Rehab -Gay and Lesbian

For any number of reasons, the prevalence of substance abuse within the gay, lesbian and transgender community greatly exceeds the percentage of heterosexuals with addictions.

Depending on the statistics that you believe, the incidence of dependence within the gay and lesbian population is 2 to 3 times higher than the general population. Obviously, the epidemic levels of substance abuse need to be tackled effectively, and gay, lesbian and trans gender people need rehab options that effectively treat their addictions, while remaining sensitive and cognizant of the unique issues facing their particular community.

While some have argued that the prevalence of addiction as reported is exaggerated due to methods of collecting data from within gay bars (one of the few gay friendly public venues across the country) even accounting for the collection methods, data clearly indicates a high level of abuse. Thankfully, in response to this abuse, many treatment centers have begun to offer gay, lesbian and transgender specific rehabs, as well as gay, lesbian and transgender friendly rehabs, within a mixed population of heterosexuals.

Proponents of the two types of rehabs debate their relative merits, but the option to choose is a newfound luxury to many in the gay and lesbian community, and with greater choice comes a better ability to select a treatment facility in which you truly feel comfortable.

12 Steps-Rehab(Drug)

While not everyone responds to 12 steps in drug rehab, the millions of addicts that have bettered their lives and conquered their addictions through the use of the AA or other 12 step programs make its inclusion into a comprehensive drug rehab program valuable, legitimate and beneficial.

Most drug rehab centers use 12 steps philosophies and structured group 12 steps meetings as a part of a comprehensive treatment; and because no one approach works best for everyone, combining 12 steps programming with therapy, education and cognitive behavioral training is the most often employed method for recovery. Every rehab facility varies within its philosophical approach to recovery, and some may stress the 12 steps program exclusively, most use it in conjunction with other methods, and some don't use it at all.

The use of 12 steps in drug rehab, although sometimes criticized, garners legitimacy from the long history of 12 steps organizations, and through the millions of men and women that have used the method to gain strength and conquer personal problems with substance abuse.

Drug Rehab -Concurrent Addiction to Alcohol & Pain Pills

Conservative estimates report that more than 6 million Americans are battling with an addiction to pain pills, and many of these people are co abusing alcohol and other drugs in combination with prescribed opiates.

The poly drug abuse of pain pills and alcohol has negative implications for increased dependency, increased bodily harm and risks of fatal overdose, decreased cognitive and psychological performances, exacerbated detox and withdrawal symptoms and complicated drug treatment and aftercare.

The addiction to any one drug is problematic, and when the addiction occurs to more than one concurrent substance the treatment needs to be correspondingly intensive.

The dangers of pain pill and alcohol addiction remain high within our society, and a recent survey of high school kids indicates that as many as 20% of high school seniors had abused both pain pills and alcohol to get high.

Drug Rehab for HIV and AIDS Patients

Drug rehab for patients with HIV and AIDS is both more complex than normal drug rehabilitation treatment, and for a number of reasons, more vital.

Because of the debilitating effects on the body and mind of drug and alcohol abuse, those patients with already compromised health must be encouraged as much as possible to minimize or eliminate their substance use and abuse. Additionally, because substance abuse can lead to a decrease in other medications compliance, drug abuse can exacerbate the symptoms and progression of an otherwise very treatable disease. Substance abuse also increases the prevalence of risky sexual and transmission behaviors, and as such achieving sobriety within this subset is also of public health importance.

The treatment needs of HIV and AIDS patients are both similar and as well more complicated than the treatment required for a single diagnosis of substance abuse. An HIV or AIDS patient may be suffering from additional health complications that require frequent medical interventions during a period of rehab, and they may also require life saving medications that may complicate the recovery process. Mentally, the prevalence of co occurring psychiatric disorders is significantly higher, and since any dual diagnosis complicates treatment, the existence of HIV or AIDS, substance abuse and a corresponding mental illness makes the effective rehabilitation of this group problematic.

AIDS, can cause cognitive declines, and patients struggling with these cognitive challenges, and the anxiety accompanying these declines, have more difficulty internalizing the lessons of drug and alcohol rehab and using the strategies and therapies of rehab to good effect in drug and alcohol avoidance.

In short, the treatment of HIV or AIDS affected substance abusers is very complex, but because drug or alcohol abuse can greatly damage an already weakened body, can reduce HIV medications compliance and cause an exacerbation of psychiatric conditions, HIV and AIDS patients with substance abuse issues desperately need intervention and intensive and appropriate drug residential rehab.

