Though there are not medications FDA-approved to aid in the treatment of addiction to all illicit substances, there are quite a few medications that work quite well to help fight withdrawal symptoms for certain drugs or reduce the cravings that many experience when they try to quit drinking or getting high. Each drug works differently and in different doses for different people according to their drug history and other co-occurring disorders. Medications may not be appropriate for everyone in recovery. But for those living with an addiction and looking for the most effective treatment available, it’s certainly a viable option and one worth exploring.

Medications that Stop You from Getting Drunk or High

Some medications have one purpose: to subvert a patient’s attempt to relapse during recovery. For those fighting alcoholism, Antabuse is a common medication – this drug will make the patient nauseous if he or she attempts to drink while on the medication. Even though many recovering alcoholics know that they are on the drug and how it will affect them if they attempt to override it, they drink anyway and get very ill.

For those struggling with opiate addiction, naltrexone is a commonly prescribed drug. This drug doesn’t make the patient ill if he or she attempts to use heroin or take opiate painkillers, but it does block the receptors in the brain so that the patient will not experience the euphoric effects, or high. It has the same effect on alcoholics, though, when an alcoholic drinks, they will experience the other side effects of alcohol – slurred speech, slow reaction time, et cetera. They just won’t get high from the experience.

Detox Medications

For those who are detoxing off of opiate painkillers, there are a couple of other medication options that work to help the patient immediately stop taking their drug of choice without experiencing the bulk of the withdrawal symptoms. Methadone is the most common. Taken daily, it blocks the effects of opiates like heroin when it is taken in doses of 80 milligrams or more. It is more often used for patients with a high-dose heroin habit and helps them to transition off of heroin more quickly and avoid a painful detox as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives without drugs.

Suboxone is the latest in opiate detox and addiction treatment medications. Approved by the FDA for nothing but opiate addiction treatment, it combines naltrexone and buprenorphine. It is generally most suitable for patients with low-dose heroin or opiate addictions and can be prescribed by any physician certified to dispense the medication.

Are Medications Right for You?

Do you think a medicated detox would work for you? Have you gone through a medicated detox and have any tips or words of caution to offer? Tell us what you think!

You may be absolutely sure that alcohol is causing problems in your life. You may have tried to quit drinking or in some way moderate your drinking for months without any significant change to the ongoing issues created by your alcoholic behavior. You know that alcohol rehab is an option, but you’re still not quite sure whether or not it’s the right option for you or if it’s something that you should pursue right now. The following questions are designed to help you determine whether or not you are ready to get the most out of alcohol detox and addiction treatment. Answer them honestly and thoughtfully. If you would like assistance or if you would like to discuss the possibility of drug addiction treatment as the next step in your life, contact us at The Canyon today.

What Will Alcohol Rehab Do for You Now?

Why would you benefit from coming to treatment now? Has something happened recently to show you just how serious your alcohol addiction has become or the devastating effects it has on your life? Do you feel empowered to take on treatment now knowing that things can only get worse if you continue? This can be a very powerful reason to choose alcohol rehab help.

What’s Your Alcohol Treatment History?

Have you ever been to alcohol addiction treatment before? If so, consider what worked for you and what didn’t. If you chose a less intensive outpatient program, you may consider an inpatient treatment. If you chose an inpatient rehab before, you may opt for a different style of inpatient recovery this time. If you have never been to alcohol rehab, choose the most intensive program that you can find to give yourself the most solid start in recovery as possible.

Do You Have a Plan to Cover the Costs of Alcohol Rehab?

Are you familiar with your resources for paying for alcohol rehab? Many avoid getting the help that they need because they fear that they won’t have the money to pay for a truly comprehensive treatment program. Often, they assume this before they even look into the details. The fact is that many health insurance policies will cover part of the cost of treatment and that financing options are available to help you pay for the remaining amount. All you have to do is ask.

Are You Ready to Go to Alcohol Rehab?

