Are They Unable To Quit The Drugs Without Help

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug rehabilitation - drug addiction happens when someone takes drug compulsively regardless of the mental, emotional and physical consequences. These problems can be anything: relationships issues, past sexual or physical abuse, and more, a terrible accident. Many people take drugs to forget about or blot out a problem.

People use drugs to temporarily forget about these issues and have some relief from the mental or physical anguish that these issues cause. - there are many common signs of drug addiction that can help you notice if you or someone you know has a problem with drugs. However, this is just trading one problem for another. Is this person obsessively talking or thinking about their drug of choice? Are they unable to quit the drugs without help? Do they exhibit poor coordination or irregular speech?

Do they seem irritable, and are they frequently argumentative? - one of the first and most difficult parts of recovering from a drug addiction is the initial detoxification. These are just some of the more common signs of drug addiction, and they serve as a red flag that the drug user needs help. A successful detox will impact the success of the recovery, so this time is very crucial. After detox, it' s time for the addict to go on to a treatment center such as CARE Addiction Recovery. Drug detox centers such as Renaissance Malibu do everything they can to ensure that the detox is as painless and gentle as possible. At CARE, addicts enter various programs in order to help them to successfully and fully recover from their addictions.

All of this combines to create a successful recovery program. - care also has a relapse prevention program to help prepare addicts with the tools necessary to avoid relapsing. If you or someone you know is affected by an addiction, don' t wait to begin the road to recovery. Addicted. com can help you to find the right alcohol treatment program for you or a loved one.

In Other Words, One Or More Vital Elements Of Rehabilitation Was Omitted

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug rehab relapse should not be an expected treatment outcome - we keep hearing people ask if a relapse is expected after treatment for alcohol or drug addiction. Well, contrary to popular belief, relapse is not part of a properly and thoroughly done drug rehab.

We even see so - called rehabilitation" experts" quoted in the media saying relapse is all part of the rehab process. - when someone experiences a relapse after alcohol or drug addiction treatment, it' s a red flag that either the person left the drug rehab program before it was completed, or the program was just poorly designed or delivered. In other words, one or more vital elements of rehabilitation was omitted. Of course, it could mean both of those things. The expense of drug rehab is not an indicator of how good, or not so good, either, a program is. Of course relapse is" normal and expected" if a rehab center doesn' t do the job right, and lets people go before they' re fully rehabilitated.

Witness the number of movie stars, rock stars and pro athletes who, according to media reports, pay top dollar for luxury - style drug rehab and later suffer relapses. - in fact, if the people who run a drug rehab center you' re considering using tell you that relapse is normal and expected, you need to find a different option. After he was given a suspended sentence last summer for a drugs charge, British rocker Pete Doherty was reported as saying there was no way he could stay out of legal trouble. In one recent case, the threat of relapse was announced by the addict himself before he went to rehab. During six weeks at the Clouds clinic in Wiltshire, U. Now this week, a video has surfaced on the Internet showing Pete shooting up heroin again.

K. , and for a reported two or more weeks after that, Pete remained clean and sober. - diary entries allegedly from pete' s time in rehab have been" leaked" to the media. No jail, normal functioning friendships, no rehab and relationships and a lucrative, respectable career. In one entry, Pete says: "If I had not been chemically dependent my life would have been extremely manageable. I would probably own a house, a driving license and a better reputation. I' m on a direct course for all four. " Pete says he is returning to drug rehab soon. If I don' t pack in drugs, particularly crack and heroin, I am likely to either die, go mad or, go bankrupt end up permanently institutionalized.

No one says that addictions are easy to defeat, but Doherty assessment of continuing an alcohol or drug addiction is right on the money. - if you or someone you care about is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction or has relapsed after treatment, do what pete doherty says he' s going to do: end the threat of relapse by finding a drug rehab program that really works. When drug rehab is done thoroughly and done right, it leaves no reason for a relapse.

