Methadone is a prescription medication that is used to treat severe pain. It also helps those addicted to heroin to cease their use of the drug without experiencing horrendous withdrawal symptoms. Since heroin causes an excess of dopamine to be released into the brain, addicts feel a constant need for the drug to maintain this high. Methadone satisfies this need for an opiate without the euphoria associated with heroin. While users of methadone are ultimately transferring their dependence from one drug to another, they become more stable and no longer experience urgent impulses to take heroin. Once the desire to take heroin is completely diminished, patients are then weaned off of the methadone, although this process can sometimes take several years to complete.
Effects of Methadone Methadone side effects can vary greatly and should be closely monitored. Symptoms that are typical of methadone users include upset stomach, headache, drowsiness, constipation, dry mouth, insomnia, decreased sex drive and excessive sweating. Severe side effects should be reported to your doctor. These methadone side effects include lightheadedness, swelling of extremities, rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing and chest pain.
A methadone overdose can be very serious. Should someone you know exhibit the symptoms, call 911 or poison control immediately. Warning signs of a methadone overdose include loss of consciousness, coma, difficulty breathing, extremely small pupils, clammy skin and loss of muscle tone.
It should also be noted that methadone has a high interaction ratio with other drugs. For instance, Elavil is the brand name for amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant. Taking both Elavil and methadone can be potentially hazardous. A methadone interaction with Elavil could cause a dangerously high dose of methadone to be released into your system, causing an overdose. Should an overdose not occur, it is still highly likely that once the Elavil exits your system, withdrawal symptoms will be experienced for the high levels of methadone that were previously experienced.
Symptoms of methadone withdrawal include dilated pupils, irritability, stomach pain, fever, sweating, runny nose and eyes and nausea.
Signs of Methadone Addiction As with any addiction, someone with a methadone addiction will do whatever it takes to continue taking the drug. Some may make their doctors believe they require a higher dosage of methadone, while others may "double up" on their dosages. Still others may continue to take heroin and use methadone as a "topper" of sorts. Methadone is addictive, and most who begin taking methadone as a means of ceasing an addiction to heroin or another opiate become addicted to the new drug. Tolerance and dependence develops, creating the need for a methadone detox program, which can take much longer to complete than many other rehabilitation programs.
How To Test For Methadone Abuse Methadone drug testing is an invaluable resource for many individuals, including employers, parents and government agencies. While methadone does have its legitimate purposes, extremely high doses of the substance can create dangerous side effects and should be monitored. Methadone drug tests come in a variety of forms including urine drug tests, saliva drug tests and hair drug tests. Each of these methods works very well in detecting methadone in an individual's system. For a longer testing window, hair follicle methadone drug testing is the way to go. Results are achieved in a laboratory setting and can detect methadone use for up to the past 90 days.
Employers benefit from methadone drug tests, as they prevent potential drug-related liability claims, accidents and other misfortunes from occurring. Investing in a drug testing program helps to increase employee productivity and maintain the positive image you want for your company.
While methadone is a prescription substance, it can be obtained on the street illegally. Parents who are concerned about their children or teenager's behavior can benefit from methadone drug testing tremendously. Drug test kits put your mind at rest and allow you to either put the question of whether or not drug use is occurring in your house behind you or take the next step in getting your teen drug rehabilitation.
A longer version of this article is located AddictiontoMethadone.com. The article is prepared by Serhat Pala who runs the website TestCountry.com.
Some of the information used in this article are taken from:
Hair Follicle Drug Testing for Methadone
Suboxone Treatments Provide A Solution To Oxycontin Addictions
OxyContin is legal when prescribed by a doctor, but thousands of unsuspecting patients find out every year that it rivals heroin and fellow opiates in addictive power. Abuse of OxyContin as a recreational drug has reached epidemic heights, no doubt fueled by availability and reputation. These people also discover that OxyContin can be abused with ease but quit only at great difficulty. Withdrawal effects, physical cravings, and disorientation are real risks, especially in the first few days, and the recovering addict needs more than just will power.
He probably needs buprenorphine hydrochloride, marketed in the U.S.A. as Suboxone. It's an opiate, like OxyContin and Vicodin, but it's also a partial opioid agonist, which means that it can both activate and block the opioid receptors in the brain. Basically, the receptors promote panic and withdrawal when the OxyContin runs out, but Suboxone acts to placate those receptors while not triggering pleasure and reward centers. In this regard, it's not unlike Methadone as used to heroin addicts, but Suboxone can be used for a shorter time with greater effect. Until the last few years, a hospital or clinic stay was necessary for opiate detox, usually followed by a month or two in drug rehab. Today the patient can complete a Suboxone program from the doctor's office on outpatient status.
Suboxone also contains an opioid antagonist called naloxone, which produces instant withdrawal symptoms if someone dissolves the tablet and attempts to inject it. Naxolone is essential to keep the Suboxone from being abused and accomplishing its necessary purpose: to ease the client through drug detox as an outpatient. At the right dosage, Suboxone can accomplish the five most important steps to OxyContin rehab:
1. Suppress symptoms of withdrawal
2. Block the euphoric effects of OxyContin and other opiates
3. Decrease cravings for opiates
4. End illicit use of OxyContin
5. Make sure the patient stays in treatment
Of course the follow-up treatment should involve a variety of programs, including family counseling, behavioral modification, good nutrition and physical fitness, and individual counseling. If the underlying pain is still a problem, it can be addressed without opiates, using such therapies as hypnotism, deep tissue massage, acupressure, and meditation. A drug treatment center would be able to offer all of these options, unless they're exclusively for in-house residents. Even a brief search of the web will turn up plenty of specialists who conduct OxyContin rehab on an outpatient basis.
If this sounds like going to the family doctor, it's not. Even if the client isn't going to be sequestered in a clinic for several weeks away from family, friends, and co-workers, they will need all the support they can get. Love is the most important ingredient. As an outpatient, the client has a good chance of conducting his OxyContin treatment in private, but the doctor will insist upon him having a loving support network. Although it's tempting to avoid family and friends, this is not the time to do so. The recovering addict will be amazed how much sympathy she'll get and how many others have been in similar circumstances.
A recovering OxyContin abuser needs help physically, mentally, and emotionally, but they don't need recriminations and blame. The past is the past, unless it comes back to haunt them in the form of bad company they should avoid. This is where a full-featured rehab program is so essential, in breaking all the bad associations and habits that enabled the problem. Suboxone has been called a wonder drug for heroin detox, but it's only as good the behavior modifications and self-exploration that go along with it. It's a blessing that the patient doesn't have to be separated from family and familiar surroundings, but a responsibility accompanies that trust.
Prescription drug addiction is often difficult to confront, because the addict may feel entitled to the medicine by reason of a previous physical condition. But the labels clearly visible on every bottle of pills spell out the dangers in detail. Addiction is a side effect, often cause by prolonged use. No one would feel guilty if he suffered internal bleeding, liver problems, sexual dysfunction, or any number of serious side effects of prescription drugs, and neither should the recovering addict. She simply needs treatment.
The process may take months, although the recovery rate is high for motivated OxyContin users, most of whom never thought they would have a drug problem. Suboxone works wonders during the detox phase, but its long-lasting appeal is in step number five listed above: Make sure the patient stays in treatment.
He probably needs buprenorphine hydrochloride, marketed in the U.S.A. as Suboxone. It's an opiate, like OxyContin and Vicodin, but it's also a partial opioid agonist, which means that it can both activate and block the opioid receptors in the brain. Basically, the receptors promote panic and withdrawal when the OxyContin runs out, but Suboxone acts to placate those receptors while not triggering pleasure and reward centers. In this regard, it's not unlike Methadone as used to heroin addicts, but Suboxone can be used for a shorter time with greater effect. Until the last few years, a hospital or clinic stay was necessary for opiate detox, usually followed by a month or two in drug rehab. Today the patient can complete a Suboxone program from the doctor's office on outpatient status.
Suboxone also contains an opioid antagonist called naloxone, which produces instant withdrawal symptoms if someone dissolves the tablet and attempts to inject it. Naxolone is essential to keep the Suboxone from being abused and accomplishing its necessary purpose: to ease the client through drug detox as an outpatient. At the right dosage, Suboxone can accomplish the five most important steps to OxyContin rehab:
1. Suppress symptoms of withdrawal
2. Block the euphoric effects of OxyContin and other opiates
3. Decrease cravings for opiates
4. End illicit use of OxyContin
5. Make sure the patient stays in treatment
Of course the follow-up treatment should involve a variety of programs, including family counseling, behavioral modification, good nutrition and physical fitness, and individual counseling. If the underlying pain is still a problem, it can be addressed without opiates, using such therapies as hypnotism, deep tissue massage, acupressure, and meditation. A drug treatment center would be able to offer all of these options, unless they're exclusively for in-house residents. Even a brief search of the web will turn up plenty of specialists who conduct OxyContin rehab on an outpatient basis.
If this sounds like going to the family doctor, it's not. Even if the client isn't going to be sequestered in a clinic for several weeks away from family, friends, and co-workers, they will need all the support they can get. Love is the most important ingredient. As an outpatient, the client has a good chance of conducting his OxyContin treatment in private, but the doctor will insist upon him having a loving support network. Although it's tempting to avoid family and friends, this is not the time to do so. The recovering addict will be amazed how much sympathy she'll get and how many others have been in similar circumstances.
A recovering OxyContin abuser needs help physically, mentally, and emotionally, but they don't need recriminations and blame. The past is the past, unless it comes back to haunt them in the form of bad company they should avoid. This is where a full-featured rehab program is so essential, in breaking all the bad associations and habits that enabled the problem. Suboxone has been called a wonder drug for heroin detox, but it's only as good the behavior modifications and self-exploration that go along with it. It's a blessing that the patient doesn't have to be separated from family and familiar surroundings, but a responsibility accompanies that trust.
Prescription drug addiction is often difficult to confront, because the addict may feel entitled to the medicine by reason of a previous physical condition. But the labels clearly visible on every bottle of pills spell out the dangers in detail. Addiction is a side effect, often cause by prolonged use. No one would feel guilty if he suffered internal bleeding, liver problems, sexual dysfunction, or any number of serious side effects of prescription drugs, and neither should the recovering addict. She simply needs treatment.
The process may take months, although the recovery rate is high for motivated OxyContin users, most of whom never thought they would have a drug problem. Suboxone works wonders during the detox phase, but its long-lasting appeal is in step number five listed above: Make sure the patient stays in treatment.
Suboxone Treatments Provide A Solution To Oxycontin Addictions
OxyContin is legal when prescribed by a doctor, but thousands of unsuspecting patients find out every year that it rivals heroin and fellow opiates in addictive power. Abuse of OxyContin as a recreational drug has reached epidemic heights, no doubt fueled by availability and reputation. These people also discover that OxyContin can be abused with ease but quit only at great difficulty. Withdrawal effects, physical cravings, and disorientation are real risks, especially in the first few days, and the recovering addict needs more than just will power.
He probably needs buprenorphine hydrochloride, marketed in the U.S.A. as Suboxone. It's an opiate, like OxyContin and Vicodin, but it's also a partial opioid agonist, which means that it can both activate and block the opioid receptors in the brain. Basically, the receptors promote panic and withdrawal when the OxyContin runs out, but Suboxone acts to placate those receptors while not triggering pleasure and reward centers. In this regard, it's not unlike Methadone as used to heroin addicts, but Suboxone can be used for a shorter time with greater effect. Until the last few years, a hospital or clinic stay was necessary for opiate detox, usually followed by a month or two in drug rehab. Today the patient can complete a Suboxone program from the doctor's office on outpatient status.
Suboxone also contains an opioid antagonist called naloxone, which produces instant withdrawal symptoms if someone dissolves the tablet and attempts to inject it. Naxolone is essential to keep the Suboxone from being abused and accomplishing its necessary purpose: to ease the client through drug detox as an outpatient. At the right dosage, Suboxone can accomplish the five most important steps to OxyContin rehab:
1. Suppress symptoms of withdrawal
2. Block the euphoric effects of OxyContin and other opiates
3. Decrease cravings for opiates
4. End illicit use of OxyContin
5. Make sure the patient stays in treatment
Of course the follow-up treatment should involve a variety of programs, including family counseling, behavioral modification, good nutrition and physical fitness, and individual counseling. If the underlying pain is still a problem, it can be addressed without opiates, using such therapies as hypnotism, deep tissue massage, acupressure, and meditation. A drug treatment center would be able to offer all of these options, unless they're exclusively for in-house residents. Even a brief search of the web will turn up plenty of specialists who conduct OxyContin rehab on an outpatient basis.
If this sounds like going to the family doctor, it's not. Even if the client isn't going to be sequestered in a clinic for several weeks away from family, friends, and co-workers, they will need all the support they can get. Love is the most important ingredient. As an outpatient, the client has a good chance of conducting his OxyContin treatment in private, but the doctor will insist upon him having a loving support network. Although it's tempting to avoid family and friends, this is not the time to do so. The recovering addict will be amazed how much sympathy she'll get and how many others have been in similar circumstances.
