This week, let’s tackle a very controversial subject in the field of addiction treatment – does recovery from addiction or alcoholism involve finding a cure?

Some medical professionals, as well as treatment models, believe a cure lies in the form of a pill.  Antabuse and Methadone are probably the most familiar replacement drugs used to treat alcohol or opiate addiction. The idea of replacement therapy is that by creating a medication that safely fulfill the needs of the addiction, the addicted person will be able to live a productive life.

Looking at this solution from a rational perspective, it would appear that the medication acts as a crutch for the addict to rely on.  In other words, it simply creates a new addiction to the medication meant to cure the ailment.  An example can be seen at local methadone clinics, where hundreds line up to get their daily allotment of the medication.  It is apparent that this is the lesser of two evils, but the reality is that it doesn’t support the theory of the cure to addiction coming in the form of a pill.

The polar opposite school of thought comes from the 12 Step perspective.  The core thought being, “We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.” This idea can be compared to a person suffering from cancer.

Once someone is diagnosed with cancer and receives successful treatment – it is never considered ‘cured.’  It may go into remission, but the chance always remains that it can return without reason or notice.  According to the 12 Steps, addiction works just the same way – the disease is never cured, rather it is arrested for a period of time and can return if the work is not done to keep it at bay.

In the final analysis, it is up to each individual to decide for themselves how they view addiction. What do you think?

The actor to play the now infamous role of Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s wildly successful film, “Pulp Fiction,” has continued to stay sober since his long history with drug problems. 

Peter Greene’s most recent bust for possession of drugs took place in Manhattan at Alphabet City in 2007.  He was seen by law enforcement and other witnesses to be buying two bags of cocaine.  An officer at the scene took from his front pockets of his jeans two plastic bags of an unknown substance at the time.  He went through arraignment where he pleaded guilty to the charges of criminal possession.  He received no jail time, the judge giving him time served during his sentencing. 

He supposedly won his long and harrowing battle with drug addiction when he entered a facility  for residential drug treatment during the 90s.  However, he has managed to stay clean since this most recent run in with the law.  While he had what looked like a promising career due to his tour de force performance in both “Clean, Shaven” and  “Laws of Gravity,” his constant on and off relationship with drug  wrecked many of the chances he had to star in larger roles with more opportunities from him to grow in fame and talent.  
He has had to face many problems due to his flirting with the possibility of treatment for drug addiction ever since he began using in his late teens and early twenties.  He worked as a small time drug dealer after dunning away from his home in New Jersey on the streets of New York where he was mostly homeless except for the kindness of friends and acquaintances.  He finally began to study acting, something he credits with having helped him to save his life even thought his abuse of drugs continued. 
While it is not known if he has received further help from an addiction treatment center  from his arrest in 2007, he appears to have stayed sober since.

While experiments in pharmaceutical have proved immensely useful in treating the addiction to drugs and alcohol, other advances have been made in the medical community to aid recovering alcoholics.  Those from the behavioral science aspect of treatment have constructed and honed some potential techniques for cutting down on the relapses.  People stay sober longer with a combination of these therapies and drugs after they are out of an addiction treatment center.

Though newer to programs, fresh approaches have taken form in art therapy.  Professionals in this trade have an education in art of course, but other studies make up their complex education, including clinical, psychological, religious/spiritual, and multiculturalism.  Used for all ages, it never fails to help improve an addict’s case.  The environments for such therapy are diverse and numerous, from a location in the forest to a large studio.  Typically, the therapist works on his or her own to accomplish their goals. 

Other programs have taken different but less effective approaches to helping out with the problem of addiction.  Giving people the capability to understand what causes their urge to drink and manage those urges. Cognitive behavioral therapy has had great success.  It allows people in treatment for drug addiction and alcohol rehab to better manage their lives, especially socially, so it revolves around other aspects more positive than drinking.   

Lastly is motivational enhancement, a technique that helps addicts to understand how their addiction of choice has significantly impacted their lives.  More importantly, it provides the support necessary to help them amend the behavior that originally started them down the path of addiction.   

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, no one treatment is right.  In fact, it might take time to find the right treatment for an addict.  Moreover, excellent drug rehab does not only provide support and help for just the addiction, but for the addict in general and all of their needs.  Treatment must also be a fluid thing that adapts to any of the changes an addict goes through on their journey to recovery.

Check out the press release from PR web titled: GateHouse Academy Trains Next Generation of Dual Diagnosis Clincians and Drug Rehab Specialists

The press release takes a look at how Gatehouse Academy trains graduate level students in community based treatment for addiction in young adults.  Gatehouse Academy is the premier source for young adult drug rehab, and trains the counselors of tomorrow to be effective in dual diagnosis treatment.

There’s nothing quite like painful and eerie-looking meth sores. When you’ve seen the ugly sores that are a direct result of meth abuse – it’s enough to make you want to steer clear of the stuff. Getting “high” isn’t worth having open sores or rotten teeth and gums. However, it’s not just meth that can create terrible looking sores on your body or in your mouth. Using all kinds of illegal drugs, even just once, can get ugly. Here is a list of illegal drugs and the painful consequences that can be the result of abusing them.

