Addiction Recovery Weekly Roundup – July 4 Week

1.Traditional PTSD therapy doesn’t trigger drug relapse        People with addiction aren’t getting effective treatment for   PTSD due to incorrect presumptions

Researchers have now demonstrated that behavior therapy that exposes people to memories of their trauma doesn’t cause relapses of opioid or other drug use, and that PTSD severity and emotional problems have decreased after the first therapy session.(https://www.sciencedaily.com)

2.Social and behavioral factors most closely associated with dying

Smoking, divorce and alcohol abuse have the closest connection to death out of 57 social and behavioural factors analyzed in this study. The researchers analyzed data collected from 13,611 adults in the U.S. between 1992 and 2008, and identified which factors applied to those who died between 2008 and 2014. They intentionally excluded biological and medical factors.(https://www.sciencedaily.com)

3.Legal marijuana may be slowing reductions in teen marijuana use

A longitudinal study of more than 230 teens and young adults in Washington state finds that teens may be more likely to use marijuana following legalization – with the proliferation of stores and increasing adult use of the drug — than they otherwise would have been.(https://www.sciencedaily.com/)

4.In Faridabad, Teen Age Police unit to protect youngsters against bullying, trafficking

According to police officials, the TAP unit, which will cater to boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 19, will be led by an ACP-ranking officer who will closely coordinate with school authorities, parents’ associations, and non-governmental organisations working in areas of teenage problems.(https://indianexpress.com/)

5.Inside Kanye West’s bipolar disorder and Twitter rants

Kanye West’s troubled mental state has been on full view over the last few days.A series of concerning tweets and public appearances have likely been the result of the 43-year-old rapper’s bipolarism, his wife Kim Kardashian said.(https://nypost.com/)

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Commonly Abused Drugs in Florida

Making the decision to enter into a Florida drug rehab is definitely not an easy one, but it is nonetheless an important decision that will end up affecting the rest of your life. Especially here at Treatment Alternatives, you will only receive the best possible care for your substance abuse addiction, and will be set up with  an aftercare program that will ensure your continued sobriety throughout the rest of your life.

Perhaps part of the reason why Treatment Alternatives has such a long history of continued success when it comes to helping people get (and stay) sober is due to over three decades of providing people with care along every step of the recovery journey. Specifically, Florida provides the perfect place to focus on recovery, and to find people who need help as well. SAMHSA reported that 79,322 people were admitted to Florida drug rehab centers over the past year, with admissions into treatment centers increasing from 21% in 1992 to 46% in 2006.

Due to Florida’s location, it is no surprise that it serves as a main international drug trafficking site. In fact, Florida recently became the leading Pill Mill state in the country. Because of this, it is important to know which the most commonly abused drugs in Florida are, and what to look out for.

Some of the most commonly abused drugs in Florida include:

– Prescription drugs. Due to the “unprecedented levels of abuse” of prescription drugs, 12,756 people were admitted for opiate addiction (excluding heroin) in 2009. In fact, 777,000 citizens in Florida reported using prescription drugs for non-medical use.

– Cocaine. This is the most widely abused drug throughout the entire state, with 11,516 people admitted into Florida treatment centers in 2009 for cocaine abuse. That same year, 390,000 Floridians reported abusing cocaine. As a result, numerous people have entered into drug rehab for cocaine abuse.

– Heroin. While heroin does enter into Florida from international drug markets, it for the most part gets moved outside the state. However, that does not mean that many people still need to the help of Florida treatment centers for heroin addiction. In 2009 alone, 1,721 people entered into treatment for heroin addiction.

– Marijuana. This is also one of the most abused substances in Florida, with 24,812 Florida residents entering into a Florida drug rehab in order to get help for their problem.

If you or a loved one are in need of a quality drug rehab for prescription drug, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or any other addiction to substances.

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Recovery Coach Helpline

• Get drugs and alcohol out of your home so you’re not tempted. That includes prescription medicines no longer used.Lock up medicines you need to keep them safely stored.
• Fentanyl is here. If you’re using heroin, cocaine or even pills, carry naloxone, go slow, and never use alone.
  

  WHO RUNS THIS HELPLINE?

  Safe Communities is a nonprofit coalition of over 350 organizations working together to save lives, prevent injury and make Dane County safer. Funding is provided by federal, local and foundation grants, project sponsors, memberships and individual donors.

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Top Things You Neglect Until You Choose Recovery

For those who have been in recovery at you can most likely attest to the fact that your life used to revolve around using and where your next fix was going to come from. When dealing with a drug dependency for so many years, making the choice to get Florida addiction treatment and sober up can seem like one of the most terrifying decisions in the world.

