Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers


It is a fact that the family members of an alcoholic suffer more than the alcoholic itself and its very difficult for them to get their loved one into alcohol treatment. The chances are that he or she might have been arrested for drunken driving or violence several times before and now it is time for the their treatment.

But there is good news that there are Alcohol Rehab Centers which help a patient get the alcohol out of his body and enable him to live a normal life and provide him the help he needs.
These centers are very effective and the patient starts feeling better after taking the treatment. Once he feels better he can stop or continue his treatment, it just depends on him. It's not important how you select the alcohol treatment center; the most important thing is that how effective and suitable is it for your loved one.
You need to take action before the time runs out
It's not easy to convince an alcoholic to get into treatment. Alcoholic agrees to take treatment only after he has been arrested for a crime under the influence of alcohol or any other trouble like jobless or domestic violence.
After he is ready to take treatment, the next step is to find an alcohol rehab center which best suits the individual needs of the alcoholic. Also you need to make sure that the center does provide detoxification, counseling and other services like aftercare program.
What To Expect From An Alcohol Rehabilitation Center
Most of the alcohol treatment centers provide inpatient program whose duration is up to one month. But this time period can be extended depending on the circumstances and the progress of the patient. Initially these centers focus on the detoxification process in order to get the alcoholic substances out of the patient's body.
After that it's time for the individual and group therapy for the patient. Once the 30 days time period is over the patient is ready for the aftercare program.
Aftercare Program
This is the most important part of whole treatment because it determines the route for the reintegration of the recovering patient into the society. This is also a very sensitive time because there is a great chance of relapse during this phase of the treatment. In order to minimize the dangers of relapse most alcohol treatment centers provide outpatient counseling and persuade him to join support groups.

When Treatment Becomes Addiction


Those addicted to prescription medications may be prescribed another medication to help overcome dependency. Suboxone is one such medication that can be beneficial for those who are attempting to lead a drug free life. Many are not aware that Suboxone is a narcotic and can be habit forming as well. Addiction to this medication is gradual and many do not recognize a problem until it is too late. Addiction to this or any medication is risky due to possible overdose and loss of life. Help comes in many forms, and those who discover a problem should not hesitate to seek help.

Suboxone is an FDA approved medication and has been since 2002. It is used to treat addiction by combining the two meds buprenorphine and naloxone. These two medications work by delivering a mild euphoric feeling and deterring abuse by causing extreme withdrawal symptoms if taken improperly. Those who take this medication long term are exposed to the risk of addiction because it is a narcotic. Most who become addicted to Suboxone take it in a fashion that is not prescribed by a doctor.
Opioids are pain medications prescribed to control mild to severe pain from injuries and sickness. Hydrocodone and oxycontin are powerful narcotics and dependency is a risk. Pain can be excruciating and disruptive to life, so many take too much pain medication and develop a dependency issue. Suboxone is often prescribed because of its ability to give a mild euphoria while the patient slowly detoxifies. The problem occurs when one addiction replaces another and Suboxone is taken improperly and with other medications like sleep aids or alcohol.
Symptoms of Suboxone addiction are similar to the symptoms of opioid addiction. Feelings of dizziness and tremors or shakes are apparent when the medication is not present in the system. It is often when this medication is ceased that the problem is discovered. Withdrawal often means sleeping difficulty, nausea and vomiting, pain and cravings for the drug. Overdose is a very real possibility, especially if not taken properly. Overdose symptoms include passing out, body weakness, hypotension, shortness of breath and possible coma. These are life-threatening side effects of an overdose that require immediate medical attention. Treatment is offered for addiction to Suboxone in many forms.
Treatment starts with detoxification. This process erases the drugs from the body's receptors and decreases the need or cravings for the drug in question. Not taking Suboxone of course eliminates the risk for addiction, but this is not a preferred option for most. Since Suboxone has helped many overcome dependency many opt to take it even if aware of a possible dependency issue. Detoxification is a part of the healing process and something every addict must endure, but there are several ways to make this tolerable.
Detoxification can be slowly or by complete cessation of medication. Both are effective, but slow detoxification with the aid of medications is preferable because it offers the best chance for success. Quick detox means possibly severe withdrawal symptoms, and this can mean failure for some. For many, withdrawal symptoms are too much to deal with, so they quit before detox is complete. Slow detox affords the opportunity to receive medications that aid in the recovery process. Medications to reduce symptoms of pain, nausea, sleeping difficulties and anxiety can be given if needed. Some will opt for sedation while detoxing as this means skipping the most extreme withdrawal symptoms completely. Sedation is done by anesthesia medications, and the patient is put into a voluntary coma where they can sleep through nausea, pain and anxiety.
Follow-up care is important for recovery. This is crucial because it offers counseling and continuing help via medications to manage symptoms. Group therapy means speaking with a professional therapist or others who have an addiction problem. This offers support and the feeling of not being alone. Family therapy is an option, to include family member support and to help them understand and help in the healing process. Learning to avoid tempting situations and environments is a part of counseling. This teaches individuals to refrain from others who are still using drugs or areas where drugs may be purchased.
Recovery from Suboxone addiction is possible with the right help. While it may be difficult to accept that addiction to another drug has occurred, this should not keep anyone from seeking help. Addiction to this medication is dangerous for health and well-being, and may cause death. Help is available in the form of medication, therapy and the willingness to beat dependency. Suboxone was designed to help beat addiction, and if used the right way, it does just that, but for those who develop a dependency, there is help available. A doctor can help best determine the right treatment option for obtaining a drug free existence and ensuring success.


