Answer Addiction

Author: The Fix

  • Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches

    Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches

    Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches (BHOPB) is a collection of rehabilitation facilities all located within about 10 miles from each other. Donald K. Mullaney, a recovering addict with a doctorate in psychology, started BHOPB in 1997 as a 12-bed Florida drug rehab. It has since grown to be a 200-bed facility that also has a detox unit. The detox unit covers alcohol, drugs, heroin, pain pills and Suboxone.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    BHOPB’s General Treatment Program covers residential drug and alcohol rehab, young adult rehab, rehab for baby boomers, pain medication addiction treatment, heroin addiction treatment and DUI rehab. It also covers mental health issues such as depression, anger management, bipolar disorder, binge eating disorder, codependency, domestic violence and depression treatment, dual diagnosis treatment, eating disorder and chemical dependency, gambling addiction, internet addiction, sex addiction, social skills development and trauma recovery treatment.

    The team at BHOPB also runs intervention programs, holistic treatment programs, professional programs, spiritual programs, family programs and alumni programs.

    BHOPB was recently purchased by Banyan Treatment Center. BHOPB is Banyan’s 8th and 9th rehabilitation center.

    Facility and Meals

    When a client arrives at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, their first stop is the clinic in Lake Worth, Florida for intake. After all the paperwork is run through, depending on their insurance and financial resources, the client is sent to one of three facilities: the lovely Seaside facility in West Palm Beach, the single sex residence in West Palm or Singer Island, or the Cottages in Palm Beach. All residences are within 10 miles of each other.

    If detox is needed, BHOPB is there to help. The detox program lasts about seven to 10 days. BHOPB is among the 10 percent of Florida rehabs that offers detox. The top tier residents detox separately and everyone else detoxes together in a co-ed space. The clients are put in spacious double rooms and attend classes during the day and, if they are able, they also go to 12-step meetings.

    The Cottages are efficiency condos with vacation house style furniture. There is maid service but clients have to clean the floors and bedrooms themselves. They, as well as the mid level residents, also cook their own meals with a $60 food allowance each week at the Winn Dixie. When not in group, they are free to watch TV and hang out as much as they’d like.

    The Seaside residence at BHOPB has lovely modern furniture, queen sized beds, marble countertops and private chefs who cook meals to order. They also have a very large pool, which is nice in the Florida heat. Drivers shuttle clients to meetings as opposed to the vans for everyone else.

    At the Seaside residence, clients are allowed to keep their cellphones and use the computer at the business center. At the Cottages, they are not allowed to keep their phones or use computers.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    The real difference between Seaside the rest of the BHOPB residences is that counselors at the other facilities are not qualified to diagnose co-occuring issues. Therefore, those clients can primarily expect classes and 12-step meetings.

    A typical day starts at 7 am where, at Seaside, a chef cooks a wonderful healthy breakfast. At the residences and cottages, the clients usually fend for themselves at mealtime. Then off to co-ed community groups, then single sex groups until lunch. After lunch (which is catered for the Seaside residents), there are tracks like pain management, anger management, nutrition, HIV and Hep. C, anxiety, and grief and loss and trauma, among other topics. Twice weekly they are offered acupuncture, Light and Sound Neurotherapy, and EMDR. After dinner, they attend outside AA meetings or have them at the residence.

    Treatment at Seaside Palm Beach combines 12-step methods with evidence-based practices. Supplemental therapies are offered twice weekly including EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), hypnotherapy, acupuncture and biofeedback, massage, and meditation.

    A treatment team includes a medical director, a Master of social work, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

    Clients may also participate in anger management groups and relapse preventions workshops. Specialized treatment tracks are offered for professional athletes, healthcare professionals, first responders and aviation professionals.

    A comprehensive three-day family program is available for families and includes counseling and education.

    After discharge, BHOPB counselors call the client once a week to monitor their progress and lessen the calls as the year goes on and they adjust to a new life. They then follow up with contacts who make the commitment to monitor patients and be honest in their reporting. In the event of a relapse, an alumni member will get in touch to see if a readmittance is needed and if so, they can help set that up quickly so the relapse is a short one and the road to sobriety is back on track. BHOPB even has a support group for friends and family of BHOPB clients to share stories and be supportive of others who are in the same position as they are.

    They also offer Individualized aftercare that includes: referral for counseling, alumni programs and transitional living to bridge that gap between rehab and the real world.

    Summary

    Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches is a solid option for care, especially for those with extensive insurance coverage or financial means. The Cottages are still a solid alternative for anyone not financially able to cover the cost of BHOPB’s more upscale offerings. If the client is motivated, then the cushiness of the accommodations shouldn’t make much of a difference. Overall it’s a well rounded treatment experience offering 12-step support, plenty of therapy and lots of specialized programming. This facility is one of the many reasons why South Florida is considered a premier destination for recovery.

    Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches Location

    7859 Lake Worth Rd

    Lake Worth, FL 33467

    (561) 264-1138

    [email protected]

    Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches Cost

    $12,000-$80,000

    Find BHOPB on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube

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  • Pain Patients Express Hope Amid Revised Opioid Policies

    Pain Patients Express Hope Amid Revised Opioid Policies

    Some medical professionals are finally starting to understand that cutting pain patients off opioids abruptly causes more harm than good. 

    After years of having their access to opioids restricted, some chronic pain patients feel that they are finally being heard, as the medical community becomes more open to the idea that tapering opioids, especially after long-term use, needs to be done slowly and carefully. 

    In April, the FDA warned that cutting off patients’ opioids too quickly could be detrimental to their health. The organization went so far as to recognize that not being able to control pain could lead to suicide in chronic pain patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made a similar change in policy. 

    Andrew Kolodny, who co-directs Brandeis University’s Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, recently told OZY that it is “exceptionally cruel to abruptly withdraw a patient from opioids.”

    Many pain patients feel that the medical community and regulatory commissions are just now beginning to talk about that openly.

    Lelena, a woman who was given opioids to deal with pain from fibromyalgia, was dismissed from her pain clinic after testing positive for heroin, a result that was later proved to be a false positive. Despite that, she was not able to access pain medications and had to go through opioid withdrawal, in addition to coping with her pain. 

    Laura Mills, who works with Human Rights Watch, said that experiences like Lelena’s are unnecessary and discriminatory. 

    “We always emphasize that the risk for harm [from suddenly stopping opioid medication] is huge, given that an approximate 13 million Americans are still on opioids long-term,” she said. 

    That’s why people like Kate Nicholson, a civil rights attorney who previously worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, turned their attention to helping people with legitimate medical needs access opioid medications. Although Nicholson said that the government’s new, more nuanced approach is needed, she also feels that there is a lot of work still to be done. 

    “It was hard in some ways to get the CDC to change,” she said. “And in some ways, it was the easiest first step.”

    Still, many people who have seen the negative impacts of opioids feel that it is only natural for prescribers to be extra cautious. Kolodny pointed out that Lelena, like many people on opioids, should never have been given the pills in the first place. 

    “There’s no debate,” he said. “You don’t give opioids for fibromyalgia. It’s the fault of this campaign that encourages people to prescribe opioids, a highly addictive drug you become easily dependent on.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sophie Turner Talks Mental Health & "Dark Phoenix"

    Sophie Turner Talks Mental Health & "Dark Phoenix"

    The Game of Thrones actress has been open about her struggles with depression in the past. 

    Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones plays Jean Grey in the new X-Men film Dark Phoenix. In researching the role, Turner spent nine months taking an extensive look into mental illness to prepare.

    As Us Weekly reports, Simon Kinberg, the director of Dark Phoenix, sat down with Turner and told her, “Look. This is the story. You know it from the comics. I need you to fully inhabit this sense of losing control, losing your sanity. I need it to feel real… I sent her books, articles and videos about people suffering from schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, multiple personality disorder.”

    In preparing for the role, Turner walked around London and New York, wearing earphones, listening to recorded voices to try and understand what it would be like to live with schizophrenia.

