When we talk about drug addiction and why it is a problem, we usually focus on the personal effects: health problems, financial problems, issues with family and relationships, lost jobs and opportunities. We don’t often talk about how others connected or only briefly connected to us suffer when we are a victim of drug and alcohol addiction. Today, we’ll talk about our actions under the influence and why they alone are enough to add up to a need for drug addiction treatment.

Drug Addiction Treatment and DUI

Most people associate a Driving Under the Influence, or DUI, charge with drinking and driving. Though this is one of the more common DUI issues since many don’t realize they are impaired when they get behind the wheel, it is just as common to get pulled over due to impairment by prescription drugs, marijuana and other common drugs. The accidents that occur due to bad choices made by a driver under the influence are exceedingly common and the victims, though they may often include the driver as well, also includes others who did nothing but end up in the wrong place at the wrong time: pedestrians, small children, mothers, fathers, grandparents…. The stories of loss due to DUI are endless and heartbreaking, and when the perpetrators aren’t killed in the accident, new and harsh laws are making sure that they spend plenty of time in prison suffering for their crime.

A Personal Story of the Effects of Drug Addiction

Linda was married for over a decade before her husband’s cocaine addiction affected their children. Though their marriage had suffered due to his infidelity under the influence and abusive behavior, they had both managed to keep the problem away from their children… or so they thought. When Linda’s husband cleaned out their savings while gambling on cocaine and lost his job a week later due to his erratic behavior, the addiction was still there and so, too, was his physical abuse. It was impossible for them to hide it from the kids when they moved, changed schools, and their father was around the house all the time. Though he didn’t technically use the drug in front of them, they still recognized the change in his behavior and, primarily, his anger that was amplified by the cocaine.

When Linda left him, he told her that all the behaviors she hated—the abuse, the cheating, the lying, the stealing from the family, yelling at the kids, the late nights, losing his job—all of it was because of his cocaine addiction and that it would all go away if he could stop. She agreed that all that was true, but having heard the promises of quitting before, she simply told him: “Go to a cocaine rehab. If you don’t, you can add us to the list of things you lost when you finally do get clean.”

Drug Treatment Now

If you are struggling with cocaine addiction or addiction to another drug, no one expects you to go through it alone. Contact a drug rehab today that can help you with your personal needs and proved treatment that will help you to get back on track before you hurt yourself or anyone else.

Do you have questions about dual diagnosis disorders? Mental illness or addiction on their own would be a challenge to live with. Having both is even more complex. You need to know what to do and where to go for treatment. Take a look at these frequently asked questions about dual diagnosis disorders.

Dual Diagnosis Disorder Questions

What Is A Dual Diagnosis Disorder

Which comes first, mental illness or drug addiction? In many cases, the mental illness has come first. People with a dual diagnosis often develop the addiction because they self-medicate with addictive drugs or alcohol. They use more and more to mask the mental illness symptoms, and before long they can become addicted. Not everyone with a mental illness uses drugs and alcohol to manage their symptoms. Some people are more vulnerable to drug addiction than others.

Why Are The Mental Illness And Addiction Treated At The Same Time

Research has shown that people have a better recovery when both problems are managed at the same time. Several years ago, people with a dual diagnosis were treated for their addiction first. They needed to get stable with their sobriety before mental illness treatment was started. Now, both are done simultaneously.

If the mental illness remains untreated for a while, it will remain a potent threat to sobriety. Because a person with a dual diagnosis disorders usually self-medicates the mental illness, this underlying problem must be addressed immediately.

Why Did My Doctor Give Me Drugs For My Mental Illness

A doctor prescribing medication for someone with a dual diagnosis must be cautious. Some anti-anxiety medications and sedatives are in an addictive drug class. Many helpful medications for mental illnesses are safe for people with a dual diagnosis. Check with your doctor to be sure he or she knows of your dual
diagnosis issues before they prescribe any medication for you.

Can Any Drug Rehab Center Treat My Dual Diagnosis Disorder

Some drug rehabs treat people with a dual diagnosis as well as those with just addiction. A few newer drug rehab centers focus on dual diagnosis as their specialty. You need to be sure that no matter where you go for drug treatment, you are treated by professionals who are trained for dual diagnosis. If you see a place you’d like to try, ask if they treat dual diagnosis. If not, you need to keep looking. Leaving your mental illness untreated can dramatically lessen your chances of maintaining sobriety.

