The Canyon

After Sandra Bullock officially announced that she was filing for divorce from Jesse James (no big surprise) and completing the adoption of their son, 3½-month-old Louis Bardo Bullock, as a single mother (actually, that was kind of a surprise), Jesse James released his own statement to the public. In brief, he’s sorry. He knows “Sandy” didn’t do anything wrong and didn’t deserve any of the treatment he dumped on her. But. He hopes that his 30 days in sex rehab will help him to build a foundation to become a better husband father.

But don’t take it from me. Read his statement for yourself:

“My whole life has been full of hard decisions.

“The decision to let my wife end our marriage, and continue the adoption of Louis on her own, has been the hardest. The love I have for Louis cannot be put to words. Not having him around to love and to hold has left a huge hole in my heart.

“Sandy is the love of my life, but considering the pain and devastation I have caused her, it would be selfish to not let her go. Right now it is time for me to beat this addiction that has taken two of the things I love the most in life.

“I have always taken great pride in proving people wrong. That time has come once again to show that I am not what everyone says I am. I know in my heart that I can be the best father possible to my four children, and the mate Sandy deserves, and realize that this is an incredible mountain to climb. But I believe that the steps I have taken in the last 30 days are the foundation for making this happen. The lifelong commitment I am making is what being a real husband and father is all about.

“I ask that you please do not judge Sandy for the things I have done. She has done no wrong. She played no part in any of this. She has been an amazing wife, mother, and best friend, for the over 6 years we have been together.”

Can Rehab Put Your Life Back Together?

It’s a question that many who come to rehab ask. Having hit bottom, many come to drug rehab or sex rehab with regrets, things that they’ve done that have destroyed their relationships, their careers, their reputations, their self esteem. They come to rehab hoping to repair those things and gain the skills to move forward.

While moving forward is definitely possible using what you learn about yourself in drug rehab and certainly learning how to live without acting upon addiction cravings, you may not be able to get back everything you lost during addiction. Though it is possible to mend relationships, rebuild your reputation and reclaim your dreams, these will most likely look quite different to you after rehab as well as to the other people involved. Different, of course, can be a good thing, even better than if you had stayed on your previous trajectory. Opening yourself up to the sheer magic of possibility is a big part of healing during drug treatment.

DMX was arrested in Arizona last month for cocaine possession. In addition to being a charge that stands alone, DMX (born Earl Simmons) is also in violation of his parole. He was taken to a local county jail to await further action from the court.

About a year ago, DMX spent 90 days inside on charges of fraud, drug possession and animal cruelty.

DMX’s lawyer, Gary Jenkins, blames the rapper’s history of problems with the law on drug addiction. Jenkins says those problems are a continuing issue and one that requires an intervention.

Jenkins told TMZ: “He’s been battling addiction for some time and he’s in need of treatment. We’re hoping that maybe Dr. Drew might be able to help him. He’s a talented man…we’re praying for him.”

For his part, DMX doesn’t take much of the blame for his actions on himself. Rather, he blames law enforcement and others for targeting him. He also claims that his rights were abused and ignored.

DMX told the court: “Look at the fair treatment going on. I’m the only one in here, I’m the only one who got arrested today. Every time they do it to me! My rights are being violated but I got to be quiet about it.”

While DMX believes that he isn’t to blame for his arrest, others heartily disagree. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is one such person. He believes that DMX should be punished with jail time for his behavior. He sees DMX’s latest behavior as part of a longstanding pattern that needs to be dealt with.

Says Arpaio: “I’m surprised he came back. He doesn’t like the sheriff, he doesn’t like my office. I’m sure he doesn’t like all the times he’s been arrested. He’s also been a problem. He doesn’t show up for court. I had to send my deputies to Florida twice to bring him back. We’ve been treating him with kid gloves. I think it’s about time to give him hard time.”

