Aspects of Residential Drug Addiction Centers

There are four main ways that inpatient drug treatment programs provide effective drug addiction help to those facing substance abuse issues.

• Drug Detoxification
  When brain chemistry is at optimal and natural levels, a state of homeostasis (balance) occurs. However, as drugs enter the system, the brain experiences an excess of certain vital chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and GABA.  These chemical imbalances are responsible for creating the “high” experienced by the drug user, as feelings of energy, euphoria, calm and happiness set in. However, over time and with repeated use, the brain begins to compensate for these imbalances initiated by drug use. The drug user feels “normal” only when drugs are present in the body, experiencing the jolt of chemical deficiencies when substances exit the body in the form of drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification allows the body to eliminate drugs from the system in a supervised, medically managed environment where withdrawal symptoms and cravings can be treated. Drug-addicted individuals can allow their bodies to register the chemical imbalances drugs have created and resume natural production of neurotransmitters, allowing their bodies and brains to return to a drug-free state.
• Psychological and Emotional Healing
  In addition to the physical addiction to drugs, inpatient drug addiction programs seek healing on both a psychological and emotional level for patients. Many drug-addicted individuals turn to drug use to escape the fallout of emotional trauma or self-medicate preexisting psychological issues. In order to prevent the development of substitute drug addictions in the future, root causes of drug addiction are also treated during inpatient care. Psychological counseling, psychiatric medications (in cases of Dual Diagnosis), family therapy and group counseling sessions all aim to resolve underlying factors that may have contributed to the development of addiction.
• Development of Coping Skills
  For many individuals, the inability to cope with life challenges, work pressures, anger and stress also contribute to the formation of drug addiction. In inpatient drug addiction treatment, individuals can learn anger management skills, stress reduction techniques such as meditative practices and visualizations, and conflict resolution skills to help lower emotional tension. Organizational skills and time management techniques may also be emphasized, to help recovering drug-addicted individuals interact with the world around them in productive and beneficial ways that eliminate undue stress and facilitate sobriety.
• Transitional Planning
  Unfortunately, many individuals who successfully graduate from drug rehabilitation programs experience relapse upon returning home — some as early as within the first month following treatment. Transitional planning services are now offered by the majority of inpatient drug recovery programs in order to plan for drug use triggers and to prevent relapse. Assessment of social relationships, physical environment, work pressures, familial issues and drug accessibility are all addressed during the transitional planning phase of treatment. Additionally, options for continual care — such as referrals to local therapists, physicians or support groups — are set into motion to help the recovering individual gather support for a drug-free future.

Specifics of Outpatient Drug Addiction Centers

Drug addiction help generally comes in two varieties — inpatient residential drug rehabilitation centers or outpatient drug recovery solutions. While outpatient drug rehabilitation programs can be successful for many addicted individuals, they often involve a lower time investment, unchanged lifestyle components and less intensive treatment. Patients attend outpatient drug recovery solutions during night and weekend hours, allowing them to maintain their employment and family obligations. Most outpatient programs require that patients first have successfully detoxified from drugs and no longer are experiencing the physical bonds of addiction. To ensure drug-free status, patients may be required to submit to routine or randomized drug testing while participating in outpatient care.

Outpatient drug treatment programs also place a premium on drug addiction education. With seminars, educational materials, group discussions and family workshops, outpatient drug treatment programs seek to help patients understand the causes, cycles and aspects of drug addiction. However, the focus of addiction education tends to be more generalized in nature, with less emphasis on personal drug use triggers, individual emotional issues or underlying psychological conditions than patients will find in inpatient drug treatment programs. Some aspects of transitional planning may also be available in outpatient treatment programs, with an emphasis on occupational counseling, 12-step treatment groups and government-funded social programs.