Have you talked to your boss, your landlord, your roommates about leaving for an extended period? Have you made arrangements for your children and/ or pets? What about your bills and your mail? Have you talked to those closest to you and prepared them for what to expect? Do you know what to expect? Have you taken a moment to look over the literature provided by the rehab so you know what to pack, what not to pack and the schedule of therapies and treatments that may be included in your program?

Are you ready for alcohol rehab? If so, contact us today. We can help you prepare for a new life without addiction. Call now.

One man, Michael R. Carpenter, recently was sentenced to a year and a half in prison after being convicted of arson after setting fire to the trailer home of an acquaintance. Why did Carpenter set fire to the trailer of an acquaintance? Talk about irony: the acquaintance had suggested that Carpenter did stupid things when he was drunk. To prove him wrong, Carpenter got drunk and piled pine needles and cardboard on top of an electrical outlet under the trailer and lit them with a match. Because that’s not stupid at all.

When Alcohol Takes Over

Dangerous decisions under the influence is one of the biggest signs of alcohol and drug addiction. The legal consequences are just another effect of allowing an addiction to go untreated. The upside is that no one was physically injured due to Carpenter’s decision to set the trailer on fire, but the down side is that prison likely won’t provide Carpenter with much in the way of alcohol abuse help or addiction treatment. Carpenter has a long history of criminal incidences, most relating to alcohol abuse or done while under the influence. The only way to help someone with a chronic history with alcohol addiction is to provide them treatment. Without help, Carpenter may likely remain in the system for years.

Helping Your Loved One Get Help for Alcohol Abuse and Addiction

One of the most difficult things in the world is to help someone you care about get the help they need when you see them succumbing to alcohol addiction. No family member wants to admit that it’s even a problem and once it has become so serious that it is undeniable that help is needed, it’s difficult to get your loved one to see reason. Oftentimes it takes a formal, sit-down intervention to get someone you care about to see the effects of alcohol not only their life but on the lives of those around them. Getting together with others who care for the addict in your life can help make your message hit home.

Here are a few tips to staging a successful alcohol addiction intervention:

• Wait until your loved one is sober. This can take awhile, especially if the alcoholic in your life likes to stay drunk. They may likely become belligerent as the alcohol wears off, but you must stick with it and not allow them to drink. They need to hear what you have to say.
• Hire a professional interventionist. If you are concerned that you are emotionally too close to the situation to run an intervention effectively or if your loved one is so angry at you for unrelated reasons that he won’t hear what you have to say, hiring a professional interventionist can help.
• Sign your loved one up for rehab before the intervention. By doing this, you make it possible for your loved one to go immediately to treatment after the intervention allowing less time for him to change his mind after accepting help. If you hire a professional interventionist, the interventionist will be able to escort your loved one to treatment.

If you would like to enroll your loved one in alcohol rehab,  contact us today to learn more about our program or set up a tour of our facility.

Charlie Sheen has been undergoing an at-home drug rehab program of late, famously texting all former associates in the porn industry to let them know that he is no longer open for business. Though it has been less than two weeks since the 36-hour spree reportedly involving cocaine abuse, porn stars and copious amounts of alcohol that landed him in the hospital, Sheen says he’s just fine – and ready to go back to work.

His network, however, is not so sure. They have suspended shooting for Sheen’s show, Two and a Half Men, pending his recovery, which they feel should probably take a little time.

Sheen heartily disagrees. According to Us Magazine, he unexpectedly called into the Dan Patrick Show and said: “I just figured I was supposed to go back to work because I’m ready. They said, ‘You get ready. We’ll get ready.’ And I got ready.”

Sheen seems to view the wait to return to shooting as meddling in his personal life. Though there is a morals clause in his contract, Sheen said: “Nitpick, nitpick, but I don’t think [the contract] covers, ‘Let us totally dominate and interfere with your personal life.’ I have a contract. They said, ‘Get your act together,’ and I did.”

But even though Sheen adamantly disagrees with the network’s decision, he also said: “I heal really quickly, but I also unravel pretty quickly. So get me right now, guys. Get me right now!”

It’s understandable that those investing a huge amount of money in the star’s performance would not be heartened by such statements. Sheen is reportedly uninterested in long-term recovery options or even working toward a clean and sober lifestyle despite all the problems he’s experienced in his life due to his behavior under the influence.

The term for those who are currently trying to keep their alcohol and drug abuse under control but have little interest in long-term addiction treatment measures? ‘White knuckling’ it. It’s not a pleasant or desirable place to be. The white knuckles one gets when gripping their chair arm due to discomfort to force themselves through an unpleasant situation is what the term implies – and it’s almost always followed by relapse. Most who recognize that they are white knuckling it to stay sober see this is a red flag letting them know that it’s time to get help and make sure that they are protected from relapse.

According to Us Magazine, Sheen says he drinks and parties out of “Boredom. Wanting to make things better – whether it’s real or imagined. I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree.”

And he says that to call himself sober would be “inauthentic – it’s not who I am.”

Despite drug rehab, a recent hospital visit, issues with his ex, and the discussion between him and his network, Sheen still has a great outlook. His view on his life right now? Sheen says: “I’m having a ball. I am enjoying every moment.”

Your loved one has spent the last weeks or months at an alcohol rehab receiving detox and addiction treatment and now you are preparing for his or her return. While they were away, you had a chance to focus on yourself in a way that you haven’t since you first realized that your loved one was living with cocaine addiction, heroin addiction, alcoholism, prescription drug addiction or other addiction. Now that they are coming home, this is your chance to prepare yourself physically and mentally so that it’s as positive an experience as it can be.

Preparing for Your Loved One’s Return from Alcohol Rehab Socially

Hopefully you’ve been investing some time in developing a social network of positive people who are supportive of you and what you’re going through with your loved one’s addiction. Whether this is through old friends, new friends, family members or 12-step support groups, this is an essential part of your life that you will need to maintain after your loved one returns home.

Keep in mind that your loved one may be uncomfortable with you discussing your issues with their addiction with other people. Remind him or her that they have the freedom to do this at their own 12-step meetings and with their friends and that isolating you is not good or appropriate.

Preparing for Your Loved One’s Return from Alcohol Rehab Physically

Emotional exhaustion and stress take a physical toll on the body and though you are likely recovered from the experience of living with your loved one’s addiction, you will need to do a little maintenance to stay in the state. Sometimes it’s as simple as a yoga class, regular workouts or time spent in the sauna at the gym. Others prefer a more pampered relaxation experience and opt for regular spa stays or massage. If you have a regular routine that keeps you relaxed and physically fit, don’t neglect it after your loved one returns. Stick to your schedule no matter what.

Preparing for Your Loved One’s Return from Alcohol Rehab Mentally

You’ll certainly have a number of expectations when your loved one comes home after alcohol addiction treatment. Sobriety, certainly, is one of those expectations, but you may also have hopes that your loved one will be in a better mood, not be sick like they were during addiction, and treat you better. The best thing to do is to let go of all your ideas about how things “should” be after alcohol rehab. Your loved one may feel pressured and resentful of your ideas, and if you press them, fights could result. Instead, give your loved one the space they need to build a new life for themselves in recovery. They will need to be able to attend 12-step meetings, go to personal therapy, look for jobs, go to work, and make new friends who are also clean and sober.

By all means, encourage your loved one in these pursuits and voice your concerns if you believe that he or she is making choices that will lead to relapse. Ultimately, however, you cannot control whether or not relapse occurs. All you can do is decide how you will handle it if it does happen ahead of time and then follow through.

Viral YouTube radio announcer Ted Williams recently admitted that the alcohol addiction that made him homeless still required attention and he enrolled in an alcohol rehab to get the help that he needs. Unfortunately, the word is that Williams has decided to leave alcohol rehab early.

Williams told Dr. Phil that he had been drinking heavily since his overnight success and found it hard to manage his newfound fame. Issues with family exacerbated the problem, and though the man with the golden voice promised Dr. Phil that he would get help, it seems that his attempts at treatment were short-lived.