Enabling Versus Assisting: How Much is Too Much Help to Give a Loved One Addicted to Drugs

While there’s something to be said for helping friends and family members who are going through hard times, when continued drug and alcohol addiction is the source of your loved one’s problems, there needs to be a limit to the amount of assistance given for your sake as well as theirs. Continuing to “clean up” after someone who consistently causes problems for themselves and their family due to drug and alcohol use only enables them to continue to live actively with addiction. The best way to help someone you love who is addicted to cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, heroin, and other drugs of addiction is to help them understand that getting help is the only way to heal.

If you are concerned about someone you love, call The Canyon. We can give you more information about drug and alcohol interventions as well as the type of treatments that are available for your loved one. Call now.

It’s not just individual country governments that are taking on drug addiction. The United Nations is now putting its power behind an initiative to halt drug trafficking trade and sales with an eye towards protecting developing countries from the potential “health disaster” that could result otherwise.

The Neo-Colonialism of Drug Dependence

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is dedicated to helping these smaller countries that lack the manpower and funds to protect themselves against the blight of drug addiction.

Antonio Maria Costas is a chief at UNODC. He says: “The developing world lacks the treatment facilities and law enforcement to control drugs. This seems to have been forgotten by people in rich countries calling for loosening of drug controls. Why condemn the Third World, already ravaged by so many tragedies, to the neo-colonialism of drug dependence?”

Different developing regions are victim to different drugs, according to Costas. East Africa is seeing an increase in heroin abuse and addiction while West Africa has seen a rise in cocaine addicts. In the Middle East and Southeast Asia, heroin and other drugs are becoming more and more of a problem.

But no matter what the drug of choice, drug addiction can be a “a kind of weapon of mass destruction,” according to Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the Iranian envoy to the UN. He calls drugs a “threat destroying the foundation of families.”

Drug Addiction Treatment and Medical Treatment

Access to drug treatment is the primary focus of the UN initiatives. The problem is making sure that all socioeconomic classes can get the treatment they need. Costas believes that inequality among people in developing countries is part of the problem, and that it “marginalizes poor people who lack access to treatment.”

On the other hand, access to pharmaceutical drugs is just as necessary to the building of a new nation. Says Costas: “The medical use of narcotic drugs continues to be indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering.”

Costas also says that UN member nations should “overcome cultural and socio-economic factors that deny a Nigerian suffering from AIDS or a Mexican cancer patient the morphine offered to Italian or American counterparts.”

Finding Drug Rehab Help

Whether it’s treatment for drug addiction or drug treatment for medical disorders and diseases, it’s about getting the right medications into the right hands that wrong drugs out of everyone’s hands. It’s a huge undertaking and it’s certainly not easy. It’s something that individual governments of some of the most powerful nations of the world have a hard time doing. It’s no wonder then that the assistance of something as large as the United Nations is what is needed to help these developing countries overcome drug addiction.

Luckily, over here in the United States, access to drug addiction treatment isn’t a problem. If you or someone you love is living with drug addiction, you can find the help you need. The Canyon is one place where you can find alcohol rehab, drug rehab, drug detox, and extended aftercare services. Call today for more information.

In true Tiger Woods fashion, Jesse James has chosen to respond to the ever-increasing line of women confessing to affairs with him during his 5-year marriage to Sandra Bullock by enrolling in rehab. What kind of rehab is yet a mystery, according to TMZ, who broke the story (Is it drug rehab? Alcohol rehab? Sex addiction rehab? Some combination thereof?), but there have been confirmations that Jesse attended sessions at a rehab in Arizona.

Hitting Rock Bottom: The Need for Rehab

Just days after his wife, Sandra Bullock, won a Best Actress Oscar for her work in the movie Blind Side, a woman named Michelle McGee came forward alleging that she had had an 11-month affair with Jesse James. Over the past few weeks, another four women have come out claiming the same thing (one affair was alleged to have last 3 years), one of them just this week. A woman who used to work for Jesse at West Coast Choppers even filed a sexual harassment case against him before he married Sandra and others close to the 40-year-old father claim that he often placed ads online for women with “tattoos and big boobs.” His infidelity was an open secret and now it’s no secret at all.

Sandra apparently found out about her husband’s infidelity when a tabloid called her just before the story broke. After confronting Jesse, it has been reported that she left their home and disappeared for a few days as the story unfolded. Magazines and online news sources are now saying that she is filing for divorce. They are also reporting that Jesse James has headed to rehab.