While making the decision to enter into recovery may seem terrifying at first, the positive effects will soon outweigh all of the negative choices that used to take precedence in your decision making. In order to put things into perspective for you, here is a list of the top things you neglect until you choose a recovery center in Florida.

Fitness. When you were constantly dealing with hangovers and comedowns, it is easy to skip the gym. After all, substance abuse can suck out all of your motivation to be active and to take care of yourself. Until you enter into a Boca Raton drug rehab, most of your focus is on figuring out where you are going to get your next fix from. Once you get the help that you need, you will find that there is a whole world out there filled with plenty of other exciting hobbies to get wrapped up in.

Relationships. More often than not, users are unable to maintain relationships with anyone other than other users. Once you enter into recovery at a Florida drug rehab, the people that are in your life will have to change, as more positive influences will be more necessary. As a result, maintaining healthy relationships are most certainly one of the top thing you neglect until you choose recovery. Once you finally get sober, you will have plenty of time to focus on not only taking care of yourself, but for taking care of someone else.

Finance. Think about it, for those who are abusing alcohol, how much money is wasted on going out and buying booze? Or on buying silly purchases that you don’t need, but simply buy when you are not thinking clearly? Without the constant strain of having to refill your fix, then think about all of the freed-up finances that you will have. Not only that, but managing your finances will become easier than it has ever been before.

Career. For those who are in recovery at you know that substance abuse is a full time job. While some people are successful functioning alcoholics that does not mean that years of substance abuse does not eventually catch up with them. After all, who knows how many times their actions have caused them to be skipped over for a promotion? Do yourself a favor and cut out the substance abuse in order to fully focus on your career.

If you or a loved one are in need of a quality Florida drug rehab

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Teen Addiction

Did you know that nine out of ten people with addiction began using these substances before they were 18? Or that people who began using addictive substances before the age of 15 are seven times more likely to become addicted than those who do not try drugs until they are 21 Teen Addiction

years of age or older?

While addiction has proven harmful in any regard, teen addiction can prove to have more detrimental short-term and long-term effects on the brain. Teenage brains are more susceptible to addiction and stress, as opposed to the adult brain.

Researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, Bita Moghaddam, explains that this is because, “the brain region that is very critical in planning your actions and in habit formation is directly tapped by reward in adolescents, which means the reward could have a stronger influence in their decision-making…as well as forming habits in adolescents.”

This proves even more harmful, due to the fact that the brain is still developing well into your twenties; therefore, any drug abuse not only stops the teenage brain from fully developing, but also makes them more vulnerable to addiction. Moghaddam further elaborates that the adolescent brain is, “more vulnerable to what goes on around them in the environment, to things that are expected to be rewarding, and could make the brain more vulnerable to addiction. Events or things in the environment could influence your next action more strongly in adolescents than in adults.”

Common red flags for teen addiction include:

• Changes in dress or grooming
• Changes in choice of friends
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Depressed mood or talk about depression or suicide
• Frequent arguments, sudden mood changes and unexplained violent actions
• Loss of interest in usual activities or hobbies
• Obvious intoxication, dizziness or other bizarre behavior
• Runaway or delinquent behavior
• School problems such as falling grades, poor attendance and recent discipline problems
• Sudden weight gain or loss
• Trauma or frequent injuries

If a loved one is suffering from teen addiction, call Treatment Alternatives today for a quality substance abuse treatment

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Four Best Ways to Stay Sober After Treatment

There’s no doubt about it, making the decision to enter into a Florida drug rehab in order to begin your recovery journey is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. On top of that, the day that you complete substance abuse treatment will be one of the greatest achievements that you will ever make.

However, the recovery journey does not stop there. On the contrary, this will begin a long life of important decision making that will prove invaluable to the success of maintaining your sobriety. When you first leave your Boca Raton drug rehab, chances are that you will find this to be one of the most challenging aspects of the whole recovery process. In order to ensure the continued success of your sobriety, take note of some of the four best ways to stay sober after treatment from Treatment Alternatives. After all, they have three decades worth of experience to share.

1. Stick to the recovery plan. Even though you may feel like you have your whole like under control, make sure to stick the recovery plan. This feeling just proves that your recovery plan is working, and the last thing you want to do is mess what’s responsible for your success in sobriety so far.

2. Put yourself first. Take care of your mind and body so that you do not put yourself in a position in which you want to make yourself feel better – and potentially relapse. Devote some extra time to yourself, considering how much your substance abuse put your mind and body through before.

