According to an article from British website http://www.guardian.co.uk, the British government wants to give compulsory treatment of benefit claimants addicted to drugs.

Problem is that everyone else seems to think that’s pretty much impossible. British Liberal Democrats think the plan is completely absurd citing the fact that Britain does not have enough addiction treatment centers to get the job done.

Also according to the article:
“As many as 350,000 heroin and crack cocaine users of working age are receiving state payments, it has emerged. The government’s welfare reform bill will require all of them to undergo medical assessment and treatment or lose financial support.”

The number however may be as many as 400,000 drug addicts receiving these types of benefits with at least 8,000 more waiting for them.

However, treating these people without proper facilities remains to be seen. There is simply nowhere to put all of these drug addicts to ensure that they get proper care. Some may require dual diagnosis treatment as well.

Others say that you cannot force an addict into treatment and just expect them to completely change their lives; they have to do it willingly.
The article states:
“The welfare reform bill also contains provisions enabling a secretary of state to introduce similar mandatory treatment regulations to those who misuse alcohol.”

So the plan is not just meant for those using hard drugs, it’s also a plan to help UK citizens break free from all types of addiction.

This article in The Guardian is just another example of how drug addiction really is a wide spread epidemic in the world today. It shows that no government has found a way to deal with it yet effectively. But can people be forced by the government into treatment? Or will that just make relapse that much more expensive for governments.

If a person is not ready to get off drugs, the government surely cannot force them.

If you or a loved one need help with addiction treatment call us and we can help.

According to an article from the New York Times from May 28, 2009, “Government spending related to smoking and the abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs reached $468 billion in 2005, accounting for more than one-tenth of combined federal, state and local expenditures for all purposes, according to a new study.”
The report was released by the National Center on Addiction and Drug Abuse which is a private group that operates at Columbia University. Most of the spending, according to the article, goes to health care costs that occur after abuse, such as lung cancer or overdoses. Only 2 percent of the spending goes toward prevention.
This study was the first of its kind to calculate abuse-related spending by all three levels of government, legislative, executive and judicial. The approach now leads to other social problems that require government spending such as homelessness or child abuse.
“Federal studies show that the best drug treatment programs pay for themselves 12 times over, the report said, because patients who succeed have quick improvements in health and behavior.”
A promising piece of the report cited the education that has been provided by the anti-smoking campaigns. With the combination of educating people about the effects of smoking and the taxes on cigarettes, smoking is down overall.
The center thinks that addiction treatment centers should be covered more widely by insurance companies because then more people will take advantage of it.
Insurance companies argue that record of drug treatment is not sufficient enough to implement any sort of changes. The report overall suggests that we need to invest more in prevention and less on the law enforcement aspect of drug abuse and addiction.
There is that old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and this report is just an indication of how true that really is.

Current research in anti-addiction has opened the door for prescription medications that allegedly treat the symptoms of addiction. Naltrexone is the newest medication to be making headlines. The news is especially controversial because it demonstrates the possibility that addiction may soon be treated like a brain disease that a family doctor can address. This development is similar to the way in which depression moved from being treated in mental health facilities 30 years ago, to primary care doctor’s offices, with medications like Prozac being readily available to anyone who seeks treatment.

Naltrexone functions by blocking the release of brain chemicals that are linked to pleasure and excitement. Earlier drugs used to treat addicts, like Suboxone for opioid addiction, similarly prevent the release of feel good chemicals when taking opiates, but can still be addictive because they contain opioid ingredients.  A federally funded study for Naltrexone called COMBINE compared cognitive-behavioral therapy alone with the combined treatment of therapy and the medication. The study showed that patients receiving the combined treatment were more likely to stay sober and drank less if they did relapse.

The general sentiment in the rehab industry is that medications do not treat the long-term effects of addiction. The traditional method of treatment includes the 12 step program and intensive therapy workshops. Although it is a disease of the brain, there is also a significant behavioral aspect that requires special attention and cannot be cured with a pill. Advocates of traditional treatment facilities stand behind the principle that the road to recovery requires foundational healing and total system recovery – a transformation that cannot be discovered by medication alone.

