Treatment

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

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

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

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

When choosing an addiction treatment program for a patient, particularly for a patient who has a co-occurring disorder such as depression or schizophrenia, it’s common for providers to limit their searches by geographic boundaries. By keeping care close to home, they can follow the progression of the treatment program, and presumably, they can stay involved in … Read more

In many cases, loved ones and those suffering from severe addiction and alcoholism may be unaware that they need treatment or they may be unwilling to accept help. Despite the best intentions of family and friends, there are occasions when professional intervention is necessary in order to stop the downward spiral of destruction that can be the … Read more

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

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

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

Approaches to Drug Abuse Counseling U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Delinda Mercer 1. OVERVIEW, DESCRIPTION, AND RATIONALE 1.1 General Description of Approach Addiction counseling addresses the symptoms of drug addiction and related areas of impaired functioning and the content and structure of the client’s ongoing recovery program. This model of addiction counseling is … Read more

In education courses, new teachers learn that each student processes and remembers information differently. There are visual learners, audio learners, hands-on learners – the list goes on. The same is true for therapy – one singular approach doesn’t work for everyone. Some people, for example, are resistant to traditional group or individual counseling. The thought of … Read more

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

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

People who have difficulty focusing on mundane tasks, following through on projects, or keeping still and quiet when it’s socially appropriate to do so may be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are a number of different treatment options for these disorders, and medications very often play a … Read more

There are some potential options for free drug rehabilitation services and fewer options that offer comprehensive drug rehab to patients in need of detox and addiction treatment. Free treatment services may be available through federal or state-funded organizations or nonprofits in some states. In some cases, the entire facility provides nothing but free or low-cost drug addiction … Read more

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

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

Interventions are coordinated efforts among family members, friends and treatment professionals to get an addicted loved one into rehabilitation for substance abuse problems. Approximately 22.7 million people were addicted to an illicit substance in 2013, and only a mere 2.5 million of that number got any form of professional help, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health … Read more

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

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

Americans are fond of using labels to describe who they are and what’s important to them. As a result, when asked who he is, a man might respond that he’s a father, a golfer or an excellent barbeque chef. A woman might respond that she’s a mother, a knitter or a cat lover. These labels … Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Benzodiazepines (benzos) are a class of drugs that are used to treat anxiety, and in some cases, seizures and convulsions. When introduced in the 1960s, benzodiazepines were hailed as a safe substitute for barbiturates, which, at the time, were claiming an alarming number of lives. Unfortunately, while benzodiazepines were safer for use than their predecessors, … Read more

Every addiction story is different. And because this is true, there are different types of interventions designed to help different types of families and individuals. What works best for someone like Betsy may not work for another. Keep in mind that these are basic descriptions, and the best type of intervention is one that is … Read more

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

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

Of the myriad of reasons why people enter into the criminal justice system, illicit drug use is one of the most serious. Drug addiction and abuse don’t simply go away while a person is incarcerated; the underlying issues still remain and can make it harder for a person to readjust to daily life after being released from … Read more

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than half of individuals who suffer from drug addiction also have a diagnosable mental illness other than the addiction issue itself. Researchers, thus far, have been unable to determine the exact reasons behind this interesting fact, but there are several theories. In order to understand the treatments … Read more

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

When a Dual Diagnosis is problematic, the symptoms of two separate disorders are in evidence. Mental health symptoms that indicate an untreated mental health disorder and substance abuse problem or addiction are generally the two co-occurring issues. But how can you tell if the mental health issues your loved one is experiencing are due to drug use alone or … Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Society’s self-imposed gag order on the subject of mental health means opening up to loved ones about one’s own struggles can often have a coming-out-of-the-closet feel to it. But what about the reverse? What happens when the one struggling isn’t you—it’s someone you care about? Suggesting that someone else seek help isn’t easy, with fears … Read more

Treating patients with a Dual Diagnosis — a mental health condition combined with an addictive disorder — requires an intensive, integrated approach to therapy. Residential rehab facilities provide a structured environment for these individuals who face special challenges in their journey to recovery. At a residential treatment center, where the stressors and distractions of daily … Read more

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

There are a number of different therapies to treat the spectrum of conditions that fall under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. A common method of treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, where a trained therapist can help you identify and understand how to manage the factors that lead to an anxiety attack. One such way of doing this … Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Individuals who have both a mental illness and an addiction to drugs or alcohol present a challenge for medical professionals. Treatment is complicated by the overlapping symptoms of the addiction and the mental illness. Complete recovery takes time and great care due to the delicate nature of the individual. Because these patients have a mental illness, … Read more