A recovering OxyContin abuser needs help physically, mentally, and emotionally, but they don't need recriminations and blame. The past is the past, unless it comes back to haunt them in the form of bad company they should avoid. This is where a full-featured rehab program is so essential, in breaking all the bad associations and habits that enabled the problem. Suboxone has been called a wonder drug for heroin detox, but it's only as good the behavior modifications and self-exploration that go along with it. It's a blessing that the patient doesn't have to be separated from family and familiar surroundings, but a responsibility accompanies that trust.
Prescription drug addiction is often difficult to confront, because the addict may feel entitled to the medicine by reason of a previous physical condition. But the labels clearly visible on every bottle of pills spell out the dangers in detail. Addiction is a side effect, often cause by prolonged use. No one would feel guilty if he suffered internal bleeding, liver problems, sexual dysfunction, or any number of serious side effects of prescription drugs, and neither should the recovering addict. She simply needs treatment.
The process may take months, although the recovery rate is high for motivated OxyContin users, most of whom never thought they would have a drug problem. Suboxone works wonders during the detox phase, but its long-lasting appeal is in step number five listed above: Make sure the patient stays in treatment.
He probably needs buprenorphine hydrochloride, marketed in the U.S.A. as Suboxone. It's an opiate, like OxyContin and Vicodin, but it's also a partial opioid agonist, which means that it can both activate and block the opioid receptors in the brain. Basically, the receptors promote panic and withdrawal when the OxyContin runs out, but Suboxone acts to placate those receptors while not triggering pleasure and reward centers. In this regard, it's not unlike Methadone as used to heroin addicts, but Suboxone can be used for a shorter time with greater effect. Until the last few years, a hospital or clinic stay was necessary for opiate detox, usually followed by a month or two in drug rehab. Today the patient can complete a Suboxone program from the doctor's office on outpatient status.
Suboxone also contains an opioid antagonist called naloxone, which produces instant withdrawal symptoms if someone dissolves the tablet and attempts to inject it. Naxolone is essential to keep the Suboxone from being abused and accomplishing its necessary purpose: to ease the client through drug detox as an outpatient. At the right dosage, Suboxone can accomplish the five most important steps to OxyContin rehab:
1. Suppress symptoms of withdrawal
2. Block the euphoric effects of OxyContin and other opiates
3. Decrease cravings for opiates
4. End illicit use of OxyContin
5. Make sure the patient stays in treatment
Of course the follow-up treatment should involve a variety of programs, including family counseling, behavioral modification, good nutrition and physical fitness, and individual counseling. If the underlying pain is still a problem, it can be addressed without opiates, using such therapies as hypnotism, deep tissue massage, acupressure, and meditation. A drug treatment center would be able to offer all of these options, unless they're exclusively for in-house residents. Even a brief search of the web will turn up plenty of specialists who conduct OxyContin rehab on an outpatient basis.
If this sounds like going to the family doctor, it's not. Even if the client isn't going to be sequestered in a clinic for several weeks away from family, friends, and co-workers, they will need all the support they can get. Love is the most important ingredient. As an outpatient, the client has a good chance of conducting his OxyContin treatment in private, but the doctor will insist upon him having a loving support network. Although it's tempting to avoid family and friends, this is not the time to do so. The recovering addict will be amazed how much sympathy she'll get and how many others have been in similar circumstances.
A recovering OxyContin abuser needs help physically, mentally, and emotionally, but they don't need recriminations and blame. The past is the past, unless it comes back to haunt them in the form of bad company they should avoid. This is where a full-featured rehab program is so essential, in breaking all the bad associations and habits that enabled the problem. Suboxone has been called a wonder drug for heroin detox, but it's only as good the behavior modifications and self-exploration that go along with it. It's a blessing that the patient doesn't have to be separated from family and familiar surroundings, but a responsibility accompanies that trust.
Prescription drug addiction is often difficult to confront, because the addict may feel entitled to the medicine by reason of a previous physical condition. But the labels clearly visible on every bottle of pills spell out the dangers in detail. Addiction is a side effect, often cause by prolonged use. No one would feel guilty if he suffered internal bleeding, liver problems, sexual dysfunction, or any number of serious side effects of prescription drugs, and neither should the recovering addict. She simply needs treatment.
The process may take months, although the recovery rate is high for motivated OxyContin users, most of whom never thought they would have a drug problem. Suboxone works wonders during the detox phase, but its long-lasting appeal is in step number five listed above: Make sure the patient stays in treatment.
Methadone Treatment, Addiction and Detox
Most people associate methadone with opioid treatment, to help addicts get off heroin, for example, and ease them into recovery, free of any drugs or pharmacological intervention. By design it works, but as with anything, there are times when the use of the drug is abused.
For starters, methadone is a synthetic opioid, and beyond drug addiction treatment, methadone is used as an analgesic for treatment of various pain conditions. It is a powerful pain killer, used as a substitute for morphine, and it is less expensive. When methadone is prescribed, there is careful monitoring of the dosage and frequency of use, so patients are closely watched.
Why methadone for opioid addiction treatment? Patients are placed on a methadone program to help with the withdrawal symptoms from addiction to opiate drugs, such as heroin. Those suffering from the disease will explain that the withdrawal is worse than the actual addiction, so many avoid treatment for fear that the withdrawal will be too severe. Also, when off their opiate drug of choice, addicts have to deal with the intense cravings that go along with abstinence.
Therefore, methadone, used under very controlled circumstances, is a tool to help addicts come down off the drugs without severe consequences. Understand that methadone is classified as a schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act, so even though it is used as a tool for treatment, it is still a powerful drug and can easily be abused. When used as an analgesic, physicians must have Drug Enforcement Agency registration. You can see that there are serious controls on methadone, and getting a prescription is not easy.
The physicians who are authorized to prescribe methadone have made an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the FDA, along with the Department of Health and Social Services, decide the dosage and the cases where methadone may be used. Clinics that use it have extra state and federal licenses. Moreover, because there are so many controls, there are only about 700 methadone clinics in the country, and some states do not have any methadone clinics at all. Addicts do not have an easy path to methadone treatment, and even if they do have access, the regimen itself is highly controlled and many addicts have difficulty following the plan.
Methadone can be taken by injection, or by mouth. When administered for the control of opioid withdrawal, methadone doses are slowly increased over five to seven days, but this is not always the case. It depends on how the patient responds to the treatment. For example, if the patient has a high tolerance to opioids, then the dosage will be higher, if necessary. Outpatients are encouraged to make frequent reports to medical staff during the early stages of treatment. This communication is vital to determining the proper dosage of the methadone. Each individual may need to have several adjustments before the right dosage is achieved.
Because methadone is a synthetic opioid, there are side effects which should be clearly understood. Patients can experience respiratory depression, which of course is a major concern for heroin users. Likewise, it is not uncommon for patients to have nausea, or to become confused. Patients also need to understand that methadone and alcohol do not mix, and the use of any other drug must be strictly by design and carefully considered.
There are alternatives to methadone treatment. For example, buprenorphine allows for an easier withdrawal. Remember, the patient has to withdraw from the heroin, and then be eased off the methadone. Buprenorphine is also different because if a person decides to abuse the drug for recreational purposes, they will be disappointed because they won't get high. They will, however, get the side effects. Opioid addiction in the last 10 years has also seen the advent of suboxone treatment, but like methadone, suboxone, a synthetic opioid, can be abused.
The important thing to remember about methadone detox is that the drug is used to help a person avoid the discomfort of withdrawal. It is a serious drug and carries serious consequences when abused. Persons seeking methadone treatment need to understand that the strict controls and the heavy oversight of their program are needed to ensure that the treatment is effective.
For starters, methadone is a synthetic opioid, and beyond drug addiction treatment, methadone is used as an analgesic for treatment of various pain conditions. It is a powerful pain killer, used as a substitute for morphine, and it is less expensive. When methadone is prescribed, there is careful monitoring of the dosage and frequency of use, so patients are closely watched.
Why methadone for opioid addiction treatment? Patients are placed on a methadone program to help with the withdrawal symptoms from addiction to opiate drugs, such as heroin. Those suffering from the disease will explain that the withdrawal is worse than the actual addiction, so many avoid treatment for fear that the withdrawal will be too severe. Also, when off their opiate drug of choice, addicts have to deal with the intense cravings that go along with abstinence.
Therefore, methadone, used under very controlled circumstances, is a tool to help addicts come down off the drugs without severe consequences. Understand that methadone is classified as a schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act, so even though it is used as a tool for treatment, it is still a powerful drug and can easily be abused. When used as an analgesic, physicians must have Drug Enforcement Agency registration. You can see that there are serious controls on methadone, and getting a prescription is not easy.
The physicians who are authorized to prescribe methadone have made an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the FDA, along with the Department of Health and Social Services, decide the dosage and the cases where methadone may be used. Clinics that use it have extra state and federal licenses. Moreover, because there are so many controls, there are only about 700 methadone clinics in the country, and some states do not have any methadone clinics at all. Addicts do not have an easy path to methadone treatment, and even if they do have access, the regimen itself is highly controlled and many addicts have difficulty following the plan.
Methadone can be taken by injection, or by mouth. When administered for the control of opioid withdrawal, methadone doses are slowly increased over five to seven days, but this is not always the case. It depends on how the patient responds to the treatment. For example, if the patient has a high tolerance to opioids, then the dosage will be higher, if necessary. Outpatients are encouraged to make frequent reports to medical staff during the early stages of treatment. This communication is vital to determining the proper dosage of the methadone. Each individual may need to have several adjustments before the right dosage is achieved.
Because methadone is a synthetic opioid, there are side effects which should be clearly understood. Patients can experience respiratory depression, which of course is a major concern for heroin users. Likewise, it is not uncommon for patients to have nausea, or to become confused. Patients also need to understand that methadone and alcohol do not mix, and the use of any other drug must be strictly by design and carefully considered.
There are alternatives to methadone treatment. For example, buprenorphine allows for an easier withdrawal. Remember, the patient has to withdraw from the heroin, and then be eased off the methadone. Buprenorphine is also different because if a person decides to abuse the drug for recreational purposes, they will be disappointed because they won't get high. They will, however, get the side effects. Opioid addiction in the last 10 years has also seen the advent of suboxone treatment, but like methadone, suboxone, a synthetic opioid, can be abused.
The important thing to remember about methadone detox is that the drug is used to help a person avoid the discomfort of withdrawal. It is a serious drug and carries serious consequences when abused. Persons seeking methadone treatment need to understand that the strict controls and the heavy oversight of their program are needed to ensure that the treatment is effective.
Ned Wicker is the Addictions Recovery Chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center, the author's website for addiction support:
Drug and Alcohol Detoxification with a Holistic Approach - Alcoholism, Heroin Addiction, Opiate Addiction, Prescription Drug Addiction and Others by John Giordano, CAP, MAC, CCJS and Trina Geiss, MPH
April 14, 2004 -- Today's drug and alcohol detoxification centers are really just stabilization centers. In order to comply with the term โ€˜detox', detoxification centers would have to wait until all drugs are out of the client's system before discharging them. This, of course, is not cost effective. There are several new approaches to treatment that not only aid in alleviating the symptoms associated with addiction, but also enable the individual to embark upon a new life with a more positive outlook than ever before. These new treatments are considered complementary, or alternative to conventional medicine. Unfortunately, addicted individuals are far from functioning in society if they do not enter a treatment program immediately following a detox episode. Otherwise, they are sure to fail and relapse back into their drug abuse. With our current โ€˜detox' methods, failure occurs much more often than not and most people never make it to receive the type of treatment they need. This is because most of the individuals leaving detoxification centers are still drug affected, rendering them unable to make clear decisions about treatment programs and recovery options. In order to effectively combat this alarming and growing problem, alternative treatment methods must be explored.
One such complementary modality that is quite popular for a variety of functions is acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture is most widely used for its pain relieving properties through sensory stimulation2. More recently, acupuncture has been shown to successfully treat depression4,5 and alcohol withdrawal7. Acupuncture can be an efficacious treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms when used in combination with traditional therapies7. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce the desire for alcohol1. The relief acupuncture causes works through local tissue healing effect and central anti-stress mechanisms2. Acupuncture detoxification therapy uses the application of acupuncture needles to the ear, also called auricular acupuncture. These points target different bodily functions and organs. The effects witnessed on the individual include relaxation, decreased anxiety and restlessness, reduced perspiration, intestinal cramps, watery eyes, and sneezing. It also aids in the excretion of toxic substances for a speedier recovery3,11. Acupuncture for addicted individuals supports a positive mood, relieves stress, and aids in craving control. This therapy also appears to assist in the healing process of the mind based on the client's affect. In Oregon, heroin addicts MUST try acupuncture before getting methadone6. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Panel on Acupuncture reviewed the scientific literature and concluded that acupuncture for addiction "may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management programโ€. Overall, acupuncture has been shown to increase substance abuse treatment adherence, reduce recidivism, and stabilize mood.
