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EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON THE BLOOD.

dpi — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:18:51 +0000

Dr. Richardson, in his lectures on alcohol, accustomed both in England and America, speaking of the activity of this actuality on the claret afterwards casual from the stomach, says:

“Suppose, then, a assertive admeasurement of booze be taken into the stomach, it will be captivated there, but, antecedent to absorption, it will accept to abide a able amount of concoction with water, for there is this abnormality apropos booze aback it is afar by an beastly film from a adulterated aqueous like the blood, that it will not canyon through the film until it has become charged, to a accustomed point of dilution, with water. It is itself, in fact, so acquisitive for water, it will aces it up from adulterated textures, and bankrupt them of it until, by its saturation, its ability of accession is beat , afterwards which it will broadcast into the accepted of circulating fluid.”

It is this ability of arresting baptize from every arrangement with which alcoholic booze comes in contact, that creates the afire appetite of those who advisedly allow in its use. Its effect, aback it alcove the circulation, is appropriately declared by Dr. Richardson:

“As it passes through the apportionment of the lungs it is apparent to the air, and some little of it, aloft into animation by the accustomed heat, is befuddled off in expiration. If the abundance of it be large, this accident may be considerable, and the odor of the spirit may be detected in the asleep breath. If the abundance be small, the accident will be analogously little, as the spirit will be captivated in band-aid by the baptize in the blood. Afterwards it has anesthetized through the lungs, and has been apprenticed by the larboard affection over the arterial circuit, it passes into what is alleged the minute circulation, or the structural apportionment of the organism. The arteries actuality extend into actual baby vessels, which are alleged arterioles, and from these always baby argosy bounce the appropriately minute radicals or roots of the veins, which are ultimately to become the abundant rivers address the claret aback to the heart. In its access through this minute apportionment the booze finds its way to every organ. To this brain, to these muscles, to these secreting or excreting organs, nay, alike into this awkward anatomy itself, it moves with the blood. In some of these genitalia which are not excreting, it charcoal for a time diffused, and in those genitalia area there is a ample allotment of water, it charcoal best than in added parts. From some organs which accept an accessible tube for carrying fluids away, as the alarmist and kidneys, it is befuddled out or eliminated, and in this way a allocation of it is ultimately removed from the body. The blow casual annular and annular with the circulation, is apparently addle and agitated off in fresh forms of matter.

“When we apperceive the advance which the booze takes in its access through the body, from the aeon of its assimilation to that of its elimination, we are the more good able to adjudicator what concrete changes it induces in the altered organs and structures with which it comes in contact. It aboriginal alcove the blood; but, as a rule, the abundance of it that enters is bereft to aftermath any actual aftereffect on that fluid. If, however, the dosage taken be poisonous or semi-poisonous, again alike the blood, affluent as it is in baptize and it contains seven hundred and ninety genitalia in a thousand is affected. The booze is diffused through this water, and there it comes in acquaintance with the added basic parts, with the fibrine, that artificial actuality which, aback claret is drawn, clots and coagulates, and which is present in the admeasurement of from two to three genitalia in a thousand; with the albumen which exists in the admeasurement of seventy parts; with the salts which crop about ten parts; with the blubbery matters; and lastly, with those minute, annular bodies which float in myriads in the claret (which were apparent by the Dutch philosopher, Leuwenhock, as one of the aboriginal after-effects of microscopical observation, about the average of the seventeenth century), and which are alleged the claret globules or corpuscles. These last-named bodies are, in fact, cells; their discs, aback natural, accept a bland outline, they are depressed in the centre, and they are red in color; the blush of the claret actuality acquired from them. We accept apparent that there abide added beef or beef in the claret in abundant abate quantity, which are alleged white cells, and these altered beef float in the blood-stream aural the vessels. The red booty the centre of the stream; the white lie evidently abreast the abandon of the vessels, affective beneath quickly. Our business is mainly with the red corpuscles. They accomplish the best important functions in the economy; they absorb, in abundant part, the oxygen which we drag in breathing, and backpack it to the acute tissues of the body; they absorb, in abundant part, the carbonic acerbic gas which is produced in the agitation of the anatomy in the acute tissues, and accompany that gas aback to the lungs to be exchanged for oxygen there; in short, they are the basic instruments of the circulation.