The following list describes, on average, how long certain drugs tend to stay in a person’s body after the last dosage, determining the period of time that they can be detected by urine tests. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks for the body to rid itself of toxins depending upon the weight and chemical composition of a person. It’s possible for substances, foods and physical ailments to produce false positives in a urinalysis, information that is also included in the list below. In case you are anticipating a drug test, it’s wise to avoid those substances that could potentially yield a negative outcome, although most false positives can be ruled out by confirmatory testing.

Amphetamine: Up to 30 hours on low dose; 5 days on high dose
Possible false positives: Decongestants, like Sudafed; some varieties of OTC and prescription diet pills, like Dexatrim; the antidepressant Zoloft

Barbituates: 7 days for long-acting; 2-3 days for intermediate-acting; 1-2 days for short-acting
Possible false positives: None

Methadone: 7.5-56 hours
Possible false positives: Unisom Nighttime Sleep Aid

Heroin: 1-4 days
Possible false positives: Some antibiotics, like Cipro; cold remedies with dextromethorphan; poppy seeds produce a true positive test because they are the natural source of opiate drugs

Valium: 2-4 days for low dose (although very small doses may not be detected at all); 3-7 days for higher dose.
Possible false positives: None

Marijuana: 7-34 days for once weekly use; Up to 81 days for heavy daily use
Possible false positives: Hemp; Ibuprofen; controversy is stirring over the possibility that second hand inhalation can produce false positives

Cocaine: 8-48 hours
Possible false positives: Tonic water; diabetes

Quaalude: Up to 90 hours
Possible false positives: None

PCP: 5-10 days
Possible false positives: Thioridazine, an antipsychotic drug

Alcohol: Arguably 8-10 hours
Possible false positives: None

As always it is better to be drug free -  if you or a loved one need addiction treatment give us a call.

Making the decision to enter into rehab is extremely difficult for any addict. Choosing to follow a path completely clean of alcohol or drugs is a fear-inducing prospect, amplified by the strong possibility that your attempts may result in failure. Many users are not so much afraid of coming down from drugs, but leading a fulfilled existence without them. Here are a few tips to help the newly sober embrace life after quitting:

 1. LEAN ON OTHERS If you’re worried that you won’t be able to make it by on your own without booze or pills — you’re right. You can’t make it on your own, with or without substances to take the edge off. But you will succeed if you reach out to others for support. 12-step programs like AA are successful because they encourage building a network of trusted friends; they act as a safety net in times of trouble and reinforce the positive effects of sober living.  Every person needs someone to turn to during both happy and dark moments. Maturity comes with acknowledging this basic human need and welcoming the help of others. 

2. ACCEPT RECOVERY AS AN ON-GOING PROCESS Once you leave rehab, or vow to never swallow Vicodin again, it doesn’t mean your relationship with drugs is over. Like real, personal relationships — especially the unhealthy kind — it’s not common to just quit on a friendship without maintaining some emotional connection to the experience. Returning to the substances, behaviors or relationships that have given you both extreme joy and pain can occur to even the most strong-willed of people. Overcoming the urge to stop using is a challenge that takes a sustained effort to maintain, so don’t expect to let go of your dependence immediately. 

3. FOUCS ON THE PRESENT What are you doing right now that is supporting a healthy and sober lifestyle? Is your “self-talk” encouraging or destructive? When you focus on the here and now and make healthy choices that are reflected in your current situation, you are more likely to choose positive paths down the road. In contrast, if you allow yourself to falter — like having just one beer on holidays — you are more likely to justify using in later scenarios — entering a chugging contest because all your friends are doing it on New Year’s Eve. Identifying triggers for substance cravings prior to their occurrence can prevent the pressure to use from becoming overwhelming.

Relapse is not only possible, it’s likely. But that shouldn’t dissuade you from trying to conquer your addiction. Remembering the realities of your disease and trying to incorporate the above methods can help ease the transition from life as a drug abuser to sobriety. Recovery is a journey; it can be a new and exciting time of self-discovery if you let it.

When it comes to rehab centers, the services provided must be of the highest ethical standards to ensure the best possible addiction treatment is received.  People seeking treatment, for themselves or a loved one, need to feel reassured about the care they will receive – especially if it is a long-term rehab facility. Treatment programs without a commitment to ethics may discourage many people from getting the help they need to stop drinking or using drugs.

