Dual Diagnosis Treatment provides those who are living with a drug addiction and a psychological disorder with the care that they need to work through both issues during the same treatment program. It’s one of the benefits that Bai Ling, an actress currently on Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab on VH1, is experiencing – kind of. In fact, it’s something that has been causing her issues, perhaps because she doesn’t understand the goal of drug addiction treatment in relation to her psychological issues.

Bai Ling and Psychiatric Medications During Drug Rehab

It’s clear from Bai Ling’s behavior when she refuses to take her pills that she needs that medication badly. It’s also clear that she is physically incapable of focusing on groups and treatments for drug addiction when she is off her meds. She is living with a psychological disorder, as yet unidentified on the show, in addition to alcoholism and it is obvious that she requires treatment for both issues at the same time in order to make any real progress on either front. The first step is to stay on the meds that she is currently prescribed, adjusting the medication and dosage according to her development in treatment. While Dr. Drew and other counselors can only encourage her to take her meds, they can’t force her, but if she continues to choose not to take her medication and can’t stay on track while continuing to distract from treatment, stopping others from getting the help they need, it may be necessary for her to leave rehab.

“I Want to Get Off All Drugs. That’s Why I’m Here.”

It’s a common thought among those who are struggling with dual diagnoses – unfortunately, it’s not an effective way to handle treatment when psychological illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other disorders are an issue. Part of the stabilization process that happens during drug detox means getting the medication right to effectively treat any psychological disorders. It will be practically impossible to remain clean and sober without treating mental health at the same time since it is often the case that patients self-medicate the symptoms associated with their disorder by abusing illicit drugs and alcohol.

Medications taken to mitigate the effects of a psychological disorder are not the same as addictive medications or drugs. It’s important to utilize medication effectively and stabilize emotional issues, hallucinations, paranoia, et cetera, during the early part of treatment, begin the process of dealing with emotional issues and trauma and learn new and healthy coping mechanisms – then, if you feel and your doctor feel that it’s appropriate, consider lowering your medication dose or changing medications.

At The Canyon, we offer Dual Diagnosis Rehab to help those who are living with both drug addiction and a psychological disorder. Call now to find out more specifics about our program.

The reality show Deadliest Catch follows a few different privately owned fishing boats in the Bering Sea, chronicling the hard labor that comes with the job and the personal stories of many of the fishermen as well as the boats’ captains. One thing that the show doesn’t do is address the drug addiction that is rampant among fishermen – until now.

Drug Addiction and Deadliest Catch

It’s not uncommon for fishermen to abuse crystal meth and other stimulants in order to stay awake for 36+ hours at a time during the most labor intensive parts of the trip or for them to smoke marijuana or drink heavily to unwind. But the problem this time around was likely a mixture of job stress and depression. Jake Harris is one of the new owners of the Cornelia Marie after his father, Phil Harris, the former captain of the boat, passed. Though Jake had struggled with drug addiction for years, he sought drug addiction treatment right around the time that his father died and did well during rehab. When he got out, he and his brother were tasked with finding a captain who was a good fit for their boat and would be able to help them carry on their father’s legacy.

The man they chose didn’t quite work out as the brothers had hoped. The boat made absolutely no money at all on their trip and the captain got along with no one on the crew, causing many long-time crew members to find a new boat. It was alleged by the captain that Jake had been smoking marijuana while aboard the ship, and he had a cop waiting to drug test Jake at the dock to prove his charges.

If Jake did get high on board the Cornelia Marie, he wouldn’t be the first fisherman to do so. Stress over the relations between the crew and the captain, financial concerns, and the sheer wear and tear caused by the job may have made it difficult for him to avoid triggers to get high. It’s a topic that the reality show has handled with grace and objectivity, allowing fans a better look inside both the world of fishing and the issue of drug addiction in the workplace.

When Work Encourages Drug Addiction

It’s not an issue exclusive to fishermen. Many people struggle with getting high while at work or drinking heavily and abusing drugs after work and on the weekends due to stress and pressure. The constant threat of losing your job because of the state of the economy doesn’t help, either, and if you don’t like your job, the risk of drug addiction only gets worse.

If you are living with a drug addiction and feel that your job is part of the cause, take measures to find new employment. If that’s impossible –and for many, it is – then get the drug rehab help you need so that you can learn to manage the stress without drugs and alcohol. Contact us at The Canyon today for more information about our drug rehab program.

Women who are addicted to prescription medications take their addiction to a whole new level of harm when they become pregnant during their addiction. According to nurses, the babies who were addicted to drugs were generally born addicted to crack, heroin, or crystal meth due to their mothers’ untreated addiction during prenatal development. Nurses report now that more than half of the babies they treat for addiction are suffering from prescription drug addiction, addicted to everything from methadone to OxyContin to Percocet and Vicodin.

