I really should take at this time to watch more of A&E’s Intervention, a show about people needing drug rehab intervention. After scrolling through several episode reviews, I have decided to just give my thoughts on this for now. Believe me, I’m sure I have enough comments to fill more than blog post.

Having just an interview today, I have found common threads among many of the drug addicts and alcoholics. By no means is this list comprehensive, just my first impressions from what I’ve seen.

Exceptionalism and Drug Addiction

Drug rehab intervention

A number of people featured on the show were described in traditional way. They were on track for success in real estate, the beauty industry, acting, athletics, and college. Some were even labeled as genius and high achievers. I couldn’t help but wonder if these people, success made for a lonely life. More being famous and supremely talented, most people truly want to feel like they belong somewhere. And if something makes them feel like they are left out or less than what they used to be, they may face a real identity crisis.

Who are they without this reputation of success? Some of these men and women used their achievements to cover emotional pain. Some have difficulty handling the ups and downs of their career. One brilliant young woman suffered a brain injury from a car accident and turned to alcohol to deal with her life. I imagine for folks on the fast track of success, the prospect of going to drug rehab could feel like the ultimate insult, even if they understand how it could help.

Drug Addicts Didnt Recover Well From Tragedy

Some of the stories on intervention, highlighted a personal tragedy in someone’s life is counselors for their drug addiction. Things were going well until a grandmother died, a devastating accident, a sibling’s death, and so on. Makes me wonder how well things were really going before that happened. Perhaps the family was living in somewhat of a fantasy world with some of their problems.

Of course, many people suffer from a death or significant life changes without developing a drug or alcohol addiction. It’s important to remember that several ingredients need to get together before this becomes a reality. However, I was struck by the number of traumatic or painful incidents . That seemed to push things in a bad direction.

Childhood Trauma and Addiction

A traumatic childhood was also a common factor in several stories. Compared to the single devastating event, the traumatic childhood seems more like a slow burning pit of coals. Both things, if not handled well, will burn up a person from the inside. Many people had a father who was distant or hard to please. More than one had an alcoholic parent.

For these situations, it can be a little harder to pin down the moment everything began to fall apart. Since the emotional pain still lingered, it may not have taken much to set things off. Anyone who married an abusive person perpetuated their childhood trauma (and emotional pain) in their adult life. Almost like a ticking time bomb waiting for someone to light the fuse.

Drug Rehab Can Help

So many people on this show have said the didn’t need to or didn’t want to quit what they were doing. Fortunately, many people have also gotten better because they relented. They may not have been willing at first, but something took enough hold during their time at drug rehab to help them get over some big hurdles. It is really gratifying to see the follow up stories when people have made such a positive change.

Anna Nicole Smith’s two doctors and her lawyer boyfriend—Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Howard K. Stern—are pleading not guilty to drug conspiracy charges. Pending the outcome of the trial, the judge will not suspend the doctors’ medical licenses, according to the Associated Press.

Though the trio are not charged with manslaughter, homicide or even being the cause of her death, they are charged with conspiring together to illegally provide Anna Nicole with copious amounts of prescription pills including a combination of sedatives and opiates. After a preliminary hearing that outlined the many different drugs given to Anna Nicole, how they were prescribed and dispensed to her, and why (a process that took three weeks), charges were formally filed against all Kapoor, Eroshevich, and Stern.

The former Playboy model’s addiction to these pills eventually led to her death in February 2007 at a hotel in Florida, just days after her son, Daniel, died of an overdose as well. Her autopsy revealed that she died due to taking a combination of at least nine medications.

So why won’t the doctors lose their licenses considering the severity of the charges against them?

Says Linda Deutsch at Associated Press, “Superior Court Judge David Wesley rejected an effort by the attorney general’s office to lift the medical licenses, saying a yearslong delay in seeking that action undermines the claim of an imminent danger to the public if the doctors continue to practice.”

The trial itself may not happen until the summer of 2010, but in the meantime, all sides will likely file a number of motions to resolve certain issues. During the trial, the testimonies of those who were around Anna Nicole in the Bahamas during her last days will be heard.