On a very basic level, reputable treatment centers provide equitable treatment to every person in their programs. Quite often the media portrays addiction as a “poor decision” rather than as the disease it truly is. Those suffering from addiction are in need of professional, medical attention – not just psychological therapy or life-coaching. Stigmas and stereotypes have no place in an addiction treatment center. It is also important to realize that “equal” treatment is not the answer, because each addict has their own unique set of problems that will require a personalized solution. Ethical care isn’t just about making commitments to young adults and their families, it’s about keeping those promises and being honest about how challenging and unpredictable addiction treatment can be.

Confidentiality is another ethical concern for many when considering a rehab program. Every person in recovery may have experiences they may not feel comfortable sharing with everyone. It’s important for not just doctors, but therapists and counselors to honor the confidentiality of each person in recovery. Letting the individual come to grips with their experiences is part of the rehab process, and it isn’t something to be rushed or taken lightly.  Allowing the emotional wounds of drug and alcohol abuse to heal is key to recovery.  This is why it is important to find out what the confidentiality policies are before enrolling in a treatment program.

Ethical standards of care have been established by numerous national groups and organizations, to help support and identify quality care within the industry. For example, the National Association of Social Workers has a specialization program just for professionals who deal with Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) problems.  The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is another group that supports increasing the quality of addiction treatment by establishing “addiction medicine as a specialty recognized by professional organizations, governments, physicians, purchasers and consumers of health care services, and the general public.” Becoming aware of the ethics of addiction treatment can gives you the insight necessary to ask informed questions about treatment before embarking on the road to recovery.

You hear it all the time, that it just takes a few drinks – maybe even just one – to change your life, to have an addiction and become an alcoholic. It’s the same with drugs. One day you’re smoking weed and the next thing you know you’re taking your chances with speed. How does addiction happen? And why is it that some people get addicted so fast, while others don’t get addicted to drugs even though they abuse them all the time?

Addiction, like so many things in life, is complicated. It takes its toll on a person both physically and mentally. In a TIME magazine article, Dr. Nora Volkow (Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse) explained, “Some people have a genetic predisposition to addiction, but because it involves these basic brain functions, everyone will become an addict if sufficiently exposed to drugs or alcohol.” This explains why sometimes addiction seems to set in really quickly for some people. If a predisposition to addiction is a part of your genetic code, then you are naturally likely to become addicted. As the article further explains, for someone who is inclined to become addicted, that person isn’t just more likely to develop an addiction to illegal drugs or alcohol. An addiction can be defined as any behavior a person feels compelled to conduct and cannot discontinue without traumatic effects. It’s possible for someone to become addicted to their work, to cleaning, to gambling or eating – anything, really. Any addiction is unhealthy, and is truly a disease, but the danger level is significantly higher when someone is addicted to substance abuse, because it can kill them.

Of course, sometimes the drug is to blame for causing addiction to set in quickly. Different drugs affect people differently, but there are some drugs – like heroin – that are extremely addictive for just about everyone. Breaking the physical addiction that comes along with those drugs makes detox and rehab very challenging for both the doctors and the addict.

Genetics and drug strength aren’t the only reasons why people become addicted to drugs. Studies show that people with psychological disorders or some form of mental illness are more likely to suffer from drug addiction. New studies are showing that people who start abusing drugs at an early age or as a teenager are more likely to trigger an addiction that can last a lifetime.

Finally, perhaps one of the most prevalent reasons why people get addicted to drugs, and why they start abusing drugs in the first place, is due to social acceptance. It’s all about “the company you keep.” If you hang out with people who enjoy smoking pot, drinking beers, or shooting heroin, then you’re more likely to start using drugs or drinking alcohol because of that environment.

Knowing and understanding why addiction happens can help someone understand their own struggle with addiction. What is even better is that by learning about the triggers of addiction, it can increase a person’s awareness of what addiction is and help prevent it altogether.

