alcohol treatment

Why Do I Have To Go To Those Meetings After Rehab?

November 1st, 2011 No comments »

After rehab, you may be advised to attend meetings. These are either Alcohol Anonymous/AA or Narcotics Anonymous/NA. These twelve step group meetings are meant to benefit recovering addicts who are dealing with drug or alcohol addiction. The main purpose of any twelve step group meeting is to help and support all addicts in staying clean and sober. Twelve step group meetings are open to anyone and everyone who is looking for support or advice for addiction. You may be wondering why you have to go to those meetings after rehab. There are many benefits to group NA or AA meetings!

Group Support

Going to twelve step meetings provides support from other recovering addicts who can help you with your own situation. The group structure provides for everyone to give and get support. You can identify with other addicts and you will realize that you are not alone in your recovery.

Education

In your early phases of recovery, these meetings give a new recovering addict the opportunity to listen and learn from other people’s addiction stories. This information is personal and valuable in different ways to different people. You may find that you have been through a very similar situation as someone else and you can relate to what they are going through and draw strength from that. You will see other people who have overcome their addiction and be encouraged.

No One will Judge You

You may feel ashamed or embarrassed and not want to discuss your addiction – especially with people who do not understand. The meetings you will attend can help because you can talk about your addiction at ease – there is no judgment. The individuals in attendance are dealing with similar problems and they are there for support just like you are.

Getting a Sponsor

The NA or AA meetings will help you meet a sponsor. This is an important part of your recovery so that you have one person you can call when you are feeling like you want to use again or just when you need someone to talk to or relate to.

Preventing Relapse

Twelve step meetings like AA or NA go a long way in relapse prevention. They are designed to keep recovering addicts surrounded by others who are able to give moral support and are extremely beneficial for anyone who is new to the recovery community. They provide a safe environment and they are anonymous which means a lot to anyone who is trying to be discreet.

Free to Attend

Perhaps one of the best things about those meetings is that they are free to attend.

You may hesitate to go at first, but if you are fresh out of rehab, the twelve step meetings are a great step towards continuing your sobriety. You will need the support more than you think you do and just going to those meetings can often mean the difference between relapse or staying clean.

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The Benefits of a Halfway House in Delray Beach

October 28th, 2011 No comments »

Depending on how severe your addiction was, it has probably been some time since you lived your life in a normal way. It could have been that you lived on the streets or that you didn’t have a job for a long time or that you chose to use drugs every day to deal with your problems. In a Florida drug rehab, the environment is very safe and structured. This environment acts as a safety net, so when an addict leaves treatment and no longer has that controlled lifestyle, they often relapse. A halfway house in Delray Beach provides much needed ongoing support and counseling that can help you live your life in a normal productive way. They can help you find a job or handle issues with your family, or just be there to help you deal with a stressful day. They understand what addicts need to adjust to a sober life, and the support they provide can sometimes mean the difference between long term successful recovery and a quick relapse.

You may find that your stay in a halfway house in Delray Beach can be covered by your insurance, as it is a form of medical treatment. While this is not true about all health insurance plans, it definitely doesn’t hurt to find out if you’re covered.

If you are going to go to rehab or are helping a loved one go to a treatment center, it is important not to skip this step in the recovery process. What happens after treatment is over sets the stage for how an addict will do outside the safety of the treatment center. The extensive support network provided by one of the halfway houses in Delray Beach often proves to make a big difference.

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How Does Going To a Drug Rehab Facility Help with My DUI Case?

October 26th, 2011 No comments »

In the event you have been charged with DUI, you are facing serious legal consequences that could have a profound effect on your day to day life. If your license is taken away, you may have a difficult time getting to work or picking up your children from school. If you end up in jail – that is obviously even worse. Some people who are facing a DUI case opt to go to drug rehab in order to have a better outcome when you have your court hearing in front of a judge. The bottom line is that going to rehab may decrease your chances of incarceration. When you take responsibility and go to a treatment program due to your DUI, the judge will see that you are trying to get help.

Many lawyers and legal experts will advise you that the best time to go to drug rehab or alcohol treatment in a situation where you have been charged with a DUI is right after it happens. It is likely that if you are dealing with legal problems due to your drug or alcohol use, drug rehab will probably help you in more ways than just getting through the legal system. In fact, the longer you’ve been sober and seeking drug or alcohol treatment by the time the court date rolls around, the better it will be for you when the judge makes his or her decision. Additionally, a lot of drug and alcohol treatment centers are happy to provide letters from staff psychologists or psychiatrists that can help your DUI case. As an added bonus at some “luxury” treatment centers, a court liaison is on staff to aid with pending court cases.

