Alcohol Detox and Drug Detox; The First Step
January 6, 2008
Drug detox and alcohol detox is the first step on the road to recovery Drug detox and alcohol detox refers to the period during which all traces of the drug are being removed from the body. There are medications to facilitate drug detox and alcohol detox; some of which ease the physical pain and discomfort of alcohol withdrawal and drug withdrawal .
This crucial stage of drug detox and alcohol detox is vital to a complete recovery but should not be taken lightly or without the help of an addiction treatment professional. The withdrawals from some of the more dangerous drugs can be just as, if not more, physically dangerous than the use of the drug itself. Opiate withdrawal is one of the most serious drug detox processes and should be monitored closely by an addiction treatment professional to ensure success and to minimize potential side effects. Some of the side effects associated with certain drug detox periods are tremors, vomiting, severe body pain and breaks in psychological functioning. However uncomfortable some types of drug detox and alcohol detox may be, it is necessary to first rid the body of the substance it depends on so it may return to a state of functioning without it. It is only when a client’s mind and body are clear of the substance from drug detox that the psychological aspects of recovery can begin.
Drug detox and alcohol programs can be found in drug rehab programs, alcohol rehab programs, addiction treatment centers, local hospital and even in some jails or prisons. Law enforcement officials are now more educated about the dangers of drug detox and some offer medical care during the process to newly booked offenders. Although a very scary and daunting thought to drug dependent individuals, drug detox and alcohol detox is the first vital step in returning to a healthy lifestyle.
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.
Medical Detox
December 25, 2007
Medical Detoxification or detox is a process whereby individuals are systematically withdrawn from addicting drugs in an inpatient addiction treatment or outpatient addiction treatment setting, typically under the care of a physician. Detoxification or detox, is sometimes called a distinct addiction treatment modality but is more appropriately considered a precursor of addiction treatment, because it is designed to treat the acute physiological effects of stopping drug use. Medications are available for detox from opiates, nicotine, benzodiazepines, alcohol, barbiturates, and other sedatives. In some cases, particularly for the last three types of drugs, detox may be a medical necessity, and untreated withdrawal may be medically dangerous or even fatal. Detoxification or detox is not designed to address the psychological, social, and behavioral problems associated withaddiction and therefore does not typically produce lasting behavioral changes necessary for recovery. Detox is most useful when it incorporates formal processes of assessment and referral to subsequent drug addiction treatment program.
If you are lookiing for a safe and comfortable detox, go to www.lakeviewhealth.com or call the national addiction treatment helpline.
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).
Opiate Abuse, Heroin Abuse and Addiction Treatment Programs
December 20, 2007
A new study conducted in seven Canadian cities reveals that prescription opiates, and not heroin, are the major form of illicit opiate use. These findings raise questions about the current focus of Canada’s drug control policy and addiction treatment programs.
A team led by Dr. Benedikt Fischer, a researcher funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and based at the Centre for Addictions Research (CARBC) at the University of Victoria, published its findings in the November 21, 2006 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Opiates are commonly prescribed as pain-killers (analgesics). Prescription opiates that are commonly prescribed in Canada include Oxycontin, Morphine, Demerol, Percodan and Tylenol 3 or 4.
“Our study suggests that heroin abuse has become an increasingly marginal form of drug use among illicit opiate users in Canada, especially outside Vancouver and Montreal,” says Dr. Fischer.
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.
Heroin Addiction
December 1, 2007
Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid. It is the 3,6-diacetyl derivative of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is synthesised from it by acetylation.
Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid. It is the 3,6-diacetyl derivative of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is synthesised from it by acetylation. The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt, diacetylmorphine hydrochloride. It has a high drug addiction potential, and frequent repeated ingestion causes a fast development of tolerance to it when compared to other substances, although occasional use without symptoms of withdrawal is also possible. Internationally, Heroin is controlled under Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs . It is illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell heroin in the United States but, under the name diamorphine, heroin is a legal prescription drug in the United Kingdom.
Popular street names for heroin include dope, diesel, smack, skag, heron, black tar, horse, junk, jenny, brown, brown sugar, dark and H.
Oxycontin and Abuse
October 18, 2007
OxyContin ® Diversion and Abuse
The abuse of oxycodone products in general has increased in recent years. In April 2000, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study, which examined two data collection sources. The DEA Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS) data tracks the distribution of oxycodone and other opioid analgesics and the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Medical Examiner (ME) and Emergency Department (ED) data ascertained the health consequences associated with its abuse from 1990 to 1996. The JAMA study found a 23 percent increase in the medical use of oxycodone with no corresponding increase in the illicit abuse of the drug. However, 1998 DAWN ME data reported a 93 percent increase in oxycodone mentions between 1997 and 1998 and the number of oxycodone-related DAWN ED mentions increased 32.4 percent from 1997 (4,857) to 1999 (6,429).
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.
Vicodin Addiction
October 12, 2007
Vicodin ® addiction is a growing crisis in the United States. While illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin remain in the headlines many individuals may be surprised to know that Vicodin ® addiction could lurk right behind them as one of the most widely-abused drugs of addiction. In fact, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration believes Vicodin ® may be the most abused prescription drug in the country. Nationwide, its use has quadrupled in the last ten years, while emergency room visits attributed to Vicodin ® abuse soared 500 percent.
Vicodin ® is a narcotic that can produce a calm, euphoric state similar to heroin or morphine–and despite such important and obvious benefits in pain relief, evidence is pointing to chronic addiction. Pure hydrocodone, the narcotic in Vicodin ®, is a Schedule II substance, closely controlled with restricted use. But very few prescription drugs are pure hydrocodone. Instead, small amounts of are mixed with other non-narcotic ingredients to create medicines like Vicodin ® and Lortab ®. This means they can be classified under Schedule III with fewer restrictions on their use and distribution.
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