VH1 will roll out a new Dr. Drew-hosted show, but this time those receiving addiction treatment in front of the cameras will be regular people.

What is the VH1 show Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew without the celebrities? Rehab With Dr. Drew. After recent speculation about the future of Celebrity Rehab, which was noticeably absent from the spring and summer schedule, the network announced that Dr. Drew Pinsky will host a new show tentatively titled Rehab With Dr. Drew that focuses on regular people undergoing treatment for addiction.

Those real-life participants will be young adults – the network’s core demographic – but we’ll still get the same voyeuristic view of the detox and treatment process that we witnessed on Celebrity Rehab. The show will begin airing in summer 2012, introducing audiences to Dr. Drew’s first cast of non-celeb 20- and 30-somethings hoping to get clean and gain a fresh start.

In a statement issued by Pinsky, he said, “the stigma and shame associated with drug and alcohol addiction prevents many from getting the help that they need. It is my sincere hope that this show will encourage people who are struggling to seek the help. Treatment works and there is hope and recovery is possible.”

The original show came under fire from some critics for making the treatment process public, with experts weighing in on the effect that could have on those in the program and their future chance at sobriety. In addition, two Celebrity Rehab alums died in 2011 from addiction-related causes. Former Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr died in March of an overdose while actor Jeff Conaway died of an infection after years of health problems that led to and exacerbated his opiate abuse. Of course, the show has also had several celebrity success stories.

Addiction Rehab at The Canyon

If you or someone you love needs help with drug or alcohol addiction, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about addiction treatment, financing or insurance.

What does the New Year mean for you? It’s not too late to set goals to take you to the next level in 2012.

As we begin another new year, TV shows, magazines, newspapers and the Web are filled with ideas for creating a new you, keeping resolutions, making changes inside and out. They shout at you with promises of 10 easy steps or five quick tips.

For those in recovery, every day is New Year’s Day – another chance to start fresh, to make positive choices and to claim victory over substance abuse or alcohol addiction. Anyone working a program knows change isn’t a one-time thing, it’s a daily process. There are no shortcuts and no quick fixes. A healthy, substance-free life is hard work. But the rewards are oh-so worth it.

That said, the New Year does provide a unique opportunity to take stock. It’s a good time to examine patterns and routines that could use some tweaking or set new goals that can take you to the next level.

You overcame your addiction, facing it head on. Now what healthy, new challenges do you want to tackle in 2012?

Addiction Help at The Canyon

If you or someone you love needs help with alcohol addiction or drug abuse issues, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

The debate rages on over prescription painkillers and whether they should be taken long-term. What are the dangers and what else can you do to manage chronic pain?

There’s so much talk about the dangers of prescription addition these days that many people are afraid to take any prescription painkillers at all for fear of winding up at one of the many prescription drug rehab programs. For others, who’ve already struggled with and overcome addiction, they know they need to be extremely careful of taking anything that could cause them to relapse. But a new Institute of Medicine report claims that 116 million American adults struggle with chronic pain everyday, and many are to face that pain without narcotic painkillers.

For those battling ongoing pain, there are many natural ways to lessen the effects. Everything from weight loss to yoga, bike riding, stretching, regular icing of the area and taking supplements like fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin can help. These measures won’t likely make the pain completely disappear, but they can get it the point where it’s tolerable enough to not necessitate the use of painkillers.

The use of narcotic painkillers like Percocet and OxyContin long-term is much debated in medical circles and can be quite controversial. On one side are doctors who do everything they can to avoid prescribing opioid painkillers to their patients, while other doctors, many of them pain medicine specialists, believe narcotics can be used safely on a long-term basis.

Doctors on both sides agree that narcotic painkillers can be addictive. According to the new Institute of Medicine report, studies show about 3 percent of chronic pain patients who regularly take opioids develop abuse or addiction, and 12 percent develop “aberrant drug-related behavior.” Even those who don’t become addicted can become desensitized to the drugs, so they need higher and higher doses to combat the same amount of pain. In time, the pills do little for the pain they are taken to treat.

