Drug Rehabilitation

How to Keep Sober After Rehab

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Rehabilitation on May 17th, 2012

The real test on staying sober begins once the patient leaves the rehabilitation center. Here are some tips for teens and young adults as they go into the real world after drug abuse treatment.

drug abuse recovery1. Keep healthy habits. Taking care of one’s self is one of the best ways to control cravings. Having a healthy diet, getting enough rest each day and being with friends who encourage you to stay healthy could make a big difference on how your life will turn out.

2. Always remind yourself of what you have learned. A relapse prevention plan always comes in handy when you want to stay clean and reach full recovery. Practice the steps that will help you deal with situations that can trigger a relapse. Following your plan religiously will one day lead you to become the healthy person you want to be.

3. Keep yourself busy. It’s best to find a safe new hobby or join activities that promote healthy living so that you won’t slip to boredom or loneliness. You can even find a job that will make you feel good about yourself again. Never hang out with the same people that led you to drugs or alcohol before.

4. Talk to your parents or school adviser especially in making decisions once you are out of the treatment facility. Express your feelings and let them know about any discomforts you might experience at anytime. You can enlist their help if you want to stay away from the same group that drove you to your addiction. They can also give you sound advices on how to stay sober at all times.

5. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself when you succumb to relapse, seek the guidance and assistance of the experts and discuss what happened and what triggered the act to prevent it from happening again.

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Drug-Free Housing Facility Helps in Substance Recovery

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation on March 2nd, 2012

A new study from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests that drug-free housing and day treatment programs could greatly improve the chances of complete recovery for people who have had substance abuse problems.

The team of researchers noted that addicts who underwent detoxification processes could increase their probability of total recovery and avoid relapses by up to ten times when drug-free recovery housing and day treatment programs are made available.

substance abuse treatmentLead researcher Michelle Tuten said that their study focused on those under opioids addiction such as heroin and prescription drugs use (painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet). The process of opioid treatment starts with detoxification but most patients have relapse episodes just after a month of treatment. In fact, 65 to 80 percent of these addicts go back to their habits after detoxification alone.

Yet with the presence of drug-free housing facility and day treatment programs, the rates of abstinence after detoxification increase significantly. Those who receive drug-free housing provision posted an abstinence rate of 37% while those provided with the same housing facility coupled with day treatment program reached 50% abstinence rate. If neither of the two provisions is provided, only 13% become successful in quitting their addiction.

“It’s no surprise that opioid-dependent individuals stay off drugs longer when they live in a structured, drug-free environment after finishing detox. Drug-dependent individuals frequently report housing as their most pressing need,” says Tuten.

The team of researchers advised those who are trying to get rid of their prescription drugs abuse problems to at least give drug-free housing facilities a try if they are serious about getting sober again. Family members should also support their loved one undergoing treatment.

“If we want to help people stay off heroin and stop abusing prescription painkillers, we need to do more than help them initiate abstinence; we need to help them maintain abstinence and build a drug-free lifestyle as well,” Tuten said.

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Teen Recovering from Substance Abuse Wins in Grammy Contest

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Rehabilitation on February 16th, 2012

This year’s Grammys may have been tinged with sadness with the untimely passing of pop icon Whitney Houston, but it also brings promise of a bright future for a young teenager recovering from substance abuse.

Amanda R.Amanda R., a 17-year-old teen who is recovering from substance abuse, won an annual music contest sponsored by the MusiCares Program of the Grammy Foundation, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

The Substance Abuse Awareness Through Music Contest called for teens to create a music video or original composition that either celebrates a healthy and creative lifestyle, or accurately portrays the dangers of drug abuse.

Amanda R. wrote and recorded a song entitled “Like a Phoenix” at the Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles, where she is currently involved in a substance abuse recovery program.

The song recounts how the teen rose above her troubles, and Amanda shares that it has helped her “reach new heights.” She shared: “Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to become a singer, but with the drug problems I had, I hit rock bottom and I felt like I would never get out.”

Prizes for the contest included being given the opportunity to privately view artists’ rehearsals for Sunday’s Grammy Awards, as well as a private tour of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Amanda will present the winning song and attend various public events throughout the year.

Amanda shared further: “Winning this competition is inspiring for me and hopefully for others who you know have gone through what I have… This is just crazy and I never thought I would get to this place.”