Heroin

Did you know that on its own, the city of San Francisco spends about $40 million each year on treatment for heroin sores? It’s a huge problem in the city and for its communities. Heroin sores are a bit different from meth sores, because the abscesses in the skin are caused by injecting the heroine into muscle tissue instead of the vein. These sores are very serious and bacterial infections can complicate the experience. Hospitalization is often required; many times surgery is necessary and may include amputations. The scarring that often results from these sores is traumatic and life-changing, because it looks so severe.

Inhalants

Huffing or sniffing household chemicals and drugs is yet another way to get gross sores. These sores often form around the mouth area and may have an odor, like bad breath, associated with them. Glue, hair spray, nail polish remover, aerosol deodorants, dry-erase markers, spray paint and other such products are commonly inhaled. Not only can this type of drug abuse cause sores, but it often leads to brain damage and nosebleeds.

Chewing Tobacco

While smokeless tobacco is used less by teens and young adults, it is still being used quite often by older adults. If found these mouth sores can be an indicator of oral cancer. At the first sign of a mouth sore, professional help from a doctor should be sought out. Surgery or other treatment may be needed. Some marijuana users may also complain about cold sores, but there are few studies showing any definitive link between the two.

Drug addiction doesn’t just hurt a person’s body, it ruins their life. Going through rehab and getting treatment won’t just heal the bodily scars; it saves lives by showing people how to make it worth living again.

People across the nation are dying every single day from prescription drug abuse overdoses and illegal substance abuse. It’s a scary situation when addiction hits people in every community. To help our nation get some answers, today is Drug Facts Chat Day. Head on over to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s site to chat about drug abuse and its impact on your life and community. The chat lasts all day from 8 am to 6pm EST.

Also in the spirit of Drug Facts Chat Day, a recent Washington Post story featured one family’s struggle as they lost their daughter, Nicole, to a heroin addiction. Nicole’s mother and an addiction specialist were on hand for a live discussion on dealing with addiction. They answered questions on a wide range of topics – everything from how to treat someone in recovery and what to do to get help for someone you love who is addicted.

Becoming a resident at a long-term drug and alcohol treatment center is a life-changing process; but, at the same time, you don’t have to let drug rehab change your personality. Addiction treatment centers are realizing the importance of providing vegetarian and vegan food options. Showing their support, PETA has even ranked the top vegetarian-friendly drug rehab facilities in the USA. It’s just one more way treatment can be personalized to encourage successful addiction recovery.

Developing healthy habits, including eating habits and exercise habits, is an important part of the addiction recovery process. That’s not to say you have to become an athlete or a vegetarian to have a successful rehab experience. What’s important is learning how to make positive life choices. Choosing what to eat and drink, what activities to participate in, who to have fun with – all of these choices will have either a positive or a negative effect on your life. People suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction have to learn how to choose the positives and leave the negatives behind. It’s not easy to do, and it takes patience, dedication and time to see that change become a real part of their new life.

The nation’s best drug rehabilitation centers have programs in place that not only have high success rates, but more than that they empower people to make lifelong positive changes to regain control of their lives.

How does a drug rehab facility do that? How does a treatment program successfully show people how to change and inspire them to actually do it? There is no simple answer to those questions, but the top programs do have some noteworthy similarities.

1) Individual Attention – To really break an addiction, changes have to be made on a personal level. If the program isn’t personal, it doesn’t make sense to expect individual results.

2) Social Strength – For many people, social interaction is how they got involved with substance abuse. Making friends and building relationships with people who aren’t interested in binge drinking or getting high is essential to establishing a clean, sober life.

3) Clinical and Therapeutic Services – Addiction recovery requires some degree of medical attention and therapy at the different stages of the rehab process to ensure the best treatment options are being employed.

4) Residential Opportunities – A residential option gives those in recovery, especially for long term drug rehab, a chance to completely focus on their treatment without the temptations of old habits and behaviors.

5) Goal-Oriented, Life Skill Development – It’s always easier to accomplish a task when there’s a goal in mind. Building the life skills that are important in every facet of a person’s life is essential to not only breaking the alcohol and drug addiction, but also to ensuring the person is capable of meeting future challenges in their life. By cultivating personal goals and individual life skills, recovery should be life-long.

An editorial in the New York Times revealed troubling news on drug abuse treatment in America. The editorial cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that stated 2,355 young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 died in 2005 from poisoning and drug overdoses. That is more than double the number of similar deaths reported in 1999. They also found research by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that said less than 10 percent of teens suffering from drug addiction receive the treatment they need. The editor reveals federal funding for state drug treatment facilities and programs are not required to spend any given amount of the money on teens or young adults.

Adding insult to injury, some states are even cutting funding for drug related prevention and treatment programs. In a letter to the editor, Victor A. Capoccia responds and expresses some concern about the reduced funding for substance abuse treatment programs: “. . . cuts like these mean that thousands more adolescents will have no place to go for treatment.” If more young adults are dying from addiction and less funding is available to treat them, how can we hope to resolve such a serious problem?

Gatehouse Academy is an extended care treatment center for young men and women in need of long term drug rehab or alcohol rehab. We offer the opportunity for young adults from the ages of 17-25 to learn life skills, continue formalized education, enhance physical well-being, and recover from the detrimental effects of chemical dependency.

If you have any questions please contact us.