Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog

Addictions come in many forms, some more difficult to treat than others. When you, a friend or a family member finds themselves dealing with chemical dependency issues, immediate action is required. The longer a substance addiction goes untreated (such as alcoholism, heroin addiction, meth addiction, cocaine addiction, etc.), the less likely an afflicted individual is to recover. Permanent damage to the brain and other organs such as the liver and kidneys can result from various forms of drug addiction.

Once you’ve recognized that an addiction does indeed exist, you’ll look for resources, for help. You’ll find many different answers and a slough of information that can seem daunting - this can be frustrating, especially when decisions need to be made on the fly. We’ve used this website to answer common questions and concerns about rehab and chemical dependency.

We offer a comprehensive Men’s drug rehab program located in Newport Beach, California (that’s in Orange County, just South of Los Angeles and north of San Diego), but the information presented here will help you regardless of the rehab solution you choose. A lot of people and families are concerned about what goes on in rehab, and what kind of results they can expect. We present you with answers to questions like these.

To explore our articles, click on the categories on the left side of the web page. Also, don’t forget to enter your email address in the column to the right to receive your free guide to rehab, along with a free customized rehab plan if you choose to request one. So take some time to read our articles, figure out what needs to be done for your individual situation. If you’d like some extra help figuring out what the next step is, call us for a free consultation at (800)990-9691.

Rehab is tough. Addiction affects the entire family. Get it done the right way, get it done tomorrow - in a few months you’ll have your life back.

Drug users often have many serious physical and Co-Occurring problems that can be dangerous to themselves or others if not properly cared for. At our drug rehab center, we can help drug abusers overcome their unique challenges to recovery. Our knowledgeable staff cares for these clients in a safe, structured environment.

Individual Attention & Extended Recovery

Getting clean takes courage, guidance, and structure. Newport Coast Recovery offers treatment to conquer drug addiction by using drug rehab programs. Our world-class clinical staff offers daily individual attention to get to the heart of the problem, deal with the wreckage and build the framework for a new, sobriety-based life.

We offer affordable, effective drug rehab programs on the cutting-edge. Drug addiction requires extended care. We offer 30, 60 and 90-day drug rehab program tailored to the individual’s needs. We, at our drug rehab center, blend clinical and holistic methods to renew mind, body and spirit while restoring relationships, goals and purpose. This prepares our clients for long-term sobriety, allowing our drug rehab program to excel where others fail.

We CAN help… CALL NOW.

1.800.990.9691

You can also visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com 

The desire to become sober and the willingness to stop using all mind-altering substances is the first step on the path to recovery.

We can help you get started and support you along the way, but you have to be willing to take the necessary steps. Initially, willingness is all that is required of you. Be willing to believe that there is a better life beyond substance abuse and let someone else handle the details while you start to heal.

The first step in the process is to detox the body from the chemicals it has become accustomed to. Fear of withdrawal can deter even the bravest person from beginning recovery. Following initial detox, there are three phases of recovery that usually last a year or longer.

Phase One: Saving Your Life

This phase generally starts with a rude awakening rather than a gentle, spiritual one. Very few people wake up one morning with the decision that it’s a great day to get sober. For most, it takes a lot of pressure and negative consequences to change old ways. This is why relapse is greatest in the first year. You are learning to live life in a completely new way and this requires change – changing habits, patterns, friends and behaviors.

This is the most difficult phase. Learning how to navigate changes in recovery will consume most of your time, just like your addiction used to. A mutual support group like AA or NA will help greatly. At the same time you are changing your life, your body is in the healing process. The emotional and physical pain you’ve masked all this time with drugs and alcohol is now being called to your attention. Your thinking will be muddled and your emotions will flip-flop frequently. You may experience physical pain from old injuries you never properly cared for. Through continued care and support, you’ll learn how to cope with the healing process of mind, body and spirit without chemicals

Phase Two: Enjoying Your Life

During this phase, the craving for drugs and alcohol has diminished greatly and you’ve laid the groundwork for your recovery. Now you begin to switch gears from saving your life to making it more rewarding. Rebuilding relationships, forming new ones, looking for new educational and career opportunities, and exploring hobbies and leisure activities takes center stage. The fear of trying new things that may jeopardize your recovery diminishes as you learn who you are and what your boundaries are. With a clear head, stable emotions and a solid support network of sober friends you begin to embrace your life and truly enjoy it.