More Questions About Dual Diagnosis Disorders and Drug Rehab

If you find yourself with more questions than answers, you aren’t alone. Recovering from a drug addiction and managing a mental illness is a tricky balance. Contact the Canyon Drug Rehab to ask more important questions about drug treatment for someone with a dual diagnosis.

A story was recently published about a man in England who reported to police that he purposely committed a crime just to get the drug addiction treatment he needed and knew would be available in prison.

It’s a sad statement on health care availability when you feel like you have to rob a convenience store in order to get medical treatment. Unfortunately, even in the United States, it is often easier to get the help you need that way than to try to figure out how to pay for it.

Paying for Drug Addiction Treatment: Crime

Though it isn’t recommended that you perpetrate a crime specifically for the purpose of receiving the drug addiction treatment you need, it certainly seems that the laws are set up as if to say: “We only believe that your drug addiction is serious when it costs us money and since it costs less to put you in a drug rehab than prison, we’ll wait until you commit a crime before we help you.” California, for example, has had great success with the Prop 36 program that offers drug rehab to those who are charged with possession or other nonviolent crimes attributable to drug use. Though the California prison system is still extremely overcrowded, it is considerably less so than it would have been otherwise.

Paying for Drug Addiction Treatment: Insurance

If you do have insurance, make sure that you look closely at your policy or contact your insurance agent. Even if the whole bill isn’t covered, part of an inpatient drug rehab problem or the full cost of specific treatments may be included. For example, some health insurance companies will pay for outpatient treatment programs only or they will only pay for a detox centers if you have a doctor’s verification that you are physically addicted to a drug and experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it. Insurance companies can be tricky with the language in their policies, so make sure to verify what you are eligible for before you enroll.

Paying for Drug Addiction Treatment: Family

Asking your family for a loan at the end of drug addiction is going to be difficult, if not impossible. You’ve likely abused any resource available from family and friends through the course of your drug addiction and no one wants to get burned twice. If anyone you know even has enough money to help you pay for what you can’t, consider asking them anyway. Do not allow them to give the money to you but ask them to pay the drug rehab facility directly. Set up a repayment plan for after you graduate and let them know that you intend to honor your debt by signing a written contractual agreement obliging you to pay. The worst that could happen? They’ll say ‘no’ and you’ll be no worse off than you are now.

So did the English man I mentioned above get the drug addiction treatment he sought when he robbed the convenience store? That still remains to be seen. The latest update is that he was being arraigned on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and theft. His bail is 50,000 pounds… more than enough to pay for drug rehab.

When a person considers going to drug rehab, sometimes they are stopped short. Not because someone is telling them they can’t go, but because they are suddenly aware of how people might look at them. The stigma of drug addiction is still a problem we all have to face.

Break The Stigma For Drug Rehab

Drug Treatment Perception Is Public Drama and Shame

There is so much drama made of celebrities going to drug or alcohol rehab. Their most embarrassing moments of intoxication are splashed across the front page of tabloid magazines. The paparazzi even follow celebrities as they get their bags and arrive at drug rehab centers.

Of course, people know that the paparazzi doesn’t really care about following every addict going in and out of drug rehab. However, this hyper-attention can give the impression that going to drug rehab is a shocking and somewhat demeaning event. People will gossip, people think less of you, and people will think you are washed up.

It’s ironic how this stigma seems to make drug rehab such a shameful thing. It is a place of new beginnings, and going is truly a sign that a person is ready to give up in addiction lifestyle. Regardless, addicts seem to shy away from drug treatment, because of these misperceptions.

Stigma Against Drug Addiction History Affects Employment

Also troubling is the difficulty that recovering addicts can have when trying to find a job. This can be especially disheartening when they have had felony charges connected with their drinking or drug use.

Even if they have gone through all their legal group and followed drug treatment recommendations to the letter, recovering addicts can sometimes feel like they have a great big warning flag waving over their head. Employers find out about history, and they don’t want to take any chances.

Thankfully, some workplaces are open-minded and willing to give recovering addicts the opportunity to step up. Addicts have to be persistent and patient as they find a good fit for employment.

Support An Addict Choosing Seeking Drug Rehab

Advocates for mental health work tirelessly to break the stigma of seeking drug and alcohol treatment. In some ways, progress is being made. However, each recovering addict that feels shunned because of a stereotype might wonder about that. If you find out that someone you know is going to drug rehab soon, be that person breaks through the stigma. Support their decision to go to drug rehab and support their sobriety.