White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske recently toured a pediatric care unit facility in order to get a firsthand look at the effects of a mother’s prescription drug addiction on the babies born addicted.

Said Kerlikowske: “The most important part, I think, is the education and the awareness. Young people don’t perceive prescription drugs as dangerous. People don’t remember or think about what is in their medicine cabinets.”

One of the problems is that many mothers who become pregnant while living with an active addiction aren’t expecting to get pregnant and therefore are not prepared. Once they are pregnant, attempting to undergo an abrupt prescription drug detox will mostly likely mean a miscarriage, and many don’t want to take that risk, preferring to wait until their baby is born to begin the process of detox.

Another problem is that many doctors don’t necessarily recognize the signs of prescription drug addiction among the mothers they treat. Women who are physically dependent upon a prescription painkiller or an anti-anxiety medication may not realize that their dependence will hurt their child – and they may not report their use of the drug to their OB out of fear that the doctor will make them stop taking the drug.

Treatment of babies born addicted to prescription drugs becomes the priority in the face of unexpected pregnancies and the increasing rate of prescription drug addiction among the population. Even if the mother cannot or will not decrease her dose during the pregnancy, it’s important to report the drug usage as early as possible so that the baby can be monitored throughout the pregnancy and preparations can be made in advance for the baby’s care after birth. Every baby will react differently depending upon the dosage of the mother’s addiction and other factors, but it’s important to plan for the worst case scenario – in some cases, newborns will spend the first couple months of their lives in the NICU as they heal.

If you are struggling with prescription drug addiction,  contact us today at The Canyon. We can help you make the changes necessary to live a healthy life.

“I’m bored.”

It’s one of the most common complaints that people have a couple of months after drug and alcohol addiction treatment is over. After recovering addicts settle in and find a job, a place to stay, and begin the process of going to 12-step meetings and just staying sober from day to day, they find that the biggest threat to their continued recovery is boredom. Having fun used to be defined by going out to a club or getting high with friends. Without drugs and alcohol, you have to redefine exactly what fun is, get creative, and find new ways to enjoy yourself and relax. If you don’t, you risk the grind of sobriety putting you a position to relapse just so that you can have a good time – and that’s the last thing you want to do.

Fun During Drug and Alcohol Addiction

The irony here is that addicts in recovery readily admit that the life of an active addict is far from fun. It’s hard work to constantly chase a bag or the next high, trying to stay one step ahead of withdrawal symptoms and feeling ill after a long binge. It’s not fun. But faced with the calm and comparatively uneventful days that fill recovery, the down time can be what kills the best intentions.

Finding Fun in a Healthful Way During Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery

Fun is a personal thing. Are you a people person who has a good time when surrounded by others? Are you more private, defining fun as enjoying a good book or watching a movie? Are you outdoorsy, interested in hiking, camping, and adventure sports? Do you like travel, preferring to see new cities and towns rather than stay in the same place for very long? Do you have a hobby that interests you, horticulture or cooking or photography or art? Do you like school? Do you like being in charge?

Depending upon what it is that calls you, the activities that pique your interest above all else, you can create your own fun in recovery. Even if there is no organized groups that play your favorite sport, you can start a team or take a class to find others who like to play. If you like travel but don’t have a lot of money, pick a nearby destination and create a budget then work to save what you need and make your trip happen. If there’s a cause you feel strongly about, find a local group that’s fundraising and get involved or start your own.

If you prefer to kick back and enjoy yourself, just try not to isolate. If you like movies, go to viewings in the park during the summer or take a film class at the local community college. If you like to read, join a book club or take an literature or writing class. It’s important to get involved with others and find ways to have fun that include positive relationships with others.

How Do You Have Fun in Recovery?

When you’re having a hard day, what do you do to take your mind off it? How do you fill your down time now that drugs and alcohol aren’t your focus?

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll: the saying is that they go together. Unfortunately, both sex and drugs have taken down some of the biggest bands in rock and roll history. Here we take a look at some of the bands that have lost their front men to drug addiction – and continued to rock.

Iron Maiden Lost Paul Di’Anno to Bad Behavior Under the Influence

British heavy metal band Iron Maiden let go of Paul Di’Anno, their first singer, when his wild behavior under the influence of drugs became too much for his band mates to handle. That’s saying a lot – Di’Anno’s band mates were hardly clean and sober and they were an up and coming heavy metal band, not a religious choir. The fact that he got kicked out says quite a lot about the rate of his drug abuse and the depth of his addiction. But Iron Maiden went on to hire Bruce Dickinson and made one of the best known metal albums around: The Number of the Beast.

Pink Floyd Booted Syd Barrett for Psychedelic Addiction

To be more specific, Pink Floyd let Barrett go when his abuse of psychedelic drugs affected his mind so deeply that the band couldn’t take it anymore. Given the tone and theme of Pink Floyd’s music in their two bestselling later albums, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, Barrett must have been pretty far gone to be shunned by these guys.