No Need For Three Or Four Or More Months Of Drug Rehab

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug rehab? why can't i just do drug detox and go home? - we frequently hear the question when someone addicted to alcohol or drugs is faced with a lengthy drug rehab program: why can' t i just do drug detox? If the first real step towards recovery is the decision to handle your addiction once and for all, then drug detox is the second vital step.

The answer is painfully simple: to find and solve the problems that drew you into addiction in the first place, and learn how to avoid those pitfalls in the future, you must do a drug rehab program. - almost all drug rehab programs begin with drug detox, when the addict goes through withdrawal. To many addicts, this sounds like all they need - after detox, they' ll be cured! After that, they won' t feel such a burning physical need for their next drink or drug fix, and they won' t collapse or have seizures from the withdrawal symptoms. No need for three or four or more months of drug rehab! The damage done to your brain and body by alcohol or drugs can be significant, if not always, and is usually, accompanied by some degree of malnutrition and dehydration. It' s true that a drug detox can help relieve the often terrible withdrawal symptoms caused by coming off alcohol or drugs.

A good drug detox includes nutritional work to help boost the effectiveness of your detox. - all these needs are addressed during a proper drug detox, which can take on average a week or so depending on the person and their addiction. And finally, because detox can be quite an emotional experience, counselors should be there to provide needed support. After drug detox you can continue on your road to recovery in drug rehab without the addictive substances that brought you there. Your emotions are freed up, and your reactions to people and life begin to make sense again, rather than being drug - centered. Your mind is clearer than it' s been in a long time.

A great drug detox even before drug rehab can provide a big boost to one' s self - worth, vitality and hope for the future. - however, nothing has been done yet to address the psychological and emotional factors that led you into your addiction and kept it alive like an evil twin, like a dark shadow on your life. Drug detox is far from the cure - but it' s a great preview of how life can eventually be. That will be your voyage of discovery in drug rehab - and as you can imagine, it can take a while. It will offer you the tools you need to repair the damage your addiction has caused, and prevent it from happening again. A good drug rehab program will provide new understanding about yourself and your relationships with others and your environment.

We read recently where someone said that alcohol and drugs don' t make anyone happy, they simply mask the problems that make you unhappy. - the road to full self - recovery only begins with drug detox: it ends with however much time it takes later with a successful drug rehab program.

First, Let' S Look At The Similarities Among The Three Drugs

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Why medical drug detox is needed for xanax, ativan and klonopin - xanax, ativan and klonopin are three of the most widely addicting or abused prescription drugs of the benzodiazepine family of central nervous system depressants. The safest and best approach to get off Xanax, Ativan or Klonopin is a medically supervised drug detox. Each drug has a different set of addictive properties, side - effects and withdrawal symptoms, but they are all addictive and can be dangerous to stop taking abruptly.

First, let' s look at the similarities among the three drugs. - all three drugs are routinely prescribed for anxiety attacks, as well as other symptoms that, benefit from, theoretically" slowed down" nerve impulses - muscles relax, one' s mind seems more at ease, things don' t upset us as much, and so on. All are members of the benzodiazepine family, which means they all act on the central nervous system( CNS) to depress, the activity in, or slow down specific brain cells. The problem with all three drugs are some nasty side - effects, the drugs can lead to dependence or addiction if taken too long, and getting off them can be difficult and even dangerous without a properly supervised drug detox. Xanax( alprazolam) is prescribed for moderate to severe anxiety, panic attacks and, tremor other kinds of convulsive behavior. We would need another whole page just to cover the side - effects that people might experience while taking these drugs, never mind the withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking them unless a proper medical drug detox program is followed. It was licensed by the FDA for use up to 8 weeks, but doctors are cautioned not to prescribe it for longer than 2 to 4 weeks because it will likely become addictive.

