My Doctor the Addict

Health care professionals see the results of drug abuse every day. Some of them see the overdoses, car wrecks, shootings, and beatings – and they still use illicit drugs themselves. And they are impaired while they are taking care of our families.

Doctors and nurses have easy access to prescription drugs and can divert medications from patients or declare medications as “waste”. Many professionals are never reported to authorities and, indeed, are protected by other staff members.

SurgeonIllustration courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

It is bad enough when a salesperson or office worker is under the influence, but something else when a surgeon is addicted. How does someone justify operating on a patient while taking drugs? Most believe they can handle the drugs and still perform normally.

Their co-workers enable some drug-abusing professionals. They are given lighter work schedules or absences are excused. Co-workers can fear retribution, particularly from powerful professionals, or they may fear they will ruin a co-worker’s life by reporting drug abuse.

Some states have responded to health care professional addiction by making reporting suspect behavior mandatory. Authorities then intervene and require the addicted person to enter treatment. Failure to report an addicted person is subject to discipline. The addicted physician is required to follow a specific treatment plan and report to the state licensing board. If the addicted person refuses to follow the plan, he or she can lose their medical license.

There are several residential rehab centers specializing in the treatment of health care professionals. All the programs focus on returning the addicted person to his or her professional life free from the temptation of relapse.

Filed Under: Drugs, General Tagged With: , ,

Signs Your Loved One Might Be Addicted

If you suspect that a loved one may have an addiction problem, but aren’t really sure, there are signs that you can look for that may help you determine if this is truly the case. Some of them are listed here, but be aware that there are others. These can be the most recognizable, however.

Changes in behavior are usually the “tip-off” that an addiction may be a problem. These include extreme mood swings, which can be caused by the person suffering withdrawal symptoms, inattention to personal hygiene, and failure to meet responsibilities (work, attend classes, pay debts or bills, and others).

Changes in social interaction can also be a sign that an addiction exists, especially if your loved one changes the people with whom he socializes, choosing only those who drink or engage in the same type of addictive behavior that he does. In fact, if alcohol is the culprit, you may notice that the first question your loved one will ask will concern whether or not alcohol will be served or can be brought to the function. If the answer is no, he may refuse to go.

Physical drug addiction changes can also be a sign. If you notice a change in a loved one’s appetite (generally skipping meals or eating very little), which can lead to weight loss, an addiction problem may exist.

People who are addicted to meth, for example, often do not feel hunger, and may go for days without eating. Alcohol has “empty calories” which means it causes a feeling of fullness; again something which may result in a person eating less frequently or not eating at all.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

Drug Treatment Options

There are so many drug treatment options available that you should have no problem finding one that your loved one or family member would agree to enter. Some of the options are listed, but this is by no means an all-inclusive list.

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment is exactly what it sounds like. A person enters into a drug rehab facility and does not leave for a specific length of time. This time period may be as little as 21 days or as long as a year.

Depending on the type of inpatient facility chosen, during the person’s stay, he can receive medical treatment for any physical problems that may have arisen due to drug or alcohol abuse. His health is restored, which is a condition in which he may not have been for quite a while.

Outpatient Treatment

In outpatient drug treatment, a person does leave a facility. Depending on the facility’s policy, the patient only leaves for a certain length of time, such as a weekend, but remains at the facility at other times. In some cases, however, a patient does not stay at the facility at all; rather, he comes and goes, just as he would to any other type of appointment.

If your loved one or family is resistant to inpatient treatment because he perceives this as a loss of control, he may be more willing to seek treatment that allows him some measure of freedom, which outpatient treatment does. However, the possibility that the person undergoing outpatient treatment can have access to addictive substances does exist.

Filed Under: Drugs, Rehab centers Tagged With: , ,

Government Web Site Offers a Wealth of Information About Substance Abuse

Once someone realizes that they have a drug problem, they are already heading in the right direction. However, knowing what to do after admitting that a problem exists can be difficult. There are questions like ‘Which type of treatment center is right for me?’ or even ‘Where can I go for treatment?’ The United States Department of Health and Human Services has a very easy to use web site that can be a great place to check out to get the answers that you are looking for.

The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (www.samhsa.gov), or SAMHSA, is designed to get people moving in the right direction when they are seeking treatment for substance abuse. They have an easily navigable map that provides information about all the substance abuse treatment facilities in the United States. You can easily locate and research all the facilities near you and contact them for more information. SAMHSA also has a 24-hour helpline, in case you have specific questions and can’t find the information on the web site.