Decreasing withdrawal or craving symptoms is an integral part of the recovery process. Substance detoxification of the addicted individual is paramount for the holistic healing process to occur. Some of the most difficult substances to overcome include opiates and amphetamines. One such holistic treatment that has worked wonders with withdrawal and craving symptoms is ibogaine treatment. Ibogaine is taken from the shrub, Tabernanthe iboga, and native to West Africa10,13. Indigenous people use ibogaine in low doses to fight fatigue, hunger, and thirst; it is taken in higher doses as a sacrament in religious rituals10. Ibogaine has been shown especially effective for opiate detoxification and for short-term stabilization of addicted individuals preparing to enter substance abuse treatment8. Its healing effects have been shown to significantly decrease craving for both heroin and cocaine along with a decrease in depressive symptoms9,10.
Ibogaine appears to be a hopeful detox drug for the future. The results seem extremely promising for long-term recovery and relapse prevention. Research has been performed on ibogaine's efficacy in treating alcohol addiction, and researchers found that there was some proof that ibogaine suppresses alcohol intake in animal models9,12. Ibogaine treatment is not accepted by the FDA and therefore must be obtained in clinics outside the United States. Ibogaine leaves the individual feeling clear-headed with increased motivation and significant insight into the causes of their addiction. For most, ibogaine does not serve as the proverbial โ€œmagic bullet,โ€ however this treatment is definitely above current detoxification methods, where individuals leave shrouded in their addiction while remaining hopeless of a future free from the clutches of drugs.
There are a variety of other holistic substance abuse detox treatments that aid those previously mentioned in overcoming cravings and ridding the system of toxins. These should be used in conjunction with other therapies. Proper diet and nutrition consisting of vitamin C, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and sulfur proteins can have a very positive effect. Vitamin C is a very potent anti-oxidant and will help cleanse and destroy free radicals in the tissues. It also aids in intestinal motility, which is an important component of getting clean and sober. Amino acids, especially glutamine will stimulate the body's natural opiates and endorphins to help alleviate some cravings. Essential fatty acids such as flax oil in combination with foods containing sulfur proteins (cysteine or methionine) such as yogurt, eggs, codfish, sesame paste, garlic, and onions will allow fat soluble toxins to become water soluble for excretion through sweat and urine6. In order to facilitate and expedite excretion of toxic substances, perspiration must be enhanced. This should be done through rigorous exercise and steam therapy, such as a Turkish wet steam. Following heavy perspiration, the individual should clean themselves with a high-fat soap to remove toxins excreted on the surface of the skin and prevent their readsorption6.
Utilizing a variety of techniques that recognize the numerous needs and requirements of an individual undergoing substance abuse detoxification and treatment will have much more positive effects concerning treatment outcome. Addiction is a disease that weaves its web throughout every facet of an individual's life, therefore, when treating this insidious disease all angles must be approached from a fresh perspective to gain insight into more efficacious treatment opportunities.
More information can be found at http://www.drugrehabcenter.com, http://www.drug-alcohol-rehab.net and http://www.helpaddicts.com or by calling 800-559-9503 24/7 for a free consultation.
Works Cited:
1.
Bullock ML, Kiresuk TJ, Sherman RE, Lenz SK, Culliton PD, Boucher TA, Nolan CJ. (2002). A large randomized placebo controlled study of auricular acupuncture for alcohol dependence. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, vol. 22(2): 71-7.
2.
Carlsson CP. (2001). Acupuncture therapy today. Background, clinical use, mechanisms. Lakartidningen, vol. 98(46): 5178-82, 5185-6.
3.
Fidler S. (n.d.) The successful use of auricular acupuncture in the supported withdrawal and detoxification of substance abusers. Retrieved 4/2/04 from: www.acupuncture.com/Research/addictres.htm
4.
Gallagher SM, Allen JJ, Hitt SK, Schnyer RN, Manber R. (2001). Six-month depression relapse rates among women treated with acupuncture. Complement Ther Med., vol. 9(4): 216-8.
5.
Han C, Li XW, Luo HC. (2002). Comparative study of electro-acupuncture and maprotiline in treating depression. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi, vol. 22(7): 512-4, 521.
6.
Hoffmann DL, Kane E. (n.d.). Addiction. American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
7.
Karst M, Passie T, Friedrich S, Wiese B, Schneider U. (2002). Acupuncture in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms: a randomized, placebo-controlled inpatient study. Addiction Biology, vol. 7(4): 415-9.
8.
Leal MB, Michelin K, Souza DO, Elisabetsky E. (2003). Ibogaine attenuation of morphine withdrawal in mice: role of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, vol. 27(5): 781-5.
9.
Levi MS, Borne RF. (2002). A review of chemical agents in the pharmacotherapy of addiction. Curr Med Chem, vol. 9(20): 1807-18.
10.
Mash DC, Kovera CA, Pablo J, Tyndale RF, Ervin FD, Williams IC, Singleton EG, Mayor M. (2000). Ibogaine: complex pharmacokinetics, concerns for safety, and preliminary efficacy measures. Ann NY Acad Sci, vol. 914: 394-401.
11.
Miller J. (n.d.). An evaluation of an acupuncture program for drug treatment in San Diego county. Retrieved 4/2/04 from: www.acupuncture.com/Research/DrugSD.htm
12.
Rezvani AH, Overstreet DH, Leef YW. (1995). Attenuation of alcohol intake by ibogaine in 3 strains of alcohol preferring rats. Phamacol Biochem Behav, vol. 52: 615-20.
13.
Vastag B. (2002). Addiction treatment strives for legitimacy. JAMA, vol. 288(24): 3096-3101.
One such complementary modality that is quite popular for a variety of functions is acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture is most widely used for its pain relieving properties through sensory stimulation2. More recently, acupuncture has been shown to successfully treat depression4,5 and alcohol withdrawal7. Acupuncture can be an efficacious treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms when used in combination with traditional therapies7. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce the desire for alcohol1. The relief acupuncture causes works through local tissue healing effect and central anti-stress mechanisms2. Acupuncture detoxification therapy uses the application of acupuncture needles to the ear, also called auricular acupuncture. These points target different bodily functions and organs. The effects witnessed on the individual include relaxation, decreased anxiety and restlessness, reduced perspiration, intestinal cramps, watery eyes, and sneezing. It also aids in the excretion of toxic substances for a speedier recovery3,11. Acupuncture for addicted individuals supports a positive mood, relieves stress, and aids in craving control. This therapy also appears to assist in the healing process of the mind based on the client's affect. In Oregon, heroin addicts MUST try acupuncture before getting methadone6. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Panel on Acupuncture reviewed the scientific literature and concluded that acupuncture for addiction "may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management programโ€. Overall, acupuncture has been shown to increase substance abuse treatment adherence, reduce recidivism, and stabilize mood.
Decreasing withdrawal or craving symptoms is an integral part of the recovery process. Substance detoxification of the addicted individual is paramount for the holistic healing process to occur. Some of the most difficult substances to overcome include opiates and amphetamines. One such holistic treatment that has worked wonders with withdrawal and craving symptoms is ibogaine treatment. Ibogaine is taken from the shrub, Tabernanthe iboga, and native to West Africa10,13. Indigenous people use ibogaine in low doses to fight fatigue, hunger, and thirst; it is taken in higher doses as a sacrament in religious rituals10. Ibogaine has been shown especially effective for opiate detoxification and for short-term stabilization of addicted individuals preparing to enter substance abuse treatment8. Its healing effects have been shown to significantly decrease craving for both heroin and cocaine along with a decrease in depressive symptoms9,10.
Ibogaine appears to be a hopeful detox drug for the future. The results seem extremely promising for long-term recovery and relapse prevention. Research has been performed on ibogaine's efficacy in treating alcohol addiction, and researchers found that there was some proof that ibogaine suppresses alcohol intake in animal models9,12. Ibogaine treatment is not accepted by the FDA and therefore must be obtained in clinics outside the United States. Ibogaine leaves the individual feeling clear-headed with increased motivation and significant insight into the causes of their addiction. For most, ibogaine does not serve as the proverbial โ€œmagic bullet,โ€ however this treatment is definitely above current detoxification methods, where individuals leave shrouded in their addiction while remaining hopeless of a future free from the clutches of drugs.
There are a variety of other holistic substance abuse detox treatments that aid those previously mentioned in overcoming cravings and ridding the system of toxins. These should be used in conjunction with other therapies. Proper diet and nutrition consisting of vitamin C, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and sulfur proteins can have a very positive effect. Vitamin C is a very potent anti-oxidant and will help cleanse and destroy free radicals in the tissues. It also aids in intestinal motility, which is an important component of getting clean and sober. Amino acids, especially glutamine will stimulate the body's natural opiates and endorphins to help alleviate some cravings. Essential fatty acids such as flax oil in combination with foods containing sulfur proteins (cysteine or methionine) such as yogurt, eggs, codfish, sesame paste, garlic, and onions will allow fat soluble toxins to become water soluble for excretion through sweat and urine6. In order to facilitate and expedite excretion of toxic substances, perspiration must be enhanced. This should be done through rigorous exercise and steam therapy, such as a Turkish wet steam. Following heavy perspiration, the individual should clean themselves with a high-fat soap to remove toxins excreted on the surface of the skin and prevent their readsorption6.
Utilizing a variety of techniques that recognize the numerous needs and requirements of an individual undergoing substance abuse detoxification and treatment will have much more positive effects concerning treatment outcome. Addiction is a disease that weaves its web throughout every facet of an individual's life, therefore, when treating this insidious disease all angles must be approached from a fresh perspective to gain insight into more efficacious treatment opportunities.
More information can be found at http://www.drugrehabcenter.com, http://www.drug-alcohol-rehab.net and http://www.helpaddicts.com or by calling 800-559-9503 24/7 for a free consultation.
Works Cited:
1.
Bullock ML, Kiresuk TJ, Sherman RE, Lenz SK, Culliton PD, Boucher TA, Nolan CJ. (2002). A large randomized placebo controlled study of auricular acupuncture for alcohol dependence. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, vol. 22(2): 71-7.
2.
Carlsson CP. (2001). Acupuncture therapy today. Background, clinical use, mechanisms. Lakartidningen, vol. 98(46): 5178-82, 5185-6.
3.
Fidler S. (n.d.) The successful use of auricular acupuncture in the supported withdrawal and detoxification of substance abusers. Retrieved 4/2/04 from: www.acupuncture.com/Research/addictres.htm
4.
Gallagher SM, Allen JJ, Hitt SK, Schnyer RN, Manber R. (2001). Six-month depression relapse rates among women treated with acupuncture. Complement Ther Med., vol. 9(4): 216-8.
5.
Han C, Li XW, Luo HC. (2002). Comparative study of electro-acupuncture and maprotiline in treating depression. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi, vol. 22(7): 512-4, 521.
6.
Hoffmann DL, Kane E. (n.d.). Addiction. American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
7.
Karst M, Passie T, Friedrich S, Wiese B, Schneider U. (2002). Acupuncture in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms: a randomized, placebo-controlled inpatient study. Addiction Biology, vol. 7(4): 415-9.
8.
Leal MB, Michelin K, Souza DO, Elisabetsky E. (2003). Ibogaine attenuation of morphine withdrawal in mice: role of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, vol. 27(5): 781-5.
9.
Levi MS, Borne RF. (2002). A review of chemical agents in the pharmacotherapy of addiction. Curr Med Chem, vol. 9(20): 1807-18.
10.
Mash DC, Kovera CA, Pablo J, Tyndale RF, Ervin FD, Williams IC, Singleton EG, Mayor M. (2000). Ibogaine: complex pharmacokinetics, concerns for safety, and preliminary efficacy measures. Ann NY Acad Sci, vol. 914: 394-401.
11.
Miller J. (n.d.). An evaluation of an acupuncture program for drug treatment in San Diego county. Retrieved 4/2/04 from: www.acupuncture.com/Research/DrugSD.htm
12.
Rezvani AH, Overstreet DH, Leef YW. (1995). Attenuation of alcohol intake by ibogaine in 3 strains of alcohol preferring rats. Phamacol Biochem Behav, vol. 52: 615-20.
13.
Vastag B. (2002). Addiction treatment strives for legitimacy. JAMA, vol. 288(24): 3096-3101.
So You've Detoxed Your Body Now What About Your Mind?
We desperately need to pay close attention to simple body detoxification as the Earth's atmosphere becomes steadily more polluted. Despite the best efforts of individuals and groups and even some governments, the pollution is not going to get any better anytime soon. We need to be more cautious and also more aware of the inherent dangers brought on by, well, just living.
Initially we have to comprehend exactly how these poisons which are pervading our space are going to affect our mind, organs and senses. There can often be dramatic effects, sometimes dangerous and even deadly, and they differ from person to person. What has no significant effect on one can kill another.
Non physical toxicity can definitely have a severe effect on the mind. Generally we tend to consider "toxic" substances as being purely physical. For example heroin and the like. Consider that nowadays in our high paced life we are inundated with all manner of mental toxicants such as excessive greed, the covetousness for material things, the unnatural desire to be like a film or rock star. When the mind realizes we can't have, or be, these things extreme mental anguish can manifest itself in many ways. This can even lead to breaking the law, ending up in prison or even the loss of ones own life. Extreme it certainly is.