“With all these genitalia of the blood, with the water, fibrine, albumen, salts, blubbery amount and corpuscles, the booze comes in acquaintance aback it enters the blood, and, if it be in acceptable quantity, it produces advancing action. I accept watched this agitation actual anxiously on the claret corpuscles; for, in some animals we can see these amphibian forth during life, and we can additionally beam them from men who are beneath the furnishings of alcohol, by removing a atom of blood, and analytical it with the microscope. The activity of the alcohol, aback it is observable, is varied. It may account the beef to run too carefully together, and to attach in rolls; it may adapt their outline, authoritative the clear-defined, smooth, alien bend aberrant or crenate, or alike starlike; it may change the annular corpuscle into the egg-shaped form, or, in actual acute cases, it may aftermath what I may alarm a truncated anatomy of corpuscles, in which the change is so abundant that if we did not trace it through all its stages, we should be puzzled to apperceive whether the article looked at were absolutely a blood-cell. All these changes are due to the activity of the spirit aloft the baptize independent in the corpuscles; aloft the accommodation of the spirit to abstract baptize from them. During every date of modification of beef appropriately described, their activity to blot and fix gases is impaired, and aback the accession of the cells, in masses, is great, added difficulties arise, for the cells, affiliated together, canyon beneath calmly than they should through the minute argosy of the lungs and of the accepted circulation, and impede the current, by which bounded abrasion is produced.

“A added activity aloft the blood, instituted by booze in excess, is aloft the fibrine or the artificial colloidal matter. On this the spirit may act in two altered ways, according to the amount in which it affects the baptize that holds the fibrine in solution. It may fix the baptize with the fibrine, and appropriately abort the ability of coagulation; or it may abstract the baptize so assuredly as to aftermath coagulation.”

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Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs Explained

dpi — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 06:49:58 +0000

What Is a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program?

In basic terms, a dual diagnosis is the co-existence of a drug addiction or alcohol addiction and a mental health disorder. As such, drug rehab programs and alcohol rehab programs had to adjust their addiction treatment services to treat both disorders simultaneously. But what about the person with an eating disorder as part of the dual diagnosis. Can the person with an eating disorder be treated in a drug rehab or alcohol rehab program?
The process referred to as dual diagnosis is one that describes people that have been diagnosed with a mental illness in addition to a chemical dependency of some sort. The presence of a chemical dependency makes it extremely difficult to treat mental illness, and vice versa. Thus dual diagnosis is more intensive than ordinary chemical dependency or brain related treatment.

Though it all looks scary, it is actually not as serious as it sounds, and dual diagnosis is usually effective. Studies have shown that at least half of the population that are victims of any sort of addiction also suffer from mental illness, and there is a high probability that mentally ill folks will eventually become drug addicts. This show clearly that the two regularly go together.

The reason for this is not far fetched: People suffering from anxiety disorder usually don’t realize it on time until they become addicted to sedatives and alcohol, which can be a lifelong habit, because they just seem to make such people feel better or normal. Foe instance, depressed people often find medications that play on serotonin to make them feel better. Self medication is often the reason why both conditions are linked, and a greater part of dual diagnosis treatment is focused on this cause and effect relationship.

Fortunately, almost any drug treatment program or mental illness treatment worth its salt is fully informed about this relationship, and dual diagnosis treatment can be administered by the two treatment programs. thus if you or a loved one find yourselves in a treatment program that does not provide any form of dual diagnosis treatment, you should quit immediately.

Often, one of your conditions is designated as a primary one that needs to be treated first. In most cases, it is usually the addiction, but there are occasions when more serious forms of mental illness will need to be the priority. Thus, the initial stage of dual diagnosis treatment is the determination of the nature of patient’s mental illness, and the extent of the addiction.

Some treatment programs have gained high renown for their dual diagnosis treatment, and have thus specialized on this and make it their niche. if you are a dual diagnosis patient and it is within your power to make decision, ensure you go for such programs. there are also many support groups and therapists that are experts on dual diagnosis treatment.

Never let your dual diagnosis status worry you and deter you from seeking treatment. You must realize that most addicts are dual diagnosis patients but are not aware of it. And you won’t believe this; being a dual diagnosis patient can be beneficial, for example, if due to anxiety disorder, you started drinking, when you treat the disorder, the addiction will also be cured. A case of getting two for the price of one you say.