    As Turner told Glamour, “When Simon told me about the plot, we decided the things Jean was going through were not unlike schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder. And so we sent each other documents back and forth—essays, documentaries, all sorts of videos. We really got into it… How the situation affects the X-Men and the people around her is not unlike how addiction affects the people around that person. So we delved into studying those particular subjects.”

    “Sophie knew some people that had struggled with similar types of mental health issues,” Kinberg said. “So we would just talk it through and try to find a way for everything in this movie that is supernatural and fantastical to be grounded in something real.”

    James McAvoy, who plays Professor Charles Xavier, also told Glamour, “I was excited that mental health was such a massive part of the exploration of the character. It’s about somebody’s mental health, but also a family trying to deal with it.”

    Tye Sheridan, who plays Cyclops, added, “I think it’s important, especially in superhero movies, to portray these characters with real problems. I think a lot of people look up to a superhero. You want, as a fan or as someone watching these movies, to believe that you could be like that person… It allows you to believe in growth and the betterment of your person.”

    As it turns out, Turner has had her own mental health struggles as well. She recently revealed to Dr. Phil, “I’ve suffered with depression for about five or six years now, and the biggest challenge for me is just getting out of bed, getting out of the house and learning to love yourself.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Trump Claims Trans Military Members Take "Massive Amounts of Drugs"

    Trump Claims Trans Military Members Take "Massive Amounts of Drugs"

    LGBTQ advocates say the president is making the bogus claims to “pander to his base.”

    Donald Trump continued to defend his controversial transgender military policy on his recent visit to Europe. The policy—essentially “don’t ask don’t tell” for trans service members—went into effect in April.

    Trump first announced the decision to reverse the Obama-era policy that affirmed the equal rights of trans service members in a 2017 tweet.

    The president again defended the policy during an appearance on Good Morning Britain last Wednesday (June 5), citing the high financial cost and drug use. “They take massive amounts of drugs, they have to—and, also you’re not allowed to take drugs in the military, and they have to after the operation,” Trump said.

    Actually, prescription drug use is not prohibited in the military, as NBC News noted. For example, last year the Navy decided to allow pilots to undergo mental health treatment with psychotropic medication while maintaining their flight status.

    “And also, people were going in and asking for the operation,” Trump continued, referring to the same 2016 Obama-era policy that covered the medical cost of gender-affirming surgery for service members. “The operation is $200,000, $250,000. And getting the operation, the recovery period is long, and they have to take large amounts of drugs after that.”

    The claim that the financial cost of allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military would be prohibitively high was already debunked years ago. The New York Times reported in 2017 that a study commissioned by then-Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter found that it would “cost little and have no significant impact on unit readiness.”

    In Trump’s original tweet from 2017, he stated that the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

    Another interesting point is to compare the money spent by the military on erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra with the cost of transgender health care. As Good Morning Britain co-host Piers Morgan noted, the difference is rather large.

    The Military Times reported in 2017 that “the estimated $8 million per year that the Defense Department will spend on health care for about 7,000 transgender troops is minuscule compared to how much the military spends to treat sexual dysfunction in men.”

    The Times first reported in 2015 that in the year prior, the Defense Health Agency had spent $84.2 million on ED drugs for active-duty troops, eligible family members and retirees. It is no surprise that the millions spent on subsidizing Viagra was never an issue.

    LGBTQ advocates say Trump is not only misinformed, he’s merely pandering to his base by pushing the ban.

    “The interview showed the president’s lack of understanding regarding transgender service members, and he shared misinformation regarding the medical care they need and the cost of that care,” said Blake Dremann, a transgender Navy officer and president of the LGBTQ military group SPART*A.

    “For him, it’s never been an issue of financial expenses, nor is it an issue of drug use,” said Dr. Jennifer Conti, an OB/GYN physician who treats transgender veteran patients. She said the president is merely inflating the financial cost of trans health care to “pander to his base.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Guide to Finding the Best Reprexain Rehab

    Guide to Finding the Best Reprexain Rehab

    If you believe that you or someone close to you is becoming dependent on Reprexain, it is vital to find a quality Reprexain rehab center that can help with the recovery effort.

    Table of Contents

    1. What is Reprexain and What is It Used For?
    2. What Adverse Side Effects Could Reprexain Cause?
    3. Reprexain Street Names
    4. Signs of Addiction to Reprexain
    5. Overdosing on Reprexain
    6. Reprexain Withdrawal and Detox
    7. Getting Treatment and Rehabilitation for Addiction to Reprexain
    8. Choose the Best Rehabilitation Center for Reprexain

    Do you worry that someone close to you is taking their Reprexain more often than they should? Are you concerned that you might be a little too reliant on the drug to manage your pain, and you don’t like the idea of quitting? There is certainly a chance that you are becoming dependent on the drug, and perhaps even addicted to it. Coming to this realization can be quite frightening, whether it is a loved one who is addicted or it is you. However, this finally means that you are aware of the problem and you can do something about it.

    It is important to make sure that you take the time to find a quality Reprexain rehab center that can help with your recovery efforts. It is also a good idea to have an idea of what this drug is and why it can be so dangerous. After all, there is a massive problem with opioids today, and this is one of the drugs that opioid addicts seek.

    What is Reprexain and What is It Used For?

    Reprexain is the brand name for a drug that contains hydrocodone and ibuprofen. The hydrocodone in the drug is what makes it addictive, as it is an opioid. The ibuprofen is simply an NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, that is available over the counter. The medication is typically used as a means to help provide short-term pain relief.

    When it is misused, Reprexain can cause addiction, as well as overdose and death. It is made even more dangerous when combined with alcohol, which can cause respiratory slowdown. Even the ibuprofen in the Reprexain has the potential to be dangerous and can increase the risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke when used in high doses or over a long period of time.

    What Adverse Side Effects Could Reprexain Cause?

    In addition to the pain relief and the pleasurable feeling that can come with use of the drug, and the potential for respiratory slowdown, there are other possible side effects that can occur. If you or someone you know experiences any of the following side effects, it could be a sign that something is wrong and that you need to seek medical help. Some of the potential side effects include:

    • Slowed heartbeat
    • Skin rash
    • Bloody or tarry stools
    • Coughing up blood
    • Upper stomach pains
    • Dark urine
    • Swelling in the feet and ankles, which could be indicative of a kidney problem
    • Vomiting
    • Dizziness

    Reprexain Street Names

    As with many drugs that are bought, sold, and traded illegally, there are a number of slang names that become associated with it. These names can change based on the location and the individuals. Some of the most commonly used street names for hydrocodone include:

    • Norco
    • Hydro
    • Vikes
    • Perks
    • Tabs
    • Watsons
    • Vic
    • Vico
    • 357s

    Many other names can be used to represent drugs that include hydrocodone. Sometimes, it might just be a shortened version of the brand name. For example, someone who is looking for Reprexain might ask for Reps.

    Signs of Addiction to Reprexain

    How does someone know if they are suffering from an addiction? There are many people who live in denial, believing that they have control over their use of Reprexain. However, that might not be true at all. It is a good idea to look at the 11 potential signs and symptoms of addiction to determine whether you are in control or whether the drug is in control of you. It is important to be honest.

    Those who have even just a couple of these signs are considered to have a mild addiction. The more of these signs that a person exhibits, the more severe the addiction.

    • You take more of the drug, or you take it for longer than you had originally intended.
    • You want to stop, but you find that you can’t.
    • You have cravings to use the drug.
    • You spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how you are going to get the next dose.
    • You forget about obligations that you have for your school, work, and home life.
    • Even though the drug is causing problems, you continue to use it.
    • Your usual social and recreational activities, including work, are no longer important. You are withdrawing from them to use the drug.
    • You use the drug even when it causes dangerous situations, such as driving while on the Reprexain.
    • Even though psychological problems or physical problems are developing, you keep using.
    • You have become tolerant of the drug and need to use more to achieve the desired effect.
    • You are suffering from symptoms of withdrawal whenever you decrease usage of the drug or try to stop.