Now consider our internals. The old saying of "the bodies a temple" and so on is so true. What goes in has a direct result on our short and, even more importantly, our long term health. Most people of learning, (doctors and scientists), are agreed that most food today can be classified as junk. Very little in the way of vitamins, fibre and the good stuff but mainly easily digestible, eat on the run, salt and fat laden produce from offal developed by a computer and an accountant. This junk is making our organs work extremely hard because there is nothing to help them do their job. A bit like putting water instead of oil into a car. It will work in the extreme short term but the engine isn't nearly as efficient, is not getting the correct lubrication and will need to see a doctor, (mechanic), providing we have realized there is something wrong before the engine just fails.
Household goods like the air conditioner, refrigerator, microwave oven, etc., emit gases and electromagnetic waves that can seriously affect the body.
It is becoming more and more apparent that food is not grown or reared anymore. In fact most would be difficult to class as food rather mass produced filler with chemicals and fertilizers. Throw in some artificial colouring together with a hint of artificial flavoring and we have a diet that makes our internal organs work hard enough to collapse. What can we expect if we run the most complex piece of machinery on the planet, who only wants a touch of fibre and a few minerals and vitamins available naturally, on starch, filler, salt and fat? Good health comes with good food.
Initially we have to comprehend exactly how these poisons which are pervading our space are going to affect our mind, organs and senses. There can often be dramatic effects, sometimes dangerous and even deadly, and they differ from person to person. What has no significant effect on one can kill another.
Non physical toxicity can definitely have a severe effect on the mind. Generally we tend to consider "toxic" substances as being purely physical. For example heroin and the like. Consider that nowadays in our high paced life we are inundated with all manner of mental toxicants such as excessive greed, the covetousness for material things, the unnatural desire to be like a film or rock star. When the mind realizes we can't have, or be, these things extreme mental anguish can manifest itself in many ways. This can even lead to breaking the law, ending up in prison or even the loss of ones own life. Extreme it certainly is.
Now consider our internals. The old saying of "the bodies a temple" and so on is so true. What goes in has a direct result on our short and, even more importantly, our long term health. Most people of learning, (doctors and scientists), are agreed that most food today can be classified as junk. Very little in the way of vitamins, fibre and the good stuff but mainly easily digestible, eat on the run, salt and fat laden produce from offal developed by a computer and an accountant. This junk is making our organs work extremely hard because there is nothing to help them do their job. A bit like putting water instead of oil into a car. It will work in the extreme short term but the engine isn't nearly as efficient, is not getting the correct lubrication and will need to see a doctor, (mechanic), providing we have realized there is something wrong before the engine just fails.
Household goods like the air conditioner, refrigerator, microwave oven, etc., emit gases and electromagnetic waves that can seriously affect the body.
It is becoming more and more apparent that food is not grown or reared anymore. In fact most would be difficult to class as food rather mass produced filler with chemicals and fertilizers. Throw in some artificial colouring together with a hint of artificial flavoring and we have a diet that makes our internal organs work hard enough to collapse. What can we expect if we run the most complex piece of machinery on the planet, who only wants a touch of fibre and a few minerals and vitamins available naturally, on starch, filler, salt and fat? Good health comes with good food.
Opiate Addiction and Detox Programs
Methadone addiction can be very difficult to deal with because the drug is so sticky and hard to detox from. In fact it is much harder to detox from Methadone than it is to detox from heroin and so it is almost like the cure is worse than the disease in many cases. If you are on Methadone and are trying to get off then really you only have one way to do so that will go anywhere near smooth for you.
What you need to do is to slowly ween yourself down from the Methadone in 10 milligram increments. The slower the better. Take your time and keep steadily reducing the dose. If you can get it down to about 30 milligrams per day or less then you should try to finish your detox in a drug rehab center. There they can give you other medication that will help you to be fully detoxed from the drug and become entirely drug free.
Many people who were on Methadone as a maintenance drug are switching over to Suboxone because it does not really get you high and give you the same doping effect that Methadone does. If you are hooked on Methadone and you still feel that you need something long term for either pain or for opiate dependence then you should look into the possibility of switching over to Suboxone. Talk to your doctor about it and look into the cost of doing so. Unfortunately it is usually more expensive to do so but it is a much better option in terms of the side effects and the dependency issue.
What you need to do is to slowly ween yourself down from the Methadone in 10 milligram increments. The slower the better. Take your time and keep steadily reducing the dose. If you can get it down to about 30 milligrams per day or less then you should try to finish your detox in a drug rehab center. There they can give you other medication that will help you to be fully detoxed from the drug and become entirely drug free.
Many people who were on Methadone as a maintenance drug are switching over to Suboxone because it does not really get you high and give you the same doping effect that Methadone does. If you are hooked on Methadone and you still feel that you need something long term for either pain or for opiate dependence then you should look into the possibility of switching over to Suboxone. Talk to your doctor about it and look into the cost of doing so. Unfortunately it is usually more expensive to do so but it is a much better option in terms of the side effects and the dependency issue.
Learn more about Methadone addiction and a drug detox program.
Today's Opiate Detox
Drugs are bad, we all know it - we've all heard.But so many people are feeling the need to turn to drugs to ease their pain or depression, and many others are becoming addicted to painkillers that were once prescribed to them for an injury or surgery in the past.More and more people have struggled for years with drug abuse and are now looking to do something about it.
Opiate drugs are very addicting and many people find themselves quickly becoming reliant on drugs such as morphine, heroin, or oxycodone.These drugs go right to the central nervous system and provide the body with a substitute for its endorphins.Eventually the body will stop making its own endorphins, which are the natural pain killers of the body and give a high when experiencing something pleasurable.Naturally, this is where the problem arises, because without the body making its own endorphins, it begins to rely heavily on opiates to get that feeling and avoid pain.
Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawing from opiates causes severe side effects, including nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, anxiety, restlessness, and pain in the joints and muscles.Because of the unpleasantness of the detox, it is a frightening thing for many addicts to think about.It might just be easier for some to keep taking the drug than to face the detox from it.
Methods
Detoxing from opiates is not life-threatening, but because it is difficult it takes someone committed to recovering to undergo it.There are many methods for opiate detox.Some people quit cold turkey or use naltrexone which blocks the opiate so it does not have any effect on the body.It takes only a matter of days for the most severe symptoms to subside.Others are able to gradually be weaned off by using another drug, like buprenorphine.The problem many people have found with a replacement drug like buprenorphine is that they soon begin to rely on the new drug, and many people are never able to be drug-free.It has been argued that with those that continue to use buprenorphine, at least this drug is manageable and an addict might be able to function in life better than while addicted to other opiates.
Recovery
After the detox from opiates is complete, the patient will eventually begin to feel better and now the focus will be on staying clean from these drugs.The body will no longer be dependent on the drug, but the mind will feel the need to use them again.A person that has gone through opiate detox should immediately enter a rehabilitation program to ensure they stay sober.Usually drug abuse becomes intertwined with a person's lifestyle and to just take away the drug and not change the lifestyle does little for the patient.It may take years of regular counseling and support group meetings to keep a person from turning back to drugs.
Sources
Desperation to Overcome Addiction Leads to Unusual Solutions
4/14/2009
Pollard, Ruth In for the quick fix
4/10/2009
This article was written by Jared More for Poinciana At Palm Beach. Poinciana At Palm Beach is an upscale opiate detox center in Florida if you would like more information give us a call at (561) 818-2922.
Drug Detox Q & A: Have Drug Companies Reached Their Goals Yet?
There's no question in my mind that any industry that spends as much on advertising as drug companies wants everyone using their products. We have drugs for everything - and everyone. And as American medicine cabinets fill with drugs to solve life's ills, the number of people suffering from prescription drug-related ills who are in drug detox centers, rehab programs, hospital ERs and morgues continues to climb.
If you're in pain you go to your doctor and get painkillers - many of them not much different or less addictive than the heroin being shot up in the street. If you're sad, there's a pill. If you can't sleep, there's a pill. If you're overweight, there's a pill. If you feel inferior, there's a pill. If you're congested, there's a pill. If you're nervous, there's a pill. If your kid doesn't like school, there's a pill.
So, you take them. No one ever suspects they'll become one of the drug detox, drug rehab, hospital ER or morgue statistics. But how do you know it won't happen? And how do you know that once you start depending on drugs, or force them onto your kid, you're not going to set a precedent that keeps you, or them, forever dependent on one drug or another?
It's true, some of the pills are necessary. And it's true, not everyone who takes them is going to end up in drug detox, drug rehab, the hospital or the morgue. But shouldn't whether a person needs drugs be decided by a doctor instead of a drug company?
Many doctors are pressured into giving their patients drugs because the patients have seen the ads on TV: Households of grumbling, abusive parents and rebellious kids suddenly turning into something out of a Norman Rockwell painting or Father Knows Best episode where the worst thing that ever happens is a kid gets a talking to by his dad for not snitching on his friend when he tried smoking a cigarette.
Okay, it's never going to be like that again. I understand that. But are drugs really the answer for everything? Do we have really have to risk lives to make life better?
Have we forgotten the few simple basics that may keep us out of drug detox, rehab, ERs and morgues? Have we forgotten that exercise and a good diet can prevent and reverse weight gain? That kids some times don't do well in school because their teacher sucks or because there's some aspect of math that they just haven't grasped, or because they're getting bullied, or because their parents are fighting all the time, or because school just isn't teaching them something they're really interested in?
Have we forgotten that being sad can sometimes be resolved by making changes in our lives so we're not plagued with things and people that make us miserable? Or that problems with our kids or spouse can sometimes be resolved by sitting down and talking things out like rational human beings who actually care for each other?
Yeah, okay, it's more complicated than that, you say. But you know what? I would bet that a pretty high percentage of people taking drugs for one thing or another haven't actually tried those other solutions. Is it going to take drug detox, drug rehab or a visit to the ER to convince people that it might be a good idea to try an alternative to drugs?
With a little effort, a little research, a little soul-searching, a little integrity, a little gumption and a little love we can actually resolve many of life's problems.
If you're depending on drugs to solve your problems, and the drugs you take aren't keeping you alive, get into a medically-supervised drug detox center to see if you can get off them. Then turn off the TV so you're not watching those ads and get busy fixing your life.
If you're in pain you go to your doctor and get painkillers - many of them not much different or less addictive than the heroin being shot up in the street. If you're sad, there's a pill. If you can't sleep, there's a pill. If you're overweight, there's a pill. If you feel inferior, there's a pill. If you're congested, there's a pill. If you're nervous, there's a pill. If your kid doesn't like school, there's a pill.
So, you take them. No one ever suspects they'll become one of the drug detox, drug rehab, hospital ER or morgue statistics. But how do you know it won't happen? And how do you know that once you start depending on drugs, or force them onto your kid, you're not going to set a precedent that keeps you, or them, forever dependent on one drug or another?
It's true, some of the pills are necessary. And it's true, not everyone who takes them is going to end up in drug detox, drug rehab, the hospital or the morgue. But shouldn't whether a person needs drugs be decided by a doctor instead of a drug company?
Many doctors are pressured into giving their patients drugs because the patients have seen the ads on TV: Households of grumbling, abusive parents and rebellious kids suddenly turning into something out of a Norman Rockwell painting or Father Knows Best episode where the worst thing that ever happens is a kid gets a talking to by his dad for not snitching on his friend when he tried smoking a cigarette.
Okay, it's never going to be like that again. I understand that. But are drugs really the answer for everything? Do we have really have to risk lives to make life better?
Have we forgotten the few simple basics that may keep us out of drug detox, rehab, ERs and morgues? Have we forgotten that exercise and a good diet can prevent and reverse weight gain? That kids some times don't do well in school because their teacher sucks or because there's some aspect of math that they just haven't grasped, or because they're getting bullied, or because their parents are fighting all the time, or because school just isn't teaching them something they're really interested in?
Have we forgotten that being sad can sometimes be resolved by making changes in our lives so we're not plagued with things and people that make us miserable? Or that problems with our kids or spouse can sometimes be resolved by sitting down and talking things out like rational human beings who actually care for each other?
Yeah, okay, it's more complicated than that, you say. But you know what? I would bet that a pretty high percentage of people taking drugs for one thing or another haven't actually tried those other solutions. Is it going to take drug detox, drug rehab or a visit to the ER to convince people that it might be a good idea to try an alternative to drugs?
With a little effort, a little research, a little soul-searching, a little integrity, a little gumption and a little love we can actually resolve many of life's problems.
If you're depending on drugs to solve your problems, and the drugs you take aren't keeping you alive, get into a medically-supervised drug detox center to see if you can get off them. Then turn off the TV so you're not watching those ads and get busy fixing your life.
Drug Detox At Home
Helping drug addicts get off the disease needs the concerted efforts of families and medical professionals. Treating a patient without this perspective will make the procedure long and most times unsuccessful.
There may be people who think they can deal with this disease on their own. But drug addiction requires professional intervention. And although there are some things you can do at home to address the issue, you will still need help from experts who have knowledge and skill in the scientific way of detoxification and rehabilitation.
