Hope for Alcoholism Treatment
Many families have learned the frustration of trying to help an alcoholic family member when they did… [more]
Crack Cocaine Recovery
The devastation that crack cocaine wreaked on America in the late 1980s was about as destructive of families… [more]
Teen Alcohol and Prescription Drug Use May Create Need for Rehab
It may come as no surprise to parents of teenagers that there is often a hidden world among teens that… [more]
Should Parents Use Drug Tests if More than Half of All High School Students are Abusing Drugs?
In light of recent study results that show that more than fifty percent of schoolchildren have abused… [more]
How Pain Killers Can Lead to Addiction
How Pain Killers Can Lead to Addiction It can often happen that one inadvertently gets hooked on pain… [more]
The Benefits to Your Community of Effective Drug Rehab
If one looks at the costs of drug treatment, law enforcement, the judicial system and welfare costs due… [more]
How do you know if Addiction is a Disease?
You may have heard that addiction is a disease, but let us examine how that premise fits into the treatment and recovery from drug addiction.
Many professionals and even government agencies present that idea, and support it with brain scan images and even plenty of scientific data.
However, if a completely different idea could result in full recovery from drug addiction, it seems that this would disprove the idea that addiction is a disease.
This will become clearer as you read on.
How does classifying addiction as a disease benefit anyone?
For one thing, we know that if addiction is classified as a disease, one would need to go to the doctor for medical treatment. This means about 22 million potential American patients in the form of drug addicts, plus tens of millions more outside the U.S. who would be treated by the medical industry. Pharmaceutical companies are busily working on creating more drugs to market to this segment of the medical industry.
In the past, pharmaceutical companies have sold heroin, morphine, opium, codeine and methadone, just to name a few drugs, which at one time were sold as non-addictive, and then later found to be as addictive as other drugs they were replacing. Recently, there are drugs prescribed under the brand names of Suboxone and Subutex, both formulations of buprenorphine that are given to addicts to help them get off other drugs or alcohol. These may all be prescribed for long-term “control” of drug addiction. What this means actually, is that a person trades one drug for another, and continues to take it, sometimes for years, providing a steady stream of income for both the doctors who prescribe and administer the drugs and the pharmaceutical industry who sells them.
Another point to take into account is that when one classifies addiction as a disease, its treatment is often paid for under medical insurance.
If one believes that addiction is a disease, then one might not consider other drug treatment regimens such as nutrition, faith-based, or other alternative methods of overcoming addiction. However, the fact is that nutrition, faith and other alternatives each have a part in helping many people to live a sober life following their addiction experience. By continuing to define addiction as a disease, it also allows one not to take responsibility for his condition, pointing to the “I’m sick” excuse as the reason for continued drug taking.
A more accurate definition of addiction would be a condition wherein one repeats compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol or other similar substances despite the negative consequences, whether physical, social or mental. Usually, it also consists of both a physical and psychological dependency on the substance abused, and the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when removing the addictive substance.
In 1966, William Benitez, who founded Narconon, wrote this about his understanding of what addiction was:
“I realized that drug addiction was nothing more than a ‘disability,’ resulting when a person ceases to use abilities essential to constructive survival. I found that if a person rehabilitated and applied certain abilities, that person could persevere toward goals set, confront life, isolate problems and resolve them, communicate with life, be responsible and set ethical standards, and function within the band of certainty.”
Mr. Benitez found that he could apply the written works of L. Ron Hubbard on the mind and human spirit, to recover from his heroin addiction after many years of failing to overcome the condition. He continued by developing the first form of the Narconon program and had good results with other inmates recovering from their addictions. Later, after his release from prison, he started by opening the first Narconon center in Los Angeles, California and continued to help several hundred addicts return to sober lives.
If one reviews the average recovery rate from conventional programs in the U.S. dealing with addiction, most centers say that 16% to 20% of people recover from addiction. Some treatment modalities have lower rates.
But, at Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, seventy percent of graduates remain clean and sober after completion. This is one of the best recovery rates in the entire addiction rehab field.
If you are considering Narconon services for you or your loved one, consider your own philosophy of drug recovery. Then talk to a Narconon intake counselor and learn all the details of the Narconon program. Call today to get accurate, scientific-based data to help you make your decision.
The Benefits to Your Community of Effective Drug Rehab
If one looks at the costs of drug treatment, law enforcement, the judicial system and welfare costs due to drug addiction, the bill is a staggering $193 billion per year in the U.S. alone. This, according to the National Drug Information Center, is one way to estimate the monetary costs of drug addiction. But there are also other costs.
More than 22 million American families are subject to the heartbreak caused by having a drug or alcohol addict in their own family, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The pain and suffering felt by the addicted person would add to this tally.
And in one’s own life, how many different areas are impacted by drug and alcohol addiction? Our insurance premiums are higher due to the percentage of people driving while drinking or on drugs, who contribute to the 10,000 additional traffic related deaths each year. The amount of pain and suffering felt by the families of those fatalities is immeasurable.
Another crime particularly popular with methamphetamine or prescription pain pill addicts is that of identity theft. If you have been a victim of this crime, it may have been committed by someone who needs another name to purchase a prescription under. The toll that drug and alcohol abuse takes on our community and our lives is overwhelming.
The answer to this problem lies in effective drug and alcohol treatment programs.
However, if you start to look for drug rehab programs and ask about their success rates, you may find that only 16-20% of their cases recover. If they cite a higher number, be sure to make an inquiry as to how their statistics are counted. The only real measure of success should be long-lasting sobriety following completion of the program. Some measure their success by how many complete the program, but do no follow-ups afterwards. And some have the attitude and believe that “relapse is a part of rehab.” That isn’t true.
At Narconon drug rehab centers in fifty locations around the world, the actual success rate, as measured two years after graduation from the program is 70%. This means that most (nearly three-quarters) of families who bring a family member to a Narconon center can have their loved one home again without the addiction problem. Their heartbreak and suffering can end, as will that of their addicted family member.
One of the keys to the success of the Narconon program is the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. After the person has experienced a tolerable withdrawal from the drugs, he begins this step of the program. It involves daily time in a low, dry-heat sauna, accompanied by nutritional supplements and moderate exercise. It is through this unique combination of elements that the body is able to eliminate the drug residues that have been lodged in the body’s fatty tissues. These, when not completely eliminated, have been shown to be capable of causing cravings long after the person has stopped using drugs. It may be those cravings which contribute to some relapses that happen years after one has been sober.
In the Narconon program, once the process of eliminating these residues is complete, most report that they have far fewer cravings, and some report no more cravings at all. And, most report a fresh, new, brighter outlook on life, and more energy as well.
With this improved viewpoint, one then begins the next portion of the Narconon program where he learns the life skills needed to maintain long-term sobriety. Here he handles the issues that contributed to his starting on drugs in the first place. He learns skills to recover his personal integrity and rebuilds his self-esteem. And, he even learns how to handle people who may lead one back down the road to further drug abuse. Before one goes home from the Narconon program, each person has constructed a plan that he feels sure he can follow to continue to live a drug-free and productive life.
To find out more about how to help your loved one save the pain and suffering of drug addiction, and to get more information about how the full Narconon program works and where centers are located, contact a Narconon drug rehab counselor today..
References:
http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs44/44731/44731p.pdf
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/tabs/Sect5peTabs1to56.htm#Tab5.15A
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4460349/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/meth-connection-identity-theft/#.TxObi5hA9SU
http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html
Hope for Alcoholism Treatment
Many families have learned the frustration of trying to help an alcoholic family member when they did their best and then failed. This failure is usually due to the fact that the alcoholic rarely will admit to having an alcohol problem. That is one of the parts of alcoholism typical of this addiction – one that makes it very hard to get the alcoholic to face up to his drinking problem and stop drinking.
