Posts Tagged Drug Abuse Treatment

Drug Court Offers Alternative Program for Offenders

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment on December 2nd, 2011

Henry County’s Court is offering an 18-month intensive program for adult felony drug offenders. Under the supervision of Superior Court Judge Brian Amero, the drug court helps drug users to recover from their addictions through a program which is funded, ironically, by money seized from drug raids and court fees paid by offenders.

drug abuse treatmentJudge Amero says he makes those under the treatment become taxpayers instead of becoming tax burdens and liabilities of the community. He was inspired to undertake such mission when he was faced again and again with drug users who say no one was addressing their problems so they continue with their habits.

It is the third accountability court of the country from among the 3,000 which have been set up in various areas nationwide. They help offenders not by sending them to jail, but through intensive rehabilitation programs that focus on the underlying problems that fuels their addictions. It is also equipped with a DUI court and a mental health court.

John Foller, the Atlanta-based coordinator of the state’s accountability court system says the drug court is considered an investment where more people are treated at the least expense.

An amount of $10,220 is allotted for the duration of a two-month program which includes counseling, screenings, and courtroom costs. Compared to the $85,440 that the state spends to incarcerate a person for five years, the drug court’s budget is significantly lower.

But before other offenders get the wrong idea and think that it’s an easy way out, the program is organized to effectively ensure an individual’s total recovery. Jail time can be suspended but offenders are required to attend counseling sessions of at least nine hours a week, 20 hours of community service weekly, and other activities such as random drug testing and police searches.

Most of the participants say they are learning a lot from the program and that they are kept busy which is a good way of taking their minds off from their addictions. If a person under the program fails to complete and follow all the guidelines set, he will have to serve his initial jail sentence.

“It’s a remarkable savings,” Amero said. “It’s not just a tax saving. You’re also allowing people to reconnect to the community in a positive way.”

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Types of Drug Abuse Intervention

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation on November 27th, 2011

When a drug crisis happens in the family, immediate interventions are important. Interventions are done to be able to help and save a family member whose life is being destroyed by his or her addictions. The process will allow drug or alcohol addicts to admit that they are in trouble and that they will have the courage to voluntarily get into treatment facilities.

drug abuse interventionThere are three basic types of intervention: simple, classical, and family system.

Simple intervention happens when a person asks the drug or alcohol addict to simply stop his or her addictions. This type of intervention needs to be done repeatedly, though, to be effective in most cases. You’ll be surprised on what a simple request can do. This type of intervention should be the first to be considered before going into more advanced methods.

Classical intervention has been used for the longest time to help addicts. It happens when the element of a drug and alcohol treatment facility is involved. The goal for this type of intervention is to persuade a troubled individual to seek the help of professionals to control his addictions.

The family system of intervention is usually focused on the family and not only on the addict. The whole family gets involved in helping their troubled family member fight off his addictions. This will require changes in the whole family’s behavior to have a positive influence on the addicted member. These changes will help an addict consider getting help from drug rehabilitation centers to be sober again.

Yet the family’s involvement in the healing process is vital, whether their addicted family member goes into a rehab center or not. This is why proper education and the correct information or knowledge should be shared to the whole family so that each member will know how to deal with the troubled individual.

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A Look into Psychedelic Treatments for Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment on July 30th, 2011

Treating drug addiction is never easy, and it requires much time and effort for a person to become sober again. When an individual is trapped in his addiction, a lot of factors come into play, and they all contribute in coming up with complex troubles that a drug abuser and the people around him eventually experience.

There are some who prefer to go into alternative types of treatment for drug addiction. Among the methods, the psychedelic substance treatment is one of the promising ways to treat drug addiction, although many will be doubtful of their efficacy at first glance. Psychedelic which means soul-manifesting was first introduced in 1957 by Humphry Osmond, a psychiatrist.

psychedelic substance

One psychedelic treatment that comes all the way from the Amazon is the Ayahuasca. It is a brew made from a vine and a leaf which has been known to treat problems of the body, mind and spirit. It has unique healing properties, which has been proven by a large congregation in Brazil. The Santo Daime claimed that members of the church who struggled with substance abuse were able to turn their backs on their addictions just by having regular consumption of ayahuasca brew.

The Iboga is another psychedelic plant drug from West Africa which contains the alkaloid ibogaine, known to take away an individual’s addiction to certain substances by fixing the brain chemicals that will control his mental and biological inclinations.