You’ve been addicted to drugs for years, sometimes doing better and sometimes doing worse. Over the years, you’ve tried to get away from the drugs but you often start up again with alcohol. It’s just too easy to find. Your mom has harped on you to go to drug rehab and get your life straightened out. Inside, you swore you never would because that was for weak people. But now, after so many years, maybe drug rehab really could be OK.

Drug Rehab Step Over Your Fears

Your Perceptions of Drug Rehab

What are your perceptions and feelings about drug rehab? Do you think, like a drug addict from the first paragraph, that drug rehab is for weak people? Do you fear that you might lose something of yourself by giving in billing it all with drug rehab counselor? Do you let other people’s opinions of drug treatment cloud your decision making ability for your own drug addiction?

Starting drug rehab is a huge decision. If you have fears, that’s OK. Most people, who is ever going to drug rehab are probably somewhat skeptical, uncertain, and pessimistic about what drug rehab could possibly do for them. Also, keep in mind that most drug addicts are manipulated by negative addiction thinking. A defensive attitude is just protection from the unknown.

Fear Not A Sign To Avoid Drug Rehab

Being scared of the big change isn’t necessarily a sign that you shouldn’t go through with it. Fear is fear, but many things can be done in spite of fear. The world’s greatest heroes, leaders, rescuers, and service people
safe fear every single day. But they don’t let it stop them from doing many important things to help people. You could say the same thing about drug rehab.

On paper, you really know this is the thing that could make your life so much better and healthier. But because you have been addicted to drugs, your emotions are in charge of your life. When you decide to make a good decision and go to drug rehab in spite of your fear, you have taken the first step to managing your addiction thinking. You are learning to trust that going to drug rehab can be OK.

Step Past Fear And Start Drug Rehab

So let’s visit the drug addict mentioned in the first paragraph. He is a real crossroads. His mother knows what he needs to do, and he knows she’s right. His doubts and negative talk are trying to make and hold on to something that only hurts him. It’s him or his addiction. And finally, he has decided to step past his fear and go to drug rehab.

It’s common knowledge that abuse of cocaine and/ or alcohol can cause significant health problems. Regular use of alcohol builds up and causes damage to the liver and kidneys while even a one-time, experimental use of cocaine can result in an overdose, heart attack or seizures. Unfortunately, when cocaine and alcohol are combined, the resulting damage is much worse than the effects of either drug alone.

Cocaine Plus Alcohol Equals Cocaethylene

Cocaethylene is a chemical that is created by the combination of the two chemicals cocaine and alcohol. Over time, with continued use of both drugs simultaneously, this chemical builds up in the liver and remains, causing extensive damage to multiple body systems.

This is the only known case in which two drugs combine in the body to form a third drug, and few people know about it, let alone realize the devastating effects. Unfortunately, many who experience health problems due to cocaethylene build up don’t do so until long after their days of mixing cocaine and alcohol are over. Many never considered themselves addicts during their use and still don’t. In fact, many of the people who are having problems with the chemical buildup in their body now describe their cocaine abuse as merely a tool to help them drink more.

The Effects of Cocaine Addiction and Alcoholism

Not only does cocaethylene have an adverse and toxic effect on the liver, it may also be the reason why some under the age of 40 experience heart attacks. The full effects of the drug are not known due to the fact that so little is known about the drug at all. Studies are being undertaken to better determine the nature of the chemical and its effects upon users of alcohol and cocaine, including how much is too much and how long is too long.

The current statistics on alcohol addiction and cocaine use are staggering, however. Cocaine use is on the rise and is indicated in an increasing number of emergency room visits: one person in the United States is admitted to the emergency room for issues related to cocaine overdose about once every 10 hours. The US National Household Drug Survey reports that alcohol and cocaine are used by about five million people every month.

The Social View of Cocaine and Alcohol

Few today recognize this third drug and its effects as a risk. Most view their use as minimal or experimental; if they aren’t using every day, then they don’t think that the health concerns are relevant to them. Those who drink and opt to use cocaine on occasion as well view it as a lifestyle choice, not as an addiction or the medical problem that it is and can potentially become.

Unfortunately, denial doesn’t make it true. The fact of the matter is that even irregular use of cocaine and alcohol creates the drug, which then builds up over time in the liver and can cause heart problems years down the road.