When he does finally make that painful decision, he will be likely to need help to find effective rehab and treatment. This is the time for the family to help. They will find there are many different treatment options, some far more effective than others.
Narconon has been providing effective drug and alcohol treatment for more than 45 years in fifty locations around the world. The success rate of sobriety for its graduates completing the program is 70%, far higher than most programs. The length of treatment of three to six months for alcohol recovery may be longer than what is offered in some programs, but this is in accordance with many official recommendations, including that of the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA). Their guidelines state that participation for less than 90 days is limited in its effectiveness, and programs that last significantly longer are recommended to maintain a positive outcome.
The treatment program one should look for then, should be a long-term program. Some programs also offer drugs to help the alcoholic stop drinking, or other drugs that may usually be prescribed for mental disorders. Once they get sober, many alcoholics may not have any other mental problems than their addiction to alcohol, and besides that, these prescribed drugs are often addictive too.
Narconon operates on the philosophy that solving one addiction with addiction to another drug is not desirable as a treatment modality. In fact drug-less treatment and a full recovery is totally possible at Narconon, and is accomplished daily.
There is hope at Narconon for a full and lasting return to sobriety. Most recovering alcoholics who see that there is a real possibility of full recovery will not relapse and continue drinking. And most, after completing the program, do not show other symptoms needing any medications.
Another problem experienced by some treatment programs is that of treatment dropout. They recommend motivational techniques to keep patients involved throughout their treatment.
This is exactly what occurs at Narconon. Each individual is intimately involved from day one of the program. He starts with a surprisingly tolerable, comprehensive withdrawal step, followed by a deep detox on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. In both of these steps of the program, the physical addiction is addressed, and the recovering alcoholic gradually comes out of the fog of his addiction, assisted by trained staff.
The Narconon drug rehab program also addresses the need for the recovering alcoholic to be able to chart his course to a drug and alcohol-free life with training on several life skills courses. These teach him the tools he will need to maintain a sober lifestyle which include personal integrity, communication and many other skills. After completing all eight phases of the full Narconon program, the person has regained his self-respect, and gained the confidence that he can now live his life without resorting to alcohol or other drugs as an escape.
He only graduates the program when he has completed a plan to live a productive, drug-free life, and he is in no doubt that he can do so.
You may read stories of some people who have experienced the Narconon program at Narconon reviews. There is hope for a full recovery from alcoholism with the Narconon program.
Resources:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/PODAT/faqs.html#faq5
http://www.narconon.org/drug-treatment/narconon-detox.html
Crack Cocaine Recovery
The devastation that crack cocaine wreaked on America in the late 1980s was about as destructive of families as anything this country has experienced in recent history. In virtually every community, formerly productive and contributing members of families and businesses found themselves unexpectedly addicted to crack, a very harsh and toxic drug, capable of imprisoning one within the walls of addiction very fast.
Both men and women can quickly become addicted and may turn to criminal actions such as stealing valuables from loved ones or others in the community or even prostitution to support this expensive habit.
One who is suffering from the torment of finding their next crack rock has probably lost hope and may have forgotten what it is like not to be addicted. To recover and live drug-free again may seem out of reach at this depth of addiction. However, recovering and returning to a truly enjoyable and drug-free life is possible and happens daily at fifty Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers all over the world.
The Narconon program that is standardized at each drug and alcohol rehab center begins by helping a person to withdraw safely from crack addiction with generous personal support. This allows someone to experience a surprisingly tolerable withdrawal, that does not have to include the intense cravings and depression that can sometimes follow stopping crack usage. This stage of the Narconon rehab program also provides full nutritional support to give the body plenty of energy and nutrition, which it loses over years of crack cocaine abuse. This nutritional support helps the person to avoid a “crash” which can occur otherwise.
Very personal one-on-one attention is characteristic of the full Narconon program. The next step involves a deep detox on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. On this step, one rids himself of the drug residues that are stored in the body’s fatty tissues. The individual does this by following a carefully supervised regimen of daily moderate exercise, time spent in a dry-heat sauna, and more nutritional supplementation. At the end of this portion of the program, most addicts report fewer or no cravings for the drug, along with an increase in energy, and the ability to think clearly without the fogginess caused by drugs.
Now that one is able to concentrate more easily, the next part of the Narconon program is a series of courses to enable one to move forward to living a drug-free life. It addresses training in such essential life skills as the ability to communicate with others more easily. One also learns how to relieve the guilt that results from harmful acts one committed while on drugs, as well as how to maintain his personal integrity in the future. There are courses that help one learn how to choose associates and friends who will be supportive of a drug-free style of life, rather than those who will bring one down.
At Narconon, there are techniques to teach each person the skills he needs to maintain lasting sobriety, and before graduating, he will chart his own course for a productive, drug-free future that he is confident he can follow.
If you or a loved one is suffering the pain of cocaine or crack cocaine addiction, it is possible to fully recover and start on your way to lasting relief. Many thousands have done so at Narconon centers around the world. Contact an Intake Counselor at Narconon to get rehab for crack addiction.
How Pain Killers Can Lead to Addiction
How Pain Killers Can Lead to Addiction
It can often happen that one inadvertently gets hooked on pain relievers. This is a story about a young man named Brandon, who used to ride BMX bikes, both motocross and stunt riding. He eventually injured his knee and required pain medications which were prescribed for him — opiates. This led him down the road to addiction.
Fortunately for Brandon, he found a Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, and has just completed his full recovery from prescription drug addiction. Here is his story.
After hurting his knee, doctors performed surgery to rebuild it. Then he took the opiates prescribed following the surgery, and continued to take them afterwards as he felt better than when he didn’t take them. He never realized the addictive power of these prescription pain killers.
Continuing to ride BMX bikes, he also continued to injure himself, and thus was prescribed more pain killers. Finally, he was taken off the drugs, and began to feel sick, but still didn’t realize that he was suffering from addiction withdrawal. At about the same time, his friends were abusing opiate pain pills and he started too, at parties. At age 16, he started snorting OxyContin, and each time he did so, he didn’t feel sick. In addition, he started drinking alcohol excessively.
Eventually his parents realized what was happening with Brandon and they sent him to a rehab facility for 90 days when he was 17 years old. Unfortunately, Brandon wasn’t ready to quit, and didn’t actually realize the problem with drugs that others saw in him. So, after he was released, he quickly started smoking pot and drinking, and then drifted back to the pain pills.
During his senior year of high school in Richmond, Virginia he started snorting heroin. His friends told him that shooting it was “the way to go,” so he started shooting up and that began his hard-core addiction.
He then tried some rehab programs which used Suboxone (buprenorphine) to help prevent withdrawal symptoms. However, he didn’t realize that he was still taking an opioid drug daily; he just felt better with the Suboxone and assumed that he was doing better than when on heroin.
However, he’d keep drifting back to the friends who took heroin, and he’d slip back into using it again, sometimes selling his Suboxone, or even taking it in the morning so he could go to work, and then coming home to shoot heroin too. He was lucky he didn’t end his life then in an overdose, but he was just lost at this point and didn’t consider that possibility. At this time, he worked for his father hanging drywall, his only purpose being to make enough money for another fix. Weekends were devoted to drug use and partying, and by Sunday his money was always gone.
He went to another long-term rehab about the time he was 21, where he stayed for 11 months. However, even this long interruption of his drug-taking didn’t resolve the addiction pattern. Right before he was supposed to complete the program and graduate, he and someone else from the rehab left for the evening and got drunk. He left the rehab program the next day.
Brandon’s alcohol abuse quickly advanced into more heroin use and for the next two years it continued. Sometimes he could get a prescription for Suboxone but he didn’t use it unless he couldn’t get any heroin.
He finally did come to realize that he had to overcome his addiction. He and his family found the Narconon program over the Internet. With his family’s help, he made the decision to go to Narconon, although his commitment to finding lasting sobriety there was shaky at first. He heard from other students at Narconon how much better they felt and this encouraged him to give the program a real chance.