Phase Three: Extending Your Life

Somewhere in the third or fourth year of sobriety (a little earlier for some, a little later for others), the focus switches again. Once you’ve saved your life and learned to enjoy it, it’s time to consider how you can best extend it. Meeting dietary needs, enjoying physical exercise, and other preventative health measures combined with continued service to others helps maintain a healthy, balanced and fulfilling life in sobriety.

 Newport Coast Recovery is one of the best starts you can give yourself. Call today one of our staff members is waiting for your call. 800.990.9691 or visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com

Although Dual Diagnoses is most commonly used in relation to describing addiction and depression or anxiety occurring concurrently, it actually applies to anyone with two separate Diagnosis at the same time. For example, a person can be schizophrenic as a diagnosis, and at the same time have posttraumatic stress disorder from child abuse, or other reasons; both can be treated but may require different types of treatment.

Addictions of any sort always have a cause beyond the genetic predisposition, and the addictive qualities of the drug the drugs being abused. Most often the causes of substance abuse and addiction are rooted in depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder. Addiction is best cured through efforts within the framework of our programs, literature, and their group members. The causes of addiction are best treated through individual and/or group therapy, where depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder, all of which are curable, and can be addressed.

Doctor Bob, one of the two founders of AA, believed that more than twelve step work was required to fix addictions. He attended therapy for years after he had invented and practiced the twelve steps. In response, our guess is he was often working with people also struggling with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, or bi-polar disorders. He clearly felt that the twelve step program and therapy helped to fight the root causes of addiction, but that consideration needed to be built into these programs to incorporate the understanding and treatment of those suffering from Dual Diagnoses.

Call us at 800.990.9691 or visit our web-site at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com

We have Scholarships and Discounts

Available

 We are here for you 24/7.

At Newport Coast Recovery, it’s about living.

We CAN help… CALL NOW.

1.800.990.9691

Or visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com

Drug addiction is something that is not planned. A person struggling with drug addiction changes. They don’t seem to be the person they used to be. In dealing with an addict, the drug becomes the deciding factor for all aspects to their life. An addiction drug rehab program is the farthest thing from their mind. Family, work, friends are all damaged by the addiction. It isn’t hopeless and it doesn’t have to be. The drug rehab program at Newport Coast Recovery’s drug rehab center is always here for drug rehab help.

If drugs have hijacked your life or the life of someone you love, we can help. We have  experience treating drug addictions of all kinds using our drug rehab program. We are here for you 24/7.

We are here for you 24/7.

At Newport Coast Recovery, it’s about living.

We CAN help… CALL NOW.

1.800.990.9691

Or visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com

Opiate addiction is believed to be a disorder of the central nervous system resulting from continuous use of opiates, ie: Opium, Morphine, and Heroin. Opiates are a class of a narcotic formed from the latex resin or “sap” released by cutting or scoring the seed pods of opium poppies. Prolonged Opiate abuse causes the body’s natural pain killers, known as endorphins, to no longer function properly. After long-term Opiate abuse, endorphins cease to be produced by the body naturally because it is instead receiving opiates. As an Addict’s nerve cells degenerate from extended abuse, a need for more Opiates and high physical tolerance will become present, requiring that more and more of the drug be ingested in order to avoid the onset of painful withdrawal symptoms.

Side effects of Opiate abuse may occur and are more likely the higher the dosage taken, these include:

• Restlessness

• Hyperactive behavior

• Poor physical coordination

• Inability to concentrate

• Poor judgment

• Slurred speech

• Bouts of euphoria followed by bouts of extreme depression

• Accelerated heartbeat which can ultimately result in coma or death

Opiate addicts may display marked changes in behavior and attitude as the length of addiction grows longer over time. Relationships with family members and friends can deteriorate rapidly, performance at work and/or school can become dramatically decreased. Often an addict will lie to cover his or her using habits and can even be pushed into a life of crime to help finance their addiction. In the long-term, it is difficult to hide Opiate abuse for any length of time.

Over the past few years Newport Coast Recovery has been on the forefront of treating Opiate addiction more then ever before. This past year alone, clients that come to NCR for Opiate addiction treatment have been abusers of Opium, Morphine, Heroin or other narcotic drugs. Newport Coast Recovery’s program helps all addicts that are dealing with addiction, but young people are the biggest population that we are treating in the past years. Finding a place that will approach a young person’s outlook on life, as an Opiate addict is something that we do not take lightly. It is important for families looking for help with Opiate addiction to look at various rehabilitation solutions and make sure that a specific program is available.

 Visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com or call 800.990.9691 our staff are available 24/7 

If heroin has hijacked your life or the life of someone you love, we can help. We have years of specialized experience in heroin addiction treatment

Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. Heroin is a highly addictive drug and is the most widely abused of the opiates. Heroin can be injected, smoked, or sniffed/snorted. Injection is the most efficient way to administer low-purity heroin. Frequent abuse of Heroin has a high potential for causing addiction and quickly leads to tolerance. If sustained abuse of heroin is stopped for as little as three days, withdrawal symptoms will appear. Heroin is used as a recreational drug because of the intense euphoria it induces, which diminishes as tolerance increases.

Some abusers mix heroin with cocaine in a “speedball” that usually is injected intravenously, smoked, or snorted, producing a more intense rush than abusing heroin by itself, but the combination of the drugs is more dangerous because the combination of the short-acting stimulant with the longer-acting depressant increases the risk of seizure, overdose, or death.

Risks Associated with Heroin Abuse include:

• The risk of contracting blood-borne diseases, such as, HIV and hepatitis
• The risk of contracting bacterial or fungal infections
• Poisoning from contaminants added to cut/dilute heroin
• Constipation
• Addiction with an increasing tolerance.
• Physical dependence can result from use of all opioids, that will result in withdrawal symptoms upon ceasing of use.
• Decreased kidney function.
• Death

 Visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com or call 800.990.9691 our staff are available 24/7 

Coming to Newport Coast Recovery can help get drug crime charges reduced or even dismissed.

A drug crime conviction can lead to harsh legal sentencing and will complicate your ability to work, go to school and find housing if charges appear on your criminal record. We can help where many programs fall short. We have relationships with local judges and can provide competent attorney referrals. We can work with you to present the judge with a range of alternatives to imprisonment, allowing the offender to begin rebuilding a new, recovery-based life as soon as possible.You may avoid jail completely with alternative sentencing.
When a judge is considering sentencing for drug-related charges, there may be an opportunity to enter recovery rather than prison. Participation in a drug court program or proposition 36 diversions may be options. We are qualified to work with offenders sentenced under PC 1000 or PC 1210. Each of these options, allowing the offender to stay out of jail, becomes a greater possibility with commitment to enter Newport Coast Recovery.It takes courage, guidance and structure to become clean and sober. Our world-class clinical staff offers daily individual attention to get to the heart of the problem, deal with the wreckage and build the framework for a new sobriety-based life.

We offer affordable, effective rehabilitation on the cutting-edge. We blend clinical and holistic methods to renew mind, body and spirit while restoring relationships, goals and purpose. This prepares our clients for long-term sobriety, allowing our program to excel where others fail.Visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com or call 800.990.9691 our friendly staff is waiting to help you.

OxyContin,is an opium derivative which has the same active ingredients as Percodan or Percocet. OxyContin is intended for use by chronic pain sufferers. Oxycontin addiction is a physical dependence that results from an individual being exposed to or abusing high doses of Oxycontin for an extended period of time. The human body then quickly adapts and develops a tolerance for Oxycontin. The addiction to oxycontin is so powerful that it produces cravings,these cravings for oxycontin are the result of its impact on the individual’s central nervous system and their pyschological state; the subconscious memory of using the drug often motivates the individual to seek more oxycontin resulting in extremely dangerous and often illegal activities.

The most commonly reported effects of long-term oxycontin abuse include:

• constipation
• fatigue
• dizziness
• nausea
• lightheadedness
• headache
• dry mouth
• pruritus
• diaphoresis

Some addicts also have a loss of appetite, nervousness, euphoria, anxiety, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dyspnea, and hiccups, although these symptoms appear very rarely, oxycontin can also cause impotence, enlarged prostate gland, and decreased testosterone secretion.

In high doses, overdoses, oxycodone can cause shallow breathing, bradycardia, cold, clammy skin, apnea, hypotension, pupil constriction, circulatory collapse, respiratory arrest, and death.

Over the past few years, SouthCoast Recovery Oxycontin Treatment Center has been treating opiate addiction more then ever before. This past year alone, over 40 % of the clients that come to SCR for treatment have been addicted to oxycontin, oxycodone or other opiate drugs. Nearly all these clients were under the age of 25. SouthCoast’s oxycontin addiction treatment program helps all addicts that are dealing opiate addiction, but young people are the biggest population that we are treating in the past years. Finding a place that will approach a young person’s outlook on life, as an opiate addict is something that we do not take lightly. It is important for families looking for a oxycontin addiction treatment program to make sure that a specific program is available.

