Author: The Fix

Doctor-Turned-Sober Home Owner Describes Descent Into Addiction

The former small town West Virginia doctor described how his own addiction and poor prescribing habits changed his life forever.

Dr. Lou Ortenzio popped his first opioid pain pills in 1988, long before most Americans knew what an opioid was.

Over the next 15 years, the small town doctor in West Virginia saw more and more patients asking for powerful painkillers, while he himself became more addicted.

Whereas older generations in Appalachia had lived with ailments and pain, never wanting to seem “complainy,” in the 1990s Ortenzio began to see a shift in patient perspective.

“The new generation that came in the 1980s, those kids began to have the expectation that life should be pain-free,” he told The Atlantic. “If you went to your physician and you didn’t come away with a prescription, you did not have a successful visit.”

Between 1995 and 2005 the number of pharmaceutical sales reps nearly tripled and Ortenzio began to have more and more sales reps knocking on his door pushing the latest painkillers.

“It went from a dozen [salesmen] a week to a dozen a day,” he said. “If you wrote a lot of scrips, you were high on their call list. You would be marketed to several times a day by the same company with different reps.”

Throughout the late 90s and early 2000s Ortenzio found himself writing more and more prescriptions. As he became known as a doctor who would easily prescribe pills, more patients sought him out.

At the same time he was taking more pills, even asking a friend to fill prescriptions for him. When he tried to quit he would experience symptoms of withdrawal, which gave him understanding for the predicament that many of his patients found themselves in.

He said, “I couldn’t be away from my supply.”

In 2004, after his wife divorced him, Ortenzio got sober following a religious experience. Other doctors turned to The Physician Health Program, run by the West Virginia State Medical Association, which has helped more than 230 doctors in West Virginia get sober.

Yet Ortenzio’s sobriety wasn’t the end of opioids ruining his life. Soon after he stopped using, federal agents raided his office, and in 2006 Ortenzio pleaded guilty to fraudulent prescribing. He paid $200,000 in restitution, lost his medical license, and had to complete 1,000 hours of community service while under supervised release for five years.

Once a promising physician, Ortenzio was 53 and delivering pizzas, but he was at peace. After years of volunteering with a recovery center, Ortenzio opened a sober living home, which now serves six men, with plans to expand by opening another center for women.

Although he will never be able to practice medicine again, Ortenzio is happy where he is today, sustaining his own recovery and helping other people get sober.

“I made pizza deliveries where I used to make house calls,” he said. “I delivered pizzas to people who were former patients. They felt very uncomfortable, felt sorry for me. It didn’t bother me. I was in a much better place.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Cavaliers’ J.R. Smith Bans Alcohol From His House

The famously hard-partying NBA player surprised fans with his social media announcement.

J.R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that alcohol is no longer allowed in his house on an Instagram post. The announcement might come as a surprise to many fans as Smith has something of a reputation for partying hard.

After a 2016 Cavalier title run, a shirtless drinking binge earned Smith an unofficial title as the NBA’s Hennessy god.

Snapping a photo of emptied liquor bottles atop what is presumably his home bar for his post, he set some new ground rules for anyone visiting his abode:

“To all who decides to step foot in my house from here on out!!!! IT WILL BE 0 ALCOHOL AT MY HOUSE! You want to drink take that shit back where you came! But in MY HOUSE! NO MORE ALCOHOL! #Thanks! Don’t speak about it BE ABOUT IT!”

Smith’s decision to turn a new leaf may stem from the fact that he just finished the worst season he’s had in his 15-year career. His time with the Cavaliers is ending, so team management is looking for potential trade partners. Some speculate Smith’s new no-booze rule is a move to show he’s focused on basketball and athletics, not partying and Hennessy.

The NBA has taken steps to encourage mental wellness with their initiative called Mind Health. In May of last year, the league produced a 30-second TV spot to be broadcast during the NBA playoffs.

“Everyone walks around with something that you can’t see,” Love says in the PSA. “The best thing I did was to come out and say, ‘Hey look, I need some help.’”

Besides outreach urging viewers to communicate openly about their mental health, the NBA also released guided meditation videos called Headspace that helps athletes take care of their head space before competition. The Cleveland Cavaliers own Kevin Love revealed that he works with Mind Health because he’s suffered from panic attacks himself.