Once that happened and he started to work sincerely on the Narconon program he felt good about himself again; the first time in many years. He said that he started having a natural happy feeling – and one he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Once Brandon started moving through the program he was able to resolve old feelings of resentment: he says he finally began to grow up while on the program. Seeing himself finish the full Narconon program, the first rehab he actually completed all the way through, was a proud moment for Brandon.
He also chose to stay at the Narconon Rehab Center to aid others to recover from drug addiction. He’ll tell other students, “Dude, if I can do it, you can do it.” He adds, “I’m glad I did this program. With my experience in rehabs, I don’t think people could find a better place to be.”
If you or someone you care about has a problem with pain killer or other drug or alcohol addiction, contact a drug rehab counselor at Narconon International. You don’t have to be trapped in the cycle of addiction. Narconon offers an effective rehab program in fifty locations all over the world.
Narconon Program Repairs Damage to Achieve Effective Alcohol Abuse Rehab
In many cases, alcohol rehab and recovery doesn’t have the desired outcome of sobriety for alcoholics. Unfortunately, often a person goes to rehab to recover from alcohol addiction only to finish the program and return home, later relapsing and starting to drink again. Another result is one may go to meetings of alcoholic support groups for months or even years, receiving support, but never really addressing the reasons for the addiction in the first place, so relapse is bound to occur at some point.
There are not many programs where a full, lasting return to sobriety is expected from an alcoholic or other drug addict. One hears that people are “hooked” and one cannot expect them to thoroughly kick the habit.
However, at Narconon drug and alcohol rehab centers around the world, seventy percent of its graduates remain sober at least two years after completing the program and returning home. The attitude and expectation of Narconon staff in more than fifty locations around the world is that one will recover from addiction, and lasting sobriety can be achieved. This is due to a comprehensive program which really works.
Narconon has been delivering effective rehab to people for more than forty-five years, on six continents of the world. The program has been improved and standardized over the years, so that one receives the same holistic regimen of eight highly effective program steps in each location around the world.
These include:
A tolerable withdrawal, which is made more comfortable through plenty of nutritional supplements and physical assistance which is similar to gentle body massages thatease the aches and pains and sickness sometimes associated with drug or alcohol withdrawal.
Thorough drug detoxification on the unique Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. This part of the program consists of moderate exercise, more nutritional supplementation along with good food, plus daily time spent in a low, dry-heat sauna. This closely-supervised regimen allows the body to eliminate drug residues that are stored in its fatty tissues, which have been shown capable of causing drug cravings many years after the person stops taking drugs. Reports from completions of this part of the program indicate that they have far fewer or no drug cravings, and that they gain the ability to think more quickly and clearly, unhampered by the lingering effects of drugs or alcohol.
One-on-one counseling to bring a person’s awareness of his environment higher, and get him out of the funawareness caused by drug and alcohol abuse, resulting in a brighter outlook on life.
Learning a variety of life skills which will ensure one can maintain a drug-free life following the program. One of these teaches how to choose associates wisely who will support a drug-free lifestyle. There are courses designed to relieve the suffering andguilt one experiences as a result of inflicting damage on loved ones have caused while addicted. There are other courses which address one’s ability to communicate effectively with others, and one which includes a modern, common-sense moral code, to help guide future actions for a better, more productive life.
The entire purpose of the Narconon program is to allow one to learn the skills which are essential to maintaining sobriety after the program is completed. It also addresses the reasons for starting the addiction cycle and allows one to relieve the guilt and depression which often accompany any addiction that if left unresolved could lead to future problems.
Most people going through the entire Narconon program spend from three to five months to achieve lasting recovery. Alcohol abuse rehab doesn’t take forever, and whatever damage that has occurred can be repaired. There is hope that you can find real sobriety for you or your family member, as well as the tools needed to maintain it, at Narconon.
Call to find out all the program specifics and to locate a Narconon centers near you.
At What Age Does One Need Alcohol or Drug Abuse Rehab?
It seems that some people try alcohol at a very young age and become “hooked” very fast. The addiction to alcohol can be very strong, and may start early, making a young person never really able to give up drinking after that. In many cases, his addiction isn’t limited to alcohol, as more drugs get added to the mix whenever an opportunity occurs. As drug usage continues, alcohol and other drug addiction rehab is needed.
Many people are turning to alcohol at earlier ages. In 2010, the average age of those starting to drink was 16.1 years of age, when one considers those who started drinking under age 21 in the U.S. Almost five million young people start drinking each year while they are still under 21. And, some of these also need alcohol rehab even at that young age. More than 28,000 youths under 21 went to alcohol abuse rehab while another 36,000 started at drug rehab for help with addiction to alcohol plus another drug, (often prescription pills or marijuana) in 2009.
On a somewhat positive note, the Monitoring the Future Study for 2010 showed a decrease in teenagers’ smoking (of tobacco) and alcohol use, but at the same time, there were increased numbers of students reporting marijuana smoking and prescription pill abuse. This annual survey of school-aged children in the eighth, tenth and the 12th grades showed no net improvement, but a switch in preferences, with marijuana smoking now outranking cigarette smoking and prescription pills gaining popularity at an alarming rate.
If you can raise a teenager who never drinks or uses drugs up until the age of 21, the National Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction at Columbia University studies show that this person will be almost certain never to drink or abuse drugs. And luckily, if they never use drugs or alcohol they will definitely not need alcohol abuse or drug rehab programs.
But, if your family is affected by the pain and suffering of drug abuse, even by very young people, the solution is effective drug rehab. Worldwide, one of the best results for lasting sobriety is obtained at Narconon drug and alcohol recovery centers. There are Narconon facilities in fifty locations on six continents of the world. In all drug treatment programs, most average about a 16 to 20 percent recovery rate. At Narconon, the average recovery rate is 70% of those who complete the program. Based on follow-up interviews, seven of ten stay drug and alcohol free at least two years following graduation from Narconon.
One of the reasons for this success is that Narconon treats both the body and the mental or emotional ties to drugs. It addresses first the physical withdrawal, closely followed by the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, which effectively removes the drug toxins and residues from the body. This program addresses the urges or cravings that the residues can cause if left in the body’s fatty tissues where they are stored. Because of the unique regimen of daily moderate exercise, good nutrition with carefully administered nutritional supplements, and time spent in a dry heat sauna, the body is able to eliminate these residues so that they can no longer cause cravings. People completing this part of the Narconon program report far fewer and sometimes no more drug cravings, in addition to a fresh outlook on life and clearer thinking unclouded by the fogginess of drugs.
The Narconon program also addresses the life skills that the recovering addict needs to be able to reclaim his life and begin a drug-free and productive lifestyle that will last long after rehab is done. Before one completes the full Narconon program, he will have done eight different portions of the program, each addressing a different aspect of handling addiction and new life skills. This is a comprehensive, long-term program which is uniform all over the world. Whether you are in Asia, Africa, Russia, Europe or North or South America, there is a Narconon near you.
Find out all the details of the Narconon program by calling and speaking with a trained Intake Counselor at Narconon’s International headquarters
Resources:
http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm#Ch5
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/ChairmanStatements.aspx?articleid=607
Choices for Addiction Recovery
While it is accurate that drug and alcohol affects the mind as well as the body, there is a physical dependence which the body develops after taking drugs. The body actually builds up a tolerance to any drug, meaning more and more of the substance is required to have the desired effect. And, when one removes the drug, the body physically goes through aches, pains, cramps and sometimes nausea and vomiting while it is trying to get back to its normal functions minus the drugs.