Rehab for Celebrity

While they may seem larger than life, celebrities are just as prone, if not more so, to the temptations of substance abuse; and drugs and alcohol never discriminate and don't care who you are or how much money you have… if you abuse drugs or alcohol you will always pay a price.

The life stresses in a celebrity's existence may be far removed from the personal stresses of our day to day existence, and while worries about making the rent may not bother a wealthy celebrity, everyone carries their own baggage, and financial independence and success do not isolate anyone from the burdens of life.

If anything, although generally very well off, celebrities lead more demanding lives than the rest of us, and especially so when battling with substance use and abuse. Having a crowd of paparazzi following you during your lowest moments, and having all of your shameful behaviors recorded for the world cannot be easy.

Additionally, although most of us don’t maintain a paid entourage, the massive salaries of so many celebrities enable the employment of a variety of aides whose livelihoods are entirely dependent on the celebrity's performance. These people may not be able to or even want to change the celebrity's behaviors, and as a result the celebrity can be surrounded with a group of people reluctant to say what is needed, and reluctant to intervene when addiction overwhelms.

Ultimately, whatever the causes of addiction, dependencies are not easily conquered without professional help, and when a celebrity decides, or is compelled to accept treatment, they may have some different needs from a treatment program than the average drug or alcohol dependent addict.

Therapy in Drug Rehab

Do I really need expensive individual therapy? Why is it better than group therapy anyways?

One-On-One Therapy

The therapist working in the drug rehab facility should be either a psychologist, psychiatrist or trained addictions therapist, and they should have experience working with recovering addicts.

Although the inclusion of regular sessions with a therapist does increases the costs of a rehab stay, they are an essential part of any comprehensive addictions treatment.

Private therapy can heal on many levels, and working with a therapist to increase self awareness benefits recovering addicts beyond simply recovery from addiction; but the three main goals of private therapy in drug rehab are:

1. To uncover the basal causes to abuse, and to understand why substance abuse behaviors occur, and how best to eliminate these basal causes to abuse.
2. To work with the recovering addict to develop a tailored and reasonable plan of action for the continuing sobriety once released into the community.
3. To continue to work with the recovering addict through aftercare, to assist the recovering addict through the challenges of abstinence, and to modify the relapse prevention plan as needed.

Therapists can also help the recovering addict deal with any co-occurring mental issues, and may advise appropriate pharmacological symptoms management when appropriate.

All Benefit From Individual Therapy

While no one approach to recovery works best for everyone, and some may benefit more from 12 steps programs, and others find cognitive behavioral avoidance strategies most helpful; all in recovery benefit from one on one contact with an addictions professional, and without this core aspect of a recovery program, it can be difficult for those in recovery to truly consolidate and ultimately apply the teachings of rehab.

Learning What Compels You to Use

Without private therapy with a trained professional, some of the root causes of abuse remain undiagnosed, and without appropriate awareness of these triggers to abuse, there is little hope for long term sobriety once re exposed to these situations or people that prompt substance use.

Without continuing private therapy in drug rehab aftercare, the needed use avoidance techniques of rehab can become seemingly less applicable to the changing realities of newfound sobriety. Continuing therapy in drug rehab aftercare helps recovering addicts to better understand how the use avoidance techniques of rehab apply to their current reality, and helps to develop changing strategies to deal with emerging stresses and temptations.

Aftercare therapy does not need to occur with the same frequency as in rehab, but occasional sessions with a private therapist are enormously beneficial.

When selecting a rehab program, be sure to evaluate the level of private therapy in the drug rehab, and consider the expertise of the professionals providing this therapy and the relative commitment of the drug rehab to continue providing therapy during the aftercare period.

Methadone Drug Rehab

There are few issues more polarized than the issue of methadone maintenance therapy for the treatment of addiction; and it can be difficult for opiate addicts to know whether methadone drug rehab or conventional drug rehab offers them a better chance at recovery and a life of happiness and sobriety.

Is Methadone drug rehab better than conventional drug rehab for opiate addiction?

