Non-Traditional Drug Rehab Using Art

May 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Researchers are always looking for new ways to help addicts overcome their addictions in rehabilitation facilities, and a new one, called RADE, or Rehabilitation through Art, Drama, and Education, is seeing if using the arts will help addicts find the strength to succeed.

This facility has been open for six years and during that time, many lives have been transformed — including those whose families had given up on.

Part of the therapy is about changing the label that has been placed on you by society. If you’re only ever seen as a drug addict, as if you can never be anything else, then that’s all you’ll ever be. By changing the label you place on yourself, you’re able to change how those around you view you.

Those in the facility spend their time in activities that include creative writing, art, drama, and film making in addition to working with therapists in traditional counseling sessions.

One great example is Jenna, who before starting the RADE program had been addicted to heroin. Through the program, she learned that she loves acting and is even in a course at the Gaiety School of Acting in addition to the acting she does at RADE. She’s learning that through art, she’s able to express emotions that she used to bottle up inside. It’s crucial to her recovery, she believes.

It’s not surprising that they’re finding success through the arts. Arts have long been used for therapy and it’s been found that the arts help children gain creativity and help kids in rough neighborhoods find a reason to avoid gangs and do well in school.

Filed Under: Drug Addiction, Recovering, Rehab Tagged With: , ,

A Look at Health Insurance Providers Covering Treatment Centers

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many substance abusers are unable to seek treatment due to the high cost of drug and alcohol treatment. It is estimated that drug and alcohol treatment centers can cost anywhere from $5000 all the way up to $23,000 a month. Most people do not have this type of money and cannot afford to pay for their treatment. This is why many substance abusers will try to see if their health insurance will cover the substance abuse treatment center.

Many health insurance providers offer very limited coverage for drug and alcohol treatment centers. There are strict rules and guidelines that outline how the health insurance provider will cover the drug and alcohol treatment centers. Here’s a look at some of the examples of how health insurance providers have covered drug and alcohol treatment centers.

Medical Costs Only. Some health insurance providers will only cover any related medical costs that might be incurred during the day at the drug and alcohol treatment center. This means that all drugs and possibly alternative medicine therapies are cover. The detox process is also covered as it is considered a medical necessity. However, the actual stay at the treatment center as well as the therapy sessions is not covered.

Limited Time Treatment. Some health insurance providers will offer full coverage or percentage off of specific drug and alcohol treatment centers. However, this day must be at a health insurance providers recommended drug and alcohol treatment center, for a specified amount of time, doctor ordered and not within a certain time frame. Generally health-insurance providers will cover a 30 day stay at a drug and alcohol treatment center one every 3 to 5 years.

Every health-insurance provider has their own rules and regulations regarding what type of drug and alcohol treatment centers they will provide for. Some health insurance providers will not cover drug and alcohol treatment centers at all, will others offer limited time coverage for those that are suffering from substance abuse problem. Check with your health insurance provider to see what coverage they may offer.

Filed Under: Recovering, Rehab Tagged With: , ,

Getting Help for your Addiction

October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you realize that you are addicted to alcohol, then you have taken the first step in the right direction. Many alcoholics have a difficult time admitting they have a problem, and will often go to great lengths to hide it from others.

If you know you have a problem, you need to get help for it before it becomes worse. You may have already discovered that the relationships with your family and friends has been affected negatively. For right now, focus on getting yourself better before you try to fix your relationships. There’s nothing worse than an addict that says they’re sorry, only to do it all over again.

Try getting into a rehab. At a rehab facility, you will get the professional help that you need. There you will go through a withdrawal period, where the harmful toxins from alcohol will need to leave your body. This may be difficult for you, but once you get through that you have gotten through one of the hardest parts of recovery.

You may stay at the rehab center for a few days before they let you leave. This is so they can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t fall back into your old ways. After rehab, you are left to find other ways to stop yourself from drinking again.

Join a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will receive group support from others that are going through the same problems you are. You can listen to people’s stories or you can tell your own. Whatever you do, you will have a big support network in AA.

Make sure you regularly go to these meetings. Pair up with a buddy that you can call in times of stress. Just make sure you don’t take that first drink again, or else you might not be able to stop.

Filed Under: Addiction, Recovering

What Happens After Rehab?

October 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you have a substance abuse problem, then you may have been to rehab to fix the addiction. Rehab can be quite a difficult experience, especially if you had bad withdrawal symptoms while inside. Once you get through the withdrawal symptoms, you then have to fight the emotional symptoms. Getting over an addiction can be hard, but once you do, you will have won a hard battle.

However, many people wonder what happens after rehab. Rehab won’t magically cure your addiction because recovery from alcohol is a lifelong process. Rehab will only teach you how to handle yourself and make correct choices. The rest is up to you once you leave the facility. Only you can control what happens to you once you are out of rehab.

If you are a recovering alcoholic, you may want to join a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has regular meetings that you can attend where you will be surrounded with people that are just like you – people that need help for their addictions. At AA you will sit in a group and listen to people’s stories, and also share your own if you wish. There will also be group speakers that can help motivate you to get through another day.

You will also want to remove your alcohol triggers, and this includes people you know that may bring you back to that lifestyle. For awhile at least, you will need to sever relationships with people that can draw you back in. Let them know that while it’s not permanent, you need to become stronger first before you can be their friend. If they are truly your friend, they will understand and wait to hear from you while you heal yourself and get rid of your addiction. You want to make sure you take care of yourself first before anyone else.

