Category: Treatment

Prescription Drug Abuse – When most people think of drug addictions they picture a person partying while drinking and snorting lines of coke or a junkie with a needle hanging out of their arm, but this is just one aspect of having an addiction. Addiction is actually defined as a chronic brain disease that leads a person to take part in a repetitive behavior, the use of drugs, to attain a feeling that is not part of reality. This means that any substances that can alter your physical or mental reality can be considered addictive. Unfortunately, many people find these substances to be prescription medications.

Prescription Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that approximately 48 million people of the age 12 and older have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons during their lifetime. While this does not mean that every person that has tried this becomes an addict it is a staggering number of individuals willing to take prescriptions without real cause. Prescription Drug Abuse begins much like any addiction. The first time a person chooses to use the medication for a purpose other than what was intended, but over time, the brain chemistry changes and the ability to control the behavior or make appropriate decisions becomes highly impaired. The entire time the person is likely to be misusing more medications.

There are three main classes of prescription medications that are most likely to be abused. These include opioids, typically used to treat pain, central nervous system depressants, used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, and stimulants, used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. Though these are the most commonly abused prescription medications, any medication can be abused and become an addiction.

Reasons For Prescription Drug Abuse

There are a variety of reasons a person may become addicted to prescription medication, or any drug, which include biology, social environment, and at what age you first become addicted. The more categories that fit your situation, the more likely addiction will occur. One of the biggest determining factors is the age at which you start using. The younger you begin the more likely full blown addiction will occur.

If you are unsure you fit the description of an addict then consider whether you take larger doses of your medication than your doctor prescribes or for reasons other than why they are prescribed. Are you calling for extra refills or making up excuses as to why you ran out early? These are signs of addiction.

DARA Rehab Can Help

If you do realize you have an addiction to prescription medication then now is the time to seek treatment. One option is to include non-addictive medications in your treatment of the disorder that put you on prescription meds. Try talking to your doctor about alternatives. You may need something to treat the withdrawal which can also be solved by speaking to your doctor. For serious addictions an inpatient treatment option may be best. There are numerous placements that can help. Simply do your research and find several that may fit your needs and make the call. You can get better if you choose to do so. Make the right decision.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Prescription Dug Abuse and Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

There are many reasons why people keep struggling with overcoming substance abuse or addiction. One of these reasons is that many addicts usually remain living in an environment that fosters drug or alcohol use. They keep on experiencing pressure and temptation either from the people in that environment or from the environment itself. This is the most common reason why the likelihood of a relapse or the inability to quit is usually high with drug former or recent drug addicts. After all the various forms of therapy, addicts still find themselves swimming in the swamp of despondency. Could there be a solution to this problem?

It has been found that if you’re removed from your normal environment, you may respond better to your therapy and move faster on your walk to freedom. Thus, for some, it is a wise move to choose a rehab away from the home front, and close to mother nature herself in order to start off on a clean slate.

What is a resort environment?

If you take a casual attitude or approach toward a resort recovery program, it is a sure way to fail at it. Rehab is serious work and as such should be approached with a serious mind. People have varying views about resort recovery facilities. Many view it as though it is an exotic getaway, while some also believe that resort recovery programs are easy and fun. In all actuality, a resort recovery facility could make all the difference between a short life of dependence on alcohol or drugs and a new life. With a healthy, sober outlook.

Why Choose a Resort-Style Recovery Program?

The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use has found out that over 9 percent of Americans over the age of 12 had some kind of drug or alcohol problem, but that less than 15 percent had received treatment for it. This implies that as at 2007, more than 23 million Americans needed treatment for an addiction. Evidently, a large number of people are going without treatment or therapy for what is clearly a life-threatening condition. Resort recovery facilities have come to the rescue and are uniquely well positioned to meet the needs of addicts who are just beginning on their journey to recovery.

Drug users in the throes of addiction rapidly build up resistance to entering treatment. Treatment is commonly perceived as something that will go so wrong. However, if treatment is presented in an obviously pleasant environment, drug addicts will see a restful escape from the pressures of the life that active alcoholics or drug addicts face.

What is a good resort center?

A good resort environment recovery center has a wonderful atmosphere that is warm and welcoming to new residents. The center should also try their best to relieve the new residents of the anxiety they feel about beginning the rehab process. Many resort centers are set up to handle a range of dependency issues. Although some focus and specialize on just one form of addiction. Only a few facilities are integrated. There is also a limit to contact with visitors to better maintain a being therapeutic environment.