3. Surround yourself with good people. A strong support system is one of the most effective ways to stay sober after treatment. Whether it is family, friends, or other people in recovery, make sure you surround yourself with good people who support your recovery.

4. Make sure you talk it out. One of the reasons why surrounding yourself with good people is so important is because you need people that you can talk to who will actually be able to help you. If you feel a potential relapse coming on, then it is vital that you talk it out with your support system. Your support system can include anyone from the friends you made at your Florida drug rehab, your therapist, your family, or anyone else that you trust to have your best interests at heart.

If you or a loved one are in need of quality Florida treatment for substance abuse,

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Treatment Center Must Haves

When taking the first steps needed for getting help for a substance abuse problem, you need to make sure that you find the right addiction treatment center that can help you get back on the right track.

But what do you need to look for in a quality Boca Raton drug rehab, anyways? Some of the main substance abuse treatment center must haves include:

Customized programs. Since not everyone has had the same journey, not every treatment program should be the same. Treatment centers with customized programs and a wide variety of treatment options available will help ensure that you are receiving the proper alcohol abuse treatment necessary to regain your life and sobriety.

Licensing. In order for Boca Raton addiction treatment center to be one you should consider, it needs to be certified and accredited by the state it’s in. For bonus points, the facility should also be certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). If an addiction treatment center has been certified by the JCAHO, it means that they have been inspected and approved the facility as established and trustworthy, and meets a certain set of standards regarding treatment quality, patient safety, human resources management, and more.

Aftercare management. Whichever addiction treatment center you choose, it should have aftercare management with recovery resources to help keep their post-treatment schedule on track. Patients also need to be able to communicate with their therapists during times when they feel especially vulnerable. The facility should also have group therapy sessions available, where those in recovery can come and get support from other people going through the same situation they are. An added bonus: a treatment center that has an alumni group which allows those who have completed treatment to stay involved with the facility.

Getting family involved. For most who have suffered with a substance abuse problem, problems with family members have also come as a result. Because continued problems with family members can hinder the recovery process, making sure that the family is involved in the recovery process will enable the patient to reconnect with them and lean on them for support. This helps create a foundation with plenty of support to help continue healthy family relationships and prevent relapse.

Accurate medical record keeping. Treatment centers that keep accurate medical records is vital to the success of treatment. All addiction treatment centers should have full documentation of any examinations, diagnosis, and treatment done on a patient. This way, if documents are needed for disciplinary or peer review matters, medical records can prove the need for substance abuse treatment.

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How to Tell if You Are in a Codependent Relationship

More often than not, the loved ones of those struggling with drug abuse will do anything to help them. However, there is a fine line between helping and enabling. Those who constantly make excuses for the addict’s behavior end up codependent, ultimately preventing their loved one from seeking help at a Boca Raton drug rehab.

What exactly is codependency, anyways? Codependent relationships are a type of dysfunctional relationship where one person supports or enables another person’s addiction, poor mental health, immaturity, or under-achievement. Usually, the codependent has the expectation that their help will be recognized and that the substance abuse related behavior of their loved one will change.

While the codependent may have the best intentions in mind, this eventually does more harm than good. By constantly being available and always wanting to please their addicted loved one, the codependent becomes the accidental enabler. This worsens the substance abuse problem by making it easier for the addict to control and manipulate the codependent, further allowing them to continue to not seek substance abuse treatment.

How do you know if you are codependent? If you feel like you rely so much on the feeling you get from helping a loved one who is suffering with an addiction problem, then you may be codependent. This type of attachment is its own form of addiction; by feeling like they are fixing things, their dopamine, also known as the reward center of the brain, gets stimulated. This may make the codependent feel less anxious, cover up underlying issues, and feel more secure. As a result, an attachment turns into codependency.

Unsure of whether or not you may be a codependent and preventing your loved one from getting help at a Boca Raton drug rehab? One surefire sign includes accepting full responsibility for other’s actions. By doing this, you allow the addict to not take responsibility for their drug abuse, further keeping him from getting help from one of the many treatment centers in South Florida. Other signs that you are codependent include: ‘people pleasing’ without considering your own needs, having an extreme fear of abandonment, and neglecting your own needs or responsibilities to help others.

By constantly being there to bail your loved one out of trouble due to their drug abuse, you prevent the addict from taking responsibility for their own actions. If they never have to take responsibility for their actions, then they can never recognize the true effects of their substance abuse problem, and they will never seek help from treatment centers in South Florida.

For those who think they may be codependent or enabling an addict, call Boca Raton’s leading drug rehab center Treatment Alternatives today, for quality Florida treatment.

