necessary to treat patients … Read more

Treatment for Military Veterans

According to Psychiatric Times, military members who return home from combat demonstrate high rates of substance abuse. Often, drug abuse co-occurs with other conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and pain related to injuries. Research surveys demonstrate the unfortunate frequency of alcohol abuse among military personnel. Findings from different surveys regarding … Read more

The Facts About Alcohol Treatment

For all the popularity of alcohol, everyone knows at least one person who has struggled with alcoholism. And there have been hundreds of cases of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures getting treatment for an alcohol habit that got out of hand. We hear a lot about words like “rehab,” “detox,” and “therapy” when it … Read more

Medications for Depression Treatment

Antidepressant medications are not just the most commonly prescribed medication for the treatment of depression, but among certain groups in the United States, antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed class of drugs on the market. Though antidepressant medications can be extremely effective in helping patients to manage the symptoms of depression, it is important to … Read more

Drug Rehab Instead of Prison Could Save Billions

The debate about the efficacy of drug courts has been waged for the past decade, and now one more study has landed solidly in the “pro” column. Research has found that sending offenders with a history of drug and alcohol abuse to addiction treatment programs rather than institutionalizing them in jail or prison is not only the … Read more

Treatment Outcomes

Although understanding of the science of addiction is still evolving, there is a general consensus that addiction includes physical dependence (the body habituates to a drug) and mental dependence (drug-seeking behavior and taking the drugs despite knowing they are dangerous). Although different treatment programs may employ different methodologies, most include the following programs: Detox. In some … Read more

Does the DARE Program Work?

D.A.R.E. is an acronym that stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Developed by both law enforcement and school officials in 1983, the program was provided to youths as a formal way of introducing drug use information to young people in attempts to lower the rate of substance abuse down the road. Whether or not the … Read more

A Vouchers Approach to Addiction Treatment

The rewards of a sober lifestyle are many and might include improved physical health, enhanced relationships and a better economic outlook. In fact, people who are sober after years of addiction often report that their lives are happier now than they ever were when drugs played a role,and they might claim that they’ll never be tempted … Read more

Treatment for Hydrocodone Abuse

Today, prescription painkillers are a well-known threat to public health and safety. A contributing factor to the painkiller epidemic is a public perception that these drugs are safer than street drugs because they are manufactured by regulated pharmaceutical companies and prescribed by doctors – but this is not the case. Prescription painkiller abuse arises either … Read more

Does Having a Disorder Mean You Need Treatment?

Mental health disorders can be just as devastating to your overall well-being as any physical condition. According to the World Health Organization, the following psychiatric disorders are among the leading causes of disability and death around the globe: Depression Alcoholism Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder In spite of the harmful consequences of mental illness — including social … Read more

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Professionals

Money and power are often linked with health and prestige. It’s assumed that professionals who have achieved some level of success just have less to worry about, when compared with the average person, and they might not develop addictions or substance abuse problems as a result. It’s assumed that their high status in their communities will protect … Read more

Narcolepsy Disorder

For most adults, a normal night’s sleep lasts around eight hours and is composed of between four and six sleep cycles. Characterized by NREM (non rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) periods, it takes the average person about 80 to 100 minutes to begin the REM, or deep sleep, portion of the cycle. … Read more

Costs of Outpatient Treatment

Treatment services for drug abuse and addiction can get expensive, even if the patient opts for outpatient care. The good news is that this cost is extremely modifiable, determined based on the combination of services chosen and whether or not health insurance will cover all or part of the cost. What treatment services will best help … Read more

Options to Pay

It’s reported that approximately 26 percent of Americans have a mental health condition that is diagnosable by the DSM-IV. Unfortunately, an estimated 45 percent of those people go untreated as a result of the high costs of mental health care, according to the Washington Post. This is a startling statistic as so many need treatment for … Read more

Issues of Treatment by Health Considerations

Mental illnesses are often implicated in cases of Dual Diagnosis, and it’s certainly true that schizophrenia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders can contribute to both the acquisition and the maintenance of an addiction issue. However, some physical conditions can also impact the way a person heals in an addiction treatment program. These are just … Read more

Support Groups

The addiction recovery process is sometimes described in mystical terms. People who get sober often say that they “hit bottom,” “change their lives” and make connections with “something bigger.” They do more than simply put down the bottle or throw away the pills. They come to a new understanding about how life should be lived, … Read more

Dual Diagnosis Rehab – What you need to know

Dual diagnosis can be defined simply as the coexistence of both a mental illness and an addiction in the same individual. After that, things aren’t so simple. Treating a dual diagnosis patient is complicated because the different conditions tend to aggravate each other – making them worse if untreated. What’s more, the symptoms for certain … Read more

How Long Should You Stay in Sober Living?

