Soft Addictions- Signs

Here are a couple ways to help you define the line between a soft addiction and a productive activity:

Zone out. One way of identifying a soft addiction is to ask if you zone out as you’re doing it. When a person is zoned out they aren’t completely engaged. We may be checked out or have a "nobody’s home" look on our face. Zoning out implies that the truegoal of the activity is numbness. Even though we are physically engaged, our mind is off somewhere else. When the activity is over we frequently don’t remember what we’ve done, watched, or read. While this frequently happens when watching TV, it can also happen while shopping, working, having superficial conversations, or during any number of activities.

Avoiding feelings. Some activities numb us to our emotions, especially very strong emotions. We escape feelings by being numb, enhancing certain feelings we like to the exclusion of others, or even indulging in your favorite unpleasant feeling to avoid other feelings. Many of us feel uneasy about our most intimate feelings, whether positive or negative. We frequently don’t understand how to safely handle our sadness or anger (or, in some instances, even our joy), so we find an activity or a mood that facilitates an emotion-muting state, smothering our sadness, anger or other unresolved emotions.

Compulsiveness. Are you driven to indulge in a specific activity or mood? Do you feel compelled to do, have, or purchase something, no matter if you understand that it’s not necessary? This may be accompanied by a helpless, powerless feeling. You may be unable to stop or reduce the amount of hours used on the activity. Although you may find some transient pleasure, you usually don’t feel good about yourself after engaging in it. You persist in going along with the routine, all the while saying to yourself, this is the last time. No matter how hard you try to stop, you can’t.

Rationalization. If you are defensive or make excuses for your behavior, chances are it’s a soft addiction. Denial is refusing to admit and rationalization is making excuses to justify a compulsive behavior. Both blunt our awareness of ourselves and lower our expectations of ourselves. To make our actions acceptable, we overlook, cover up, or dodge the actual reason or price. We either convince ourselves that the habit isn’t a problem or we rationalize why it is a good or necessary way to use our time. "What’s so terrible about a few cups of coffee?" is a typical rationalization. Another rationalization we might make is to deny that the many hours spent on the internet are a great waste of time. The inclination to rationalize an activity implies that you have a soft addiction.

Stinking thinking. Related to denial and rationalization, "stinking thinking" is faulty thinking centered on mistaken beliefs. Oversimplifying, magnifying, minimizing, justifying, blaming, and emotional reasoning are a few examples. Stinking thinking generates the silly rules and logic of soft addictions. For example, "there are no calories when I eat standing up," or "I can’t exercise if I have already taken a shower." Woven throughout soft addiction routines, this sort of faulty thinking is addictive in itself. The tainted thoughts encourage indulgence in a soft addiction in the first place and later on make it easy for us to justify the indulgence.

Covering the behavior. Be cautious of habits that become guilty amusements you seek to conceal. Hiding the amount of time you spend on an activity or lying to others about how you frequently use your time or your money are signs of soft addictions. In other words, you are ashamed of what you’re doing and that is why you want to hide it.

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By: Blake Provo

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Judith Wright is an internationally recognized author, speaker, educator, and seminar leader. She teaches workshops on overcoming soft addictions and creating "More" for 12 years. You may contact her through her Web site at www.theremustbemore.com. See also American Community Corrections Institute (ACCI)

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What Is The Addictions Recovery Measurement System?

As I climbed 15-feet on a wooden ladder to the top of an old platform, next to this wall of leathery gray flesh, I caught a good whiff of fresh animal dung that immediately cleared my sinuses. Attempting to hide my fear from my wife with a poker face, and already feeling a little queasy, we were then advised by an old man who held a hammer in his right hand, to step into a shaky bamboo cradle seat atop of this seemingly gentle 8000 lb mammoth giant. As the sweat dripped off my forehead, I knew there was no turning back from the plunge into the humid jungle while perched on an elephants’ back that we had so enthusiastically planned. At last, we were elephant trekking in Thailand. Apart from the slow bumpy ride, and my thighs being chafed on the course sides of this enormous peaceful beast, the serene walk through the forest with its’ beautiful and unique flora on top of one of the strongest ancient animals alive, was an unforgettably pleasant experience for both of us.

Recently, as I was daydreaming about elephant trekking in Thailand, I began to think about an old video that is used in the addictions’ field entitled, ‘The Elephant in the Living Room.’ This is a rather silly story of a family that pretended to function normally with a real life elephant walking around in their living room. It exemplifies the dynamics of the co-dependent, dysfunctional family that continues to enable the alcoholic family member and deny the presence of alcoholism in the family.

