Drug Rehab Programs in Maryland
January 5, 2008
Drug rehab programs in Maryland are geared toward the rehabilitation of persons who are trying to overcome their drug addiction. There are many types of drug rehab programs in Maryland with some being of short duration, some are residential addiction treatment centers and others are long term addiction treatment programs.
Maryland drug rehab programs are designed to address the physical aspects of drug addiction and the psychological aspects of integrating back into society. Some drug rehab programs are residential, especially for persons with serious drug addiction and may be covered by private or public insurance to some extent. There are also chemical dependency units where there is about a 3-6 week period of inpatient addiction treatment care where withdrawal from drugs is done in a medically safe fashion. It has been shown that plain replacement of opiate craving with methadone, while helpful is not as effective as a more comprehensive program with counseling and medical care.
Understanding Dual Diagnosis
December 22, 2007
The term dual diagnosis is a common, broad term that indicates the presence of two independent medical disorders. Recently, within the fields of mental health, psychiatry, and addiction medicine, the term has been popularly used to describe the coexistence of a mental health disorder and drug addiction / alcohol addiction problems. The equivalent phrase dual disorders also denotes the coexistence of two independent (but invariably interactive) disorders, and is the preferred term used in this Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP).
The acronym MICA, which represents the phrase mentally ill chemical abusers, is occasionally used to designate people who have an drug addiction / alcoholism disorder and a markedly severe and persistent mental disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. A preferred definition is mentally ill chemically affected people, since the word affected better describes their condition and is not pejorative. Other acronyms are also used: MISA (mentally ill substance abusers), CAMI (chemical abuse and mental illness), and SAMI (substance abuse and mental illness).
Drug Rehab and Methadone
December 13, 2007
I have never been a big fan of methadone. In drug rehab it may be useful to get clients off of opiates, however even with that said there are probably better drugs to do that with. The reason I don’t like methadone as a addiction treatment program modality is two fold. Number one is the length of a detox required. Detox off of methadone takes time. It is much more of a methadone taper.
The other problem is that with many of the rules in place about prescribing and dispensing methadone. Clients are sometimes virtual prisoners while on methadone maintenance. Leaving for a week long holiday may be impossible. Many programs will dispense only three day’s worth of methadone when leaving town. So people can only leave their area for a maximum of a long weekend.
Drug Rehabilitation
October 17, 2007
Drug rehabilitation (often shortened to drug rehab or just rehab) is an umbrella term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs , and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The obvious intent is to enable the patient to cease their previous level of abuse, for the sake of avoiding its psychological, legal, social, and physical consequences, especially in extreme abuse.
Drug rehabilitation tends to address the two fold nature of drug dependency; physical and psychological dependency. Physical dependency involves a detoxification process to cope with withdrawal symptoms from regular use of a drug. With regular use of many drugs, legal or otherwise, the brain gradually adapts to the presence of the drug so that normal functioning can occur. This is how physical tolerance develops to drugs such as heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine or alcohol. It is also why more of the drug is needed to get the same effect with regular use. The abrupt cessation of taking a drug can lead to withdrawal symptoms where the body may take weeks, to possibly months (depending on the drug involved) before things get back to normal.
Addiction Treatment Medications
October 17, 2007
Pursuing New Medications
In recent years, people from all walks of life have sought treatment for addiction to powerful narcotic pain-relieving medications, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, that they have abused outside of a medical regimen. These medications share many properties with heroin, which currently ensnares more than a million people nationwide in the web of addiction. Those who become addicted to legal painkillers or street opiates now have a new medication to help them reclaim their lives. Approved by FDA in 2002, buprenorphine joins two other approved opiate treatment medications–methadone, used in long-term treatment, and the NIDA-developed opiate blocker naltrexone, used to help patients remain drug-free after they have stopped using opiates.
Addiction Treatment
October 11, 2007
Drug addiction is a treatable disorder. Through treatment that is tailored to individual needs, patients can learn to control their condition and live normal, productive lives. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen.
Behavioral therapies can include counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Treatment medications offer help in suppressing the withdrawal syndrome and drug craving and in blocking the effects of drugs. In addition, studies show that treatment for heroin addiction using methadone at an adequate dosage level combined with behavioral therapy reduces death rates and many health problems associated with heroin abuse.
How long does drug addiction treatment usually last?
October 11, 2007
Individuals progress through drug addiction treatment at various speeds, so there is no predetermined length of treatment. However, research has shown unequivocally that good outcomes are contingent on adequate lengths of treatment. Generally, for residential or outpatient treatment, participation for less than 90 days is of limited or no effectiveness, and treatments lasting significantly longer often are indicated. For methadone maintenance, 12 months of treatment is the minimum, and some opiate-addicted individuals will continue to benefit from methadone maintenance treatment over a period of years.
Good outcomes are contingent on adequate lengths of treatment.
How effective is drug addiction treatment?
October 11, 2007
In addition to stopping drug use, the goal of treatment is to return the individual to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and community. Measures of effectiveness typically include levels of criminal behavior, family functioning, employability, and medical condition. Overall, treatment of addiction is as successful as treatment of other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.
Treatment of addiction is as successful as treatment of other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.
According to several studies, drug treatment reduces drug use by 40 to 60 percent and significantly decreases criminal activity during and after treatment. For example, a study of therapeutic community treatment for drug offenders (See Treatment Section) demonstrated that arrests for violent and nonviolent criminal acts were reduced by 40 percent or more. Methadone treatment has been shown to decrease criminal behavior by as much as 50 percent. Research shows that drug addiction treatment reduces the risk of HIV infection and that interventions to prevent HIV are much less costly than treating HIV-related illnesses. Treatment can improve the prospects for employment, with gains of up to 40 percent after treatment.
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