The amount of time you should stay in a sober living home – like the amount of time you should stay in treatment – should be determined based on your individual needs. As a general rule, as long as you are benefitting from the support provided by sober living and can afford to stay, then it’s a … Read more

Vicoprofen Abuse and Treatment

Each Vicroprofen pill contains two active ingredients: hydrocodone and ibuprofen. When these two elements work together, they can bring about a great deal of pain relief. But the pills are designed to deliver that relief for a very short period of time. According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors shouldn’t provide Vicoprofen pills for longer than 10 … Read more

Options for Psychosocial Affliction

Psychosocial treatments are arguably the most important aspect of treatment for all depression diagnoses. Though medication can play a part in the initial stabilization of the patient as well as ongoing management of symptoms, it is the work done through psychosocial treatments that can have the longest lasting impact and, in some cases, may render … Read more

Crisis Intervention

If you know someone who is suffering from the ravages of addiction, you are probably familiar with the concept of a crisis. Individuals who abuse drugs often have emergencies in their lives, ranging from overdoses to evictions as well as legal issues concerning them and their children. Crises, while exhausting and stress-inducing, can be great … Read more

Cocaine Anonymous

Cocaine Anonymous (CA) is a network of self-help groups for addiction to cocaine, crack, and other stimulants. As a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), members come together with the common goal of abstaining from substance use. Like other Anonymous groups, CA teaches that members should abstain from using all substances, not just the drug in question … Read more

Prescription Drug Treatment

Prescription drugs were designed to help people get well, but unfortunately they have become a tool that millions of Americans use to abuse their bodies and destroy their lives. Prescription drug addiction is a growing problem, especially among the young, who have access to these medications online and in their parents’ medicine cabinets. With prescription drug abuse … Read more

Medications for Bipolar Disorders Treatment

Almost all patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, will be prescribed medication to help them balance their moods and mitigate the difficult symptoms that often define the disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mood stabilizers are often the first medication measure implemented in the pharmacological treatment of Bipolar disorder, … Read more

Cognitive Analytic Therapy

Some changes are incredibly easy to bring about. People who want to switch from coffee to tea, for example, might toss out their old coffee pots and filters, ensuring that only teabags line the cupboards of their homes. Similarly, those who want to switch from one language to another might move to a location in … Read more

California Centers

Given the size of California, it should come as no surprise that the state is home to a tremendous number of progressive drug treatment centers. Over 200,000 people per year check in to a drug or alcohol treatment center in California. Up and down the coast, in big cities and remote sea-side towns, the treatment centers … Read more

7 Benefits of Seeking Professional Alcohol Treatment

Whether the problem is binge drinking, chronic drinking, heavy drinking, or alcoholism, the drinker who is seeking to find balance in his life will more swiftly and safely meet his goals by choosing professional alcohol treatment. Dependent upon the specific obstacles facing the person as he stops drinking, a unique treatment plan can be developed that will … Read more

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Irritation, annoyance, anxiety, happiness and joy are all part of life’s emotional landscape. Moving from one feeling to another isn’t easy, but often, people experience only a tiny blip in emotion. They might feel mildly happy one moment and then mildly irritated the next, so shifting is relatively easy. There are some people, however, who … Read more

5 Drug-Free Sleep Strategies

The human body restores and resets itself through sleep, and lack of it can affect our health and impair our ability to function well. Unfortunately, using prescription sleep medication on a regular basis can create its own problems. In addition to potential side effects, including dizziness, headaches, digestive disturbances and daytime drowsiness, people may also … Read more

Topic of Treatment by Age

Research suggests that the most effective forms of addiction care tend to be the most customized. When the approaches used and the techniques incorporated tend to be sensitive to a patient’s specific attributes, patients tend to stay enrolled for longer periods of time, and they tend to stay sober as a result. Often, when discussing … Read more

Dual Diagnosis, Integrated Treatment or Co-occurring: What’s the Difference?

