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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Marijuana Withdrawal and Panic Attacks

November 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

If you believe panic attacks are overrated, you haven’t searched Google lately on the subject. “Panic attacks” received roughly 15,600,000 search hits and “anxiety attacks” another 1,790,000. That proves that not only is there a great deal of interest in the subject but more importantly, a great many victims of the syndrome.

The distinct cause of panic attacks is fear, plain and simple. This being said, however, it would be negligent to conclude that the symptoms are entirely psychosomatic because any number of panic attacks can be attributed to, enhanced by, or directly caused by the mental reaction to any number of drugs – marijuana included. One licensed practitioner (whose opinion has been affirmed by countless others) stated,

“Substance abuse and the withdrawal of the substance being abused can mimic panic attacks. Alcohol, marijuana, opiates, hallucinogens, cocaine, over-the-counter drugs (nasal sprays and diet tablets), caffeine and benzodiazepines can all be associated with panic attacks.”

The assumption that marijuana is the harmless drug that “the authorities love to hate” is simply an erroneous assumption. I’m not arguing here for continued criminalizing of pot or decriminalization for that matter, just stating the known facts.

Though marijuana has some therapeutic qualities, such as increased appetite for cancer sufferers, a dulling of pain caused by many maladies and its effectiveness in combating glaucoma, it argues nothing for the recreational use of the drug.

Every pot smoker is acquainted with the “superficial” negative effects of the habit. Things like laziness, listlessness, and lets not forget paranoia exhibited by many users.

The more serious effects that researches have discovered are things such as the negative effect on short-term memory.  Studies have shown that long-term adult users score less on short-term memory tests, as well as demonstrate reduced verbal and math skills compared with non-users.

What makes these negatives even more disturbing is the comparative strength of marijuana from previous eras and the THC (the component that is mind altering) levels normally seen in today’s variety.

According to the American Counsel For Drug Education, THC content of marijuana, which averaged less than 1 percent in 1974, rose to an average 4 percent by 1994. For the highly popular form of marijuana called Sinsemilla (from the Spanish “without seeds”), made from just the buds and flowering tops of female plants, THC content averages 7.5 percent and ranges as high as 24 percent. The message has been clear in the case of marijuana use and panic attacks. The answer for these panic attacks is simple–break the habit.            By John Bland

Many abusers of marijuana choose to go into a detox center and have professional care while going through the withdrawal symptoms.

Filed Under: Drug Detox, Drugs, sober living 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: , , , , , , , , ,