This site is a great resource for anyone who has questions about treatment for substance abuse. This government site offers tons of reliable information that you can privately review before deciding what options are best for you. If you have decided to seek treatment or know someone who needs it, SAMHSA is great place to begin your journey towards finding the help that you need. You can log on to their site today and continue heading in the right direction.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

Dropping the Smoking Habit in Right at your Fingertips

Smoking tobacco has been around for a very long time. Today, many different companies have manufactured tobacco cigarettes, filling them with what seems like an unending number of chemicals and poisons, increasing the health risk that smoking already causes. Millions of people are addicted to the nicotine found in tobacco and are putting themselves in harm’s way every time they light up a cigarette. Quitting smoking now can increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life.

There are many different products available to help someone overcome the physical addiction caused by nicotine. Products designed to help slowly decrease your nicotine intake include patches, gum, lozenges, electronic cigarettes and even nasal spray. These can all be effective for different people, but you just need to find the right smoking cessation aid for you.

The bigger problem that comes with quitting smoking is the mental aspect of it. Certain activities or time of day will often trigger your brain to expect a cigarette. This is where you need to retrain yourself to a life without smoking. Many people have used therapy programs or even hypnosis. Some people can even quit cold turkey and use meditation to recondition their mind and body to accept their new lifestyle.

No matter how you go about doing it, leaving smoking in your past with help provide you with a brighter future. The mind is a powerful thing and the psychological aspect of quitting smoking tends to be the harder aspect of it in the long-term. If you have the will to do it, it will be possible. You just need to make the decision that you want a healthier body and mind and you will already be half way there.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

Methadone can Save a Heroin Addict’s Life

Heroin addiction is one of the hardest substance dependencies to overcome. The body of most high dosage users becomes so reliant on the drug that if they quit cold turkey, they could have fatal consequences. Research has come to show that weaning an addict off of heroin is best performed by replacing it with another opiate, called methadone. It may sound controversial to just replace one drug with another, but methadone is less addictive and has even been found to be safe in pregnant women.

Treating a heroin addiction is very volatile due to the extreme side effects experienced during withdrawal. Using methadone has proven to cause similar desired effects as heroin on the user, which allows for an easier time coming off of the drug. The length of time in recovery when using methadone varies, depending on the user and how quickly their body adjusts to being off of heroin. The process of reducing methadone dosage over time can last awhile if the individual’s psychological or physical state reacts badly without heroin. In the end, though, methadone has proved to be a highly effect drug for treating heroin and other opioid addictions.

Many clinics are designed to provide methadone to people addicted t       bbbbbtreo heroin on an outpatient basis. However, the addict needs regular treatment so that their body’s reaction can be observed and the dosage can be adjusted when necessary. The process can be long and arduous but worth it in the end.

Giving a new, similar drug to someone who is already addicted to one drug may sound counterproductive, but when it comes to heroin, any treatment is a step in the right direction. Methadone’s effects on the body are minimal. For someone who is serious about ending their fight with heroin, methadone is one of their few chances at surviving.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

Coping with a Loved Ones Addiction Through Al-Anon

When a friend or family member is an alcoholic, it can be a very overwhelming experience. You want the best for them but do not know how to deal the situation in a productive way. A great program available to friends and family of alcoholics or recovering alcoholics in AA is a partner program called Al-Anon. This is designed to give people tips on how to deal with someone who has a drinking problem.

Al-Anon usually meets in smaller groups and allows people to find the best way to respond to someone who is an alcoholic or in recovery. These people can share experiences with each other and find new methods to try to cope with a loved one with the disease. Most people who live with an alcoholic end up enabling them and fall into patterns that are both detrimental to themselves as well as the individual with the addiction. These meetings can help break the cycle and provide a better life for everyone involved.

Al-Anon is an especially important program for children with parents who are alcoholics. Teenagers are especially vulnerable to developing long-term issues when a parent is an alcoholic. They can easily fall victim to something that they have little or no control over at a very important time in their lives. Getting help for young people through Al-Anon/Alateen is extremely beneficial.

