The Texas Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton, told reporters that he had, had a “weak moment” earlier this week at a bar in Dallas. Formerly suspended for drug and alcohol use, Josh Hamilton states that his life, “in general is based on making the right choices, everything as far as my recovery, as far as my baseball goes, it’s all based around my relationship with the Lord”

Josh Hamilton suggested that he had a few drinks this week and wants to get back on track with his sobriety and his passion for baseball. This is a clear window in to an addict’s acknowledgment of the understanding that if their sobriety does not come first, nothing ells in life will be manageable.

Understanding this concept is easy, but making it applicable to everyday life is the hard part. Long term drug treatment is often the solution for chronic relapses, Gatehouse Academy, located north-west of Phoenix Arizona has dealt with stories like Josh Hamilton’s for almost 12 years now. If you know someone that is constantly struggling with addiction please help them by contacting an addiction professional.

Related Resources

Arizona Drug Rehab

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

Drug & Alcohol Rehab for Teens

Cocaine Drug Treatment Center

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Josh Hamilton Major League Drug & Alcohol Relapse

With Facebook’s recent IPO announcement valuing at $5 billion dollars, one can only ask, “will Facebook run its course and lose traction”? For over seven years now, Facebook has become a household name and way to connect, reconnect, communicate, and it has proliferated itself as “the” Global social networking site. Facebook ROI is purely speculative at this point, it is larger dependent on advertising, such as Google has corned the market with Adwords, and other Advertising efforts that generates billions in revenue.

Unlike Google, Facebook will be challenged and need to continue to change and evolve to hold the imagination and loyalty that it currently holds. It has not established itself in the Advertising world. Historically, trends are set for periods of time, until another form or solution becomes “it”. There are many Social Networking sites, Facebook will need to address many issues such as privacy laws, security, and how to best leverage their product Globally. For instance, Google has been met with opposition in China and they currently have not resolved the issue, other than the Government censorship of their product.

As an end user of both companies products, I Googled, “Facebook IPO”, to educate myself on the details of this blog, if that tells you anything. Comparatively,  maybe sometime this week I will go to my Facebook page and see if any of my friends have posted any interesting personal comments or posts that are worth a look. Additionally, I see a fundamental problem with Facebook’s valuation and long term success, although brilliant for the time being, I believe society will slowly move on to the next “great thing”. Maybe that is why the time is right for the Initial Public Offering? Only time will tell, but I would put my money on Google!

Related Resources

Arizona Long term Drug Rehab

Signs of Drug Addiction

Young Adult Drug Rehab

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Will Facebook Run its Course and Lose Track

Being in recovery and working a program ultimately means working the steps each day. In the beginning, I struggled with my first and second steps due to hesitation of being in acceptance of what I truly am, an alcoholic. I was resistant to believing my life had become unmanageable because I considered myself high functioning and that my actions were not insane. After turning things over to my higher power, I quickly learned and accepted my life and that what I was doing was helping me no longer live that way. I breezed through step three, but step four came tumbling down on me with a load of emotions I had failed to recognize or had suppressed at some point in my life. However, after completing an extensive fourth step and beginning the fifth step with my sponsor, that flood of emotions came rushing back at me, blindsiding me like a rookie getting hit for the first time in the NFL. Working through my fifth step, admitting all my wrongs, seeing my part, and behavioral patterns is more than I though I could bear, but as I continue my work, I see the change it’s doing in me. I feel my load lightening and a sense of serenity and peace. I’m in acceptance and learning from my past, embracing each wrong and letting it go day by day. Someone once told me to, “Let go and let god; attachment is suffering,” and it’s the best advice I have received, especially during this time.

Written By: Catherine

Related Resources

Arizona Long term Drug Rehab

Signs of Drug Addiction

Young Adult Drug Rehab

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Working the Steps

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction in Arizona, then we would like to make you aware of our Arizona drug rehab center.  We have been providing premium treatment services at our rehab center in Arizona for over 11 years.  More specifically, our mission is to offer long term young adult drug treatment for drug and alcohol addicted young adults between the ages of 17-28 in Arizona or elsewhere.  Our services include not only drug treatment but also dual diagnosis treatment center, life skills building, and achievement in scholastics, the arts, and vocational training.

There are tens of thousands of people every year in Arizona seeking drug rehab or more general help for addiction to drugs and alcohol.  If you are searching for the correct drug rehab in Arizona, or more specifically, a Phoenix rehab, a drug treatment center in Scottsdale, Prescott, or even Flagstaff, then we may be the appropriate treatment placement for you.

Out of all the Arizona rehab centers, We are one of the very few that specializes in young adult drug treatment.  As well, Arizona is an excellent place for people to come for drug treatment, especially young adults.  The rehab centers in Arizona offer hospitable weather all year round, which makes the state of Arizona attractive as a destination for those seeking drug treatment.  The chances are probably higher that someone may find more comfort in a drug rehab in Arizona due to the warmer climate.  Also, there are a great deal of outdoor activities that would be a part of the drug treatment plan of a Phoenix rehab, a Scottsdale rehab, or basically any other rehab centers in Arizona.  A preponderance of healthy activities including biking, hiking, swimming, rafting, sports, skiing and other activities would be available to a client at an Arizona rehab, especially a long term young adult program like ours.  If you would like more information on Drug Rehab reach out to us.

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Drug Rehab Center in Arizona

In the late afternoon of January 31st, Leslie Carter 25, sister of Nick and Aaron Carter was found unresponsive in Westfield NY.  Leslie was pronounced dead at 4:49PM at the Westfield Memorial Hospital from an apparent drug overdose. Officials reported that three addictive prescription drug bottles were found nearby, Olanzapine, Cyclobenzaprine, and Xanax.

As addiction professionals working with young adults, it is always troubling to hear the news of someone so young dying from their addiction. At Gatehouse Academy, a long term rehab center located in Arizona, we have witnessed many stories similar to Leslie’s.

The saddest part of this tragic tale is that there truly is an available answer for young adults struggling with addiction.  More generally, addiction and alcohol addiction are illnesses that can be overcome with willingness and the engagement of a treatment process. If there is anyone who is battling their own demons, please reach out to a professional now

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Leslie Carter Drug Overdose

One of the best things about Gatehouse Academy is the opportunity to work with the horses. The horse ranch is about a mile away from main campus, which is about a twenty minute walk. Every morning the people who are lucky enough to be on such a privileged crew must wake up early to make it to the front office by 5:40 so that they can make it to the horses by 6:00.

Horse crew is a highly sought after position and it may be something that you have heard about from your contact with staff or from reading the web-site. A slightly less well-known crew is Trail Crew. Trail crew is in charge of maintaining the trails that pass through the wilderness just beyond the horse ranch. We also have to wake up early and walk down with the people on Horse crew, but once we get there, we get to keep on hiking.

After a quick stop a the tool shed to pick up hedge clippers, saws, rakes, shovels, or whatever else we may need, we trek into the mesquite forest to trim the branches that are hanging over the trail and may get in the way of the horses or their riders. We also pick up rocks that may be in the path. Generally, we just do what is needed to keep the trails clear.

This year, we were granted the opportunity to try our hand at trailblazing. It was hard work, but very rewarding. After about a week of clearing away the plants that were in the way, we had to spend several more raking and shoveling rocks, sometimes even moving them by hand. In the end, we had made a brand new trail that passed up a big hill.

Being back in the forest alone with a small crew is a very spiritual experience. Every day, we spend several hours in the woods, interacting with wildlife, and communing with nature. Summer is over, and Trail crew will be shut down for winter, which makes me sad. But it is fall now, and for the last few weeks, we have been making it to the trails before sunrise. Standing on top of the hill at the end of a trail that we completed ourselves and watching the sun come up has certainly left an impression on me that will stick with me with the rest of my stay here at Gatehouse.

Related Resources

Arizona Drug Rehab

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

Drug & Alcohol Rehab for Teens

Cocaine Drug Treatment Center

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Trekking with Trail Crew

I started getting high regularly at the age of 18. I thought it was normal to binge drink and smoke when in college. Everyone else is doing it and it seems acceptable, why not? At first, it was a complete blast, except when I drank too much and got sick of course. I didn’t face many consequences during these 5 ½ years. From driving plastered on my crotch rocket to random fights, I could’ve killed myself or someone else a countless amount of times. I somehow completed college with a mediocre GPA of 2.75. The drinking and drugging should’ve decreased from this point forward. This happened for my other friends, but not for me. I found myself on this brutal cycle of using daily and partying even harder when I would go out with friends. My friends could stop drinking at 2 am. I didn’t understand why. As the years passed, I started going on 3 and 4-day benders with not a wink of shut eye. The drugs got harder, the values got worse, the debt got bigger, and the consequences got worse. After a bone break with multiple fractures, I was prescribed “pain medication.” This was the beginning of the end for my drug use. I started as prescribed and within 3 months, I was full blown captivated. The grip that the meds took of me was unfathomable. An acquaintance of mine warned me that I was “playing with fire” and I was down for it. I somehow managed this addiction for a year after going through all of my savings and ended up in my first 28-day treatment program. When I got out, I thought I just had a problem with the pain meds and could continue to drink occasionally. Boy was I wrong. I thought a nice girl could save me. Wrong again. I then got this great job which I knew would definitely save me. Nope. Wrong once more. Hopeless and broke, I’d lowered myself to anything I needed to do to attain my drugs. All values and morals gone. I was basically a drug-induced sociopath. Several treatments later, I ended up at Gatehouse. I got beat into the ground so hard, I became willing. I’m not taking it day by day and gradually learning how to live without drinking and drugging.

