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.
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.
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
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)
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
Parents can Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse
Although many parents may not know it, they can set the example for their teenagers that will lead them to abusing or not abusing prescription drugs.
In the latest Monitoring the Future study published by the University of Michigan, some trends are noted that may have come about due to the lack of understanding young people have on what drugs can do. In this study, researchers noted that more than half of American schoolchildren have abused an illicit or prescription drug by the time they have finished high school. Additionally, sixty percent reported they had drunk alcohol and 41 percent had engaged in binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks in one sitting) just in the two weeks prior to the study.
Trends noted in this December 2011 report included the news that heroin and cocaine use are somewhat down, but marijuana use was up and exceeded cigarette smoking in teens. Prescription drug abuse is steady at a very high level.
In 2010, the number of high school seniors who were abusing prescription opioids such as hydrocodone or oxycodone was nearly twice the number that had abused those drugs in 1991, hitting more than 13%.
It is easy to see how one can become complacent about prescription drug use, and how easily that can lead one to abuse prescription drugs. In schools, too many children are given prescription drugs to help them focus, or settle down (for problems that are labeled as “attention deficit disorders” of various types); and children and teens keenly observe what their parents do. If parents take prescription medicines for anxiety, pain or trouble sleeping, it is easy to see how kids can think these drugs are harmless. Prescription drugs, however, are not harmless, but addictive, and most are extremely dangerous and easy to overdose on, particularly when mixed with alcohol or other drugs.
However, it is reassuring to know though that as parents we can have a positive effect on our children, simply by talking openly about drugs and their potentially harmful effects. Ideally, one should set an example of abstaining from drug use, as well as openly talking about issues and sharing communication honestly about how one feels about taking drugs or alcohol.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Colombia University (CASA) discovered that it is important for both parents to agree on their anti-drug and anti-alcohol positions, so that they will present a consistent message when talking to their kids. In fact, CASA found that the decision a child ultimately makes on whether or not to take drugs or alcohol depends strongly on this one factor.
Lower substance abuse rates also corresponded in CASA’s research with having family dinners together five or more times weekly, with higher rates of substance abuse found in families who ate dinner together three or less times per week.
When it comes to those entering drug rehab, almost eight percent of those who enter are in the age group from 12 to 17 years old. If you added all those under 21 who are going into rehab, it amounts to about 15 percent of those two million people entering treatment, or a whopping 300,000 youth. These young people are dealing primarily with marijuana abuse, but alcohol abuse was the problem for 67,000 of them.
When prevention has not worked, and children or teens are addicted to drugs, fortunately, there is Narconon.
Narconon centers exist in fifty locations around the world and offer an effective, holistic, drugless program for rehabilitation that really works. Seven of ten Narconon graduates go on to lead drug-free and productive lives. When a person is caught in the morass of addiction, it is often too hard to pull oneself up alone.
Instead of letting your loved one struggle, call Narconon and get help. Find out how Narconon drug and alcohol rehab services can aid you and your family and work with you as parents to save your family.
Resources:
http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-vol1_2010.pdf
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/publications_reports.aspx: National Survey on American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI.
http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k9NSDUH/tabs/Sect2peTabs1to42.htm#Tab2.4B
http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2011.pdf
Tragedy of Painkiller Addiction
Addiction to painkilling drugs has become one of the most prevalent addictions in America and other countries today. Recently America’s most popular prescription drug was hydrocodone, an opioid pain killer, in combination with acetaminophen – also called Vicodin, Lorcet or Lortab. In 2010, there were an astonishing 131.2 million prescriptions for this drug. (Or about one prescription written for every 2.5 Americans.)
By looking at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) statistics, one can see how dire this trend is. Their 2010 report showed that prescription drug addiction is up 430% from 1999 to 2009, based on the number of people who entered drug treatment for this addiction problem.
How does one get addicted to prescription pain medication? Surely, so many people are not in such horrific chronic pain that it takes huge doses of opiate pain medication to relieve it.
It starts for many with a simple legitimate use of pain medication after surgery, a severe injury, or even a tooth extraction. One may just need a few pills and the pain is gone. However, the person may continue to use the painkiller after that initial pain has gone away. He may seem to “feel better” or just not have some of his usual aches and pains when he takes the pills. Of course, they are opiates, so they do relieve pain, and they are highly addictive.