Drug Rehab Treatment Centers as an Experience, not a Punishment

dpi — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:07:42 +0000

By: Marina-Petroni

Choosing a drug rehab treatment center is a decision that calls for both negative and positive emotions. Nobody wants addiction to overtake their life to the point that rehab is the necessary step. However, the decision to go to one is something to look forward to, as it is the decision to rebuild a healthy life. It is the conscious realization of a problem, and it is the first conscious step towards healing. Understanding what drug addiction entails and how it affects the user is important for healing substance abuse. As well as understanding addiction, knowing what rehabilitation is will help the patient understand what he is going through and the purpose of the treatment. Lastly, the type of rehabilitation program is of vital importance for the patient. Understanding that a rehabilitation program is as personal as the patient’s problem will certainly help to ascertain the treatment needed for the specific patient. Rehabilitation must be a positive program motivating the patient by his successes and discouraging him from relapses. To reach the stage of being in a rehab center that positively works to heal addiction, the patient and all concerned must understand three things: what addiction is, what rehabilitation is, and what treatment can and should be like.

Drug addiction is much more complex than merely ‘too much drug use’. Drug and substance dependence is beyond the control of the user - he is no longer in control and does not have much choice in the matter of continuing use. In the short term, drug use affects the brain’s reward system, flooding the brain with dopamine, otherwise termed ‘a high’. While the high is a short term effect, long term effects are to follow, which cause the addiction. When our brain’s reward system is working, proteins activate which teach us to pursue the behavior which causes us to feel so good. Naturally, this reaction is in response to food, exercise, and sex. Due to the larger amount of dopamine released due to drugs, the protein reaction is stronger than normal. As a result, drug use is quite addictive, and once the moment is reached that a person cannot control his use of drugs, this is termed addiction, or substance dependence. While willpower is important to controlling anything in one’s life, in drug addiction a lack of willpower is not to blame. Willpower is at play at the first stages of drug experimentation, but at a certain point in addiction, it loses its function. Drug addiction is an illness, and rehabilitative treatment is the only means of curing this behavior.

Rehabilitation, then, is the path that leads to an effective treatment of drug use. Research has shown that addiction is treatable. Research has not shown, and will not show, that treatment is easy. Rehabilitation is the recovery of diminished capacities due to injury or illness. The word itself comes from the latin prefix re meaning ‘again’, and root habilitar meaning ‘to inhabit’. Thus ‘rehabilitate’ literally means to inhabit yourself again - and that is the aim of rehabilitation: to return former capacities to the inflicted person. This is especially true in drug addiction. Freeing oneself from addiction is a type of homecoming to a life of control.

Rehabilitation aims at more than ending drug use. As previously mentioned, rehabilitation cannot be a punishment for drug use. It must be the gradual process of ending dependence while also rehabilitating the patient into society. This is often the most difficult aspect of rehabilitation. It is important that the patient realistically understand that the future will consist of effort to reintegrate and rejoin society. The patient is assisted by counselors throughout the treatment, but the patient himself is the main catalyst in rehabilitation. The family and friends of the patient must also go through aspects of rehabilitation, for life after rehab will not be a continual sunny day. The forecast predicts many rain clouds at first, with occasional storms down the road. The family must know how to be supportive and helpful throughout the stormy weather.

The rehab treatment center can be considered the umbrella in the stormy weathers. It cannot control the weather, but does shield and help the patient and family on their way through the tempest. While there is no one correct rehabilitation treatment, as each treatment must be tailored to the particular needs of the patient, there are means of ensuring that the rehab center chosen is one that will provide a positive environment to optimize the long term results of rehabilitation. The personal treatment for the patient must be continually checked and improved, as different steps throughout the treatment call for different measures, and each patient needs a different length of time for treatment. The personal treatment must also take into account the various problems beyond drugs which the patient faces. Drug addiction is often the result, and not the core of the problem - this core must be dug up through various therapies, counselors, and activities, which all should be readily available through the treatment center. A forced treatment is not necessarily a bad thing - again, depending on the treatment center. With a good treatment center, a person who initially will not admit to his problem or the need for a solution can be fully rehabilitated. Extremely beneficial are experiential therapies, which, through their communion with nature help the patient gradually reintegrate into life, which will eventually ease reintegration into society. A rehab treatment center must be rigid in its aims to help the patient, but cannot be rigid in its process.