“If you’re suffering silently like I was, then you know how it can feel like nobody really gets it,” Love wrote. “Partly, I want to do it for me, but mostly, I want to do it because people don’t talk about mental health enough. And men and boys are probably the farthest behind.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Virtual Reality Could Be Used To Treat Stubborn Depression Symptoms

One research team is on a mission to treat one of the most difficult and overlooked parts of depression to treat using virtual reality.

Researchers are currently testing virtual reality programs on depression patients with the idea that going through positive experiences, even virtually, and focusing on the positive aspects of the experience could effectively treat anhedonia.

This symptom, characterized by a lack of interest in anything and an inability to feel pleasure, is one of the most difficult parts of depression to treat and is often overlooked, according to University of California psychiatry researcher Michelle Craske.

“Most treatments, up until now, have done an OK job at reducing negative [symptoms of depression], but a very poor job at helping patients become more positive,” said Craske to STAT.

Using virtual reality, Crask and her colleagues guide patients through dives into coral reefs and tours through Venice, instructing them to report every pleasurable detail. This approach, called positive affect therapy, trains patients to pay more attention to what makes them feel good and hopefully amplifies feelings of pleasure and joy.

Thanks to the development of virtual reality technology, it’s possible to bring all kinds of incredible experiences into one office or into people’s homes. Patients can return to their favorite experiences and explore what makes them happy without spending a ton of money.

“Mental health and the environment are inseparable,” said University of Oxford psychologist Dr. Daniel Freeman. “The brilliant thing about virtual reality is that you can provide simulations in the environment and have people repeatedly go into them.”

Research on this therapy is still in preliminary stages, but the early results of Craske’s work look promising. In fact, Craske’s team is looking to work with virtual reality companies specifically to develop a program that adapts to patient mood indicators.

“If, for example, a patient smiles at a VR character who waves and says hello, that character might walk over and strike up a friendly conversation.”

Virtual reality is currently being tested for possible application in all steps of mental health treatment, including the earliest ones.

According to an article in WIRED earlier this year, researchers are exploring whether this new technology could be used to better diagnose mental and neurological conditions such as depression, PTSD, and Alzheimer’s.

“With some psychiatric disorders, for example OCD or panic disorder, patients usually experience their symptoms in their personal environment or in crowded places, and not in the clinician’s room,” said University of Amsterdam’s Department of Psychiatry researcher Dr. Martine van Bennekom. “With VR it is possible to immerse patients in an exterior environment while the clinician can observe symptoms and interview the patients about these symptoms and underlying thoughts.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Scared Straight: How My Fear in Early Sobriety Evolved Into Lifesaving Discipline

I was free from myself. And this freedom was a direct result of being completely mortified at having put myself in such a precarious, powerless position. It was the most honest fear I’d ever felt – and the healthiest.

The date was October 12, 2011. It was my second morning of sobriety, the first that I’d woken up in my bed rather than jail. Two days earlier I’d sideswiped a cab, blind drunk, and kept going. Cops frown upon that.

For some time, I’d been building toward a last straw scenario – a no-doubter dealbreaker to finally cost me my marriage and (yet another) job. The dead silence with which my spouse departed for work that day spoke volumes, and God knew how I’d keep my suburbs-based job without a license to drive there.

As it turned out, I still have both – the wife and the job – today, seven-plus years into recovery. And what I’ve realized is that the unprecedented fear I felt that fall morning was key to sparking my long-term sobriety.

Recently in this space, I wrote a piece about how, for all its faults, AA groupthink can help newcomers develop much-needed discipline, as it encourages a standardized structure recommended for recovery. Meeting, sponsor, stepwork, repeat.

But for me and for many, there was also a second, more self-sufficient catalyst to recovery: fear. Fear that you’ve already done enough to be doomed; or if you haven’t, you can’t stop yourself from making it worse still; fear to do anything at all because you’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can’t trust yourself to do anything, at all. Fear not only of consequences, but of self.

Sometimes it truly is darkest before the dawn. This seemingly debilitating state can, ironically, lead to lifesaving discipline of a sort we alcoholics and addicts had thought far beyond our grasp.

Freedom in Fear

Despite the divorce/firing 1-2 combo I felt certain was coming, that second sober morning I felt free – and not just because I was no longer behind bars.

Rather, my freedom was twofold. First, what’s done had been done and I couldn’t undo it. So although I was scared shitless of how my marriage and career could both abruptly end, I was free from worrying about whether I’d do something to warrant those outcomes. Been there, drank that.