The issue is so contentious because there are significant advantages and disadvantages to both Methadone drug rehab and conventional drug rehab. Ultimately, any therapy that allows for sobriety must be considered better than further drug abuse, and as such either Methadone drug rehab treatment or conventional drug rehab are both better than doing nothing. As follows are an outline of some of the advantages and disadvantages of both Methadone drug rehab and conventional drug rehab; and with a better understanding of the two treatments, addicts seeking help may be better able to chose the type of drug rehab most suited to their needs, and destined to offer the greatest likelihood of long term success and sobriety.

Nutrition - Drug Rehab

The combination of peripheral programming in recovery is of significant importance, and the recreation, meditation, and essential nutrition of a residential stay are necessary compliments to the therapy and education of a drug rehab. A quality rehab program aims to heal the body and the mind as it heals the sprit and lessens the grips of an addiction. The importance of nutritional programming within a rehab environment should not be overlooked.

Many addicts enter rehab unhealthy and malnourished. The most commonly abused drug, alcohol, is particularly devastating on the processes of the body, and since alcohol can be consumed for caloric energy, many chronic alcoholics consume half or more of their daily caloric needs through the empty calories of alcohol. Many suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can both increase the risks of serious health conditions, and also increase the risks of further abuse.

Although alcohol ravages the body, abusers of a great many drugs suffer from nutritional deficits; and chronic abuse and addiction can often suppress hunger or reduce the efficiency of metabolic and other food processing processes. Regardless of the drug abused, restoring health through excellent nutrition improves the strength of the body and improves the mental outlook of the patient in recovery. A quality rehab should have a dietician or nutritional professional employed to determine the unique nutritional needs of each and every recovering addict in the program, and to design a meal plan specifically matched to the nutritional needs of each diverse patient.

Avoid - Drug Rehab Relapse

Drug and alcohol addiction recovery is a process, and a process that continues for life; and unfortunately, because no one is ever "cured" completely from the temptations of addiction, relapse is too often a part of the process of recovery.

3 Components to a Successful Recovery

No two addicts are alike, and what causes sobriety in one may offer little to another; but in general, there are 3, Yes, there are only 3 components to success in drug addiction treatment.

How to increase the odds

To increase the odds of long term sobriety, the recovering addict needs to participate fully and honestly in all of the recovery programming during treatment, the recovering addict needs to work to discover their triggers to abuse, to develop a personalized recovery plan…and to follow that plan once residential rehab is completed; and the recovering addict must make a long term commitment to participate in aftercare programming.

1. Participate - with honesty and commitment in all of the programs of rehab

No one but the recovering addict can induce personal change and growth, and to create the best probability of long term sobriety the period of intensive treatment must be maximized. Full, honest and introspective participation in recovery sessions allows for the growth and self awareness that makes future abuse less likely.

Anyone can go through the motions, and ultimately, even the toughest of programs cannot cause internal change in a resistant patient. Change comes from within, and change starts with a commitment to hard, emotional, and honest recovery and reflection.

2. Make a recovery plan and stick to it

Through an honest and committed participation in the therapeutic treatments of a drug rehab program, recovering addicts gain a better understanding of the their triggers to use and abuse, and the people and social and environmental situations that make abuse more likely.

Using this newfound awareness, recovering addicts need to create a detailed and comprehensive recovery and sobriety plan. Making a plan for the initial and very risky first period out of rehab ensures continued temptation aversion, and encourages a practice of the lessons of rehab once back in the home environment.

Although making an honest and comprehensive recovery plan is important, the plan isn't worth much if there is no commitment to follow the directions of the plan once back home and again immersed in temptation. The recovery plan should keep you busy, keep you focused and keep you safe. Failure to follow an honest recovery plan increases the likelihood of drug rehab relapse.

It's always difficult to stay true to a demanding recovery document, but recovery is rarely easy, and a commitment to change and sobriety will require sacrifices.

3. A continuing participation in aftercare

After drug rehab, relapse occurs most frequently either in the very initial period once re exposed to the triggers and temptations to use, and again a few months later, when with the confidence of a period of sobriety accomplished, participation in aftercare is curtailed.

Recovery is a process, and it is a long one at that. The full and intensive participation in aftercare for at least a year is one of the best indicators of long term sobriety and success. Aftercare recommendations will vary based on the needs of the recovering addict, but aftercare will at a minimum consist of continuing peer group meetings (AA or NA for example) and continuing occasional sessions with an addictions professional.

