What to Do After Detox

November 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The first step in recovery is asking for help and physically getting off whatever substance you were abusing.  Detox is only the beginning of your transition into a new life of sobriety.  Once your body is clean of drugs and alcohol and you have completed your detox program my suggestion is to attend a drug rehab center.  Some will tell you that this is not necessary and for the few people out there that have an extremely strong sense of discipline and are absolutely sure that they want to live a drug free life then they may be able to stay clean and sober without attending a rehab. However the statistics prove that your chances go up 10 fold if you attend and complete a drug treatment program. 

 

There is a variety of drug programs available ranging from the traditional 28 day inpatient rehab to some less intensive outpatient programs.  Through my own personal experience I have found that the best way to stay off drugs and alcohol is to attend an inpatient rehab program with a minimum length of 28 days.  There are also some residential drug treatment centers that offer longer programs (3-9 months) but many find that they are unable to put this amount of time aside.  If you are able to invest 6 months into drug rehab because you feel that you need to then that is a great testament to your commitment to your recovery.

 

When choosing which rehab to enter be wise and select one that fits your individual needs.  If you also suffer from depression or anxiety make sure that they have a psychiatrist on staff that will be able to meet with you and assess your situation.  If you feel more comfortable in a single sex environment then choose a treatment center that has separate units for men and women.  Most important before you check yourself into any drug treatment facility, do a little research on their history and their success rates; it doesn’t hurt to do some investigating.  If you are in need of some advice of where to go and are in the South Florida area, New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania email me and I will share my experiences with you.

Filed Under: Addictin Drug Treatment, Drug Detox, Drug Rehab, Drugs, Recovery Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Choosing the Right Detox

November 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

There is a huge difference in the quality of care from one detox center to another.  The uneducated consumer may not know the difference but I have been to my fair share of detox’s and I am here to share my experience with you so that you can receive the highest level quality of care possible.  One mistake that people often make when deciding on which detox center to go into is that they think they are limited to the facilities in their immediate area, which is entirely untrue.  Drug dependence is a serious physical condition that requires emergency medical care and I know that when I am sick I want to be treated by the best and have the most well trained professionals by my side.

The best detox center in my experience has been The Sunrise Detox located in Lake Worth, Florida.  They have a gentle and loving approach towards drug detoxification patients and treat all of their clients with dignity and respect. The staff at Sunrise Detox is the most caring and genuine that I have ever encountered. They actually care and want to see you recover and that is why there is such a comfortable and safe feeling there.

According to the Sunrise Detox website: “We believe that recovery from alcohol and drug addiction should be dignified. We’ve gone to great lengths to create a feeling of home at Sunrise Detox. There are no locked doors, and Sunrise Detox is not an antiseptic hospital environment. Our clients reside in comfortable, modern, elegantly furnished rooms, with plenty of space for personal belongings, and they are not required to wear uncomfortable hospital gowns during detoxification. Individuals can dress in the clothing of their choice, and have easy access to in-house laundry facilities. We also operate our own full-service, on-site gourmet kitchen which serves a diverse menu of nutritionally balanced meals and snacks.”  It makes a huge difference to be able to wear your own clothing and not be forced into a medical gown while going through withdrawal.  Each and every creature comfort that is afforded at Sunrise Detox makes the process of coming off drugs easier to bear.

The most praiseworthy aspect of Sunrise Detox is that they understand what a comfortable detox means and they don’t see detox as a time to make the patient suffer.  Through a comfortable, medically monitored detoxification process they aid their clients in their first steps towards recovery.

Filed Under: Addictin Drug Treatment, Drug Detox, Drugs, Recovery Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Facts on Ultra Rapid Detox

November 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I have had many people ask me what the difference is between Rapid Detox and Ultra Rapid Detox and whether I would recommend either procedure.  There is a great deal of confusion with respect to these terms.  Ultra Rapid Detox generally indicates a detoxification process which is done under general anesthesia, which lasts somewhere between 4 and 24 hours. Rapid Detox, in general, can be used to denote anything from Ultra Rapid Detox to a detox process that lasts 10 days or more. Unfortunately, many clinics and websites now use these terms interchangeably. This can be confusing to individuals seeking information and treatment.