Visit us at www.newportcoastrecovery.com or call at: (800)990.9691

Addiction is often accompanied by other related psychological issues, common ones include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. These are often referred to as co-occurring disorders, and only a dual diagnosis rehab facility can properly address these cases.

But what if you’ve never been diagnosed with a psychological disorder, should you still consider a dual diagnosis rehab program? The short answer is yes, because many individuals have undiagnosed psychological disorders - just because they haven’t been diagnosed doesn’t mean they don’t exist. By attending a dual diagnosis rehab program, you can cover all your bases - whether or not you actually have a co-occurring disorder, these treatment facilities will figure out the best way to address addiction specific to each individual.

In situations where an individual has been examined by a Psychiatrist who has determined there are no underlying psychological disorders, individuals facing addiction can still consider a dual diagnosis program. These programs are often geared towards customizing treatment plans to each individual, rather than having everyone follow the exact same regimen.

If an individual who does have a co-occurring disorder fails to attend a dual-diagnosis facility, the chances of recovery are significantly lower relative to attending the proper facility. Newport Coast Recovery is equipped to handle dual-diagnosis cases, so call (800)990-9691 today if you’d like to receive more information on dual diagnosis rehab and co-occurring disorders.

Addiction Fact #1: Addiction is a disease, characterized by physical changes in the brain and body that change the way a person thinks and feels. While the brain won’t ever return to a complete state of normality, the best way to address the disease of addiction is through an intensive inpatient rehab program. By completing an addiciton rehab program, an individual can begin to mitigate and address the various changes brought onby the disease of addiction. It is true that all addicts initially choose to consume an addicitive substance, so the disease is brought on by personal choices - but once the diesease ofaddiction progresses, the addict is a slave to the drug and choice gives way to impulse.

Addition Fact #2: Even after successful recovery from rehab, the individual will be highly susceptible to their substance of abuse. The brain still craves the drug, and this will become more intense if there isn’t followup support for the addiction. This followup support, like group meetings and alumni programs is essential for avoiding relapse. Choosing a drug and alcohol rehab program like Newport Coast Recovery allows graduates of rehab (alumni) to come back and discuss issues and find valuable resources for further help.

Addiction Fact #3: Without treatment, addictions generally become worse, not better. The ultimate outcome for many addictions is death or despair. Left untreated, addiction affects more than the individual’s body, it affects their life. Relationships with friends and family may become strained - loss of empoyment is also a common predicament.

Admitting that one has a drug problem can be more difficult than it seems. The problem with denial is that until it can be overcome, rehab cannot be effective. Many individuals who enter rehab at the request of family or loved ones still deny the idea that they actually have a serious life-threatening addiction.

For rehab to be successful, the client must at some point admit that they have a problem, that they have an addiction and that they want help in treating it. There’s one thing that can dramatically improve the odds of success from drug and alcohol rehab: a true willingness and desire to get healthy again, and to stay away from addictive substances and situations that inspire their use.

If you or a loved one is going through serious addiction (even if they’ve failed in rehab in the past), it’s time to do something about it right now. This is one of those things that you can’t put off, because serious addictions that go untreated only get worse.

Call Newport Coast Recovery today for information on getting into rehab and starting a new future, the number is 800-990-9616, this phone is on 24 hours a day so there’s no excuse not to call RIGHT NOW

Individuals with untreated mental health issues may experience more difficulty in recovery. Sadness, despair, and depression are prevalent problems among alcoholics and addicts. It can be difficult to differentiate major depression from the emotional turbulence of addiction for any of the following reasons:

·         Many drugs themselves are depressants,

Including alcohol, sedatives, and minor

tranquilizers.

·         Many symptoms of depression appear

during withdrawal from drugs. For

example, cocaine addicts typically experience

a “crash” three to five days after their last use.

·         Alcohol and drugs may provide a chemical

cushion to ward off the emotional impact

of everyday events. Without the drug, a

person experiences feelings again and may

think these feelings are not normal.

·         The normal coarse of addiction may have

brought about many tragedies (divorce,

loss of custody of children) that cause

intense, but normal, grief.

·         Loss of relationship with the drug of choice

can cause grief. Alcohol and other drugs

often become a “best friend” that is always

there to provide solace and relief.