The defense of all three alleged “co-conspirators” is that all of them had worked together to attempt to save Anna Nicole from her self-destructive behavior during her last years. All three claim that they were not aware that she was suffering from drug addiction.

The prosecution argues that drug addiction could not have been more obvious, especially to trained medical professionals, and that the three were caught up in riding her coat tails in the celebrity world.

If they are convicted, all three of the defendants could spend five years in prison.

The Warning Signs of Drug Addiction

Because the three charged with drug conspiracy charges in the wake of Anna Nicole’s death claim they had no idea that Anna Nicole was a drug addict, it seems that it is less important to cast blame after an overdose than it is to recognize the issue of drug addiction while you are still alive and able to fight it.

If you think that your prescription drug use has evolved into abuse or even addiction or if you believe that your loved one is a prescription drug addict, don’t wait to get help. Talk to a substance abuse treatment counselor as well as your doctor and determine whether or not a prescription drug rehab is the right move for you.

Sometimes it helps to understand something when you know a few facts and figures about it. When a mental illness and addiction happen together, they are called a dual diagnosis. You need to know the following important information about depression and addiction.

Depression Commonly Linked With Addiction

About 10% of the population in the United States is affected by some form of depression each year. Between 30-40% of people with drug and alcohol problems also have depression, making it the most common mental illness associated with a dual diagnosis. Untreated depression can put a recovering alcoholic or drug addict at risk for relapse.

Depression and alcohol or drug addiction are strong factors that can put a teenager at high risk for suicide. Young people with depression between the ages of twelve and seventeen have twice the likelihood of drinking alcohol or using drugs than young people of the same age with no depression symptoms.

Get Properly Diagnosis For Depression and Addiction

Diagnosis can be challenging when it comes to depression and drug addiction because many symptoms overlap. These can include fatigue, sleep problems (too much or too little), a sense of sadness or emptiness, irritability or restlessness, suicidal feelings and thoughts, loss of enjoyment and interest with activities that have been previously enjoyed, problems with anger and changes in eating habits.

Alcohol has a depressant effect on the body, meaning that it slows down the central nervous system in various bodily functions. A person may feel groggy, have blurred vision, and slowed reaction time. With prolonged heavy alcohol use, a person may develop a separate diagnosis of clinical depression. That would mean he or she would have a dual diagnosis.

A person with depression and an alcohol or drug addiction needs specialized drug treatment. Both the depression and the addiction need to be treated simultaneously. It used to be common practice to treat the addiction for several weeks before addressing the depression. Now, research supports much better outcomes when the depression is treated right away. When a person becomes sober with depression treatment, they have a lower chance of relapsing because of depression symptoms.

Dual Diagnosis Drug Rehab Important Choice

It’s important to know if you or a loved one truly has a dual diagnosis. Not all drug rehab centers are equipped to deal with mental illness. Before starting a drug treatment, be sure you know that the program of your choice specifically treats dual diagnosis disorders. Contact them or check out their website to find out for sure. Getting the right drug rehab can make all the difference for building a sober life.

Are you watching someone you love struggle with drug and alcohol addiction? Have you been trying to figure out the best way to intervene and help your loved one get the medical treatment they need at a drug rehab center? Even if you can’t afford to pay for the full bill or even half of their treatment, there are ways you can help the addict in your life get treatment: a drug rehab intervention is often the catalyst that gets people the help that they need to stay clean and sober. Can you think of a more useful gift or a better way to start the new year?

Drug Addiction Treatment: Talking to Your Loved One

Chances are, the person you care about living with drug and alcohol addiction is well aware of that fact, at least on some level. Depending upon how long they have been abusing drugs and alcohol, they may not feel that their abuse has risen to the level of addiction. They may also claim that they are merely recreational users or looking for a good time. If you’re catching them in lies about how much or when they are using or if you find paraphernalia laying around that is used for deadly street drugs, then talking to them is the first step. Try and point out specific incidents in which their drug use has caused them big problems or hurt your personally. Explain that you are not judging them but that you want the best for them and that the life they are living now isn’t it. In many cases, just talking to your loved one is enough to get them to understand that they need help.