Some people won’t realize they have a problem even though they find they need more and more of the pills to keep the good feeling of a pain-free body. What has happened is the body has developed a tolerance for them, which means it needs higher doses to feel the relief that was previously achieved with a lower dosage.
Now the person may go back to the doctor and request more prescriptions, he may report that the medication he has isn’t sufficient to handle his pain. The doctor may fill this request a few times, but he may eventually refuse to do so, and now the person needs the drug in order to feel normal, and not feel so achy or sick. He is in trouble now, as he has no legitimate prescription to refill.
Many solutions have been used for this painkilling drug addiction dilemma, some pretty inventive. One can go doctor shopping, in different counties or cities, or even across State lines, in attempts to get prescriptions from different doctors and pharmacies that may not be aware of other prescriptions already written. (Several states are wising up to this phenomenon however, and are tracking prescriptions written for such drugs and penalizing pharmacies for filling multiple prescriptions.)
Some people even try crossing international borders, and purchase drugs over the Internet, even coming from China or India, which brings into question the purity or the actual dosage of the drugs they are getting.
Others switch to heroin when they can no longer obtain their prescription medicines, subjecting themselves to the potential danger of an accidental overdose.
In any case, what has happened is now the person has become addicted to these painkillers. He has lost control of his life and needs an effective drug rehab program to bring him back. Some programs state a recovery rate of only 10 to 20 percent, but the Narconon drug rehab program continues to have 70 percent of its graduates who go on to lead sober and productive lives.
The secret of this program is that it completely addresses the reasons for going down the road of addiction, as well as handling the physical results of such drug use, and giving the person the life skills he will need to continue to live drug-free after completing the program.
Narconon offers a long-term residential treatment program that gives the person a chance to reclaim his life and rebuild his personal integrity which may have been lost during his bout with addiction. He learns how he can stay stable and make good choices in his life, despite life’s challenges.
For the physical addiction, the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program is a unique combination of time spent in a dry-heat sauna along with moderate exercise and liberal nutritional supplementation. This strict regimen results in activating the body’s ability to flush out old drug residues that have been stored in the fatty tissues. Eliminating these toxins has been shown to help those recovering from addiction to have fewer cravings for drugs and in some cases eliminates the cravings altogether.
You may not believe it now, but you or your loved one can safely and completely get off pain pills. Call Narconon to find out more details of the comprehensive Narconon drug rehab program.
Resources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lee-curtis/king-of-pain_b_240998.html
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/DASIS/teds09st/teds2009stweb.pdf
http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1112074117.aspx
http://www.clinicalcorrelations.org/?p=4888
Alcohol Poisoning Prevention through Alcohol Rehab
While it may seem improbable that one could drink so much alcohol to actually kill oneself, it certainly can and does happen. This is not from some collateral damage of drinking such as a car accident; it is that the person can actually drink themselves to death.
This was demonstrated recently by the unfortunate deaths of both Amy Winehouse and Jani Lane (lead singer of the band Warrant), who died of alcohol poisoning the month following Amy’s death. Amy died in July of 2011 of alcohol poisoning according to a London coroner’s inquest report. They found that her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was over five times the legal limit for driving.
What occurs when one drinks a large quantity of alcohol in a short amount of time is this causes the body to suppress its respiratory functions. The BAC rises in the body so much that the person may pass out (lose consciousness). He may be breathing very slowly and the body may feel cold to the touch; his heart may start to beat irregularly as well. If one hasn’t arrived at a hospital emergency room at this stage to get sobered up quickly, there is another stage that can occur which is potentially deadly.
This second phase of alcohol poisoning is what occurs when the person has actually stopped drinking. He may be passed out and yet there is so much alcohol in his body that the bloodstream continues to absorb the alcohol that is in his stomach or intestinal tract. This can cause his BAC to rise even further than what it was when he was awake, and can make him vomit while he’s unconscious, thus making him choke on the vomit. Or if the BAC is too high he can simply cease breathing. Then he’s dead.
Fortunately, there is effective help available in the form of Narconon alcohol and drug rehabilitation. When one cannot control their drinking they do not have control over when and how much to drink. They certainly are not able to judge when to quit consuming alcohol, and since alcohol also impairs good judgment, an alcoholic or one who is drinking excessively could actually cause their own demise.