These effects may be severe, but there are also the mental or emotional ties to drugs. When someone uses a drug for any period of time to escape or cope with the problems he faces in life, he feels he needs the drug to continue functioning. In fact, when he is drunk or in some way under the influence of a drug, he is not able to feel the usual feelings of stress or anxiety in his life, and may be operating with a sense of false euphoria. He may not even notice dangers in the environment which he should be aware of, and may cause or be involved in accidents or injuries due to operating in this fog created by alcohol or drugs.
Whether one decides to take his first steps to recovery and break the cycle of addiction, or he has tried many times to put the addiction behind him and failed, there are many alternative recovery resources available that do not follow the pattern of conventional 28-30 day programs.
Sometimes people don’t agree with the philosophy of various rehab programs, and wish to find one that more closely matches their own philosophy. Some people recognize it will take longer than just one month to repair the damage that drug or alcohol addiction can cause.
Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs around the world offer a comprehensive and drug-less approach to rehab which results in 70% of its program completions staying sober and drug free at least two years after graduation. This compares to about 16-20% recovery achieved at most conventional rehabs.
The whole person is addressed at Narconon in a holistic, long-term program that allows him to recover both physically and mentally from his drug abuse. One has the opportunity to examine the causes that led into the substance abuse in the first place, to repair the damage he may have caused others while he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol; and he learns the life skills he will need to maintain his sober lifestyle once recovery is complete. For most people, this complete rehab program will take anywhere from three to five months. Each person progresses through the eight parts of this recovery program at his own speed. He then gets to achieve for himself each skill he will need so that he is sure he will be able to use these tools to rebuild and create a productive, happy and drug -free life.
Find out all the details of the Narconon program by calling and speaking to a trained Intake Counselor at Narconon’s international headquarters. You can talk to them about your own situation for yourself or a family member suffering with addiction. You may feel better by just talking to someone who really understands the problem of addiction. There is hope for effective rehab at this alternative resource. Narconon operates fifty centers on six continents and has been helping people to recover from addiction for the past forty-five years.
There is also drug education available at various Narconon centers worldwide. Call today to schedule a drug education presentation, or to get help for you or your loved one.
Club Drug Rehab at Narconon
The term club drugs signifies drugs that have been developed recently and are used most often at parties, dance clubs, raves and similar venues. The drugs in this class include those synthesized substances that are known by various names like Ecstasy, GHB, ketamine and mephedrone. Some other drugs like cocaine, marijuana, PCP and LSD, as well as alcohol are also sometimes used at these locations.
Of all of them, Ecstasy is the most popular. It is very addictive and can be fatal if the user’s body temperature goes too high. For this reason, some party locales offer bottles of cold water at exorbitant prices and some offer “chill rooms” where the temperatures are kept low so that dancers can cool off.
Ecstasy is a stimulant, similar to methamphetamine, causing rapid heart rates and increases in body temperature. It also causes increased tactical pleasure in the user and sometimes leads to casual sex with persons who are practically strangers. One example was a woman who would go to clubs and get Ecstasy from a man. She then would feel close to him, thought he was her “true love,” and sleep with him, waking up the next morning wondering why she had done so. Then, due to her addiction to Ecstasy, she would repeat the same action the next night, and so on.
GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate, is a popular club drug that can be deadly. It often is used in the case of drug-related sexual assault, as the assault is made easier since this drug makes one physically incapacitated and helpless, and its victims are unable to consent to sexual activity. It is nicknamed “Grievous Bodily Harm” because it makes one disassociate from his body, and have no sensation of injury to it.
Since this class of drugs is synthetic, is all one would have to do is change a single molecule of the chemical formula to create a different drug, which may enable dealers to dodge laws designed to keep these drugs off the street.
As with any drug addiction like heroin, alcohol or cocaine, if one is addicted to club drugs, he needs effective drug rehab. For most users who are on the road to recovery, a long term program or 90 days or longer is the best chance one has for lasting sobriety.
At Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in fifty locations around the world, it’s been found that a drug-less approach to rehab treatment is possible. The drug addict does not need to substitute another drug for the one he is addicted to in order to recover. Narconon offers an effective, long-term, alternative solution to drug abuse and dependency.
The Narconon rehab program addresses the physical drug cravings, as well as the guilt, destruction of relationships and other losses in self-respect that a drug addict suffers. In each Narconon facility, both the physical, mental and emotional reasons for drug abuse are thoroughly addressed in a safe, secure environment, designed for a complete recovery. The person who is recovering from drug abuse has a chance to regain his integrity and chart a course for his future, based upon common sense moral values and personal goals.
One learns skills at Narconon that can enable him to maintain a drug-free, productive life upon completing the program, and seven of ten graduates of Narconon remain sober and drug-free at least two years after finishing the program.
Anyone addicted to club drugs needs help to achieve a lasting drug-free future. There is help available at Narconon centers, with locations on six continents. Please call a trained intake counselor at Narconon to find out all the details of the full Narconon program. You can help someone you care about who is using club or other drugs to get clean and straight and back on track.
You Can Kick the Meth Habit Like Tim Did
This is an all-too familiar tale of how one can become addicted to methamphetamine. Fortunately in this case, Tim managed to kick the habit. Many others are not so lucky. Here is what happened to Tim.
As a high school student in Texas Tim had used some marijuana and alcohol, but not so much that he got into trouble with them. The drug that eventually caused his devastation was methamphetamine, which he first sampled when a friend brought some to his bachelor party. He didn’t touch the drug for a few years after that, but when he found it again, it was ruinous for Tim.
He had been working as a salesman for an oil company, and was virtually exhausted at the end of every long day. Another worker on the oil rig offered Tim something one night that would wake him up – methamphetamine – and that was the beginning of the long downward slide of Tim’s life.
Meth was so addictive and expensive that it destroyed his good credit and financial status. It tore his family life apart, though they struggled to understand what had happened to Tim. To finance this costly habit, he started dealing the drug and eventually hooked up with others who were distributing Mexican-made meth coming across the Texas border.
He tried to avoid family as much as he could, except for a few holidays when he would show up, exhausted and unable to quit using drugs, despite his mother’s crying and begging.
At one point he did go to a short-term rehab for meth, but it didn’t end his cycle of addiction. Tim commented that it was his bad choices he felt had gotten him into trouble, and this program didn’t address those, but considered that drug addiction was a disease. That approach wasn’t helpful to him in handling his addiction.
Ultimately in 2010, Tim realized he had to change his life, and that nothing would go right until he could find a real solution to his addiction. Luckily, with the help of his caring family, he was able to get to a Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
At Narconon he leaned the real reasons for his addiction and why he had made those bad choices in the first place. By understanding those and recovering his sobriety at Narconon, both physically and emotionally, he charted his course to a new drug-free life.
After he had achieved his own recovery, Tim decided to stay and help others at Narconon to recover from that destructive cycle of addiction he’d found himself in just a few years before.
In Tim’s own words, “Recovery is all about regaining control of your own life. I don’t believe that addiction is a disease. It’s a choice. The end result of addiction can only be one of three things: death, penitentiary or sobriety. By working here, I can help others find sobriety instead of the other two outcomes.”
Tim also felt that the new sober life he found had helped him to be a better Christian. He learned self-discipline and what he learned “made him a more spiritual person,” he said.
Get help for yourself or a loved one today at Narconon. You too, can beat the addiction to meth or other drugs. Tim did. The same help is available to you or one you love. This is just one out of thousands of Narconon reviews.
Underage Drinking and and Partying can Set Up Young Adults to Need Rehab
If one wants to know how much drinking is happening on college campuses, there are several ways to find out. One would be to read the studies and reports that are published by such agencies as the US Surgeon General’s office, or the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA). Another option would be to visit any college campus on any weekend, and check out fraternity or sorority row. You would find out pretty quickly how far this problem has gone.
According to CASA’s research reports as of 2007, they found that almost half of all full-time college students went on drinking binges (defined as five or more drinks in one sitting), abused prescription drugs, or used illegal drugs. And about 25% of them or almost 2 million students met the definition for substance abuse or dependence. This is nearly three times greater than the rate among the general American public. And most college students are under age 21, so purchasing alcohol or public possession of it is also illegal in the United States.