Try to imagine having some quality family time – conversations, watching television, or just relaxing all together when the elephant continues to tramp around the living room, bumping into things and knocking them over. It smells bad, eats a ton of hay and bananas daily, it takes up half the living room space, and it makes loud trumpet noises all day long. Then try to imagine convincing your children, friends, and other family members to keep it a secret, or that the elephant does not really exist. The idea is that if you just pretend long enough that it’s not really there, and it’s not really an elephant, that it may just go away by itself. Some things like the common cold, poison ivy, and stress headaches usually due subside with time. Chronic diseases and life-style addictions (e.g., alcoholism, drug addiction, obesity, gambling, etc.) on the other hand continue to progress with time. Just ignoring a chronic problem rarely makes it go away for good, because of the continued negative consequences that effect everyone involved.

My initial purpose in writing this article is not only to proclaim that the elephant is real, but that it won’t be ignored despite our best efforts to do so. Lying about it makes the elephant bigger and stronger, and it will continue to dominate the house. If we admit and acknowledge its’ existence, we can take the first step out of denial and onto the road to recovery. The ‘it’ that I am referring to is what I call ‘Poly-Behavioral Addiction.’ Secondly, I want to introduce the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) as a progress tracking measurement tool for clinicians. In a sense, this system simulates the old elephant masters’ steering instructions to me. ‘Dig your heels into the elephants’ neck, and hold on to its forehead, kick right to go right and left to go left, and if the elephant stops to eat bananas, you must use the hammer on his head, because with his thick skin, nothing else will get his attention.’

Behavior medicine experts and health psychologists must take into account the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural influences when considering an individual’s health. They have long emphasized the role that multidimensional life experiences (e.g. traumatic life events, the negative effects of stress on the immune, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems, unhealthy/ hazardous life-styles, and poor health choices in regards to adherence to preventive regiments, etc.), play in the occurrence, maintenance, and prevention of physical illness. In 1990, 50 percent of the mortality (over 1-million deaths annually) in the United States from the 10 leading causes of death was linked to addictive behaviors such as tobacco use, poor dietary habits and activity, alcohol misuse, illicit drug use, and risky sexual practices, (McGinnis and Foege, 1994).

Some experts in the medical field are presently purporting that America’s number one health problem is no longer heart disease or cancer, but a deadly condition labeled ‘Syndrome X’. This condition is described as a combination of several metabolic problems such as being overweight, having high blood pressure, being insulin resistant, and/ or having abnormal cholesterol levels that are all related to a poor diet and a lack of exercise. The sum is greater than the parts in this syndrome. Each metabolic problem is a risk for other diseases separately, but together they multiply the chances of life-threatening illness such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke, etc. They indicate that up to 25% of adults presently have Syndrome X, and the ranks are growing considering for example that 30.5% of our Nations’ adults suffer from morbid obesity, (100lbs., or more above ideal weight, or BMI = 30 >), and that two thirds or 66% of adults are overweight (BMI = 25>). Considering that the U.S. population is now over 290,000,000, some estimate that up to 73,000,000 Americans would benefit from some type of education awareness and/ or treatment for a behavioral addiction. This fact does not take into account the 25% addicted to nicotine, the 13.4 % (NIMH) with alcoholism, and the multiple millions of others who are addicted to mind-altering substances, and other behavioral addictive disorders such as pathological gambling, pornography, and extreme religious addictions, etc.

To compound this healthcare crisis, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) both continue to seek verification of quality healthcare, as healthcare disciplines typically have no common ruler that standardizes outcome measures. The outcome measurement research data in their comprehensive medical center inspections therefore, remain a primary focus. In many states, outcome evaluations are legislatively mandated with future appropriations tied to the demonstration of treatment program effectiveness. To add to the confusion, there are differences in the definition of outcome that relate to two paradigms:(1) Our present healthcare system is set up to focus on acute care rather than chronic illnesses. It focuses on a Unitary Syndrome model in which the sole marker of treatment response or success is specific symptom-reduction.(2) Healthcare consumers are increasingly advocating for a Multidimensional model that takes into account an array of life-functioning domains that influence patient treatment progress. Evidenced-based meta-analysis studies also purport the prognostic power of life-functioning variables to predict outcome as well as their importance for treatment planning over a unitary model that has had little empirical support.

My goal in writing this article is not only to educate and make others aware of these complex issues, but also to offer strategies and practical tools for clinicians to utilize in attacking these problems.

The Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) was developed in an effort to help healthcare providers to:

1. Provide the highest quality of patient care that improves patients’ overall health

2. Document health risk reduction effectiveness and medical care cost reductions

3. Comply with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s evidence-based prevention assessments and recommendations for early detection of diseases

4. Support the U.S. Department of Health’s Healthy People 2010 national initiatives

5. Comply with JCAHO an
d CARF standards for outcome measurements

6. Help change the current health care system from a traditionally symptom-reduction focused model to a holistic multi-dimensional prevention model

7. Maintain treatment efficacy and integrity for healthcare program viability

The ARMS is a standardized multidimensional integrative program that offers a combination of twelve primary clinical and innovative assessment and measurement tools to assist providers and consumers of healthcare services with the following seven objectives: Initial Intervention Diagnosis Prognosis Treatment Level of Care Recommendations Progress Management Discharge Determination and Outcome Measurement. The ARMS patient progress tracking system also includes a performance based holistic health and wellness non-confrontational point system. It provides a uniform administrative device to impartially screen, monitor, and re-assess a patients’ initial bio-psychosocial medical condition for prognostic indicators, treatment progress indicators, and subsequent treatment outcome indicators. This motivational measurement system can track patient progress in six (PD) Progress Dimensions from admission to discharge to coordinate continuity of care given to the patient by multiple providers simultaneously. The ARMS incorporates a comprehensive prognostication system of instruments with a treatment progress and outcome measurement system that visually displays a patient’s journey from enrollment to recovery. The goal of treatment outcome measurement is to yield more effective, targeted, and clinically validated treatments to match individual patient needs through continued research.

The Addictions Recovery Measurement System is equipped with an arsenal of assessment tools and prognostic, progress, and outcome measurement instruments to help you fight the War on poly-substance and behavioral addictions. We must consider that over 440,000 Americans are dying each year from nicotine addiction alone, (e.g., that’s 1205 daily, etc.), costing $75 billion in direct medical costs. We must consider that 300,000 adults a year are dying from obesity (e.g., that’s 822 daily, etc.), with $117 billion we spend on obesity related diseases annually, (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1994). We must also consider the 100,000 deaths annually related to alcohol use (e.g., that’s 274 daily, etc.), with the 184.6 billion we spend for this problem, (Tenth Special Report to the U.S. Congress, June 2000). Just these three lifestyle addictions mentioned alone are causing 840,000 deaths annually (e.g., that’s 2301 daily, etc.), with total costs of $376.6 billion annually to the U.S. taxpayer. We must conclude that we can no longer afford to ignore the ‘elephant in America’s living room,’ – the multidimensional problems related to individuals suffering from multiple behavioral addictions. A call to ‘ARMS’ is in order to fight and stop the top killer of Americans: Poly-behavioral Addiction.

For more info: http://www.geocities.com/drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He is credentialed by the National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in hospital, prison, and court settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

By: James Slobodzien, Psy.D, CSAC

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For more info see: www.booklocker.com/books/1966.html www.geocities.com/drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

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Alcohol And Drug Addiction Help; How To Help Teenagers

It’s not an easy task to find alcohol or drug addiction help for your young kid or teenager. Nevertheless this is an important task and as a parent you have no choice but taking care of it. A teenager’s life is full of contradictions and extremes, as young people are struggling to find out who they really are as well as wondering what their identity as adults will be, this is just normal. Due to teenagers particular mental stressors, it is a very easy way for youngsters to get caught up in an alcohol or drug addiction problem. Because of these stressors, they will almost always be in need for drug addiction help to get rid of their cravings for their drug of choice. Facts about alcoholism and drug addiction show that the highest rates of success occur with inpatient drug rehab.

Treatment, in terms of drug or alcohol addicted teenagers, must be tailored specifically to their needs. In grown-up cases, generic addiction treatments often do the trick. With teenagers however, the mind is still being shaped and the addiction treatment options must address the changing chemicals inside the teen. Make an informed decision and do your homework when it comes to picking drug addiction assistance facilities.

Of special concern to parents of teenagers with a drug or alcohol addiction problem is the issue of schooling. Many teens who have a drug or alcohol addiction problem have dropped out of school or have missed so much school that they have been suspended or expelled. In drug or alcohol rehab centers, teenagers will be required to attend school. The quality of education varies from program to program, but your teenager will have to attend classes. A drug or alcohol rehab center’s schedule is tight, incorporating academic classes as well as psycho-educational classes, group therapy, personal counseling and similar activities.

Parents should expect to be significantly involved with their teen’s drug addiction help, whether the teenager is in inpatient drug or alcohol rehab or outpatient counseling. Family sessions are required by many rehab facilities and highly recommended anyway. While it is surely not your "fault" that your teenager has a drug or alcohol addiction problem, family dynamics may play a contributing part in the underlying causes. Additionally, you and your teen have probably grown apart and may fight frequently. Your faithful attendance at family sessions will show your teenager that you love and care for him or her and are willing to commit to the teen’s recovery effort.

After your teen completes his or her inpatient drug or alcohol rehab program, you will need to make provisions for aftercare drug or alcohol addiction help. Your teen will most likely receive a referral to an outside therapist or psychologist and information about twelve step programs and peer counseling services as well. Make sure that your teenager performs all appropriate follow up work, as relapse is very common. Work with your teen and allow him or her to take some progressive responsibility for making his/her own aftercare decisions.