More importantly, I was free from myself. And this freedom was a direct result of being completely mortified at having put myself in such a precarious, powerless position. It was the most honest fear I’d ever felt – and in hindsight, the healthiest.

Starting that day I became deathly afraid of my erratic, addiction-driven actions. All the vows of abstinence inspired by a worsening set of consequences and hangovers had accomplished nothing. The 7am “never agains” had become the 4pm “once agains,” again and again.

I simply couldn’t trust myself to make decisions, and I knew it. And considering its origin – the brain of a nervous wreck, two-day-sober insane person – my next thought was illogically logical:

“Then stop making fucking decisions.”

This, of course, was easier said than done, and in fact sounded suspiciously similar to many former miserably-failed declarations of self-restraint. This time around, the only fresh variable was the agoraphobic, fetal-position-caliber fear permeating my body, with an assist from a stupefying fog familiar to those of us who also suffer from depression.

I was scared. I was stunned. And I had to be at work in 45 minutes. My uncle gave me a lift. In the car ride over, one thought reverberated in my head:

“Just get to work, do your job, and come right home.” It was all I could handle that day. It was also the genesis of an invaluable recovery tool: keep it simple.

From Fear to Powerlessness

I got to work and back that day, and the next. I managed to walk myself to an AA meeting a half block from home. That weekend I shadowed my miraculously still-there wife like a toddler would his mommy.

My daily deeds had dwindled to a precious few, and fell into one of two categories: everything I did was either obligatory (work, AA meeting) or subjugated, meaning it was accompanied and determined by someone else (my wife, an in-the-know family member). If that sounds pathetic… well, it is. But it worked.

This decision-free existence, I’ve come to realize, was a real-world Step 1, whose dual recognitions of powerlessness over inebriating substances and life unmanageability are, I believe, near-universal to recovering alcoholics and addicts regardless their particular method of sobriety.

What ensued was a lifestyle minimalism in which my days were rigidly pre-planned, and I still had enough of my secret ingredient – fear – to prevent any deviating from this preset course. A typical day looked something like this:

Wake up, get dressed, coffee, breakfast. Board the first of three buses (New Jersey’s transit system leaves a lot to be desired) for work. Work. Eat lunch – bagged and brought, because the fewer times you walk out of your office, the smaller the chance you’ll walk into a bar.

Work again. Three buses home. Gym or AA, time and rides permitting.

During this time I was never on my own in private for more than five minutes if at all possible. Being (amazingly still) married was obviously a key factor here; as someone who spent early sobriety in a self-constructed cage, I still have no idea how anyone gets sober while single – that feat would have meant too much me time to accrue clean time.

During this period it was crucial that I built a solid sober foundation. For me, that meant making meetings, getting a sponsor, and making an honest start on the 12 steps; I strongly encourage those in other recovery programs to dive into the prescribed action plan for newcomers.

How to Build a Foundation in Recovery, Quickly

The point – the universal goal – is building a foundation of recovery as expediently as possible. Because fear, like our once-vivid memories of alcoholism’s harms and humiliations, fades over time. I didn’t realize it, but I was in a race against the clock to develop reliable recovery tools before my stubborn self-will—in the form of the idiotic notion that I was prepared to once again make my own decisions—returned in brute force.

Luckily, we only need to win early sobriety once. And in this perfect storm of circumstances, I was just scared enough and stiff enough for long enough to eke out a victory. By the time my fear began to waver and wane, I had a few months and a few steps under my belt. I was on my way.

Inch by inch, the closed door of my life began to creak open. I started to take little excursions by myself, informing my wife precisely where I was going and when I’d return. I dared go out for lunch at work from time to time. I went to the trigger-laden New York City by myself for a doctor’s appointment. And finally I passed the biggest test of all: getting my driver’s license back and, with it, all the potentially disastrous decisions that come with the open road.

Not surprisingly, none of this success was the result of any grand master plan hatched by a raw, frightened newcomer. This was far more fortune than forethought. Regardless, it’s the results that count – both for me and, I hope, for others just beginning their journey in recovery.

If you’re reading this as a scared-witless newcomer, take the advice of someone whose experience was accidental but nonetheless useful: Make the decision to stop making decisions. There’s plenty of time to get your life back. Now’s the time to save it.