Drug Addiction Treatment Intervention

If talking to them doesn’t work, or if your loved one becomes belligerent when confronted, an intervention may be an effective and safe next step. By gathering together a group of people who care about the addict you love, you may have strength in numbers. Just like when you spoke to your loved one on your own, the focus of what everyone says to him or her should be on how their addiction is hurting them and others. Making them understand that without help, they will kill themselves with drugs is essential. When they fully grasp the severity of this concept, they will be more likely to get treatment.

Drug Addiction Treatment: Don’t Let Them Wait

The other goal of a drug addiction intervention is for them to accept help at a drug rehab immediately. To help them do this, you can find a drug rehab for your loved one ahead of time and pack a bag for them so that they can literally leave immediately for treatment if they accept your offer for help. Not tomorrow and not next week—right now. You should be prepared with transportation as well as an escort should they accept your offer and if they refuse treatment, you should be equally prepared to levy the consequences (i.e., they will have to move out or they will lose their job or their relationship).

If you would like assistance setting up an intervention or if you would like to pre-enroll your loved one in treatment at The Canyon, call us today.

If you have ever tried to get a family member or close friend into a drug rehab center against their will, you know how deeply frustrating and scary it is when they refuse to go. Even though their life is falling apart left and right, somehow they can’t see what you see — they need drug treatment now before something awful happens. For families in this situation, it may be time to get a drug rehab interventionist on board. Here’s what you need to know about finding a good drug rehab interventionist.

Drug Rehab Interventionist

Choose An Experienced Drug Rehab Interventionist

Be sure the professional you choose has had direct experience conducting interventions. If you find someone who has only watched or supported from the sidelines, you need to keep looking. Even a drug addiction specialist with no experience doing an intervention may not be your best choice. If your family member’s life is in their hands, you’ll want to feel confident that your interventionist has managed all sorts of intervention situations.

Drug Rehab Interventionist Leader For the Family

Second, choose someone who appears to be a clear leader. You, your family members, and anyone else involved in the intervention or all personally involved with the drug or alcohol addict needing help. It’s possible and even likely that someone in the group will be overcome by their emotions.

You will need to know that a more objective, clear thinking leader is running the show. The addict needs to know that the lines are firm, and the family will need a confident leader to follow.

Well Organized Drug Rehab Interventionist

Choose someone who appears to be well organized and clear with their communication. As it was stated earlier, the family needs good clear guidance in an emotionally turbulent situation. When interventionist and layout a simple direct plan of action, each person involved can feel more confident in their role.

Since no one knows what the outcome will be before the intervention starts, a well-organized interventionist can plan for a number of possibilities and ease the families worries about what to do.

Drug Rehab Interventionist

Just thinking about doing a drug rehab intervention can be stressful for a worried family. But if it is the last shred of hope, some families are willing to do whatever it takes. If you need to find a good drug rehab interventionist, look for a well organized leader with experience. With the right professional, a family can feel confident that they are doing whatever they can to help and addicted person they love.

Eminem, the rapper, has been speaking out about Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson’s addiction to drugs, and his own struggle with prescription painkiller addiction. He says his issues with prescription drug addiction were almost as bad as Michael Jackson’s and says he related to the pop star’s problems and recognizes how close he, Eminem, came to suffering the same death by drug overdose.

According to an interview in the December 4 issue of Celebrity Health & Fitness, Eminem had a reminder of how close he came to death due to addiction and felt the need to speak out about it.

Insomnia and Drug Addiction

Michael Jackson died after a Propofol injection combined with other drugs in his system and pushed him into overdose and precipitated his death due to cardiac arrest last June. Eminem relates to the pop star’s struggle with insomnia “100 percent” as he often took pills just to get to sleep at night.

Says Eminem: “When you read things about Michael Jackson it’s hard to decipher what the f**k is true, but there’s the story of how he woke up at whatever time and he needed something to go back to sleep because he had this or that and it didn’t work. That’s exactly what used to happen to me: I would take a couple of pills and I would be up an hour later and I’d want more.

