In the past, we would hear about the dangers of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other street drugs, but more and more, we’re hearing about illicit use of prescription drugs. And, this illicit use is happening in our schools and with our children everyday. In fact, it’s the fastest growing category of drug abuse, and when I say growing, I mean it’s becoming an epidemic! With this in mind, it’s extremely important that you understand what’s going on with prescription drugs and the dangers involved, if you don’t want to wind up in drug rehab in the future.

When I say prescription drugs, I’m referring to drugs like prescription painkillers (Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocent), prescription stimulants (Ritalin and Adderall), anti-anxiety drugs (Valium and Xanax) and prescription sleep aids (Ambien). All of these drugs can have physical and mental affects on teens along with a high chance for addiction problems.

The drugs that I mentioned are all highly addictive and can cause physical dependence issues. Because this is possible, drug detox and drug rehab may be required in order to help a person stop taking them.

In teens, the use of these drugs can cause their brain to stop growing. And, with most teens being unaware of the dangers involved, they think it’s ok to experiment with them. It’s important to educate kids about what can happen to them. It’s also important for us, as parents, to be educated, especially if doctors want to put kids on drug therapies for attention disorders, anxiety or depression.

Kids get a hold of these drugs not only from their friends, but from their parents’ medicine cabinets. It’s important to stay alert to this and make sure that prescriptions don’t fall into the wrong hands.

Another factor that can perpetuate this, is kids seeing their parents taking prescription drugs. They think it’s not dangerous because, if their parents are taking them, it must not be bad. The same goes for alcohol abuse if you, if kids see their parents drinking, especially abusing alcohol, there’s a good chance that they will drink.

Have you had enough of a drug problem of your own or perhaps a drug problem that a loved one is going through? Call us at Drug Rehab Referral to find a successful alcohol or drug rehab program. We help people get through this every day!

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Did you know that doctors receive about four hours of education on drug treatments during their entire education? With all of the drugs that wind up being prescribed, it seems as if there should be a little more emphasis on this part of their education. And, it leads me to believe that this contributes directly to drug addiction and abuse.

Since the doctors don’t have time to their own research, and the drug companies seem to go out of their way to hide any information that makes their drugs look bad, people are being prescribed medications based on almost no training. They rely on the “education” that they get from the drug manufacturers’ representatives, which often amounts to little more than propaganda.

With this being said, we MUST take it upon ourselves to get educated. It’s the only immediate solution to changing what’s happening in our current drug culture. We have to take some responsibility for ourselves and what we’re consuming and the risks that are involved. It’s obvious that our doctors aren’t going to do this for us.

With the little education the doctors receive about drug therapies, the lies and conveniently hidden information on behalf of the drug makers and the weak FDA regulations on research, beware of the risks involved with the drugs you’re prescribed. Drug dependence and addiction are all too common, even with people who take their medications as prescribed by the doctors they trust.

If this is a scenario you’re familiar with because of your own experience, or you know someone who has gotten hooked on prescription drugs, get help. Call a drug addiction treatment center right away!

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Now, more than ever, people who take prescriptions are realizing they can’t get off of them.  It’s a hard fact, but people who take prescription pain medications, anti-anxiety drug and sleeping pills, to name a few, will most likely need to go through a drug detox and, if there’s an addiction, they will need to go through drug rehab program as well.

What you don’t realize when your doctor is prescribing these medications is that even if you have only taken the drugs for a short period of time you are likely to need drug detox because of the withdrawal symptoms, which can be painful and quite uncomfortable.

‘Addict’ seems like such a harsh word and I’m sure that a lot of people out there who started out taking their medications as directed never intended for that to happen. People start out taking them for all sorts of innocent reasons like injuries, pain management for surgeries or for an illness. However, everyone – legally prescribed or illegally acquired on the street – will have to endure the same withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking them.

Are you one of these people? Have you taken these types of drugs for a short period of time, or perhaps even for years, and you can’t seem to stop? When you do try, the sickness and pain that you feel keeps you on the medications and you wind up calling your doctor and asking for more?

