Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

Addiction treatment in Atlanta has come a long way especially as it applies to the GLBT community. For years the gay community, as large as it was in Atlanta, seemed to receive little attention as it applied to addiction treatment. It seemed as though Atlanta addiction treatment was completely geared to the heterosexual community.

While the vast majority of the gay and lesbian community went to addiction treatment in Jacksonville at a program called Freedom Rings, addiction treatment in Atlanta did its best to address gay and lesbian clinical challenges.

After many interviews, it is the opinion of this writer that addiction treatment in Atlanta still has a long way to go with regards to the GLBTQ population and the gay and lesbian living in Atlanta or for that matter, anywhere in Georgia are better served going to addiction treatment at Freedom Rings.

Bookmark to:

There are many addictive drugs, and addiction treatments for specific drugs can differ. Addiction Treatment also varies depending on the characteristics of the patient.
Problems associated with an individual’s drug addiction can vary significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life. Many suffer from mental health, occupational, health, or social problems that make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among people.
A variety of scientifically based approaches to drug addiction treatment exists. Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy (such as counseling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy), medications, or their combination. Behavioral therapies offer people strategies for coping with their drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and help them deal with relapse if it occurs. When a person’s drug-related behavior places him or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to other medical, psychological, and social services are crucial components of addiction treatment for many patients. The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient, which are shaped by such issues as age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, parenting, housing, and employment, as well as physical and sexual abuse.

Bookmark to:

Am I a drug addict? Yes I am, although I haven’t used in nearly 5 days. That’s actually an achievement for me. They say you need to take your mind off of the drugs, off of using, stop hanging out with the same people, pick up a new hobby…all of those things sound like great ideas, but I don’t have the energy or the will to even move out of my bedroom. Withdrawal from heroin is not a fun experience and even getting to the point I’m at now wasn’t easy. I was just watching one of my favorite movies - “Gridlock’d” starring Tupac Shakur – watching someone inject dope (even if it’s not real) makes me think about calling my dealer. Instead, I decided I would start writing until the craving passes… at least until next time. I find myself watching movies about drugs, drug dealers, drug addicts…there must be a reason why these are all my favorite movies. So, I decided to make a list of the top ten drug movies of all time – this list has the official stamp of approval from a certified drug addict!

1) “Scarface”
Comments: A true look into the life of a coke addict. I can definitely relate.

2) “Requiem For a Dream”
Comments: Any drug addict can definitely relate to this movie.

3) “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”
Comments: It takes a while to get it..but definitely right on.

4) “Blow”
Comments: The “bad” guy is actually a very likeable character; this movie shows you the good and the bad side of drugs.

5) “Trainspotting”
Comments: A good “say no to drugs movie” – they should show this in middle school health class.

6) “Pulp Fiction”

Comments: Not completely about drugs, but has one of the realer heroin OD scenes I’ve seen in a movie.

7) “Spun”
Comments: Not a very popular movie – but gives a great point of view of the addict.

8) “Friday”
Comments: Surprisingly, shows the real effects of marijuana.

9) “Half Baked”

Comments: I definitely could relate to Dave Chapelle’s character throughout the movie. A real look into marijuana and it’s effects.

10) “Dazed and Confused”
Comments: Wow, marijuana has changed a lot in the past thirty years.

Bookmark to:

One of the many problems people face in addiction treatment today is relapse, and the idea that relapse is a part of recovery. But what we need to understand and believe is that relapse is not a part of recovery. It’s just a dangerous slogan that is based on myth, and it only gives people permission to relapse because they think that when they do, they are on the road to recovery. Relapse is a return to dependency. Sobriety is part of recovery. And staying sober is easy once you have been successful in healing the underlying conditions that were responsible for your drug addiction in the first place.

When you consider having just one drink or taking just one hit, ask yourself this question: will I really stop after just one?

Many of us have a story about relapse either from personal experience or from the experiences of our friends. When I ponder this question thoughtfully, I know that the answer for me is that I will not stop at just one. And ultimately, our body gets better and better at counteracting the disruptive effects of a drug, i.e. we develop a tolerance. The problem is, we don’t typically say at that point, “Well, the drug isn’t doing much for me anymore, so I guess I’ll stop.” Instead, we take increasingly larger or more frequent doses to produce the same relief from our underlying problems.

And think about what it’s taken for many of us to truly admit that we have a drug addiction, from losing the wife and kids to being homeless, or even stealing from the people closest to us to fund drinking or drug use.

Remember that relapse is not a part of recovery, and that many people who relapse don’t make it back to a life of freedom from drug addiction. If you find yourself once again with a drink in hand having promised yourself that you would never do this again, then there could still be underlying issues in your life that need to be discovered and healed. Whether that takes place in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous or in a period of intense therapy at a drug rehab center like Lakeview Health Systems in Jacksonville Florida, a better and more fulfilling life is possible.

Bookmark to: