Getting Drug Treatment that's Right for You

Drug and alcohol addictions plague thousands of people around the United States. These addictions are some of the worst and they must be stopped if you are to save the individual. Below is an article that discusses this problem, and sheds some light on finding a drug treatment center that's right for you.

Drug addictions and alcoholism afflict millions of people around the world, costing hundreds of thousands of lives annually in the United States alone. While it’s the abuse of controlled substances like cocaine, heroine, prescription sedatives and painkillers, marijuana, and amphetamines that gets the most attention in the media, it is the legal drugs, alcohol and nicotine, that are the most widely abused. Addictions and abuse of the legal drugs alone cause over 400,000 deaths every year in the United States. While the numbers of deaths caused by controlled drugs are much lower, addiction to these chemicals is often even more dangerous, depending on the chemical. Drug treatment is highly recommended for anyone having problems associated with substance use.

Drug treatment options today include a variety of services, many of which are entirely free. There are a number of support groups that operate with the sole function of helping people overcome addictions to chemicals. Some examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Marijuana Anonymous, and Life Ring. These groups have become so large and widespread that no matter where you live there is very likely several meetings that meet every day in a location near you.

"While it’s the abuse of controlled substances like cocaine, heroine, prescription sedatives and painkillers, marijuana, and amphetamines that gets the most attention in the media, it is the legal drugs, alcohol and nicotine, that are the most widely abused"

There are also a number of support groups, such as Ala-non, and Narcanon, that are designed to help people cope with loved ones suffering from addictions. Being close to someone with a chemical dependence can be an extremely stressful, frustrating, and emotionally taxing experience, and these meetings can be a very effective resource to help you manage it.

While some people find eventual success just by utilizing local support groups, most people should seek additional drug treatment to help get started on the road to recovery. There are many drug treatment centers around the United States that offer both residential inpatient, and intensive outpatient services. Most of these programs have intake specialists that are trained to help you determine what kind of treatment options would work best for you. Often, health insurance plans will cover some or even all of the expenses associated with drug treatment.

Once started, drug addictions only get worse with time, and are nearly impossible to recover from without help, so drug treatment should be sought sooner rather than later. Although the likelihood of success from treatment is low, some amount of progress is very likely to occur, and repeated attempts at drug treatment are eventually effective for most people. The greats impediment to drug treatment is the willingness of the sufferer to seek help. Once help is desired and actively sought after, the chances of finding recovery are good.

Well, I hope you found this article to be very informative and helpful. The important thing is to seek treatment and work hard at it. That's the secret to any recovery program.

Finding Drug And Alcohol Treatment

When it comes to seeking help and treatment for drugs and alcohol, there are a lot of choices. There are cheap and expensive ones. Which one you choose doesn't matter, just find the one that works for you. Below is an article that discusses the different range of treatment centers, and which ones are best for you.

I just saw a biography of former first lady Betty Ford, who, after hiding her depression and loneliness with alcohol and prescription drugs (and hiding her addiction), found that when push came to shove getting recovery and opening your own alcohol and drug treatment center worked wonders on the self-esteem, the self-worth, and the self-survival process.

Once Mrs. Ford (or is that Lady Ford?) outed herself, she gave license to other celebrities to acknowledge, get help for, and heal from their own private addictions. And at the same time that Lady Ford was establishing a drug and alcohol treatment center for the well-to-do, those of us who could not afford such expensive recoveries were using the longstanding clinics, therapies, and twelve-step programs that worked for millions.

"The fact that one type of drug and alcohol treatment program costs thousands and another drug and alcohol recovery system is cheap or free has nothing to do with quality of recovery."

In other words, when seeking drug and alcohol treatment, we have literally hundreds of options (as another show airing that same week revealed, for example, with its intervention efforts to get bulimics to clinics, speed freaks to intervention centers, and alcoholics to recovery facilities across the nation).

We are blessed with alternatives. I mean alternatives in the sense that for some, drug and alcohol treatment centers with tough love, confrontation-style approaches are the only things that will kick our butts into change, while for others the kid-glove treatment of therapists is necessary to our growth, and for still others the rough and ready rigors of a 12-step program such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the only way to heal.