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Feuding Politicians Challenge Each Other To Drug Tests In 'Pissing Contest'

An online squabble turned ugly when allegations of drug use were brought up.

Two U.S. politicians got into an argument in the comments section of a political blog and ended up challenging each other to drug tests in what some are calling a literal pissing contest.

Bridgeport City Councilman Ernest Newton and Board of Education member Maria Pereira, both Connecticut Democrats, began the argument about budget figures in the comments of the local blog Only in Bridgeport (OIB) before it started turning ugly.

The internet fight turned to the topic of drugs when Newton took a shot at Pereira’s mental health. “Please remember to take your med”s [sic],” he wrote. Pereira turned the thinly veiled insult around by going after Newton’s history of addiction.

“Ernie, I promise I will continue to take any and all prescribed medicine,” she replied. “In turn, please ensure you take anything you need that may have to be swallowed, snorted, inhaled, or injected.”

In 1997, Newton confessed to his fellow legislators in the Connecticut General Assembly that he had been through rehab for his addiction to crack cocaine. The disorder was active in Newton’s life for four years while he served as a Connecticut state congressman.

In the online argument, Newton hit back by accusing Pereira of overdosing on some kind of medication, landing her in a psychiatric ward. Pereira vehemently denied these claims and issued a challenge.

“I’ll tell you what, Ernie,” she wrote. “I will gladly pay for both you and I to take a drug test with the understanding the results, whatever they may be, will be released to OIB. I have absolutely nothing to worry about. Will you agree to take a drug test I pay for on the condition the results are released to OIB?”

Newton did agree, telling her to name the time and place. Pereira named the local AFC Urgent Care as the place for an observed 10-panel urine drug test.

Both Newton’s and Pereira’s results came back negative.

The test results did not put an end to the feud, however.

Pereira accused Newton of faking his results when he posted that they came back negative in the comments rather than submitting a photo of the results to Only in Bridgeport like she had wanted. Newton then questioned why Pereira’s results took longer than his to come back and accused her of foul play. He also accused her of racism, saying that she “wouldn’t have challenged a white person” to a drug test contest and that she’s “just like Donald Trump.”

The online fight apparently ended on April 15 after citizen commenters began questioning why the two were engaging in an unproductive fight, with one calling it “embarrassing to the city.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Moby on Sobriety: "We Can't Hold On to Crazy, Magical Thinking"

A new memoir by music producer and artist Moby looks back on the highs and lows of his substance use.

In his new book, Then It Fell Apart, producer/DJ and music artist Moby reflects on his rise to stardom in the early 2000s while struggling with destructive dependencies on alcohol and drugs.

Moby (born Richard Melville Hall) has been sober for the past 11 years, during which he’s continued to create new music—most recently Long Ambients 2 (2019), his follow-up to 2016’s Long Ambients 1: Calm Sleep—and oversee several ventures outside recording, including a nonprofit vegan restaurant.

The new book—which picks up where his previous memoir Porcelain (2016) left off—details his attempts “to fix childhood trauma with egregiously bad and clueless adult decisions. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work.”

That early trauma—which included sexual abuse and his father’s suicide—was only exacerbated by his ascent to fame with albums like 1999’s Play and 2002’s 18. Though his music had made him globally famous, Moby reports in Apart that he was plagued by loneliness and panic attacks, which he began experiencing after using LSD as a teenager.

“My belief, before I got sober, was that fame was going to fix my feelings of inadequacy,” he told San Francisco’s KQED. When that didn’t work, he turned to drugs, alcohol and sex. “I longed for things to work in that way,” he recalled. “I wanted to be fixed by these unhealthy external things.” But as he discovered, the combination only added to his internal misery.

In 2002, Moby sought to gain sobriety and insight into the reasons for his personal struggles. He finally stopped using in 2008, and has remained clean since then. Of his journey, Moby said, “Part of sobriety—and a degree of spiritual fitness—is that we can’t in adulthood, hold onto crazy, magical thinking.”

Then It Fell Apart ends just before Moby became sober; he told KQED that he’s saving that part of his story for a third volume, which will focus less on recovery and more on his pursuit of spiritual integrity. “I’m not a Christian, but my life is geared towards God, understanding God, trying to do God’s will,” he said. “Keeping in mind, I have no idea who or what God is.”

