Top 5 Alternative Drug Rehabilitation Treatments

Other than traditional psychotherapy for treating addiction, there are many new alternative forms of treatment that can be even more effective.

1. Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy: This is a kind of psychotherapy that is used most commonly to treat anxiety disorders and depression. This kind of therapy works by establishing the connection between thoughts and actions and then changing one to affect the other. Basically, doctors work with patients to either change the way they think which will then change the behavior or work is done to change the behavior which will then change the thought process. This can really strengthen a patients mind, so they are less likely to relapse after they leave treatment.

2. Medication: It may seem strange to give a drug addict medication to help cure them, but medication can help a lot, if it is administered correctly. Medication is mainly used early in treatment to help ease withdrawal symptoms. It can also help to correct the chemical changes abused substances can produce in the brain.

3. Animal- Assisted Therapy: This is a form of therapy that uses service animals to help provide addicts with an animal companion. The benefits of this therapy are presenting addicts with a non- judgmental companion and helping to give them something enjoyable to do. This form of treatment is also often used in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

4. Art- Based Therapy: This form of treatment give patients the opportunity to express themselves through art or music. This is often useful, because it allows a patient to create something that is personal and something that they can display and be proud of. Art forms can also often help individuals come to conclusions about themselves that they would not have otherwise discovered.

5. Hallucinogenic Substances: This treatment is different than a typical medication treatment, and is currently rather controversial. Obviously, you would not administer this treatment to a patient with an addiction to hallucinogenic substances, but for other addicts this can be very helpful. Hallucinogenic substances work similarly to art- based therapy, because they can help things become clear to a patient and therapist by allowing the patient to safely explore their subconscious. The chemicals in these substances also work on parts of the brain that affect a persons addiction. When administered correctly and by a doctor, these substances can actually help to eliminate cravings.

Many of these treatments are still experimental and rather controversial. They also are not usually used alone. By combing these treatments with traditional psychotherapy this can help doctors individualize treatment and lessen the risk of relapse after completing treatment.

Why Dogs Treat Addiction better than Doctors

Animal assistance has become a very common and increasingly used form of treatment for many mental and physical illnesses. Service animals can be used in treatment for PTSD, anxiety and depression. Even some colleges will bring in service animals during stressful periods during the year and just let students sit there and pet the animals. As someone who has done this during finals week I can honestly say it is one of the best relaxation techniques. With all of the ways service animals can help, it is no wonder Animal- Assisted Therapy is becoming more popular in the treatment of drug addicts.

In many ways, Animal- Assisted Therapy is even more useful than traditional rehabilitation with a doctor. In this form of treatment, the animal, usually a dog, becomes a constant companion for the addict. This can help in two major ways. The first, is that the dog is not judgmental towards the patient, and will remain loyal once a bond has formed between them. The second is that the dog relies on the patient just as much as the patient relies on the dog. In many Animal- Assisted Therapy treatments, the patient is charged with caring for the dog. This gives a patient a responsibility to care for something, which can help keep their mind of the pains of withdrawal. 

Based on all that Animal- Assisted Therapy can do for addiction patients, it seems that this form of therapy is even better than traditional therapy with a doctor. Animals who participate in Animal- Assisted Therapy are trained, so they are not aggressive and can easily be assimilated into a patients life. The animals can also stay with the patient after they are released from a rehabilitation program. Keeping a support system is one of the biggest challenges faced by patients after they are released from care, and an animal would help this problem. The bottom line is that Animal- Assisted Therapy is one of the most successful forms of treatment for addicts.

New Doctors Are Legally Allowed to Enable Opioid Addiction, But Legally Denied the Ability to Prevent It

If a newly graduated medical student during his or her residency can write prescriptions for drugs that are universally known to be habit forming (opioids), then shouldn’t they have access to any programs that would help to lessen potential addiction issues?  Shouldn’t they care enough to take as much time as needed to ensure that they are not enabling and or creating opioid addiction?

According to Felice J. Freyer of the Boston Globe, “Medical residents don’t have access [to the Prescription Monitoring Program, a state-run database of every prescription for controlled substances] — even though they’re allowed to prescribe controlled substances”.  This is a problem that has been going on for some time now, because most doctors, let alone new doctors completing their residencies, don’t have the time, nor do they care to make sure that their patients aren’t abusing the drugs that they are being prescribed.

Even Dr. Sara Schlotterbeck, the first year medical resident that prompted the Globe’s article, confirms that there is truly a lack of time and care when dealing with opioid prescriptions and patients.  She refers to what is needed to gain access to the Prescription Monitoring Program as a resident doctor when she says, “If we really try hard, if we take that extra 15 or 20 minutes — which is actually a lot of time . . .”, but her statement is clearly acknowledging that she and her colleagues, fellow doctors and resident doctors alike, are not trying hard enough, are not taking enough time, and even feel as if 15 or 20 minutes is too much time to help a patient.  Dr. Schlotterbeck makes it more than apparent that she, the state of MA, and other doctors are not doing enough to prevent patients from becoming addicted to opioids.

Can you believe that “15 to 20 minutes is actually lot of time” when it comes to helping patients; human beings?  I don’t know about the whole of the patient world, but I’m normally in the waiting room to see any doctor, for any reason, for longer than 15 to 20 minutes.  I think it’s safe to say that 15 to 20 minutes should not be considered a lot of time when it comes to helping any patient/human being, and especially when it comes to preventing opioid addiction.

If newly graduated medical students, during their residencies, are legally allowed to prescribe opioids, then they should also be allowed to access the database that could give them the ability to prevent opioid addiction.  I say give these new doctors access to the Prescription Monitoring Program, or take away their ability to prescribe opioids until they gain access to it.

Child Homicide: Inevitable When Addiction Is Involved

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine homicide is one of the top 3 causes of death in children between the ages of 1 and 4.  It would seem that 3 out of 4 of these child homicides are at the hands of addicts.

Though addiction is not clearly defined as the murder of one human being by another human being (homicide), I assure you that the outcome of deliberately continuing to use/act in obsessively compulsive ways (addiction) ultimately leads to and causes the murder of a child. An addict will murder his or her own child, and even someone else’s child, and it is horrific and beyond tragic that we continue to sit back and watch this happen over and over again.  You would think that the frequency of our news channels and newspapers plastering on their front pages the tragedy of yet another infant, toddler, child being killed at the hands of an addict would be enough for us all to realize that child homicide is inevitable when addiction is involved.

Take for example the infant in Korea murdered by his gaming addicted parents, left to starve to death, wailing and screaming for nothing more than to be fed and loved, while they played video games.  Then there is the ever present in the news, in our minds, and in our hearts, Baby Bella of Massachusetts.  She was brutally abused, beaten and murdered, then discarded by a heroin addicted mother and her heroin addicted boyfriend.  The heroin supposedly convinced the boyfriend that he was ridding the world of demons disguised as a beautiful 2 ½ year-old angel.  And before Bella there was the beautiful baby Avalena, also of Massachusetts, whose heroin addicted mother, drug abusing father, and foster mother’s drug abusing boyfriend are all to blame for her death.

When will we tire of seeing the lives of innocent and precious children stolen at the hands of an addict?  When we will mandate that there be an irrefutable nexus between addiction and child abuse and neglect?  And when will we as people, parents, brothers, and sisters admit to ourselves that maybe we should no longer be in absolute awe and disgust when we hear of the horrendous murder of a child, because we knew it was bound to happen at the hands of an addict. . .

Celebrity Influence: More Than a Gateway to Drug Abuse; It Is a Means to End It

Celebrity influence can often times be a Gateway to over partying and drug abuse, but it can also be a beginning, or a Gateway to its end.