Also, in 2007 the Surgeon General of the U.S. issued a Call to Action to Prevent Underage Drinking. There he stated that American young people from age 18-20 had the highest rate of alcohol dependence among the population, and most “began drinking years earlier.”
Personal tragedies are numerous as the overuse of alcohol may result in crippling injuries or death, or even the deaths of others who may not be drinking, victims of drunk driving traffic accidents. The list is too long to enumerate all of the young people who have lost their lives recently to alcohol. There is the case of Madison Lewis, age 19, who died in Alabama last December when her driver was drunk. Another was Ashley Donahue age 20, who also died in December last year when she was thrown out of a car in Framingham, MA on her way home from a party where she and some other students had been playing drinking games.
Narconon Can Help People Regain Sobriety
When someone has lost control of their drinking, and cannot stop it himself and repair the damage he has created, he needs effective rehabilitation. Even college students, who may not think that alcohol abuse rehab should be part of their college experience, may need to go to rehab before continuing their studies, or after they graduate so they can live productive, sober lifestyles.
Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers exist on six continents and in fifty locations around the world. The Narconon program offers an excellent chance for a full recovery, and has done so for over forty-five years, having helped hundreds of thousands of alcoholics and drug addicts. Narconon’s program is comprehensive, long-term, and holistic and uses no other drugs to help one get off of the drugs or alcohol they are addicted to. In fact, seven of ten Narconon graduates stay sober and drug-free.
One essential component of recovery is to reduce or eliminate cravings for a drug. This is done very effectively on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, which includes daily nutritional supplementation, closely-supervised time in a dry-heat sauna, and moderate exercise. It is this unique combination that allows one to rid the body of the accumulated toxins left over from the drugs or alcohol that have been consumed. These toxins are stored in the fatty tissues of the body, where they can remain for years, later triggering cravings for drugs or alcohol. But with the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, the body eliminates these toxins, leaving a person feeling fresher, with more energy and a brighter outlook on life, and with fewer or no cravings at all.
The Narconon program also includes life skills courses which one does after completing the full physical detox. These courses allow one to chart a course for a drug-free future, even when met with life’s obstacles and challenges. When one graduates the Narconon drug rehab program, he or she is ready to meet these challenges without the need for drugs or alcohol as an escape.
Call a Narconon rehab counselor to see how you can help someone with alcoholism.
Resources:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/calltoaction.pdf
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/Publications_Reports.aspx#r11: Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities
“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. From The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, by David J. Hanson, Ph.D
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1092767630.html
“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. from The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, by David J. Hanson, Ph.D.
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1092767630.html
Will Canada’s Supposed Solution to OxyContin Abuse Work with OxyNeo?
Recently a new drug gained approval of the Canadian government. It is supposed to be the answer to an epidemic of OxyContin abuse, but will this drug really be the solution it is intended to be?
OxyContin is a very strong, frequently-abused drug which acts as an opioid pain killer and is supposed to be formulated so that it is time-released. However, abusers have found ways around its time-release features to abuse the drug in several different ways. They can smoke it, crush and snort it, or dissolve it and then inject it into their veins, bypassing the time-release features so that they get a full heroin-like dose of the opioid in the body at one time. It is estimated that abuse and addiction to this drug plagues 200,000 people just in Canada.
When abusers find that they can not obtain their Oxy for some reason, many turn to heroin, which is surprisingly cheaper and more accessible than the prescription drug. Heroin is readily available from drug dealers on the street, and may be easier to find than to weave through the complex medical systems of Canada or the United States.
The government of the United States approved the Purdue Pharma drug company’s less abusable form of the drug in 2011, but it had to then meet the requirements of the Canadian authorities. This new drug, called OxyNeo was released for Canadian patients in the beginning of March, 2012. It is supposedly formulated to resist dissolving, smoking or crushing, thus circumventing the avenues abusers had used to release the full potency of the drug quickly.
According to reports, this new OxyNeo pill is supposedly too hard to crush but when it is swallowed, will still release the correct amount of medication to the body. Those who find that a whole, intact pill is excreted through their body’s waste channels are informed that they are still receiving the correct amount of medicine as is intended.
For those who would smoke the pills these new ones will not burn, at least not enough to get intoxicated from them. There is also a feature that will turn the pill into jelly when someone tries to dissolve it so it cannot be injected. These features are designed to protect those people who cannot control their extreme craving for this drug.
But, when one is addicted to opiates it is almost inconceivable to not obtain more of the drug. So, what will the users of OxyContin, when unable to obtain more of their favorite drug do to solve this dilemma? If addiction rehab is not a viable alternative, then the opiate addict will undoubtedly try to obtain his drugs from another source.
His choices would be to find other prescription opiates like hydrocodone or fentanyl or hydromorphone, and to find a doctor who would prescribe these for him. Another option would be to try to get the OxyContin from the Internet, and purchase from some other country’s suppliers, such as India or China. Unfortunately these countries may supply false products, which are not the drug at all; or some version which is contaminated with other toxins; or at best, he will get the drug but of some unknown potency. And, finally, and most likely, these users would turn to heroin. Heroin is readily available in Canada and the U.S., and its usage is already on the rise in Canada. According to the site for Canadian news, Canada.com, there have been large increases in the number of students abusing heroin, with that number doubling in just the year 2007-2008 among Toronto students. And, according to the same site, the ages of Canadian heroin addicts is falling, from about age 19 just 20 years ago to as young as 14 years of age now.
This trend does not have to continue.
There is actually hope for heroin or OxyContin and other drug abusers. The very best thing that could happen is that one would not transition off one drug to another, and another after that and so on. It would be far better to find an effective drug rehab program that really can address this issue and handle the addiction for good. There are many drug rehabs in the U.S. and Canada who claim success rates between 16 and 20 percent.
There is one that has been far more effective however and that is Narconon.
At Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, 70% of their graduates regularly stay clean and sober for at least two years after completing the program. In Quebec, at Trois-Rivieres, there is a Narconon long-term residential rehab program for those who are ready to kick the habit for good. There is also another rehab center offering real help for addicts in Alberta, the province which in 2010 had the highest rate of opiate abuse in the country. And, in Vancouver, there is a drug education program offering Narconon’s extremely effective drug prevention curriculum so that young people never even start to go down the road to OxyContin, OxyNeo, heroin or any other drug abuse.
There is help available to those who have been abusing any drugs, marijuana, prescription drugs, or even alcohol. It is the purpose of Narconon to help addicts to find lasting sobriety and become productive, drug-free members of society. This occurs at Narconon centers all over the world on a daily basis.
Find out more details about the Narconon drug rehab program by calling one of our drug counselors.
Saving a Person from Alcoholism through Rehab
Alcoholism or drug addiction is always a tragic situation for the person involved, as well as his family and associates. When one is addicted to a substance, by definition, he cannot control when to drink or take a drug. His purpose in life turns into how he can get the next drink or obtain the next pill. Other issues become much less important than finding his next “fix.”
This results in deterioration and often destruction of relationships, families and even businesses. Just one addict may not realize how many people he may be affecting with his alcoholism or drug addiction. However, his life and his actions do have far-reaching effects, particularly if he doesn’t seek rehab treatment.
Unfortunately, some people do go to rehab and find that a 28 day treatment program isn’t really sufficient to produce lasting sobriety. They may relapse again and again and bounce from one rehab to another, seeking a lasting solution. Real recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction takes longer than just a 28 day rehab and must take into account the reasons one became addicted in the first place.
At Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs around the world, real lasting sobriety is possible. This holistic, comprehensive program starts with a surprisingly tolerable withdrawal phase, where a person is given plenty of good nutrition, and one-on-one time with an experienced Narconon staff member. The nutritional supplementation starts to ease the reactions of the body when drugs or alcohol are eliminated. This is accompanied by gentle relaxation exercises and massage-like assists, which help to calm the body and the mind.
This is soon followed by the unique Narconon New Life Detoxification Program which consists of moderate daily exercise, more nutritional support, and time spent in a dry heat sauna. This strict regimen will allow the body to begin to flush out the toxic residues of drugs or alcohol from its fatty tissues, where they are lodged.
This part of the Narconon alcohol and drug abuse program enables the body to clean these toxins out, resulting for most people in clearer thinking unclouded by the fog of drugs, and a renewed interest in life. Many people recovering from alcohol or drug abuse report that following this portion of the program, the craving for drugs or alcohol has lessened significantly or is gone altogether.
Narconon doesn’t stop with just the physical rehabilitation of the body, however. The next portion of the program involves life skills training to be able to go out on one’s own and have stable skills to choose his associates more wisely, and to see how to avoid those situations which may be too tempting. The person learns to communicate better and recovers his honesty and integrity, which may have been lost while he was abusing drugs or drinking excessively. Then one learns a personal moral code and develops a solid plan for going out in life, drug-free and productive once again.
Seven out of ten Narconon graduates remain drug-free and sober two years after graduation from the program.
A family can have its family member back again, a company can have its employee back and the individual can have himself back after a relatively short time spent in a Narconon center. The program length varies from person to person, so the actual time may vary, but an average is from three to six months to complete the full Narconon eight-step program.
There are Narconon rehab centers in 50 locations around the world, which have been helping people to find lasting sobriety for the past 45 years.
Call today to find out more about the details of the Narconon program, and to see if there is a location near you.
Heroin Addiction Recovery
When one discovers that a family member has been using heroin, it is usually a huge shock. And, while many heroin addicts can be helped to really kick the addiction, others go through several rehab programs but don’t find real recovery. That is why so many countries have adopted programs that do not really mean recovery from heroin addiction, but an alternative to help heroin addicts to lead a safer, healthier life.
These programs, particularly in Europe and Canada, and some in the United States work on the premise that you can never get someone completely un-addicted from heroin. They will provide clean needles or “safe rooms” for addicts, to minimize the spread of HIV and Hepatitis B through needle sharing or dirty needles. Others involve prescribing pharmaceutical grade heroin to addicts who have not made a successful recovery at any rehab facility.
Since the truth is that heroin addiction is not a permanent situation, and that real recovery is possible for this as well as other addictions, one should not settle for just being safer or healthier while still remaining a heroin addict. There is hope for a full recovery from heroin addiction with the right rehab program.
Narconon drug and alcohol rehab programs exist on six continents of the world in fifty locations, each using a standardized regimen which actually results in seven of ten heroin addicts and people addicted to other drugs becoming and staying drug-free. This is done without the aid of alternate drugs to substitute for heroin, and without any horrible or arduous withdrawal for most people.
The Narconon program works because there is a true understanding of the cycle of addiction and what factors continue to drive people back into more drug use. These are drug cravings, and the feelings of depression and guilt.
If these three factors are truly handled, the person is then free to lead a happier drug-free life.
The Narconon program addresses the drug cravings by using a unique sauna detox called the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. It includes specific nutritional supplements tailored to each person as they progress through the program. In addition, while on this step of the Narconon program, one does a moderate amount of daily exercise and spends time in a low, dry-heat sauna. One is carefully supervised during this part as well as during all aspects of the Narconon program. What occurs after this unique regimen has been used for anywhere from 30-60 days, is that the person has been able to rid his body of the accumulated toxins from drug usage, which were stored in the body’s fatty tissues. These, when reactivated into the bloodstream have been shown to be capable of triggering cravings for more drugs even long after one has stopped taking any.
After finishing the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program one is able to face life with a brighter outlook, more energy and most often with fewer or even no more cravings for drugs.
The person who is going through heroin recovery now must address the depression and guilt that most addicted people suffer. Each person during his addiction has done things that he is not proud of, sometimes even illegal or harmful acts to others close to him. Also, the physical withdrawal itself can produce feelings of depression. These feelings are remedied with real nutritional support from day one of the program, along with the life skills training that one engages in after completing the full physical detox.
On these life skills courses, one learns how to fully take responsibility for his actions, which sometimes must include making up any damage to loved ones he has harmed while addicted. He will learn several other skills which help him to lead a drug-free and productive life. At the end of the program, each recovered addict makes a plan for his future life with a determination to remain drug-free, even in the face of life’s challenges. Seven out of ten Narconon graduates remain drug-free without even having to attend Narconon meetings.
After recovering from heroin addiction at Narconon, graduates have relieved their cravings, guilt and depression, and are looking forward to a productive and drug-free life.
Call today to speak to a trained Narconon Intake Counselor today and find what you need to help a heroin or opiate addict. Ask about all the details of the full Narconon program. You will discover there is a real solution to heroin addiction and recovery is possible.
Teen Alcohol and Prescription Drug Use May Create Need for Rehab
It may come as no surprise to parents of teenagers that there is often a hidden world among teens that parents just don’t share. Even in good families, those with loving adults, the attempt to share in what the teenagers are doing is often met with rebellion or rejection. Parents have the goal to raise children safely and to help them make sensible choices, even in tough situations. Teens want to try out new experiences and often their friends or peers have influence over them, which can lead to bad choices such as experimenting with drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, those choices can potentially result in addiction to one or more prescription pain killer, other drugs or alcohol.
Several studies have shown how far apart the parents’ and teens’ realities may be.
The annual survey, Monitoring the Future, from December 2011, showed that while some lessening of alcohol abuse was reported among high school students, that marijuana use was on the rise (exceeding tobacco use) and prescription drug use was stable. They also reported that fifty percent of high school seniors in the U.S. have used illicit drugs and 70% have tried alcohol by the time they graduate high school. Fully half of those who drank alcohol reported having been drunk at least one time. Most parents would not think their child is capable of such behavior.
For just slightly older students, the statistics are no better. In a 2007 report, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) found that half of U.S. college students reported involvement in binge drinking, illegal drug use, or prescription drug abuse. And, more alarming than that was that nearly two million American college students met the criteria for substance abuse or dependence, which is three times higher than the rate among the general population.
A parent does have the ability to stop abuse of drugs, despite what you may think. In fact, no matter what the child says to you when you talk to him about drugs, he hears you and will listen more than he lets on. In fact, in one of the CASA studies, they found that children whose parents agreed on their anti-drug message and conveyed that message decisively to their children have lower drug abuse rates.
So how do you know if your child/teen is using drugs or has a problem with drugs or alcohol? If they are not talking directly to you about any issues with drugs, you may need to change the way you see your son or daughter. Take a good look at the signs that may point to drug abuse. Are their grades dropping? Do they miss classes at school? Are they usually friendly and talking with the family during dinner times, or do they refuse to hang out with the family, preferring to hide out in their room and just play video games? Are the signs of drug abuse there? Have they stopped taking care of themselves, and are they giving you excuses for everything that is wrong and explaining away any apparent problems?
If you see these signs, even if your teen is not talking to you about drug abuse, ask them directly. Offer to help.
Help is available for those who have lost control of their drug or alcohol consumption at Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers around the world.
Narconon has been helping people to recover from drug and alcohol addiction for forty five years, and has centers on six continents in fifty locations around the world. Narconon treatment programs can help to get your family back together.
One key aspect of the Narconon drug rehab program is the full detox one experiences on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. In this program of moderate exercise, dry-heat sauna and careful nutritional supplementation, the residual toxins of drugs and alcohol are eliminated. The result of getting rid of these is that one has fewer or no cravings for the drugs that were being used before, and the person has a fresh outlook on the world around him, and is getting ready to face a future without using alcohol or drugs as a crutch.