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Elderly Drug Abuse: A Real and Growing Threat

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Rehabilitation on January 19th, 2012

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there will be approximately 4.4 million cases of elderly substance abuse by the year 2020. This means that senior citizen substance abuse is a real problem and a growing threat expected to affect millions of seniors if nothing is done about it.

seniors drug abusePrevious studies made on the same subject have presented figures of substance abuse among elders. In 2005, there were 184,400 individuals aged 50 and above placed under drug rehabilitation programs. Earlier in 2001, there were 143,000, which means an increase of roughly 8% in just a few years.

Below are some facts on elderly substance abuse we need to be familiar about:

1. Interventions are considered more of a necessity for elderly substance abuse cases. Senior citizens don’t often admit to having problems as they are afraid of what other people might say about them. This is why intervention should be done as early as possible for such cases.

2. The most common type of substance abuse at this level is alcohol abuse. Yet at present, the trend is increasing towards prescription drug abuse in this age group.

3. The bright side of it all is that when senior citizens are placed under rehab, they usually are more successful compared to other age groups. They are highly motivated to finish the program and they can easily adapt especially when the treatment program is designed for them.

4. Other types of drug abuse such as heroin or cocaine use seldom happens for senior citizens.

It is very important that elderly addicts be separated from their younger counterparts. There is a big difference between a younger addict and an elderly addict. Unlike younger people with substance abuse problems, senior citizens don’t behave as extreme as those of other age groups. They even prefer to be on a treatment program which gives them more time to be on their own rather than interacting with others on the same situation.

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Parents Dealing with Child’s Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing on January 5th, 2012

Statistics on drug abuse in the year 2011 proves to be very alarming especially for parents. For the fourth straight year, marijuana use among high school seniors increased. In the same student population, 50% of them admitted to using illicit drugs at some point in their young lives while 40% of them are already into one or more types of drug abuse in the past year alone.

child drug abuseUnfortunately, not all drug abuse cases get the necessary treatment or therapy. More than 23 million people in America are hooked on drug and alcohol use, yet only 2.6 million receive the help that they need to sober up again.

When this problem occurs in the family especially on kids, parents should be ready and equip themselves to be able to deal with the situation. When parents suspect their child is into drug use, it’s best to have him immediately tested. Parents can purchase drug testing kits for their children or acquire the services of professionals in doing the process.

Kids are not the only ones who need help with drug problems. Parents too need the proper information and support to better handle their kids’ problems. The more parents learn about the condition of their kids, the more they are able to help them get better. There are many organizations that offer their services to help parents in complicated situations.

It is necessary to have the parent-child talk, but it should be done at the right time and place. Do not attempt to talk to kids when they are under the influence or when there are other people that could hear your conversation. Yet it is important that the talk should be made at the soonest possible time before things get worse.

Parents should never let shame or fear get in the way of helping their child. After all, there are other families who experience the same problem and resolving the problem is much more important than keeping family reputation.

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RASE Project: Helping Addicts Recover from Substance Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Rehabilitation on December 19th, 2011

Recovery, Advocacy, Service and Empowerment (RASE) has once again opened its doors to individuals who want to seek help and treatment for substance abuse.

drug abuse recoveryRASE started its operation in May 2001 when a group of treatment professionals as well as those in recovery for substance abuse started it in Pennsylvania for the benefit of those who are in need of the services they provide.

Executive director Denise Holden, who was once herself an addict but successfully overcame her challenges, said that RASE serves as an outlet for people who have the same experience as hers to help out in the community.

“When people get clean they disappear into anonymous recovery communities to protect themselves from the stigma,” she said. Through RASE, fully recovered victims will be given the opportunity to make a difference by volunteering to help others.

At present, RASE has established recovery centers for women in Cumberland and Dauphin counties; addiction treatment care facility for adults in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Perry, and Lebanon counties; and support centers and services at Lancaster and Dauphin counties.

The organization has also provided professional training and information dissemination and educational services throughout the areas they have covered. They also hold events that address the problem of substance abuse with ready resource speakers. Assessment and referrals as well as family interventions are also being done.

Funding is important for any organization, but RASE founders say, their advocacy will continue even if financial support is limited or completely runs out. The fact that they are able to save a lot of lives that might have been otherwise wasted by substance abuse is enough for volunteers and other members to continue each and every day of their operation.

For those interested to help and share, you may contact RASE Project at 717-232-8535 or visit www.raseproject.org.

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