    Overdosing on Reprexain

    It is possible to overdose on this drug. Some of the signs of an overdose of the Reprexain include:

    • Blurred vision
    • Cold and clammy skin
    • Difficulty hearing
    • A general feeling of being unwell
    • Headache
    • Vomiting
    • Severe stomach pain
    • Slowed heartbeat
    • Trouble breathing

    If any of these symptoms are present, it is important to get in touch with emergency services. An overdose, when not dealt with by medical professionals, can lead to death.

    Reprexain Withdrawal and Detox

    Those who are going through withdrawal from Reprexain will have similar signs and symptoms to other opioid withdrawals. The patients will often have feelings of flu-like symptoms. These can include:

    • Body aches
    • Vomiting
    • Nausea
    • Diarrhea
    • Stomach cramps
    • Fever
    • Rapid heart rate
    • Agitation
    • Chills

    Typically, the signs of the withdrawal symptoms will start to begin within six to 12 hours of the last time the patient had a dose of the drug. These symptoms can be very difficult and painful, but it is necessary to detox before entering a Reprexain rehab center.

    One of the common ways to detox is through medical detoxification. This can help the patients by gradually reducing the quantity of Reprexain they are taking. The doctors might also administer other medications to help with the side effects of the withdrawal. They may even offer opioid replacement therapy, which can provide drugs that will help to deal with the cravings and the withdrawal symptoms.

    Getting Treatment and Rehabilitation for Addiction to Reprexain

    After you have gone through detoxification, the real work at the Reprexain rehab facility can begin. There are different types of facilities that are available, including those that have inpatient and outpatient treatment options. Either of these options could work well, but it will depend on what is best for the patient.

    While it is nice to be able to go home each day after therapy, only those who have addictions that are considered mild should use this straight out of detox. Typically, an inpatient facility is a better option for those who are trying to recover, since it will not allow them any temptations, and there is around-the-clock care. Still, outpatient treatment options can be a good choice for those who have to go to work and who have to take care of their family. They just need to be committed to going to their therapy.

    There are a number of therapies available today, including a range of different types of psychotherapy. Counselors can help people to deal with their addiction, and the underlying causes of that addiction, alcohol abuse, and other issues they might have. There might be individual therapy sessions, as well as group therapy, which can help people to see their situation from the perspective of others. Family therapy can help with this as well.

    Some facilities will offer holistic treatments too, including art therapy. There are a range of options available today that can put recovery within your reach.

    Choose the Best Rehabilitation Center for Reprexain

    You have made the decision to enter a Reprexain rehab facility, or you have talked with a loved one and they will be going into a rehabilitation center. You know some of the types of treatments that you can expect and the types of options that are available with from rehab centers. However, you still need to make sure that you are choosing the one that will be right for your needs.

    It is a good idea to find rehab centers that understand that each individual is unique and that their needs for recovery will also be unique. Finding a facility that can provide you with the types of treatment that you believe will work best for you, that has a variety of treatments available, and that will treat you like an individual is important. You want them to be able to develop a treatment and recovery plan that will work for you.

    You will also want to consider the way you are treated when you speak with the facility about entering their recovery program. They should always treat their patients with the utmost respect.

    Finally, when you are choosing a Reprexain rehab center, you want to make sure that you are choosing a facility that can offer some type of aftercare treatment. This ensures that you will have some help and guidance on how to avoid a relapse and how to stay strong after you are out of the treatment.

    Resources:

    https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

    https://www.drugs.com/mtm/reprexain.html

    https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/podat_1.pdf

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How to Find the Best Rehab for Co-Gesic Addiction

    How to Find the Best Rehab for Co-Gesic Addiction

    If you’re struggling with the life-altering impact of Co-Gesic addiction, the number one topic on your agenda should be treatment in a reliable, effective substance program.

    Table of Contents

    1. What is Co-Gesic and Why is it Prescribed?
    2. Development of Hydrocodone Dependence
    3. Development of Hydrocodone Addiction
    4. Detoxification Starts Your Recovery From Addiction
    5. Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment?
    6. Effective Treatment Plans
    7. Finding the Best Treatment Facilities

    Finding the Best Treatment FacilitiesOn any given day, you may see dozens of these rehab programs advertised online, in print or on television. With so many options, how do you determine which facilities offer you the best chance of a sustainable recovery?

    To make effective choices, you must have the information needed to make educated decisions. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long to ground yourself in the basics of Co-Gesic addiction and appropriate addiction treatment. With knowledge on your side, you can do more than just pick an adequate rehab destination—you can pick a first-rate rehabilitation facility that does everything possible to help you succeed.

    What is Co-Gesic and Why is it Prescribed?

    Co-Gesic is the brand name of a prescription drug that contains two active ingredients: the opioid painkiller hydrocodone and the non-opioid painkiller acetaminophen. It belongs to a large group of combination medications based on the same two substances. Co-Gesic comes in the form of a tablet, which is available in two strengths.

    The medication’s hydrocodone content produces its primary effects by changing the way that pain signals travel between your brain and body.  At the same time, it produces a significant increase in feelings of pleasure, as well as sedation (reduced feelings of agitation). The acetaminophen in Co-Gesic also provides relief by altering your normal perceptions of pain. In addition, it lowers your body temperature.

    Doctors prescribe Co-Gesic for the treatment of pain that ranges in intensity from moderate to moderately severe. Current federal laws include the medication on a register of controlled substances known as Schedule III. All substances listed under this heading have a “moderate to low” potential to trigger physical dependence and addiction.

    The list of combination products that also contain both hydrocodone and acetaminophen includes Vicodin, Hycet, Lorcet, Liquicet, Lortab, Norco, Maxidone, Zydone, Zolvit and Xodol. Products that combine hydrocodone with other active ingredients include the non-expectorant cough medications Ru-Tuss, Vicodin Tuss and B-Tuss.

    There is apparently no specific street name for Co-Gesic. However, medications that contain hydrocodone are sometimes known by names such as:

    • Vikes
    • Hydro
    • Watsons
    • Tabs

    Opioid Overdose Risks

    If you take too much Co-Gesic in a given span of time, you may experience a non-lethal or lethal opioid overdose. This situation occurs when the medication’s hydrocodone content slows down your central nervous system too far for it to maintain its basic function. (Some people are unusually sensitive to the drug effects of hydrocodone. In these circumstances, even a standard level of intake may trigger the same harmful reaction.) The most common symptom of overdose in Co-Gesic users is respiratory depression. Doctors use this term to refer to a slow and/or irregular pattern of breathing that may not supply you with adequate amounts of oxygen.

    You can increase your chances of overdosing by mixing your medication with alcohol or benzodiazepines on any occasion. That’s true because the added effects of these substances will make your nervous system run slower still. Your risks for an overdose escalate even further if you combine a pattern of hydrocodone abuse with a pattern of benzodiazepine or alcohol abuse.

    Development of Hydrocodone Dependence

    As a Schedule III substance, Co-Gesic does not carry a high risk for physical dependence. However, a very real risk still exists. Hydrocodone dependence occurs when your brain’s chemical environment shifts and comes to expect a certain amount of the medication throughout the day. Failure to receive this accustomed intake can lead to the onset of something called opioid withdrawal.

    When this form of withdrawal begins, you may experience symptoms that include sleep problems, unusual yawning and heavy sweating. You may also experience effects such as achy muscles, a persistent runny nose and increased tear production. Later on in the withdrawal process, notable effects that may appear include nausea, vomiting, pupil dilation and bowel or abdominal distress.

    Opioid dependence is distinct and separate from opioid addiction. If you become dependent on hydrocodone, your doctor can manage your medication use and help you stay away from any kind of serious harm. In this way, you can remain functional, live your life and avoid the serious problems that characterize the presence of addiction.