There’s no need to begrudge the upper class, the wealthy, the elite for having a “different” or “better” program than we peons and proletariats have. The fact that one type of drug and alcohol treatment program costs thousands and another drug and alcohol recovery system is cheap or free has nothing to do with quality of recovery. What works for the individual is what is important. And how one works his or her program is imperative.

That is, in one recovery system the premise is that an addict or alcoholic (or both) should go to the same lengths to get recovery as he or she went to get loaded. Following this formula of sorts, then, Robert Downey Junior will spend a few grand to heal from the extravagant binges he has fallen prey to, Joe Blow, the truck driver who succumbed to lifting TV sets and stereos to get a fix will now volunteer his time at a music school to get himself “fixed”.

In the end it all works out to reveal we are all similar; we all have a disease that needs to be squashed, and we all have to work at working it for it to work. Or to echo one sentiment (developed by way of Mr. Bill and Dr. Bob (founders of AA), “There are no big shots or little shots. One shot, and we’re all shot.”

As you can see, it's all about what works for you. You may spend thousands of dollars on a recovery program and find that it doesn't work, then spend a few hundred and watch the magic happen. Just experiment around and talk to people about which is best.

How to Get Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Many Americans suffer from anxiety disorder. This can be very unpleasant for the people who have it, as it makes almost every public situation uncomfortable for them. Granted, most people get nervous in big social events or when they have to speak in front of a crowd, but people with this disorder suffer ten times worse. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this and there is treatment. Below is an article about what the disorder does, how it can be treated, and where you can find help.

In the fifties and sixties they had it, but it was less present in the typical nine-to-fiver and it was not nearly as complicated: I’m talking about anxiety disorder or panic disorder—a malaise characterized by what are today called anxiety attacks that feature symptoms that simulate those of the sympathomimetic system (the fight-or-flight state) in overdrive: increased heart rate; edgy/nervous, “stinking” thinking; intense feelings of dread or impending doom; impeding, irrational thoughts; feelings of light-headedness or vertigo; tingling/chills in the extremities; nausea; tense(d) muscles; constricted chest; dryness of mouth; trembles; shakes; sweats; breathing struggles; and/or odd feelings of being detached, or that things are unreal or strange.

In the fifties, sixties, and early seventies (and sometimes probably now), my mother had panic attacks. She would call for one of us to “go get her one of [her] pills”, would remove herself from the source—usually one of us—of the anxiety, and be fine within twenty minutes to a half an hour. While this is seemingly a now obsolete or defunct anxiety disorder treatment, my mother—whom people labeled as “oh, just a little high-strung”—was actually making use of some of the more effective of anxiety disorder treatments available at the time.

Yes, the sixties were for homemakers and mothers working two jobs a time for pills. The sixties were the place also known as the Valley of the Dolls. But maybe pill-popping as an anxiety disorder treatment is not so antiquated a strategy nor so knee-jerk a solution. The response for some—especially those who are physically ill and therefore more susceptible to the disorder and the panic instances—is the only thing that works.

Others also use one of the oldest self-help anxiety disorder treatments—the paper bag.

Right before I would come to befriend her, one friend in the eighties (now a contemporary of over 25 years) would walk into the classroom before philosophy class began with her backpack, a drink, and a paper bag bunched at where the neck would be. She would breathe deeply into and out of the bag inhaling and sucking the paper with a crackle and exhaling and returning the brown lunch bag back to an expanded balloon state. Evidently, her need for this maneuver was brought on by an anxiety attack (a. k. a. panic attack)—a sudden surge of dread and fear combined with a variety of the above-described symptoms.

THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of ANXIETY ATTACKS

The anxiety attack instigates an imbalance of blood gases, for want of the appropriate amounts of carbon dioxide in the blood (often caused by the unwitting hyperventilating the anxiety-stricken individual is doing. Inhaling and exhaling steadily through the paper, then, levels out the carbon dioxide.

Because the anxiety syndrome has become more prevalent in specific cultures and countries, experts in the medical and therapeutic fields have added to their list of suggestions for self-help anxiety disorder treatments. Some of these include talking yourself up (or down, but not depressedly or negatively), taking your point of focus to a place outside of your body and bodily reactions/symptoms, and sitting calmly with a “this too shall pass” approach and attitude or mindset.

Sometimes, the anxiety attacks are not psychologically -based, but are instead symptoms accompanying a physical illness (such as hypertension, for instance). Then, the anxiety disorder treatment you seek might be more involved. Some chronic sufferers consult doctors or therapists or visit clinics dedicated to such disorders. In addition, people access the options and alternatives for anxiety disorder treatment: they partake of medications prescribed for them, get therapy (such as biofeedback/Neurofeedback or psychotherapy), or learn new life-management skills. As well, some experiencing chronic anxiety will endeavor to learn new techniques for breathing, stress-management, and better problem-solving.

While time has passed, some symptoms, syndromes, and treatments have not. And some are new and improved, depending upon severity, need, and response to healing strategies…whether it is pills for the “high-strung” or paper bags for the harangued.

I hope this article helped you find information you were looking for. It was pretty detailed, so you should know all about the disorder and how to find help.

Some Great Treatments for ADHD

Many Americans are plagued by ADHD, also known as ADD (attention deficit disorder). However, there is hope for those who have it because there are many treatments available. The article below discusses some of the best ways to treat ADHD.

Until I found the methods and medications that worked for me and me alone (which means I will not be dispensing any all-knowing advice, here), I researched, studied, and investigated the many ADHD treatment possibilities available to me in 2001. I had been the outcast, the freak, the truant, the pest, the unruly one, the class clown, and in general, the wild one of every classroom, social gathering, and family event and circumstance for forty years. (Yes, I was just as “bad” if not worse at forty….)

I spent more time in the principal’s office in grade school than all the students in the school combined. I got tossed out of more classes in high school than my face had zits. I slept with [really] strange men I met while I was hitchhiking in blizzards from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire to Provincetown, Mass.. I crashed cars (on purpose), I had cars towed for lack of appropriate paperwork, and had cars repossessed for lack of organized check- and other budgeting and accounting. I over-achieved in college and was under-estimated and over-admonished at jobs.

And the harrowing and horrific lists and symptoms go on and on. In fact, for the usual ADHD “victim” (though I now see us as blessed), approximately sixty-nine symptoms or maladies afflict us at any given time—at any minute, second, or millisecond we interrupt; we blurt; we intrude; we mis-read social cues; we are dis- (under-) or over-organized; we fight time and timing; we can’t wait, sit still for long, or rest and relax as “normal” people do; we are, as the blanket observations have it, irritable, impulsive, hyperactive, and defiant. We need (and often for many years go on needing) diagnosis and subsequent ADHD treatment to help us regulate or self-regulate.

Luckily for those of us who do [eventually] get diagnosed, there are attentive, conscientious, qualified, super-intelligent specialists in the field (and professionals in medicine in general) who have developed ADHD treatment methods, procedures, approaches, and medicines. Some of these are as follows:

Medication

Amphetamines: Ironically, when a person with ADHD is hyper and speedy in action and thought, giving him or her speed (amphetamines) as an ADHD treatment is a most common occurrence. Though they don’t know the exact way it works, the amphetamine prescription (federally regulated, as it is highly susceptible to abuse) helps focus, organization, attention span, and many other subtler or quirkier symptoms of ADHD.


Ritalin: Ritalin is one of the grandparents, the elders, of ADHD treatment drugs, working again in ways the scientists cannot exactly pinpoint but in a very similar way to amphetamines. Ritalin is also still debated over constantly, especially with regards to children. (Do we dope every little imp that acts like a class clown or gets angry on the playground or performs on cue in front of the neighbors?) Ritalin is still mysterious as an agent for quelling ADHD symptoms, but many swear by it for or despite its minimal side effects (weight loss, mood swings, and others) compared to its positive effects, which lend themselves to clarity, stability, patience (physical and mental focus), and other nuances I cannot speak to here.