Do not punish or guilt trip your teenager about his or her drug addiction problem but rather encourage him or her in the fight for recovery. Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction brings forth many feelings, some of which will be quite mean for both you and your kid. Provide a loving and supportive environment in which your teenager can heal and be prepared to do the necessary work on your side of the relationship. Alcohol or drug addiction help can assist you both in becoming closer and more trusting of each other.

No matter how old the addicted person is, facing the need of drug addiction recovery can be a real nightmare. For a person questing for identity like teenagers normally do, getting rid of an alcohol or drug addiction on top of all these other issues issues must be felt like a disaster. Fortunately, there are methods to handle addiction in teenagers successfully however, it requires professional alcohol or drug addiction help together with the teenager as well as the parents. Only then the treatment will be successful.

By: Dave Richards

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David Richards is a publisher of alcoholism facts. You can go to alcoholism treatment for more.

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Prescription Drug Addiction: What Does It Take To Keep Your Family And Friends Drug-free?

Years ago, when parents thought their kids weren’t the type to take drugs, they were probably right. Now there’s about a one in five chance they’re wrong. What’s really fuelling prescription drug addiction, and what can we do about it?

Prescription drug addiction is a societal ill – while each individual has their reasons for abusing or becoming addicted to drugs, not much is going to change until taking drugs is no longer accepted as a way of life. Drug companies advertise directly to the consumer on TV, magazines, on the Internet. The ads show people who, basically, aren’t happy. Then they take the drug and, voila, their lives change.

People watching the ads go to their family doctor, tell him how they feel (just like the person in the commercial – they don’t even need to describe their symptoms really), and tell him that they think they would feel better taking X drug and would like a prescription. And the doctor gives it to them.

There’s nothing strange about that, right? It’s just like buying Pepsi so you can become part of the Pepsi generation. Well, this is the prescription drug generation. But it’s not just affecting the current generation – everyone from kindergarteners to pensioners are taking them. But, unlike Pepsi drinkers, many are also ending up with a prescription drug addiction, and in hospital emergency rooms and morgues. In Florida alone about 8,000 people died last year from prescription drugs. And that’s just the ones who were autopsied.

As a parent, and a spouse, and a friend, the way you can protect your loved ones is to teach them the truth: That prescription drug addiction can be a consequence, that further consequences can include ruins lives, shattered dreams and, sometimes, death, and that the only certain way to avoid those consequences is to avoid the drugs.

If someone you care about needs prescription drugs – which many of us do at times – make sure they take them for a short period of time and as directed. And don’t mix them with other drugs. If things go further than that, or already have, find a drug addiction treatment center where they can get help. And, whatever you do, don’t assume that your kids are not the type to take drugs.

By: Gloria MacTaggart

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Gloria MacTaggart is a freelance writer that contributes articles on health. info@drugrehabreferral.com www.drugrehabreferral.com More on drug rehab

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Steps For Drug Addiction Treatment – How To Get Free

Strictly speaking, an addiction is a chronic strain and need on that the body develops towards a substance, drug, food or chemical in order to feel normal again. At times this is not as simple as it sounds; what the body deciphers as necessary for life may itself be the very thing that destroys it. Take for instance; drug addiction (which sometimes clinically differs from drug dependency) happens when the body craves the ingestion of a drug in order to diminish its heightened sense of anxiety and when this drug of choice is ingested, inhaled or injected into the blood stream, a sense of calm and serene satisfaction blankets the body and the craving subsides. Drug addiction to such potent drugs as heroin, opium, cocaine and methamphetamines, is one of the most dangerous and potent killers in today’s society and there are various ways in which it can be treated but before we examine that, let us explore why it starts. There are both physical and psychological reasons.

Most drug addicts get into drug use after experiencing some traumatic experience such as the death of a loved one, an accident, the loss of an important relationship or even after learning of the existence of a terminal illness. The addict then goes into a state of denial where he or she needs an additive in order to "cope" with life. Initially, the addict rationalizes that he or she is able to keep the drug usage under control. Sometimes the drug, such as methamphetamine, will promise the user an ecstatic high that blankets the present pain of living and offers a thrill that surpasses all else that the addict has ever known and in so doing attempts to numb reality. Once the addict has solidly settled into regular drug use, the body chemical balance is altered to where it needs the drug in ever increasing amounts in order to produce the same high. At this point, the addict is overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and no longer has any control. It is at this juncture that he or she needs immediate help. Let us examine the treatment for drug addiction.

Social treatment

There are those of the school of thought that in order to transition the addict to full recovery, the root cause of the addiction has to be tackled. In other words, the hurt, pain and disappointment that caused the addict to fall into addictive behavior has to be addressed. This is where family and friends come in handy in loving and supporting the addict back to life. It is at this point that the addict needs a support system. Attending an addicts’ recovery group such as the 12-step program also serves the same purpose.