Prescription Medicine Takes to the Streets, Danger Ahead


Methadone can be a very helpful drug for anyone fighting pain or fighting off addiction to a powerful narcotic such as heroin. Its use has grown increasingly popular in the past few decades. An unfortunate side effect of its popularity is its move into the streets.
Addiction to methadone can lead to overdose which can cause coma and death. It is prescribed in clinics to substitute for dangerous illegal drugs. Addicts trying to find a new high sometimes combine methadone with other substances and cause themselves major trouble.
Since methadone does not bring on the kind of euphoria given by heroin, users may take too much before they realize they are getting into trouble. Inexperienced drugs users who have little tolerance for opioids are in special danger of overdosing from the synthetic opioid. Those who dabble in drugs may combine methadone with alcohol or other drugs, not knowing that the combinations can prove deadly.
Methadone was created just before World War II by German scientists. Government officials in that country knew that war was imminent. Fearing that their nation would be cut off from opium and opium-based painkillers, they ordered their scientists to develop alternatives. Methadone emerged from the German laboratories.


After Germany's loss in the war, rights to its patents were dissolved. This left other countries free to develop forms of the helpful new painkiller themselves. The United States made methadone available in 1947.
It has become extremely popular as a means for easing heroin users off that dangerous illegal drug. At licensed clinics, health practitioners give their patients careful doses of methadone to substitute for the heroin in the patients' symptoms. A gradual replacement of the heroin with methadone frees its users from withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal from opioids can prove quite painful and frightening. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, anxiety, insomnia, and uncontrollable muscle tremors. Without the help of methadone, many addicts remain tied to their street drugs.
Methadone is a sedative. Unlike heroin, it does not produce a rush of euphoria. Its ceiling for feelings of good will and bliss is much higher than that of heroin.
This very fact makes its abuse more likely. Users seeking a high may ingest more and more. Failing to feel high, they keep taking the drug until they lapse into coma or even die.
Problems of this nature are well known in the medical community. Heroin, for example, was known around the world centuries ago as a pain treatment. By the 1800s many people in the world were addicted to heroin.
The solution had become the problem. Medical professionals and government officials are hard at working trying to come up with solutions for methadone addiction. They do not want to move quickly, however, since a band-aid remedy might lead to more problems in the long run.
Meanwhile, anyone using methadone or tempted to try it needs to be aware of its risks. Someone leaving behind heroin addiction may miss the old high and try to achieve it by taking in larger, unprescribed doses of methadone. People addicted to heroin may obtain illegally sold methadone to try to break their other addictions.
Methadone has to be carefully monitored in order for its users to receive its benefits without experiencing its dangers. Friends and family of people addicted to other drugs may think they are doing a favor by providing methadone for their loved ones. Sometimes people under clinical supervision share their doses with others not under care.
There are many times too that a supervised addict taking methadone under a professional's care decides to earn some money from selling some of his or her prescribed doses. Often an addict cannot obtain regular work. Medical professionals must keep a close eye on their patients to make sure they are not making money for themselves by selling their own medicine.
Not only would they get themselves in major trouble with the law, but they would be depriving themselves of the medicine their bodies need. Then too they might be inviting other people into the world of addiction. Everyone knows how hard it is to break free of any addiction.
Still, it is a temptation for many to enter the world of illicit drugs. Just because the knowledge is out there about the dangers of addiction does not mean that people will stop turning to illegal drugs. Most people have some kind of pain in their lives. Some are lucky that their troubles are only short-lived.
For people who suffer acute physical or psychological pain and do not have the right resources, they may seek solace in street drugs. Advances in medicine and medical technology are wonderful things. Caring and concerned professionals are important members of our community.
Addicts themselves can turn to some of the licensed clinics where methadone is dispensed. They can get help there for breaking their addiction to methadone itself. It is a hard road but it can be traveled with help from those who care.