Be sure to ask some questions about the resort recovery facility on the following areas to help you know how suitable and reliable it is for treatment. Some things to look for are:

Program specifics. How strictly do they adhere to the program?

 Accessibility. Will it be possible to receive visitors? At what stage in the program can they receive visitors?

Amenities. Does this resort environment recovery facility have private rooms? Can I play my favorite game?

Duration. What is the maximum stay allowable?

Be sure to ask every question you have in mind before joining the resort environment.  

Conclusion

Every individual is different in his or her addiction and is very different in terms of motivation background, and ability to move toward a life of sobriety. Reach out for the help that is available. If you or someone dear to you has a problem with alcohol or drugs why not contact us today?

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

Tramadol Addiction

Addiction does not discriminate between or among people nor does the substance discriminate. While some people start with illegal drugs, many fall into addiction with prescribed medication that then gets out of hand. One such medication is Tramadol. Tramadol is a pain killer that has been on the rise in use and abuse. While there are legitimate uses for Tramadol, it can quickly become a need for the patient. If the doctor then removes the prescription the need to procure the medication in illegal manners may occur. If you are taking, considering taking, or are already suffering from Tramadol Addiction read on as you may be surprised at the staggering abuse rates that have been on the rise the last few years.

It seems that Tramadol has become the new OxyContin even though it was once thought to be the answer to this addiction. In fact, Tramadol was created to counteract the increasing threat of opioid addiction. But the abuse rates of this drug are far above what many predicted. Though many will blame this on ‘pill mill’ doctors, which are a problem. The actual issue is the lack of monitoring and the addict’s desire to get what is needed by any means necessary. Though addiction is a disease, it is a disease in which the person makes choices and those choices have consequences.

So is Tramadol as addictive as OxyContin?

Initially this medication was classified as a non-scheduled drug which meant it was not closely monitored. But with increasing addictions to the medication it has been reclassified. Some studies have shown it to have similar effects to those of oxycodone with an enjoyable ‘high’ at higher doses and a withdrawal period for those who have been using the medication long term. In fact withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, delusions, paranoia, tinnitus, and hallucinations. Despite the similarities there are important differences. Tramadol acts on serotonin and nor epinephrine parts of the body to contribute to the pain relieving effects. But this means unique withdrawal and side effects not typical of other narcotics. This also means that a Tramadol overdose is more difficult to treat.

As concerns for Tramadol addiction are on the rise the need for rehab centers that treat this type of addiction have also increased. These types of centers are available and willing to help those that seek help. If you have an addiction to Tramadol or any prescription medications then do not be ashamed of needing help. Even though it is likely that the medication was or is needed at one time. An addiction is still very real. If this is a medication that is still needed, than it can be monitored until an alternative prescription or other form of help can be established. Please also note that simply taking yourself off of a medication like Tramadol cold turkey without monitoring can be dangerous to your health and well-being.

DARA Rehab Can Help With Tramadol Addiction.

If you are ready to make the choice to seek help then know it is available to you, simply ask. Do your research and choose a facility that meets your needs and can help put you on the road to healing.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Tramadol Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

In the last post we looked at overdose facts about heroin. In this we will take a look at methamphetamine. One of the most dangerous drugs and one of the most abused drugs in the world. It is important to understand just what an overdose of methamphetamine looks like and what can happen during and overdose.

While the number of people using methamphetamine in Australia has either remained stable or declined in recent years. The number of cases of abuse and/or dependence reported by hospitals has actually increased.  What this means is that the actual number of people using the drug is not increasing. The likelihood of addiction and overdose has nonetheless increased.

Methamphetamine Overdose & Abuse

Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant. Since it is illegal and synthesized in unregulated labs, for this reason the purity and strength of the drug as it becomes available is entirely unpredictable.

Meth abuse can produce high body temperature, mood disturbances including depression and even psychosis, impaired motor activity, and memory problems. Physically, meth can lead to body sores, dental problems, and severe weight loss. With these types of effects, we can imagine that an overdose is an extremely dangerous situation.

Methamphetamine overdoses come in two types: acute and chronic. An acute overdose will inevitably lead to chest pains, irregular breathing, heart attack or stroke. As a result, people suffering from these extreme overdose levels can therefore experience delusions and extreme emotional instability. Severe agitation and paranoia can precede fatal physical consequences.

