Jeremy and Melissa have both been in trouble for their drug addiction which even resulted to them losing their custody of their son, Lyrik. This is why Melissa wants to be treated as well and checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center Sunday afternoon. However, there might be another reason why she decided to go into the institution too. Reports reveal that her landlord had given her a 30-day notice to move out in the days before she voluntarily announced that she’s in Celebrity Rehab too.

Her drug-related craziness was getting into her neighbors’ nerves that police would be constantly visiting her house especially at night. It was also said that her husband Jeremy was a frequent guest in the house which other tenants did not welcome. The neighbors would know when he’s with her because of their disturbing behaviors at night that would prompt them to call on the authorities.

Melissa’s landlord can only hope Celebrity Rehab can help her and Jeremy.

The institution offers different programs that aim to help the teens in their journey towards recovery. These are examples of classes or modules that are discussed in every Teen Challenge international class:

1)    Group Studies for New Christians

The Group Studies for New Christians is a part of the curriculum that covers all the basic tools that teens need in developing a more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. The class teaches principles from the Bible and gives the students the necessary tools to apply these in their own lives.

2)    Personal Studies for New Christian Classes

This class covers certain topics such as: Does God Have Plans for My World, A New Look at Life, Yes! I Want to Become a Christian, My Questions about Christianity, Now that I am a Christian, Who Is God, and other related topics.

Teen Challenge is proud of how they are able to transform the lives of kids spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially.  By giving them a new life in Christ and presenting them with the Christian way of thinking, the students feel that they are given the power and ability to overcome the problems that plagued their past.

The New Bridge Foundation, which is one of the best in the country at facilitating drug and alcohol treatments, offers an extensive program that has been proven and tested by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Backed with 40 years of experience, it has been a leading and well-trusted organization dealing with drug and alcohol treatment. Patients who have graduated from their programs have left positive testimonials on having addiction-free, meaningful and successful lives after their stay.

Drug or alcohol addiction can be quite a traumatic thing especially when we watch our loved ones go through it. Watching someone we love suffering from addiction is definitely hard to watch. The New Bridge Foundation also helps family members of drug abusers manage and get through these difficult situations. Research has proven that if one includes the family in the treatment process, the rate of success for patient recovery is significantly higher.

Drugfree.org is the resource center where the group offers an interactive center for those who want to get the most recent scientific information regarding teen alcohol and drug abuse. Through this valuable tool, parents are given the opportunity to interact with one another, to share information and to help one other in fighting for healthy, drug-free homes.

The Partnership offers several programs that cater to the different kinds of situations that parents can be in.

TimeToTalk is an award winning campaign and program that encourages parents to take time to have frequent and constructive dialogue with their children regarding the dangers and consequences of drug abuse and alcoholism.

Time To Act is a program that offers a step-by-step drug and alcohol guide teaching parents proper intervention when they suspect that their child is drinking or using illegal drugs. With videos and reading materials from experts, parents can learn effective ways of dealing with these difficult and sensitive situations.

Parents360 is a program specifically designed for community education, particularly targeting the parents and caregivers. This program is designed to help them prevent or take action if their child or someone they know is taking drugs.

First up is a challenge to the District Attorney’s Office: put drug dealers in jail, and keep them there. The Santa Cruz Police reportedly shared to the Sentinel that the reason why drug users seem to thrive in the city is that they were under the impression that the law was soft on drug-related crimes. If drug dealers are not allowed to strike up plea bargains in order to go back to business, this impression may change.

The second suggestion is to adopt a strategy that is known to work, and for Santa Cruz that strategy seems to point to an option where addicts are subjected to close supervision and made to suffer consequences. This will include the more frequent utilization of Drug Court, which provides frequent reviews, outpatient treatment, drug testing and attendance in 12-step meetings.

Then there is the need to provide funding for the local methadone clinic. The clinic provides immediate and street level-level help; the Sentinel reports that it is cheaper to allocate $335 a month to put addicts on methadone as opposed to placing them in the health care system, as is usually the case when addicts get back on heroin.

Lastly, the Sentinel suggests that everyone pitch in to help local police in cutting off the supply of drugs as well as putting an end to the culture of illegal drugs. Something as simple as a citizen immediately reporting illegal drug activities can help.

The letter was addressed to the Honorable Marsha Revel of the Los Angeles Superior Court in Beverly Hills. In it, Bloom requests for stricter terms of probation for Lohan’s daughter Lindsay on his behalf. In Michael Lohan’s opinion, the terms of probation currently in place – which calls for Lindsay to attend classes once a week – is not enough. Instead, the elder Lohan suggests that his daughter be  enrolled in an in-patient rehabilitation facility and that random drug testing be conducted on her. In essence, however, the letter is asking that Lindsay be spared from jail, which could happen if it is proven that she violated the terms of her probation.

What Lindsay needs, according to her father, is a program that includes family therapy, and suggests one in Oheka Castle in Cold Spring Hills, New York. It is either that or “frequent, random, court-ordered drug testing” and “random searches of her home and person by law enforcement” or the extension of Lindsay’s probation “for an additional term of years to continue her period of court supervision.”

Bloom, a legal analyst for CBS News, also shared sending the letter to co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez on the “Early Show.” She mentioned that Lindsay may have missed a couple of classes, which means she is in violation of probation.

The following are medications used, after careful evaluation of doctors and under the guidance of health practitioners, in the effective treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence.

Antabuse

The drug Antabuse is the oldest among the drugs used to treat alcohol abuse, having been approved more than 5 decades ago. It interferes with the body’s ability to absorb alcohol by inhibiting the production of the enzyme responsible in allowing the body to absorb an alcohol breakdown product. In the absence of the enzyme, acetaldehyde builds up in the body after intake of alcohol, even in small amounts, causing flushing, nausea, and palpitations.

Naltrexone

The drug Naltrexone blocks receptors in the brain for endorphins. Through this, it reduces the pleasure from drinking as well as alcohol cravings. It can be taken as a daily pill or a monthly injectable. While the pill is extremely effective in cutting alcohol dependence, some people may find the injectable more convenient since it is only taken once per month.

Campral

When an abuser stops drinking alcohol, he may feel withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and unpleasant mood swings. The drug Campral reduces these symptoms, helping the recovering alcohol abuser stay on track towards full recovery and avoid relapses. It needs to be taken 3 times per day.

No matter what the rehabilitation program is, there are 3 basic components that must be included in it – detoxification, therapy and integration.

Detoxification aims to remove the toxins and chemicals in a drug abuser’s body. This may be the most painful phase in the program since the symptoms of withdrawal may be difficult to bear. The body has been used to the effects of the drugs and the absence of such drugs may lead to chills, vomiting, pain and hallucinations. Drug detoxification can be a lengthy process, and extreme patience is crucial.

Therapy is the process in which the patient tries to learn how to physically and mentally cope with the substance withdrawal. It is an important phase in the rehabilitation process as it is during this that the patient reconciles with his wrong decisions and resolves to avoid drugs.

During the integration phase, the patient prepares himself to go back to society and become a responsible, useful member of the community. This stage aims to help the patient avoid relapses while living a normal life outside the rehabilitation center.

1. Not carefully planned rehabilitation programs. Programs must fit the unique needs of every individual seeking treatment. The programs must follow general guidelines that have been tested and proven to work for many past patients, but must also also consider the special needs and circumstances of every new patient.

2. Incompetent rehabilitation facility and facilitators. The success of rehabilitation programs heavily rely on how experienced and competent the facilitators and their working tools are. They will guide the patients on the road to recovery and their role is thus very critical.

3. Patient’s weak resolve to undergo treatment. No matter how carefully the program was planned and how competent the program facilitators are, it can fail if the patient himself is not willing to seek help. It is important for the patient to recognize the problem and work towards his full recovery. However, a patient’s willingness to undergo treatment is not a requirement. A drug abuser’s decision-making process may be impaired, and the intervention by family, friends or other groups will be very important.

4. Lack of support from family and friends. In this crucial time, the drug abuser would need all the support he can get. He will not be able to hold strongly to the program if he sees that not all family members or friends find the treatment useful or needed. A support group, composed of family members and friends, united to help the patient overcome drug abuse will be very helpful.

Not all schools conduct drug testing, but those who do aim to decrease drug abuse among youth. Drug tests in schools help fight drug abuse by prevention and early mediation. Students would think several times before succumbing to peer pressure on taking drugs and alcohol, as they are aware of the school’s stand on this matter and they may also be afraid of getting caught during drug tests. Students who are already into using drugs may be immediately referred for treatment. Early mediation usually makes the process a lot easier.

Will drug testing of students eventually eliminate drug abuse in schools?

Drug testing must not be taken as a stand-alone solution. It is an important part of a school’s drug policy, but not its only main part. An effective drug policy should consist of programs for prevention, detection, intervention and treatment. Only a well-planned drug policy will be able to help a community effectively reduce drug use.

Should a student be suspended or expelled after testing for drug use?

The drug testing policy of a school must be adopted not to punish those who are using drugs, but to help them through rehabilitation as well as to help others who are not using understand the risks of drug abuse and avoid use of illegal drugs.

What are the drug testing methods available?

The school administrators may choose, according to their community’s needs, among the drug testing methods available, such as hair follicle, urine, oral fluid (saliva) and sweat testing. These methods  may differ in the kind of drugs detected, the detection time, the testing time, the ease of collection of samples, the accuracy and the cost.