An Explanation of Opiate History, Addiction and Recovery


OxyContin is a time-released narcotic, used to control long-term, severe pain that cannot be controlled through other pain relievers. Because of its time-released properties, it is ideal for many patients who have needed frequent doses of pain relieving medication on a daily basis. These patients now only need to take one or two doses a day and they experience long lasting relief from their pain without those doses quickly wearing off and causing the pain to return. OxyContin has been a miracle drug for these patients.

The human body would not even know that it was injured or sick, if the brain did not recognize the presence of pain and transport that knowledge to the central nervous system. Narcotics, also referred to as opiates, work directly on the brain by attaching themselves to the parts of the brain that recognize pain. By attaching themselves to the pain receptors in the brain, narcotics can block the amount of pain that the body perceives. These receptors in the brain, referred to as opiate receptors, can also tell the brain if the body is experiencing feelings of pleasure. This means opiates not only attach themselves to these receptors to effectively stop the experience of feeling pain, in larger quantities, they can also cause the brain to experience feelings of euphoria and well-being. These feelings of euphoria are what drug abusers and addicts are seeking when they take opiates.
Opiates have been used to alleviate pain and create feelings of well-being, for centuries; Oxycodone, a synthetic opiate, has been used to alleviate severe pain for over 60 years; OxyContin, the long-acting form of Oxycodone, was introduced in 1995. Because it was designed to release its effect over several hours, it was able to safely contain high amounts of the drug, Oxycodone. Because of its long-term, gradual release of the narcotic, the manufacturers of the drug, along with doctors and pharmacists, believed the chances of abusing OxyContin were fairly low. It took a while before medical professionals found out what addicts and drug abusers figured out almost immediately: that crushing it and inhaling it through the nose, or dissolving it in water and introducing it directly into the blood stream by injecting it, circumvented the time-release properties of the medication and delivered the Oxycodone to the brain in full strength. This meant introducing the body to high amounts of Oxycodone at one time, creating intense feelings of euphoria in people who were acclimated to high doses of the drug. Tragically, it also caused death from overdose to many people whose bodies were not already accustomed to taking high doses of narcotics.
Because the manufacturing of oxycodone is closely regulated and monitored, it is always uniform and free of toxins or other substances that are frequently added to illegally produced drugs, such as heroin. These safety factors make the drug highly desirable among opiate addicts and opiate abusers. Because it is carefully manufactured and the use is strictly regulated, it is also much harder to obtain, illegally, from drug dealers on the streets. As with any product that is scarce but highly desirable, this makes it very expensive.
As with any opiate, the drug dosage does need to be increased, regularly, to maintain feelings of well being, and once the person becomes addicted to the drug, he or she becomes ill when the drug is not available and the last dose begins to wear off. Feelings of agitation, nausea, cramping and diarrhea quickly begin to develop if the drug is not obtained and snorted or injected. At this point, the brain has actually been altered and needs the drug to maintain any kind of homeostasis. The pleasure of drug abuse has tuned into the ordeal of drug addiction. The addict's entire life is soon devoted to nothing else but OxyContin and the life and loved ones that are not part of the addiction are soon forgotten and forsaken because of the constant pursuit of the drug.
Narcotic addiction is terribly complicated and most addicts require outside help if they truly desire to recover from their addiction. There are, fortunately, clinics, hospitals and counseling centers, in most large cities and many small towns that are devoted to helping addicts to withdraw from opiates and leave their addiction behind. The process is not an easy one, nor is it painless, but it can be accomplished.
Overcoming their addictions; reestablishing a healthy bond with family and loved ones; making smart career and educational choices, are all a part of the recovery process. Addiction treatment centers and clinics can help the addict to obtain all of this and more. Addiction recovery is hard and painful, but the joy of being free from the weight of addiction is one of the best feelings there is. With a little help, most addicts can return to a life that is meaningful and filled with hope and promise.