Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

Drug Detox is most effective when done in alcohol treatment or drug detox rehab centers under the supervision of a doctor. Drug detox is the process of monitoring and administering medical care to a patient experiencing drug detox or alcohol detox symptoms. These symptoms may vary depending on the individual. We strive to make drug detox or alcohol detox as pleasant an experience as possible for drug rehab patients. Drug detox patients should be detoxed slowly and gently and medically monitored throughout the drug detox or alcohol treatment process. Daily needs of drug detox patients are attended to and the drug rehab center’s medical staff should monitor vital signs and symptoms. Drug detox placement or admission to drug detox is determined during the assessment process and the drug detox protocol specifically determined for each patient accordingly. Alcohol detox medical staff administers medications and other medical/nursing care for the patient who is in need of inpatient alcohol treatment or drug detox. 

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Alcohol Detox Program 

First off, when attempting to get off alcohol or drugs, be advised that medical personnel should always monitor any kind of detox in order to provide prompt and educated aid to those striving to rid their bodies of the effects of chronic alcohol and drug abuse. An alcohol detox program is only the first step that alcoholics will take prior to alcohol rehab.

Alcohol withdrawal is the first process that an alcoholic must take to begin the cleansing process that will ultimately remove all traces of alcohol from their body systems. With alcoholism, alcohol abuse or drug abuse, the body becomes dependent on those drugs or alcohol, and during an alcohol detox, withdrawal is the process by which drug or alcohol induced toxins are exorcised from the body. It isn’t easy, and many people aren’t mentally or physically prepared for the process. But with an alcohol detox program, that’s only the first step. The next step, is a alcohol rehab program, and is only begun after the person has completed the alcohol withdrawal process. Some well meaning people try to skip to the second step first, but such an endeavor is useless, as any remnant of alcohol in the body will continue to induce cravings for it, thereby defeating any and all arguments to the contrary. 

The term, alcohol detox, is officially defined as the period of time it takes someone to overcome his or her physical dependence and need for alcohol. In an alcohol detox rehab center, this process is carefully and closely monitored by trained medical personnel experienced in dealing with the moods and temperaments of alcoholics on the road to recovery. The end goal of an alcohol detox program is to free the alcoholic of the addictive effect of alcohol on their body, in addition to helping them get through that most difficult process as pain free as possible. An alcohol detox center will offer expert guidance and advice to those wishing to enroll in their program and to help people get a good start on the road to a long-term recovery. For the most part, an alcohol detox program is completed within an in-patient, medical type setting so that patients can be closely monitored and helped. 

Experiencing alcohol detox isn’t pleasant and can produce symptoms that express both physically and emotionally. Many who have completed an alcohol detox program claim the experience, though necessary, was traumatic and withdrawal from alcohol or drugs can produce both physical and mental manifestations that range from mild to alarmingly severe. That’s why it’s so important for people to go through an alcohol detox process in a licensed drug rehab or alcohol rehab facility with fully trained medical staff on hand to oversee the process. Some people experience headaches, the ’shakes’, vomiting, insomnia and even delirium tremors, more commonly known as the ‘DTs’ and even seizures. Supervised alcohol detox is recommended, especially since one in four patients may experience severe withdrawal symptoms like seizures and convulsions. 

An alcohol detox program can take within three to seven days in most cases, and then the alcohol rehab program should begin. It’s not an easy battle, but with the help of an alcohol detox program and treatment in  an alcohol rehab, the person has a high chance of not only a healthy recovery, but also a less stressful one. 

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From a daughter of privilege to a crystal-meth con artist