Understanding what addiction is and why it happens is vital for the patient and the chosen treatment center. Once this is established, there can be a mutual respect, in lieu of distrust and judgment. The next step is to understand what rehabilitation is. It is a dedication, again, on the part of both the patient and treatment center, to heal a drug problem and, more importantly, rebuild a life - to bring the patient home in the spiritual sense. With these two concepts well understood and looked after, the patient has great chances of succeeding to overcome the addiction. The treatment center that fully understands addiction and rehabilitation will be the center that offers a full and varied program that will be created and recreated for the particular needs of its patient, and that will guide the patient not only through his addiction, but through his reintegration into life and society.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

This article was written by Marina Petroni, sponsored by www.cirquelodge.com/. Cirque Lodge, located in Sundance, Utah, is a world-class residential drug rehab facility providing a private, effective and serene pathway to sobriety. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing back to www.cirquelodge.com/

Drug Addiction

dpi — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 14:38:21 +0000

If substance abuse has become a way of life for you, and is costing you your relationships, financial stability, career, and everything else which really matters to you, you only hope of reasserting control over your life may be to admit yourself to one of the thousands of drug addiction centers for treatment.

When looking at drug use, drug abuse, drug dependency and drug addiction, one finds that there are many divergent opinions about these terms and how they identify the drug-using behaviors of the public. Dr. Alan Leshner, the Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse for the U.S. Government, states: “There is a unique disconnect between scientific facts and the public’s perception of drug addiction,”

From a lecture in March, 1998 at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Leshner explained how brain function is modified by drug use and how that change persists after an individual stops taking drugs. Addiction also has to be recognized as a result of many bio-behavioral factors.

The Financial Question

If you have already rejected the idea that drug addiction centers are the answer for you because the cost of their treatment puts them beyond your financial reach, it’s time to get really honest with yourself. How much are you currently spending on alcohol or your drugs of choice? If you don’t beat you habit, you will continue to spend that much, or more, until you die. With treatment from one of the drug addiction centers you can at least see an end to the expense involved; and if you have health insurance, part of the costs may be covered. Check your policy.

Most urban areas have several drug addictions centers from which you can seek help. Even though you may have reached rock bottom and are desperate to make a change, take the time to look at your options before admitting yourself to one of them. Different drug addiction centers offer different approaches based on the unique needs of each client, but you should know in advance what the program of each facility is before making your choice.

Inpatient Or Outpatient?

The first thing you’ll have to decide is whether you can get by with as an outpatient, or whether you need the structure and confinement offered by living at one of the drug addiction centers. Again you’ll need to be honest about how disciplined you can be when as an outpatient, you’ll have the freedom to decide to go to your treatment sessions each day, and to abuse drugs or alcohol between them.

There are two kinds of inpatient drug addiction centers. Those offering inpatient care are hospitals, where people facing severe withdrawal symptoms might do better until they are clean. Drug addiction centers with residential facilities are also called drug rehab units. They often have medical professionals on staff supervising the treatment of their residents, but you should clarify in advance whether or not the facility you are thinking about does.

Accredited Facilities Are Best

Drug or alcohol withdrawal is one of the most physically and emotionally painful things you can experience. The severity of its symptoms requires that someone with professional medical training be available to monitor those undergoing it. The best way to make sure you will have proper supervision is to admit yourself to one of the accredited drug treatment centers in your area.

The length of your stay in a drug rehab unit will depend both on the severity of your addictions and the various treatments with which the staff is helping you overcome them. Don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than you anticipated; just compare the time you are spending with the number of healthy, substance-abuse free years your efforts will be adding to your life!

By: Judy Wellsworth

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You can also find more information onDrug Addiction Centers and Drug Addiction Treatment. Drugtreatmentinfo.org is a comprehensive resource to known more about drug addiction.

Breakthrough For Heroin Addiction Treatment

dpi — Tue, 29 May 2007 05:24:49 +0000

University of Adelaide researchers have made a breakthrough in the treatment of heroin addiction which could improve treatment success rates for millions of heroin users around the world.

Researchers in the Discipline of Pharmacology have discovered a genetic variation that may help determine the most effective methadone dosage levels for individual heroin addicts.

