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Addiction Treatment Curbs Crystal Methamphetamine Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Addiction Treatment Curbs Crystal Methamphetamine Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Behavioral therapy can help gay and bisexual men (GBM) reduce crystal methamphetamine abuse and risky sexual behaviors and sustain these gains for 1 year, NIDA-funded researchers report. By the end of a 16-week trial of four different behavioral therapies, study participants’ stimulant-positive urine samples fell 31 percent, and their number of past-month sexual partners fell more than 50 percent—outcomes that regressed little at the followup visits. Symptoms of depression also improved.

Dr. Steven Shoptaw and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Friends Research Institute recruited 263 crystal methamphetamine-addicted Gay and Bisexual Men throughout Los Angeles County, particularly in Hollywood, where HIV prevalence is especially high. Of these, 162 completed the requirements for entering the addiction treatment phase of the study, which were to attend six assessments and participate in at least two of four group sessions on abstinence skills during a 2-week “baseline period.” Men who met the requirements reported less severity and shorter duration of methamphetamine abuse than those who did not, despite having abused methamphetamine for 5 years and having spent $293 on the drug in the past month, on average. Half had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with someone other than their primary partner in the past month, and 84 percent of these men linked the behavior to methamphetamine abuse. Most participants (73 percent) reported symptoms of depression, with about 30 percent describing these as moderate to severe.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol detox, amphetamine, behavioral treatment, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, depression, detox, detox program, drug abuse, drug rehab, inpatient drug rehab, intervention, interventions, meth addiction, methamphetamine, patient, recovery, rehab, relapse, symptoms, therapy, treatment

How Is Dual Diagnosis Treated?

Historically, addiction treatment programs, drug rehab programs and psychiatric hospitals, have treated dual diagnosis separately. This has not proved to be an effective addiction treatment approach and today most addiction treatment programs, drug rehabs and psychiatric hospitals treat both disorders concurrently.

• Ideally, drug addiction, alcoholism and psychiatric disorders should be treated simultaneously.
• The first step in addiction treatment for drug addiction or alcohol addiction must be detoxification or detox – a period of time during which the body is allowed to cleanse itself of alcohol and/or drugs and all withdrawal symptoms managed.
• Detox should be medically monitored as medical challenges do occur. Time in detox varies, depending on what substances the person is addicted to, the frequency of use and amount of usage.
• Once stable in detox, a psychiatrist will assess the person to determine the mental illness and how to best address it. Addiction treatment programs or drug rehab programs for this population should take a gradual approach. Those with a dual diagnosis have to proceed at their own pace.
• The goal of any quality drug addiction treatment program or drug rehab program should be abstinence and medication compliance.
• After completing drug addiction treatment or drug / alcohol rehab, the person should be involved in psychiatric follow up and aftercare in the drug rehab or addiction treatment program they have completed in order to prevent relapse.

Denial is an inherent part of the problem with dual diagnosis. The person with dual diagnosis often does not have insight as to the seriousness and the scope of their problem. In many cases, an intervention is required to get the person into addiction treatment or drug rehab so the recovery process can begin

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Drug Rehab…What Is It?

Drug rehabilitation (often shortened to drug rehab) is an umbrella term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic addiction 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 drug abuse, for the sake of avoiding its psychological, legal, social, and physical consequences, especially in extreme drug abuse.

Many drug rehab programs attempt to teach the patient new methods of interacting in a drug free method. In particular, patients are generally encouraged or required not to associate with friends who still use the addictive substance. 12 step programs encourage addicts not only to stop using alcohol or other drugs, but to examine and change habits related to their addictions. Many drug rehab programs emphasize that recovery is a permanent process without a culmination. For legal drugs such as alcohol complete abstention rather than attempts at moderation, which may lead to relapse are also emphasized (”One drink is too many; one hundred drinks is not enough.”) Whether moderation is achievable by persons with a history of drug abuse remains a controversial point but is generally considered unsustainable.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcoholic, amphetamine, centers, drug abuse, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, drug rehabilitation, patient, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, relapse, support groups, treatment

Florida Drug Rehab and Florida Alcohol Rehab Programs

Florida and Drug Rehab
Florida is a beautiful state with lots of sandy beaches and beautiful warm weather. No wonder it’s the number one choice for people who are considering where to go to drug rehab , addiction treatment or alcohol rehab. Although drug rehab is a lot of work and you are not there to “hang out” at the beach, you do get the opportunity to enjoy all that going to drug rehab in Florida has to offer.