PATRICK BRETHOUR and KATHERINE HARDING
For months, the twenty something woman, her big dog and her male companion were quiet fixtures on Rockend Place, a private preserve of luxury homes with million-dollar views of the Pacific Ocean.
Then the rumours started to fly about the couple. And the police came, arresting the man and woman in their vehicle as they drove through the ultra-affluent West Vancouver neighbourhood, and uncovering the tools of a sophisticated identity-theft racket after searching the $1.6-million home.
This week Chief Justice Catherine Fraser and her husband told the public that it was their child, Andrea Claire Fraser, who had been arrested — and that it was the scourge of crystal methamphetamine that had turned a daughter of privilege into a convicted felon hooked on street drugs. It is a drug addiction that has pushed the young woman directly into trouble with the law, her parents said.
“Our daughter is a good person whose conduct has unfortunately been driven by an addiction to crystal meth. We stand by her,” Catherine and Richard Fraser said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to support her and the court order. “Every family at one time or another faces a trauma. At this point, this is ours.”
Crystal meth was at one time associated with runaways and prostitutes, but crystal meth is quickly burrowing into Canadian homes, devastating families of all incomes and backgrounds, including the Frasers. “It is a deeply personal matter we are dealing with,” Mr. Fraser said in a brief interview. The family said they need their privacy as Andrea fights her drug addiction.
That battle has already begun, with her release contingent on immediately beginning a court-ordered drug detox program. The day after leaving jail, she was brought to an addiction treatment center with a drug detox program.
The addiction treatment center believes that “drug addiction is a disease of the brain.” Family participation in a person’s recovery is highly recommended, and relatives are allowed to make weekend visits to the secluded addiction treatment center, as well as attend educational programs and seminars.
West Vancouver police are used to crystal-meth addicts ransacking the mailboxes of the wealthy in search of a quick buck for a quick high. But Sergeant Paul Skelton said he cannot recall his force uncovering a sophisticated identity-theft scam as was discovered at 4288 Rockend Place, which the Fraser family bought for $1.4-million cash in June of 2005.
Four months later, police armed with a search warrant found 26.5 grams of crystal meth in the home, and arrested four people, including Andrea Fraser. No drug charges were laid because police could not establish who owned the crystal meth, Sgt. Skelton said.
Thirteen months after that, police were back at the home, uncovering the tools of an identity-theft ring, including computer equipment, stolen mail, fraudulent IDs and even a stolen sheriff’s badge. There was no crystal meth recovered in the second search, Sgt. Skelton said.
Ms. Fraser’s co-accused, Sean William Clarke, was freed on $50,000 bail, but did not show up for a court hearing; police have now issued an arrest warrant for him.
Sgt. Skelton said many people aren’t even aware that they are taking crystal meth initially, mistaking its high for less ravenously addictive rave-type drugs. But drug addiction is nearly immediate, followed by erratic, irrational behaviour and a theft spree to grab enough cash to keep the crystal-meth high flowing.

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GLBT Addiction Treatment
 

Research has demonstrated that a higher incidence of drug abuse, alcohol abuse and depression exists in the GLBT community than the heterosexual community. In most cases the drug abuse and alcohol abuse was a means to cope with issues as; internalized homophobia, prejudice, alienation, coming out, high risk behavior or depression. Unfortunately, the drug abuse and alcohol abuse gave birth to drug addiction and alcoholism creating additional challenges to resolve. The question to address now was “which addiction treatment program or drug rehab will provide the best opportunity for long term recovery?”

When choosing a drug rehab or drug addiction treatment program there are many factors to consider. When looking for addiction treatment program or drug rehab where sexual preference (gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender) could be an issue, additional addiction treatment factors might need to be considered.

Which is the Best Type of Drug Rehab Program for the GLBT Community?
 

Let us first say, there is no one drug rehab that is perfect for everyone. That being said, we would suggest there are certain aspects of addiction treatment to consider before choosing a drug rehab for the GLBT community. We would be remiss and naïve to ignore the challenges a gay person faces or has faced. When looking for a drug rehab, we want to minimize issues such as discrimination, prejudice and homophobia as much as possible. In an effort to do this, we would first encourage you to ask the question as to whether the drug rehab is a gay friendly drug rehab or gay friendly addiction treatment program. Now, what do we mean by “gay friendly”.

In the world of drug rehabs, when we refer to a gay friendly drug rehab we mean; the addiction treatment or drug rehab staff is properly trained to deal with issues such as coming out, the gay lifestyle, HIV, internalized homophobia, the drug rehab staff  has dealt with their own issues surrounding homophobia, a drug rehab that creates a comfortable setting for the GLBT client, remembering people are people.

Another important aspect of effective addiction treatment to consider is the issue of drug detox or alcohol detox. Does the drug rehab or addiction treatment program have a medically based drug detox program within the confines of its addiction treatment facility? The importance of a medically based drug detox program is found in its ability to provide 24 hour nursing care, 24 hour addiction treatment staff and a physician trained in addiction medicine (ASAM certified).  As for the drug detox program or alcohol detox program, being located within the drug rehab, this will allow for a seamless transition into the actual drug rehab program. This is significant in that the vast majority of people that complete drug detox, but DO NOT, go on to inpatient drug rehab end up in relapse. Don’t confuse a drug detox program with a drug rehab rehab program. Drug detox provides medical stabilization, while a drug rehab maintains the gains made in drug detox and works towards emotional stabilization and continued recovery. 

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