Other more commonly used medications: Also in contention with the two most “popular” or most often used or most studied meds are the increasingly introduced Adderall; Cyclert; and some of the SSRIs and MAOs. As with all medications, with these and the ones I describes from a personal (and not professional) point of view, research thoroughly before asking a doctor about one in particular, before, that is, committing to one. Each works in mysterious ways, still, and each works differently for and on each individual.



Neurofeedback (a. k. a. Biofeedback): Typically involuntary, certain impulses and electrical activity in the brain can be voluntarily modified. The ADDer, whose brain wave patterns are evidently different than non-ADDer brain wave patterns, is hooked up with electrodes (no pain). The ADDer sits facing a video screen/monitor, as the technician “amplifies brain activity.” The resulting patterns appear on the screen, whereby the ADDer manipulates controls electronically to manipulate and take control of the brain wave activity.

Behavior Modification/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: You might already understand behavior modification as consisting of a system of punishments and rewards, each applied to reinforce positive behavior. For the ADDer, the disorder is as much about “unacceptable/inappropriate” behavior as it is about miserable feeling and unique thinking. There are approximately 69 symptoms of ADD, most of them behavior-based: perception of social cues is skewed; the ADDer interrupts/blurts; he/she has demanding difficulties with organization; he/she has trouble with time and timing; he/she is challenged by waiting; he/she cannot easily relax or enjoy leisurely activities…. With behavioral therapy, which targets one or a few of such challenges at a time, the ADDer learns to “self-regulate.”

Food Changes/Dietary Intervention

A close investigation of foods that are or contain allergens and irritants to the nervous system has revealed the possibility of ADDers being especially negatively impacted. ADD treatments in this area include eliminating or curbing intake of white flour, sugar, and/or additives/preservatives. But the controversy still roars on this one, and FDA and other regulatory bodies have not acknowledged the veracity of gross dietary changes…yet.

Psychotherapy

A schedule of sessions with a trained and qualified therapist enhances one’s understanding, gives one a reflecting surface (human), and provides one with the social tools of communication (the give and take), self-improvement, and social protocol. Therapy is often recommended in conjunction with medication or other treatments, as one method compliments the other and one method’s weaknesses are compensated for by the other…and vice versa.

I do drugs and see a shrink—both of which/whom I am beyond grateful for. May you find the ADHD treatment that works for you.

Wow. I know that was a mouthful, but I hope you found it helpful. Be sure to check out my other articles on ADD as well if you need additional help.

ADHD- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

What can you do about this troublesome disorder? The article below discusses it, and helps you find treatments for ADD. I hope you find it helpful.

I am an ADHD expert…to ONLY myself, to only my particular disorder, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. So as I write, I do so from a place of 40 plus years of history of the disorder, of diagnosis in only the last four years, and of having self-medicated (with street drugs) and later having researched and engaged in therapy and medical treatment for my ADHD.

But I would like to share with you the ADHD alternative treatment methods I have learned about along the forty-year journey of hell and heaven, too.

First, know that while street meth is not a legitimate ADHD alternative treatment, it is what one MD says clever of you to try. That is, many intelligent, proactive individuals who have ADHD but have not been diagnosed and are at their wits’ end trying to “cure” themselves will do what is called self-medicating. So don’t be ashamed or overly obsessed with the esteem issues that come with street drug use. Just get to a doctor or psychiatrist for diagnosis and understanding of the disorder.

Then, weigh the options available to you by reading whatever you can: read magazines, books, on- and offline articles. Find the works devoted strictly to ADHD and written by experts and professionals in the field, including the following (listed here in no particular order): David Sudderth, Joseph Kandel, Thom Hartmann, Sari Solden, Thomas Whiteman, Michelle Novotni, Kate Kelly, and Peggy Ramundo.

At this point you will have come across the “traditional” or most common treatments, such as psychotherapy and drug (Amphetamine, Ritalin, etc. Al.) therapy combined, and will have found some ADHD alternative treatments, as well. These include such alternatives as the following:

HOMEOPATHIC/NONTRADITIONAL MEDICINES

Some turn away from western medicine to such alternatives as acupressure—a healing technique that has been successfully applied for smoking habits, weight problems, anxiety disorders, fertility issues, and even HDHD symptoms. As of 1997, the Lincoln Hospital Recovery Center in Bronx, New York, for example, administers acupressure treatments to those with ADHD. They have had remarkable results: kids have been positively impacted in regards to their sleep and hyperactivity patterns, blood pressure and depression problems, studying and participating, working, and just sitting…calmly and without the “mind spinning” so familiar to those with ADHD.

DIETARY CHANGES

A close investigation of foods that are or contain allergens and irritants to the nervous system has revealed the possibility of ADDers being especially negatively impacted. ADD treatments in this area include eliminating or curbing intake of white flour, sugar, and/or additives/preservatives. But the controversy still roars on this one, and FDA and other regulatory bodies have not acknowledged the veracity of gross dietary changes…yet.

ENERGY HEALING

Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, for instance, are energy healing approaches that work on the premise that the human being is a dynamic being, connected by physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional components. Energy healing methods seek to balance these components, so in the person with ADHD, the symmetry that results is said to be calming—slowing the activity down so the person can focus, is less anxious, and is less intrusive and defiant.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Much attention has been paid to holistic treatment, other ADHD alternative treatment, and vitamin therapies. And many vitamin sources claim to help alleviate such symptoms as inability to focus, edginess, and sleep problems. But as with any ingesting therapies, inappropriate application can lead to damaging results on other parts of the body and brain. So what most specialists will acknowledge as important is nutritional balance, antioxidant vitamin supplements (A, E, for example), and/or a multi-vitamin…though as with many alternatives they will not attest to any remarkable cures or absolute recovery, which has yet to be proved, documented, and announced…for now, anyway.

As you can see, there are many ways for you to combat ADHD. Just choose one or some of the treatment and you'll be well on your way to fighting and ending this disorder.

About Addiction Treatment Centers

If you or someone you know needs to go to an addiction treatment center, then the article below will help you immensely in that decision. You will find great information about these treatment centers, and how they help the patient.

Addiction treatment centers are all over the United States and most other post industrial countries. Choosing between the ones with available openings can be hard, especially if you are like everyone else and are on a limited budget. If you are relatively wealthy or have excellent health insurance, you’re in luck and will more than likely be able to find a program with an opening. There is a good chance you’ll have to fly in somewhere, so count on taking an extended trip.

Although they all vary significantly, there are two basic categories that all addiction treatment centers fall into; social model and medical model. Social model addiction treatment centers emphasize therapy, discussion, counseling and group work, but generally have a limited or non-existent medical staff. These treatment centers normally will not provide detox services. Medically based addiction treatment centers have the same kinds of therapy and counseling in the social models, but also have a medical staff that includes one or more doctors. These centers will usually provide a detox service prior to treatment, and are able to administer and prescribe medication for use throughout treatment.

Today, the most popular addiction treatment centers are medically based. These centers also tend to be the most expensive. If you can afford it, or have health insurance willing to pay part or all of the costs, I recommend using a medical model treatment center. Having the advice and services of an addiction-trained physician is very valuable in the early stages of recovery.

However, it is a good idea to research the facility before signing up. In your research, pay special attention to the doctor or doctors they have on staff. Are they ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) certified? Do they actually have any experience in addiction treatment? A doctor with limited knowledge or experience with addiction can actually make your problems worse by prescribing you highly addictive medications. And it is dangerous to assume that just because the doctor is working at an addiction treatment center that he or she must be an addiction specialist. Many addiction treatment centers help cut costs by hiring any doctor they can find!

Also, when looking for an addiction treatment center, look into the kinds of services they offer. If you have any say in the matter, look for a center that provides a variety of different kinds of therapy, exercises, nutritional information, mediations, etc. An addiction treatment center provides plenty of resources will help you to customize your recovery a little more, which increases the chances of finding a form of treatment that works for you.

I hope you found the article worth your while. Remember, your addiction can be overcome. The biggest step is admitting you need help.