In the hole left by Barrett, Pink Floyd put no one. Instead bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour split the duties of lead singer and became one of the most successful and unique rock bands in the world.

The Temptations Fired David Ruffin Due to Cocaine Addiction

A classic, early rock band, The Temptations, lost their lead singer, David Ruffin, when Ruffin’s cocaine addiction got too out of control for the band to handle. Already topping the charts with hits like “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “My Girl,” the band risked plummeting into obscurity by getting rid of their popular front man. They took the chance. Replacing Ruffin with Dennis Edwards turned out to be a smart move, though, and the band went on to even more success with hits like “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” and “I Can’t Get Next to You.”

What happened to Ruffin? He went on to a sporadic, yet occasionally successful solo career, but ultimately died of an overdose in 1991.

The lead singer of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, is one of the greatest frontmen in the business, and his new memoir detailing his long career on the stage is something that many fans are excited about. It’s not just his musical exploits, awards, or information about his latest stint as a judge on American Idol that has fans paying attention. It’s a life fraught with lascivious tales of backstage exploits, drug addiction, and more that has every rock and roll fan turning page after page.

The book is called “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” and it came out at the beginning of May. Tyler wrote it to shock and awe, providing “all the unexpurgated, brain-jangling tales of debauchery, sex & drugs, transcendence & chemical dependence you will ever want to hear.” Everything from his romantic exploits, his throat surgery, his Hepatitis C diagnosis, his battle with others in his band, the death of his first wife and the divorce from his second wife is in between the covers.

Tyler gets into his drug addiction history in the book as well as some of the interviews he did surrounding the release of his autobiography. In Rolling Stone magazine, he said: “There’s three things that happen to you when you’re addicted to drugs after they take hold, is death, jail and insanity. And I can’t preach that enough. The only reason I wound up in rehab is because I used to the point of falling down. My kids tell me, ‘Daddy, I don’t know who you are anymore.’ Wives leave, bands break up, and it’s really a one-way street. I still liked the ride, but it’s a one-way street.”

It was through drug addiction treatment that Tyler found his way back from drug addiction, and it’s a path that he advocates to anyone who asks. He can’t be more positive about how incredible life is without addiction and the many problems that are caused by an ongoing and untreated addiction to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, prescription pills, and other drugs. Tyler’s the first one to tell you that he’s lucky to be alive and it’s clear from his presence on American Idol and the way he’s won the hearts of viewers that his positive viewpoint permeates every day of his life. In the Rolling Stone interview, Tyler said: “I’m really lucky right now. I’m on top of the world: I’m Hollywood’s little … sweetheart, basically.”

If you would like to find a drug rehab that can help you regain a positive outlook on life, contact us at The Canyon today. We can help.

One of the biggest characteristics defining those in addiction is the inability to avoid acting on impulse. This means that when you feel like getting high, you do it. When you’re angry, you lash out. When you’re depressed, you mope or stay in bed. There is little thought given to the consequences of any action and most decisions are fueled purely by emotion rather than practicality. Doing the hard thing in favor of what’s best for you is often eschewed in favor of doing the easy thing that is most gratifying in the moment.

How Addicts in Early Recovery Usually Eat

The same process usually applies to eating habits for those in recovery after drug and alcohol addiction. If you happen to realize that you’re hungry while you’re standing in front of a fast food joint, you’re likely to step inside and grab a hamburger and fries. Unfortunately, foods like these can make you feel more tired and rundown when you’re done eating, providing you with more fat calories you need and not enough nutrients to stay healthy.

Why Eating Poorly is a Bad Idea in Drug Addiction Recovery

The negative feelings associated with poor eating choices can make you more prone to relapse. If you already don’t feel well or if you’re tired and rundown, little stressors will make more of an impact and you’ll respond more quickly and more emotionally than if you feel calm and healthy. If you have low energy, you’re less likely to make it to your 12-step meetings or therapy, put in the effort at work, or seek out positive friendships. Good nutrition can give you that baseline of positivity that you need to make good decisions in recovery and to stay dedicated to your treatment plan.

Making Good Nutrition Easy in Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery

For starters, eating small meals a few times a day can help you get and maintain a steady level of energy. Choosing healthful foods for those meals (e.g., whole grain breads, lean protein like chicken or nuts, fruits, vegetables, and a little bit of dairy and oils) can mean that your body is constantly getting the good nutrients it needs to keep going. If you’re on the go or if you want to save money and avoid buying premade salads or sandwiches while you’re out, pack healthful snacks and bring them with you. A piece of fruit, fiber bars, and sandwiches on whole grain bread travel well and will keep you going without wasting your money. Cooking healthful meals in advance and portioning them out, putting a few in the freezer and a few in the refrigerator can help make sure that you always have something healthy available to you at home, too.

Any tips you’d like to share about how you stay healthy and eat well during recovery?