    If you abuse any product that contains both hydrocodone and acetaminophen, you also run the risk of developing serious health problems that have nothing to do with dependence or addiction. That’s true because acetaminophen can damage your normal liver function if you take too much of it. In extreme cases, this damage can be extensive enough to trigger the need for a liver transplant. In a true worst-case scenario, it can even kill you.

    Development of Hydrocodone Addiction

    In contrast to cases of dependence, cases of addiction are marked by uncontrolled actions and behaviors that have a major, negative effect on your ability to stay mentally and physically well. Chances are you will avoid any risk for addiction-related problems if you have a legitimate prescription for Co-Gesic and use the medication as directed. However, your risks will rise if you abuse hydrocodone/acetaminophen in any way.

    There are several potential ways to abuse prescription medications. If you hold a current prescription from a doctor, abuse occurs if you do either of two things: take your medication too often or take more than instructed in individual doses. Some people combine these two forms of abuse. Abusive intake of a prescription drug also occurs whenever someone without a prescription takes any amount of that drug.

    Addiction specialists and other medical professionals can diagnose a condition called opioid use disorder in people who develop serious, opioid-related substance problems. You can meet the terms for this disorder if you don’t have symptoms of addiction, but still experience significant harms that stem from your hydrocodone abuse. Possible symptoms of these harms in people who take Co-Gesic include:

    • A recurring pattern of using the medication excessively when involved in activities that could cause you to injure yourself or someone else
    •  A level of medication intake that makes it difficult or impossible to live up your responsibilities in any major area of life
    • A level of medication intake that you maintain even though it disrupts your ability to keep important relationships intact

    Clinical addiction to Co-Gesic also produces a classic set of potential symptoms. These symptoms may include things such as:

    • Experiencing strong cravings for continued medication abuse
    • An established pattern of taking hydrocodone/acetaminophen too often or in overly large amounts
    • A history of poor results when trying to limit your intake of the medication
    • Setting up your daily routine to accommodate your need to buy the medication, use it or recover after using it
    • Diminishing drug effects from any typical dose of hydrocodone/acetaminophen (a phenomenon also known as tolerance)
    • A pattern of abuse that you continue despite knowing that it hurts you physically and/or mentally
    • Opioid withdrawal symptoms that appear if you rapidly decrease your typical dose or stop taking the medication altogether

    Damaging abuse and addiction are not completely separate aspects of opioid use disorder (or any other type of substance use disorder). You can develop symptoms of both of these problems at the same time. In fact, such a symptom overlap is quite common.

    To be diagnosed, you must have two or more symptoms of addiction or serious abuse within a single 365-day window. If you have no more than three total symptoms, your case will be considered mild. Moderate opioid use disorder involves four or five abuse/addiction symptoms, while severe cases involve six or more.

    You may sometimes hear Co-Gesic-related hydrocodone addiction referred to as Gesic addiction. However, this term is not strictly accurate. The words gesic and analgesic can be applied to any substance capable of relieving pain. For this reason, many medications have “gesic” in their name. Among other things, this means that the terms Gesic addiction  and Gesic rehab could be used to describe problems with other substances, not just hydrocodone.

    Detoxification Starts Your Recovery From Addiction

    Safe, effective recovery from hydrocodone addiction begins with a period of medical detoxification. Detoxification has two overlapping objectives. First, it’s designed to break your current habit of excessive medication use. At the same time, the process provides the time needed for your body to eliminate the accumulation of Co-Gesic already in your system.

    You might think that you can just go “cold turkey” and stop your medication abuse on your own. However, in reality, there are several good reasons for enrolling in a detoxification program instead. First, if you halt your addiction-supporting hydrocodone use all at once, you will quickly go into opioid withdrawal. And depending on factors such as your level and duration of addiction, those withdrawal symptoms can take a severe form. In turn, the degree of mental and physical misery triggered by your symptoms may be enough to encourage you to relapse and give up your recovery efforts.

    During supervised medical detoxification, your withdrawal symptoms will be monitored. In some cases, your doctor may be able to ease those symptoms with a medication called lofexidine (Lucemyra). You’ll also receive supportive care to maximize your comfort. Together, these services help reduce the discomfort of withdrawal and increase your chances of completing the detoxification process.

    Supervised detoxification also safeguards your health during opioid withdrawal. If any unforeseen complications should arise, you’ll have ready access to medical assistance. This margin of safety can be critical in emergency situations.

    There is another major danger to going through detoxification on your own. If you make it even partway through the process, your tolerance to the drug effects of opioids will decline by a considerable amount. A relapse at this stage of detoxification can have catastrophic consequences. That’s because a dose of Co-Gesic that you normally used in the past may now have a much bigger impact on your central nervous system. If that impact is too great, you may find yourself facing an overdose. Every day, someone in the U.S. dies in exactly this kind of scenario.

    Finally, detoxification does one other crucial thing. Namely, it prepares you for participation in an active course of addiction rehabilitation. This is important because all public health officials and addiction experts view rehab enrollment as an essential next step after detoxification comes to an end. Unless you take this step, you’ll have serious chances of relapsing, even if you’ve succeeded in reaching an initial state of sobriety.

    Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment?

    Rehabilitation from Co-Gesic problems can take place in any one of several settings or facilities. If you have severe symptoms (and/or other serious health problems) that pose a clear risk to your short-term well-being, rehab may be preceded by some type of hospitalization. However, this is not required for the vast majority of people. Instead, you will start your treatment in an inpatient rehab program or an outpatient rehab program.

    Inpatient programs take place in residential treatment centers. While participating in this kind of rehab, you must leave home temporarily and live at your chosen facility. During your stay, you’ll follow the plan of treatment devised by you and your rehabilitation team. You’ll also receive round-the-clock monitoring of your vital signs and other key aspects of your health. If an emergency arises, onsite staff will be there to help you as soon as possible. And if your doctor needs to adjust your current treatment, that change can be made with little or no delay. For all of these reasons, experts in the field view inpatient rehab as the most effective approach to recovery.

    Most people with moderate or severe symptoms of opioid use disorder are steered toward inpatient treatment from the very beginning of rehab. On the other hand, if you have mild symptoms of this disorder, you may choose to enroll in an outpatient program. Rehabilitation programs of this type serve the same basic purpose as inpatient options. However, they provide greater flexibility and convenience by allowing you to remain in your home during treatment.

    Despite the benefits, there are tradeoffs to outpatient rehab. For example, if you remain in your normal, day-to-day environment while receiving care, you may face exposure to situations and influences that boost your chances of abusing hydrocodone. Even if you don’t have to deal with these kinds of direct problems, the outpatient approach can increase your exposure to everyday stress. In turn, this stress can disrupt your ability to focus on your recovery.

    You should also know that inpatient treatment is sometimes considered a must for people with mild symptoms. That may especially be the case if you suffer from a serious mental illness in addition to your substance problems. The combination of these issues, known as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders, introduces a whole new level of difficulty into the treatment process. In these circumstances, inpatient facilities often provide the only available setting for safe, effective care.

    Effective Treatment Plans

    Whether hydrocodone or some other substance plays a role in opioid use disorder, the same basic treatment approach is used. That approach has two main parts: medication and forms of psychotherapy designed to help you change your addiction-supporting behaviors. Two of the approved, proven medications used to provide help are buprenorphine and methadone. Both of these treatment options are themselves types of opioids.

    It might seem scary or foolish to rely on opioids to treat hydrocodone addiction. However, controlled use of these medications in Co-Gesic or Gesic rehab is far different from the uncontrolled use that supports serious substance problems. To begin with, the doses of methadone or buprenorphine you receive will not make you feel “high.” In addition, they will not promote a pattern of abusive opioid consumption. Instead, both of these medications help you avoid abusive intake, while also making the withdrawal process easier to withstand. Some programs will taper your intake of buprenorphine or methadone to zero before your treatment ends. Others will bring you to a low, stable maintenance dose instead.