Neuroscience and psychology are rapidly changing fields. Every day, new research helps us understand more about the processes and biology behind mental health and addiction, so it is only natural that the terms we use to diagnose and treat them evolve as well. “Dual diagnosis” and “co-occurring disorder” are two terms that are relatively new … Read more

Holistic Treatment

Holistic medicine focuses on treating the entire person and not just a disorder or affliction. Holistic health care providers believe that an individual is made up of different parts including physical, emotional, environmental and spiritual aspects. All pieces must be addressed and balanced to solve any issues, sickness or disorder, and to make a person … Read more

Licenses and Regulations for Sober Living Homes

When choosing a sober living home for your loved one, it is important to take a moment to make sure that they have the appropriate accreditation and licenses necessary to legally run a drug and alcohol addiction treatment establishment. It may not seem like something that should have to be on your checklist when researching facilities for … Read more

Will Blue Cross Blue Shield Pay for Rehab?

Getting to the bottom of what Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover when it comes to substance abuse treatment can be tricky. Different states have different parameters for what must be covered by insurance and in what amount, plus they offer a range of policies that vary from state to state as well. Consider, for example, Blue Shield … Read more

Treatment by Gender

Both men and women can develop addictions, although a study in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse suggests that women tend to develop addictions more rapidly than their male counterparts, and they also tend to enter treatment programs a little sooner in their addiction careers. The differences between the genders don’t stop with the acquisition of the … Read more

6 Theories Behind a Dual Diagnosis

Study after study has suggested that mental illnesses and drug addictions go hand in hand. For example, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey found that those with a history of alcohol problems were more than four times more likely to have a depressive episode than people who had no such alcohol … Read more

Debunking Recovery Pseudoscience

Science or quackery? When it comes to addiction treatment programs, that question is intensely important. After all, people who get the treatment that they need for addiction have a great opportunity to get well, while those who don’t get the real assistance they need might be mired in addiction for a much longer period of … Read more

Cognitive Testing

The way you perform daily tasks, how you retain and use information, and how your brain wholly functions can collectively be called “cognition.” Cognition is essentially your day-to-day functioning as well as how you can spatially, verbally, and logically relate and problem-solve. When one is affected by mental illness, one or more of these areas … Read more

What to Bring to Rehab

It can be a process to prepare mentally and emotionally for entrance into a drug rehab program. A shift in perspective is often warranted as is opening oneself to the possibility of embracing new ideas and options with an open mind. One of the first steps in this process is packing up to go. The process … Read more

The Role of EMDR in PTSD Recovery

When something stressful happens, the body is designed to react by either fighting or fleeing. The pupils dilate, the muscles tense and digestion slows. In just seconds, the entire body is poised and ready for some sort of reaction, and all of that work happens deep in the subconscious portion of the mind. A person … Read more

What Do I Do If an Intervention Fails?

The goal of an intervention is to help addicted loved ones begin their journey to healing in the following ways: Recognize that they are struggling with a life-altering disorder Envision a life in recovery for themselves Accept immediate treatment However, even when the family does everything right and stages the perfect intervention, it is still possible that … Read more

Co-occurring Disorders Treatment

At one time, treatment for drug or alcohol addiction was considered to be separate from treatment for mental health disorders, and care was delivered at different facilities using radically different therapeutic approaches. As a result, many people who suffered from depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder or other serious psychiatric conditions never received treatment for their substance abuse. By the same … Read more

Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to Diagnose Mental Illness

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that there are 25.9 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines per million people living in the United States in 2007. That’s a remarkable number of very expensive machines, and not surprisingly, experts often look for new and innovative ways to use the machines they’ve purchased. Each time they use … Read more

Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) was founded in the early 1950s as an offshoot of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Although the organization grew slowly at first, by 1983, NA had spread to over a dozen countries and had nearly 3,000 meetings worldwide.Today, NA offers over 63,000 weekly meetings in 132 countries, and has literature available in at least 45 languages. The … Read more

Expanded Capacity of a Transitional Living Facility

Contract Information Dates of Service: October 1, 1998 through September 30, 2001 Grantee Federal Identification Number: 5 H79 TI11571-03 (B&D ID #010) Project Name: Expanded Capacity of a Transitional Living Facility Principal Investigator: Pam Sylakowski Evaluator: Thomas W. Doub, Ph.D. Project Location: Foundations Associates; Nashville, Tennessee Michael Cartwright, Executive Director Project Purpose The intent of … Read more

Co-Dependents Anonymous

Codependence is a type of maladaptive relationship in which two people have an unhealthy reliance upon one another. These relationships can form in families, at work, between friends, or elsewhere. The codependent person takes the role of a rescuer or confidant for someone struggling with issues such as irresponsibility, immaturity, underachievement, mental health disorders, or … Read more

Does Insurance Cover Heroin Detox?