Anti-addictive drugs

The same way there exists drugs which induce an addiction, doctors and pharmacists have also formulated drugs that combat that same addiction. These drugs such as methadone, attempt to restore the body’s original chemical balance so that the addictive drug loses its hold on the addict. One downside to these anti-addictive drugs is that they are themselves addictive if taken without a prescription. These need to be taken with caution and intelligently.

By: Dee Cohen

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Dee Cohen is a licensed social worker and writes at Treatment for Drug Addiction where you can visit and learn more about taking care of yourself at www.drug-and-alcohol-rehab-info.com

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The purpose of this article is to help individuals learn how to choose the right drug treatment center for themselves or their loved ones. Reading this article will allow you to develop a basic understanding of:

The Different Types of Facilities
The Different Levels of Care
The Different Treatment Services

This article is by no means a comprehensive picture of all the different types of drug treatment centers or drug treatment services. This is because in Southern California alone, there are 500+ facilities located within 100 miles of Los Angeles. So there is no way to outline all of these centers or their treatment capabilities. What this article will assist you in accomplishing is to determine the following:

What type of facility you want to attend
What level of care you initially feel is most appropriate based on need
What types of treatment services you want the facility you attend to offer

This article is designed to help individuals, or their loved ones, who are experiencing:

Addiction
Alcoholism
Substance Abuse
Chemical Dependency
Prescription Drug Addiction

If you or your loved one is experiencing any of the following it is best that you seek a free evaluation by calling (877) 415 4673:

Depression
Sex Addiction
Panic Disorder
Dual-Diagnosis
Eating Disorder
anxiety Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Trauma Disorder
Gambling Addiction
Acute Withdrawal; or
Immediate Need for Crisis Intervention

Step 1 ‘Choosing the Appropriate Type of Facility’

Residential drug treatment centers basically break down into three categories. These are:

Adolescent Facilities
Young Peoples Facilities
Adult Facilities

Each of these categories treats a certain age group. These are:

Adolescent Facilities- typically meet the needs of individuals ages 13-17.
Young Peoples Facilities- typically meet the needs of individuals ages 17-25.
Adult Facilities- typically meet the needs of individuals ages 18+.

So the first step in choosing the right drug treatment center is to determine which category of treatment you or your loved one falls into based on age.

Step 2 ‘Choosing the Appropriate Level of Care’

The different levels of care offered within the three types of facilities basically break down into 5 categories. These are:

detoxification Services (Residential)
Primary Care Services (Residential)
Extended Care Services (Residential)
Partial Care Services (Non-Residential)
Outpatient Care Services (Non-Residential)

Each of these levels of care offer different types of support. Here is a basic description of each level of care:

Detoxification Services typically assist individuals in withdrawing from alcohol and/or drugs through the aid of medications prescribed by a physician. (NOTE: Detoxification Services are not usually considered a complete treatment for addiction. These services are specifically designed to help individuals establish a clean and sober baseline so that alcohol and/or addiction education and clinical treatment can be initiated; both which help to prevent the possibility of relapse in the future.)

Primary Care Services typically introduce educational concepts of alcohol and/or addiction recovery and provide different types of recovery-related activities including; individual counseling, individual therapy, group therapy and alumni support groups, all of which are designed to be supportive while creating awareness of the issues that have contributed to developing chemical dependency and/or substance abuse tendencies. (NOTE: Many centers offering primary care services also offer relationship counseling and/or a Family Program.)

Extended Care Services typically are residential but less structured than primary care services and usually serve individuals transitioning from Primary Care. These services represent a platform to further assist people who have limited life experiences or an extensive alcoholism and/or addiction history in living clean and sober while developing an independent daily routine. Extended Care Services include individual counseling, individual therapy, group therapy and alumni support groups. It’s often a place where individuals can learn basic life-skills while practicing recovery principles in a safe environment and still receive the clinical support needed to further a personal understanding of their own substance abuse and/or chemical dependency issues.

Partial Care Services typically are non-residential and usually represented by 2-5 hours of treatment related services per/day. Individuals in attendance have the opportunity to attend group therapy and receive limited individual counseling and/or individual therapy. Because this level of care is non-residential, people attending can embrace their free time by attending school or maintaining employment. This level of care represents a safe place for individuals to process some of the feelings and emotions that are coming up during day-to-day activities as they directly relate to their recovery process.

Outpatient Care Services are non-residential and allow individuals to shore-up an ample self-supporting daily routine (of school or work) with nightly groups and limited individual counseling and/or individual therapy. This level of care represents a safe place for people to process recovery-related feelings and emotions on an intimate group basis and typically serves to create a positive-peer group and sense of community away from the stressors of living clean and sober in early alcohol and/or addiction recovery.

So the second step in choosing the right drug treatment center is determining what level of care is most appropriate for you.