Long-Term, Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Provides the Best Evidence-Based Treatment for Addiction

All the studies say the same thing: the longer you spend in rehab, the more successful you will be in recovery. Success is defined by how long you avoid relapse after treatment and, if you do slip, how long that slip lasts. Spending 24 hours a day in an alcohol rehab facility gives you the chance to make a clean break from the family issues that are plaguing you, avoid the expectations and pressures of others, and just focus on yourself and your health. The more treatments, classes, therapies and activities you take part in during treatment, the better you will do. More involvement, more time and more focus adds up to long-term success in alcohol addiction recovery.

Retread: Getting the Alcohol Addiction Treatment You Need to Succeed

Though long-term alcohol addiction treatment is the best way to make real progress in recovery and truly learn how to stay away from drugs and alcohol, every little bit helps. Many addicts and alcoholics have multiple trips to drug rehab in their history – some call themselves “retreads” to define their repeat relapses and returns to treatment. Some describe a successful first trip to alcohol rehab followed up by years of abstinence only to end up back in rehab after relapsing over a trauma or loss and losing themselves in alcoholism again. Others say it took multiple trips to alcohol rehab for the concepts to really stick, but each time they went, another seed was planted and then another and another until the techniques and skills taught in recovery overran the addiction.

Don’t Give Up: Get the Alcohol Rehab Help You Need

The most important thing to remember is that giving up is not an option. Alcohol addiction is lifelong illness and the longer you drink, the harder it is to beat. Reversing the long-term effects of alcohol abuse on the brain and the body can take years, just as building up the addiction that caused the damage was years in the making, as well. The gift is in knowing that there is always hope, that no relapse is final and that a return to alcohol rehab to regain your footing in recovery is always an option.

If you would like to learn more about our drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility, contact us today. We support men and women who are fighting drug and alcohol addiction at any level and are ready to learn how they can take back control of their lives. Call now.

When you go home after alcohol rehab, you will need to make some changes in your life to accommodate your new goals and direction. Letting go of alcohol and drug abuse often means letting go of some of the people that you used to use with. It can also mean changing your schedule so that you aren’t frequenting the places you used to use and replacing those people and places with new and positive ones. The bad news is that this isn’t always easy. It can take a little bit of time and may mean a few unhappy people in your life. The good news is that you will be replacing the potential triggers and harmful situations with new, positive and supportive people and activities that will allow you to live a long time without drug and alcohol addiction.

Change #1 After Alcohol Rehab: Assess Your Relationships

Your relationships with your friends and partner are the first thing that you may need to change when you come home after alcohol rehab. If you were drinking with your partner or your friends – and they are still drinking or using other drugs – then you just can’t hang out with them for awhile. It may not make sense to those you care about, but when you are constantly around someone who is drunk – even if they don’t technically drink in front of you – it makes you want to drink. And when you’re trying to stay sober, that’s the last thing you need.

Sometimes, even if your partner or close friend does not drink, the stress of the relationship can be too much to handle in early recovery. If your relationship with someone is defined by drama and fighting, you will eventually drink over the situation if you don’t limit your involvement with them and find new friends who bring positivity and happiness into your life.

Change #2 After Alcohol Rehab: Take a Look at Your Schedule

What did you used to do before you went to alcohol rehab? Go to bars? Out to clubs? Drink and watch the game? Your schedule after you come home from drug rehab should, obviously, drop all drinking-related activities and activities that happen in bars. If your habits included stopping by the same liquor store on the way home every day, change the way you go home. With all the free time available in your schedule when you remove drinking, you can try just about anything: take a class at the community college, start working out or jogging, spend more time with your kids or other family members, pick up extra hours at work, start attending sports events or cultural events in person. The choice is up to you!

Alcohol Rehab at The Canyon

If you have not yet enrolled in an alcohol rehab program, contact us at The Canyon today. We can get you started on a treatment program that will change your life and provide you with the emotional coping skills you need to avoid relapse when you return. Call now for more information.