“Then I’d take more and that would be enough to maybe get me back to sleep for two more hours. Then I’d be wide awake again. So I definitely can relate, and it’s a shame if he didn’t have anybody there to just say, ‘Michael, you’re an addict, you need help.’ ”

Intervention and Drug Addiction

Michael Jackson’s family say they did attempt to help Michael, telling him that he was hurting himself with his addiction. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for him.

Eminem credits a number of people for his own recovery. Among them: Sir Elton John. Elton John assisted Eminem not only in getting help but in staying in recovery and has been vocal about his dedication to helping celebrities break free from drug addiction.

Fame and Drug Addiction

Many have blamed enablers for the deaths of Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, DJ AM and others who overdosed on doctor’s prescriptions. Celebrities often develop drug addiction more rapidly than others due to their easy access to medications and drugs of addiction.

Says Eminem: “It’s one of the pitfalls of fame. I could just say, ‘Yo, I need this and this and this,’ and they’re going to give me whatever I want.”

Prescription Drug Rehab

Eminem has been clean and sober for about two years now and feels better than before. He says: “I feel better. I feel like a human being again.”

If you or someone you love is addicted to prescription painkillers or anti-anxiety medication, you can find assistance at a prescription drug rehab like The Canyon. Through detox and addiction counseling, we can help you get back on track and alleviate your fears of drug overdose. Call today.

The societal view of drug addiction makes a difference with a person’s recovery process. People would think nothing of going to an emergency clinic for heart palpitations or an injured finger. But if someone shows symptoms of alcoholism, the response from others can be mixed. An addict may not get the helpful attention they need because of how their problem looks. It all has to do with how each person perceives drug and alcohol addiction as a problem.

Drug Addiction Seen Is Criminal Issue

Drug Addiction Often Seen As Criminal Issue

Some people see addiction as more of a criminal issue. Drug addicts tend to get this rap more because addictive drugs are largely illegal and violence is often involved. Users sometimes end up being drug dealers to support their habit. To the addicted mind, aggression and illegal activity could be seen as reasonable ways to get what they need to survive. To the outside world, these addicts look like lawless thugs who enjoy creating trouble. The general public often forgets that beneath the violence and illegal behaviors, these human beings are being gripped by a drug addiction.

Even if an addict doesn’t partake in any assaults or robberies, their addiction drives the drug dealing market and all that comes with it. Would these people behave differently if they weren’t living an addiction lifestyle? It depends – some may already live in dangerous neighborhoods. Other drug addicts may keep to themselves, or they would have lots of support and a safe place to go if they were to get sober.

Drug Addicts in Legal System Dont Always Get Drug Treatment They Need

Unfortunately, some of these addicts in the legal system don’t the drug treatment and follow-up support they need. They are funneled into the legal system more than into the drug treatment system. All levels of government make drug violations and task forces well known to the public. The perception of drug addicts as thugs remains the dominant viewpoint. The general public tends to have little empathy or tolerance for that, despite the fact that these people have real physical and psychological needs.

Alcoholics can certainly get into legal trouble, but not because they are drinking heavily. They can sometimes get away with the facade that they are the “fun person” who parties and always has a good time. But when an alcoholic starts to pay the long term physical and mental price for their addiction, they tend to be seen more negatively. People think of them as washed up, out of it, or cantankerous.

When someone has a physical injury or syndrome like high blood pressure, people just see bodily symptoms. It’s assumed that you don’t always have control over physiological or physical problems within your body, so people tend to have more understanding and compassion. Most of the obvious symptoms for alcoholism are behavioral. Behavioral symptoms tend to be seen in a moral perspective. Since arguing in a bar or getting into a car accident are bad things, that makes the person somewhat bad and even stupid for doing them. Irresponsibility and poor judgment as a symptom of addiction is not seen the same way as a broken finger starting to swell up.

Drug Addiction Needs To Be Understood

It can be difficult to remember that much emotional pain and physical dependence are within each alcoholic. Mental health advocate groups are trying to change the perception of drug addiction as a mental and medical problem, not just a legal or behavioral issue. It may take a while for people to really understand drug addiction in a more compassionate way.