Drug Abuse Treatment
In relation to the National Drug Facts Week from January 27 to February 2, 2014, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has just released a 13-step guide on treating teenagers engaging in substance abuse.
The online resource, entitled “Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide”, is currently posted on the NIDA website to make it available for people dealing with teenage substance use — parents, experts in the field of substance abuse, and health care providers.
Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the institute, said through a NIDA press release that adolescents are susceptible to the temptation of using drugs because their brain functions are still developing into a more adult mindset. “These new resources are based on recent research that has greatly advanced our understanding of the unique treatment needs of the adolescent,” Volkow said.
Among the provisions of the drug abuse treatment guide include the following:
- Teen substance abuse treatment cases should be considered urgent.
- Drug prevention campaigns can help not only recovering teen drug users, but also those who haven’t used any drugs in their young life.
- Each teenager should be presented with a unique treatment scheme.
- Treatment should involve the family and the community.
This update from NIDA is a welcome news, after a 2012 survey on drug use revealed that of all the teenagers with drug abuse issues, only 10 percent of them receive treatment.
Substance abuse can drain a family’s financial resources. Hence, some drug addicts are unable to seek extensive addiction treatment or complete a rehabilitation program. Military veterans with drug and alcohol problems are particularly at odds of getting their lives back on track because many of them do not have the means to fund appropriate treatment.
Such dilemma prompted the Online Substance Abuse Treatment to offer free self-directed treatment program and affordable online counseling program to former service members who are dependent on illicit substances. OSAT believes that military vets have given so much for the country, and helping them with their addiction struggles will mean so much to them as well as to their families.
According to a press release, military war veterans will be given access to a 30-session self-directed treatment program without paying a single dollar. The program involves interactive therapeutic processes and exercises that would engage participants and spark their personal insights. It will also provide step-by-step guidance to help a veteran free himself from the cycle of addictive behaviors.
OSAT is also offering substantially discounted 10-week online counseling program. Thirty 1-hour group sessions cost $400 while thirty 3-hour sessions would cost $600. The live online counseling program will be conducted under the guidance of an experienced counselor to help a veteran overcome his dependencies on drugs and alcohol.
Participants who complete the online treatment programs are issued completion certificates. Judges and employers often look upon such documentation as demonstration of the individual’s efforts and self-initiative to actively work toward addiction treatment.
State Governor Susana Martinez led the ribbon cutting ceremony during the opening of a new treatment program which targets adolescents with drug and alcohol problems.
Gov. Martinez was joined by Maggie Hart Stebbins, Department of Health staff and Bernalillo County Commissioner, in unveiling the Adolescent Addiction Treatment Program which will combine drug and alcohol dependency treatment with mental health services.
The 20-bed inpatient unit is housed in Turquoise Lodge Hospital in Albuquerque at the MATS campus and will serve 14 to 18 year olds who have serious substance abuse addictions that has not been successfully treated.
“With this new program, we won’t wait until the severity of the problem progresses to criminal activity, incarceration, or overdose,” Gov. Martinez said in a news release. “We are addressing an immediate need in our state. New Mexico teens will get the help they need now. This program has the potential to be a model for teen drug treatment across the country.”
The $2 million addiction treatment program was funded through the state’s general fund as approved by the New Mexico Legislature and Gov. Martinez. According to Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Retta Ward, MPH, the new unit will give teen patients access to inpatient services that were not previously available to them. Initially, patients will be accepted from referrals by Core Service Agencies located in Bernalillo County and expand to patients around the state throughout the year.
Looking for an effective addiction treatment program is like finding quality education for your kids. You go through a long list of options you can find on the Internet, review recommendations from friends, check whether the system will work for you, assess if the program specifically addresses your problem…the list goes on. To put it more bluntly, it entails a lengthy research unless you just want to waste money paying for a program that wouldn’t keep you sober long enough.
In the recent years, we have seen a lot of substance abuse treatment centers opening here and there. All of them promise to help addicts get their lives back using this and that programs. The question is: are any of those programs the right one for you?
If you will take an addiction treatment facility’s claim at face value it won’t be any easier for you to pick the right substance abuse treatment program.
A New York Times feature cited a 2012 study conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University which concluded that “the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care.”
The CASA Columbia report has exposed the sad truth that most of those providing addiction treatment are not medical professionals and are not equipped with the knowledge, skills or credentials necessary to provide the full range of evidence-based services.
So how do you make sure then that you’re not wasting time and money for an addiction treatment?
Anne M. Fletcher, a science writer and author of “Inside Rehab” and “Sober for Good,” offers the following guidelines:
1. Get an independent assessment of the need for treatment and kind of treatment needed from an expert who is not connected with the rehab center you are considering.
2. Check the credentials of the treatment program’s personnel.
3. Don’t choose a program just because it’s popular.
4. Meet with the therapist who will treat you and ask about your treatment plan.
5. Find out if you will receive therapy for any underlying condition, like depression or a social problem that could get in the way of your recovery.
6. Look for programs that use research-based approaches.
Addiction is a treatable disease. However, the road to recovery is not always an easy path to tread, especially if without the support of family and people who can understand what you’re going through. But thanks to the influence of new media, recovering addicts can turn to the Internet to connect with and learn from other people going through similar situation.
Below are some blogs and websites where you can leave comments and share ideas on the different aspects of addiction recovery.
12 Steps Ahead – a user-friendly blog for recovering individuals who want to share their experience, strength and hope with others. It features recovery-based news, events, and videos. It provides access to real stories, daily reflections, and topics about sobriety, addiction treatment, substance abuse, and more. It also encourages you to submit recovery experience and thoughts.
The 12-Step Buddhist – this website is run by Darren Littlejohn, a recovering addict and practitioner of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. It features how-to articles, podcast, discussion and commentary pages, videoblog, photoblog, book reviews, and retreat programs.
My Route to Help – a website that offers information on addiction, encouragement to people who want to get sober, advice on harm reduction, and other self-help services. You can read stories of people who have once been overpowered by substance abuse and eventually able to overcome their addiction. It also gives you an opportunity to share your own experience, as well as learn from other people’s struggles.
Pressing The Issue – this blog is created to help people dealing with substance abuse. It tackles different addiction treatments and gives information on various drugs and their effects. Aside from addiction and recovery articles, you can also check recommended books that can help you further understand the nature of substance abuse.
Awakened Recoveries – a website founded by Gregg D. — a recovered alcoholic, writer, poet, gifted speaker, and university instructor. It provides comprehensive details on the 12-step recovery program, as well as video posts on practicing the principles of 12 steps and the phases of addiction recovery.
The Ohio State University has expanded its commitment to help addiction recovering students through its newly established program, the Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC).
OSU CRC is made possible in collaboration with Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) and University Residences and Dining Services. Its goal is to provide encouragement and engagement to students who are in the addiction recovery process.
“We want this to be, as much as possible, a very healthy community of mutual support,” Curtis Haywood, a licensed professional clinical counselor for CCS, told The Lantern. “We don’t want to exclude any student that’s serious about recovery. If they’re serious about recovery, we want to be there with open arms welcoming them into this program.”
Although the program is still in its early stages, OSU plans to launch CRC at the start of the Fall 2013 semester and the recovery house in the Fall 2014 semester.
The program is modeled after a Texas Tech University recovery program. In addition to a recovery house, OSU’s recovery program components include academic advising, individual counseling, life skills workshops, community service opportunities, and family weekend — among others.
While OSU had offered services for those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, the CRC is its first comprehensive recovery program to date.
Other universities that have adopted a program like CRC include the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Michigan.