Step 3 ‘Choosing the Appropriate Treatment Services’

Once you have determined the type of facility your age makes you eligible for and once you have basically decided what level of care appears most appropriate, it is time to determine what type of treatment services you want the drug treatment center to offer. Treatment services offered in drug treatment centers basically break down into three categories. They are:

Medical Services
Clinical Services
12 Step Services

Medical Services typically encompass acute detoxification services, post-acute detoxification services and psychiatric services. (NOTE: Not all drug treatment centers offer medical services.)

Clinical Services typically encompass the types of clinical therapy offered during treatment. These include psychological evaluation, individual therapy, experiential therapy, group therapy, couples therapy and/or family programs. (NOTE: Not all drug treatment centers offer a full array of clinical services.)

12 Step Services typically encompass recovery related individual counseling, recovery groups, trigger identification and relapse prevention, 12 Step meeting attendance and education/introduction to a 12 Step Program. (NOTE: Most drug treatment centers offer 12 Step services.)

So step three is determining what sort of services you want the drug treatment center to offer. Some centers offer medical, clinical and 12 Step services while others may only offer limited clinical services and 12 Step services.

Step 4 ‘Deciding on Cost’

Now you should have a basic idea of the following:

The type of facility you want to attend (based on age)
The appropriate level of care (based on need)
The types of treatment services you want your ideal facility to offer (based on need)

In the United States in 2004 the least expensive treatment center was $0 for an indefinite stay. That center primarily focused on 12 Step Services and vocational activities. (In other words, clients worked to pay for their stay while attending daily 12 Step meetings) The most expensive drug treatment center in 2004 was located in Southern California and was $120,000 for a 2-week stay. This center primarily focused on exclusive medical treatments, psychiatric evaluations and psychologically supportive therapeutic measures.

An Important Fact:

A study conducted by the NIDA determined that 30-day treatment centers were approximately 30-35% successful in treating addictions. The same study found that if clients transitioned from primary care into some form of aftercare for 6 months or more that the success rates increased to 65-70%. (Success was defined by 5 years of continuous recovery) Aftercare for the purposes of this study was defined as: Extended care services, partial care services, outpatient care services or individual therapy.

So what does this mean?

It means that money won’t buy recovery. But the amount of money you spend may allow you or your loved one to receive treatment services that are more in line with their belief systems and historical experiences than perhaps say, a drug treatment center that only focuses on vocational activities. It also means that the longer you or your loved one can afford to stay in treatment, or if you can pay a certain amount for primary care services but still leave a reservoir of funds available for aftercare services the more likely it will be you or your loved one will achieve lasting recovery success.

Here are some helpful tips for deciding on the amount you want to spend for enrollment in a drug treatment center:

If you need detoxification services and primary care services then find a drug treatment center that offers detox as a component of primary care. This allows you to spend one amount and still cover both needs.
Leave yourself a reservoir of funds available for aftercare services once you conclude primary care. In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

If the NIDA has determined that 6 months of various aftercare services will increase the likelihood of success, then be sure you have funds available to secure these future services.

Strong clinical services usually increase the cost of treatment. For example; a program that only offers 12 Step services is usually cheaper than a program that offers both 12 Step services and clinical services.

Be realistic. The best approach is to find a program that offers a multitude of services under one roof. This allows you to cover all your bases with one expenditure and prevents costly enrollment fees if you were to say, enroll in four different facilities to receive four levels of care.

Step 5 ‘Asking the Right Questions’

To protect yourself or your loved one take the time (Probably not more than 10 minutes) to ask a few very pertinent questions of the center you’re thinking of enrolling with. Even in a time of crisis, which is often the case when researching a drug treatment center, a few crucial questions may help you to secure your decision to enroll or to continue your research to find a better suited facility.

Remember to ask the drug treatment centers representative whether they meet the criteria you have already determined you may need.

For Example:

‘Do you provide treatment for adults?’
‘Do you offer primary care?’
‘Do you provide medical, clinical and 12 Step services?’

If the representative answers these questions to your liking then here are some important additional questions to ask. (NOTE: Below each question is also the preferred answer.)

Question 1- May I have a copy of your daily schedule?

Answer: Yes

Question 2- Are you licensed by the State to provide drug and alcohol treatment?

Answer: Yes

Question 3- How many individual session’s will I (Or my loved one) receive per/week?

Answer: ‘The facility representative should say at least 4 per/week’

Question 4- Are those individual sessions conducted by a certified counselor or licensed therapist and related to addiction recovery or dual-diagnosis?

Answer: Yes

Question 5- What is the cost of your facility?

Answer: ‘The facility representative should state the cost’

Question 6- Does that cost cover all expenses?

Answer: Yes

Question 7- If a psychiatric evaluation is necessary, is that also included in the cost?

Answer: Yes

Question 8- Do you provide onsite medical detoxification services?

Answer: Yes

Question 9- Does a physician oversee the onsite detoxification services?

Answer: Yes

Question 10- Do nurses help with the hour-to-hour needs of each person needing onsite detoxification services?