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Factors that make you a softer addiction target

August 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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There are hundreds of thousands of people around the world who try out a drug or substance for the first time on any given them. Not all of these people attempt taking a drug again and many of them never take any form of addictive drugs once they have experienced the thrill of trying out something new. Yet, there are several people from amongst those who try drugs for the first time who will not only take drugs again but are at a greater risk of abuse and addiction.

One of the primary factors that lead to addiction is mental stress and disorders. If a person is going through a tough phase in life and has high levels of emotional and mental anxiety, there is a higher chance that such a person would repeatedly use drugs as a means of escape. Substance abuse provides them with a supposedly easy solution to the depression and so mentally stressed people are more likely to move on to addiction.

If a child has grown up in a family where drug/ substance abuse was an issue, such children are more likely to follow suit. In a psychological response to making their childhood family life seem normal, children coming from families with a history of drug abuse fail to realize that there is anything wrong with substance abuse. It is extremely dangerous when a person considers addiction to be “normal” as they are not only prone to becoming addicts themselves but are eventually more difficult to treat as well.

It also very likely that children who have grown up in families suffering from addiction also have a history of child abuse. Parents who are addicts often neglect their children and can be abusive as well, leading to traumatic situations for the child. Having a troubled childhood and drugs being freely available in the household leads to children using drugs at an early age, which again leads to an addiction that is more intense and difficult to treat. Children from such families need to be monitored or they might become victims themselves.

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What To Expect From Detox

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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It is necessary for an addict, especially an alcoholic, to quit cold turkey when they stop using. Alcoholics cannot have one drink and be done with it. One drink is simply the gateway to more drinking and so it must be avoided at all cost. However, going off of a chemically dependent substance is one of the hardest things to do initially. It’s never easy quitting cold turkey and the detox itself can put you in a physically compromised state that could lead to hospitalization or even death. So if you are about make the decision to quit cold turkey you should understand that ins and outs of initial detox.

First you have to know that the severity of your symptoms during detox are usually dependant on how much you are dependant on the alcohol. In most cases the result of death during detox is usually in the case of patients who have had a severe alcohol dependency for years. So detoxing shouldn’t scare you to that extent. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be prepared.

The one thing you need to take care of before you decide to go cold turkey is consult a physician. Assuming you aren’t going the route of a rehab facility which will have doctors, nurses, and trained technicians to help you, then a doctor is your best bet. Be honest and upfront about the length and severity of your alcohol dependency so that your doctor can tell you what to expect and how to go about treating it.

Know that regardless of the length and depth of the dependency that there will be some physical as well as emotional adjustments that should be made. Vomiting, nausea, followed by symptoms like irritability and depression are all common symptoms of someone going through detox. Now, once again the severity that you will feel these symptoms depend a lot on you and your alcohol dependency but that doesn’t mean that mean it isn’t worth trying. It is a long hard road to recovery and the beginning and be the hardest but it’s always worth it.

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Filed Under: Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Recovering, Substance Abuse Tagged With: , , ,

Churches and Universities Can Help With Rehab

August 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The most important part of a road to recovery from drug and alcohol abuse is that you get the important treatment you need early on. This is not always as easy to accomplish as it seems. The rising cost of living well in this country alone cannot be afforded by everyone but nothing should ever stop you from making a decision that is not only best for you but that will positively impact the people around you. If you are in need of drug rehab assistance and are without medical insurance then you may still be able to get the help you need.

First you can head over to the local church. This can be a scary idea to some who are afraid of being influenced by a particular religions views. This is understandable but know that these churches are not offering assistance with the promise of faith in their God. They are looking to help and that’s it. Most often there are support groups that meet often and are run by trained professionals who can give you the help you need without making you go through a religious conversion. The most important thing is getting better so you have to explore every option.

Calling your local university is another great way to get yourself help at a reduced rate. The idea is to locate a school who has a psychology program or a family counseling program. From there you can contact the head of the department and see if they offer special services. Often times these schools have highly trained students who are looking to get in some real life hours working with those suffering from addiction. This could be a great way for them to help you and with no money at all. It might not seem like the most attractive option but you should know these students have a teacher that is a trained professional who is helping them navigate your wellness path. And help comes in many forms so don’t balk at the idea of someone helping you for free. It happens all the time.

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Where to Find Information about Prescriptions

March 30, 2010 By 1 Comment

Most people in the US have had to go to the pharmacy and fill a prescription at some point or another. Prescription drugs, written by doctors, are typically more effective at curing certain conditions and ailments or making them manageable than over the counter products.

Drugs

Prescriptions also have more side effects and potential problems than a few aspirin. For that reason, it’s important to get plenty of information about your drugs before you take them. The following are some places to get info on prescription drugs:

  • Your doctor. Be sure to ask your doctor any questions you may have about your prescription. This includes side effects, when you should take it, whether you should take it with food or drink or on an empty stomach, who to call if you have a reaction, and whether it interacts with any other drugs you might take.
  • Websites. There are many different websites that can provide you with everything you need to know about your medication. You can research common side effects and other things that may affect you. Some sites even allow you to enter multiple drugs to see how they react.
  • Pharmacist. A pharmacist is an excellent resource for info on prescription drugs. Not only do they fill prescriptions, but they know a great deal about each type of drug, including ingredients, side effects, and dangers. You can either ask your pharmacist questions in person when you drop your prescription off, or you can usually call the pharmacy.
  • Books. There are reference books and guides designed specifically to provide information on prescription drugs. You can even find a whole section of them in the library. The downside of using books for info, however, is they can become outdated quickly.

These are just a few of the places you can find reliable prescription information.

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