    If detoxification proceeds to a point where there are no opioids left in your system, your treatment plan may also include the prescription drug naltrexone. Once you take it, naltrexone shuts down the chemical mechanisms that opioids must use to reach your brain. In this way, it makes intake of those substances unrewarding as long as it remains in your bloodstream.

    Behavioral therapies can support your recovery process in a number of ways. The methods used to help people with opioid problems include:

    • Motivational interviewing
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy
    • Community reinforcement approach (CRA) plus vouchers
    • Contingency management
    • 12-step facilitation
    • Family behavior therapy

    Motivational interviewing is used to help you overcome any objections or reservations you have about participating in treatment. Therapists who use this technique take a stance called reflexive listening. This means that they actively engage with you instead of just giving one-way advice. In addition, motivational interviewers help you see how your behaviors can make your stated goals harder to reach. They also work with you to help you find treatment success on your own terms.

    In group or individual cognitive behavioral therapy, you start by learning more about the ways you’re affected by your substance problems. From there, you learn how to identify specific things you think or do that can increase your chances of abusing hydrocodone or other opioids. Next, you learn effective ways of countering those thoughts and behaviors so you can make better choices in moments of stress.

    Community reinforcement approach plus vouchers and contingency management are separate therapy options that rely on some of the same techniques. In CRA plus vouchers, the focus is on valuable vouchers that you receive when you remain substance-free during treatment. Contingency management also sometimes uses vouchers to help you remain substance-free and follow your program guidelines. It may also encourage the same kinds of compliance by giving you a chance to win prizes in the form of cash.

    The goal of 12-step facilitation is to encourage you to follow up or combine your time in Co-Gesic or Gesic rehab with enrollment in a 12-step mutual self-help group. To achieve this goal, facilitators introduce you to some of the key aspects of 12-step groups (including acceptance and surrender). Participation in a mutual self-help program may reduce your risks for relapsing back into opioid use.

    Family behavior therapy views opioid addiction as a family-wide issue, not just an issue affecting you as an individual. During this form of treatment, you and your loved ones discuss any and all topics that may be contributing to a dysfunctional home life. You will also learn ways you can change your current behaviors and create an environment that doesn’t support or promote substance abuse.

    Finding the Best Treatment Facilities

    Today, it sometimes seems that almost everyone is either seeking or providing help for people with opioid-related problems. If you’re seeking treatment, that can be a good thing. However, it can also lead to some major confusion if you don’t know what to look for when picking your Co-Gesic or Gesic rehab destination.

    To avoid this kind of confusion, keep several important things in mind when making inquiries or reading facility websites. First and foremost, any program worth your consideration must follow the accepted professional guidelines for helping people affected by opioid use disorder. Those guidelines are firm in their requirement of some combination of approved medication and behavioral therapy with known effectiveness.

    If you call a program for help, make sure they steer clear of meaningless jargon and focus on the ways that they provide useful treatment. You should also receive clear answers to your questions about how the facility operates. In addition, whether you call or check a website, you should receive proof that the facility is accredited and is staffed by addiction experts with a wealth of experience. In every case, those experts should begin their work with a comprehensive screening that reviews all factors with an impact on the best choices for treatment.

    Top hydrocodone addiction programs do something else. They supplement their primary care options with secondary options that help reinforce your prospects for recovery. The best of these options (e.g., stress management, music therapy) take a holistic perspective that views you as a unique person in a unique situation.

    At each stage of your rehab facility selection process, remember that the goal is to return to a functional, stable way of life that doesn’t revolve around Co-Gesic abuse. Examine every program from this perspective, and you’ll increase your chances of making the perfect personal choice.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Mother Interrupted

    Mother Interrupted

    We would go to Disneyland, attend little league games, and participate in the school bake sales. What set us apart from other parents? We were smoking copious amounts of methamphetamine.

    The following is excerpted with permission from Mother Load: A Memoir of Addiction, Gun Violence and Finding a Life of Purpose, from Rothco Press. Copyright 2019 by Wendy Adamson. All rights reserved.

    A mother’s body against a child’s body makes a place. It says you are here…. Without this body against you, there is no place. The absence of a body against my body created a gap, a hole, a hunger. That hunger determined my life. -Eve Ensler

    When I looked out the peephole of my front door, Kim, a twenty-four-year-old tweaker, was standing in a cropped t-shirt and skintight jeans, her blond hair covering one eye, peek-a-boo style. She had scored earlier that day and was back for more. It was obvious that she was doing a shit load of meth. But who was I to judge? It was the early nineties and my husband Max and I were living the so-called American Dream. We had two boys and managed apartment complexes with a swimming pool in a quiet suburb outside of Los Angeles. We would go to Disneyland, attend little league games, participate in the school bake sales and enjoy an occasional Sunday Bar-B-Q. What set us apart from other parents? We were smoking copious amounts of methamphetamine.

    Opening the door a crack, I looked over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being followed. “Come on in,” I said, quickly shutting the door behind her. Our nine-year-old son Rikki had fallen asleep in his room, while my sixteen-year-old, Jerry, was staying at his friend’s house a few blocks away. I hadn’t gotten any real sleep in days and I was exhausted. I was just about to call it a night when she knocked.

    A fringed leather purse bounced off her hip as she sashayed to the couch.
    “I like your purse,” I said. “Very sixties.”
    Kim sat down and fondled it like it was a puppy, “Oh this thing? I got it for ten bucks.” “Ten bucks?” I was struck with envy.
    “Yes ma’am.”

    Why does this bimbo refer to me as a ma’am? Is she trying to imply I’m old? How about I smack you upside the head with your puppy purse, you blond dimwit? I flashed her a phony smile.

    Just then, Max walked in, shirtless, rubbing his jet-black curly hair with a towel. “Yo, what’s happening Kim?”

    “Hi Max,” she giggled. “I came by to see if it’s too late to score a gram?”
    The dealer, wanting to cut down on foot traffic, had assigned Max as the middle man and for his efforts he’d get a cut of whatever he bought.

    “Giiirrrrlll, you know speed freaks don’t sleep,” he wagged his finger. “It’s never too late to score from a meth connection.”

    Kim laughed, while I blankly stared off in space. I had heard the recycled-speed-freak jokes before, just like I had heard all of Max’s jokes. I figured that’s just what happens when you’re married to someone for twenty years. Everything ends up being old recycled news.

    Within minutes Max and Kim headed out the front door to the connections across town. When I was sure the coast was clear, I rushed to the master bedroom and pulled out a stash I had tucked away earlier that day. Due to my increasing paranoia, I had convinced myself Max was doing speed behind my back. So, why not beat him at his own game?

    I poured a generous line of the white, glassy powder onto the crease of six-inch-squared- off tinfoil. With a straw gripped in my teeth, I held a flame a few inches underneath. The powder began to smolder and a metallic smoke spiraled upward. I sucked it in like a human vacuum cleaner, determined not to let any of it get away. I held the smoke in my lungs until they felt they might explode.

    As I set the foil down my heart was pounding like a drum. I gripped the edge of the mattress, riding the rush of adrenaline like a racecar driver hugging the wall of a sharp turn. The ceiling fan spun overhead. A dog barked somewhere in the neighborhood. The neurons fired in my brain like it was the Fourth of July.

    I was as jumpy as a lab rat and wanted to direct the frenetic energy in a constructive manner so, I went to the kitchen, sat on the sticky linoleum floor and started emptying the cabinets of all its pots and pans around me. I was trying to scale back because I had way too much ‘stuff’. I mean who needs three cheese graters when I barely use one?

    I looked down at the soles of my feet. They were filthy! Deep cracks ran along the edges of my heels. I made a mental note to take a shower but quickly dismissed the idea. The meth always made the water feel like tiny needles shooting all over my body. I shoved a nostril in my arm pit. It smelled like old meat. Maybe I’d take a bath later on?

    It was hard for me to stay focused on meth. One minute I would want to attend to house- wifey chores and the next I would feel a creative impulse come on. When inspiration hit me there was just no stopping it. I pushed myself up and rushed to the hallway cabinet where I kept my craft supplies. I had everything from dried flowers, beads and embroidery thread to ceramics, paintbrushes, and crayons. When I opened the cabinet a roll of gold ribbon fell to the floor and spun down the hall.