Answer: Yes

Question 11- Do you provide 24 hour supervision of clients?

Answer: Yes

Question 12- Do you offer a Family Program for friends and/or loved ones?

Answer: Yes

If the representative answers all the previous questions satisfactorily then here are some questions that will amplify your understanding of the facility. Once you ask these questions you will have a comprehensive picture of the complete scope of services offered by the facility. (NOTE: These answers will vary from facility to facility)

Question 1- What sorts of individual clinical therapy do you offer?

Question 2- What sorts of groups do you offer?

Question 3- Do you offer daily or weekly outdoor activities? What sorts of activities do you offer?

Question 4- Do you offer experiential therapy? What sorts of experiential therapy do you offer?

Question 5- Do you offer spiritually based activities? Are they mandatory?

Question 6- Do you offer yoga, meditation or any holistic treatment?

Question 7- Do you offer individualized treatment?

Question 8- How do you individualize a person’s care?

Question 9- What if I or my loved one leaves treatment early? Do you offer refunds?

Question 10- Have you had any complaints filed against you? What was the basis for these complaints?

Question 11- Are you a Co-Ed facility?

Question 12- How many people do you treat at one time?

Question 13- What is your staff to client ratio?

Question 14- How many clients are assigned to each counselor/clinician?

Question 15- What are the living arrangements like? How many people are assigned to each room?

Question 16- Do you offer private counseling offices?

Question 17- Do you have space for people to have private time?

Question 18- Do you allow visitation?

Question 19- What makes your facility unique?

Question 20- What is the general age group currently being treated at your facility?

NOTE: These questions are not unrealistic to ask. Use your intuition wisely during this process. If you begin to feel the representative is telling you what you want to hear ask to have his/her statements put in writing. If the representative refuses, it is probably wise to continue your research and to find another facility.

Step 6 ‘The Red Flag Questions’

There are a few questions that you may ask that are considered ‘Red Flag Questions.’ If a facility representative answers ‘yes’ to these questions you have great cause to be alarmed. Below each question is an explanation of why a ‘yes’ answer is alarming. These questions are:

Red Flag Question 1 – Do you have the cure for addiction?

Alarming Because: There is no documented cure to addiction.

Red Flag Question 2 – Can you guarantee my success?

Alarming Because: Only your actions can guarantee your success, once you leave the center the responsibility to make healthy choices lies with you.

Red Flag Question 3 – Are you the best drug treatment center?

Alarming Because: There are a multitude of great drug treatment centers and people are getting clean and sober in centers all across the United States. Of these quality centers none are better or worse than the other, and ethical facilities are cognizant of this fact and willing to be vocal about it.

Conclusion

This article is intended to serve as a helpful tool only. If you have additional questions or are in need of a free evaluation to assist you in determining what level of care is most appropriate to meet your needs then call (877) 415 4673.

Remember that there are numerous resources available to help individuals struggling with substance abuse or addiction related issues. This article does not describe them all. If you have questions about how to find these resources, or you would like a comprehensive picture of all the differing types of drug and alcohol treatment related services available in your area call (877) 415 4673.

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Male Sexual Health Tips

Male sexual health pertains to his reproductive life that whose proper working leads to the good functioning of his sexual organs.

Below are mentioned some points that are co related to male reproductive problems that also interferes in his sexuality as well as his reproductive life.
Male sexual health no. 1 – Testicular trauma. Even a mild injury to the testicles can cause a severe pain, bruising, or swelling. Most testicular injuries that happen when the testicles are struck, hit, kicked, or crushed, typically during sports or due to other trauma. Testicular torsion, when one of the testicles twists around and cutting off its blood supply, is also a difficulty that some teen males experience, although it’s not ordinary. Surgery is actually needed to untwist the cord and save the testicle.

Male sexual health no. 2 – Varicocele. This is a varicose vein (an uncommonly swollen vein) in the network of veins that run from the testicles. Varicoceles commonly develop while a boy is going through puberty. A varicocele is typically not damaging, although it can damage the testicle or decrease sperm production. Take your son to see his doctor if he is totally concerned about changes in his testicles about changes in his testicles.

Male sexual health no. 3 – Testicular cancer. This is one of the most common cancers in men younger than age of 40. It actually occurs when cells in the testicle divide abnormally and form a tumor. Testicular cancer can actually spread to the other parts of the body, but if it’s detected early, the cure rate is excellent. Teen boys should be then confident to learn to perform the testicular self-examinations.

Male sexual health no. 4 – Inguinal hernia. When a portion of the intestines that pushes through an abnormal opening or weakening of the abdominal wall and into the groin or scrotum, it is then known as an inguinal hernia. The hernia may look like a bulge or swelling in the goring area. It can be corrected with surgery.