In what doctors call chronic meth overdose, the cumulative effects of using large amounts of methamphetamine build up over a period of time. Long term use of methamphetamine can lead to kidney damage and kidney failure. In addition, the destruction to teeth, the skin, and bones are also features of chronic methamphetamine overdose.

Chronic Methamphetamine Addiction

Chronic use and abuse of methamphetamine has profound effects on the central nervous system. Meth abuse wears down the respiratory system and causes so much stress on the heart and circulatory system that heart attack and stroke become almost inevitable.

Unlike heroin, there is no easy antidote for an acute methamphetamine overdose. The specific conditions need to be treated by emergency medical professionals immediately. Contact emergency services immediately in the event of an acute methamphetamine overdose.

Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment

For those struggling with chronic use and abuse of methamphetamine, treatment is the best option. Finding a proper treatment program for methamphetamine addiction is the best course of action for anyone addicted to meth. Since there is not therapeutic use for methamphetamine and it is highly addictive, it is therefore extremely unlikely that anyone using meth will be able to stop entirely on their own.

DARA Rehab Can Help

DARA Rehab has treatment programs are available for meth addiction. These treatment regimens utilize the latest science in treating addiction. DARA offers individualized programs which take into account the specific issues which may underlie meth addiction. Therefore, forms of treatment such as Cognitive Behavioral therapy and mindfulness technique are used and as a result lead people out of deadly cycles of meth abuse. If treated, many of the devastating effects of methamphetamine can be treated and stopped.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Methamphetamine Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

According to an International Overdose Awareness project, more than 2000 people per year die from a drug overdose in Australia. Breaking this down this means that five people die every day from a drug overdose. These numbers include all kinds of drug overdoses, many of which are in fact older people taking prescription drugs without proper supervision or care. These numbers also include the staggering number of young people who die experimenting with illegal drugs like heroin and other opioids. Taking a look at the facts about drug overdoses seems worthwhile. 

Heroin Addiction Is Now At Global Epidemic Proportions

Since abuse of heroin is now something of a global epidemic, it makes sense to talk about heroin first. Heroin is now the most abused illegal substance world-wide. Highly addictive, it can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Heroin, like all opioids, causes an increase in dopamine production in the brain which is the chemical associated with pleasure. This is why it is so addictive. An overdose of heroin can be lethal.

Heroin Overdose Symptoms

The symptoms of a heroin overdose include bluish nails or lips, depressed breathing, weak pulse, disorientation and delirium, repeated episodes of loss of consciousness, and coma. In the event of a heroin overdose, victims require immediate medical attention of they will likely die. The suppression of breathing alone will ultimately kill someone experiencing a heroin overdose.

The final stages of a fatal heroin overdose consist of what is termed the overdose triad: pinpoint pupils, unconsciousness, and respiratory failure. Respiratory depression is ultimately the most deadly aspect of a heroin overdose. Since heroin effectively shuts the respiratory system down, if a person is not treated they will stop breathing altogether.

What To Do In Case Of A Heroin Overdose

In the event of an overdose, contact emergency services first. The immediate treatment for a heroin overdose is Naloxone, also called Narcan. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids especially during an overdose. Because Naloxone does is not as long acting as heroin, multiple dose may be necessary in reversing the toxicity of an overdose.

There are side effects to Naloxone. Because it reverses the effects of opioids, particularly heroin, people will begin to feel withdrawal symptoms as the drug begins to reverse the effects of the opioid. They will experience nausea, sweating, aching, and agitation. The heart rate will increase. This can be alleviated by administering small doses of Naloxone, but the unfortunate reality is this is a consequence of the drug as it reverses an overdose.

While Naloxone is effective in reversing the effects of an overdose, it is not a treatment for heroin addiction. Anyone who has gotten to the point of abusing heroin that they experience and overdose is in need to drug treatment. In most cases, inpatient treatment is required for heroin addiction. Heroin is powerfully addictive and people generally cannot get sober on their own.

DARA Rehab Can Help With Heroin Addiction

Inpatient treatments are available. Dara Rehab in Thailand provides a full treatment program for heroin and opioid addiction. Medical treatments are available to assist with the pain and discomfort of withdrawal. Heroin is simply too dangerous to tackle alone, and the deadly nature of heroin overdose cannot be overemphasized.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Heroin Rehabilitation Assessment.