What is Detoxification?
Addictive drugs have dangerous effects on the brain. The toxins cling to the system and alter brain activity, and change attitudes and behaviors. They can leave long term effects such as memory loss. The more a person is exposed to the drug, the more dangerous it becomes and harder to deal with.
The first step to getting rid of the disease is detoxification. Anyone who wants to get off drug addiction undergoes detoxification. It is a process that rid the body of toxins left by long-term drug abuse.
Detoxification uses the cold turkey process. A person admitted to a detox program is immediately deprived the use of the addictive drug. And as expected, withdrawal symptoms set in. This is the most critical phase of the rehabilitation and the most dangerous too for some people. Medical attention is needed to monitor and control the effects of these symptoms on the patient.
A detoxification program is followed by extensive counseling and therapeutic interaction with a support group. Post detox treatment is important to the success of the rehabilitation process.
Dealing with Symptoms
A patient when discharged from a rapid detoxification procedure may go home experiencing some effects of his withdrawal. Heroin addicts for example may continue to suffer insomnia, loose bowel movement and restlessness. Family support is needed to help the patient tide the symptoms over.
It will help if you have ready warm blankets to ease the cold flushes and a lot of re-hydrating fluids on hand. Ask the doctor for other medications that may be administered to the patient when the symptoms are present. Remedies and support are much needed in this critical phase. Otherwise, the easiest solution for a recovering patient is to resort back to his old habits.
Constant counseling is also required. So it is important to encourage and even force some patients to go through scheduled therapy sessions.
Drug Detox provides detailed information on Drug Detox, Drug Detox Centers, Drug Detox Rehab, Drug Detox At Home and more. Drug Detox is affiliated with Drug Rehab Centers.
There may be people who think they can deal with this disease on their own. But drug addiction requires professional intervention. And although there are some things you can do at home to address the issue, you will still need help from experts who have knowledge and skill in the scientific way of detoxification and rehabilitation.
What is Detoxification?
Addictive drugs have dangerous effects on the brain. The toxins cling to the system and alter brain activity, and change attitudes and behaviors. They can leave long term effects such as memory loss. The more a person is exposed to the drug, the more dangerous it becomes and harder to deal with.
The first step to getting rid of the disease is detoxification. Anyone who wants to get off drug addiction undergoes detoxification. It is a process that rid the body of toxins left by long-term drug abuse.
Detoxification uses the cold turkey process. A person admitted to a detox program is immediately deprived the use of the addictive drug. And as expected, withdrawal symptoms set in. This is the most critical phase of the rehabilitation and the most dangerous too for some people. Medical attention is needed to monitor and control the effects of these symptoms on the patient.
A detoxification program is followed by extensive counseling and therapeutic interaction with a support group. Post detox treatment is important to the success of the rehabilitation process.
Dealing with Symptoms
A patient when discharged from a rapid detoxification procedure may go home experiencing some effects of his withdrawal. Heroin addicts for example may continue to suffer insomnia, loose bowel movement and restlessness. Family support is needed to help the patient tide the symptoms over.
It will help if you have ready warm blankets to ease the cold flushes and a lot of re-hydrating fluids on hand. Ask the doctor for other medications that may be administered to the patient when the symptoms are present. Remedies and support are much needed in this critical phase. Otherwise, the easiest solution for a recovering patient is to resort back to his old habits.
Constant counseling is also required. So it is important to encourage and even force some patients to go through scheduled therapy sessions.
Drug Detox provides detailed information on Drug Detox, Drug Detox Centers, Drug Detox Rehab, Drug Detox At Home and more. Drug Detox is affiliated with Drug Rehab Centers.
What Are Detox Drinks?
Certain antibiotics (like Amoxicillin) are claimed to cause a positive for heroin or cocaine. My expert source was unable to verify this, so I regret that there is some uncertainty here.
Some legal products actually contain small amounts of illegal chemicals. All tests, including the GC/MS, will test you positive because the metabolites derived from the true positive are identical to the metabolites of the illegal drugs.
Detox products are drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets taken one hour before your test to block the body's production of toxins for a 5 hour window. There are preliminary procedures recommended for a couple of days prior to your deadline, whereby you drink a lot of water, eat lighter meals and abstain from toxins. This will aid in reducing your toxin levels. Then on the day of the test, take the drink or pills and all toxins will be blocked from being released for up to five hours. You may also take the Pre-Cleanse products for extra effectiveness. They come in a pill form. Taken 12 to 24 hours before your test they help to reduce your toxin levels. We also carry constant cleanse - a month's supply of cleansing capsules. Use in conjunction with the detox drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets.
The Detox Drink is a detoxifying product that holds the toxins in your body allowing you to pass a urine drug test. Many toxins are stored in the fat cells of the body and are released when fat cells are burned. The Detox Drinks prevents the body from burning fat cells for up to 5 hours so the toxins are never released. The Detox Drink works on all toxins and is undetectable. The Detox Drinks is designed for individuals, who smoke 4 times a week or less. If the individual is over 200 lbs., it is recommend they consume two drinks before a test, and drink two full bottles of water. Most Detox Drinks a 99.6% success rate in passing drug tests if the directions are followed. Shake the bottle before drinking. Drink entire contents, then after 15 minutes, drink 16 oz. of water. Wait 45 minutes to be effective.
Normal Procedures
1. Avoid toxins 48 hours before deadline.
2. Do not drink more than 16 oz. of water per hour.
3. On the day of the deadline, eat and drink normal quantities, avoid foods high in sugar.
4. If possible, schedule drug test deadline for the afternoon and urinate 3 - 4 times after consuming the Detox Drink.
5. Drink is effective for 45 minutes to 5 hours, however peak effectiveness is at 2 hours.
6. As with any drug test, avoid foods or drinks high in sugar content (fruit juices) and avoid strenuous exercise the day of the drug test. Otherwise, eat and drink normally.
7. The drink tastes better if it is refrigerated prior to consumption.
Urine should be between 91 and 97 degrees. NIDA certified labs will verify temperature. If it isn't, they will suspect you added water to the cup, or used substitution. Disposable pocket hand warmers (sold in department stores) will keep a urine sample warm, provided that the urine is in a condom or douche bag.
Some legal products actually contain small amounts of illegal chemicals. All tests, including the GC/MS, will test you positive because the metabolites derived from the true positive are identical to the metabolites of the illegal drugs.
Detox products are drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets taken one hour before your test to block the body's production of toxins for a 5 hour window. There are preliminary procedures recommended for a couple of days prior to your deadline, whereby you drink a lot of water, eat lighter meals and abstain from toxins. This will aid in reducing your toxin levels. Then on the day of the test, take the drink or pills and all toxins will be blocked from being released for up to five hours. You may also take the Pre-Cleanse products for extra effectiveness. They come in a pill form. Taken 12 to 24 hours before your test they help to reduce your toxin levels. We also carry constant cleanse - a month's supply of cleansing capsules. Use in conjunction with the detox drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets.
The Detox Drink is a detoxifying product that holds the toxins in your body allowing you to pass a urine drug test. Many toxins are stored in the fat cells of the body and are released when fat cells are burned. The Detox Drinks prevents the body from burning fat cells for up to 5 hours so the toxins are never released. The Detox Drink works on all toxins and is undetectable. The Detox Drinks is designed for individuals, who smoke 4 times a week or less. If the individual is over 200 lbs., it is recommend they consume two drinks before a test, and drink two full bottles of water. Most Detox Drinks a 99.6% success rate in passing drug tests if the directions are followed. Shake the bottle before drinking. Drink entire contents, then after 15 minutes, drink 16 oz. of water. Wait 45 minutes to be effective.
Normal Procedures
1. Avoid toxins 48 hours before deadline.
2. Do not drink more than 16 oz. of water per hour.
3. On the day of the deadline, eat and drink normal quantities, avoid foods high in sugar.
4. If possible, schedule drug test deadline for the afternoon and urinate 3 - 4 times after consuming the Detox Drink.
5. Drink is effective for 45 minutes to 5 hours, however peak effectiveness is at 2 hours.
6. As with any drug test, avoid foods or drinks high in sugar content (fruit juices) and avoid strenuous exercise the day of the drug test. Otherwise, eat and drink normally.
7. The drink tastes better if it is refrigerated prior to consumption.
Urine should be between 91 and 97 degrees. NIDA certified labs will verify temperature. If it isn't, they will suspect you added water to the cup, or used substitution. Disposable pocket hand warmers (sold in department stores) will keep a urine sample warm, provided that the urine is in a condom or douche bag.
What Are Detox Drinks?
Certain antibiotics (like Amoxicillin) are claimed to cause a positive for heroin or cocaine. My expert source was unable to verify this, so I regret that there is some uncertainty here.
Some legal products actually contain small amounts of illegal chemicals. All tests, including the GC/MS, will test you positive because the metabolites derived from the true positive are identical to the metabolites of the illegal drugs.
Detox products are drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets taken one hour before your test to block the body's production of toxins for a 5 hour window. There are preliminary procedures recommended for a couple of days prior to your deadline, whereby you drink a lot of water, eat lighter meals and abstain from toxins. This will aid in reducing your toxin levels. Then on the day of the test, take the drink or pills and all toxins will be blocked from being released for up to five hours. You may also take the Pre-Cleanse products for extra effectiveness. They come in a pill form. Taken 12 to 24 hours before your test they help to reduce your toxin levels. We also carry constant cleanse - a month's supply of cleansing capsules. Use in conjunction with the detox drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets.
The Detox Drink is a detoxifying product that holds the toxins in your body allowing you to pass a urine drug test. Many toxins are stored in the fat cells of the body and are released when fat cells are burned. The Detox Drinks prevents the body from burning fat cells for up to 5 hours so the toxins are never released. The Detox Drink works on all toxins and is undetectable. The Detox Drinks is designed for individuals, who smoke 4 times a week or less. If the individual is over 200 lbs., it is recommend they consume two drinks before a test, and drink two full bottles of water. Most Detox Drinks a 99.6% success rate in passing drug tests if the directions are followed. Shake the bottle before drinking. Drink entire contents, then after 15 minutes, drink 16 oz. of water. Wait 45 minutes to be effective.
Normal Procedures
1. Avoid toxins 48 hours before deadline.
2. Do not drink more than 16 oz. of water per hour.
3. On the day of the deadline, eat and drink normal quantities, avoid foods high in sugar.
4. If possible, schedule drug test deadline for the afternoon and urinate 3 - 4 times after consuming the Detox Drink.
5. Drink is effective for 45 minutes to 5 hours, however peak effectiveness is at 2 hours.
6. As with any drug test, avoid foods or drinks high in sugar content (fruit juices) and avoid strenuous exercise the day of the drug test. Otherwise, eat and drink normally.
7. The drink tastes better if it is refrigerated prior to consumption.
Urine should be between 91 and 97 degrees. NIDA certified labs will verify temperature. If it isn't, they will suspect you added water to the cup, or used substitution. Disposable pocket hand warmers (sold in department stores) will keep a urine sample warm, provided that the urine is in a condom or douche bag.
Some legal products actually contain small amounts of illegal chemicals. All tests, including the GC/MS, will test you positive because the metabolites derived from the true positive are identical to the metabolites of the illegal drugs.
Detox products are drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets taken one hour before your test to block the body's production of toxins for a 5 hour window. There are preliminary procedures recommended for a couple of days prior to your deadline, whereby you drink a lot of water, eat lighter meals and abstain from toxins. This will aid in reducing your toxin levels. Then on the day of the test, take the drink or pills and all toxins will be blocked from being released for up to five hours. You may also take the Pre-Cleanse products for extra effectiveness. They come in a pill form. Taken 12 to 24 hours before your test they help to reduce your toxin levels. We also carry constant cleanse - a month's supply of cleansing capsules. Use in conjunction with the detox drinks, pills, or effervescent tablets.
The Detox Drink is a detoxifying product that holds the toxins in your body allowing you to pass a urine drug test. Many toxins are stored in the fat cells of the body and are released when fat cells are burned. The Detox Drinks prevents the body from burning fat cells for up to 5 hours so the toxins are never released. The Detox Drink works on all toxins and is undetectable. The Detox Drinks is designed for individuals, who smoke 4 times a week or less. If the individual is over 200 lbs., it is recommend they consume two drinks before a test, and drink two full bottles of water. Most Detox Drinks a 99.6% success rate in passing drug tests if the directions are followed. Shake the bottle before drinking. Drink entire contents, then after 15 minutes, drink 16 oz. of water. Wait 45 minutes to be effective.
Normal Procedures
1. Avoid toxins 48 hours before deadline.
2. Do not drink more than 16 oz. of water per hour.
3. On the day of the deadline, eat and drink normal quantities, avoid foods high in sugar.
4. If possible, schedule drug test deadline for the afternoon and urinate 3 - 4 times after consuming the Detox Drink.
5. Drink is effective for 45 minutes to 5 hours, however peak effectiveness is at 2 hours.
6. As with any drug test, avoid foods or drinks high in sugar content (fruit juices) and avoid strenuous exercise the day of the drug test. Otherwise, eat and drink normally.