Sexual Intercourse

Sexual intercourse, or coitus, refers in a exacting biological sense to the insertion of the male’s penis into the female’s vagina for the purpose of reproduction. Sexual intercourse is found among all the mammalian species.
Intercourse has generally been viewed as the natural endpoint of all sexual contact between a man and a woman. Though, the meaning of the term has been broadened in the new years to include a wider range of behaviors and a wider set of motivations and intentions.

In both well-liked and professional usage, interc
ourse now labels at least the 3 different sex acts, 2 of which are not directly tied to conceiving a child. These three types of intercourse are: vaginal intercourse, involving vaginal penetration by the penis and possibly to the point of male ejaculation and female orgasm; oral intercourse, connecting oral caress of the sex organs (male or female), possibly to the point of orgasm; and anal intercourse, involving insertion of the male’s penis into his partner’s anus. The latter two of these behaviors may be the defined endpoints of a sexual encounter or that they may be the acts of foreplay
leading to each other or to vaginal intercourse.

Furthermore, intercourse is not limited to the partnerships between the individuals of opposite genders. Same-sex or homosexual encounters, involving oral or anal penetration or stimulation, and are also referred to as the sexual intercourse. Some also include digital (use of fingers or hands) intercourse or mutual masturbation as yet one more form of intercourse.

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Am I Married To A Sex Addict?

In my private practice, I get a lot of questions about sex addiction. Unfortunately, it is an increasingly popular topic. Here’s a recent scenario that one client shared with me: “My boyfriend and I have been together for about 3 year’s now. At the beginning the sex was great, now it’s almost non-existent, but we still love each other very much. A while back we started having 3-ways with other guys, and that was cool. But, in the last few months, he told me he’s not into those anymore and he wants to have an open relationship where each of us does our own thing sexually. This isn’t my preference, but I went along with it (I’m not very assertive). Now he’s never home; when he’s not at work, he’s almost always out having sex. On weekends, he’s on the computer for 3-4 hours a day looking to hook up. He goes to bathhouses once or twice a week too. It feels like our relationship is falling apart. Am I married to a sex addict?”
.
I told my client: “You have not one, but several problems: (1) It’s hard for you to be assertive, (2) your boyfriend’s having sex with other people and you’re not thrilled about it, (3) your relationship feels like it’s falling apart, and (4) you wonder if you’re married to a sex addict”.

I define sex addiction as sexual behavior that habitually interferes with a person’s well-being. Any sexual activity that ‘runs’ us can be an addiction. And let’s dig a bit deeper here folks: it’s not sex outside of a relationship that is destructive, it’s WHY the person is having sex with (so many) other guys. It’s not the behavior so much as the motivation behind it. If two people are happy with their non-overlapping sex lives, then great. But, what if you’re not?.

With the easy availability of Internet sex (photos, videos, websites) and hook-up sites, many a gay guy has allowed himself to be tempted away from his main man. And, you may ask, why not? If you’re horny and alone and your boyfriend’s asleep so early (again!) or at work, is there harm to getting off over the Internet? Look at your motivation and the frequency of the behavior: if your boyfriend can’t ignore the desire for sex and feels like his dick is telling him what to do (and not vice versa), then he may h ave a sex addiction. Here are some questions to ask him:

1. Can you turn down sex or do you have it any time you can get it?
2. Do you spend large amounts of time looking for sex?
3. Do you need to have sex or is a choice, e.g., can you take it or leave it?
4. Do you obsess about sex?
5. Do you panic when you think that you may not have sex today/tonight?
6. Do you put yourself at risk as a result of your sexual activities, e.g., having unsafe sex?
7. Does your sex life interfere with your job, our relationship or being with friends?

How do you approach your boyfriend if you think he has a sex addiction? Very gingerly. Imagine that your roles were reversed and he was confronting you with upsetting behavior: how would you like to be approached? What would turn you off or make you defensive? The same is probably true for him. If you are going to talk with him about your concerns, be honest, loving and respectful. Tell him your concerns about him, you and your relationship.

If your boyfriend is willing, he might consider groups and/or individual therapy to help him regain control of his sex life. He can Google ‘sex addiction’ and choose from a lot of options, or find out about local meetings of ‘Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous’ (aka SLAA) or contact them on the web. SLAA uses a 12-step model to help people who have sex addictions; their meetings are free and visitors/guests are not allowed.

If it’s hard to be assertive, you can work on this in individual psychotherapy or with the help of a good book like ‘When I Say No, I Feel Guilty’ by Manuel J. Smith (a classic in assertiveness training). Whether your boyfriend has a sex addiction or not, find a way to talk with him about your sex life. Be assertive: tell him what you would like. See if the two of you can find mutual satisfaction and keep your relationship from ‘falling apart’ (your words). Whether you’re married to a sex addict or not, your relationship may need a tune-up. Either talk it out yourself or get support from friends or a mental health professional. If your relationship is worth working for, now’s the time. Don’t be shy!

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