The genetic discovery reveals why some people are either less efficient or more effective in distributing drugs throughout their body to the central nervous system.

Lead researcher Dr Janet Coller says accurate dosing of methadone is essential to successfully treat drug addicts because up to 62% fail to remain in the methadone program due to the severe withdrawal symptoms.

“Individualised dosing may decrease the incidence of withdrawal symptoms in some people and therefore encourage them to continue with the methadone treatment.”

An estimated 10 million people worldwide are heroin dependent, including 74,000 Australians, incurring enormous health, social and economic costs.

The pharmacology study was conducted collaboratively as part of Dr Coller’s postdoctoral and Daniel Barratt’s PhD studies, supervised by Professor Andrew Somogyi, with the assistance of Karianne Dahlen and Morten Loennechen, Masters of Science students from Denmark. The results have been published in the December issue of the journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
The latest Alcohol News & Addiction News & Illegal Drugs News articles published daily. Includes news on alcoholism, consumption of narcotics (including marijuana, crack cocaine, LSD, heroin, crystal meth) including statistics, treatments, dangers and how the brain becomes addicted.

Drug Addiction

dpi — Wed, 23 May 2007 04:13:36 +0000

The NHSDA has stated that over 13 million Americans currently use illegal drugs. This is a staggering figure, especially when you consider that no one intends to become an addicted drug abuser or addicted to alcohol. No one plans on destroying their own lives and making the ones they love suffer. These are, simply put, the effects of the cycle of addiction.

Addicts lie, they steal, they do whatever they need to in order to keep their addiction fed. These things are clearly visible to those living with someone experiencing drug addiction, and to those who were close to him or her. Drug addicts and alcoholics are often very intelligent and creative individuals with great potential. This only makes the disaster of their downward spiral worse for them and everyone around them.

Addiction is generally used to compensate for something that is missing in their lives, or to meet some need that the addict knows no other way to meet. It could be depression, general unhappiness, or a simple inability to deal with the situations that occur in life.

There is no single reason why someone turns to drugs and alcohol. Anything, including a bad break-up, divorce, death of a loved one, or other life crisis could cause a person to take the wrong turn to drug abuse. Drugs and alcohol are used to dull the pain that the addict feels in his or her life. Whether the pain is emotional or physical, the result is the same; numbness.

There is irony in the fact that while drugs and alcohol are used to deal with life’s problems, they eventually become the biggest problem in the addict’s life. Addicts can be totally focused on their addiction, so much so that they may have literally forgotten all about whatever it was that made them start using in the first place. It isn’t long that the user moves into full-blown addiction, and feels the need to use the drug constantly.

This is where a user becomes trapped in the cycle of drug addiction and alcoholism. They start to show the physical symptoms of their addiction. They are hard to deal with, hard to communicate with. They begin to behave strangely and withdraw from society. The more they try to kill the new pain created by their addiction with the drugs, the worse their pain becomes. Desperation, discontent, and depression soon follow.

It isn’t long then before their relationships begin to deteriorate. The addict may lose his or her job, empty their bank account, and lose everything in their lives that they valued. Their focus shifts entirely from what used to be important to obeying the needs of their addiction.

Alcohol and Drug Rehab: Triggers, Cravings, Relapse and Recovery

dpi — Sun, 20 May 2007 07:14:26 +0000

By Jonathan HuttnerIt has taken some time but, researchers have come to the conclusion that drug addiction and alcoholism are diseases and like other diseases, are chronic and those afflicted are subject to relapse. From a medical perspective, addiction can be compared to diabetes in that it will require long term treatment, lifestyle changes, medication at times and if not monitored, relapse will occur.

Experts with The National Institute of Drug Abuse feel it is not reasonable to expect a recovering addict or alcoholic to maintain lifelong abstinence with just one treatment or rehab experience. Furthermore, Dr. George Koob, a professor with the Scripps Research Institute agrees. His research has shown that approximately 80 percent of the addicts and alcoholics who experience detox return to drug or alcohol use within a year.

Discovering why addicts and alcoholics are so prone to relapse is an area of great concern to all of us. One aspect we identified is that of craving. Craving is the incredible desire an addict or alcoholic still feels for the substance days, months or even years into recovery. Research has shown us that the cravings that the addict or alcoholic experience could be directly related to the long term changes in brain function, due to the drug and alcohol abuse. In essence, the brain has become conditioned to function under the influence of drugs or alcohol and does not function efficiently without it.