Why a Florida Drug Rehab or Alcohol Rehab
Florida has quite a few licensed drug rehab facilities in the state, and many use Florida’s beautiful landscape to assist patients in their recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism. Most of the Florida drug rehab and alcohol rehab programs offer the same addiction treatment programs as drug rehab and alcohol rehab’s in other parts of the country, however Florida has become a popular choice for those seeking a new environment and a new start.
There are some perks for people who want to attend a drug rehab or alcohol rehab in Florida as well. You will find many of the addiction treatment services offered there are held outside. This provides the patient with an entirely different addiction treatment experience than just sitting in a closed room.

How to Choose a Florida Drug Rehab or Florida Alcohol Rehab
Since there are hundreds of different drug rehab programs and addiction treatment facilities in the state of Florida, if you are planning on attending or sending someone else there, take a close look at the drug rehab programs. Ask questions……Does the drug rehab program have their own medical detox program? Does the drug rehab program have a comprehensive family recovery component? Does the drug rehab have the ability to treat dual diagnosis and relapse prevention?

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, addiction treatment programs, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, alcoholism, detox, detox program, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab facilities, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, dual diagnosis, family recovery, florida, florida alcohol rehab, florida drug rehab, medical detox, patient, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, relapse, relapse prevention, treatment

Drug Rehab Programs in Maryland

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.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment center, addiction treatment centers, addiction treatment program, addiction treatment programs, centers, chemical dependency, counseling, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, methadone, opiate, patient, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, relapse, substance abuse, treatment, treatment center, treatment centers

New Jersey Drug Problems

There are approximately 40,000 drug rehab and addiction treatment center admissions in New Jersey each year, however, due to the high relapse rate of many traditional drug rehab programs most families are searching for something that works.

The Solution

Drug rehab and alcohol rehab that addresses the individual through a holistic approach is the most successful method. Our philosophy is to refer you to the best possible drug rehab center that can help handle the problem for good. We will refer you to drug rehab and alcohol rehab programs that will meet each person’s individual needs.

New Jersey Drug Situation

Cocaine is considered a significant drug threat to New Jersey. Powder cocaine is readily available throughout the State and crack cocaine is available in urban population areas. Cocaine is the drug most often associated with violent crime in the State. Cocaine is generally sold in ounce and pound quantities in New Jersey. Crack use is declining but remains available in the larger metropolitan areas of New Jersey.

Club drugs, which are mostly synthetic substances, are increasing in availability and use in New Jersey. LSD in liquid form is readily available in the metropolitan areas of New Jersey. During 2001, 34% of those surveyed in New Jersey reported lifetime usage of MDMA. 4.5% of those surveyed reported usage of MDMA within the past 30 days. The average user age was 17.3, and the average age of first time use was 15.9 years.

Heroin - The most common types of heroin available in New Jersey are Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin. New heroin users in New Jersey are often young adults who smoke or snort the drug rather than inject it. This is due to a misconception that this practice is safer and less likely to lead to addiction.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, amphetamine, club drugs, crack cocaine, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, drug rehab, drug rehab center, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, mdma, methamphetamine, oxycodone, recovery, rehab, rehab center, rehab programs, relapse, treatment, vicodin

Drug Rehab and Treating Couples

Sometimes it is necessary in drug rehab and alcohol rehab for both the husband and wife to go for addiction treatment. Living togerther with the same lifestyle, likely means the same result, often with an addiction to the same drug. This leads to the obvious need to seek addiction treatment at the same time. If just one person seeks drug rehab and returns to their spouse who is still addicted the odds of relapse are very high. This leads to the question of is it better to go to the same drug rehab program, or is it better to go to different drug rehabs.