Only moments ago did we have a nation of pre-twenty-one and twenty-something party goers who wanted nothing more than to emulate and even be the entire cast of the MTV’s hit series “Jersey Shore”.  Partying means drinking, and if you want to drink all night and all day without passing out, it also most likely means  having to take/consume uppers and or any other feel good, keep the party going, unnatural additives; drugs.  The situation here is seriously important, and no I don’t mean Mike Sorrentino, I mean celebrity influence needs to be more positively influential and less drug use enticing.

Dancing and good music, aka a great time at a good party does not mean any drugs need to be involved, and while some rappers like Fetty Wap would beg to differ, seeing how he rose to the top of music charts with his song titled “Trap Queen” , other artists like Mackelmore and Leon Bridges with their new single “Kevin”, completely support the idea of using their celebrity influence to end drug abuse.

The duo opted to debut their new, message packed single at one of the most publicized events in America,  the American Music Awards (AMA’s ).  They clearly wanted to share a controversial message about one of this nation’s biggest and deadliest issues; drug abuse.  What bravery, and what extraordinary talent they exuded while sharing a goose bump inducing message, but most of all what exemplary use of celebrity influence.  Macklemore and Leon Bridges both displayed natural and intense passion as they ever so smoothly exposed the reality of what drugs are doing to people, specifically to young people.

“And then my little brother is in the sky

From a pill that a doctor prescribed

And a drug that a million dollar industry supplied

First dealer was his mom's medicine cabinet

Got anxiety, better go and give him a Xanax

Focus, give him an Adderall, sleep, give him Ambien

'Til he's walking 'round the city looking like a mannequin

Ups and downs shooting up prescriptions you're handing him

New America, is it really worth it? I'm asking you”

They used their celebrity influence to positively reach out to the entirety of our nation, a nation that is currently in dire need of serious rehabilitation and avid drug abuse prevention.  If we are to continue to be a nation captivated and influenced by celebrity, I say we at least allow ourselves to be positively influenced by the celebrities who are worth our captivation.

Ending drug abuse is more than worthy of my captivation, is it worth yours?

Just Crazy Enough: The Link Between Craziness and Creativity

What does it mean to be crazy and how do we differentiate the insane from the brilliant?

There is no normal when it comes to a human being. Everyone has his or her own quirks and differences that make them who they are. We could go on for days debating which quirks are “crazy” and which are “normal”. But instead, chew on this idea for a minute - creation and creativity occur when crazy meets brilliant.

Take Michelangelo for example. We all know his immense creativity and his famous works of art. But at the heart of all his exploits was a man who many might deem crazy. The man barely bathed at all, even by 16^th century standards, and would rarely change his clothes. In fact, he would typically sleep with his shoes on and according to his assistant, when his shoes did come off his skin would often peel away with his boots much like a snakes skin does when shedding.

Then there is Nikola Tesla. The Serbian inventor had his hand in everything including radio, air conditioning, and robotics. But he too would probably be considered crazy by today’s standards. Tesla had severe OCD and would have to do most of his daily tasks in threes. He was also a germophobe (I don’t think he and Michelangelo would have gotten along very well). Perhaps his weirdest quirk of all, however, is that he refused to touch anything round which is pretty bizarre for an inventor.

The most perfect example of insanity meeting brilliance and creativity is the story of John Nash.  Nash won the 1994 Nobel Prize in economics and was the inspiration for the movie Beautiful Mind. He also is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and suffers from hallucinations, delusions, and voices. He was institutionalized against his will multiple times over the course of his life and was treated with drugs and shock therapy.

The point here is that the line between crazy and genius isn’t a fine one. It is very much a blurred, muddled composition that should be celebrated.

How Everyone can Fight Addiction

I received a comment on my last blog (Another Boy Dead) that asked me to explain how it is "everyone's" responsibility to help fight addiction, even if you do not know an addict. I would like to take the time now to explain what I meant.

The best thing you can do is prevent addiction before it starts. If you are a parent, teacher, or anyone else who is responsible for the care of children, you can educate children in the right way. What I mean by the "right way" is do not use scare tactics. When you talk to children and tell them they absolutely cannot do something, it can make many children want to do it more. If you can sit down with children and have an open conversation and explain what drugs can do to their mind, body and family in a calm and non abrasive way, this can help send a message. It is also important to let children know that you can be a resource and a support system for them, regarding drug use and abuse.