Treatment programs abound but most claim success rates at about 16 – 20 percent. The Narconon program is a comprehensive, holistic and drugless long-term residential rehab (over 90 days on average), which actually results in lasting sobriety for seven out of ten graduates. This is without having to attend Narconon meetings. There are Narconon treatment centers on six continents in 50 locations around the world which have been helping alcoholics and drug addicts to get sober and clean and stay that way for the past 45 years.
The Narconon program provides a thorough detox of the body first, and follows that up with a full training program in life skills that are needed to regain a drug-free lifestyle.
In the first phase, a person entering Narconon goes through a closely supervised withdrawal period, made more bearable by good nutrition and gentle massage-like assists to ease the pains of the body’s withdrawal.
Then one enters the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. This unique program offers the correct combination of vitamins and minerals, moderate exercise and daily time spent in a dry-heat sauna. All of these are closely supervised and personally tailored so that one can actually rid the body of harmful residues (toxins) left from the drugs or alcohol he had been taking. These toxins lodge in the fatty tissue of the body, and without this unique regimen, will remain there for years where they can cause one to feel cravings from time to time for more drugs or alcohol. When they are eliminated from the body, the result is a more awake, brighter person with either far fewer or no more cravings at all.
When the physical detox is complete, one enters the second part of the Narconon program. In this part, one learns essential life skills and makes a plan for a drug-free and alcohol-free future. When one is certain he can maintain his sobriety despite the hurdles that life puts in one’s path, he graduates the program.
Drinking while you are pregnant is unsafe for you and your baby. Please call and find out how Narconon drug and alcohol rehab can help.
If you know someone who needs help with alcohol abuse, please call a Narconon qualified drug rehab intake counselor today.
Resources:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/10/jani-lane-warrant-cause-of-death-alcohol-poisoning.html
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/10/26/coroner-rules-amy-winehouse-died-from-alcohol-poisoning/
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/14-year-dies-alcohol-poisoning-slumber-party/story?id=14065038#.Tx9gZJhA9SU
Drug Abuse in College
A young person going to college represents hope for the future and the chance of fulfilling one’s dreams. Parents should be proud of the child who can accomplish this today, but should also be wary of the dangers colleges offer to can cause the student to veer off the straight path. These may not be something that they have prepared their child to handle.
One pitfall that is all too easy to fall into is heavy alcohol consumption or binge drinking. It has been found by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse that nearly half of all full-time college students engage in this activity. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting. Some forty percent of college students report binge drinking, and 68% of students say they drink some alcohol.
Unfortunately, alcohol-related accidents claim more than 1,700 students’ lives annually. Some overdose themselves on alcohol to the point of dying from alcohol poisoning, where they fall into a coma and never awaken. Some die in traffic accidents related to alcohol-impaired driving.
Another hazard of college campuses which has been going sky high recently is the use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. A short time ago this was restricted to tranquilizers and sedatives, and then prescription painkillers, so that now drugs such as OxyContin, Fentanyl, Vicodin, Xanax, and Nembutal are drug names now known to most college students. In addition, in the past ten years or so, stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin have gained popularity on college campuses. These are often prescribed to younger children and teens for difficulties studying that are labeled ADD and ADHD, which supposedly require drugging for a student to learn. However, these drugs are very strong stimulants, similar or almost identical to speed, which people buy to get high, often becoming addicted. College students using Adderall to supposedly aid their concentration can easily start down the road to addiction to this drug early on.
Marijuana represents another very popular pastime with a third of all college students reportedly abusing the drug. This, according to the latest Monitoring the Future study, is on the increase, now surpassing tobacco use among young people in high schools.
The risk of marijuana isn’t just that of the drug’s effects, but unfortunately those who smoke marijuana heavily also seem to be involved in other higher risk behavior such as unsafe sexual activity and they often combine marijuana with alcohol and sometimes with other drugs. The result is that students who use marijuana often do not maintain optimum study schedules so they have poorer academic performance than non-drug users.
It isn’t typical that one would plan a drug rehab or alcohol rehab program in the middle of one’s college career, or that one would have to enter rehab after college, but now this is often the case.
Fortunately, there is effective help available. Narconon rehab programs exist on six continents and have been helping students and others to regain lasting sobriety for the past 45 years. There are more than fifty Narconon long-term residential rehab facilities located as far away as Russia, Italy, Taiwan, Australia, Canada and England and in many cities of the United States.
At Narconon, one has the opportunity to handle both the physical and emotional or mental effects of drug abuse.
