Addiction Treatment Process

Drug addiction is a complex illness characterized by intense and at times uncontrollable craving for the drug. Drugs can lead to physical as well as psychological dependence when taken in larger doses for a longer period of time. This leads to addiction. Some of the symptoms of addiction are cravings for drug, inability to abstain from the drug, physical symptoms, and inability to recognize the deterioration of relationships with friends and family, inappropriate emotional response and other behavioral problems. Drug or alcohol addiction frequently involves cycles of relapse and remission, even with long term treatment.
Addiction Treatment
The main aim of addiction treatments is not just removing or reducing drug or alcohol use. Their main goal is to help addicted people change their habits, lifestyle and core values so as to prevent them from returning back to the problem of addiction.
Quitting a stimulant addiction is not an easy process; the painful withdrawal symptoms may force the patient to relapse. Hence, it is advisable not to quit abruptly. Addiction treatment consists of three stages:
Detoxification
Detoxification is the process where an addict undergoes withdrawal of the stimulant under medical supervision. As the withdrawal is associated with several physical and psychological symptoms, detoxification is done under the supervision of medical professionals. During the detox process, medical professionals may prescribe low potency drugs in tapering doses to wean you off drug or alcohol. Weaning helps you to cope with the withdrawal symptoms so that you can carry out daily routine activities.
Along with the medications, addicts are evaluated for nutritional status. Nutrients, vitamins and a healthy diet - all of them are the part of detox process.
Behavior Therapy
Behavioral therapy help patients modify their attitude and behaviors related to drug abuse and increase healthy lifestyle skills and coping skills. They also help in enhancing the effectiveness of the drug. Therapy treatment can be delivered in many different settings:
In-patient addiction treatment- Those who are having severe addiction problem or have a previous history of drug addiction are recommended for in-patient addiction treatment. Here, the patient remains in the rehabilitative centers for at least one month to one year depending upon each case. Each day, patient/user spends 6 to 8 hours of the day in learning coping skills that can be used to reduce the reliance on the drugs/alcohol. Various types of therapeutic activities and therapies are taught to the addict.
Out-patient addiction treatment- Out-patient addiction treatment is recommended for patients, who have strong network of family and friends support, and who have no previous history of drug addiction; it includes a variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals. The therapy includes group or individual counseling. While the individual sessions are important to understand why the addict began using the drug, group sessions help him by relating to other addicts who have gone through the same addiction suffering.
After Care
As the patient/addict is most vulnerable to relapse during the first few months, continuing care services are designed to monitor the emotional health of the recovering patient.

Alcoholism - Alcohol and The Brain

Alcohol produces short term and long term effects on the brain from changes in thoughts, mood, and behaviors to chemical changes that can mark alcohol dependence.
Excessive drinking can cause specific changes in the brain. Short term effects of alcohol intoxication may include temporary euphoria (the 'buzz'), loss of motor skills, and drowsiness or unconsciousness. Regular heavy drinkers often begin to experience the long term effects of alcohol on the brain including alcohol tolerance and alcohol dependence.
With alcohol tolerance, chemicals in the brain actually change to compensate for the long term use of alcohol. It signals neurotransmitters in the brain to function normally even in the presence of alcohol. Heavy drinkers require more alcohol to reach intoxication; they feel normal after consuming amounts of alcohol that would intoxicate a nondrinker or moderate drinker. This excessive drinking can lead to alcohol dependence and changes in the brain that increase the risk of withdrawal symptoms.
Anxiety is a common withdrawal symptom associated with alcohol dependence. Ironically, the individual will attempt to mask the anxiety by drinking more, creating a vicious cycle. This is often the reason for relapse in patients who attend counseling only programs to address their alcohol abuse. Alcoholism and alcohol dependence create real changes in the chemicals and neurotransmitters of the brain. The most successful and sustainable recovery programs address these brain functions and help create new positive changes in the brain.
As research continues on the role neurotransmitters play in alcohol addiction, more medications are becoming available to help treat alcohol dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Everybody responds to the effects of alcohol differently. A one size fits all program or super pill does not exist. Treatment should be individualized and this includes the administering of any medications. A handful of medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help treat alcoholism. For example, benzodiazepines (brand names Valium and Xanax) can help reduce anxiety during alcohol withdrawal and help restore balance in the brain. Naltrexone helps many people to slow and stop drinking by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain responsible for the euphoric feelings associated with drinking. Any medication should only be taken under the direction of a licensed physician and should be part of an integrative rehabilitation program.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol abuse or alcoholism, seek treatment at an advanced drug and alcohol treatment center specializing in neuroscience technology. An advanced treatment center with imaging technology can help address the chemical imbalances caused by the alcohol dependence and offer an individualized program for a complete and sustainable recovery.

The Holidays Bring An Increase In Deaths Due To Alcohol Misuse

The holiday season is here, and while this means that most of us will be enjoying warm evenings together with family, abundant feasts and the joyful exchange of presents, it also means that many people will end up suffering serious injuries or even being killed in car accidents. It is a tragic and well-established fact that the number of people who die in traffic collisions sees a sharp spike during the holidays, and most particularly in the period between Christmas and New Year's Day. The primary reason for this dramatic upswing can be traced to one factor: drinking and driving. Greater numbers of people make the serious and often fatal mistake of getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Some of them are people who have a serious drinking problem, while others have simply had too much to drink at a party or family gathering. Whatever the case, the results are frequently life-changing or even deadly.
Holiday Drunk Driving Statistics
Driving under the influence of alcohol presents a major health hazard and a danger to the public safety at any time of the year, but this is especially true during the Christmas and New Year's period. In fact, a shocking 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents during this time of year occur in accidents in which at least one of the drivers was under the influence of alcohol, as compared with 28 percent during the rest of December. Overall, the number of people who lose their lives in alcohol related traffic collisions jumps by a factor of two to three during the end of year holidays. With such alarming statistics as these, one is left wondering why anyone would take the chance of getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, let alone driving at all over the holidays.
Why People Take the Risk
Practically nobody ever decides to drive drunk. The vast majority of people who are arrested for DUI or who end up causing an accident after drinking and driving never made a conscious decision that drinking and driving would be the best course of action for them to take. On the contrary, most, if not all, of drunk drivers are under the mistaken assumption that they are OK to drive. Even when the person is aware of feeling a little tipsy, he or she will typically brush aside any concerns over whether or not it is safe to drive. This is due in part to the fact that alcohol operates initially as a stimulant. People who drink will at first feel something of a buzz. This does not mean, however, that the person is more alert or a better driver. Actually, at this point the alcohol already begins to impair the person's judgment and critical thinking abilities.
Another common reason that people drive drunk is that they fail to understand how long it takes for a drink to fully pass through the body. You may be done drinking the moment that you put the last bottle down, but the alcohol is not done with you. Realize that the beverage will sit in your stomach for some time being digested before the alcohol finally enters your bloodstream, at which point it begins to have an intoxifying effect on your body. Drinking water or coffee or taking a cold shower will not sober anyone up. They may fight off drowsiness, but the only thing that can get the alcohol out of one's bloodstream is the process of metabolism which can take hours.
Avoid a Drunk Driving Accident
Reports from PR Newswire indicate that people should be fully aware of the risks of drinking and driving at all times of the year, but this is even more important during the holidays when a fatal DUI traffic collision is statistically more likely to occur. Don't take the chance of driving drunk, and keep a friend from doing so. Even if you don't have a designated driver, spend the money to call a cab--the price of a taxi fare is nowhere near the potential costs of a drunk driving accident.