If you or someone you love is drinking regularly and using cocaine but can’t stop doing so alone, contact a drug rehab. Get help today.

Something happens after a person has been abusing drugs for a while. If he or she continues to push the boundaries of drug abuse, voluntary drug use transforms into a drug addiction. Researchers have been studying how the process works with the chemicals in the nervous system.

Drug Addiction and Body Chemistry

Physical Sensations of Drugs Connected to Neurotransmitters

People take drugs for many reasons, and one of them is for the physical sensations. Methamphetamine creates an intense high on marijuana makes a person feel mellow and carefree. These physical sensations are caused by the way to drug interacts with chemicals that carry messages within the nervous system. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

Each type of neurotransmitter has its own type of receptor on the nerve endings. Drugs and alcohol interfere sometimes completely replace normal neurotransmitter functioning when a person develops an addiction. After extended use, the neurotransmitters lose their ability to function as they should. That’s when an addict reports needing the drug just to “feel normal”. This replacement also explains how a drug addict has such uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. When the drugs are gone, the neurotransmitters do a poor job stepping back into their role.

Voluntary Drug Use Turns To Compulsion

A recent study has examined how neurotransmitters are involved when voluntary drug use becomes an addiction. The study revealed that the neurotransmitter dopamine has a large role in this transition. At some point, voluntary choice turns into compulsive behavior.

When push comes to shove, a person abusing drugs or alcohol can usually make some lifestyle changes and stop using drugs with minor difficulty. The compulsion that comes with addiction makes it so difficult to voluntarily give up the drug. The compulsion continues to pull the addict into the cycle of drug seeking and drug use.

This type of research could prove to be useful if it can help prevent drug abusers from becoming drug addicts. Understanding the chemistry of drug addiction could really impact the way we treat addiction in the future. Drug rehab centers and drug treatment programs are always looking to current research for new insight on treating addiction.

Drug Rehab Makes Sobriety A Reality

Once a person crosses the line over to drug addiction, it becomes a much more complicated matter. The chemistry of addiction can make sobriety an uphill battle. If you or loved one are facing the reality of the drug addiction, don’t do it alone. Contact your local drug and alcohol rehab center today.

Typically in the recovery world, there are two schools of thought concerning whether or not you should have a relationship while you’re going through detox and treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. The first is simple: don’t do it. Just don’t do it. Don’t date. Don’t hook up. And do not, under any circumstances, get romantically attached. The other school of thought is that two people are stronger together than one alone, that this other person can be like a partner and the two of you will be better equipped to handle temptation and, in essence, help each other stay clean.

Relationships During Addiction Treatment Recovery: The Power of Distraction

Some people enroll in a photography class when they first stop using drugs and alcohol. Others clean their house from top to bottom. Others spend their time in support group meetings and in service to others through volunteer work in the community. We do these things to replace the role of drugs in our lives, to find a way to pass the time, to find something else to think about outside of ourselves, our problems and the things that may have played a part in the development of drug addiction in the first place. A relationship can serve the same purpose: it’s fun. At least in the beginning. It’s something to do, something to think about. This new person can seem like a gift after addiction, one of the many new leases on life you’ve been given.

The problem is when this ‘distraction’ becomes an obsession. What’s that saying? “Scratch an addict, and you’ll find a codependent.” When your relationship takes your focus off of yourself to the point that you and your drug addiction treatment and recovery become secondary, distraction turns into disaster.

Relationships During Addiction Treatment Recovery: The Power of a Breakup

Just as bad as allowing your relationship to turn into an obsession is when the relationship goes downhill. In the beginning, it feels like this will never happen, but ask yourself: have you ever been in a relationship that hasn’t ultimately ended? When your emotional safety is bound up in a relationship, you’re setting yourself up to fail when the two of you inevitably have problems or decide to go your separate ways.

Even those who handle substance use well—only indulging moderately or only on rare occasions—will get drunk or high over a breakup. It’s hard to fight with someone you love, much less lose them, and if you’re freshly out of drug rehab, then you’re emotionally vulnerable and the experience is that much harder. An added pitfall is the potential for overdose that often occurs after a time of non-use and the risk of other associated risks due to driving and other poor decisions made under the influence. Even if these things don’t happen, a slip quickly turns into a relapse and relapse turns into regular use, and soon all that you’ve gained in drug rehab is nothing but a memory and you’re right back where you started. Over a relationship.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Any circumstances to avoid or tips to pass along to those who are considering a relationship in early recovery? Tell us what you think.