Inpatient vs. Outpatient Drug Addiction Treatment

For many individuals seeking drug addiction help, the question of whether to select an outpatient or inpatient drug treatment program becomes one of the first decisions involved in the pursuit of recovery. Inpatient programs are residential in nature, allowing the addicted individual to enter a supervised, safe and sober environment where intensive treatment can take place — usually for a duration of 30 days or more. Detoxification can often be performed on site, allowing the addicted individual to smoothly transition between healing from physical addiction to drugs and the emotional, psychological and lifestyle changes that need to take place during the balance of their respective stays. For those with psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma responses, learning or personality disorders, the capacity to treat mental health issues alongside drug addiction — known as “Dual Diagnosis capacity” — may necessitate inpatient care. Additionally, inpatient drug rehab centers may be the most appropriate option for those who have battled long-standing drug addictions, those who require detoxification or patients who have relapsed after prior drug treatment.

Psychological Effects of Valium Addiction

As Valium use continues, many individuals find it difficult to maintain proper dosage or cease drug use once the original malady it has been prescribed for subsides. Additionally, many individuals prescribed Valium for anxiety purposes find that over time, the drug becomes a psychological crutch, leading to increased and more frequent dosages as use progresses. Psychological impacts from Valium addiction can include cognitive delays, the development of hyperactive disorders such as ADHD, paranoia, phobias — and, ironically — even heightened anxiety. Depression can also become a side effect of Valium abuse, leading to suicidal ideation. Social anxiety disorders can also set in from prolonged Valium abuse, as well as dissociative symptoms (such as depersonalization and derealization), particularly if excessive dosages of Valium are ingested.

Physical Effects of Valium Addiction

As drug use continues, Valium can take a toll on the body itself. Symptoms of Valium addiction can include migraine headaches, balance problems such as vertigo and even muscle tremors or shaking. Many individuals battling Valium addiction also experience sleep disorders, such as insomnia or hypersomnia. Extended use of Valium can also lead to eye twitches, ringing in the ears and dry mouth (leading to dental decay and gingivitis). The heart can also become affected by prolonged Valium use, leading to irregular blood pressure, arrhythmia, and heightened risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest. Valium addiction can also affect the reproductive system in men, particularly in the form of erectile dysfunction and loss of sexual drive. As Valium addiction develops, withdrawal symptoms may occur when use is suddenly stopped without professional medical supervision. Withdrawal symptoms associated with Valium use include rapid heartbeat, sleep interruptions, tremors, muscle cramping, nausea and vomiting, accelerated levels of anxiety, and even psychotic breaks in some instances.

Finding Valium Addiction Help

If you or someone you love struggles with Valium addiction, residential drug treatment programs can help facilitate the return to mental and physical health. Our competent, professional counselors can match you with a Valium addiction treatment help program with detoxification and psychological counseling capacity. We invite you to call our toll-free number, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak to a confidential drug addiction counselor regarding treatment options for those in your area.

Acting on the brain’s chemical messengers (known as “neurotransmitters”) and opiate receptors, oxycodone initiates feelings of painlessness, euphoria and calm when ingested. With increased and prolonged use, oxycodone can quickly lead to physical tolerance, necessitating larger and more frequent dosages to produce the sought-after high. As oxycodone addiction begins to set in, users often exhibit drug-seeking behaviors associated with addiction, such as illegal purchases, theft or “doctor-shopping” — the practice of visiting multiple physicians with feigned or real maladies in order to obtain the desired amount of the opiate.

How Oxycodone Addiction Forms

Oxycodone acts on some of the brain’s most important neurotransmitters, known as dopamine. Responsible for feelings of calm and happiness, oxycodone inhibits dopamine reuptake in the brain, causing users to experience euphoric effects when the drug enters the system. Additionally, oxycodone acts on the spinal cord’s pain receptors, working to block sensations of pain throughout the body. Opiates also take effect on the brainstem, slowing automatic responses such as breathing, and the limbic system, causing pleasurable emotional responses to oxycodone. Over time, the brain begins to adjust to these over-presence of dopamine (as well as other neurotransmitters, such as GABA), causing the user to experience negative psychological symptoms upon sudden cessation.

Psychological Symptoms of Oxycodone Addiction and Withdrawal

In the long run, oxycodone addiction can also negatively affect pain management, causing users to become more pain-sensitive with time — with fewer effective recourses for analgesia as drug tolerance rises. Additionally, depression, mood swings and coordination difficulties may be encountered as oxycodone withdrawal sets in. Long-term oxycodone use can also lead to cognitive difficulties, such as problems with memory formation and recall and reduction in focus and attention span.