In general, Ultra Rapid Detox is a process of accelerating the detoxification process in patients who are addicted to drugs such as opiates, heroin, and even prescription pain relievers. The Ultra Rapid Detox process should be conducted in a hospital setting while the patient is under general anesthesia. The process needs to be overseen by certified anesthesiologists and a nursing staff that specialize in such procedures. While under anesthesia, the patient is administered medications that counteract the addictive substances. If the procedure is done correctly, the patient awakens from general anesthesia having gone partially through the drug withdrawal syndrome. Depending on how long the individual is under general anesthesia, withdrawal symptoms and physical cravings may be absent or partially absent upon awakening. However, the psychological and emotional aspects of addiction are not treated and, also, the patient hasn’t learned to change their behavior or response to their emotions regarding drugs. Because of this there is a significant risk that the patient will return to drug use shortly after ultra rapid detox.

Myths About Ultra Rapid Detox

With Ultra Rapid Detox I’ll wake up completely free from my addiction
Depending on the length of general anesthesia, you may or may not wake up free from the physical cravings of your addiction. In either case, you will still be completely addicted psychologically to the drug that you are addicted to.

I won’t feel any withdrawal symptoms with Ultra Rapid Detox
If you are under general anesthesia long enough, this might be true. However, there is a marked risk of death when one is placed under prolonged general anesthesia. Therefore, more recently “ultra rapid detox” treatments are done where the patient is under for no more than 4 to 6 hours. With shortened general anesthesia there’s a higher likelihood of having residual withdrawal symptoms upon awakening.

Ultra Rapid Detox is safe
Ultra Rapid Detox has higher risks than other detox methods and remains controversial within the medical community. There is a relative lack of scientific research to support the safety of this procedure. General anesthesia carries with it a risk of death and this risk is increased when anesthesia is prolonged. Some facilities will keep a patient under for up to 24 hours. Safety increases when time under general anesthesia is lessened, for example, down to 4 to 6 hours. However, a shorter course of general anesthesia may result in the individual experiencing more withdrawal symptoms upon awakening than otherwise.

Ultra Rapid Detox works!
Despite the wide publicity of Ultra Rapid Detox, there have not been any controlled studies to prove its effectiveness. This lack of scientific support makes it an unproven and controversial treatment for drug and opioid addiction. Ultra Rapid Detox does not treat the psychological, behavioral, and lifestyle aspects of addiction, only the physical addiction and, as time and practice prove, it is these latter aspects which hold the most control over the recovering addict.

Filed Under: Addictin Drug Treatment, Drug Detox, Drugs Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Understanding Addiction

November 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Making the decision on how to deal with drug addiction in someone’s life is a very important moment. It is a time for you to look for treatment of overcoming the physical and mental addiction, create skills, and learn about resources that can be used after treatment. Looking for an addiction drug treatment program that works for you is a very important part of gaining recovery and pulling your life back together.

You shouldn’t feel alone if you are addicted to drugs. In fact the United States has around 20 million drug users at this time. That’s a staggering number and many of these individuals are looking for choices and a recovery program that will work for them. The addiction to drugs is very powerful and overwhelms a sense of coming to grips with how to begin to stop what’s happening to the user. Knowing that you may not have a choice and that recovery won’t happen alone now is a good time to start looking for an addiction drug treatment program that will work for you.

Many factors are considered when overcoming addiction. The environment that you life in is a large factor. Are drugs present and easily accessible in your life? Do many of your friends and family use drugs? Also genetic factors could factor into the body and mind’s addiction to drugs. An addiction drug treatment program should focus on attending to these two factors. The program should look at all of the factors that may have created the addiction and treat these. After recovery is made you should make sure that you won’t relapse based on factors that could have been considered and controlled.

Knowing that factors do make a difference in recovery that you can learn about and change is an important component in overcoming addiction. Taking the time to select an addiction drug treatment program that separate you from the environment that has lead to the addiction will help to break the cycle of abuse. Addictive drugs produce very power physical and emotional factors in the addict. Being in a addiction drug treatment center that provides support and resources is going to be the best bet in overcoming addiction and staying sober.

By Jennifer E

Filed Under: Addictin Drug Treatment Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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