“At addiction centers, longer treatment programs are proving key to ending the relapse-rehab cycle” was the headline for a recent Los Angeles Times news article. Relapse is often the bane of rehabilitation. We often hear about celebrities or witness people in our own communities who are released from 30 day rehab programs only to return several months later. While it’s true that relapse is quite often part of the recovery process, studies are showing that the risk of relapsing occurs less often in people who have received long-term treatment.

The article cites two distinct studies conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and one UCLA study focusing on teens. In all of these studies, the research shows relapse rates are higher for people who received short-term treatment. It’s reported that people who received treatment for 90 days or longer were less likely to revert to their previous abusive habits. Some other interesting points:

-  “Treatment programs of 28 or 30 days are still common. But this template was never based on medical evidence, says Dr. David Lewis”

- “Brain scans of recovering addicts support the idea that changes are still taking place three months or more after treatment. Chronic drug use damages the brain, such as reducing the number of dopamine receptors, chemical pathways that allow for normal brain functioning. Changes in the brain during recovery correlate to clearer thinking and more honesty on the part of the patient” – Dr. Harry Haroutunian.

The issue of jail was also brought up. After release from imprisonment many addicts return to drugs and/or alcohol. This supports the idea that it isn’t just abstinence that helps people recover. To successfully change a person’s lifestyle, they need time to “learn to handle stress, develop ways to cope with environmental cues that could trigger drug use and improve relationships that are needed to sustain recovery.”

An addict’s acknowledgment of the need for help is a major first step in a path towards recovery. Knowing which treatment method to pursue can be just as influential of a decision in the process of overcoming addiction. The withdrawal effects of substances vary, and the severity and duration of detox is often the deciding factor in one’s recovery route.

Health Day News recently reported that extended therapy combined with detox medications have shown to produce noticeable results for opioid addiction in young adults. Detox medications buprenorphine (Suboxone) and naloxone relieve withdrawal symptoms and prevent the physical effects of injected opioids, and have proven more successful in treating addiction when administered over an extended period as compared to short-term treatment programs. The study compared 12 week and  2 week-long treatment programs with the defined drugs, and found that extended treatment patients reported less use of opioids, cocaine and marijuana, less injecting, and less need for additional addiction treatment after 12 weeks. The researchers also found that patients in the long-term program tested positive for opioid use in urine tests more times in weeks four and eight, than at week 12.

This information demonstrates the benefits of prolonged use of detox medications in transforming deep-rooted lifestyle habits. Medication coupled with continuous counseling aids addicts in reaching their long-term goals. Although the administration of such detox medications is controversial due to the risk of dependence, this report reinstates the necessity of viewing addiction recovery as a lifelong process that can’t be wiped clean of the body instantaneously. When considering treatment methods, addicts shouldn’t follow a method that they consider a quick fix; rather, look at treatment as an ever-evolving self-healing process that requires patience and constant care.

Addiction is riddled with complexities, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs are intended to help drug users gain clarity of the power to which it controls actions, thoughts and choices. For those of us without drug and alcohol addiction, understanding the behavior of those who do is a difficult process.
“Why won’t they just stop using?”,”How long until they’re clean?”, “Why do they chose to hurt themselves and the people closest to them?” Questions such as these often go unanswered for relatives, spouses and friends of addicts. Reasoning is ineffective and relating is impossible; many soon realize that they can’t fix the problems of their addicted loved ones.

Dealing with an addicted companion can lead to negative pathologies for non-addicts. Guilt, confusion, frustration, co-dependency, and a weighing sense of obligation can deteriorate individuals who are overwhelmed by their loved one’s disease. To heal the wounds inflicted by addiction, it is important for family members to attend group therapy meetings and share their personal struggles with others who’ve had common experiences. Groups like Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, the counterparts to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, are 12-step programs that address the role of addiction and recovery in family members’ lives.

To better grasp the battle of an addicted loved one, communication is essential. Relay your feelings about your partner’s decisions and behaviors, and encourage them to discuss their inner struggle. Let go of the idea that you can shield your loved one from the disease and that you can control their actions. Learn more about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as the addiction recovery process.

You may never fully empathize with what your loved one is going through, but taking charge to educate yourself about addiction and conversing with non-addicts in similar circumstances will set you on a path to understanding.