7. The drink tastes better if it is refrigerated prior to consumption.
Urine should be between 91 and 97 degrees. NIDA certified labs will verify temperature. If it isn't, they will suspect you added water to the cup, or used substitution. Disposable pocket hand warmers (sold in department stores) will keep a urine sample warm, provided that the urine is in a condom or douche bag.
Drug Detox Rehab
People suffering from addiction need medical and therapeutic interventions. Though most of the people think they can get off the habit by themselves, drug addiction rehabilitation requires professional help.
The first step in drug rehabilitation comes with detoxification. This is the process of cleaning the body off toxins left by drug abuse. And for most patients, it is the most difficult phase of treatment.
Detoxification causes painful symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and uncontrollable shaking. The body in this phase is craving for the substance and is reacting to its absence.
Detox Rehabilitation
Dealing with addiction needs to be immediate. The abrupt withdrawal from drugs can cause sweats, cramping, and constipation, with extreme cases resulting in possible seizures and delirium. With long-term drug abuse, detoxification can be dangerous without proper medical supervision.
A patient who wants to be rid of his addiction must choose the right detox center and program. For quality services, a center must be able to provide a controlled setting where proper medical intervention can be administered. And it must be capable of crafting programs that will help the patient sustain his recovery even after his release from the facility. The center must also adhere to principles that preserve the dignity of patients under their care.
Detox Procedures
Centers differ from each other in terms of the programs they offer. Some offer rapid detoxification. Others require long-term processes.
Rapid detoxification is a medical procedure that puts a patient under general anesthesia. A doctor purges the toxins from the body by administering other drugs. Immediately, the patient undergoes withdrawal. The anesthesia prevents the patient from suffering the symptoms. This procedure contracts the withdrawal period from six days to six hours. This procedure is generally done to deal with heroin, oxycontin, methadone, codeine addictions. As the patient recovers, craving for the addictive drug diminishes.
But while results are immediate, studies show that a patient still needs to undergo continued therapy and counseling. Without follow through support, it is easy for patients to go back to old habits.
Drug Detox provides detailed information on Drug Detox, Drug Detox Centers, Drug Detox Rehab, Drug Detox At Home and more. Drug Detox is affiliated with Drug Rehab Centers.
The first step in drug rehabilitation comes with detoxification. This is the process of cleaning the body off toxins left by drug abuse. And for most patients, it is the most difficult phase of treatment.
Detoxification causes painful symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and uncontrollable shaking. The body in this phase is craving for the substance and is reacting to its absence.
Detox Rehabilitation
Dealing with addiction needs to be immediate. The abrupt withdrawal from drugs can cause sweats, cramping, and constipation, with extreme cases resulting in possible seizures and delirium. With long-term drug abuse, detoxification can be dangerous without proper medical supervision.
A patient who wants to be rid of his addiction must choose the right detox center and program. For quality services, a center must be able to provide a controlled setting where proper medical intervention can be administered. And it must be capable of crafting programs that will help the patient sustain his recovery even after his release from the facility. The center must also adhere to principles that preserve the dignity of patients under their care.
Detox Procedures
Centers differ from each other in terms of the programs they offer. Some offer rapid detoxification. Others require long-term processes.
Rapid detoxification is a medical procedure that puts a patient under general anesthesia. A doctor purges the toxins from the body by administering other drugs. Immediately, the patient undergoes withdrawal. The anesthesia prevents the patient from suffering the symptoms. This procedure contracts the withdrawal period from six days to six hours. This procedure is generally done to deal with heroin, oxycontin, methadone, codeine addictions. As the patient recovers, craving for the addictive drug diminishes.
But while results are immediate, studies show that a patient still needs to undergo continued therapy and counseling. Without follow through support, it is easy for patients to go back to old habits.
Drug Detox provides detailed information on Drug Detox, Drug Detox Centers, Drug Detox Rehab, Drug Detox At Home and more. Drug Detox is affiliated with Drug Rehab Centers.
Drug And Alcohol Detox And Addiction Counselling
Narcotic drugs and alcohol are very physically addictive substances accounting for the rise in drug and alcohol addiction rates yearly. Once the body is dependent on the substance for normality, the absence of the substance will cause great pain and discomfort to be inflicted on the individual, known as withdrawal.AddictionDrug and alcohol addiction counselling and detox are highly controversial topics and met with many mixed beliefs and schools of thought, especially when physical and non-physical drug addiction is concerned. Unlike previously when addiction was considered a moral failing, professionals have now been opting towards a more successful approach of addiction treatment. Many experts and professionals have come to view addiction as a disease which is progressive and fatal if not treated. The disease can however be arrested through ceasing all addictive behaviour accompanied by counselling and a daily programme of recovery.Physical addiction and the need for detoxOpiates such as heroin and codeine, benzodiazepines such as Valium and Rohypnol, some amphetamines such as methamphetamines (eg Tik) and ethyl-alcohol (the type of alcohol found in regular alcoholic drinks such as whisky and beer), are substances which the human body becomes dependant on when exposed to their effects over a certain period of time. Quaaludes, anabolic steroids, beta blockers, caffeine and nicotine also cause dependence.Physical dependency can only be overcome through the addicted individual abstaining from use of the addictive substances. This will cause the body to go into a state of withdrawal, as it is dependent on the substance for functioning.Treatment centres, rehabilitation centres and hospitals usually offer detoxification programmes for drug and alcohol addiction. Detoxification can be extremely harmful, even fatal. The process is nick-named "detox" and is carefully monitored by professionals.In many instances, the patient is given medication to ease their discomfort during the detox. This discomfort usually results in the use of drugs to rid themselves of the symptoms. It has been found that regulated and decreasing doses of a pharmaceutical replacement with similar actions as an addictive drug is useful in allowing addicts to be "weaned off" the substance without unbearable discomfort.DetoxWhen an addict or alcoholic is willing to enter a treatment programme to treat their addiction, many rehab centres require that patients are "clean" of all drugs and substances. The patient will need generally to pass a drug or alcohol test indicating that their systems are free of substances. If a client enters a treatment programme whilst still under the influence of a narcotic or alcohol, it may affect the safety of the other clients and the individual themselves.The process of a drug and alcohol detox differs for each treatment centre offering the service. Some rehabs do not offer detoxes and require the client to attend a detox in a hospital or separate clinic as the rehab may not have the correct facilities to offer detoxification. The process is an extremely difficult ordeal for the addict to experience and must be handled with a great deal of professionalism. Alcoholic detoxes can cause delirium tremors, inducing hallucinations and violent behaviour. Only qualified, experienced and able professionals should administer a detox to a withdrawing addict or alcoholic.CounsellingA detox programme can take a week or more to complete, although secondary withdrawals will follow after this; they are less severe than initial withdrawals, not requiring medication or facilitation. Once a detox has been completed, the client is advised to enter an addiction treatment programme at a rehab.Drug and alcohol addiction counselling is an effective method of treating any form of addiction, helping the client to become a normal and functioning member of society. Group therapy and individual therapy is widely considered the most effective method of drug and alcohol addiction treatment, coupled with a healthy lifestyle and the adoption of a Twelve Step Programme as a way of maintaining abstinence and sobriety.Counselling and a Twelve Step Programme help to enable the patient to cope with behaviours, past grievances, emotions and dynamics in their lives and to piece together a practical and realistic approach to life. Whilst the patient needs to stop using drugs and alcohol, counselling will help improve their lives much further. Abstinence plus change is the main aim of a recovering addict.The life of a drug addict and alcoholic needn’t be bad or hindered. Addicts have the potential to be very successful and productive people if they are able to stop their drug and alcohol use. Whilst this may require a detox, if followed with proper counselling and therapy plus the endorsement of a healthy lifestyle and application to a Twelve Step Programme, the person suffering from drug or alcohol addiction can arrest their disease and live a normal life again.
Oasis Counselling Centre in Plettenberg Bay is a drug and alcohol detox and counselling centre offering individual and group therapy, a Twelve Step Programme and encouragement of a healthy lifestyle within a caring and nurturing environment.
Drug Detox: A Life Changing Experience
First of all, detox is a term used to define the process of detoxification, which is used to describe the process of removing any toxic waste from the body. Many people today use detox as a way of cleansing their colons of unwanted waste, but for many, detox is more than ridding yourself of a few extra pounds. For many, ridding the body of alcohol and drug remnants and also withdrawing from the use of such is called drug detox. Never, under any circumstances, should a person attempt to perform a drug detox without proper medical supervision.
Drug detox is the first step in a method that will involve the body's own process of ridding itself of drug chemicals that it has grown to rely on. What most people don't realize, is that the remnants of drugs or alcohol in a body system of an addict will produce cravings for more unless every one of those remnants is expelled from the body. It is the first and most difficult step for most recovering addicts, who won't begin the actual recovery process until they complete the drug detox program. Hundreds of drug detox centers are scattered throughout the United States and other countries and can deal with mild to severe addictions to drugs like heroin to addictions caused by anti-depressants and pain killers such as Xanax, Darvocet and Codeine, among a wealth of others.
New medications used in many drug detox facilities enables those withdrawing from drugs of any sort to take prescribed medications to make the process easier and less uncomfortable. Some such drug detox facilities offer closely monitored withdrawal from opiate addictions with a high rate of success. Individual and group counseling is also available at a drug detox center. Staff members encourage patients to talk about their addictions, a main step in the healing process. After the drug detox process has been completed, many drug detox centers also offer drug rehabilitation counseling services as well.
The key to a successful drug detox program is to admit that there is a problem and then to make a decision to so something about it. A drug detox center can help you do just that, and is equipped to help people get off such drugs and abused medications slowly and safely. A drug detox center in hospitals or community settings includes medical and psychiatric support for patients. A good drug detox center will offer more than a room and a bed, but will offer both emotional and caring support for patients and their families. A drug detox center can help not only the person undergoing the detox process, but friends and family when it comes time to offer ongoing support after discharge. Many people are ashamed or embarrassed to admit they have a problem and refuse to go to a drug detox center. But trying to withdraw from drugs on your own is a dangerous and painful process without correct and trained medical supervision. A drug detox center can provide everything someone needs, from medications to counselors for patients. No one should go through the drug detox process alone, and a drug detox center is the best place to undergo this life changing experience.
Drug detox is the first step in a method that will involve the body's own process of ridding itself of drug chemicals that it has grown to rely on. What most people don't realize, is that the remnants of drugs or alcohol in a body system of an addict will produce cravings for more unless every one of those remnants is expelled from the body. It is the first and most difficult step for most recovering addicts, who won't begin the actual recovery process until they complete the drug detox program. Hundreds of drug detox centers are scattered throughout the United States and other countries and can deal with mild to severe addictions to drugs like heroin to addictions caused by anti-depressants and pain killers such as Xanax, Darvocet and Codeine, among a wealth of others.
New medications used in many drug detox facilities enables those withdrawing from drugs of any sort to take prescribed medications to make the process easier and less uncomfortable. Some such drug detox facilities offer closely monitored withdrawal from opiate addictions with a high rate of success. Individual and group counseling is also available at a drug detox center. Staff members encourage patients to talk about their addictions, a main step in the healing process. After the drug detox process has been completed, many drug detox centers also offer drug rehabilitation counseling services as well.
The key to a successful drug detox program is to admit that there is a problem and then to make a decision to so something about it. A drug detox center can help you do just that, and is equipped to help people get off such drugs and abused medications slowly and safely. A drug detox center in hospitals or community settings includes medical and psychiatric support for patients. A good drug detox center will offer more than a room and a bed, but will offer both emotional and caring support for patients and their families. A drug detox center can help not only the person undergoing the detox process, but friends and family when it comes time to offer ongoing support after discharge. Many people are ashamed or embarrassed to admit they have a problem and refuse to go to a drug detox center. But trying to withdraw from drugs on your own is a dangerous and painful process without correct and trained medical supervision. A drug detox center can provide everything someone needs, from medications to counselors for patients. No one should go through the drug detox process alone, and a drug detox center is the best place to undergo this life changing experience.
Helping a Heroin Addict - Choices For Opiate Addiction
For heroin addiction help in England people first turn to the NHS National Health System. Opiate addicts and family usually go to see their GP. The system is flawed as the impetus is on sending the heroin addict to the methadone clinic. What we end up with is a bunch of zombie like drug addicts who continue to be a burden on society and on the social network. The drug addict still enslaved. Private residential rehabilitation is the other option.
Choices for Opiate Addiction in the UK
For the heroin addict what they really want is to be free of drug addiction. Like the day you were born, free of the physical and mental desire for drugs. To me the following are not really choices but they are yours under the NHS.
Under the current system the GP can offer you a legal substitute called Naltrexone which acts as a blockade for the high if the addict was then to use an opiate such as heroin. The idea being that if you cannot experience the high, then you won't use. I don't buy this concept as the person is still stuck to pills, the reasons for his drug use were never addressed, it does not fix cravings.