If you think about it, legal problems that come up due to use of drugs or alcohol may be a sign of addiction. Your substance abuse may be too much for you to handle on your own and seeking treatment may be a good idea anyway to get your problem under control. Treatment centers provide the structure needed to commit to a drug and alcohol free life in order to get things back on track when things seem to have taken a turn for the worse. Dealing with a substance abuse problem isn’t the end of the world and a treatment program may be exactly what you need – even when you didn’t know you needed it.

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How Do I Know if I Have a Shopping Addiction?

October 24th, 2011 No comments »

Lots of people have “shopping therapy” days! Maybe you felt sad about something or depressed and buying a new outfit or pair of shoes put you in a better mood. Every so often, this type of behavior is fine. When these shopping therapy days happen constantly however, it may be a sign there’s a problem with a shopping addiction. Compulsive shopping is an addictive behavior that can be just as hard to cope with as an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Society has made this behavior a lot easier with online shopping, “easy credit” scams, and a culture that fosters the ideas that what a person has measures who they are. If you are concerned that you may have a shopping addiction, here are a few warning signs to look for.

You may have a shopping addiction if:

• You shop or buy when you are disappointed or upset
• Your shopping habit adds more stress to your life
• You fight with your loved ones about your shopping habits
• You feel lost or uncomfortable without your credit cards
• You lie to your loved ones about purchases you’ve made
• You feel a “rush” after buying something
• You feel guilty or even ashamed after shopping
• You feel you constantly have to juggle your bills to make room for shopping money

If you are on the outside feeling like one of your friends or a family member may have an addiction to shopping, watch for these signs:

• The person has many clothes in the closet with tags still attached or bags hidden in the back of the closet full of brand new unused items
• The person acts defensive when asked about purchases they’ve made
• The person constantly has collection agencies calling to collect payment
• The person has duplicates of certain items that most people only have one of

Treatment for Shopping Addiction

Individual treatment for shopaholics is similar to treatment for other types of addicts. One common approach taken for shopping addiction is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of therapy helps the addict to change unproductive thought patterns. There is also Debtors Anonymous (DA), which is a 12-step program. The twelve step method teaches the addict to abstain from any new debt or shopping that is unnecessary. Members in the group share their experiences. Many addiction treatment centers have treatment programs to help those who suffer from shopping addiction. If you are a compulsive shopper, there is help available. Shopping addiction treatment comes in many different forms, but you have to admit you have a problem first.

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How Do I Know if My Insurance Will Be Accepted at a Substance Abuse Treatment Center?

October 22nd, 2011 No comments »

Treatment for drug or alcohol addiction comes with a high price tag. This is a very real concern for anyone who needs addiction treatment for themselves or for a loved one. Often, it’s one of the main reasons some addicts remain untreated. Health insurance can be complicated to navigate, as coverage sometimes depends directly on the person’s situation and specific policy. Since drug and alcohol addiction both have high rates of relapse, health insurance companies will often challenge you if you seek coverage for treatment.

Each substance abuse treatment center accepts different insurance policies. Many of them state that they accept “most major insurance companies” but others will accept health insurance from other providers as well. When it comes down to it, many health insurance policies do not specifically state that addiction treatment will be covered, but treatment centers know that drug rehab is a medical cost. Some of them will challenge the insurance company and help you fight to have your treatment costs covered at least partially. Specifics of how much will be covered will vary from policy to policy to some extent, so you will also want to contact your insurance provider directly to find out the details.

You will probably come to find out that there is no add-on to any health insurance policy that covers addiction treatment only. The question of a pre-existing condition comes into play so those add-ons are not even offered. Addiction is a medical disease, so you may get medical treatment. Health insurance policies should cover the costs, but you should know that it won’t always be easy.

Some services for addiction treatment may also be covered under your health insurance policy’s mental health benefits, but it may limit your coverage to outpatient services only. Many of drug and alcohol treatment facilities provide assistance via financial counselors who will work with you to verify insurance benefits and thus determine a financial plan to help you pay for your treatment program. They have expert knowledge of using both in-network and out-of-network health benefits and can better determine whether financial assistance is available and whether it is possible to be used with health insurance benefits.

Fortunately, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) is a federal law that helps Americans receive treatment for drug addiction. It basically says that insurance providers are required to offer the same benefits for addiction treatment as they do for other medical conditions. Just a little knowledge will go a long way in helping to pay for your treatment when it comes to health insurance.