Drug abuse is itself a clear signal that a loved one needs help. Drug abuse never has a positive association, and with continued use, it is always only a matter time before the signs and symptoms of abuse grow more severe. The signs of substance abuse can vary, depending on the drug abused, but changes … Read more

If you live with someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you probably feel hopeless and helpless. You feel as though nothing you say or do changes the situation. You don’t know how to make your loved one get the help he or she need to leave addiction. You feel helpless—but you aren’t. Interventions … Read more

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

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

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

What Is Drug Detoxification? Drug addiction is a multilayered psychosocial phenomenon, and for this reason, there should be little surprise to learn that the drug detoxification process can be equally complex. Detoxification, most simply, involves the elimination of drug or alcohol substances from the body. While there is no single crowning definition that encompasses every … Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

When you enroll in an addiction treatment program, you’ll tap into a team of professionals who want you to get better. Rather than working through the issues alone, you’ll have a whole group of people who are rooting for you, working with you, and showing you the steps you can take to leave drugs behind … Read more

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

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

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

Family members talk to one another all the time, about things large and small, and some families find that they don’t need the help of outsiders in order to talk about addiction. They can do their own research, plan what they’d like to say and see an intervention through to completion without ever stepping outside … Read more

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

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

scaWhen asked why they won’t accept help for an addiction, some patients might mention stigmatization or childcare concerns, while others might claim that their addictions simply aren’t serious enough to merit formal treatment. Among all of the reasons patients might cite, however, issues of cost can be paramount. While referring professionals might not be asked to … Read more

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

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

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

There are a number of reasons why writing out your thoughts and feelings in the form of a letter prior to an intervention may be effective in helping your addicted loved one to really hear what you are trying to share with her. It can help you to organize your thoughts, and stop you from … Read more

Between 2008 and 2011, the number of Caucasian people admitting to a heroin habit rose 75 percent, according to researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. This jump is due, in part, to the rise of prescription painkiller abuse. If you’re taking a drug like Vicodin regularly, you’re priming your brain cells to respond … Read more

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

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

Talbott Campus was founded in 1989 by Dr. G. Douglas Talbott, a famed internist and cardiologist who had his own struggles with addiction. In his search for treatment, he was disappointed by the lack of help specifically for licensed medical professionals. This led to Talbott becoming a pioneering voice for the treatment of alcoholism and … Read more

Drug detox is the first step in a comprehensive addiction treatment program for dependence upon alcohol or any addictive substance. Unfortunately, though it is an unavoidable, necessary step in overcoming addiction, many people postpone entering detox due to a perceived inability to pay the bill. What does detox cost? And is it worth the financial investment? Variables … Read more

In any intervention for a drug addict, the disposition of the addict’s family is exceedingly important. Full recovery involves not only restoring the addict’s life, but also ensuring that the people around the addict are also capable of helping with the long-term goal of total abstinence from drugs. What Is Family Support? Family support is … Read more

The African-American community has a statistically higher percentage of substance abuse than the general population. The following are some of the reasons for the high rate of addiction in African Americans: The inferiority complex resulting from the poverty of the urban areas that many African Americans inhabit The high concentration of drug and alcohol sales … Read more

The term “alcohol use disorders” refers to a spectrum of disorders, and it’s rare that two people’s drinking behaviors and the harms caused by their drinking will be defined in exactly the same way. “Heavy drinking” is an especially ambiguous term because it can refer to binge drinking, or it can reference a chronic drinking … Read more

As the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed, there is a gender dimension to drug use. With an eye on male versus female patterns of drug use, the survey found: Similar to prior years, there were more men aged 12 and older who were current illicit drug users compared to women of the same … Read more

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

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

The consequences of drug and alcohol abuse in the United States are enormously costly. Although the costs can be evaluated in dollars, they are more readily understood in human terms: family discord, neglect of children, personal misery, financial straits, medical problems, fetal alcohol syndrome, HIV infection, legal problems, incarceration, automobile accidents, lower work productivity, and … Read more

Often, primary care professionals and their clients have a profoundly adversarial relationship, when it comes to substance abuse and addiction. Two recent studies prove this point quite well. In the first, published in the journal Addiction, 47 percent of abusers of anabolic-androgenic steroids claimed that they trusted the information they received from their dealers as much as … Read more

Psychotherapy, or individual counseling, has become one of the cornerstones of drug treatment services. Most rehab programs feature two key treatment elements: detox and medication therapy (where applicable) and counseling (individual and group programs often based on the 12-Step model). Some centers also offer complementary services, such as acupuncture, massage and yoga. The important role psychotherapy … Read more

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

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

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