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Social Anxiety and Substance Abuse

While it has been widely known that social anxiety and substance abuse are commonly linked, researchers recently revealed that initial drug use has to do with having social anxiety in the first place. The discovery could ultimately form better treatment methods for those who are suffering with social anxiety.

One of the key points that researchers and psychologists have picked up on include the fact that aside from food, water, and shelter, people need love, social belonging, and acceptance from others. Unfortunately, if these basic needs are not met, then it could lead to subsequent drug use, as well as anxiety.

In an experiment conducted, “almost half of the teenagers in the study experienced some form of social anxiety.” The experiment focused mainly on kids who had problems with the idea of fitting in, ultimately resulting in them responding well to exercises that helped them lower their social anxiety. The study found that nearly 15 percent of the total participants experienced social anxiety disorder.

Moreover, the researchers found that participants who were abusing drugs or alcohol turned to either substance as a means to alleviate their anxiety, as well as to take their mind off of their worries. One of the most widely abused drugs for teenagers in the study was, unfortunately, heroin.

Lead author Maria Pagano, Ph. D., believes that this is because “a sense of belonging is important to live sober and to thrive, and 12-step service offers a venue for those impaired by social anxiety.”

It has been proven that those who attend a treatment center for substance abuse while receiving treatment for social anxiety have a 50 percent less chance of relapsing or ending up in jail six months after being released from therapy. Treatment centers such as Treatment Alternatives in Boca Raton, offer dual-diagnosis treatment for anxiety coupled with substance abuse.

Unsure of whether or not you suffer from a form of social anxiety? Social anxiety is typically defined as a person who has unreasonable fears when it comes to social situations. “The sufferer is terrified that others will be critical, feel unprepared for the simplest tasks, or may lack experience in social situations.” If left untreated, anxiety can develop into a panic attack and exasperate an already developed substance abuse problem.

In order to prevent a co-occurring disorder from worsening.

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Drug and Alcohol Use During Pregnancy: Get the Facts

It has been said time and time again that the joys of having a baby are unparalleled. When a woman becomes a mother, she takes on the world’s most selfless role, providing her baby with a healthy, loving, and supportive environment. Whether you are currently pregnant or planning on it, every mother wants a healthy baby. Treatment Alternatives, a drug rehab center in Florida, knows that the love between a mother and her baby is unique, and wants you to learn how you can create the safest, healthiest environment for your child by avoiding drug and alcohol use during pregnancy.

Just because a mother may not experience long-lasting effects of drug or alcohol use, the same cannot be said for your baby. Health issues caused by irresponsible behavior can be passed down to your unborn baby, causing drug or alcohol dependencies, heightened stress levels, and sometimes abnormalities and development issues.

Learn the facts of the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use during pregnancy from Treatment Alternatives:

Not only are illegal drugs and alcohol dangerous to an unborn baby, over-the-counter drugs may have harmful effects as well. Testing on pregnant women is unethical, but despite the lack of official scientific studies, doctors recommend pregnant women avoid any OTC medications during their pregnancy to avoid complications.

If you smoke, drink, or consume caffeine, your fetus does too.

Cocaine may lead an unborn fetus to have a stroke, which could cause death.

Mothers who smoke during their pregnancy are increasing the likelihood their baby has congenital heart defects. If these heart defects do not kill your child, they will put your child through a lifetime of health issues and disabilities.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause your baby to develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Babies born with FAS experience abnormal facial features, development issues within their central nervous system, and growth deficiencies.

 

The effects of drug and alcohol use during pregnancy don’t stop while the fetus is in the womb; pregnant mothers are also more susceptible to experiencing birthing issues.

Using methamphetamines while pregnant increases the risk of a miscarriage.

Using drugs during pregnancy increases the chance of premature birth, underweight birth, and stillborn births.

Babies exposed to drugs experience withdrawal symptoms, such as excessive crying and trembling at birth.

 

The damage does not stop once the baby is born:

Drug and alcohol use during pregnancy can cause your baby to be irritable. You may experience excessive irritability and feeding difficulties.

Cocaine exposed babies are more likely to have heart issues and brain damage.

In early childhood, these babies born to mothers who used drugs and alcohol during pregnancy will experience issues in the development of their brain structure. As they grow older, they will face deficits in cognitive performance, information processing, and attentiveness. Drug and alcohol use of the mother will cause the child to suffer from damage to the development of memory.

These children are noted to have behavioral problems in early childhood.

 

Treatment Alternatives can help you get on the right path in order to ensure that you are creating the safest and most nurturing environment for your baby to develop. If you or a loved one is pregnant and has a substance abuse issue, contact our drug and alcohol rehab facility in Boca Raton to

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