Once an addiction occurs, you can help by becoming a supporter, even if you do not know the person. It is very easy to search for a drug rehabilitation center online and most of them accept donations. This donation can be anything you want to give, it does not have to be much. By donating to a rehabilitation center you help the staff there to treat patients and show your own support. If you want to take it a step further, rehabilitation centers often hold fundraising events such as golf tournaments, concerts and other community events. Also, donating does not always mean spending money. You can volunteer your time at a rehabilitation center or send a care package. Many centers want to have activities for their patients, so you could donate old sports equipment, board games, movies etc. Try calling a local rehab center and asking what they need or telling them what you have and seeing if it will help.

As far as why you should take responsibility and help addicts in your community, the answer is simply you do not want drug addiction to become a huge problem. By showing addicts seeking help your support you can encourage struggling addicts to seek help. You can also help give rehabilitation centers the resources they need to treat addicts. By something as simple as educating your children, or donating $10 to an addiction rehabilitation center, you can help prevent or stop a drug problem in your community.

3 Reasons Why You Should Eat Your Weed

My last blog concerned the idea of ingesting marijuana via smoking and the health risks that apply to this practice. If you’re as frequent smoker as I am (meaning you smoke at least three to five days a week), the health risks concerning the immune system and the functionality of the lungs is a frightening and very real situation. And let’s be honest, there is no way I’m going to stop using this product. Luckily for the marijuana community, there are other, safer alternatives to ingest marijuana such as converting marijuana into a product that a person can eat. Here are three reasons why eating the edible version of marijuana is a safer alternative to the common trend of smoking it.

1. If you’re a frequent smoker, you obviously enjoy the effects that the product has on you. For the amount of money that marijuana costs (ranging anywhere from 40-60 dollars per eighth), you are likely to want the product to last as long as possible. According to leafly.com, eating marijuana products is consumed through the liver and blood. In contrast, the stimulants of smoking marijuana travel directly to the brain. Because the marijuana is consumed through the liver and eventually the blood, the stimulants remain in the body for a longer period of time, meaning that a marijuana user can enjoy the high feeling for a longer period of time.

2. Smoking marijuana also stimulates a consumer faster than the average edible version. It takes about thirty minutes longer for the edible marijuana to have its effects on the body than it would take to smoke the product. I think it is better to have the thirty minute delay because a person can eat the product and still have the capacity to do activities without having the issue of constantly holding a joint or a bowl and frequently using a lighter. This hands-free approach opens up opportunities for someone to quickly eat the product while completing tasks that otherwise would not be accomplished while holding marijuana necessities.

3. Finally, if I want to ingest marijuana, I want to do it discreetly. I live in a state where marijuana is decriminalized but not yet legal. I am still at risk for getting caught by authorities and having to pay some sort of a fine as a consequence. Also, I am the type of smoker that doesn’t want the general public to know what I do in my spare time, therefore if no one knows, the better. Smoking marijuana releases particular scents into the air and these scents attach to your body and clothes. By eating marijuana products, there is no worry about your hands or clothes smelling so you can be stimulated in public without having that typical smokers fear that “everyone knows you are high.”

Don't Smoke It! 3 Reasons Why

Smoking marijuana is known to be the easiest and most common way to ingest the product into a consumer’s body. Although smoking marijuana is deemed a safer alternative to cigarettes, there are issues within smoking this product that are harmful to the body. For those who smoke marijuana on a regular basis, I have three reasons why you should reconsider the way you enjoy your marijuana.