The recovering addict at Narconon will have a full detox from drug or alcohol use that has poisoned the body and left behind toxic residues. This occurs on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, which consists of daily moderate exercise plus nutritional supplementation, and time spent in a dry-heat sauna. The combination of these, done in a closely-supervised, strict regimen, gives the body an opportunity to rid itself of drug and alcohol residues which have the potential to cause more drug cravings. Once these are eliminated from the body, recovering users report many fewer and sometimes no drug cravings, a fresh outlook on life, and a brighter view of the future.
Then the Narconon program has five more parts which are actually courses one studies to address many aspects of why the person had resorted to drugs or alcohol in the first place. These also give one the life skills he will need to maintain a sober life. The courses include one designed to help the person in recovery regain their personal integrity. There’s also one which involves how to choose one’s associates and friends so that they will be supportive of a drug-free and productive lifestyle. The last course helps one to learn a common sense moral code to guide his decisions for future actions. All graduates also complete a plan for a drug-free and sober future that ensures the person can face life’s challenges without the need for drugs or alcohol again.
Give us a call or visit Get Help With Addiction Now to get help with alcohol or drug abuse for you or your loved one today.
Resources:
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/publications_reports.aspx: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse
http://www.higheredcenter.org/files/product/marijuana.pdf
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-vol2_2010.pdf
Celebrities Affected by Prescription Drug Abuse
Another one of many celebrities struggling with prescription drug abuse is Matthew Perry, former star of “Friends” TV show and current star of ABC’s “Mr. Sunshine.” He has had a history of substance abuse and has gone twice to rehab for treatment of prescription pill addiction.
Celebrities aren’t the only ones fighting the battle with prescription drugs. In the state of Florida, prescription drug abuse is an epidemic. In fact pills are involved in 75% of all the drug-related deaths and on average, 11 people die daily in Florida from prescription drug overdoses.
In the United States, more people are now abusing prescription drugs than heroin, cocaine and ecstasy combined. The drug of choice for a growing number of users is oxycodone, a synthetic opioid sold under the brand name OxyContin. OxyContin is essentially synthetic heroin made in a lab by pharmaceutical companies. Oxycodone has become the most-abused prescription drug in the United States, with hydrocodone coming in second, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s annual count of drug seizures sent to police drug labs for analysis.
Current TV’s series Vanguard aired a disturbing documentary, The Oxycontin Express, in which South Florida was labeled “the Colombia of prescription drugs” and exposed the difficulties facing law enforcement in dealing with prescription drug abuse in what is truly a national epidemic.
Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott finally signed a bill into law in June of 2011 penalizing doctors who overprescribe painkillers, and authorizing a database that monitors prescription drugs in an attempt to control the state’s widespread “pill mills.”
How to Overcome Drug Addiction
But what if you, a loved one or a family member is faced with this highly-addictive drug problem? What would you do? How do you tell if a rehab program is effective? What will work to get one off of drugs for good? Is there a drug-free solution?
Fortunately there is help available. One can rid oneself of the addiction and live a productive, drug-free life again. Narconon is a very effective program, founded more than 45 years ago, which helps the prescription pill addict find his way back to health and sobriety. Narconon drug rehabilitation centers exist worldwide, on six continents and specialize in drug-free detoxification and treatment methods.
The Narconon program consists of two phases. In Phase one, the recovering addict will experience a physical rehabilitation. During the first part the person entering a Narconon will have one-on-one counseling and assistance and plenty of nutritional supplements to replace those destroyed during drug use. This makes for a more tolerable withdrawal. This is followed by the unique Narconon New Life Detoxification Program composed of daily exercise, time in a dry-heat sauna, and more nutritional support. Upon completion of this part of the program, many recovering addicts report fewer cravings for drugs.
However Narconon rehabilitation does not stop here, as this is just the first phase. The issues which led the person to abuse drugs have to be handled in order for him to return to a drug-free life. In Phase two, the student at Narconon studies several life skills courses helping him to rebuild his self-esteem, ability to communicate and control of self and his environment. In doing this, he handles the underlying reasons the person used drugs in the first place.
The Narconon program differs from many others in that it does not substitute one drug for another, and it offers the life skills necessary to live a drug-free life. Once a person graduates the program, there are no Narconon meetings to attend. The person is able to apply the life skills attained to live drug-free.
If you or a family member has a prescription drug abuse problem, call a Narconon rehab center for assistance.