Secondly, it has been established that cravings can be a conditioned response to triggers that the recovering addict or alcoholic may encounter, for example old people, places or things associated with the person’s prior drug or alcohol use. Relapse triggers, as they are termed, can create powerful emotional and sometimes physical responses that can lead up to incredible urges to use drugs and alcohol again. It is for this reason individuals early in sobriety are urged to change so many aspects of their life. With all of this said, it is clear that a person’s relapse is usually preceded by other difficulties which result in the addict or alcoholic feeling angry, lonely, depressed or in self pity.

The issue with relapse that is infinitely grave is not necessarily the fact that the addict or alcoholic has used or drank again, but the quantity and frequency with which they use is almost identical to right before they began their recovery. Very few, ease their way back into their drug or alcohol use. They begin as if they never stopped.

An experiment performed by Dr. Koob demonstrated that when alcohol was removed from alcoholic or addicted rats for three or four days and then returned, the rats consumed 50 percent more drugs or alcohol as they consumed before. As common as this behavior is among the people that relapse, it is one of the most misunderstood.

There is good news and that is if a relapse is caught early, it can prove to be a very valuable educational tool. The recovering addict or alcoholic might then practice the principles taught to them in their alcohol and drug rehab program with more willingness and motivation than ever before.

It appears that for those people that are able to maintain long term recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism the solution is much greater than just abstaining from drugs and alcohol. The other part of the equation lies in being able to identify cravings, wait out the feelings and become aware of what actually triggered them. Through becoming aware of what triggers the craving, the recovering person can make effective changes in their “life style” which can result in fewer urges to drink or drug. Finally, there are a number of well-known alcohol and drug rehab support groups that provide much needed support to help addicts (and their families) cope with the long term issues associated with drug addiction and alcoholism.

Jonathan Huttner is one of the the principals at Lakeview Health Systems, an addiction treatment, alcohol and drug rehab facility. Addiction treatment information and free live help 24/7 is being provided online at RecoveryConnection.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Huttner

Alcohol Rehab: How Rehab Centers Help Addiction Recovery

dpi — Thu, 17 May 2007 07:58:23 +0000

Alcohol addiction is a serious disease. Not only can it tear a family apart and lead to financial ruin, it can also lead to the premature death of the alcoholic. Therefore, it is vital for person suffering from this disease to find help immediately. Without help, it is nearly impossible for a person with an alcohol addiction to recover and return to a normal, healthy life.

* Choosing the Right Alcohol Rehab Center
An alcohol rehab center is the best source for a person looking for assistance with addiction recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the type of rehab center best suited to the individual’s needs.

There are two forms of help a person with an alcohol addiction can receive from a rehab center: inpatient and outpatient. With inpatient treatment, the patient remains on the premises of the alcohol rehab center. Outpatient treatment, on the other hand, permits the individual to continue with his or her regular life while still reporting to the rehab center for assistance and guidance. The majority of alcohol rehab centers offer both forms of treatment.

* The Support of an Alcohol Rehab Center

Regardless of the type of program the person with an alcohol addiction follows, the basics of alcohol rehab remain the same. In all cases, the addiction and other difficulties the patient faces are kept confidential. In addition, the rehab center will also include five primary components: a medical evaluation, a psychological evaluation, therapy, detox, and extended care.

* The Medical Evaluation

The medical evaluation conducted by the alcohol rehab center is meant to help the staff identify any physical problems the person with an alcohol addiction may have. Often, these physical problems are actually caused by the alcohol addiction. Problems with the liver, for example, may have developed as a result of the addiction. After medical problems have been identified, the staff of the rehab center can work toward making the patient physically healthy once more.

Improving the patient’s physical health is an important component of addiction recovery. This is because it takes a holistic approach to get an addict back on the road toward recovery. This includes taking care of the patient’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Without this three-pronged approach, the patient is more likely to fail in the process of addiction recovery.

* The Psychological Evaluation

The psychological evaluation also provides the staff of the rehab center with volumes of important information about the patient. The psychological evaluation helps the team better understand the patient. In addition, the team of specialists can determine whether the person suffering from alcohol addiction is also struggling from certain psychological problems. For example, it is common for a person suffering from alcohol addiction to also suffer from depression. If this is the case, the program developed to assist the patient will also include a plan to address this issue.