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How Do I Know if I Am Using Too Many Painkillers?

October 20th, 2011 No comments »

If you’re wondering seriously about knowing if you are using too many painkillers, chances are you probably are. You are also very likely addicted or getting very close. Being worried that you’re taking too many painkillers is a clear warning sign that it’s time to take charge of your situation and reverse the habit of taking them. Here are a few warning signs of addiction which may tell you if you are taking too many painkillers:

Do you think about taking painkillers often?

If you constantly think about taking your painkillers, you may be addicted. If you find yourself trying to figure out when you will get the next refill or about taking your next dose, it means that the drug has started to take over certain parts of your thought process. Continuing this thought pattern is very dangerous.

Do you need increased amounts of the painkillers?

Many addicts of painkillers go through the same pattern. In the beginning, the pills make them feel great – it kills their pain and makes them feel euphoric for a few hours. In just a few short weeks of regular use, that effect becomes less and less so the person finds that they need to take increased amounts to feel the way they did in the beginning. If this is the case for you and you are taking more than the recommended dosage, you definitely need to stop taking them.

Are you defensive when asked about the use of your painkillers?

If anyone ever brings up your use of painkillers, how do you react? Do you feel a need to defend yourself? If this is the case, you should know that the painkillers have power over you. This could signal a more serious addiction in the near future. If you think logically about it, you know this is not the greatest position to be in, and you should get seek treatment.

Are you secretive about taking your painkillers?

Secretive behavior, as it pertains to drug use, demonstrates that you know what you’re doing is wrong. In your mind, you reason and find ways to justify your habit. If you are feeling like you have to hide what you are doing from the people you love and take your pills in private, this is definitely an indicator that you have a problem with addiction.

In short, if your life has been affected by the use of your painkillers and if you are taking more than the recommended dosage, you know you are using too many and it is time to stop and seek treatment.

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Is Weed Addicting? Is It Possible?

October 18th, 2011 No comments »

It’s a valid question that many people want a clear answer to – Is weed addicting? Is it possible? Unfortunately, the answer is not as clear as most would like. Some experts would say Yes; some would say No. If you are talking from just a physical standpoint, weed can really only be considered addictive with heavy, prolonged use. Even still, any physical withdrawal symptoms that someone who is addicted to weed would experience are more often than not due to psychological factors rather than by real physical withdrawal. Withdrawal from weed is not dangerous as it would be with alcohol or other drugs such as opiates. Because of this, many people feel that it is physically impossible to be addicted to weed.

From another standpoint though, there’s a strong case to prove that weed can be addicting, since so many people who use it are stuck in an addictive pattern. While not physically hooked on weed, it is being used as a crutch to deal with life – a coping mechanism, so to speak. People who smoke weed do it on bad days, to self-medicate. They smoke on good days to “celebrate”. During times of sickness, they smoke weed to feel better. This is a psychological type of addiction.

Anyone who is psychologically addicted to weed typically allows it to take over their life and define everything they do. For example, someone not addicted could just go see a movie. Someone who is addicted to weed needs to get high and then go to the movie. It is this way with most daily activities. It happens often when a person wants to avoid having to feel uncomfortable. Instead, they choose to medicate with weed and end up holding themselves back emotionally because they become unable to face any new issues in their life.

Weed is not as innocent as people make it seem. When abused, it alters the person’s mood, just like another other substance does. It dulls the normal emotions of a person and gets them high. A person who falls into a pattern of smoking weed everyday to deal with life is very arguably addicted to the drug. There are drug treatment programs which deal with addiction to marijuana. The detox process is not as intense as it would be for addiction to other drugs or alcohol but essential the treatment is the same in that the person learns to cope with life in a drug-free state.

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Addiction to Methadone and Solutions Available

October 16th, 2011 No comments »

Dependence on methadone is running rampant in the United States, and what seemed like a good idea is now just an addiction. There are treatment solutions available for those who have an addiction to methadone, and getting off of the drug is important for many reasons. Sadly, hundreds of thousands of opiate addicts are using methadone as a “treatment” as opposed to seeking addiction treatment to become drug free. More and more opiate addicts are being prescribed methadone everyday. Some doctors have also taken to prescribing methadone as a treatment for pain which has resulted in countless addiction problems for those patients.