Thanks to some of the legislative changes regarding health insurance in the United States in the past few years, more and more people are now eligible to receive health insurance coverage for heroin detox and related services. In some cases, that coverage is as readily available as coverage for routine medical issues. In other cases, … Read more

Where to Build a Support Network After Rehab

One of the most important components of recovery comes after you have completed treatment. The challenge of remaining sober once you are away from the support network you developed while in treatment grows more difficult the longer you go without support, so it’s important that you are prepared to build and maintain a support network … Read more

The Costs of Bipolar Treatment Services

This year, bipolar disorder will affect approximately 2.8 percent of the United States population, while up to 4.4% of all Americans have experienced bipolar disorder at some point in their lives.1 If you suspect this disorder in yourself or someone you love, you might be concerned about the costs of bipolar treatment. It’s true, the … Read more

Medications for Substance Abuse Treatment

Medication is not the focus for most patients who seek substance abuse treatment, but it can be a part of the initial stabilization process that occurs in early recovery during detox. Depending upon the drug of choice, different medications may be available and/ or appropriate for your loved one, but there are risks and considerations … Read more

Finding Treatment for Cocaine Abuse

COCAINE MAY BE THE MOST SENSATIONALIZED OF ALL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, LONG THE POISON OF HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES AND WALL STREET KINGPINS. Despite its glamor and high-profile endorsements, cocaine is a vicious drug that can destroy everything it touches. Thankfully, help is readily available that can help addicts to leave cocaine behind for good. What Is Cocaine? … Read more

Paying for Residential Programs

Residential drug rehab, or inpatient addiction treatment, can be pricey. Combining medical care, psychotherapeutic treatment and support, and room and board often adds up to a significant bill. Many families are worried about their choices: opt for the comprehensive care that improves the odds of long-term recovery and pay the hefty bill, or pay less … Read more

Treatment Options for Poly-Drug Abuse

As the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) discusses, treatment for drug abuse (singular or poly-abuse) involves a complex interaction of an individual’s biology and behavior. The goals of treatment are always to achieve abstinence from drugs, maintain that abstinence, and help recovering substance abusers to be a functioning member of their family, work or … Read more

Attending Your First Meeting: What to Expect

Support group meetings, especially 12-Step meetings, are exceedingly popular among those in recovery. Why? They offer a number of benefits including: Peer support Ongoing engagement with recovery Flexible schedule of meetings Different types of meetings Attending the first meeting, however, can be a fearsome experience for some. New people and a new situation – many … Read more

History of Rehab Facilities

Addiction has been a part of the human condition since time immemorial. Ever since the earliest farmers noticed that fermentation in fruit provided unexpectedly pleasant results, the joy of imbibing in alcoholic beverages has always been tempered with the consequences of overdoing it. Various forms of treatment have been tried over the years, some more … Read more

Equine Therapy Treatment

Equine-assisted therapy is an innovative treatment model utilized in addiction treatment. Through work with horses, individuals can gain greater insight into other areas of life. Interestingly, many people experience gains in equine therapy that they aren’t able to achieve in traditional talk therapy. Specifics of Equine Therapy Monty Roberts, bestselling author of The Man Who Listens … Read more

Approaches to an Intervention

As the Mayo Clinic explains, an intervention is a structured approach to helping a drug abuser face his addiction and need for treatment. The intervention can be helpful when a substance abuser is in denial about his abuse or behaves in a way that suggests he will not seek treatment on his own, despite the necessity of … Read more

Featured Treatment Centers

Why Our Treatment Centers Work About Our Treatment Centers Why Our Treatment Centers Work Imagine if you suffered from a debilitating mental illness such as bipolar disorder or severe anxiety. Now think about how difficult it would be to cope with that illness if you also had an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Such is the … Read more

How to Treat Pain Without Opioids

Chronic pain is one of the leading health issues in the nation, as it affects the quality of life of more than 100 million Americans — more than heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined.1 To combat this issue, more than 200 million opioid prescriptions are written in the US each year, according to the Centers for … Read more

Marijuana Rehab

WHEN THE STATES OF WASHINGTON AND COLORADO DECRIMINALIZED THE SALE AND USE OF MARIJUANA, IT THRUST THE DRUG INTO THE FOREFRONT OF PUBLIC DEBATE. While marijuana is known for not being as addictive, powerful, or harmful as other illicit substances (hence the push to legalize it), it can still cause addictions and have negative physical, … Read more