Ativan( lorazepam) is a powerful, fast - acting CNS depressant prescribed for short term treatment of insomnia, convulsive conditions, severe anxiety, or to ease alcoholism withdrawal symptoms or chemotherapy side - effects. - withdrawal from xanax can create agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, muscle cramps and seizures which can, if not handled through carefully monitored drug detox, lead to death. Dependence on or addiction to Ativan is relatively high compared to other benzodiazepines, happening in as little as one week. Ativan withdrawal symptoms can be very bad, so a medically supervised drug detox is absolutely necessary when addiction has occurred. Doctors are cautioned to prescribe Ativan only short - term, and at the smallest effective dose. Ativan' s withdrawal symptoms, depending on the addicted person, can include one or more of headaches, tension, anxiety, depression, restlessness, insomnia, confusion, sweating, irritability, dizziness, numbness, depersonalization/ tingling of extremities, sound and smell, hypersensitivity to light, perceptual distortions, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, hallucinations, appetite loss, delirium, tremor, seizures, stomach cramps, agitation, muscle pain, palpitations and rapid heartbeat, short, panic attacks - term memory loss, and overheating. Klonopin( clonazepam) is usually prescribed for epilepsy, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, or" restless legs syndrome. " Withdrawal from Klonopin can cause most of the same symptoms as with Ativan, meaning a medically supervised drug detox simply must be performed.

You can see why a drug detox is needed, closely supervised medical professionals and ideally in an inpatient setting. - in fact, sudden withdrawal after longer - term use can cause severe, symptoms, even fatal. As we can see, addiction to any of these three powerful drugs requires a medically supervised drug detox to safely recover normal mind and body functions. Klonopin withdrawal includes anxiety, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks, depression, tremors and seizures, tinnitus( ringing in the ears) , numbness/ tingling in limbs, muscle pain and tension, cramps, weakness, tremors, and cognitive impairment, irritable bowel - basically, you can' t think straight. If you or someone you know has become dependent on their prescription for Xanax, make sure they, Ativan or Klonopin do not stop taking the drug abruptly. As soon as possible, get that person into a medically supervised prescription drug addiction detox program.

Drug Rehab Vs Drug Detox

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug rehab vs drug detox: what they are, when they're needed - every day we read about this or that celebrity entering" detox" or" rehab" , and all too often the reporter uses the terms interchangeably, as if they were the same thing. Many addicts and substance abusers want to stop taking drugs or drinking alcohol. Even the people going to detox or rehab have been quoted making the same mistake, but they soon discover the difference when they' re on the receiving end of one or the other of these two life - saving processes called drug detox and drug rehab.

They may have tried, and discovered how difficult it can be. - and abruptly stopping alcohol, as well as many types of drugs, can be quite dangerous. They don' t want to experience the physical pain and mental anguish of stopping again. Before we describe the differences between drug rehab and drug detox, what the purpose of each is, and what one can expect from them, let' s clear up another confusing couple of terms - substance abuse and substance addiction. Use of any illicit drugs is, substance abuse, by definition. Addiction vs Substance Abuse.

For pharmaceuticals, medical and non, however - medical uses are different. - non - medical use means taking more than the prescribed dose, which could be for a legitimate reason such as trying to handle severe pain. Medical use means taking a prescription or over - the - counter drug as prescribed, and isn' t abuse. Or it can mean taking someone else' s prescription or stolen pharmaceuticals to get high or feed an addiction. As for alcohol, occasional drinks are not abuse, while binge drinking or frequently getting drunk are abuse. These last two are drug abuse.

Addiction is something very much more than abuse. - and usually it results in damage to the addicted person' s health and family and job and social life. It means the continued compulsive use of alcohol or drugs in spite of adverse health or social consequences. Drug Rehab vs Drug Detox. Detox handles only the physical side of things, and can take a few days to a week or two. Drug detox means ridding the body( including the brain and nervous system) of the changes that have been created by the substance that result in painful, stressful or even dangerous withdrawal symptoms, as well as the physically addictive effects of the substance.

It should always be medically supervised. - drug rehab should always immediately follow a successful drug detox if one is addicted, and in - patient residential programs are proven the most successful. Drug rehab is a long - term program - three to six months or more - of self - discovery, learning the psychological reasons for one' s addiction, cleaning up the damage that' s been caused to self, and setting out, family and friends new ground rules for a successful life of sobriety. In mild cases of substance abuse, neither drug detox nor drug rehab may be required. It should only be decided by a drug rehab expert, on a case - by - case basis. In more extreme cases - and usually that' s a lot less substance abuse than most people think - both drug detox and drug rehab may be indicated.