Sober Living Homes

A person leaving drug rehab probably has a lot of uncertainty and questions about how they will keep their sobriety going each day. Some people may not be ready to go right home to start their near life again. They may also not need the enclosure of drug rehab anymore. Sober living homes can be the answer for the transition between drug rehab and completely independent living.

Sober Homes Require Drug and Alcohol Free Status

Sober homes require residents to be 100% drug and alcohol free. They are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. They are all so required to check with the staff regarding all medications (over the counter and prescription). Staff members also forbid common items that contain alcohol or some form of opiate like mouthwash, after shave, hair spray, cologne or perfume, nail polish and polish remover, even vanilla extract.

You might think a list like this is extreme. Who would ever try to drink nail polish remover or hair spray? But a person with a drug addiction is living an extreme life, and they will find ways to get alcohol or drugs any way possible. That includes risking being poisoned by consuming any of the above-listed items. That includes between transport from drug rehab to the sober home. That includes possibly hiding one of those items and consuming it right after a random check knowing they won’t be checked again for a while. This is all because of compulsive addiction thinking and the body’s occasional craving for the substance when in recovery.

Recovering Drug Addicts Required to Show Responsibility

Drug addicts are expected to attend regular twelve step support group meetings as a condition of their stay. This regular participation encourages addicts to develop the habits of attending and staying focused on the principles. They will have a better chance of continuing their sobriety in their own home if they can establish a good habit in their sober home. Residents are affected to do basic house cleaning and personal care duties. They are also expected to work together to make the home livable for everyone. Most homes have some form of shared living quarters. A person may have one or two roommates in most cases, sober living homes are either all-female or all-male.

Sober home residents are expected to work during their stay in order to pay the rent some sober homes allow for student involvement to replace employment. One way or another, residents are expected to spend their days doing quality activities to move their lives forward.

Sober Living Homes Fill The Gap Between Drug Rehab and Going Home

Living in a sober homes is much like living in the real world with real-world responsibilities and expectations. The key difference is that staff is available for support, the residents are given clear structure to their day, and the staff monitors progress as an authority collective figure. For the recovering addict that needs something between drug rehab and living at home, sober homes provide a great stepping stone on the journey of recovery.

Drug rehab and alcohol treatment are not quick fixes. One of the first questions to go through a drug addict’s mind when they think of treatment is, “How could I ever afford that?” Let’s take a look at the financial problems drug addict often face and how they can be overcome.

Financial Challenges With Drug Rehab

Financial Barriers Make Sobriety Difficult For Some

Maybe a young depressed single mom can’t afford a babysitter so she can go to therapy for her depression. Perhaps there are no AA meetings within walking distance of someone who is struggling with their sobriety. In this difficult economy, it might be easier to keep turning tricks for drugs and money instead of getting sober and finding a decent job.

Yes, these might seem like excuses. But money trouble in drug addiction tends to go together. The addiction can bring in financial burdens such as legal expenses, unpaid days home from work, medical bills, job loss, late fees for unpaid bills, and more. As these expenses mount. The addict may feel all the more reason to drink or use drugs.

Sliding Fee Scale And Scholarships Can Help Some Get To Drug Rehab

For those who qualify, many community mental health centers offer a sliding fee scale for their drug and alcohol services. Some drug rehab centers have scholarships to help those who don’t think they can afford treatment. However, that may not be enough to help an addict in a very deep financial hole. The addict has to get motivated enough and creative enough to get around these problems.

Perhaps it is not entirely bad that some barriers exist. People tend to have less motivation to accomplish their goals when everything appears to be easy. Not that it’s a good thing people have money problems, but it may force the addict to get out of their comfort zone. Maybe the prospect of homelessness seals more awful than asking for some help.

Current Economy Challenging To People Needing Drug Rehab

It is difficult to know how our current economy will impact the mental health agencies that provide sliding fee scales. They often depend on grants and government support for they can offer such low fees for people who need them. It may be time for all types of drug treatment and addiction support groups to work together on this problem. Maybe their collaboration can help addicts with serious financial problems and still get the treatment and support they need.

Financial problems are a reality for many drug addicts and alcoholics. Even if these problems interfere with sobriety and drug treatment, many drug addicts continue to find ways around them. There is always hope for a new start every day.