He’s also learned to enjoy his time just outside the glare of the celebrity spotlight. “It’s really nice to just accept age, accept hair loss, accept diminishing commercial viability,” he explains. “Accepting these things and trying to learn from them is a lot more enjoyable and a lot healthier than angrily fighting entropy.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Unwanted Sexting Linked To Mental Distress

A new study found that men had more adverse effects when they got unwanted sexts even though women receive more.

Getting unwanted sexual pictures messaged over texts or dating apps has become so common that it’s joked about and laughed at, but new research shows that receiving unwanted “sexts” can contribute to depression and other mental health effects.

The Australian study, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, found that engaging in coerced or non-consensual sexts contributed to youth ages 18-21 feeling worse.

“Receiving unwanted sexts, or sexting under coercion, was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and lower self-esteem, and these two sexting experiences were independent predictors of psychological distress,” study authors wrote.

Interestingly, the researchers found that men seemed to have more adverse effects when they got unwanted sexts, although females were more likely to receive unwanted messages.

“The relationship between these sexting behaviors with poor mental health was moderated by gender, with poorer outcomes for males receiving unwanted sexts,” researchers wrote. “This is contrary to popular belief that females are more adversely impacted than males by sexting activity. However, it is important to note that both genders were adversely affected with regard to depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem when sending a sext under coercion.”

While previous studies have linked all sexting with poorer mental health outcomes, this study was careful to separate consensual sexual exchanges with unwanted or coerced ones.

“Our results showed no association between receiving or sending sexts overall,” researchers wrote.

Researchers said that their findings about the impact of sexting could have widespread implications.

“When receiving or sending unwanted but consensual sexts, respondents reported higher depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower self-esteem,” researchers wrote. “Another significant finding was that receiving unwanted sexts and sending sexts under pressure were independent predictors of poorer mental health. This suggests that they affect mental health in unique ways, and that there is an additive impact for these two sexting phenomena on mental health.”

They said that unwanted sexting can be a risk factor for intimate violence under certain circumstances.

“This finding is important as the nature of this sexting behavior has been likened to intimate partner violence,” they wrote.

“That is, the findings of our study may shed light on why some researchers conceptualize sexting as simply a normative sexual behavior, while others see it as a potential risk behavior, including for sexual violence. Indeed, our findings indicate that both can be true. Sexting behaviors can range from consensual sexting as a normative behavior exploring one’s sexuality to non-consensual sexting which is associated with negative mental health outcomes and more closely resembles a form of intimate partner violence.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
Marijuana Could Disqualify Immigrants From US Citizenship

Any association with marijuana could be considered an issue in establishing “good moral character,” which is a requirement for citizenship.

Immigrants who are found to have any involvement with marijuana—from possession and distribution, to medical marijuana use, to working in a cannabis company—could bar immigrants from earning citizenship, even in states where marijuana is legal.

New guidelines issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS) state that any violation of the Controlled Substances Act could be considered as an undermining factor in establishing “good moral character” (GMC), which is a requirement for citizenship.

Though medical marijuana is legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia, and recreational marijuana is legal for adults in 10 states and D.C., marijuana remains a Schedule I drug, and as such, remains prohibited by federal law.

The new guidelines (released on April 19) were issued as clarification for the USCIS Policy Manual about how an arrest for any involvement in marijuana-related activity could upend an immigrant’s efforts towards citizenship.

USCIS stated in the memo that a “violation of federal controlled substance law, including for marijuana, established by a conviction or admission, is generally a bar to establishing GMC for naturalization even where the conduct would not be a violation of state law.”

USCIS policy defines good moral character as behavior that “measures up to the standards of average citizens in which the applicant resides.”

A naturalization officer would determine an applicant’s GMC according to his or her record, statements provided during the application, and oral testimony from an interview.

Applicants for naturalization who are found to have violated the federal law through “marijuana-related activities” may be considered to lack GMC. Such activities include possession, distribution, cultivation or manufacture of marijuana, regardless of its legal status in a state.

As CBS News noted, even jobs associated with the cannabis industry or use of medical marijuana could be denoted as a violation.

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is required to adjudicate cases based on federal law,” said USCIS spokesperson Jessica Collins to CBS News. “Individuals who commit federal controlled substance violations face potential immigration consequences under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which applies to all foreign nationals regardless of the state or jurisdiction in which they reside.”

The exception to this policy is if the violation is a single offense for simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.