Will You Choose Methadone? More difficult to withdraw from than heroin, methadone unfortunately seems to be the cheap solution most commonly offered by the medical system to the heroin addict. 1.8 million methadone prescriptions are given each year in the UK. This is a highly addictive drug and not a solution if you want to live a drug and addiction free life. If a drug is this addictive wherein the withdrawal is more crippling than that of heroin why would anyone see this as a solution. At the end of the day, the reasons a person began using mind altering drugs in the first place are not resolved. You still have a messed up individual barely getting by in life taking a bad drug that will eventually kill him.
Another prescription drug is Buprenorphine. Joining the type of drugs that street drug dealers come to profit from. To most addicts aka Subutex, Subuxone just becomes another dependency and I hear of drug addicts taking it along with their heroin, crack cocaine, ecstacy and speed.
what's left? Private Residential Rehab, including full physical detox to eliminate cravings and full life rehabilitation so the person feels like a capable member of society again. This is the only life-long solution.
Freedom from Heroin Addiction in the UK - here is someone's story "I was a heroin addict for over 10 years, until I went to NN. Nothing in my life had gone the way I wanted it to, I had no control or self-respect and I had succumbed to the effects of drugs. It took its toll on every single aspect of my life until I actually thought the only way to beat my addiction was to kill myself. So I tried and every time I put a needle in my arm I was truly wishing I would not wake up after. I came to the program in one hell of a mess. I was always a person who gave up on everything I had done but this time I was determined that I would complete the program and stay drug-free for the rest of my life. The program itself is so amazing! It gave me the frame of mind and control I had craved for so many years. I had tried other various treatment programs in the past and nothing had worked for me like this program. Every single aspect of my life is now in place for me. Everything I had ever wanted is coming to me. I'm confident, controlled and for the first time in 27 years I am actually happy. MM"
Choices for Opiate Addiction in the UK
For the heroin addict what they really want is to be free of drug addiction. Like the day you were born, free of the physical and mental desire for drugs. To me the following are not really choices but they are yours under the NHS.
Under the current system the GP can offer you a legal substitute called Naltrexone which acts as a blockade for the high if the addict was then to use an opiate such as heroin. The idea being that if you cannot experience the high, then you won't use. I don't buy this concept as the person is still stuck to pills, the reasons for his drug use were never addressed, it does not fix cravings.
Will You Choose Methadone? More difficult to withdraw from than heroin, methadone unfortunately seems to be the cheap solution most commonly offered by the medical system to the heroin addict. 1.8 million methadone prescriptions are given each year in the UK. This is a highly addictive drug and not a solution if you want to live a drug and addiction free life. If a drug is this addictive wherein the withdrawal is more crippling than that of heroin why would anyone see this as a solution. At the end of the day, the reasons a person began using mind altering drugs in the first place are not resolved. You still have a messed up individual barely getting by in life taking a bad drug that will eventually kill him.
Another prescription drug is Buprenorphine. Joining the type of drugs that street drug dealers come to profit from. To most addicts aka Subutex, Subuxone just becomes another dependency and I hear of drug addicts taking it along with their heroin, crack cocaine, ecstacy and speed.
what's left? Private Residential Rehab, including full physical detox to eliminate cravings and full life rehabilitation so the person feels like a capable member of society again. This is the only life-long solution.
Freedom from Heroin Addiction in the UK - here is someone's story "I was a heroin addict for over 10 years, until I went to NN. Nothing in my life had gone the way I wanted it to, I had no control or self-respect and I had succumbed to the effects of drugs. It took its toll on every single aspect of my life until I actually thought the only way to beat my addiction was to kill myself. So I tried and every time I put a needle in my arm I was truly wishing I would not wake up after. I came to the program in one hell of a mess. I was always a person who gave up on everything I had done but this time I was determined that I would complete the program and stay drug-free for the rest of my life. The program itself is so amazing! It gave me the frame of mind and control I had craved for so many years. I had tried other various treatment programs in the past and nothing had worked for me like this program. Every single aspect of my life is now in place for me. Everything I had ever wanted is coming to me. I'm confident, controlled and for the first time in 27 years I am actually happy. MM"
Do you want to learn more about the causes of addiction and how end it?
Go to: http://www.detox-narconon.org
Paula Dewar is a professional rehab consultant and refers clients to Drug-free Detox and Rehab Programs which End Addiction for Life. Paula speaks English and Portuguese.
PS: To subscribe to our free newsletter giving our Latest Discoveries go to: http://www.detox-narconon.org/family-training/subscribe.php
Heroin Addiction and Holistic Drug Treatment - Heroin Drug Rehabilitation Programs and Treatment with a Holistic Approach By: John Giordano, CAP, MAC & Trina Geiss, MPH
June 7, 2004 -- Heroin is a highly addictive substance. It is both the most often abused and the fastest acting of all of the opiate drugs. Through all of the complications that may arise from heroin use and abuse, its use is on the rise. According to the 2000 Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) report conducted through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), heroin was the leading illicit drug among substance abuse treatment admissions in 2000, and there is an increase in younger users.
Heroin is made from the processing of morphine, which is a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. It is usually sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known as โ€œblack tar heroin.โ€ Most street heroin is mixed or โ€œcutโ€ with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Street heroin can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Therefore, heroin users rarely know the actual strength and concentration or the added substances resulting in an increased risk for accidental overdose and/or death, and spontaneous abortion.
Chronic use is associated with collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications may develop including various types of pneumonia, which result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. Injecting heroin also increases the risk of disease transmission such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C, thereby complicating the problem. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may contain additives that do not dissolve into the blood stream resulting in clogged blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This may result in infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs eventually causing organ failure.
Heroin works by binding to specific receptors on neurons that are distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS), the peripheral nervous system (PNS), and tissues of the immune system. These opioid receptors work in regulating responses to stress, pain, temperature, respiration, endocrine and gastrointestinal activity, mood, motivation, and others. Once these receptors are activated many intracellular changes take place, some of which is the development of tolerance (decreased response to the same concentration of the opioid at the receptor) and altered excitability (withdrawal) when the stimulus is removed after a period of receptor activation. The short-term effects of heroin use appear quickly after use and may last several hours. First there is a surge of euphoria, accompanied by skin flushing, dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria there is an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning is clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Heroin has been proven to be extremely addictive due to the body's physical dependence on the substance developing after repeated use.
There are a variety of treatment methods available to reverse heroin dependence. However, most outcomes are poor, due to the strong physiological dependence on the drug. First the individual must enter detoxification to relieve withdrawal symptoms, after which, should be followed by long-term drug treatment. Traditional heroin addiction treatments typically rely upon pharmacotherapies. Their goals are to relieve the severity of withdrawal symptoms and to prevent relapse once abstinence has been initiated5.
One of the most commonly used of these is methadone treatment. Methadone is non-intoxicating and daily activities can be resumed, however it is addictive and may cause overdose. Others include naloxone and naltrexone, which block the effects of opiates; however naltrexone does have a higher rate of overdose. A newer medication for heroin addiction is buprenorphine, which has been shown to have a lower rate of overdose and physical dependence and can be distributed in an office-based setting3. However, once these medications are used in the place of heroin, the individual is never fully recovered from their addiction. In order to successfully overcome the power of opiate addiction, treatments that encompass the whole person holistically should be sought. These treatments truly allow the individual to be free from addiction.
With our current โ€˜detox' methods, failure occurs much more often than not and most people never make it to receive the type of treatment they need. This is because most of the individuals leaving detoxification centers are still drug affected, rendering them unable to make clear decisions about treatment programs and recovery options. In order to effectively combat this alarming and growing problem, alternative treatment methods must be explored. These should be used in conjunction with other therapies. Proper diet and nutrition consisting of vitamin C, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and sulfur proteins can have a very positive effect. Vitamin C is a very potent anti-oxidant and will help cleanse and destroy free radicals in the tissues. It also aids in intestinal motility, which is an important component of getting clean and sober. Amino acids, especially glutamine will stimulate the body's natural opiates and endorphins to help alleviate some cravings. Amino acids will also help to build healthy stores of neurotransmitters, depleted through drug use. Essential fatty acids such as flax oil in combination with foods containing sulfur proteins (cysteine or methionine) such as yogurt, eggs, codfish, sesame paste, garlic, and onions will allow fat soluble toxins to become water soluble for excretion through sweat and urine. In order to facilitate and expedite excretion of toxic substance perspiration must be enhanced. This should be done through rigorous exercise and steam therapy, such as a Turkish wet steam, a sauna, or a hot whirlpool bath, also through outdoor activity like beach outings. Following heavy perspiration, the individual should clean themselves with a high-fat soap to remove toxins excreted on the surface of the skin and prevent their reabsorption. A deep-tissue and lymphatic massage should also be given once per week to ease tension, and detoxify the muscle fibers.
Another area to consider when approaching detoxification from heroin is the colon. The colon is a major part of the excretory system, and is responsible for eliminating food and other body wastes, as well as protecting us from infection and disease. In a normal functioning colon, all this is achieved with the help of billions of friendly bacteria which inhabit the colon and make up some 70% of the dry weight of our fecal waste. However, the delicate balance of this internal ecosystem can very easily be disturbed by a number of factors including stress, pollution, poor food and drink choices, certain drugs, smoking and exposure to toxic substances. Receiving a colonic will remove the wastes built up in the lower intestine and will definitely aid in its ability to absorb proper nutrients as it will no longer be clogged with toxins.
One such complementary modality that is quite popular for a variety of functions is acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture is most widely used for its pain relieving properties through sensory stimulation1. More recently, acupuncture has been shown to successfully treat depression4,6. The relief acupuncture causes works through local tissue healing effect and central anti-stress mechanisms1. Acupuncture detoxification therapy uses the application of acupuncture needles to the ear, also called auricular acupuncture. These points target different bodily functions and organs. The effects witnessed on the individual include relaxation, decreased anxiety and restlessness, reduced perspiration, intestinal cramps, watery eyes, and sneezing. It also aids in the excretion of toxic substances for a speedier recovery2,11. Acupuncture for addicted individuals supports a positive mood, relieves stress, and aids in craving control. This therapy also appears to assist in the healing process of the mind based on the client's affect. In Oregon, heroin addicts MUST try acupuncture before getting methadone7. Heroin addicts typically have lowered energy stores and they use heroin to feel more alive. Acupuncture will restore the energy balance, thereby reducing cravings for heroin.
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Panel on Acupuncture reviewed the scientific literature and concluded that acupuncture for addiction "may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management programโ€. Overall, acupuncture has been shown to increase substance abuse treatment adherence, reduce recidivism, and stabilize mood.
Substance detoxification of the addicted individual is paramount for the holistic healing process to occur. Some of the most difficult substances to overcome include opiates and amphetamines. One such holistic treatment that has worked wonders with withdrawal and craving symptoms is ibogaine treatment. Ibogaine is taken from the shrub, Tabernanthe iboga, and native to West Africa10,12. Ibogaine has been shown especially effective for opiate detoxification and for short-term stabilization of addicted individuals preparing to enter substance abuse treatment8. Its healing effects have been shown to significantly decrease craving for both heroin and cocaine along with a decrease in depressive symptoms9,10. Ibogaine appears to be a promising drug for the future. The results seem extremely promising for long term recovery and relapse prevention. Ibogaine leaves the individual feeling clear-headed with increased motivation and significant insight into the causes of their addiction. For most, ibogaine does not serve as the proverbial โ€œmagic bullet,โ€ however this treatment is definitely above current detoxification methods, where individuals leave shrouded in their addiction while remaining hopeless of a future free from the clutches of drugs.
In the fight against heroin addiction, all angles of treatment should be recognized. While there are a number of medications that will treat certain symptoms of heroin addiction, often times the individual is then dependent upon that substance to prevent heroin use, and many times those treatments themselves may cause overdose and death. New research into the world of holistic therapy and drug treatment continues to see positive results without relying on potentially dangerous drugs. Holistic treatment views the person as an individual, not an illness. It does more than just relieve symptoms; it allows for a new, healthier, happier life free from drug addiction.
More information can be found at http://www.drugrehabcenter.com, http://www.drug-alcohol-rehab.net and http://www.helpaddicts.com.
Heroin is made from the processing of morphine, which is a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. It is usually sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known as โ€œblack tar heroin.โ€ Most street heroin is mixed or โ€œcutโ€ with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Street heroin can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Therefore, heroin users rarely know the actual strength and concentration or the added substances resulting in an increased risk for accidental overdose and/or death, and spontaneous abortion.
Chronic use is associated with collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications may develop including various types of pneumonia, which result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. Injecting heroin also increases the risk of disease transmission such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C, thereby complicating the problem. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may contain additives that do not dissolve into the blood stream resulting in clogged blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This may result in infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs eventually causing organ failure.
Heroin works by binding to specific receptors on neurons that are distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS), the peripheral nervous system (PNS), and tissues of the immune system. These opioid receptors work in regulating responses to stress, pain, temperature, respiration, endocrine and gastrointestinal activity, mood, motivation, and others. Once these receptors are activated many intracellular changes take place, some of which is the development of tolerance (decreased response to the same concentration of the opioid at the receptor) and altered excitability (withdrawal) when the stimulus is removed after a period of receptor activation. The short-term effects of heroin use appear quickly after use and may last several hours. First there is a surge of euphoria, accompanied by skin flushing, dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria there is an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning is clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Heroin has been proven to be extremely addictive due to the body's physical dependence on the substance developing after repeated use.