Firstly, not all drug rehab programs will accept couples. The reasoning is that most drug rehabs have rules against relationships between male and female clients and having a couple presents a new set of problems with those rules. Some addiction treatment centers will accept couples, but only as two “singles”, and the couple must not sleep together, and must follow all the rules as everyone else. Thirdly there are a few drug rehab centers that will accept couples as a couple, and allow them to stay together, in the same room as they seek addiction treatment.

Each of the three available options has some benefits and some drawbacks. Going to different locations has the benefit of allowing each person in the couple to seek unique addiction treatment, without having to deal with the stress of maintaining the relationship during the drug rehab. They can concentrate solely on getting better and not have to worry about how the partner may be coping or doing on any particular day. The drawback is of course being apart. Trust issues may arise, as well as the worry of growing in different directions while apart.

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Dual Diagnosis; Eating Disorders, Drug Addiction and Alcoholism

The actual definition of dual diagnosis is the co-existence of a mental health disorder and drug addiction or alcoholism. The most effective dual diagnosis treatment generally will take place within a drug rehab or addiction treatment program with a strong psychiatric component. The mental health disorder and drug addiction / alcoholism should be treated simultaneously, while realizing the process of recovery is gradual.

Different Definition for Dual Diagnosis

The type of dual diagnosis I want to bring to light is that of the coexistence of an eating disorder and drug addiction or alcoholism. Patients like this are admitted to drug rehab and addiction treatment each and everyday. Unfortunately, drug rehab programs and alcohol rehab programs are not always equipped to treat the eating disorder and in many cases, do not even diagnose it correctly.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, alcohol addiction, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, alcoholism, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, eating disorder, eating disorders, mental health, patient, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, relapse, treatment

Is Drug Addiction Treatable?

Drug addiction and alcoholism are treatable conditions. The first goal of addiction treatment is abstinence. The chemically dependent person must stop using alcohol or drugs. This sometimes requires a period of medical detox, which should be done within an addiction treatment program.

Once alcohol and/or drug use is stopped, individuals may honestly feel that they have the desire and ability to remain sober. This period can last days, weeks or months before cravings (the obsessive pressure to use) return. To reduce the risk of a relapse, the person must address personal problems and life issues related to the drug addiction. Some of those issues are addressed in group therapy, individual counseling sessions, educational lectures, and discussion groups in chemical dependency treatment. The therapy process helps chemically dependent individuals obtain the insight and skills needed to understand and deal with problems associated with their alcohol and drug use. They learn to deal with their problems from a psychological, emotional, and spiritual perspective as well as from a physical perspective. After addiction treatment, personal problems and other major life issues can be handled at a higher level of functioning.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, alcoholism, centers, chemical dependency, counseling, detox, detox program, drug addiction, outpatient centers, patient, recovery, relapse, therapy, treatment, treatment for drug addiction

All About Gay Drug Rehab and Gay Alcohol Rehab

What happens in gay drug rehab or gay alcohol rehab?

Due to the progressive nature of drug addiction and alcohol addiction, detox and drug rehab should take place as soon as possible. Drug rehab is never an easy process. GLBT patients must come face to face with a part of their life they are probably not proud of. They must learn new methods of dealing with stress to replace the old methods that included drugs or alcohol. They must cope with cravings and deal with many different aspects of their life in new, healthier ways.

Many gay patients participate in gay support groups or 12-step programs for an indefinite amount of time to help prevent relapse. Some learn new skills so they will be able to get (and keep) a job and return to the community. Drug rehab can be difficult, but it is worth it to achieve a life free of drug and alcohol dependence. Please call 1-800-511-9225, a national drug rehab helpline to take the first step.

Tags: addiction, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependence, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, counseling, detox, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, gay drug rehab, gay rehab, patient, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, relapse, support groups, therapy, treatment