* Therapy

Generally, an alcohol rehab center will provide both group and individual therapy to its patients. The group therapy is designed to give the person with an alcohol addiction support from others who are experiencing the same difficulties. Being able to share in the struggles with those who can truly understand often makes the process easier for a patient to deal with.

Nonetheless, individual counseling is also critical to addiction recovery. Having the opportunity to work one-on-one with a counselor helps the patient work through his or her own individual conflicts. Through individual therapy, the patient can come to terms with his or her addiction and work through ways to resolve it by setting individual goals.

* Detoxification

In addition the medical and physical evaluations, patients of alcohol rehab centers generally undergo a 24-hour medically supervised detoxification and withdrawal period. During this period, the patient is forced to go without alcohol. For many patients coping with alcohol addiction, this may be the longest time they have gone without alcohol in many years.

The detoxification period is difficult for the person suffering from alcohol addiction because it is accompanied by extreme withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms take their toll on the patient both physically and mentally. For this reason, an alcohol rehab center also provides close patient monitoring and assistance during this period.

* Extended Care

Extended care, which is also sometimes referred to as aftercare, is vital to the success of addiction recovery. Through an extended care program, the patient continues to receive support and assistance from the alcohol rehab center after being released from the more intensive alcohol rehab program.

Extended care programs are designed to help monitor the patient’s success in alcohol addiction recovery. To do this appropriately, the program staff watch over the patient to be sure he or she is utilizing the new skills gained during rehab. For instance, the extended care specialist may work with the patient to be sure he or she is staying away from specific crowds of people that encourage drinking. Or, the extended care specialist may check to be sure the patient is utilizing appropriate resistance skills. Without a strong extended care program, it is easy for the patient to fall back into the cycle of abuse.

By: CalRehabGuide Staff -

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The California Rehab Guide. Lists and reviews drug rehab and alcohol rehab facilities, lawyers and interventionist and has articles on addiction recovery and addiction treatment.

A New Definition Of Drug And Alcohol Addiction And Treatment - Substance Abuse Has No Societal Boundaries

dpi — Tue, 08 May 2007 13:47:36 +0000

An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease. Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives.

We have all heard that addiction is a disease, but how do we truly feel about this issue? When you hear the word “addict”, do you think of a junkie, crack addict, prostitute, or a homeless person who begs for money on a street corner? When you here the word addict, do you think of a lowlife, who has unacceptable behaviors, and lower morals? Do you somehow believe that their life circumstance is their fault and that they could, “just say no?”

A successful CEO, attorney, doctor, or professional with a substance abuse problem, would not fall into the category of addict according to the stereotypical definition. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why a professional with a drug problem, alcohol included, does not easily consider himself to be addicted and readily seek addiction treatment . Success in other venues tends to convince the professional that he can also handle this problem as well, especially when he compares himself to addicts who have bottomed out and not entered a drug rehab. If the addicted professional is still semi-functioning and has not yet lost their job, house or family, his denial system will still be relatively intact.

Perhaps if we had a new definition for addiction, it would not be so difficult to accept that individuals may be suffering from a disease that will eventually destroy their lives. According to the American Medical Association, in order for a illness to be classified as a disease, it must meet one of the following criteria. It must be either progressive, predictable or terminal. Addiction qualifies as a disease by meeting not just one, but all three criteria. An addict is not considered an addict just because he drinks and drugs too much, nor because his life spirals downwards because of drugs. These are just predictable symptoms of the progressive disease.

Everyone knows that there are blood and urine tests to determine if drugs or alcohol are present in the body. Few of us are aware that there is now a test which determines whether someone has the DNA for the addiction. There is a “Y” factor in the genetic coding of alcoholics and addicts. This genetic makeup determines how the body processes, and breaks down alcohol or drugs in the system. This “Y” factor distinguishes the addict from the drug abuser.

An addict born with the DNA coding, or Y factor, is similar to the person who is born with the predisposition for cancer, diabetes, or lupus. As with cancer, when certain favorable conditions exist the diseases will activate and progress. For those with the addictive gene, once addictive chemicals are introduced into the body, the disease activates. It does not matter whether the addictive drugs are prescribed by a doctor or bought illegally.