There are a variety of treatment methods available to reverse heroin dependence. However, most outcomes are poor, due to the strong physiological dependence on the drug. First the individual must enter detoxification to relieve withdrawal symptoms, after which, should be followed by long-term drug treatment. Traditional heroin addiction treatments typically rely upon pharmacotherapies. Their goals are to relieve the severity of withdrawal symptoms and to prevent relapse once abstinence has been initiated5.
One of the most commonly used of these is methadone treatment. Methadone is non-intoxicating and daily activities can be resumed, however it is addictive and may cause overdose. Others include naloxone and naltrexone, which block the effects of opiates; however naltrexone does have a higher rate of overdose. A newer medication for heroin addiction is buprenorphine, which has been shown to have a lower rate of overdose and physical dependence and can be distributed in an office-based setting3. However, once these medications are used in the place of heroin, the individual is never fully recovered from their addiction. In order to successfully overcome the power of opiate addiction, treatments that encompass the whole person holistically should be sought. These treatments truly allow the individual to be free from addiction.
With our current โ€˜detox' methods, failure occurs much more often than not and most people never make it to receive the type of treatment they need. This is because most of the individuals leaving detoxification centers are still drug affected, rendering them unable to make clear decisions about treatment programs and recovery options. In order to effectively combat this alarming and growing problem, alternative treatment methods must be explored. These should be used in conjunction with other therapies. Proper diet and nutrition consisting of vitamin C, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and sulfur proteins can have a very positive effect. Vitamin C is a very potent anti-oxidant and will help cleanse and destroy free radicals in the tissues. It also aids in intestinal motility, which is an important component of getting clean and sober. Amino acids, especially glutamine will stimulate the body's natural opiates and endorphins to help alleviate some cravings. Amino acids will also help to build healthy stores of neurotransmitters, depleted through drug use. Essential fatty acids such as flax oil in combination with foods containing sulfur proteins (cysteine or methionine) such as yogurt, eggs, codfish, sesame paste, garlic, and onions will allow fat soluble toxins to become water soluble for excretion through sweat and urine. In order to facilitate and expedite excretion of toxic substance perspiration must be enhanced. This should be done through rigorous exercise and steam therapy, such as a Turkish wet steam, a sauna, or a hot whirlpool bath, also through outdoor activity like beach outings. Following heavy perspiration, the individual should clean themselves with a high-fat soap to remove toxins excreted on the surface of the skin and prevent their reabsorption. A deep-tissue and lymphatic massage should also be given once per week to ease tension, and detoxify the muscle fibers.
Another area to consider when approaching detoxification from heroin is the colon. The colon is a major part of the excretory system, and is responsible for eliminating food and other body wastes, as well as protecting us from infection and disease. In a normal functioning colon, all this is achieved with the help of billions of friendly bacteria which inhabit the colon and make up some 70% of the dry weight of our fecal waste. However, the delicate balance of this internal ecosystem can very easily be disturbed by a number of factors including stress, pollution, poor food and drink choices, certain drugs, smoking and exposure to toxic substances. Receiving a colonic will remove the wastes built up in the lower intestine and will definitely aid in its ability to absorb proper nutrients as it will no longer be clogged with toxins.
One such complementary modality that is quite popular for a variety of functions is acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture is most widely used for its pain relieving properties through sensory stimulation1. More recently, acupuncture has been shown to successfully treat depression4,6. The relief acupuncture causes works through local tissue healing effect and central anti-stress mechanisms1. Acupuncture detoxification therapy uses the application of acupuncture needles to the ear, also called auricular acupuncture. These points target different bodily functions and organs. The effects witnessed on the individual include relaxation, decreased anxiety and restlessness, reduced perspiration, intestinal cramps, watery eyes, and sneezing. It also aids in the excretion of toxic substances for a speedier recovery2,11. Acupuncture for addicted individuals supports a positive mood, relieves stress, and aids in craving control. This therapy also appears to assist in the healing process of the mind based on the client's affect. In Oregon, heroin addicts MUST try acupuncture before getting methadone7. Heroin addicts typically have lowered energy stores and they use heroin to feel more alive. Acupuncture will restore the energy balance, thereby reducing cravings for heroin.
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Panel on Acupuncture reviewed the scientific literature and concluded that acupuncture for addiction "may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management programโ€. Overall, acupuncture has been shown to increase substance abuse treatment adherence, reduce recidivism, and stabilize mood.
Substance detoxification of the addicted individual is paramount for the holistic healing process to occur. Some of the most difficult substances to overcome include opiates and amphetamines. One such holistic treatment that has worked wonders with withdrawal and craving symptoms is ibogaine treatment. Ibogaine is taken from the shrub, Tabernanthe iboga, and native to West Africa10,12. Ibogaine has been shown especially effective for opiate detoxification and for short-term stabilization of addicted individuals preparing to enter substance abuse treatment8. Its healing effects have been shown to significantly decrease craving for both heroin and cocaine along with a decrease in depressive symptoms9,10. Ibogaine appears to be a promising drug for the future. The results seem extremely promising for long term recovery and relapse prevention. Ibogaine leaves the individual feeling clear-headed with increased motivation and significant insight into the causes of their addiction. For most, ibogaine does not serve as the proverbial โ€œmagic bullet,โ€ however this treatment is definitely above current detoxification methods, where individuals leave shrouded in their addiction while remaining hopeless of a future free from the clutches of drugs.
In the fight against heroin addiction, all angles of treatment should be recognized. While there are a number of medications that will treat certain symptoms of heroin addiction, often times the individual is then dependent upon that substance to prevent heroin use, and many times those treatments themselves may cause overdose and death. New research into the world of holistic therapy and drug treatment continues to see positive results without relying on potentially dangerous drugs. Holistic treatment views the person as an individual, not an illness. It does more than just relieve symptoms; it allows for a new, healthier, happier life free from drug addiction.
More information can be found at http://www.drugrehabcenter.com, http://www.drug-alcohol-rehab.net and http://www.helpaddicts.com.
Detoxification - Rapid Detox
The rapid detox is formulated especially for those who are addicted to drugs, opium and heroin. This is a method of removing the toxins in the body by a medical treatment performed in the intensive care unit at a hospital. The traditional treatments performed on the persons addicted to these kinds of drugs may produce harmful results in the recovery. Not only the person isn't cured, but he may be left with immense pain on the way to complete recovery.
For this reason, rapid detox is employed and effective. The most famous and efficient in the rapid method is the waismann method. It is also well known in the names of Neuro-regulation methods. It often performed in an intensive care unit.
The person who is addicted to the opium or heroin is subjected to cleansing of the opiate present in the neurons of the brain. At the time of cleansing, the anesthesia given to the patient makes him unconscious, so that he doesn't have a glimpse of what had happened. The patient can return home in few days after the cleansing is over.
This method proves to be effective in 70 percent of people who got the opiate cleansed by the waismann method, never thinking of drugs for a complete year.
The traditional treatments were not able to remove the patient's intense desire for the consumption of drugs. Hence the Waismann method not only cures the patient, but also makes him a drug free person.
The Waismann method of rapid detox is a painless and effective method.
For this reason, rapid detox is employed and effective. The most famous and efficient in the rapid method is the waismann method. It is also well known in the names of Neuro-regulation methods. It often performed in an intensive care unit.
The person who is addicted to the opium or heroin is subjected to cleansing of the opiate present in the neurons of the brain. At the time of cleansing, the anesthesia given to the patient makes him unconscious, so that he doesn't have a glimpse of what had happened. The patient can return home in few days after the cleansing is over.
This method proves to be effective in 70 percent of people who got the opiate cleansed by the waismann method, never thinking of drugs for a complete year.
The traditional treatments were not able to remove the patient's intense desire for the consumption of drugs. Hence the Waismann method not only cures the patient, but also makes him a drug free person.
The Waismann method of rapid detox is a painless and effective method.
Anand Ikav is an author living in India. He is an expert in detox for hypertensive patients and you can learn a lot from his website detox program.
Heroin Treatment - What is Needed to Conquer This Addiction
Heroin is one the most addictive drugs in the world.For this reason, it can be difficult to get lasting recovery.However, recovery is possible.Here, we will take a look at some of the things that need to be done to get a successful heroin treatment.
b>1.Enter into a solid detox program.
The first step of any treatment program will be to help get the body to adjust without the impact of drugs.This can be a difficult time for addicts who will go through a series of withdrawal symptoms which range from nausea to headaches.However, this process is important because it teaches the person they can live without heroin.
2.Join an on-site drug treatment center.
It is very important that the patient enter a on-site facility where they can be monitored by trained professionals 24/7.This is important because it will help ensure the person stays away from drugs and is given the opportunity to learn what to do to help cope with cravings or bad environments.This can include a wide variety of activities including learning exercises, group discussions, and one on one sessions with a doctor and psychiatrist.One key here is to ensure the person joins a program for at least 90 days in length.Research indicates this time frame is very important to increase the odds of getting lasting recovery.
3.Build a support network and solid follow-up program.
After the person is released from the drug treatment center, it is important that he/she continue to build up his/her support group and continue to meet with counselors.This is very important for the person to continue to grow without drugs and prevent any future relapse.The format of this section will vary depending on the person's individual issues and progress.Since heroin is a very addictive drug, extra measures should be put in place to keep the person from any future relapse.This can include additional meetings with counselors, group out patient meetings, or even educational courses designed to improve the skills of the patient.
Although a heroin treatment may not be effective for everyone, it is helped many people lead a more productive life.In addition, some are able to overcome their addictions and be an example for others.
b>1.Enter into a solid detox program.
The first step of any treatment program will be to help get the body to adjust without the impact of drugs.This can be a difficult time for addicts who will go through a series of withdrawal symptoms which range from nausea to headaches.However, this process is important because it teaches the person they can live without heroin.
2.Join an on-site drug treatment center.
It is very important that the patient enter a on-site facility where they can be monitored by trained professionals 24/7.This is important because it will help ensure the person stays away from drugs and is given the opportunity to learn what to do to help cope with cravings or bad environments.This can include a wide variety of activities including learning exercises, group discussions, and one on one sessions with a doctor and psychiatrist.One key here is to ensure the person joins a program for at least 90 days in length.Research indicates this time frame is very important to increase the odds of getting lasting recovery.
3.Build a support network and solid follow-up program.
After the person is released from the drug treatment center, it is important that he/she continue to build up his/her support group and continue to meet with counselors.This is very important for the person to continue to grow without drugs and prevent any future relapse.The format of this section will vary depending on the person's individual issues and progress.Since heroin is a very addictive drug, extra measures should be put in place to keep the person from any future relapse.This can include additional meetings with counselors, group out patient meetings, or even educational courses designed to improve the skills of the patient.
Although a heroin treatment may not be effective for everyone, it is helped many people lead a more productive life.In addition, some are able to overcome their addictions and be an example for others.
For more information on Drug Rehab Program, try visiting http://www.alcoholanddrugrehabinfo.com to get some solid tips and information on drug rehab treatment centers and programs.
What You Should Know About Opiate Treatment and Detox
If you are addicted to opiates of some sort, such as prescription pain pills or street drugs like heroin, then you should know some things about opiate treatment in general before you try to get clean. Certainly you will want to make a huge effort to get clean as soon as possible, but you want to do it in a way that will lead you to lasting recovery. It does not do much good to clean up, only to stumble into a relapse shortly thereafter.
The preferred method of getting clean from opiates for most people is to check into a drug rehab. This is ideal for a number of reasons. First of all, if you do anything else, you are going to be on the outside and temptation to relapse will be much greater. In a rehab setting you will not have quick access to drugs, so it is going to be much easier for you to stay clean for a few weeks.
Second of all, if you go to inpatient rehab, you will have support from other people who are going through the same struggle you are. This is a much bigger help than most people anticipate, and can really make a huge difference. Finally, one of the biggest pluses for going to rehab is that they will be able to give you a medical detox, in which you will probably be given medication that will seriously curtail your withdrawal symptoms. This alone should be worth the price of admission for almost any opiate addict who is struggling to get clean.
The preferred method of getting clean from opiates for most people is to check into a drug rehab. This is ideal for a number of reasons. First of all, if you do anything else, you are going to be on the outside and temptation to relapse will be much greater. In a rehab setting you will not have quick access to drugs, so it is going to be much easier for you to stay clean for a few weeks.
Second of all, if you go to inpatient rehab, you will have support from other people who are going through the same struggle you are. This is a much bigger help than most people anticipate, and can really make a huge difference. Finally, one of the biggest pluses for going to rehab is that they will be able to give you a medical detox, in which you will probably be given medication that will seriously curtail your withdrawal symptoms. This alone should be worth the price of admission for almost any opiate addict who is struggling to get clean.
Learn more about Suboxone treatment and also about Hydrocodone detox.
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