Drug Addiction and Sex Addiction

By heading to drug rehab, Jesse James and others in his situation seem to be saying that not only are they sorry for their behavior and sorry they got caught but that they are taking action to help fight against this happening again. By elevating their choices to the status of a disease they are also, in part, claiming that their behavior is beyond their control. The only way this argument stands is if they follow up the assertion by seeking medical treatment.

While Jesse’s trip to rehab may or may not impress upon Sandra the depth and breadth of his remorse, it will serve to provide him with a little respite from the swarms of paparazzi and give him something positive to focus his attentions on that will also give him back a sense of control in his life.

Drug Addiction Rehab and Sex Addiction Treatment

Both drug addiction and sex addiction are serious psychological and physiological disorders. For someone who is truly struggling with either disorder or both disorders simultaneously, it is virtually impossible to break free without medical intervention. At a certified dual diagnosis treatment center, you can get help for both problems at the same time, which has been proven to be the most effective way to treat those with co-occurring disorders, statistically.

If you would like to learn more about addiction treatment, The Canyon can help. Call today.

There is one country in the world that imprisons more people than anyone else and consumes 66 percent of the world’s illicit drugs. According to Ruben Rosario at TwinCities.com, that country is the United States.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse released a 188-page study linking criminal behavior with drug and alcohol addiction. The Center calls the study “the most exhaustive analysis ever undertaken to identify the extent to which alcohol and other drugs are implicated in the crimes and incarceration of America’s prison population.”

The number of drug-related offenders in all manner of lockup make up 85 percent of the prison population. So why isn’t there more of an effort to get treatment to those who are inside? Without it, they simply make more connections with other drug users and sellers while locked up and leave the facility to hit the streets a smarter, more hardened criminal than before with the same drug addiction issues.

Joseph Califano heads the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. He says that if “all inmates with substance-use disorders who are not receiving treatment were provided evidence-based treatment and aftercare, we would break even on this investment in one year if just over 10 percent of those receiving such services remained substance- and crime-free and employed.”

As it stands, only 11 percent of inmates with drug addiction disorders receive drug addiction treatment during their incarceration, according to the study. Officials always like to cite cost as a reason for not providing a given service in any context, but the fact that federal, state and local government agencies spend upwards of $74 billion on probation, parole, court costs and prison costs makes it difficult to believe that diverting some of the funds toward drug rehab instead wouldn’t be cost effective, especially when the recidivism rate is effectively decreased as a result, which in turn decreases future costs.

How much do they currently spend on drug addiction rehab and abuse prevention for prisoners? About $632 million, according to the new study. That’s less than 1 percent of what is invested into other forms of “rehabilitation” through imprisonment.

Califano comments on the financial aspect of the issue:

“For each succeeding year that these inmates remained substance- and crime-free and employed, the nation would reap an economic benefit of $90,953 per inmate in reduced crime, lower arrest, prosecution, incarceration and health care costs, and economic benefits from employment. That’s a return on investment that would satisfy even the greediest Wall Street bankers.”

Just to be clear, the suggestion to insert drug rehab more dominantly into the prison system should in no way be interpreted as a “get out of jail free” card for violent offenders with drug addiction issues. The idea is to actually help the person who has a drug addiction that is putting them in a position to do things they otherwise wouldn’t. The hope is that drug treatment over imprisonment will increase their chances of successfully kicking their habit as well as the treadmill of prison rather than digging a deeper hole for their lives that is harder to get out of.

But don’t take my word for it. Take a look at the study online and draw your own conclusions.

The other day, we started talking about drug trafficking and how your drug addiction and drug use in general in the United States is causing the deaths of thousands each year. We are looking at a specific case, Culiacan in Sinaloa, Mexico, and the violence that occurs daily due to United States drug use and addiction.

How the Government Fights Drug Trafficking… Sort Of

Every Mexican president that has come to power in the last couple of decades has claimed to want to fight drug trafficking and the resulting violence. According to Manual Ortiz at the San Diego New Network, each president has even incarcerated a few drug bosses, but this has only serve to assist the drug bosses remaining on the street and exacerbate the problem. In essence, the Mexican government is in support of drug trafficking, though the specific bosses and cartels backed changes with each new president.