View the original article at thefix.com

30 April 2019
How to Find Aetna Drug Addiction Rehab Coverage
Need help finding out about Aetna coverage for drug rehab? Read our guide and find answers to common questions about Aetna insurance.

Table of Contents

1. What Is Aetna?
2. Does Aetna Cover Drug and Alcohol Rehab?
3. Aetna Substance Abuse Coverage
4. Aetna Alcohol Rehab Centers
5. Aetna Mental Health Coverage
6. What Happens in Addiction Rehab?
7. Duration of Rehab
8. Is Aetna Mental Health Coverage Insured?
9. Aetna Inpatient Rehab Facilities
10. Aetna Outpatient Services
11. What to Expect from Aetna Mental Health, Addiction Treatment, and Drug Rehab?

What Is Aetna?

Aetna is a health insurance company founded in 1853 which offers insurance for individuals and employers. Aetna has a network of over one million medical professionals, over 5,000 hospitals, and over 34,000 employees serving 46 million people who have signed up for various Aetna health insurance plans. Under the insurance plans, a person can choose from open-access plans, co-pay only plans and high-deductible plans depending on their requirement. The insurance plans and services from Aetna include:
- Medical, pharmacy and dental plans
- Medicare plans
- Medicaid services
- Behavioral health programs
- Medical management
In addition to various kinds of physical health insurance services, it also offers a wide range of mental and behavioral health coverage benefits. Aetna mental health policyholders can obtain coverage for inpatient and residential rehabilitation, intensive outpatient treatment and residential rehabilitation. Aetna, unlike other health insurance providers, helps people to make a decision on their healthcare spending and advises them in choosing their health insurance wisely

Does Aetna Cover Drug and Alcohol Rehab?

Yes, Aetna provides coverage for drug and alcohol rehabilitation too. Aetna has its own network of healthcare providers for drug and alcohol rehab where a person can be treated at a much nominal cost compared to services availed outside their network. All the services provided by Aetna health insurance coverage are pre-screened for quality, facilities, and services.

Rehab services, especially an inpatient rehab, can be a costly affair if availed from providers outside Aetna’s network. For a complete physical and mental well-being as well as a proper substance abuse counseling, Aetna is the most professional and cost-effective solution one can opt for. The Aetna health coverage is aimed at people from all walks of life irrespective of their social status so that good quality medical treatment is accessible by all.

Aetna offers a host of benefits for individuals who opt for Aetna health coverage. To know more about Aetna substance abuse care and alcohol abuse care, people can get in touch with a representative on their helpline. Additionally, Aetna also offers a virtual health assistant, named “Ann” who can easily answer all general queries related to Aetna substance abuse coverage. Aetna has an app as well where insurance seekers can manage all their health concerns, bill payments, claims, and medications on their mobile itself. The app is named iTriage.

Aetna Substance Abuse Coverage

The Aetna substance abuse coverage allows patients to receive complete treatment for their drug addiction without worrying about the huge bills to pay. Aetna keeps all patient information confidential and offers 24×7 support for any kind of queries related to the insurance coverage. With Aetna, patients can avail a wide range of substance abuse coverage. Most insurance companies only offer coverage for a part of the substance abuse treatment, but the Aetna substance abuse coverage plan covers every part of the treatment including rehab and detox.

Drug abuse is a serious problem that is faced by many people around the world. A large number of deaths are attributed to prescription drugs like opioids. These drugs are given for medicinal purposes, but people take them in larger quantities leading to an overdose. Aetna substance abuse policy takes care of the duration of a person’s stay at the rehab undergoing their detox therapy and also the medicines and other miscellaneous charges associated with the treatment.

Aetna Alcohol Rehab Centers

Aetna offers alcohol abuse care, which is carried out through SBIRT; Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. It’s a systematic method through in which alcohol abuse is identified and treated. SBIRT is ideal for people who are at risk of developing alcohol and substance abuse. Aetna health insurance is one of the most client-friendly and flexible healthcare insurance providers in the market today, and it aims to provide all types of medical benefits to individuals and employers at a nominal cost.

Alcohol abuse can have a very negative impact on the body and mind of an individual and can disturb the harmony of the individual’s personal and social life. Aetna alcohol abuse care is done in a discreet manner. Aetna also offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) where individuals can go for their alcohol treatment while still keeping their job intact. They even provide family counseling sessions and psychiatric care to those who are badly affected by alcohol abuse.