And in all cases of addiction, whether to alcohol or drugs, both a drug detox program and an alcohol or drug rehab program are essential for a positive outcome. - drug detox is a serious affair - most prescriptions warn you to not stop taking the drug without consulting your physician. Conclusion. And it can be just as dangerous for alcoholics to stop drinking. Help them into a medically supervised detox program followed by a long - term residential alcohol or drug rehab program. The bottom line is, if alcohol or drugs are causing unwanted side - effects - or worse, upsetting their lives - - don' t take any chances.

Drug Testing Used To Be Reserved To Laboratories

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Instant drug testing - there are many different methods and devices for drug testing available which detect whether or not a person abused drugs or under the influence at present. Drug testing products help parents or employers to find if their teens or employees are engaged in drug abuse.

These drug testing products are obtainable for home and office use. - instant drug testing is typically best for the office and workplace environments as the results can be obtained quickly and action can be taken immediately. Methods. These instant drug testing help employers in creating a workplace that ensures the safety and wellbeing of their employees. Instant drug testing is done by testing a sample from an individual to find if the person has abused drug. It works great as instant drug results are typically available within few minutes after the test.

Suboxone Contains Buprenorphine And Naxalone

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug detox that's medically supervised can ease withdrawal symptoms - although many people dependant on or addicted to oxycontin and other prescription painkillers, would like to, and even heroin get off them, sometimes withdrawal is just too hard to face. And they' re very reluctant to go through that again.

They' ve tried it, and have experienced such agonizing pain and discomfort that they' re driven back to the drug. - in some cases, getting off one of these drugs can also be medically dangerous. One of the medications used in medical drug detox centers is Suboxone(R) . Fortunately, we now have medical drug detox available to both ease the pain of withdrawal and ensure that it' s safe. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002 and is administered in tablet form by doctors who have been approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a department in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The buprenorphine activates the same receptors activated by heroin, the active ingredient, morphine and oxycodone in OxyContin but to a lesser degree. Suboxone contains buprenorphine and naxalone.

Naxalone by itself blocks the effects of the opiates but if the Suboxone is taken as directed, placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve, it will not affect the action of the buprenorphine. - some people have tried to use suboxone to get high thinking that they' ll get the same effect from the buprenorphine as from heroin or opate prescription painkillers. Unlike heroin, OxyContin and other opiate prescription painkillers, the euphoric effects of buprenorphine are limited - they don' t go beyond a certain point no matter how much is used. The usually crush the pills and inject them. When using Suboxone to help with withdrawal, you have to wait until the withdrawal symptoms become stronger and the opiates are mostly out of your system. But used in this way, the naxalone gets into the bloodstream so quickly that it brings on intensely painful withdrawal.

If you still have the opiates in your bloodstream, the naxalone can cause acute and painful withdrawal - which can also be medically dangerous. - in an inpatient medical detox facility this is usually completed in a matter of days. The Suboxone dose is then properly tapered until you no longer need it. Using Suboxone in an inpatient medical drug detox program can make withdrawal symptoms much milder and more comfortable. If you would like to find out more about drug detox with Suboxone, contact a counselor at a medical drug detox center.

Reentry Drug Court

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug rehab successes lead to new 'problem solving courts' - the overwhelming success of the country' s drug court system during the past 18 years has led to the creation of a whole new way of approaching america' s personal legal problems. Here' s how it happened. If you' re one of the lucky folks who haven' t been to court lately, you probably don' t know how drug addicted prisoners have helped bring about a better justice system, all because drug rehab actually works.

Back in 1989, the federal government urged the states to do something about overcrowded jails. - if you' re old enough, recall the tv show' miami vice' - chances are you' ll also think of drugs( drug rehab wasn' t a household term yet) . It was the height of the crack cocaine epidemic in America, Florida, and in Miami, cocaine was a very big problem. Miami and drugs were almost synonymous. Such offenders were seldom, ordered by a, if ever judge to a drug rehab program. Meanwhile, Miami - Dade County officials knew that maybe three - quarters of the people in jail were non - violent drug abusers. They went to jail, used more drugs, got out, did more crimes, and went back to jail - the drug - related crime revolving door.