Of course I can’t share my entire experience for you in this blog, though you can see the progression of this cunning, baffling, powerful, and insidious disease of addiction.

Written By: Shawn

Related Resources

Long Term Drug & Alcohol Rehab

Arizona Drug Rehab Centers

Drug Rehab for Young Adults

Information of Drug & Alcohol Rehab

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Progression of my Addiction

The troubled Beverly Hill’s house wife star, Kim Richards, has been in denial about her alcohol abuse since confronted in the first season. Richards has come clean and made a statement in the season finale of Bravo’s housewives that she checked into a long term drug rehab center.

Kim Richards was scheduled to enter a dual diagnosis treatment center at the end of the first season of Real housewives of Beverly Hills. Her claims of entering a rehab treatment center were false and as she returned to the second season of RHOBH, her behavior was odd and quite erratic.

After failing to successfully check herself into a drug and alcohol rehab center, Bravo released a statement in December 2011 that Kim Richards has checked herself into a Drug Rehab Facility. On the season finale last night, Kim Richards does admit to being an alcoholic but fails to comment on her possible substance abuse.

Kim Richard’s sister Kyle admits that Kim’s problems did not just formulate on air, but has been an on-going problem for years. Kyle Richards is proud of her sister for finally airing out her dirty laundry and admitting that she has a problem – One of the first steps to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

If you or someone you know is going through an addiction, please review some of the resources that our Drug Rehab Center in Arizona has to offer.

Resources:
Rehabs for Teens
How to tell if Someone is on Drugs

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Kim Richards is Out of Long Term Rehab for Alcohol

Over the past weekend, July 22-24, 2011 Gatehouse Academy allowed several of the women in the community to attend the 26th annual Prescott Shoestring Roundup. The Shoestring Roundup is a three day event where those in recovery or that have the desire to stop drinking participate in fellowship, marathon meetings, speaker meetings, fun, and much, much more. I was surprised to be chosen as one of the women to go on the weekend getaway being that I am so new at Gatehouse and my sobriety; however, I was more than thrilled to have the opportunity to attend. The Roundup was a new and exciting experience for me. I had never been around so many people in recovery and who had years and years of sobriety, it was an eye-opener to see that I was not alone and I could do this, much like all the attendees. During the Roundup, I was able to chair one of the AA marathon meetings. Our topic was personal spiritual experiences, and although I have yet to have an awakening of sorts, it was enlightening hearing other people’s stories. I learned that these spiritual experiences do not have to happen in your first days of sobriety and that it is not just limited to one experience. These experiences help people understand and awaken to see the “light” in their recovery, it helps them reflect and see others’ points of view. I look forward to the day and/or days that I have my own spiritual experiences. All in all, the Shoestring Roundup was a lot of fun and it was a great step for me in my recovery. I even got the opportunity to be of service and chair one of the marathon meetings. All in all, it was a great experience and I hope that I get the opportunity to go to more roundups in the future.

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

“Serenity in the Pines” Prescott, AZ Shoestring Roundup

[Fear] was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn’t deserve. But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling?

When I arrived at Gatehouse, I was deep in a drug-induced psychosis. I couldn’t tell up from down. My existence was shot through with fear, delusion and intrusive thought I could not control. I felt that the other residents wanted to kill me, that Gatehouse w2as a pyramid scheme and that there was no way of avoiding being robbed and left for dead by the staff. I made strange, symbolic connections and couldn’t trust the process. I believed myself to be doomed.

On my first or second day at the Hassayampa River Ranch, nine miles down a dirt road in Wickenburg, Arizona, other residents and I sat around a room and gave each other solutions to our problems taken from the Big Book. When it came time for me to describe my problem, I said, “Everybody hates me. I have no friends.” Tears streamed down my face. Another resident, Patrick Odess, leaned over, put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I want to be your friend, John.” I immediately stopped crying, and have only cried once since that day. The next time I cried was yesterday, June 10th.

I sat in Circle, where residents tell each other how they feel and express their concern for each other. I was convinced that no one was angry at me or concerned. I was living in a delusion and had not yet surrendered after eleven and a half months at Gatehouse. I had come a long way, but I had not yet completely given up the fight. Resident after resident expressed deep concern for me, giving me specific reasons why they felt such alarm and fear for me. Anthony Marengo, the program director and my co-sponsor, offered me the chance to clear the air, bare my soul and express my feelings. He said I could do it another time if that made me feel more comfortable.

“[I] stood at the turning point. [I] asked [God’s] protection and care with complete abandon.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 59) I began to speak: “I’m John and I’m an alcoholic. I am concerned that…” And everything came rushing forth. I told the whole community how Bipolar Disorder had affected my life. I told them all about my fears and shame. The tears came quickly once I opened up. I suddenly realized that I had surrendered. There was nothing left to do at the end of Circle. It was the first day of the rest of my life.

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Surrender