Aetna Mental Health Coverage

Aetna mental health coverage covers a wide range of mental health issues to help people recover through mental health facilities. Aetna analyzes the physical and mental health records of patients to ensure that the treatment offered is 100% satisfactory.

Many people suffer from mental health symptoms without realizing it. Getting professional help with them to identify the signs and symptoms can aid in being treated in the right way. For mental health problems, Aetna offers access to psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, therapists, social workers, and doctors. Since mental health is often linked to drug abuse, Aetna substance abuse care is another service offered by them.

What Happens in Addiction Rehab?

An addiction rehab treatment will be customized according to the need of the individual. Generally, rehab treatment includes detoxification and a combination of substance abuse therapy, relapse prevention awareness, and aftercare.

A detox helps the body to get rid of the toxic substances that react with the sensory receptors of the body and influence their functions. A detox is a gradual process and can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms during the treatment. With professional care, any individual can cope with the detox sessions and get sober. The duration of detox depends on the level of addiction to individuals and can vary according to it.

Once the detox has helped flush out harmful substances from the body, individuals are prompted to take individual and group therapies that can help them understand their addiction trigger and be aware of the side effects and consequences of substance abuse.

Aetna depression counseling takes care of the drug treatment aftercare, which is a vital step in the entire rehabilitation process so that individuals do not fall prey to any kind of addiction ever again.

Duration of Rehab

The duration of rehab treatment entirely depends on the condition of the patient. Normally, most rehabs offer a 30-day, 60-day or a 90-day rehab program that covers all the three parts of rehab, i.e., detox, therapies, and aftercare.

Studies have found that people who go for long term rehab treatment decreases their chances of getting back to addiction by many folds. For people who suffer from serious mental and psychological trauma or problems arising from substance abuse, may need to stay inside a rehab facility for a longer period. Aetna mental health policies cover both, short term and long-term rehab plans for individuals.

Is Aetna Mental Health Coverage Insured?

Yes, Aetna mental health coverage is insured. For most of the physical or mental health insurance that you choose for yourself, Aetna usually covers 80% of the treatment cost, and the patients need to pay the rest. Depending on whether a person goes for an inpatient or outpatient treatment, the actual charges and insurance amount will vary.

Aetna health insurance is one of the oldest and most trustworthy health insurance providers in the US. With Aetna’s insurance coverage, a person has to pay an amount as low as $15 for a therapy session, which is why every individual should get their mental health treatment done at the earliest to avoid any kind of complications in the future.

Aetna Inpatient Rehab Facilities

Aetna’s extensive network on inpatient rehab providers helps people avail inpatient rehab treatment without spending a fortune. Aetna has collaborated with various rehabilitation centers for people suffering from substance abuse where they are diagnosed and treated for their problems. Inpatient rehab requires the patient to stay within the rehab facility 24×7 for a couple of months along with other addicts who are also looking to recover.

Aetna therapists carry out the drug detox after various tests and assessments and then offer the best treatment to the patients. An inpatient treatment elsewhere is definitely a costly affair, and the quality of treatment cannot be guaranteed. At Aetna, only the best caregivers are chosen in order to help people recover from addiction and lead a normal life. Inpatient rehab tracks an individual round the clock to understand his triggers and withdrawal symptoms. Also, within an inpatient rehab, the chances of getting access to any drug are nil which gives a stronger opportunity for individuals to get rid of their addiction.

Inpatient rehab also conducts special programs, seminars and conduct special activities for the patients in their facility to help them interact with similar people and learn the way to cope from drug abuse with mutual support and understanding.

Aetna Outpatient Services

Aetna outpatient services are economical compared to inpatient rehab due to the nature of the treatment offered. With the outpatient service, patients do not need to stay in the facility for a certain amount of time and can carry their rehabilitation treatment by visiting the outpatient center at certain intervals. Outpatient services are a good option for people who don’t suffer from very serious alcohol or substance abuse. Outpatient therapy can be carried out beside a person’s regular tasks and commitments such as going to work, school or running a business. Outpatient services do not require round the clock care, and the number of doctors and medical professionals involved in the treatment of individuals opting for outpatient treatment is also less.

What to Expect from Aetna Mental Health, Addiction Treatment, and Drug Rehab?