Watch them closely and if they make it, offer to drop the charges. - whoever had this bright idea deserves a medal: let' s try putting the addicts, who are not violent criminals, through a drug rehab program. In other words, motivate them and treat the cause of the crime, and clear the jails of thousands of not really dangerous people. State Attorney( at the time) Janet Reno, with Chief Judge Gerald Wetherington, and Public Defender, Judge Herbert Klein Bennett Brummer, evolved the first drug court for nonviolent offenders to get drug rehab instead of jail time. If it' s a successful drug rehab program they' ll recover their lives and we won' t see them again in court. It opened in Miami, and became a sensation across the country. Drug rehab really works when it' s motivated and it' s done right.

Here was a way to deal with the escalating number of drug offenders coming through the courts and into the jails. - from 1989 to 1999, nearly 500 drug courts appeared in cities across the country. The reason is that they save tons of money, and save lives, prevent new crime. By the end of this year, the number of drug courts will have risen to over 2000, with dozens more planned. In Portland, OR, from 1991 to 2001, drug court saved taxpayers$ 79 million. The secret of drug courts was simple: A specialized court with specially trained personnel dealing with a specialized problem.

The story is much the same in cities everywhere. - offender has a drug addiction? You get predictable results, and save tons of time and money. A supervised drug rehab is the answer. Building on the drug court formula of specialization and supervision, a host of new courts have arisen. These have changed the face of our judicial system, and they' re all based in one way or another on drug court methods: Adult Drug Court( what we' ve been talking about) Campus Drug Court.

In 2004, the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators issued a statement to all 50 State Chief Justices and State Court Administrators to" take steps, to expand and, nationally and locally better integrate the principles and methods of well - functioning drug courts into ongoing court operations. " They said" drug court and problem solving court principles and methods have demonstrated great success in addressing certain complex social problems, that are not, such as recidivism effectively addressed by the traditional legal process. " Here' s a list of what has transpired since the first drug - addicted offenders in Miami were put through drug court and well - supervised drug rehab programs. - community courts. DWI Court( or DUI Court) Family Dependency Treatment Court. Domestic Violence Court. Gambling Court. Juvenile Drug Court.

Gun Court. - mental health court. Teen Court. Reentry Drug Court. Truancy Court. Who could have foreseen such a development from that first drug court in Miami in 1989, all because a specialized approach and a successful drug rehab program turned out to be the key to success.

By 2005, 558 specialized, there were 2' Problem Solving Courts' to deal with almost every kind of legal issue a family can imagine, and it' s likely that number now is closer to 3, 00These new specialized courts make dealing with special problems faster, and much more, easier effectively than ever.

Explain That Alcohol Is Actually Poison( Look It Up If You Don' T Believe Me)

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Alcohol rehab could be avoided by talking to your young kids - some worrisome statistics strongly suggest we need to change how and when we present the facts about alcohol to our kids - it' s a lot more dangerous than most people think, and we need start telling them about it a lot younger. It also makes it more likely they' ll become alcohol abusers later in life and wind up needing alcohol rehab. Too many kids are trying alcohol at the middle school level, and researchers say alcohol is dangerous to developing brains.