Lastly, the cactus peyote is also a psychedelic drug which can fight drug addiction. In fact, the Native American Church’s religious ceremonies of legally dispensing peyote have been a sought-after rite by those who want to be free of their drug dependency. There has been a number of testimonies made by troubled addicts that this plant has helped them get back on the right track again.

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A Bloodcurdling Trend in Drug Addiction

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on December 4th, 2009

drug
Flashing blood is the new technique of addiction that is gaining immense popularity among the teenagers along the Kenyan coast. It is a cash saving method whereby a user injects himself with heroin or any other illicit drug. He then draws a syringe full of blood and pass on the syringe to the next injector to inject himself. Thus these users are not only sharing needles or other paraphernalia but also blood. No wonder the numbers of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases are escalating in geometric progression.

Recently a study on drug abuse had been conducted at Kalindini and Mombasa districts. The study, sponsored by National AIDS Control Council and carried out by DARAT, an organization based in Mombasa, indicated that a sample of 120 narcotic users including injecting drug users showed an exceptionally high rate of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases. The drug users were all residents of Mombasa and Kalindini.

Dr. Timothy Mugusia, who was involved in the study said, “Over 70 per cent of them were found to be infected with hepatitis C while half of them were HIV positive.” He also said, “An abnormally high rate of HIV and hepatitis among injecting drug users at the Kenyan coast points to ‘flashing blood’ among local users.”

The practice was first reported in Dar es Salaam two years ago. Sheryl McUrdy of the University of Texas and Paul Kilonzo of the University of Dar es Salaam first reported the incidents of flash blood in a study published in the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol studies in 2006.

Dr. Mugusia estimated that there are around 6,000 drug injectors in Mombasa and Kalindini and most of the users are in their early 20s. The women in Mombasa have threatened to strip publicly if the government fails to take any immediate steps to check drug use in this part of the city since it is eroding the productivity of the youth.

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Effective Methods of Drug Abuse Treatment

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment on November 30th, 2009

There may be numerous methods of treating drug addiction, but the basic goal remains the same — to help individuals kick the habit off and get it completely out of their system. Since drug addiction is a disorder that results from drug usage over an extended period of time, it would be a bit much to expect for positive results from only a single treatment. Therefore, treatment is also a long-term, ongoing process. This is done in order to prevent relapse, which can render the time and money spent for treatment utterly worthless.

drug abuseThe methods utilized in treating drug addiction vary, and this can range from behavioral therapy to medication prescription. Behavioral therapy, for instance, aims to target the patient’s reasons for drug use, which are usually grounded on social context. Methods such as counseling, contingency management, and social analyses are often used in this kind of therapy, and the intensity of each session can also vary in proportion to the severity of the patient’s case.

On the other hand, medication prescription is a method utilized in order to find substitutes for the drug. For instance, those addicted to nicotine are offered medications such as gums, patches, and lozenges, which contain chemicals that mimic the nicotine’s effect of the body minus its adverse effects.

Of course, the effectiveness of these treatments also depends on factors such as proper monitoring and intervention measures. After all, it would be pointless to undergo treatment if the patient is going to revert to using drugs afterwards.

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Importance of Support in Drug Addiction Treatment

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation on November 15th, 2009

Perhaps one of the most difficult things to come to grips with is finding out that your loved one is addicted to drugs. The initial and most common reaction is shock, especially if you knew that he was living a clean life well before the addiction even started, and the frustration that this can give to you can lead to conflicts later on.

family supportBut what you need to understand when you find out about it is that it is often an involuntary act, especially if it has been going on for quite a while. The longer the user has been taking drugs, the harder it is to escape because of the strengthening craving and growing dependence on the substance.

With this in mind, it becomes a difficult task to pry him away from using drugs. In fact, it is quite inadvisable to do so forcefully, since this may lead to possible violent encounters. Encouraging them to get treatment can be one of the things that you can do for them without great risk of damage to your relationship.

The hardest part of any recovery is the withdrawal stage. This can sometimes be fatal if left alone. The feelings associated with withdrawal also depend on the length of drug use –the longer the drug use, the more intense the sensations become, which can be extremely unpleasant for the individual. In this case, realize that he cannot make it through without guidance and support, which can be given by both medical professionals and friends.

Of course, drug treatment is not a one-shot deal. It is a long, painful, and ongoing process, and hoping that the individual can get over it miraculously may be a bit much to expect. Feelings of pain can surface long after contact with drugs, and these must be anticipated and dealt with carefully. Emotional support is critical even after treatment. Only then can true, lasting recovery take place.

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