The important thing is to look for the root of the pain and find ways to alleviate it so that taking medication on an ongoing basis is no longer necessary. One doctor compares it to taking medication for toothache pain without ever bothering to treat the problem with the tooth.

For those who are currently battling chronic pain, Health Magazine offers the following five tips for improving the problem:
1. Exercise
2. Alternative therapies
3. Sleep
4. Supplements
5. Heat and ice

Prescription Drug Rehab

If you or someone you love is in need of prescription drug rehab, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

National Recovery Month aims to bring hope to the issue of substance abuse, despite a continuing perception problem.

It’s National Recovery Month, a time to shine a light on the problem of addiction and celebrate the heroes who are winning their battle with substance abuse every day. Unfortunately, unlike cancer or heart disease, substance abuse must overcome a perception problem that has many viewing it as a character flaw rather than a disease. When it comes to addiction, there’s the erroneous thinking that the sufferer’s behavior alone is to blame, that addiction is a matter of choice. For those who heroically fight every day to stay sober, they know that couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s similar to the problem faced when AIDS first came to light. Many Americans felt detached from a disease that seemed highly concentrated in the gay community and even laid some blame on those who were sick. As time went on and AIDS’ reach was felt everywhere, support grew. Today, education campaigns have done their job and AIDS is battled aggressively and sufferers are treated compassionately. Those fighting the disease of addiction are simply hoping for that same kind of support and understanding.

Many entertainment programs and websites are only too happy to post unflattering mug shots or photos and speculate about a celebrity’s addiction issues. There is much less reporting about substance abuse success stories. Fortunately, National Recovery Month 2011 aims to change that. This year’s theme — Prevention Works, Treatment Is Effective, People Recover — takes a hopeful approach by showcasing all we have to celebrate.

At the top of that list is the reality that treatment has come a long way in recent years, with experts gaining a better understanding of how addiction works and the relationship between substance abuse and mental health issues. Studies estimate that more than half of all addicts also suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. When treated together in a “dual diagnosis” model, treatment success rates increase greatly. We are also seeing the social stigma around addiction and mental health disorder decrease as education increases.

Drug Treatment

If you or someone you love is in need of drug treatment, alcohol treatment or other help, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

What do you think are some common misconceptions that people have about addiction?

Focusing on the widespread and growing issue of addiction is an idea whose time has come.

More than 1.5 million new cancer cases were expected to be diagnosed last year, according to the American Cancer Society, and heart disease is responsible for more than one in every four deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. Thanks to tireless advocates, we now run 5K races, tune in to star-studded events and buy products and services that donate to these worthy causes, funding treatment, research, education and prevention. When it comes to raising awareness about substance, though, the process is just beginning – despite the fact that 22 million people in the U.S. (and roughly 200 million worldwide) struggle with addiction.

This month, we all have the opportunity to take a huge step forward in understanding and supporting the disease of addiction. September has been set aside as National Recovery Month, promoted by SAMHSA (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) to bring attention to this growing problem that affects more than 1 in 14 Americans directly and countless more friends and family members who get caught up in their loved one’s disease.

Addiction is an age-old problem, but the idea of offering community-wide or even national support for those affected by the disease and celebrating the people living in recovery is still catching on. It’s an idea that’s long overdue, though. Sit down and talk to someone who has felt the impact of addiction – you won’t have to look far to find them — and they’ll tell you how it wreaks havoc on families, relationships, careers and health. It’s an equal opportunity offender. That’s why it’s important for the public to understand, embrace and encourage people who in the throes of addiction and those who emerge on the other side. The cost is too high for all of us if we don’t.

The National Institute On Drug Abuse estimates the total overall cost of substance abuse in the United States — including lost productivity and health- and crime-related costs — exceeds $600 billion annually. Add to that the often-related issues of family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence and child abuse, and only then can you get a feel for the true scope of the problem.

As part of National Recovery Month there are hundreds of events planned across country, from walks and runs to cook-offs and concerts. Visit www.recoverymonth.gov for more information or to find an event near you.