Alcoholism’s effects can reach far and wide beyond just the person with the problem. Al-Anon offers loved ones of an alcoholic a chance to get their own lives back and gives them the tools to help someone that they care about. While people tend to feel like they can deal with their private issues on their own, a group like Al-Anon will show them that they need help too and many others just like them exist for everyone’s benefit.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

A&E’s Intervention Explores the Dark Reality of Substance Abuse

The cable channel A&E has documented the trials and tribulations of many different types of drug addicts on the show, Intervention. This program has shown some of the most extreme cases of addiction in people of every age, gender and walk of life. While many people on the show appear to be far too gone for help, the families and interventionist often times will succeed in convincing the addict to seek help by their own choice. The program is not always successful but has helped to give many people a second chance at life.

The pain-staking journey through addiction is documented by a few cameramen who follow the individual around their daily routine, often times filled with non-stop drug use. You can watch how the addict’s life is spiraling out of control and how it effects their family and friends, who are interviewed throughout the documentary. While it can be hard to watch someone destroying their life, you know that there will be an intervention at the end where the addict is given a chance to go to rehab.

During the intervention, the friends and family are joined by a professional interventionist to try and convince the addict to save their own life. If simple pleading is not enough, they step it up a notch. The addict is given consequences for continuing their ways, such as not being allowed to see their children or going to prison for using illegal drugs. Most addicts end up deciding to go to rehab. Some people complete it and embrace their new lifestyle, but some relapse and go back to the path they were on. Either way, the show is very compelling and gives viewers a look at the dark side of life.

Intervention can be disturbing and graphic at times but has a powerful message of hope. Substance abuse is on display and the grim consequences of it are fully explored. Whether you know anyone with an addiction or not, the show will entertain you as well as educate you about life.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

Recognizing the Signs of an Addictive Personality

Substance abuse is a very difficult problem to deal with, whether you are the one who is addicted or someone you care about is suffering from it. One way to try to curb this problem before it takes over someone’s life is to recognize the signs of a person with an addictive personality. These are patterns or behaviors that a person demonstrates in their regular life, usually from a young age, that can lead to life threatening addictions.

One of the most prevalent signs of an addictive personality is when an individual is easily frustrated by a stressful situations of any level. When exposed to any amount of stress they tend to lack the coping skills that regular people would have. These individual will often times have little of no self-esteem. You may notice that they become obsessed with less harmful activities like exercise, coffee drinking or collecting things. These activities, in excess, could be an early sign that someone is prone to addiction.

Other signs of this disorder are sudden mood swings and avoidance of social situations. Individuals effected by this often try to hide their behavior and alienate themselves from people who may judge their actions. They will then begin filling the void, where personal relationships would be, with drugs, alcohol and other harmful addictions. Not having other people to interact with will almost defintely lead to depression and a worsening addiction. The sooner the behaviors are noticed, the better chance the individual has of stopping the downward spiral.

Having an addictive personality does not mean that someone is doomed to a life of substance abuse. The key is recognizing that the disorder exists and seeking out help to overcome it. There are many types of counselors, groups and therapists available for someone who wants to understand what is happening to them. Looking for signs early in life is important for helping someone stop the problem before it starts.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

What to do when a Loved One is a Drug Addict

Dealing with a loved one who has a drug addiction can be very difficult. The addict is not acting under their own control and are obsessed with feeding their addiction. It is hard to deny them their drug of choice, which appears to be giving them happiness. In reality, a person who enables an addict to continue down the path they are going down will ultimately be doing more harm to them than good.

When dealing with a drug addict, you have to understand that they will do almost anything to get the drugs that they want. If you really love the person, you will be able to see how their short term want is really going to lead to long term problems. It is easy to tell them how bad the drug or drugs are for them but then give them money or a place to live. You will probably feel like you are keeping them safe and actually helping them. This is very far from the truth and you are merely making their addiction easier for them.

The best thing you can do for someone that you care about is try to convince them to get help by any means necessary. You need to stop allowing them to take advantage of you and your love for them. Drug addicts are in a state of mind where they see anyone who denies them their drug, as being mean and uncaring. They will often try to guilt their loved ones into helping them continue the lifestyle they are used to and any denial of that means that the person no longer loves them.

Simply put, when someone is addicted to drugs they are not the person that they used to be. Helping that person get off drugs is the best way to show them that you care. An addict will take advantage of anyone to get what they want. It is extremely important that if you care about that person, you will see how helping them get off drugs is the best thing that you can do for them.

Filed Under: Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,
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