One thing that is important to know about methadone is that it is commonly associated with accidental overdose and death. The reality for many others is that the dependency on methadone has caused broken lives and families and it can be just as dangerous to any other opiate. Methadone is extremely addictive and is difficult for patients to detox from. Many addicts leave treatment before detox is complete due to the pain and misery they go through in the first few days – often because the treatment center doesn’t know how to deal with methadone detox properly.

When choosing a detox and treatment center for methadone addiction, it is very important to find out if they have a certain protocol for dealing with methadone. These experienced facilities can make the withdrawal period more comfortable. Each patient will have different needs and need to be tapered off in an individual way to minimize the discomfort. When done properly, many patients can be weaned off in about a week while others who were at higher doses of methadone may need to take up to two weeks. A lot of support will be needed during the detox process along with vitamins, minerals, proper hydration and other medical needs that must be attended to.

There is hope if you are addicted to methadone and need to get off this medication. It is just a matter of getting in touch with the right drug rehab facility in order to get treatment started as soon as possible. There is no need to continue being tormented by your addiction to methadone and even though getting off and being drug free won’t be the easiest thing to do, it doesn’t have to be so painful. Kicking the addiction is certainly not impossible with the right treatment plan.

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Does Getting a DUI Mean That I Am An Alcoholic?

October 14th, 2011 No comments »

DUI’s seem to be happening more and more these days and you have to wonder if it is just carelessness among young drinkers or if there is something else going on. It’s probably true that a normal person, someone without an addiction to alcohol, can get one DUI because of a stupid decision. This may be some young woman who doesn’t weigh very much and takes the chance of driving immediately following a glass or two of wine. Many small-framed women really don’t realize how little it takes for them to drink in order to put themselves “over the legal limit”.

Rational thought of someone who is not an alcoholic will only need one DUI to get the message and never let it happen again. “Normal” people, in the sense that they do not abuse alcohol, will rarely get more than one DUI. So, the short answer is NO – just because you get a DUI does not necessarily mean you are an alcoholic.

Alcoholics, on the other hand, will be the ones getting multiple DUI’s. This happens because once the drinking starts, they have little say in when they stop because alcoholism is a disease. Even if they say they are only going to have one drink, that rarely happens. They start making excuses and rationalizing more drinks into the equation. Even if they happen to not get a DUI on a particular night while driving over the limit, they are taking the risk and that is how it happens.

If you have gotten a DUI and feel that you may have an addiction to alcohol, there are other warning signs to look at. Do you often drive when you’ve had too much to drink? Do you drink heavily every time you drink? Do you drink every day? Every weekend? Sometimes the addiction happens right under your nose without realizing it and before you know it, you are fighting to get out from under it. In the beginning stages of alcohol addiction, getting treatment for substance abuse is a very effective way to stop drinking and live a sober lifestyle. Figuring out and admitting you have a problem is the biggest and most difficult step to take. Contact an alcohol rehab as soon as possible to speak with a counselor and get on the path to recovery.

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What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

October 12th, 2011 No comments »

A person that has a substance abuse problem coupled with a mental health disorder has a dual diagnosis. It may be anxiety, depression or some other disorder but the bottom like is that if you treat one, you have to treat the other as well for the treatment to be effective. Of course, dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction is not an easy thing to do, but it becomes even more complicated and difficult when you also struggle with mental health problems. Dual diagnosis treatment is when both problems are treated simultaneously for the best possible outcome. It is a personalized treatment plan that with the right method and support, can be extremely successful.

Disorders that co-occur will each have their own unique symptoms that need to be addressed. Each will complicate the ability to function in its own unique way. When the two problems interact and go untreated, the problem with substance abuse tends to worsen. As abuse with alcohol or drugs worsen, the mental health problems continue to increase as well. As you can see, it is a vicious cycle to be in.

Successful recovery can only happen if both the addiction and the mental health problem is treated together in one program. It doesn’t matter which problem happened first, and one should not be given priority over the other. Fortunately, the majority of people who suffer from a dual diagnosis are able to recover and lead normal lives with the right treatment and ongoing support. It will take time so don’t get discouraged and give up if things don’t start to improve right away. Your courage and commitment will play a huge role in the long term success of the treatment.

Relapse may happen – and for those with a dual diagnosis – it is often a normal part of the recovery process. Try not to get too down on yourself. Pick yourself back up and get back to work on your recovery. Use your resources and peer support. Leaning on others who know what you are going through can be very helpful.

Dual diagnosis is not an uncommon problem and you are not alone. It just takes getting through the first step of entering recovery to put your life on a positive path – the path to recovery and regaining a sense of normalcy. It may be difficult, but it will be worth it in the end to fight for yourself.

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