Narconon has helped seventy percent of its graduates to stay clean and sober after completing the program and going home. Families of those who have recovered using Narconon services are very appreciative of the program that brought their loved ones back again.
Call today to find out the full scope of the Narconon program. It is drugless, comprehensive, holistic, and very effective.
Resources:
http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2010.pdf
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/publications_reports.aspx: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/Publications_Reports.aspx#r11: Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities
Alcohol Addiction Treatment
There are several choices for treating alcohol addiction. These range from taking drugs prescribed to make someone sick if they drink alcohol after the drugs, to many hundreds of meetings with support groups. There is no real proven, standardized treatment for alcoholism. Unfortunately, that means that many programs around the world have only a 16-20% success rate, and many run even lower than that.
This can be disheartening and very frustrating for both the alcoholic and his family. Many trips to rehab with the most sincere of intentions to try to get sober may not work.
So how does one evaluate what program will work for an individual? If you were to ask each rehab program what their success rate is, and how it is determined you might find out some surprising facts. One program may judge that the number of people who complete the given program is a success, even if that person begins drinking again right after the program is done. Others may claim sobriety among their completions, but have with little or no follow up to verify this sobriety over the long-term after the program has been completed. Ask how they determine their sobriety rate when interviewing any alcohol rehab program. One should determine if there is a post-treatment monitoring program in place, without which the success rate simply is not valid.
At Narconon drug and alcohol rehab centers around the world, the success rate is based on follow up interviews on all completions for two years after completing the full program. This standardized program is the same in all fifty locations around the globe, so when the Narconon program states its success rate as 70% worldwide, that is truly an average rate of success (some centers boast as high as 85%) for all Narconon completions around the world. Seven out of ten graduates really do find lasting sobriety by doing the full Narconon program without having to go to Narconon meetings.
With some families, they have been through many different rehab programs before finding any success. When one does find a Narconon program, hope is restored since for seven of ten graduates, they return to their families to stay sober and living a drug-free productive life.
As anyone who has dealt with the problem of alcoholism knows, it can exist for quite a while before the alcoholic might seek and find treatment. It is possible that because alcohol is a legal substance (at least for those 21 years or older). But, this can be a drawback too, as the alcoholic’s family may tolerate the problem longer, and may not realize the need for alcohol addiction rehab treatment for some time.
It is stressful and difficult at times to try to help someone recover from alcohol or any addiction. There are dangers to face, including injury or overdosing, even with alcohol. The people who most need the help may be most resistant to receiving help. And when you as a loving family member reach out to try to help your loved one, your care and love may be misinterpreted as trying to interfere in the other’s life, and be resented and rejected. At this point, it may require a trained Intake Counselor to help inform the addicted person of Narconon’s unique and lasting way out of the cycle of addiction. For forty-five years in fifty locations around the world, Narconon has been helping people to get sober and drug free, even some who didn’t feel they needed to have help. But, over many years, many people have been helped and their individual situations have been resolved, much to the relief and joy of their families.
If you feel you or a loved one needs alcohol treatment, call Narconon today. You can find out all the details of the Narconon program and find the locations nearest you. Making that call can help you feel better, knowing you are doing something positive to combat the problem and help someone who needs help, even if it is you!
Call and speak to a trained Narconon alcohol treatment intake counselor.
Using Cocaine with Other Drugs
Although it may be difficult to understand the mindset of a drug user who would think it beneficial to mix one drug with other drugs, this type of polydrug abuse is quite common.
In fact, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction states that polydrug use accounts for a large percentage of medical emergencies. It is this synergistic effect of many illicit drugs, alcohol and often other prescription drugs that can cause severe, unanticipated ill effects.
The dangers of this may be obvious to one who isn’t a user. One can lose track of which drugs or how many they have taken, especially if one enters alcohol into the mix. This may lead to more overdoses. Using polydrugs also increases the risk of traffic accidents.
However, from the drug user’s point of view, adept combining of certain drugs allows one to fine-tune their desired effect, possibly augmenting the high achieved from one drug alone. The combining of benzodiazepines after using coke or meth, for example, could allow a person to sleep. Or, conversely, using coke after alcohol use, may avoid the usual sedation effect that alcohol creates, enabling a person to stay awake longer and drink even more.
Reports from Europe indicate that in some areas, 94% of cocaine users are combining cocaine and alcohol together.
One might be able to see that a combination of cocaine and heroin could be lethal, and in fact several well-known people were killed by such a fatal concoction. This drug combination, known as Speedball, killed some well-loved celebrities like John Belushi, River Phoenix and Chris Farley.
The bottom line is that using polydrugs makes the already extremely dangerous practice of drug abuse even more dangerous. This makes it even more vital that one gets a person involved in using polydrugs help so that they can enter an effective drug rehabilitation program.
Narconon offers an extremely effective, holistic and drugless program to help users of any drugs or alcohol get sober and stay that way. Narconon residential treatment centers exist in more than fifty locations around the world, and have delivered help to hundreds of thousands of people over the past forty-five years.
Narconon delivers a comprehensive program spanning both the physical addiction and effects on the body and the mental or emotional reasons why someone resorted to drugs to begin with. This really allows a drug user to start a new life and get free of the drug demons of his past.
One starts the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program with a closely supervised and surprisingly tolerable withdrawal period. This is followed by the unique Narconon New Life Detoxification program, consisting of good nutrition, daily exercise and time spent in a dry-heat sauna. This program works because it helps the body to rid itself of the harmful toxic residues of drugs, whether one had taken one drug or many. People who have finished this part of the program report fewer and sometimes no cravings for drugs at all, along with clearer senses of taste and smell, a fresh viewpoint and renewed energy to face the world.
Further treatment is given after the body is freed of these drug residues in Narconon’s life skills courses. These consist of helping the former drug user to regain his self-respect, his integrity, and he learns a moral compass to guide his future decisions. One only graduates the full Narconon program when he is certain he can live a productive life, without again resorting to drugs, even when the going gets rough. It is this full, comprehensive program that allows Narconon graduates to stay sober and clean in seven out of ten cases. This is without having to attend Narconon meetings.
Cocaine rehabilitation is possible at Narconon. Find out all the details by calling: 800-775-8750.
Resources:
http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_93217_EN_EMCDDA_SI09_polydrug%20use.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedball(drug)
Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant Is Not Safe for Unborn Baby
In the past, some people have thought it was relatively safe for a pregnant woman to drink during some stages of pregnancy, but the experts weren’t in agreement about which stages were more or less safe.
It turns out that there is no time in pregnancy when an unborn child would not be affected by a mother’s drinking.
In 1973, researchers created the label “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” (FAS) for the various symptoms that occur in newborns whose mothers drank during pregnancy (usually heavily) . Some of those symptoms are deformed head and face as well as learning and behavior difficulties. In 1981, the Surgeon General warned future parents of the specific danger of drinking during pregnancy.
One problem with trying to carry out a study to find what causes FAS is that it would not be ethical to construct a study that could cause potential harm. Fortunately, there has now been a study published in which researchers made a careful examination of nearly 1,000 California women’s drinking experience and exposure of their unborn babies between 1978 and 2005. Babies were examined and followed to see if any exhibited signs of FAS. The data then correlated FAS symptoms with the mother’s alcohol consumption and when during the pregnancy it had been consumed.
Results of this study showed that the worst time for alcohol consumption was during the second half of the first trimester (from the 43rd to the 84th day post-conception) in terms of occurrence of FAS-type symptoms in babies. However, since symptoms of FAS also appeared regardless of the timing of the mother’s drinking, it also concluded that there was no time during the pregnancy when alcohol consumption by the mother was not going to potentially adversely affect the baby.