    As I stood my brain released an enormous cascade of creative ideas. I felt like such a visionary who could craft anything with my nimble hands. Eventually, I decided to make a colorful Easter bonnet, even though I had an aversion to anything churchy since being kicked out of Catholic school in the ninth grade. I grabbed my trusty glue gun, a batch of yellow silk flowers and a wide brimmed straw hat. With my arms full of supplies I went to the living room to set up a work station.

    I spread everything out on the floor when it occurred to me that the Johnny Carson Show was on. Geez. Was it that late already? Looking at the clock I saw it was now past midnight. Holy shit, Max had been gone for over two hours. Drug dealers may not have the best customer service skills, but normally it wouldn’t take so long. Worried, I began flipping through worst- case scenarios in my head. What if he had gotten in a car wreck and he’s in the emergency room somewhere? Or what if they got busted, and he was sitting in the back of a police car? What then? I didn’t have the money to bail him out.

    Then it hit me. Call it a hunch, women’s intuition or instinct, but I knew down to the marrow of my tweaking bones that Max was cheating on me. In a flash everything slotted into place and made perfect sense. The way Kim giggled at his stupid jokes, the countless trips to the dealer they made, and the way she looked at him when he walked into the room. Why hadn’t I seen it sooner? How could I have been so fucking stupid!

    A tightness gripped my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to throw something, hit something with my fist. I wanted to scream at him, “You can’t do this to me you fucking asshole!” Instead, I went to the bedroom and smoked more speed. My hands shook as I sucked the spiraling metallic smoke into my lungs. My jaw clenched so hard it was a wonder my molars didn’t turn to dust. How could he do this me? Hadn’t I given him children as well as the best years of my life? In this moment it never occurred to me that I could leave him or kick him out of the house. Instead, I thought, maybe if I scared the shit out of him he’d think twice about ever cheating on me again. So, I had a plan as I slipped into the closet and stood on my tippy-toes, reaching around until I found the gun at the back of the shelf. My fingers gripped the hard steel of the .38 Smith & Wesson as I pulled it out. Max and I bought the gun a while back from a tweaker who was in need of cash. We somehow convinced ourselves it was a good idea to have around for protection in case anyone tried to break into our home.

    I went to the living room and placed the .38 on top of the armoire. Waiting, I paced back and forth like a feral cat. Images of Max and Kim fucking in the back of her El Camino played inside my brain like bad porno. Mother fucker! my head screamed, you can’t do this to me. I cooked your food. I washed your dirty drawers. For what? To be discarded like some old coat you don’t want anymore? No fucking way. I won’t have it!

    I pushed the screen door, stepped onto the front porch but there was still no sign of them. My thoughts were coming at me like the rapid fire of an AK-47. He said he would always be there for me. He said he would never leave me. We made a promise to each other twenty years before that we’d grow old together. He can’t do this to me.

    My heart hammered against my chest. Sweat dripped down my back. I had managed to work myself up into an eyeball-boiling rage when I looked out the door again, I saw them. Max was driving Kim’s white El Camino, looking for a parking space. I grabbed the .38, barreled through the screen door and ran into the middle of the street. Taking a military stance, behind them, I extended both my arms, with the gun in a two-fisted grip, I aimed above the car and pulled the trigger.

    POW!

    The sound felt like it reverberated through my chest. The noise was so piercing it’s a wonder I didn’t give myself permanent hearing damage. The car didn’t stop so I ran after it with both my knees and arms pumping away. I distinctly remember seeing my neighbor, Mrs. Brown, peering out her large bay window with her head bobbing back and forth.

    Mind your own business you nosy bitch. This is a domestic affair.

    When they turned the corner I darted in between two parked vehicles and caught my foot on the curb. I fell onto the wet grass but popped back up like one of those blow up dolls that won’t stay down. When I turned the corner I was shocked to find the El Camino sitting in the middle of the street. I rushed over like a deranged special ops commando and hurled my torso across the still warm hood. My chest heaved. I was panting like a dog in heat. Kim was sitting shot gun with her jaw unhinged. I pointed the gun directly at Max’s face. His big brown eyes were filled with terror. It was a look I’d never seen before. Those were the same soulful eyes I’d fallen in love with at sixteen years old. He was the love of my life. My best friend. The father of my children.

    In an instant it felt like I slipped out of my body and was staring down at myself sprawled out across the hood of the car. I heard a voice reason inside my head say, “You know, Wendy, if someone were to see you right now they might think you were crazy.” And they would have been absolutely right. I was in the middle of a drug-induced psychotic break. Sleep deprived and smoking way too much methamphetamine for any human being to consume, I had snapped. I had lost my mind just like my mother had years before.

    Then Max must have come to his senses because he stepped on the gas. As the car moved forward I slid off the hood and landed solidly on my feet. Pointing the gun downward so I wouldn’t hit anybody, I fired another round. As I did Kim’s face contorted before they drove off. Oh shit! Did I hit her? No way! The gun was pointed down.

    I stood there out of breath and watched as the taillights disappeared with the weapon dangling by my side. That was not the result I had in mind when I picked up the gun. In some strange way I thought he wouldn’t leave me if I showed him I meant business. My next thought was to change my clothes so no one could identify me in a lineup if the cops happened to show up.

    I ran back to the house but before I went inside, I shoved the gun under a pile of dead leaves by the back porch.

    Once inside I checked on Rikki, who was still asleep. As I stood watching him breath one would think his pure innocence might penetrate my drug-induced state but that was not the case. It was as if the meth, a diuretic, had not only leached my sanity, but drained my maternal instincts as well.

    I headed for the bedroom where I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. My breath nearly jackknifed. My brown hair was disheveled, the bones in my face were all sharp edges and I was hunched over. My eyes were like two dead, vacant pools and my skin was a sallow gray. It was jarring how much I looked like my mother had when she had gone insane.

    A familiar darkness grabbed me like fingers around my throat. I wanted to stop the madness but had no idea how.

    I flinched when I heard something outside the window. I opened the front door and when I stepped onto the porch I was blinded by a dozen spotlights, pointing at me like fingers of accusation. “Hands in the air!” a disembodied voice yelled from beyond the glare.

    The Catholic girl still inside me did exactly what she was told as a stampede of Lomita sheriffs surrounded me. It all happened fast after that. One of them cuffed my hands while another patted me down and others rushed inside the apartment.

    My legs shook like a high-strung Chihuahua. A scruffy-looking cop slipped plastic baggies over my hands and manila envelopes over that.

    “What’s going on? What, what what are you doing?” I asked, feigning innocence.

    A young cop, who looked barely out of high school wrapped duct tape around the envelopes secured the envelopes at my wrists.

    “My son is asleep in there…”
    A cop yelled inches from my face. “SHUT UP!”
    I flinched. I felt like I might pass out.
    When they were done, it looked like I had two flippers where my hands were supposed to be.

    A young sheriff led me by my arm, shoved me into the back seat of his squad car and slammed the door. I leaned my forehead against the window and watched as cops scurried in and out of my apartment. Where was Max? Why hadn’t he come back to see what was going on? What was going to happen to me? I needed a cigarette so fucking bad.

    I looked down at the strange appendages resting on my lap. I realized the cops were trying to keep the gunpowder intact on my hands as evidence. I gripped the corner of the envelope with my teeth and began ripping, tearing, spitting the scraps of paper on the floor. Ripping, tearing, biting, and spitting like a trapped animal determined to get free. Finally, I broke through the plastic baggies and started licking my hand and fingers. I was no dummy. I knew how to outsmart those cops. I was in a frenzy when the front door of the squad car flew open. A good-looking cop peered through the thick mesh screen.

    “Look, Wendy.” He paused. “Why don’t you just tell me where you put the gun? It will be easier for you if you cooperate with us.”