The changing realities and emerging stresses of life after rehab require a continuing commitment to abstinence, and a continuing modification of the recovery plan. Staying involved in aftercare encourages the integration of the lessons of rehab into everyday life, and keeps a recovering addict focused on success

Family Support - Rehab

Making the Decision to Get Help

Once the decision is made to get help, parental involvement continues to play an integral role in the drug rehabilitation process. Although during drug rehab your teen may no longer be living under your roof, you as parents remain the strongest people of influence in his or her life, and you need to remain supportive and involved even as your teen receives treatment in a residential facility.

Research has shown that a high level of parental involvement throughout the residential drug rehab period is the single greatest factor influencing eventual completion of the program and long term sobriety. Occasional phone calls are not enough, and parents need to be involved with the therapy, education and counseling, to encourage the best eventual outcome.

The period of residential drug rehab is a period of enormous growth and challenge for an adolescent coping with a transition away from drug or alcohol abuse, and the process is rarely free from trauma or abuse. Parents need to remain involved, and remember that some of the behaviors as exhibited against the parents are not necessarily true expressions of emotion, but a process of acting out against the facility and the required changes to be made.

Private Treatment Centers - Advantages

When choosing a rehab center, a decision must be made between public and private drug treatment facilities. For most people, it comes down to an eligibility for public programs and a cost benefit evaluation of the relative merits of each. In general, for those with the means, a private drug treatment facility offers more.

The primary advantage of a public drug treatment facility is the relatively low or even no cost involvement, and although publicly funded drug rehabs vary in relative quality, some do offer an excellent standard of care. Many of these programs have low income requirements for entry, and due to a limited number of available spaces, inclusion into a public program can require a waiting period. Additionally, due to demand for these available beds, treatment may be limited in duration to increase the availability of treatment to the greatest possible number of recovering addicts.

Private drug treatment does not necessarily imply an excellent standard of care, but most private facilities will offer a better standard of accommodation, more intensive and longer therapies, and a more comprehensive programming. For people with good insurance coverage or the means to afford private drug treatment, this type of drug treatment is generally preferable.

Costs-Drug Rehab

Due to the level of staff and professional involvement, the medical treatments and pharmaceutical therapies as well as the costs of housing, feeding and supporting a population over a month or more, the price of a month at rehab is rarely cheap.

Prices range from a few thousand dollars a month for a basic treatment center to $10 000 - $20 000 per month for a private and comfortable facility, and the costs can continue upwards from there as the luxuriousness of the facility and programs offered increases.

When determining the cost of a drug rehab, you need to evaluate three things:

• Firstly, are the costs of the drug rehab as stated inclusive of all treatments, accommodations and medical expenses, and are there any optional add-ons that may increase the bill at the end of the month?
• Secondly, what percentage of the care as offered is covered under private insurance packages?
• Thirdly, can my family and I afford this level of care…or conversely, can we afford not to pay for this level of care?

The professional staff involvement at any comprehensive and quality rehab facility disallows bargain treatment, and you need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of money to get a quality and effective treatment program. Ideally, a larger proportion of the costs are offset by your insurance provider, but even if the total costs of the program need to be met by the individual, the necessity of recovery demands that the costs of a program not discourage families from needed care.

Drug and even alcohol abuse is very expensive, and many families endure financial ruin through the insatiable needs for money of a using and abusing addict. Additionally, when the increased health care and decreased work productivity costs are factored into the equation, even a more expensive and luxurious private facility becomes cost effective over the long and even not so long term.

There is never any guarantee that a residential rehab facility will teach success and ensure sobriety, but when an addiction has progressed to the point where a residential program is considered, the only acceptable outcome can be success.

When evaluating a residential rehab, look at more than the bottom line, and a program should never be selected on price alone. The price as offered may or may not reflect quality of care and service, and you need to evaluate the credentials of the facility, the standards of the accommodation, the treatment intensity with professionals as offered, and the success rate of the facility. The price also needs to be factored into the decision, but by choosing a rehab on price alone you may not be getting your money's worth.

Residential rehab is an investment in the future

Rehab is an expensive necessity, and hopefully a month of intensive therapy and recovery will be enough to impart the needed skills towards long term sobriety. Price is always a consideration, and paying for luxury you cannot reasonably afford is neither sensible nor cost effective. Pay for the best experience you can reasonably manage.

To reduce the total costs of the experience look for a facility that allows for the highest proportion of insurance coverage, that seems to offer good value for the price stated, that works with people in real financial need to either reduce the overall costs of the stay or to arrange a long term and acceptable payment plan, and additionally look for any governmental grants to treatment that you may be eligible to benefit from.