Drug Trafficking and Poverty

The only people making money of drug trafficking is the drug bosses. The government puts its support and money behind the drug cartels and not the people, so education suffers. As a result, an extreme and polarized society occurs with the rich and violent drug cartel on one side and everyone else living in poverty and no hope of escaping it. Locals depressed by the outlook and with regular access to drugs end up becoming drug addicts themselves.

The War on Drug Trafficking

While Reagan declared a War on Drugs in the ‘80s and flooded the public school systems and television air waves with public service announcements about the effects of drugs, President Felipe Calderon, the current president of Mexico, declared a war on drug trafficking in December, 2006.

Since that time, it is being reported that about 16,000 people have been killed due to the ongoing war between cartels and authorities and infighting between the cartels. Every year the violence increases: 2009 was the most violent year yet with 7724 murders.

Calderon has his own media Reagan-style media blitz, but his commercials are focused on his “successes.” According to advertising, the government is winning the war against drug trafficking and the violence and deaths are proof.

Many disagree with the government’s bright view. They say that more focus should be placed on money laundering and that while it’s true that some drug cartels are crumbling, others are allowed to prosper and grow. Culiacan is home to a number of laundering houses where bags are passed through windows and big trucks drive in and out of the town rather openly. It’s no secret.

Edgardo Buscaglia is a United Nations expert on security and organized crime said: “I would like to see Mexico also strike at the Sinaloa Confederation. That has not, up to now, produced the number of arrests and sentences that have been occurred in other criminal organizations, like those of the Beltrán Leyva, La Familia Michoacana, Los Zetas and the Golfo cartel… Let’s hit everyone evenly.”

How You Can Help

While you, in your home, can do little by yourself to effect great change in Mexico and other drug trafficking regions that serve the United States, recognizing that there’s no such thing as harmless drug use is a step. If you continue to actively live with heroin addiction, cocaine addiction and marijuana addiction without getting the treatment you need to walk away from drugs forever, you are helping to keep drug trafficking and violence alive. By choosing heroin addiction treatment, cocaine detox and marijuana rehab, you are, in effect, doing your part to take away the demand for the drugs that keeps drug trafficking alive.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) has released their first draft. In this new version of the American Psychiatric Association document used by virtually everyone to diagnose behavioral health problems, the disease categories for substance abuse and dependence will be replaced with a brand new “addictions and related disorders” category.

Why The Categorization of Drug Addiction is Changing

The hope of the American Psychiatric Association has for making this change is that it will create a clearer line between those who are physically dependent upon a prescription drug and those who are addicted to their drug of choice.

In a press release, the APA stated: “Eliminating the category of dependence will better differentiate between the compulsive drug-seeking behavior of addiction and normal responses of tolerance and withdrawal that some patients experience when using prescribed medications that affect the central nervous system.”

Their point is that many people will develop a physical dependence upon a drug during the course of treatment, but that this singular fact does not make them a drug addict. When it is appropriate for their treatment, they can simply cut back on their dose slowly under their doctor’s supervision and stop taking the drug completely and without incident.

Someone suffering from drug addiction will find this simple exit plan from their drug of choice to be impossible. The psychological addiction and cravings are the defining characteristic of drug addiction and it is this distinction that the APA would like to make in the new DSM-V.

How the Categorization of Drug Addiction is Changing in the DSM-V

One of the biggest changes is the new category that will include substance-use disorders. Each drug type will get its own category with its own diagnostic criteria. Not much will change in terms of diagnostic criteria except that “drug craving” will be added and “problems with law enforcement will be dropped.” As the APA points out, “cultural considerations… make the criteria difficult to apply internationally.”

Cannabis withdrawal criteria is also a new addiction to the DSM-V. The APA says it occurs with the “cessation of cannabis use that has been heavy and prolonged,” results in “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.” Some listed symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include irritability, anxiety, anger, weight loss/ decreased appetite, insomnia, depression, and physical symptoms like sweating, fever, headache, et cetera. At least three of these need be present to diagnose marijuana withdrawal, according to the new DSM-V.

Why The Categorization of Drug Addiction Matters

For many, insurance is the only way to pay for drug and alcohol rehab. If the problem is not categorized as a medical issue that requires medical treatment, then insurance companies may start rejecting claims that request coverage for drug and alcohol detox treatment and medications. As these are both necessary for recovery and typically very expensive, it’s important that their classification be as clear as possible.

Charles O’Brien, M.D., Ph.D., is the chair of the APA’s DSM Substance-Related Disorders Work Group. He says: “The term dependence is misleading, because people confuse it with addiction, when in fact the tolerance and withdrawal patients experience are very normal responses to prescribed medications that affect the central nervous system.

“On the other hand, addiction is compulsive drug- seeking behavior which is quite different. We hope that this new classification will help end this wide-spread misunderstanding.”

Former Oklahoma State basketball coach Sean Sutton, 41, was arrested for trying to get prescription drugs illegally from out of state. He spent the night in jail and was reportedly dealing with withdrawal symptoms like nausea and vomiting and profuse sweating when he was released.

Sutton arranged to pick up about 40 pills under a false name. The pills in the package included clonazepam, an anti-anxiety medication and two types of the stimulant Adderall and another drug.

Sean’s arraignment is set for next week where it is expected that he will be charged with “obtaining a controlled or dangerous substance (CDS) by fraud, possession of a CDS, attempted possession of a CDS and use of a communication device to facilitate a felony,” according to New York Breaking News.

Drug Addiction and Genetic Predisposition

Sutton is not the only one in his family who has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. His father, Eddie Sutton, was also a former Cowboys coach until May of 2006 when he was in an alcohol-induced car accident and was forced to relinquish the position.

After the car accident, Sean replaced his father as the Oklahoma State basketball coach but had to resign in April 2008.

Now, he is dealing with legal issues due to drug addiction as well. Considering how difficult prescription drug addiction is on the system and the severity of the withdrawal symptoms, hopefully his first stop will be at a prescription drug detox and addiction treatment center.

Drug Addiction Treatment

Whether your issue is alcoholism or prescription drug addiction to drugs like OxyContin, Valium, Xanax, hydrocodone, Percocet and other pills, drug addiction treatment is the only way to safely change your life. Even if you are committed to breaking your addiction to your drug of choice, it is not recommended that you stop using an addictive drug by yourself if you experience withdrawal symptoms. It is recommended that you instead enroll yourself in a drug detox and addiction treatment program that provides you with an holistic treatment program.

The Benefits of Holistic Treatment

Holistic drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs allow you to get multiple layers of treatment for your addiction. This multi-faceted approach makes your experience at drug rehab as well rounded as possible, allowing you to explore many different types of therapy and treatment.

The more time you spend learning how drugs of addiction affect your brain and body and honestly exploring your own personal experience and drug history, the better equipped you will be to learn new tools to fight off relapse when you return home. The more time you spend in treatment and the more varied the therapies you undertake during your rehab experience, the more likely you will be to stave off relapse for long periods. Statistics show that the more immersive your treatment, the better you will do in recovery.

For more information, contact The Canyon today.

Tiger Woods has reportedly left sex rehab at Gentle Path in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he has been for the past month receiving treatment for the issues that led him to cheat on his wife repeatedly, as has been widely reported in the media.

As a result of Woods’ sex addiction, he took a break from professional golf and lost multiple sponsors. Women have been coming out of the woodwork to talk about their affair with the professional golfer and some have even signed movie contracts and book deals to further exploit their respective affairs.

Tiger Woods, Elin and Sex Rehab

According RadarOnline.com, Tiger did not leave rehab alone. His wife Elin flew to Mississippi to accompany her husband home. The two are expected to take some time together and attempt to repair their marriage before determining their course.

Though Elin stopped wearing her wedding ring, it has been reported that she has called off the divorce, or at least stopped taking action to further proceedings.