    “Under the leaves by the back porch.” The words just rolled right off my tongue. You clearly wouldn’t want to drop me behind enemy lines. He ran off like a school kid picked for the winning team. When I thought about Jerry and Rikki my heart sank to my feet.

    Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God oh shit shit shit. My poor, poor boys. What the fuck have I done? What have I done?


    Want to read more? Buy Mother Load on Amazon.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Pride Institute

    Pride Institute

    Accredited by CARF, Pride Institute is an inclusive treatment program where being LGBTQ is the norm and not the exception.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    Founded by three individuals in the 1980s in response to the height of AIDS epidemic, Pride Institute is the nation’s first and leading provider of treatment programs devoted to the addiction and mental health needs of the LGBTQ community. Located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, west of the Twin Cities, Pride Institute’s residential treatment campus is on three private acres of serene woodlands. The Pride Institute outpatient services take place at a separate location in Minneapolis.

    Pride Institute is licensed by the state of Minnesota and accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities known as CARF. Pride Institute provides both residential and outpatient treatment for a wide range of substance abuse, trauma, sexual and behavioral issues. It treats dual diagnosis when the primary diagnosis is related to substance addiction. Additional programs include a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) with lodging, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), family counseling and extensive resources for sexual therapy. While it might go without saying, anyone considering treatment at Pride Institute must be a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

    Facility and Meals

    The clients of Pride Institute’s residential program are housed in a cabin lodge style building with dormitory style residences. Rooms are shared by three clients and include twin beds, wardrobes, desks and a sink. Clients share a hallway bathroom.

    There is also a community room with a kitchenette, and a lounge with a piano and guitars. Residents also enjoy a community room with a TV, an on-site gym with an indoor volleyball court and ample outdoor space with lounge chairs, walking trails and a fire pit.

    All meals are served in a cafeteria style dining hall. While staying at Pride Institute, clients can receive messages, letters, packages and gifts (subject to inspection) from family and friends.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    All of Pride Institute’s programs are specifically designed for LGBTQ clients. As a result, clients have the freedom to be their authentic selves during treatment. Treatment is available for substance use disorders, trauma related issues and sexual and behavioral issues. The treatment for both addiction and dual diagnosis is centered around evidence-based practices. Clinicians utilize therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Pride Institute’s treatment also includes 24 hour nursing care, 12-step facilitation and case management. It’s worth noting, Pride Institute does not offer detox services. Those in need of detox must do so elsewhere, prior to admission at Pride Institute.

    Treatment is based on the individual needs of the client. As such, the length of stay in The Pride Institute residential program usually averages 25 days but clients can stay for as long as 60 and 90 days based on their needs.

    Treatment is holistic in that it aims to treat not only addiction but also the client’s whole health and well being. Individual and group therapy covers health education, issues specific to LGBTQ+ community, HIV and chronic illnesses, trauma, grief and loss. Specific group therapy includes a women’s group, body image group, transgender support, relapse prevention, anger management, spirituality, physical health, art therapy, nicotine recovery and sexual health.

    Though Pride treats a wide range of mental health, emotional and behavioral issues, a client’s primary diagnosis must be related to chemical dependency in order to qualify for the programming here.

    Pride Institute’s staff includes licensed drug and alcohol counselors, many with Master’s degrees. Family visitation takes place on Saturday afternoons.

    As with primary treatment, recommendations for continuing care are based on individual needs of the clients. Aftercare can include continuing to Pride’s outpatient treatment, transferring to a sober living program, attending 12-step meetings or continuing individual and group therapy.

    As previously mentioned, in addition to its residential treatment program, Pride Institute offers a PHP for clients who are not ready for outpatient treatment. PHP meets for eight hours per day, seven days per week at Pride’s residential treatment facility. For clients who live out of state, lodging is provided at a separate facility in Spring Hill Circle, three miles away from Pride’s main campus. The Spring Hill facility can house up to eight clients and has a backyard and kitchenette. PHP clients enjoy meals at Pride’s main residential center in Eden Prairie.

    The Pride Institute IOP in Minneapolis fits the needs of clients who no longer require residential treatment. It’s generally a step-down after participating in the residential program. The IOP offers flexible individual and group therapy, sober support groups and relapse prevention. Clients are expected to attend at least three times per week. Length of IOP ranges from nine to 12 weeks.

    Both in its residential and outpatient programs, Pride Institute also treats sexual health issues including sexual compulsivity, sexual trauma and sexually avoidant behaviors. A clinically-based program specific to the LGBTQ community, it covers a wide array of sexuality related issues that can co-occur with substance abuse and addiction. Clients participate in weekly individual and group therapy that explores compulsive sexual behavior, sexual anorexia, sexual dysfunction, sexual identity confusion, identity-related shame, sex or HIV-related anxiety, sexual obsessions and sexual abuse and assault.

    Bonus Amenities

    Pride Institute offers a Kindred Family Therapy Program that recognizes the diversity of LGBTQ familes. In addition to normal visiting hours, the Kindred Program, available twice a month, allows clients to invite their defined family to attend large group therapy, individual therapy and educational workshops.

    Summary

    Accredited by CARF, Pride Institute is an inclusive treatment program where “being LGBTQ is the norm and not the exception.” It’s a much needed addition to the recovery industry at large. Nestled in the bucolic woods of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the Pride Institute is a leader in offering treatment for substance abuse, and mental, emotional, sexual and behavioral challenges for the LGBTQ+ community, who often face a unique set of challenges. It’s a wonderful resource for the demographic it serves, with substantial support that ranges from residential treatment to aftercare.

    Pride Institute Location

    14400 Martin Dr

    Eden Prairie, MN 55344

    (800) 547-7433

    Pride Institute Cost

    Call for cost. Accepts insurance.

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  • Phoenix House

    Phoenix House

    Phoenix House operates 97 programs in 52 locations in nine states and has been recognized as a leader in addiction treatment for over 50 years.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    Phoenix House was founded in 1967 by six friends who met while in heroin addiction recovery. They bonded over the struggles of staying clean and building a support system. The idea of Phoenix House was born after they moved in together to support each other’s sobriety and participated in a program led by psychiatrist Dr. Mitchell S. Rosenthal. Dr. Rosenthal’s Phoenix House program became a blueprint for New York City’s treatment network. One year later, Phoenix House became an independent nonprofit organization and is now the nation’s leading provider of alcohol drug abuse treatment and prevention. It currently cares for 3,500 adults and adolescents in 97 programs at 52 locations in nine states including California, New York, Florida, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Texas, Metro D.C., Vermont, New Hampshire and Virginia.

    Phoenix House is a nationally recognized and accredited behavioral healthcare provider, specializing in the treatment and prevention of substance use disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Treatment includes assessment and evaluation, detox, outpatient and residential programs, sober living residences, after-school and day programs for teens, case management, special women’s services, and programs that serve substance abusers with mental health problems. Phoenix House also operates a residential high school for teens to catch up on schooling lost during their addiction.

    Facility and Meals

    Phoenix House offers a wide variety of different styles of residential, sober living and outpatient programs.A typical day in Phoenix House’s residential programs is a combination of individual and group therapy, educational lectures and specialized services based on the needs of the client. The day begins and ends with a community meeting meant to help organize information and provide motivation and reflection.

    Adult programs allow smoking in designated areas though smoking is not permitted in adolescent programs. Phoenix House also offers smoking cessation therapy and counseling to clients who want to quit. Time is built in clients’ schedule for meals, recreation, recovery-centered personal time. Clients are permitted to spend time off-site for school and vocational training, child visits, medical and court appointments and job and housing searches.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    Treatment at Phoenix House is highly individualized to meet the specific needs of clients. As a result, residential treatment can be as short as one week to as long as one year. Clients are encouraged to participate in peer support programs including 12-step, SMART Recovery or Celebrate Recovery. Twelve-step is not an official part of Phoenix House treatment, but AA and NA literature is available and attendance is encouraged during and after formalized care.