This may be a different view than the traditional one that a little drink here and there was beneficial or would relax the mother-to-be. The current view is that one should not drink during pregnancy at all if one cares about her baby’s future health. This may be acceptable for someone who can easily control her drinking. Those womenwould not have a problem cutting alcohol out during the nine months of pregnancy.
For others who cannot control their drinking or those who would really be considered alcoholics (those who continue to drink despite the damage it is causing to their health, lives and families, and who cannot stop without outside assistance), more help would be needed. Since alcohol is a legal substance, and is easily obtained, it may be necessary to get this type of woman out of her current environment and away from the usual haunts where she is used to drinking. By removing these reminders, it may be easier to actually withdraw from the alcohol safely and effectively.
For this situation, Narconon provides a very effective residential rehab program for alcoholics. Narconon residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities exist in more than fifty locations around the world. The rehab program that Narconon provides is unique, and includes a full physical detox on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program as well as training in life skills. The body actually gets rid of the accumulated toxic residues of drug and alcohol doing this comprehensive deep detox program of nutritional support, mild exercise and dry-heat sauna.
It is followed then by several courses in life skills that include how to communicate better with others, and honestly face and handle issues that she may have been avoiding. This will allow the woman to reshape her life and provide a safe, drug-free environment for her growing child. At Narconon, one can regain her self-respect and personal integrity as well as learning how to choose friends who will be supportive of her new drug-free lifestyle. One learns how to deal with even difficult situations without the need of drugs or alcohol as an escape.
The best time to find recovery from alcoholism is before pregnancy occurs. If you have a loved one who has an alcohol or drug problem, please contact a Narconon rehab counselor at: today to get them effective help.
Resources:
http://www.narconon.org/drug-rehab/alcohol-rehab-program.html
http://fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/educationTraining/courses/CapCurriculum/competency1/changes1.cfm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/29/dining/29preg.html?ref=health
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/womens-health/articles/2012/01/17/drinking-late-in-first-trimester-may-be-most-hazardous
Will the Coming New Formulation of Hydrocodone Mean More Opiate Addicts Will Need Help in 2013?
As time passes, we get ever closer to the date that Zogenix releases its new hydrocodone formulation, Zohydro. As announced in January 2012, this new formulation of pain medication will contain five times as much of the pain-killing drug hydrocodone but none of the acetaminophen that the earlier formulations contained. These formulations were known as Lortab, Vicodin, Lorcet, and many other names. But in continuous use as when a person suffers from chronic pain, the acetaminophen presents risks of liver toxicity and damage.
On the other hand, hydrocodone is a very commonly abused drug. As it is addictive, it sends many people who have abused it to drug rehabs for recovery.
Despite the concerns of regulators and those who care for those who become addicted, Zohydro is in clinical trials and it set to hit the pain-relief market in 2013.
There are three other pharmaceutical companies who are developing new all-hydrocodone formulas: Teva Pharmaceuticals in Israel, Purdue Pharma that also manufactures OxyContin, and Egalet in Denmark. These other companies are working on formulations that contain deterrents to abusing or tampering with the pills, for example, crushing or dissolving them. The Zogenix formulation does not contain any deterrents.
Will Narconon Centers See More People Needing Drug Rehab?
Hydrocodone is addictive, but the large dosage of acetaminophen that now is included in current formulations is not. This means that anyone taking or abusing the upcoming Zohydro is going to be getting a higher dose of addictive material with every dose. Will this mean that more people are going to be seeking help at Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers across the US?
Already, as many as half the new arrivals at some Narconon centers are seeking help for addiction to pain relievers and other prescription drugs. In 2009, it was estimated that more than 23 million Americans had abused hydrocodone at some point. More than 86,000 needed assistance at an emergency room after they had abused this drug. As an opiate, hydrocodone suppresses a person’s respiration. As it is frequently abused along with alcohol which also suppresses respiration, this can present a threat of death when both drugs work together stop a person’s breathing.
Lasting Recovery is an Essential Part of Curtailing This Epidemic
According to reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), about one in three people admitted to addiction treatment in 2010 were being admitted for the first time. The other two were going back to rehab because they did not manage to stay sober. Effective rehabilitation that results in lasting sobriety is needed to fight this epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.
But many drug rehabs do not profess to eliminate addiction. Instead, they quote success rates of somewhere around 20% and explain that relapse is part of recovery. So the family may not be surprised when their loved one begins to abuse drugs once again. The success of the Narconon drug recovery program means that families do not need to experience this “revolving door” of addiction treatment.
Instead, Narconon centers monitor their graduates for a two year period and find that 70% of them stay sober after they get home. This means that even if the threat of addiction stays high because of these new hydrocodone formulations coming on the market, families can find effective help for their loved ones who may become trapped after abusing pain relievers for a short period – or a long one.
Call the Narconon International office to get more information about the Narconon drug rehabilitation program.
Resources:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9S7N3001.htm
http://www.painmedicinenews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?d=Clinical+Pain+Medicine
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=229812http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/hydrocodone.pdf
Cocaine Damages the Heart
Cocaine has many potential devastating effects on the human heart, both physiologically and emotionally. In an article entitled, “The Effects of Acute and Chronic Cocaine Use on the Heart,” published on the American Heart Association’s website, the authors document how cocaine is toxic to the heart muscle and actually leads to necrosis (death of tissue) of the heart muscle itself. This occurs as cocaine lessens the heart muscle’s ability to contract and pump blood so that less oxygen reaches the heart.
Even young cocaine users can have symptoms like those of a heart attack, sometimes making diagnosis difficult, since doctors are more accustomed to seeing these in older patients.
Another factor is the accumulation of plaque in the arteries (known as atherosclerosis), that causes the arteries to become less supple, making blood flow more difficult and sometimes leading to heart attacks or strokes. The heart can also become enlarged, thicker or stiffer than it should be due to this greater inflexibility of the blood vessels.
This makes cocaine a very dangerous drug when it comes to one’s cardiovascular health. However, there is usually far more damage done to the cocaine abuser’s life than only the physical injury to his body.
An addict to any substance has become so preoccupied or consumed with the need for more and more drugs that he cannot usually see what damage he may be doing to his own life, his loved ones, his career or his home. His decision-making seems to have shifted onto how to get his next fix or the next one after that and so on. His loss of self-esteem and ideals make his life very difficult to face so that more abuse of the drug is the only way he finds escape.
The cost of drug abuse can also contribute to a financial downward spin leading one to quickly lose control of his finances when so much money is consumed in the high-cost powder form, or in rocks such as crack cocaine.
It is fortunate that even chronic cocaine addiction can be reversed with effective drug rehabilitation. Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation offers a drugless, holistic approach to rehab that really works. The Narconon drug rehab program is so effective that seven of ten of its graduates over the past four decades have remained drug free and sober at least two years following program completion.
This unique program includes the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, which helps to reduce or eliminate drug cravings. An individual enrolled in the Narconon program is closely supervised during the period of drug withdrawal and then is overseen during daily moderate exercise, while receiving excellent nutrition and plenty of nutritional supplements, as well as spending time in a dry-heat sauna. This strict regimen continues until the person is freed of the harmful residues of drugs in his body, allowing one to feel clean again, and see the world unclouded by drug shadows. In addition to fewer cravings, one usually recovers a brighter viewpoint and more energy after completing this part of the program.
The Narconon program continues with essential life skills training enabling the former addict to recover his own personal integrity, self-esteem and moral values. He will learn how to make drug-free decisions and to choose people in his life who will be supportive of a drug-free lifestyle.
It is fully possible to regain a healthy outlook and love for life that had seemed long-gone. The recovery process is only complete when one has charted a course for his future that is productive, drug free and one he will be happy to maintain.
In more than fifty locations around the world, Narconon is helping to create lasting recovery from cocaine and other drug addictions every day.
Call us to find out more details of the Narconon program and locate a rehab center near you. Or check out some Narconon reviews to get more information.
Resources:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/85/2/407