Physical Oxycodone Withdrawal and Overdose Dangers

Physical symptoms of oxycodone addiction and withdrawal may include severe headaches, eye irritation, difficult or slowed breathing, vomiting, profuse sweating, digestive difficulties and even seizures. Addicted individuals may also experience the hallmark opiate withdrawal symptoms, such as muscle and bone pain, involuntary muscle movements and cold flashes. Oxycodone overdoses — particularly those involving a secondary use of alcohol — can be fatal if not immediately treated, largely due to severe respiratory depression as a result of excessive dosing.

How Inhalant Addiction Works

From gasoline huffing to the inhalation of nitrous oxide through whipped cream canisters (colloquially called “whippets”), inhalants can affect the brain within seconds. With a relatively low price tag, inhalants produce toxic vapors when their gases are released. These vapors are almost immediately absorbed by the lung tissue, infusing the blood stream with toxins that make their way to the brain. As inhalants begin to take effect in the brain, natural chemistry becomes altered — producing a high that often only lasts for a matter of minutes. However, the short-lived high inhalants produce often leads users to hold gases within their lungs for prolonged periods, or engage in hazardous and rapid repeated use. The brain’s reward pathways can also become reconditioned by inhalant abuse, leading users’ brains to associate inhalant use with pleasurable feelings.

Consequences of Inhalant Addiction

Inhalants take action on two important portions of the brain — the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. As a result, the body’s Central Nervous System becomes affected, leading to a host of side effects, including mood swings, cognitive and memory problems, uncontrolled laughter and even hallucinations.  Vision problems also have become a hallmark of inhalant abuse, as the drugs take their toll on the ophthalmic nerve. Balance and coordination can also become compromised — even leading to lasting damage — due to inhalants’ effects on the cerebellum. Neurological damage can also take place with prolonged inhalant use, as neurons in the brain experience damage to their naturally protective covering, known as the myelin sheath. Transmission of electrical messages throughout the brain and body become impeded, causing cell death (known as apoptosis) and even long-term brain damage.

The nervous system becomes incredibly taxed by repeated inhalant usage. During the inhalant high itself, users might experience euphoric feelings, along with slurring of speech and feelings of nausea or dizziness. Tremors, shaking and exhaustion can set in shortly after inhalation occurs. Because of inhalants’ effects on the neurological system in the body, automatic processes such as natural breathing patterns and heart rate can also become irregular.

Alternative Treatments Used in Holistic Drug Addiction

While traditional methods of addiction recovery are employed at the vast majority of holistic drug addiction programs, treatment may be augmented by alternative medicine methodologies. Acupressure or acupuncture may provide stress relief and drug-free options for pain management. Massage therapy or variants such as reiki may be used for both relaxation and alleviation of withdrawal symptoms.  Yoga, tai chi, qui gong and pilates instruction may also be made available to help provide spiritual centering and promote circulation, muscular strengthening and mobility. Osteopathic manipulative treatments, known as OMT, may also be employed to aid balance, muscle strengthening and joint movement.

Nutrition and Holistic Drug Addiction Treatment

Nutrition also has become a hallmark of holistic drug addiction treatment. Some drug treatment centers will offer nutritional assessment through diagnostic testing or dietary counseling by qualified nutritionists. Dietary supplements may be recommended and dispensed, largely to compensate for deficiencies in vitamins and minerals that often accompanies drug use and ensuing malnutrition. Healthful meals are carefully planned by residential drug addiction programs and accommodation of specialized dietary needs is often available (catering to vegetarian, vegan, religious or medical diets). Patients may also take advantage of herbal remedies to enhance sleep, calm and memory function.

Spirituality and Meditation in Holistic Drug Addiction Treatment

Spiritual practices can also be integrated into holistic drug addiction programs. While patients at holistic treatment centers come from a variety of religious backgrounds, meditative practices, visualizations and deep breathing techniques can aid in relaxation and stress management. Spiritual and psychological counselors can often help individuals find meaning in their recovery process and integrate spiritual beliefs into the healing process, as well.