1. Inhaling marijuana is much different than inhaling tobacco products. With tobacco products, consumers usually inhale the smoke and release it, similar to how a person would take a normal breath. Marijuana is smoked a little more differently. With marijuana inhalation, consumers are supposed to take deeper intakes of the marijuana smoke. What most marijuana smokers do (and as a frequent smoker myself I can admit to) is inhale as much smoke as possible. After this, consumers do not release the smoke from their mouths immediately. Rather, consumers try to hold in the smoke as long as possible in order to take as much of the product into the body as they can. In turn, consumers are able to receive more stimulation from the product. By doing this, the tar from marijuana smoke stays in the body longer and can damage the lungs in a faster way.

2. Another factor from inhaling smoke pertains to the ingredients in marijuana and how it relates to the body. According to lung.org, burning combustible materials automatically releases toxins, carcinogens, and irritants into the air and into the body, respectively. Marijuana is no different. In fact, marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxins, carcinogens, and irritants as cigarettes.

3. Finally, smoking marijuana can cause damage to a consumer’s lung functionality and health. Lung.org says researchers have noted that marijuana smoking can injure cell lining in the large airways of the lungs, leading to symptoms of acute bronchitis, overproduction of phlegm, and common wheezing. Also, the website states the marijuana smoke hurts the lung’s capacity to fight off diseases by eroding away cells that eliminate dust and germs from the immune system. This can eventually lead to respiratory related illnesses and diseases.  

Another Boy Dead

One day before his 20th birthday, drug addiction claimed the life of yet another young man. This boy was not from a "bad town." He did not come from a "bad family." He grew up in a small, boring town. I remember this boy as a child. He was on my bus route to school. 

After his death, his brother wrote an open letter to the parents of our community. He told them that drug addiction is not a problem "over there." It is a problem here. It is a problem where we live. Yet no one is taking it seriously. In a town like mine, drug problems are swept under the rug. We blame the addicts themselves, or the parents, or the family. We are wrong.

When drugs enter your system, they change you. Drugs literally change the chemistry in your brain. A drug addict is not the same person they were before the drug was introduced. I know. This boy was not the first young man I  have seen die because of an addiction. I watched a member of my own family lose his battle with addiction. And it really is a battle. The drug became his entire life. He lost control of his own body and mind. I know that the world blamed him. I blamed him. Was it stupid for him to take the drug in the first place? Yes. But it was a mistake he only had to make once.

When you lose someone you love to drug addiction, it is like losing someone to Cancer. Once they are addicted, taking the drug is no longer a choice. Drug addiction is not a problem in other communities. It is a problem everywhere. Everyone needs to take some responsibility and fight addiction the same way we fight Cancer. Educate. Advocate. Say something. Learn from the people who have watched loved ones lose this fight.  

Adderall: The New Cocaine

With school back in session, many students across the country will be flocking to libraries and study halls to memorize material and cram for tests. Those difficult course loads often leave students looking for that extra pick-me-up to keep them going.

Enter Adderall.

Adderall is a ‘study drug’ used to treat ADHD and, in some cases, narcolepsy. For people who suffer from those disorders the drug is a great way to stay focused and complete whatever tasks they need to finish.

However, many college students have begun turning the prescription study drug into a party drug. The increase in Adderall abuse has gotten so bad that addictioncenter.com estimates 30% of all college students are using stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin, or Vyvanse (other amphetamines used to treat the same disorders).

While the abuse of Adderall is an issue in and of itself, the real problem occurs when it is used in a party setting - especially when it is snorted.  When snorted, Adderall has similar reactions in the body to the more commonly known party drug cocaine.

Adderall can cause adverse effects such as rapid heart rate, psychosis, unusual change in behavior, and even cardiac arrest. Snorting the drug allows it to enter the system more quickly, but leaves the user with increased risks of overdose and damage to the nasal passage.

Many users of the drug in a party setting claim that it simply, “sobers you up”. Perhaps that is reason why addictioncenter.com reported that nearly 90% of college students who abuse Adderall also report participating in binge drinking.

The rise of Adderall as a party drug has shown no signs of stopping in recent past. With more and more students receiving prescriptions it seems as though it that the trend will only continue.