Drug Treatment

If you or someone you love is in need of drug treatment or alcohol treatment, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

The last in a series of posts addressing different issues you may face after drug rehab, today we are talking about the most romantic issue of all: new relationships in recovery. Good idea? Bad idea? What are the pros and cons?

The Positive: What Those New in Recovery Gain from a Romantic Relationship

New relationships are fun. They take your mind off your problems and give you something to look forward to. If you’re having a hard time filling your days with positive, non-drug abusing activities, a new relationship can provide you with a number of options. Plus, feeling good about someone else can make you feel better about yourself and help you avoid some of the depression that often goes along with early recovery as you begin the process of rebuilding what you’ve lost to addiction. New relationships often bring with them a hope for the future and an excitement of possibilities – what could be bad about that?

The Negative: What You Risk by Pursuing a New Romantic Relationship in Recovery

If there were only the positive, good feelings that come with new romance, then there wouldn’t be a problem for newly recovering addicts and alcoholics. Unfortunately, there’s a reason why every relationship you enter – except possibly one – will end: romance isn’t easy. If you’re dating someone new to recovery as well, there are often a lot of emotions and expectations on both sides that can cause problems. If you’re dating someone who has a “normal” relationship with drugs and alcohol, you may feel tempted when you see them drinking or getting high. If you’re dating someone who’s been in recovery for awhile, resentments and irritations are a risk. In all these situations, relapse is more a matter of “when” than “if” and relapse can mean losing everything you’ve worked for and returning to a full blown, active addiction.

Romance or Not to Romance: When You Want to But You Probably Shouldn’t

During the first year after drug and alcohol addiction recovery, stability is the goal but rarely the reality. That takes time and lots and lots of work. If you’re spending your time losing yourself in someone else, then you aren’t spending time creating the independent life that you want for yourself. In almost every case, it is recommended that you avoid pursuing new romantic relationships in the first year after you leave drug rehab. Focus instead on yourself, your health, your goals for your life and then, and only then, will you be equipped to handle the pitfalls and stresses that usually come with romantic relationships after drug rehab.

Harm reduction is a pretty broad term, referring to any changes that an addict or alcoholic makes to make themselves safer during active addiction and live another day to potentially move one tiny step closer to a life that doesn’t include addiction. Here are a few examples:

• Choosing a designated driver while drinking
• Using clean needles
• Marking your own drug paraphernalia to avoid inadvertently sharing with someone who has a contagious disease like Hepatitis C or HIV
• Learning how to handle an overdose
• Getting tested for contagious diseases or getting treatment for infections to avoid passing them along
• Learning about the dangers of certain practices and what the safer methods of ingestion are

Needle Exchanges Proven Effective in Harm Reduction: What About Crack Pipes?

Needle exchanges have been extremely effective in many major cities in cutting down on the transmission of Hepatitis C and HIV. Active addicts bring in their “dirties” or used needles and get an equal number of clean needles to take with them. There are no questions asked and no one questions how they will use the needles or where they get the drugs they use in those needles, and needle exchange sites often offer resources to counseling, testing, and other drug addiction treatment help options if there is interest.

As a result, the overburdened health care system in these cities has seen a lessening of new diagnoses of deadly illnesses which in turn lowers their costs – something government officials always like to see. Plus, making it legal to carry needles means less of a burden on the court system who no longer has to process related cases.

Vancouver wants to take the theory behind the needle exchange sites and apply it to a different method of drug ingestion: crack pipes. A new pilot program has been developed with the hope that free crack pipes will help to cut down on disease transmission even more and help alleviate some of the problems that their healthcare system is seeing as a result.

What Do You Think?

Are free crack pipes a good way to help fight the transmission of HIV and help patients get involved in the healthcare system in a positive way so that they can learn how to avoid picking up illnesses during active addiction? For that matter, do you agree with needle exchange sites and their benefit of helping heroin addicts move ever closer to the treatment they need to fight heroin addiction – and win? If so, how can we improve available programs? If not, what’s a better way to fight drug addiction on the street level?