Obtaining Holistic Drug Addiction Help

If you have found yourself facing a drug addiction and desire the comprehensive treatment holistic drug treatment can bring to the recovery process, we invite you to reach out for help. Our caring, professional counselors can align you with some of the most reputable treatment centers across the country that employ natural, drug-free means of healing from drug addiction. Simply call our toll-free telephone number, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a trained addiction treatment counselor will be happy to assist you.

Common Drugs of Addiction Among the Elderly Population

While virtually any prescription drug can be abused, the most common drugs of addiction among seniors involve prescription painkillers (largely opiates), benzodiazepines prescribed for anxiety, “z-drugs” dispensed for insomnia and muscle relaxants. Depending on the prescription drug, addiction can range from largely psychological or involve physical dependency — worsened by tolerance that builds with time and dosage. For many elderly individuals, interactions between — or duplications of — prescriptions can also lead to physical addiction, due to the sheer number of prescribing physicians that may be involved in ongoing care.

Risk Factors for Drug Addiction Among Seniors

For some elderly individuals, chronic or terminal illnesses can lead to high dosages of analgesic drugs being prescribed at one time. In some cases, pain management is simply not achieved, despite high levels of opiate use, leaving seniors battling ongoing pain and addiction simultaneously. In other cases, mental health conditions such as depression, complicated grief, anxiety or personality disorders may have gone undetected, leading seniors to self-medicate loneliness or mood disorders. Additionally, with time and age, drug tolerance can change, leading to heightened responses to prescription drugs that were tolerated normally earlier in life. In some such cases, drug addiction treatment centers that have experience with mental health issues — known as “Dual Diagnosis facilities” — may be necessary in order to successfully and simultaneously treat both psychological issues and drug addiction.

Concerns About Drug Addiction Help for Elderly Individuals

For many seniors, the notion of entering drug addiction treatment can be intimidating. Concerns about the drug detoxification process, pain management, isolation and age difference between the patient and peers can all become contributing fears regarding recovery. Additionally, older individuals may fear stigmas once attached to drug addiction treatment will still endure, dissuading them from admitting to a drug addiction problem. However, for those who seek and receive successful drug addiction treatment, sobriety brings enriched social interactions, greater clarity of mind, stronger memory function and higher levels of health once addiction is resolved.

Factors Contributing to Percodan Addiction

Percodan is usually prescribed for pain management, particularly for patients recently having undergone surgery or who face pain due to chronic conditions. Acting on the brain’s neurotransmitters — particularly dopamine, responsible for feelings of positive emotion, calm and well-being — Percodan activates the brain’s reward centers, leading to physical and psychological addiction. Furthermore, Percodan acts upon the pain receptors in the body, allowing elimination of physical pain and slowing of the body’s automatic processes. However, as time and use progresses, Percodan’s effects as a painkiller lessen with time, leading many users to increase frequency and amount of drug intake. The widespread availability of Percodan also facilitates its frequent abuse, exacerbated by practices such as “doctor shopping,” street sales and medical theft.

Symptoms of Percodan Addiction

As Percodan addiction sets in, addicted individuals may find physical side effects accompany chemical dependency. Signs of Percodan addiction may include lethargy, exhaustion, slowed breathing and constipation due to the drug’s dehydrating effects. Additionally, Percodan may cause sleep apnea, sudden respiratory arrest, lowered circulation and low blood pressure (known as “hypotension”). Psychological effects of Percodan addiction can include the development of depression, anxiety and paranoia, and even hallucinations in severe cases. As addiction progresses, Percodan users may find that sudden cessation (due to unavailability of the drug, periods between uses or attempts at sobriety) can include muscle and bone pain, mood swings, loose stools and diarrhea, restlessness, severe headaches and profuse sweating accompanied by cold flashes.

Finding Help for Percodan Drug Addiction

Recovering from Percodan addiction includes intensive treatment at a residential drug addiction center. If you or someone you love struggles with addiction to prescription Percodan, our trained counselors can help you find a treatment center that specializes in opiate addiction recovery. We invite you to call our helpline to speak with a specialist who can answer your questions regarding enrollment, treatment, detoxification and financing at some of the most reputable drug addiction treatment centers in the nation.

