Detox, Rehab and Addiction to Opiates, Methadone, Coke, Meth & Alcohol
December 1, 2009
Although considered the first step in recovery, is detox always necessary? Not always so, but in some cases withdrawing off of a drug can be fatal without a medically supervised detox. We have provided the following to help you to understand a little more about the detox process.
Alcohol Addiction and Binge Drinking
There are two different types of alcohol abusers, the binge drinker and the acute daily drinker. Both of which may be late stage alcoholics, just with different patterns of abuse.
Beer is the binge-drinker’s beverage of choice. Beer benders cause the most accidents and health problems. Beer drinkers are also the most likely to drink and drive. (Binge-drinking is many times defined as having five or more drinks in row.)
A binge drinker is someone who can go days, weeks or months without having a drink, but when he/she does drink it is usually in great excess, sometimes consuming near lethal amounts. This type of alcoholic does require a medical detox if immediately after a binge. If however, it has been over a week since his last drink, detox may not be necessary.
The acute daily drinker is someone who drinks on a daily basis. This type of alcohol absolutely requires a medically supervised detox or else may develop delusions, shaking, seizures or even death.
Detox for alcohol usually involves prescribed benzodiazipene’s (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, etc) to help counter the seizures and anxiety; and high blood pressure medication such as Catapres.
Opiate Addiction
Opiates include Heroin, Vicodin, Methadone, and Oxycontin. If the opiate abuser has reached the point where they are a daily (or near daily) user, then a detox is usually required. Although most opiate addicts are not usually in any medical danger during the detox or withdrawal process, a detox setting is recommended because most opiate addicts simply cannot withdraw on their own.
Although the detox process for opiates can be over within a week, generally speaking, normal sleep patterns sometimes do not return for months.
Although Methadone is considered an opiate, most clinics are reluctant to admit clients addicted to methadone because of the length of detox as well as the difficulty of the clients.
Benzo Addiction
Addiction to benzodiazipene’s can be very dangerous if not detoxed in a supervised medical setting. Rapid withdrawal from benzo’s can lead to delusions, anxiety, seizures and even death. For this reason, it is imperative that anyone considering withdrawing from benzo’s seek out professional guidance.
Cocaine Addiction
The withdraw from cocaine or crack is usually not medically dangerous and doesn’t require a detox. Someone withdrawing from cocaine or crack can expect long sleep periods, lethargy, lowered blood pressure, heart rate and respiration.
Methamphetamine Addiction
Withdrawing from meth doesn’t usually require a detox, however many clients exhibit acute psychotic symptoms as a result of their using and sometimes are admitted to a dual diagnosis or psychiatric facility to handle the delusions and paranoia. Although most meth users can safely detox on their own, some do require anti-psychotic medications because of the drug use.
Meth addicts show the horrors of addiction: faces that seem to have had the life sucked out of them, sunken eyes that indicate days or weeks without sleep, wasting bodies from malnutrition resulting from a total lack of appetite, mouths riddled with sores and rotted or missing teeth, skin that’s been scratched or cut and incessantly picked at.
And that’s only what’s happening on the surface.
Inside, methamphetamines ravage the kidneys, liver, lungs, heart and even the brain. Long-term use can result in permanent psychological damage, stroke and failure of other organs. Addicts hear voices and see people and things that no one else sees or hears.
Women who are pregnant give birth to “crack babies” with cardiac problems, cleft palates and other birth defects, who suffer the consequences of withdrawal as soon as they’re b
orn.
Many people believe that crystal meth is a drug used by only the most far gone of drug addicts. It’s true that chronic meth users look like that, but they didn’t start out that way.
The facts are, meth is used by teenagers who just want a little extra edge when studying for a test.
It’s used by young girls who want to control their weight.
And it’s used by guys who want a little extra out of a sexual experience.
Meth users (also called tweakers) can be students, professionals, city folk or urban dwellers, dirt poor or celebrity rich, and members of any ethnic background.
For the first time in memory, Bill O’Reilly, arch Fox conservative, and Chris Matthews, arch MSNBC liberal, reacted the same to an event — both found that Barack Obama failed entirely to explain his plans for health care reform in his televised press conference.
Channel patients to providers who accept a prix-fixe pay schedule
No one intends to become a drug addict or alcoholic. Our experiences show that the drug addict or alcoholic was usually an intelligent and often creative person with much hope for the future.
The more a person uses drugs or excessive alcohol, the worse the problem becomes. So they continue the “solution” for their problems, more drugs. Soon new problems are created by drug use. The person feels the need to use consistently, and will do anything to get high.
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In medical terminology, an addiction is a chronic neurobiologic disorder that has genetic, psychosocial, and environmental dimensions and is characterized by one of the following: the continued use of a substance despite its detrimental effects, impaired control over the use of a drug (compulsive behavior), and preocupation with a drug’s use for non-therapeutic purposes (i.e. craving the drug). Addiction is often accompanied the presence of deviant behaviors (for instance stealing money and forging prescriptions) that are used to obtain a drug.
maintain its desired effects. For instance, individuals with severe chronic pain taking opiate medications (like morphine) will need to continually increase the dose in order to maintain the drug’s analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Physical dependence is also a pharmacologic property and means that if a certain drug is abruptly discontinued, an individual will experience certain characteristic withdrawal signs and symptoms. Many drugs used for therapeutic purposes produce withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopped, for instance oral steroids, certain antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opiates.
When parents realize their children have drug problems and must find treatment, they frequently do not know where to turn. The family is often in a crisis situation, when decisions must be made quickly. Yet very little information is available about what parents should look for in choosing a program. Most parents are concerned about cost: do their employee benefits cover drug treatment? If so, for how long? If their coverage is limited, will they be able to pay to get the best possible treatment for their teenager? What kind of treatment will work? Should their teen be sent away to a residential program or can he or she be treated in his or her own community while still living at home? How long will treatment take – a few weeks, months or even years? Parents face bewildering questions they don’t know how to answer, or even how to find answers. They may also feel frightened or ashamed that their teen has substance use problems. And they may also recognize that their own alcohol and drug use problems have contributed to the problems their child is experiencing.
The period after treatment is vitally important: most adolescents relapse in the first three months after treatment. However, continuing care services can greatly increase the likelihood of sustained recovery. Developing follow-up plans while the teen is still in treatment is important in providing a structure for the teen and his family, so that treatment gains continue. These plans may include relapse prevention training, referrals to community resources and periodic check-ups by the program with the adolescent and his family. Twelve-step meetings can also be helpful for some teens in recovery, although finding 12-step meetings specifically for teens can be difficult in some communities. Unfortunately, many programs do not provide continuing care, and parents must try to support the teen’s recovery as fully as possible. Parents can identify services within their community that will help the teen live without drugs, including well supervised recreational programs, counseling, and community service. Parents should stay in close touch with their children every step of the way. Parents who believe that their children can overcome their problems and be successful in school make a powerful difference even when faced with difficult circumstances. (In Treating Teens: A Guide to Adolescent Drug Treatment the help hotline numbers can provide referrals to resources in each state.)
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