Rehab is an investment in the future, and like any investment, you will have to pay; but the returns of rehab can be great, and with success, the ultimate financial benefits are sure to greatly exceed any costs of a month's stay at a residential facility.

Self Assessment

Abuse

If you suffer from a substance abuse situation you may well need professional help to change your behaviors and to better your health, but you may not require the intensity of a residential drug or alcohol rehab; and at the very least you may want to start the treatment process on an outpatient basis to see whether you can get healthier without suffering the expense and disruption of a residential rehab.

Addiction

Once addicted though, the treatment requirements increase dramatically. Once we become chemically dependant we lose some degree of control over our actions. Addiction manifests in an area of the brain beyond our conscious awareness, and although this area of the brain (the mesolimbic) does exert an enormous influence over our behaviors and actions, and although we appear to be making conscious and willful decisions, in many cases we are merely following the directions of a part of our brain over which we have no control.

With addiction we lose control over our actions and since our will to stay sober is rarely enough, we instead need to learn effective strategies to manage these pre conscious impulses. The brain does heal, and it will revert to a normal state of functioning, but it requires time for this healing process. Getting into rehab and away from access and temptation for a month or more can be enough to diminish the power of these preconscious influences, and allow you a better opportunity to exercise learned strategies to relapse avoidance.

There are no guarantees, and for any real chance at success a full and honest participation in the therapies of rehab, and a long involvement in therapeutic aftercare programming is required.

If You Are Addicted…

If you are addicted, you may find that outpatient therapies give you the tools you need to overcome your dependency, however, to have the best opportunity for success, a period of enforced sobriety and very intensive therapy and education offers a lot. If you are addicted, getting into a residential rehab program is likely the best chance you have at a better life of sobriety, health and happiness.

You may also want to consider seeking the advice of an addictions therapist or psychologist. A single session with an experienced professional can offer insight into the extent of the problem and leave you with concrete suggestions for individually relevant therapies.

Please ask to Your Self -Are you really addicted

Do You Need Rehab?

For some people and for some families, things have gotten to the point that a decision about treatment is clear, and when addiction makes life unmanageable, residential rehab is often the only way up from that dark pit.

But a lot of people may know that they have some degree of a problem with drugs or alcohol, feel unable to better the problem on their own, but aren’t sure just what to do or where to go to get help. Anyone who wonders about their drinking or drug taking very likely has some degree of an abuse or addiction challenge, as healthy substance users don’t often feel the need to evaluate their level of use.

Is it Addiction or Abuse?

There are two categorized levels of substance abuse problems, and although there can be a great range of severities within each broad category, in general, the treatments required for each are quite distinct. As a starting point, you need to know whether you have a substance abuse problem, or whether you face an addiction.

Here's an easy way to self diagnose, take the American Psychological Association's 7 question quiz on abuse behaviors. Answer honestly, and if you answer yes to three or more of the following questions about your behaviors over the last 12 month period, you are classified as addicted.

Rehab for Alcohol And Drug

Chemical dependency is a serious disease effecting millions of people today. Every country are very concern about this issue and if it not taken seriously it may cause a serious problem. The key to reaching sobriety is finding a good rehabilitation center. It requires experienced medical professionals to make an accurate diagnosis and provide effective treatment. The standard drug or alcohol rehab program lasts 28 days or longer. Patients should expect to be with several other recovering alcoholics and addicts. Depending on your needs, you can find centers based in the city which are held most often at dormitories or group centers. Or you can locate other programs outside the city that held within exclusive properties completely secluded from the everyday distractions of life.

Group therapy in the treatment center is based around interacting with others, sharing opinions on addiction issues, and personal growth. Most treatment centers offer several group therapy sessions per day. Private therapy sessions are standard at all treatment centers. Your private addiction therapist will help you establish treatment goals and will closely monitor your progress towards recovery. Remember, your recovery is the most important thing in the world to those who have been in your situation. Putting yourself around others with similar goals will result in positive support from both your peers and instructors. Locate the center of your choice by calling to set up an orientation meeting and take the first step towards sobriety today.

If you think you have an addiction problem, agreeing to join a drug rehab center may be the important decision of your life. Each center has a specially trained staff, levels of care, programs, rates, and schedule. When calling a drug rehab center helpline you need to be very specific about your issues and needs.