Some of these statistics are alarming: By the eighth grade, about 40 percent of American students say they' ve had some alcohol. About 10 percent of fourth - graders and 29 percent of sixth - graders say they' ve already tried alcohol. Roughly 47 percent - nearly half - of people who began drinking before age 14 became dependent on alcohol later in their lives. - s. today, there are nearly 18 million people who need alcohol rehab and it' s likely that at least half of them began drinking when they were under 21 - probably way under 2 these are only a few of the statistics that are driving an ongoing study on children' s use of alcohol by university of pittsburgh medical center professor john donovan. Which means that if you allow alcohol before that age, there' s a 47 percent chance they' ll need alcohol rehab. Only 9 percent of those who began drinking at age 21 or older became dependent on alcohol. 35 percent of Texas sixth - graders had drunk alcohol at least once. 18 percent of fourth - graders surveyed in Texas had drunk alcohol at least once. 9 percent of 9 - to 12 - year - olds in a national survey said they' d had more than a few sips of alcohol. 4 percent of sixth - graders in a national survey reported that they had drunk alcohol in the past month. In the U. His findings that link alcohol dependency to the age one starts drinking agree with many other researchers. Parents need to talk to their kids and make sure they understand the dangers. And he has found that kids are trying alcohol a lot younger than most people think, which may be even more likely to lead to alcohol addiction and the need for alcohol rehab in their later teens or 20s. "Parents should know that even when they give children alcohol in family contexts, there is still a risk that their children would be more likely to be involved in problematic use later on, " Donovan said.

In a statement last March announcing the" National Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, " Acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu said that kids who start drinking before age 15" are five times more likely to have alcohol - related problems later in life. " He also said new research indicates that alcohol harms the developing adolescent brain. - and liver disease, a consequence of alcoholism historically seen only among middle - aged people, has begun to appear in young adults in their 20s. Just imagine what it' s doing to an 8 or 10 - year - old' s brain. It' s time for parents to take action: the consequences of not doing so could result in your kid becoming alcohol dependant or addicted and needing alcohol rehab. Get some examples. Parents with young children should use the following topics as a guide to talk to their kids about alcohol: Explain what" dependency" means. Explain that the younger someone starts drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to become dependent on it.

Explain that alcohol is actually poison( look it up if you don' t believe me) . - it' s an addictive substance. Young bodies need food, water and fresh air, or they will, not poison not develop properly. Don' t sugar coat it, but don' t scare them into nightmares, either. Give examples of what alcohol addiction can do to behavior, robbing people of the desire and ability to achieve their goals. Tell them that people with a real alcohol dependency can almost never stop drinking on their own, and that they' ll ruin their lives and the lives of everyone around them, even people they love, unless they can get through an alcohol rehab program that helps them recover their senses. Talk to them now, and you could avoid having to get them into an alcohol rehab program later.

Kids whose parents talk to them about drugs and alcohol are less likely to become alcoholics.

And The List Of Americans Needing Drug Detox Or Rehab, Already At About 21 Million, Is Being Extended

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug detox is the right prescription for doctor - shoppers - a massachusetts" pain management" doctor has lost his license to practice after six of his patients died of causes that may be connected with the addictive painkillers he prescribed. Although many people rely on narcotics to handle legitimate chronic pain, illicit prescription drug use has reached epidemic proportions and often requires medically supervised drug detox and drug rehab to resolve.

We' ve read news reports of several such cases in the past year: 71 doctors nationwide were arrested last year and 412 physicians lost the right to prescribe narcotics. - doctor shopping - going from one doctor to another faking symptoms to get a prescription - is a major contributing factor to the prescription drug abuse problem. Massachusetts Representative Peter Koutoujian says doctors, pharmacists and the medical board could detect potential prescription drug abuse more quickly if they had access to the Department of Public Health' s narcotics prescription database, which tracks all such prescriptions. But doctors and pharmacists are sometimes at a loss to determine whether a request for a prescription is legitimate or merely a ploy to get drugs. Abusers and addicts could be identified through the database and encouraged to get into drug detox and rehab to handle their drug problem. However, due to privacy concerns, the database is not available in all states. The database would also allow authorities to identify doctors suspected of over - prescribing and initiate investigations.

According to a recent federal survey, only nine states provide physician and pharmacist access to their prescription drug databases. - koutoujian, who headed a legislative commission on oxycontin abuse last year, said his commission recommended expanding access to the massachusetts database but, the public health, so far council has refused to change the rules. Rep. Says Koutoujian: "We' re falling behind the curve" by not doing so. The story of the Massachusetts pain management doctor began back in 1999 when a local pharmacist noticed an unusually high number of patients, sometimes a half - dozen a day, filling prescriptions for high doses of narcotic painkillers all prescribed by the same doctor. And the list of Americans needing drug detox or rehab, already at about 21 million, is being extended. Obviously worried about prescription drug addiction, the pharmacist says he stopped filling the doctor' s prescriptions in 200He also alerted other local pharmacists to the situation.