How Marijuana Acts in the Body

Marijuana’s active chemical, known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly shortened to “THC”), causes a release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine, a chemical messenger responsible for feelings of calm and euphoria, creates much of the marijuana “high” when ingested orally or by smoke inhalation when burned. When users feel the marijuana high, the body and brain respond with changes in physical response, memory, mood and perception. Appetite tends to increase (in a phenomenon colloquially known as “the munchies”), reflexes slow down and estimations of time begin to blur. Users often experience uncontrolled fits of laughter, cognitive impairments and a reduction in short-term memory capacity.

Over time, chronic marijuana use can lead to a host of negative psychological effects. Anxiety attacks can set in with repeated use, along with dulled emotional effects in some users. One of the hallmarks of marijuana usage is apathy, often accompanied by depression and leading to a diagnosis of Amotivational Syndrome in severe cases. Immunity can become compromised by marijuana usage, and risks of lung disease and lung cancer increase, even for those who do not smoke tobacco products alongside marijuana consumption. Reproductive capacity can also become altered, causing marijuana users to experience erectile dysfunction and pregnant women who use the drug to incur fetal damage.

Getting Marijuana Addiction Help Today

If recreational or prescription use of marijuana has given way to addiction in your life, inpatient drug treatment centers can help you return to sobriety. Whether you suffer from daily or periodic use of the drug, our trained addiction treatment counselors can help you locate addiction programs throughout the country that specialize in marijuana recovery. Our trained counselors are available around the clock, every day of the week, to meet your needs and answer your questions when you call our toll-free number.

Buprenorphine Addiction Potential

Because of buprenorphine’s occupancy of binding sites, opiate-addicted individuals who continue to use opiates will experience fewer pleasurable effects of the drugs upon ingestion. However, buprenorphine can still produce a measure of pleasurable feelings for users, including analgesic (painkilling) effects, elevated mood and relaxation. Additionally, addicted individuals can abuse buprenorphine, often by crushing the drug for ingestion through intravenous injection or insufflation (commonly known as “snorting”).

Hazards of Buprenorphine Addiction

Despite buprenorphine’s intended use in treatment of opiate addiction, the drug itself can lead to abuse and chemical dependency. In fact, the withdrawal phase from buprenorphine addiction can last longer than that associated with opiate addiction, though symptoms tend to range in severity. During buprenorphine withdrawal, patients can experience loose stools, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. For some, severe headaches, difficulties sleeping, cold flashes and heavy sweating can also occur. Repetitive sneezing and yawning are often accompanied by feelings of exhaustion during buprenorphine withdrawal. Tremors, shaking, and muscle and bone pains may resemble those associated with opiate use (including involuntary muscular movements responsible for the term, “kicking the habit”).

Seeking Medically Supervised Buprenorphine Addiction Treatment

As with the opiates it mimics, buprenorphine does not lend itself to self-directed detoxification well. In addition to potentially severe withdrawal symptoms associated with cessation, buprenorphine withdrawal can give rise to opiate cravings that draw recovering addicts back into drug use. Proper detoxification at a medically supervised detox facility is warranted instead, with monitoring of vital signs, natural detoxification methods and psychological counseling to help aid addiction recovery and guide users through the rehabilitation process. Because buprenorphine is often used in medical detoxification, natural detox methods are ideal for users attempting to recover from buprenorphine addiction.

For those who have taken buprenorphine in an attempt to resolve pre-existing opiate dependency, coming to terms with buprenorphine addiction can be disheartening. However, professional drug addiction treatment programs have successfully guided countless individuals through the buprenorphine addiction recovery process. If you are currently struggling with buprenorphine — or suspect that a loved one displays symptoms of buprenorphine addiction — we invite you to call our toll-free helpline to learn more about available buprenorphine recovery facilities across the nation. Our competent addiction specialists can guide you through the treatment selection process and are more than happy to answer any questions you might have about buprenorphine rehabilitation.