More than 14 women have been linked to Woods sexually, including a five-month affair with Rachel Uchitel that was initially exposed by the Enquirer.

Tiger Woods and Sex Rehab

At Gentle Path, Woods lived in a little cabin and attended different types of therapy including group therapy sessions and personal therapy sessions. According to various sources, Woods is intent on fixing the mistakes he has made and hopes to return to the PGA tour and remain married to Elin.

Elin took part in some of the therapy sessions that Woods underwent at Gentle Path, reportedly spending five days in Mississippi with the golfer.

The Development of Addiction

There are a number of reasons why people come to addiction, and most people deal with a combination of these causes. For example, genetics are a common influence in the development of addiction of any kind. Environment and availability are other compounding factors. The earlier you first indulge in an addictive behavior, the more likely it will become a full blown addiction that requires treatment in adulthood. Others find escape in addictive behaviors when overwhelming emotional or stressful situations arise and continue to indulge rather than deal with the originating issue until addiction becomes the primary focus. Underlying psychological issues like depression or anxiety often precipitate addiction as well.

During addiction, all the underlying problems—family and friends who are addicts, stressful situations, emotional issues, psychological disorders, environmental factors—are exacerbated by the use of drugs and alcohol. Bad decisions made under the influence only creates more problems to deal with and does nothing to fix the originating issues. The only way to begin to clear the slate is to get treatment for addiction and underlying disorders and start the long process of repairing the damage.

Sex Rehab and Treatment for Addiction

Whether your addiction is sex, codeine, alcohol, marijuana or gambling, the gold standard in treatment is a comprehensive addiction treatment program that addresses the physical and psychological dependence upon your vice. If you would like more information about dual diagnosis treatment, contact The Canyon.

Many studies over the years have touted the positive benefits of exercise for those who are in recovery. One organization in St. Petersburg is putting those theories into practice in an organized way. CLEAN (Citizens Learning to End Addiction Now), associated with Goodwill Industries in St. Petersubrg, is an organization dedicated to helping those in early recovery “recreate” themselves in a new and positive way.

Chris Nelson is a counselor at CLEAN. He says: “If we can recreate in a more positive different place with a more positive activity maybe we can recreate the brain to do something different other than crave a drug. The concept of sobriety is mind, body and spirit concept — that’s what we do in treatment.”

Vivian Sarber, 20, a recovering heroin addict, was a participant in the program. She says: “For me, it’s being able to finish something, you know, finish something that’s positive, because I have been kind of down the wrong path for a couple of years now.”

Michael Musser has been in recovery for a decade and also found personal benefits through CLEAN. He says: “I just get out, run, take all that anger and aggression that I had on me and just put it in my feet and run.”

Why Does Exercise Assist Recovery After Drug Addiction?

Is it the endorphins released in the brain during and after exercise? Is it the “runner’s high” that can only be accomplished through intense exercise, a close cousin to what you experience on drugs and alcohol without the residual negative effects of addiction?

Chris Nelson thinks so: “They don’t need the drug anymore, because they can achieve the satisfaction that the drug would provide by doing some other physical activity.”

There’s also the fact that if you’re running, you aren’t using. Those minutes on the track or running in the park or on a treadmill are minutes that aren’t spent getting high. In early recovery, finding a positive way to fill your time is a crucial part of avoiding relapse.

Another benefit is the ability to clear your head and physically vent pent up aggression and anxiety that often comes with large life changes like drug addiction treatment. Building a whole new life without drugs and alcohol is taxing on many levels; running gives you an outlet to address those emotions physically.

How Long Does Exercise Aid Recovery and Continued Drug Addiction Treatment?

As long as you continue to do it. Nelson says that a number of CLEAN graduates continue to run, even training for marathons in some cases.

If there isn’t a program near you or associated with your drug and alcohol rehab, you can start your own running regimen. Like recovery, you’ll be more successful and gain more benefits if you have a partner or a group of people holding you accountable. Try to find a local runner’s group or start your own. If you attend 12 step meetings or are currently in rehab, encourage others in recovery to join you. It will help you stay clean and sober, not only to run but to keep each other accountable to clean and sober goals as well.