    Phoenix House’s programming approaches addiction as a disease and utilizes evidence-based therapeutic practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It also facilitates Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) like buprenorphine to help individuals struggling with the painful symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Treatment plans also feature holistic offerings and aim to treat the client’s biological, social and psychological needs, and not just the symptoms of their addiction. Staff includes physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists, medical professionals, social workers, family therapist, clinical case managers, certified alcohol and substance abuse counselors, aftercare counselors, wellness specialists and vocational training specialists.

    Specialized treatment programs are available to meet the needs of women, mothers with young children, military members and clients with co-occurring mental health challenges including and psychiatric services. Additional therapeutic outlets for clientele includes art therapy, meditation and fitness.

    Aftercare is an important part of continued recovery. As such, Phoenix House includes a plan for step-down services that give clients the opportunity to move to less intensive care including Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), standard outpatient services and supported recovery housing. It sometimes combines levels of therapeutic services with housing and supervision.

    Family care options includes individual family sessions, group therapy and significant other education groups. Families are invited to special educational sessions and are given treatment education materials in English and Spanish. Loved ones can also stay in touch with their family member in treatment via Skype.

    Bonus Amenities

    Phoenix House offers various supportive and recreational services in its facilities and programs. Supportive services include vocational training, life skills, anger management and housing assistance. Recreational amenities could include equine therapy, horticulture therapy, performing and visual art therapy, walking trails, yoga, meditation, fitness equipment and access to baseball fields and basketball courts. In addition, some of the facilities have on-site recording studios for clients to record original music. Academic and vocational programming is available to meet a client’s individual needs and talents including high school education, GED prep, vocational training and job placement.

    In Summary

    Phoenix House operates 97 programs in 52 locations in nine states and has been recognized as a leader in addiction treatment for over 50 years. Its wide range of treatment programs and facilities throughout the United States offer myriad services, from assessment and detox, to residential treatment and sober living. There are also after-school and wraparound services. Phoenix House seeks to meet the addiction, mental health and case management needs of all adult and adolescent clients who seek its help. Phoenix House accepts all major insurance providers and Medicaid.

    Phoenix House Location

    Various locations

    888-671-9393

    Phoenix House Cost

    Insurance, Medicaid, Private Pay (30 days)

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  • Ashley Addiction Treatment

    Ashley Addiction Treatment

    In addition to evidence-based treatment, Ashley offers spiritual counseling and support and alternative, holistic therapies.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    The long running Ashley Addiction Treatment has three locations in Maryland. Its main residential treatment campus is located on 147 acres on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay in Northern Maryland. It’s close to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, DC and northern Virginia. With scenic waterside views and plentiful greenery, Ashley Addiction Treatment provides clients with a tranquil setting that’s ideal for creating a solid foundation in sobriety and recovery.

    Formerly known as Father Martin’s Ashley, Ashley Addiction Treatment was founded in 1983 by Father Joseph C. Martin, S.S and his business partner, Mae Abraham. The facility is named after Abraham’s maiden name, Ashley. Mae Abraham thought to open a treatment facility after attending Father Martin’s 1964 “Chalk Talks” about addiction at Johns Hopkins University. Father Martin’s talks inspired those suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction to seek help in a formalized setting. He has been celebrated for being an advocate for those suffering from addiction and recognizing addiction as a disease rather than a chocie.

    Accredited by the Joint Commission, Ashley Addiction Treatment is committed to preserving Father Martin’s memory by providing extensive options for care to anyone who seeks help for alcohol and drug addiction. Ashley Addiction Treatment offers a wide range of services including detox, residential treatment and outpatient care, dual diagnosis support, holistic modalities and aftercare programming.

    Facility and Meals

    Ashley Addiction Treatment is a large resort-style treatment facility with hotel style accommodations and amenities. Both private and double rooms (with one queen size bed or two full size beds) are available with a full private bath. Housekeeping staff cleans rooms and prides fresh bedding and towels daily and can provide laundry and dry cleaning services.

    Clients eat all meals in a dining room. A staff dietitian and chef create a seasonal menu with local, fresh ingredient based on a client’s medical and special dietary needs.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    Ashley Addiction Treatment’s primary residential program includes medical, psychological and psychiatric care as well as holistic treatment. Care includes a consultation to evaluate a client’s medical, therapeutic and dietary needs and on-site medically assisted detox, individual and group therapy and 12-step. Ashley also offers experiential counseling including interactive and skill-based workshops and continuing education to understand addiction. Each client can anticipate an individualized treatment and aftercare plan. The length of stay is contingent on a client’s individual needs and treatment plan.

    The facility’s medical care includes a review of client’s medical and psychiatric history, laboratory tests and toxicology screenings. Medically assisted detox that can administer anti-craving medications like naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfram, and buprenorphine is available to clients who need it. Clients have 24/7 access to nurses and a medical provider.

    Ashley Addiction Treatment evaluates clients for co-occurring psychological or psychiatric conditions. From there, they receive an integrated treatment plan that includes specialized therapies to treat trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, stress and chronic pain.

    A third main component of Ashley’s primary care is holistic treatment that aims to restore a client’s mind, body and spirit. The holistic offerings include yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture,spiritual support, yoga and personal trainer led exercise. Clients can also expect music and art therapy.

    Staff includes an on-site multidisciplinary team of board certified physicians, physician assistants and nurses. The medical team specializes in diagnosing and treating the effects of drug and alcohol addiction. Ashley Addiction Treatment also employs full time psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and Master’s-level counselors.

    Other treatment programs include an emerging adult program for adolescents, relapse recovery, pain recovery, outpatient and family wellness for family members over the age of 15, and children and youth program for family members ages six to 14.

    Ashley’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at its Bel Air and Elkton facilities offers an eight week evidence-based treatment for adults ages 18 years and older. Alcohol and drug addiction treatment is based on the Matrix Model and includes ambulatory detox, individual and group therapy, anti-craving medication-assisted therapy, relapse prevention therapy, acupuncture, meditation, Naloxone Certification and a family program.

    The Ashley Addiction Treatment outpatient facilities also offer opiate treatment and maintenance. The IOP also partners with Hartford County’s Project Healthy Delivery, which helps pregnant women struggling with addiction get treatment and counseling needed for continued sobriety.

    Bonus Amenities

    Residents enjoy a state of the art indoor fitness center including a gym staffed with personal trainers, basketball and volleyball courts and yoga rooms. Additionally, Ashley’s sprawling campus offers outdoor walking trails and jogging paths, outdoor basketball and tennis courts, gardens and a chapel.

    Ashley Addiction Treatment recently opened a new wing on it main campus, Skip’s Hall. It offers integrated addiction treatment and holistic care. Here clients can garner extended recovery skills, relapse prevention and an overall health and wellness education. Treatment fosters spirituality, spiritual counseling, grief counseling, mindfulness meditation, sound therapy, drumming, art therapy and Catholic mass and non-denominational services.

    Overlapping with the emphasis on holistic treatment, the wellness services at Ashley Addiction Treatment include acudetox, personal training, yoga, acupuncture and massage sessions, Reiki and cupping therapy. All of wellness services at this facility are designed to support therapy and foster relapse prevention and mindfulness.

    Summary

    Ashley Addiction Treatment offers a wide range of support for alcohol and drug addiction and co-occurring disorders. Clients also enjoy myriad wellness services on a beautiful, sweeping campus with waterside views. With resort-style amenities, clients can experience a full program of recreational and fitness activities. In addition to evidence-based treatment, Ashley offers spiritual counseling and support and alternative, holistic therapies. Accredited by the Joint Commission, Ashley also offers a wide range of outpatient, family care, opiate treatment and maintenance and relapse recovery in two additional facilities.

    Ashley Addiction Treatment Location

    Main Campus

    800 Tydings Lane

    Havre de Grace, MD 21078

    (800) 799-4673

    Ashley Addiction Treatment Cost

    Call for cost. Insurance is accepted.

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