Many symptoms of depression generally go away with abstinence from drugs and alcohol, and from utilizing the Twelve Steps to increase coping skills.

When  recovering  alcoholics  and  recovering  addicts  in  the  early  stages  of  recovery  are  trying  to  decide  their  next  move  after  leaving  drug rehab and alcohol rehab,  they  are  often  faced  with  difficult  choices.   “Should  I  go  to  sober  living?”,  “What  type  of  sober  living?”,  “Should  I  stay  near  my  family?”,  “Should  I  go  back  to  work?”  are  all  valid  and  difficult  questions  to  be  asking.   Difficult  choices  are  nothing  new  for  those  with  the  disease  of  addiction,  however  choosing  healthy  options  may  be.   That  is  why  continued  care,  sober  living  community  environments  such  as  those  found  with Newport Coast Recovery,  are  such  a  critical  part  of  any  addict’s  recovery  effort.   Continued  care,  sober  living  communities  provide  the  fellowship and  healthy  life  skills  guidance  that  are  critically  needed  between  the  treatment  community  and  integration  into  traditional  sober  living.   While  in  drug rehab and alcohol rehab,  alcoholics  and  addicts  are  introduced  to  educations  and  therapies  designed  to  help  their  cognitive  brains  understand  the  disease  of  addiction  and  how  brain  chemistry  and  neuropath ways  have  actually  been  altered  by  the  prolonged  use  of  high  quantities  of  mood  altering  addictive  substances  such  as  alcohol,  cocaine,  benzodiazepines,  amphetamines,  opiates,  nicotine,  and  other  chemicals  as  well  as  impulses  such  as  gambling,  sex,  work,  etc.   Addicts  are  informed  that  their  mesolimbic  system  has  been  irreversibly  physiologically  altered  and  will  forever  cause  the  addict  to  intensely  desire  mood  altering  chemicals  at  times.   Addicts  are  also  informed  that  their  neuropath ways  have  been  severely  damaged  on  a  molecular  basis,  and  that  repair  to  these  important  neuropath ways  is  possible  over  an  extended  period  of  time.   However,  while  repair  is  under  way,  the  recovering  addict  will  encounter  difficulties  in  thinking  clearly,  remembering  things,  experiencing  normal  pleasures,  and  various  other  symptoms  of  post  acute  withdrawal.  

 It  is  clear  that  long?term  recovery  is  difficult,  as  it  seems  that  all  the  cards  are  stacked  against  the  addict.   But  there  is  a  great  equalizer  when  it  comes  to  addiction.   When  someone  in  recovery  remains  sober  by  not  using  any  mood  altering  addictive  substances,  the  mesolimbic  system  loses  its  power  over  the  cognitive  mind.   And  while  it  is  difficult  for  those  in  early  recovery  to  make  healthy  choices,  it  is  entirely  possible  to  do  so  if  they  surround  themselves  with  the  help  they  need.  Making  healthy  choices  over  a  period  of  one  to  three  years  will  eventually allow  their  neuropath ways  to  rebuild  themselves  and  symptoms  of  post  acute  withdrawal  will  dissipate.   And  after  five  to  seven  years  of  sobriety  and  working  a recovery  program,  the  addict  will  experience  long?term  recovery  and  lead  happy,  healthy,  productive  lives  once  again.  

Perhaps  the  most  important  aspect  of  building  a  healthy  lifestyle  of  recovery  is  remaining  sober  and  not  using  any  mood  altering  addictive  substance.   Cravings  are  the  most  severe  when  the  recovering  addict  is  stressed  by  internal  or  external  agitates.   When  in  treatment,  the  recovering  addict  is  surrounded  by  compassion  and  therapists  that  help  them  deal  with  those  stressors  in  healthy  ways.   Continued  care and  sober  living  continues  providing  these  valuable  surroundings  so  craving  will  not  overcome  the  recovering  addicts  desire  to  stay  sober.   It  is  common  for  stress  induced  cravings  to  recur  up  to  a  full  year  after  first  obtaining  sobriety.   However,  after  prolonged  exposure  to  therapeutic  exercises  on  managing  stress,  the  recovering  addict  will  grow  more  and  more  capable  of  handling  stress  on  their  own.   Essentially, continued care sober living helps people to help themselves.