But, the question still remains: is that ‘sober’ feeling at a party really worth it?

Heroin in the Suburbs

Heroin is not a new drug. In fact, it was first synthesized way back in 1874. So what accounts for the drastic spike (90,000-169,000 users from 2006-2013) in number of first time users in America? Why have the number of overdoses quadrupled in that same time frame?

Heroin has hit the suburbs.

Widely considered to be a drug used in highly populated cities, heroin has began to work its way into smaller towns and communities. Quaint Massachusetts’s towns such as Littleton, Cohasset, Scituate, and Hull have all experienced deaths from the highly dangerous drug. In 2014 Littleton, a town of only 9,000, experienced eight deaths from heroin overdose.

I’ve seen first hand what the drug can do to users. In one case, an acquaintance of mine suffered an injury and was prescribed Percocet to help the pain. After taking the pills he quickly found himself addicted. Once the prescription ran out he went to the streets to find more. However, he quickly learned that a Percocet addiction was an expensive habit.

Next best thing? Heroin.

Heroin produces a far superior high for its users than Percocet’s and is far cheaper, too. It was easy for my acquaintance to make the switch to heroin justifying it by saying how much money he was saving.

Heroin addiction can be easy to hide at first, too. First time users often start by snorting or smoking the drug. That way there are no visible needle marks and it is easier for them to continue using without being noticed. Deception is a big part of addiction and being able to consume the drug in various ways is a good asset for a suburban addict trying to hide his or her use.

Heroin has hit the suburbs.

And it’s causing more deaths in the United States than it ever has.

In or Out

There are numerous types of marijuana strains that are readily available to purchase and consume by the typical smoker. All of these types of strains range in potency, smell, taste, color, and consequently, the after effects of smoking this substance. Many smokers believe that all marijuana is basically the same and do not take into account that these different strains affect the body in different ways. There are two different base-strains of marijuana that are essential in differentiating what effect that this substance will have on your body: outdoor grown marijuana and indoor grown marijuana. The question is: which strain is safer for the average consumer?

The most common noted side effect of marijuana is the psychoactive traits that this substance places on your mind. This is mostly known as being “high,” and applies to the cognitive functionality of your brain. The way you think, act, and process information is affected greatly is a result of the levels of THC that is found in Marijuana. Although you will find THC in both outdoor and indoor grown marijuana, the strain that is going to release the most psychoactive traits on the cognitive mind is the outdoor grown marijuana. Marijuana that is grown outdoors is not regulated by the grower nearly as much as marijuana that is grown indoors because of third-party influences. One third party influence is the element of nature. Elements of nature include acid rain and animals rummaging through the plants and possibly releasing urine into the soil. The other third party influence comes from the introduction of widespread insecticides and other drugs that are placed through the air and soil by crop dusters. These elements greatly alter the psychoactive traits of the outdoor marijuana. These altered effects are most notable when consumers experience severe paranoia and show characteristics of scared behavior that turns the whole idea of smoking into a negative time.

Indoor grown marijuana is more closely regulated by the grower because of the absence of the elements of nature and third-party crop dusting. Because of this, growers are able to alter the strains to produce more CBD than THC within the strain of marijuana. CBD is a cannabinoid that is found in marijuana that releases the more medicinal qualities of the substance such as reducing anxiety, increasing appetite, and relieving body pain. Indoor grown marijuana that has high levels of CBD are more commonly used in the production and distribution of medical marijuana as a way to help people who have severe medical issues.

I have smoked both indoor and outdoor grown marijuana for years now and I always come to the same conclusion. In order for me to enjoy the substance, I prefer to purchase and use indoor grown marijuana because I enjoy the medicinal purposes of anxiety reduction and pain relief. When I smoke outdoor grown marijuana, I experience more frequent paranoia and stress, which is the exact opposite of why I wanted to smoke in the first place. If you are a smoker who prefers the relaxation of the body when smoking as opposed the cognitive mind games that can play tricks on you, I would propose to smoke marijuana that is grown indoors.