There are exceptions to this genetic predisposition guideline. While the children of addicts will almost certainly have the addictive gene, in some instances, it may skip a generation. However, some who do not have the genetic coding for addiction, will also become addicted. Why? Drugs like crack cocaine have been designed in laboratories to intentionally cross over this genetic line, and become instantly addictive. Have you ever heard of a social crack cocaine smoker? This drug causes someone to bottom out at a much faster pace.

Drugs change the brain’s receptors sites. Enough drug usage can permanently alter the brain, and its ability to absorb vital nutrients. Our receptor sites are similar to loading docks in the brain, sending and receiving messages continually. These messages are sent through chemicals which are moved about though electrical surges. Not only do drugs alter the chemical balance in the brain, they eschew the pattern of energy pulses. But the most damaging effect of drug usage is permanent change in the cell walls, upon which other cells dock, much like how a key fits into a lock. If the lock is changed then the key won’t fit.

If you knew that you have the genetic coding for a disease, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to keep the disease from activating before the need for a drug rehab program? If you understood that your disease was actively progressing, wouldn’t you seek drug treatment? How can you help someone who does not yet realize that they need help? Family, friends, and co-workers are in a position to see the effects of drugs, long before the addicted has a clue.

By: Elizabeth Gilley -

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For more information on addiction treatment and resources that are available for drug treatment call 800-559-9503 for a free professional consultation.

10 Warning Signs of Prescription Painkiller Dependency

dpi — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 03:26:48 +0000

Thousands of Americans lean on prescription painkillers for the relief of pain and symptoms from ailments such as headaches, menstrual cramps, surgery recovery or lingering pain from an injury. Unfortunately however, for several, this reliance on medication can readily and unknowingly turn into physical dependence.
The scary fact is that the most frequently prescribed substances such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Methadone, Darvocet, Lortab, Lorcet and Percocet, while offering relief from pain, can also cause individuals’ bodies to start “needing” the drugs in order to feel normal, and the result is the new, even more challenging situation of chemical dependency. Here are ten warning signs to look for if you think someone you know may be experiencing a dependency on these drugs.
1. Usage Increase - Over time, it is frequent for people taking prescription medications to grow tolerant to the effects of their prescribed dose. If somebody you know seems to be increasing his/her dose over time, this is an indication that the quantity they were taking is no longer providing them relief.
2. Change in Personality - Changes in an individual’s normal behavior can be an indicator of dependency. Shifts in energy, mood, and concentration may happen as every day responsibilities become secondary to the urge for the relief the prescription provides.
3. Social Withdrawal - Someone experiencing a dependency issue may withdraw from family, friends and other social interaction.
4. Ongoing Use - Recurring use after a medical condition has improved will result in the person needing extensions on his/her prescription. The individual might talk of how they are “still feeling pain” and need just a little longer on the medication in order to get better. He or she might also complain often about the physicians who refused to write the prescription for one reason or another.
5. Time Spent on Obtaining Prescriptions - A dependant individual will spend wide amounts of time driving great distances and visiting multiple doctors to obtain the substances. Seek for indicators that he or she seems preoccupied with a quest for medication, demonstrating that the drug has become their top priority.
6. Change in Daily Habits and Appearance - Personal hygiene may diminish as a consequence of a drug addiction. Sleeping and eating habits vary, and an individual may have a constant cough, runny nose and red, glazed eyes.
7. Neglects Responsibilities - A dependent individual may call in sick to work more frequently, and neglect household chores and bills.
8. Increased Sensitivity - Usual sights, sounds and emotions might become overly stimulating to the individual. Hallucinations, although perhaps difficult to monitor, may happen as well.
9. Blackouts and Forgetfulness - Another clear indicator of dependence is when the person frequently forgets events that have taken place and appears to be suffering blackouts.
10. Defensiveness - When trying to hide a drug dependency, abusers can become very defensive if they think their secret is being discovered. They might even react to simple requests or questions by lashing out.
Prescriptions to pain medication can be secure when taken according to the physician’s instructions and are carefully monitored. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that they can also be very hazardous. Anyone who is prescribed pain medications should take extra precautions to avoid the debilitating effects a dependency can have and seek for the warning signs.
This information has been provided with the kind permission of Clifford Bernstein M.D., of The Waismann Institute.