A Boston detective was called in and, posing as a patient with back pain, visited the doctor. - having no access to the state' s prescription database, he set up a special phone line for other area drugstores to call so they could track the prescription requests from that doctor' s patients. He received prescriptions for narcotics on nine separate visits. But there was still no official investigation. By 2005, at least one complaint about the doctor had been received by regulators and, two health insurers, early in 2006 suspended him from their provider networks. The doctor continued prescribing, and more people were joining the ranks of those needing drug detox for prescription drug addiction and abuse.

But, the doctor was, by then the ninth highest prescriber in the state for the most addictive narcotics, with only hospitals and large institutions prescribing more. - it wasn' t until may of this year that federal, and local law, state enforcement officials finally acted, soon followed by suspension of the doctor' s medical license. His office wrote nearly 12, 000 pain - pill prescriptions in 2006 - about six prescriptions every working hour - which adds up to a lot of people abusing and possibly addicted to prescription drugs who should have been in drug detox or rehab instead of filling more prescriptions. Who would see this private data? Access to the state' s prescription database might have helped prevent the loss of life and unknown numbers of addictions but for concerns about patient privacy. Basically it would be the doctor, who already has the patient' s file, who is already, and the pharmacist looking at the prescription. Instead, six people in Massachusetts have died, and dozens or even hundreds more are hooked on narcotic painkillers, people whose lives - if they live through their addictions - may now be ruined unless they get through a proper medical drug detox program and drug rehab.

At the risk of over - simplifying, what' s the problem, if it gets people into drug detox and rehab and saves lives?

He Nearly Lost It All, Then He Found A Drug Rehab Program That Changed His Life

Health, Addiction And Recovery.

Drug rehab voices of recovery: alcoholic's son makes it through rehab - chris had a rough start in life: his older brother is an alcoholic and his father, took his own, severely addicted life when chris was only eight years old. Soon he was following in his brother' s and father' s footsteps. Despite the fact that Chris managed to get through college and dental school, his career didn' t last.

He nearly lost it all, then he found a drug rehab program that changed his life. - he was able to keep himself supplied with all the oxycontin he wanted. As a dentist, Chris had open access to the opiates. And he became addicted. And it went on for years. But he didn' t stop there: he run the full gamut of substance abuse: everything from alcohol and cocaine to methamphetamine and methadone. It wasn' t until his mother traveled across the country to visit him a couple of years ago that it was recognized that he had a serious, life threatening problem.

He no longer went to work and he rarely left his one bedroom Denver apartment in Denver, Colorado - except to refill his prescriptions or to cop illegal street drugs. - he was forty pounds lighter than the last time she saw him and he was obviously struggling with the addictions that plagued other family members. His mom, worried and distraught at the thought of losing her son, convinced him that his best chance at recovery would begin in a residential drug rehab program. I feel that for every month I spent in drug rehab, I learned as much as I would have in three months in the outside world. " At 34, Chris is now fully recovered. He reluctantly agreed to go, but soon discovered a world beyond the vicious cycle of alcohol and drug abuse - the only world he had known for so long. "Drug rehab gave me a strong foundation. He spends his time volunteering his services as a dentist at a local jail and talking to others about how they might find a new beginning through drug rehab.

He' s now been clean and sober for five months. "I have learned gratitude in recovery. - it' s obvious that chris has paid his dues in recovery to get to this point. I am one of the luckiest guys in the world. None of that happened to me. I could have been arrested, lost my license, gotten a DUI to practice dentistry. For that I am grateful. " Chris is living proof that it is possible for to overcome addiction.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month celebrates the successes, and urges those who need help to get into a successful drug rehab program so they too can reclaim their lives.