Many  that  have  not  had  exposure  to  continued  care or sober  living  do  not  understand  the  tremendous  life?changing  benefits  of   therapy,  education,  and  balanced  center  living  guidance  delivered  within  a  structured  addiction  after  care  framework.  Put simply continued  care and  sober  living  is  the  next  step  in  the  continuum  of  care  for  the  recovering  alcoholic  and  addict  leaving  primary  treatment  and  affords  the  recovering  addict  the  best  opportunity  for  continuous  recovery.

For more info go to: www.newportcoastrecovery.com  or call toll free  1(800) 990-9691

It’s spring time and the weather is great in Southern California. The warm weather is conducive towards outdoor activities like hanging out at the beach, riding bikes and even fishing. At Newport Coast Recovery you can do all of these - the fact that it’s located just a few steps from the beach makes these and other activities pretty easy.

Being outdoors is healthy and can aid in the recovery process - outdoor activities are healthy and help ward off boredom. If you’re looking for a men’s rehab program that will provide you with the theraputic as well as extracurricular opportunities that are essential to addiction recovery, check out Newport Coast Recovery today.

Crack is the most addictive form of cocaine. It produces an intense high that only last for minutes. Less then half of Crack is made up of actual cocaine. The rest is often baking soda or some other adulterant. Crack addiction is hard to treat. The euphoric recall of the drug is intense and often people in recovery whose primary drug of choice is Crack tend to have a lower chance of success in treatment. Crack cocaine releases a tremendous amount of dopamine quickly and then the level of dopamine drops suddenly, causing depression and an intense feeling of sadness. The extreme highs and lows of the drug is what often create psychological addiction. The best drug rehab would be one that offers Dual Diagnosis. Newport Coast Recovery has a very good Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment program.

 To learn more about Newport Coast Recovery visit us at: www.newportcoastrecovery.com  or call us at (800)990-9691

Heroin abuse is associated with serious health conditions, including fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion, collapsed veins, and infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

The short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours. After an injection of heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria (”rush”) accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes “on the nod,” an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin’s depressing effects on respiration.

In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not readily dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs.

Many people who wind up going to drug rehab, have other psychological issues besides substance abuse or alcoholism. This used to be called a dual diagnosis and now is referred to as a co-occurring disorder. No matter what label you slap on it, it is a big issue in both the drug alcohol rehab community as well as a person’s own recovery. Nearly all drug alcohol rehab programs are aware of this additional factor in treating chemical dependency. The question is what are they going to do about it? The big debate centers on the role of psychotropic medications. Some argue they have no place in a drug rehab facility.

They say, with some validity, giving drugs to a drug addict is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Others say a person must be psychically stable or else the drug alcohol rehab experience is seriously flawed. Does the end justify the means? We think it does. All too often an addict or alcoholic is using some type of drug or alcohol to self medicates their diagnosed (or undiagnosed) mood disorder. It would seem to us, therefore, to ignore or improperly treat it is the greater of the two evil and with the aid of medication management techniques and/or the help of someone who is willing to monitor the meds for the person, this is the right treatment plan to pursue.

This question really boils down to what is being used as the primary criteria for measuring successful drug alcohol rehab and treatment. We like to use the analogy of addiction and alcoholism as a fatal disease. Both are life-threatening and life debilitating.  And both are progressive. Both can be put into remission, if the patient does the rehab process and does their part to actively participate. We are of the opinion that both are genetically driven, at least to some degree, and do not necessarily have any underlying personal cause and effect relationship. Drug rehab and alcohol rehab are very helpful when the participates are active in there recovery.

When a chemically dependent person completes treatment in a drug rehab program, they in effect, are cured. They have used any form of their drug of choice for several weeks, if not more. And they have learned what they need to do to insure they never have to pick up and use again. The trouble is human beings have a tendency to fall back into their old patterns of thinking and behaving. When a person leaves a drug alcohol rehab center, their minds immediately start to revert back to their old ways of living. It is only natural. In addiction, most would agree, there needs to a strong relationship with some power greater than one human being to bring that power to bear on their disease. For all these reasons and others, people “slip” back into their using behavior because they so easily forget how bad it was and will be again if they weaken, even slightly, and they go back out there and start using any mind altering substance. From our prospective, the real reason people relapse is because they are creatures of habit and it only takes one bad idea and decision to be right back out there in trouble again. 12 step programs offer the support needed to ensure long term recovery. Recovery is not something that lasts a couple months it lasts a lifetime and takes some effort from the participants.

For more info please visit our website and contact us: www.newportcoastrecovery.com

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