Before asking “Is Aetna health insurance good?” people should know that to get coverage for the rehab treatment for mental and behavioral health, they will need preauthorization. Preauthorization is necessary for inpatient admissions, residential treatment admission, hospitalization as well as intensive outpatient programs. Once authorized, individuals can get their rehab treatment at a very nominal cost. Other health insurance providers fail to offer huge insurance and coverage like Aetna, which is why they are different from the rest. It only aims at working with the best healthcare centers to provide quality services to individuals, mainly those who are dealing with alcohol and drug abuse.

Aetna understands that substance abuse is a very serious problem and can cause havoc in an individual’s life. Addressing substance abuse problems immediately can help make the recovery process for the individuals much easier and simpler. The amount an individual spends on getting rid of substance abuse is double the amount spent on drugs. The thought of the huge hospital bill and other associated costs stop individuals from getting professional help but with Aetna substance abuse coverage, an individual can not only get out of the addiction problem but can also address many serious issues that arise due to it.

Often, individuals who deal with drug abuse fall victim to mental health problems. The drugs bind to the receptors inside the human body and react in such a way that people lose their sanity over time. Prolonged drug abuse often leads to uncontrollable mood swings and anger issues. Mental health issues affect not only individuals but also the people associated with them, i.e., friends and family.

Getting back to a normal life should be the first priority for people dealing with such problems. Constant counseling and rehab therapies can help the affected individuals get over their addiction and make their way to lead a normal life. Aetna health insurance service covers the entire process of drug recovery, from initial rehab to final aftercare, thus making sure that people get away from the vicious circle of drugs and substance abuse permanently. No health insurance provider will guarantee 100% drugs recovery; also, they won’t cover the entire recovery process, but Aetna is dedicated to working otherwise. It always works to offer an individual a quality life that is free from all kinds of drug and alcohol addiction. By choosing Aetna healthcare services, individuals are not only securing their health but also the health of their family. Aetna health insurance network provides the best services to help people lead a sober life and constantly works to live up to their promises.

View the original article at thefix.com
30 April 2019
Darryl Strawberry Encourages Fan To Stay Sober

The former baseball star has been sober since 2003.

A fan approached former Mets right-fielder Darryl Strawberry in a sports bar Saturday to share that they had been sober for a year, according to a Page Six source. Strawberry, who is also in recovery, encouraged the fan, saying: “Always remember to do it for yourself.”

Darryl Strawberry enjoyed a long and decorated baseball career, helping get the Mets to the World Series in 1986 and being voted to the All-Star game eight times in a row. However, both his career and personal life were hampered by multiple addictions that led to legal troubles. He also had an extended battle with colon cancer throughout the 1990s.

Now 57, Strawberry has been outspoken about his addiction issues. He was suspended from playing baseball three times for using cocaine and had a hard time in recovery, repeatedly relapsing and breaking his probation until he was sentenced to 22 months in prison in 2002.

“Drug addiction is very powerful,” Strawberry said, according to AL.com. “Drugs have been around sports forever and players have done them forever. I wasn’t the first one… there were a lot of other players who did them too. We were high-profile and there was more recognition on us because of the fall of who we were—such great talents at such a young age.”

In 2017, a book detailing the life of the former slugger—Don’t Give Up On Me: Shedding Light on Addiction with Darryl Strawberry—was released.

According to Sports Illustrated, the text reveals that Strawberry also struggled with sex addiction, sometimes having sex between innings during his baseball games.

“I would go between innings, and stuff like that and run back and have a little party going on,” he said while promoting the book on The Dr. Oz Show. “You know, I thought it was pretty cool. That was just the addiction, the drive.”

Today, Strawberry has embraced his faith and serves as a minister when he’s not touring the U.S. to speak on the issue of addiction disorders. He also runs a foundation for autistic children, The Darryl Strawberry Foundation, with his wife, Tracy. The two met at a drug recovery convention and married in 2006.

Plus, he opened the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center in St. Cloud, Florida in 2014. The former Yankee defended shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who was being accused of steroid abuse, by pointing out that steroids can be addictive.

“You can get addicted to steroids just like any other drug,” Strawberry said. “A drug is a drug, and it’s unfortunate drugs have been around sports forever. Look at some of the great players in the Hall of Fame. Who are they kidding? In their time and era, they did drugs. Greenies and amphetamines are drugs, too.”

View the original article at thefix.com

26 April 2019