You’re not alone! At Drug Rehab Referral, we see this time and time again.

And, it is possible to stop. Going through a drug detox program will help your body safely and comfortably detox from the drugs that are holding you prisoner. If you want to stop, there is a way. Get help!

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Say you were put on some type(s) of antidepressants by your doctor and you’re not interested in taking them anymore. Is it possible that you’ll need to detox? Will you need to go to drug rehab? It’s certainly possible – and a drug rehab program would most definitely be necessary if you’re taking the drugs illicitly or because of an addiction.

An unbelievable number of people take antidepressants and other prescription drugs based on the FDA’s recommendation and approval to help or treat depression. And, as it turns out, some drug manufacturers may have omitted or left out (however you choose to view it) information that most likely would have made it extremely hard, if not impossible to get their drugs approved.

Billions and billions of dollars have been made by selling these drugs to unsuspecting citizens and these companies should be held accountable. These unsuspecting citizens aren’t just adults either, they’ve made drugs for teenagers, children and even toddlers to keep them from being too hyperactive. What is this doing to our social environment? I’ll tell you what; it’s putting an expectation on children that they should be quiet and still. And that a pill can “cure” depression.

So, how does one go about getting off of these drugs? The best way to handle the addiction or dependence is by going to a medical drug detox facility to withdraw from the drugs under medical supervision – according to medical professionals.

If you need to safely withdraw from any prescription drugs call Drug Rehab Referral and we will help you find a successful drug detox program.

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Have you ever heard or read stories about people going through drug detox and/or drug rehab more than once? In fact, I’m sure you’ve come across some people that have gone over and over again! There are many ways that people go about conquering drug addiction and dependence. The first step that many people take is to go through a drug detox program. This is important to get the residual toxins left by the drugs or alcohol out of the body.

One time, I read a story about a guy who had been through detox for heroin use ten times – one time at a hospital, eight times he did it ‘cold turkey’, and once he went through rapid detox – which he explained was more painful than any of his cold turkey attempts to wean himself, and had side effects that lasted for months afterward. None of these detoxes actually helped the guy battle his heroin addiction that he kept succumbing to and he eventually chose methadone treatment. Now, he’s more than likely, permanently addicted to methadone and he doesn’t seem to be even looking at the possibility of ever coming off it. Can you see what went wrong with this story? I can… he never went to a good drug rehab program!

While it is a very important step in the rehabilitation process, drug detox only assists people to get them through withdrawal from their physical dependence. A common idea that a lot of people have is if they can just get through withdrawal, they can stop taking the drug. But what happens when they go back home and their friend tells them that they’re going out to get high – and perhaps they didn’t have a particularly good day? Who’s to say that the mental addiction won’t just kick right back in? I can tell you this much; if you don’t address the issues behind the addiction – which are not just physical – then the person will go back to drugs. No doubt about it!

Drug detox is important, but it’s only one of the steps needed to get an addict through their addiction and fully recovered. If you know of someone who has gone through drug or alcohol detox, but has relapsed, you now know the facts! Help get them into a successful drug rehab program. It could save their life!

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I recently came across a headline about Steven Tyler entering drug rehab for prescription painkiller addiction. After 10 years of use for pain management due to performance injuries, he’s now facing the process of addiction recovery.

Tyler is the lead singer of the band Aerosmith, which has been around for decades. He battled addiction to drug and alcohol abuse in the 70’s and early 80’s and went through rehab to battle his addictions successfully in 1986.

Many Americans are all too familiar with prescription drug dependency. After an accident or injury, doctors will prescribe painkillers to manage the pain, but most of the prescription painkillers are subject to dependence.

Dependence can happen to anyone on “pain management” who is taking prescription drugs to alleviate chronic pain. A person who’s dependent will usually suffer from withdrawal symptoms when they lower their dosage or try to stop taking their medication. Often times, it’s not something that a person can handle on their own.

A drug rehab center is a good solution for anyone seeking to get off of drugs, whether illegal or legally prescribed and taken as directed. If you know someone taking drugs, help them out, get them into a successful drug rehab program.

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Some women and fathers-to-be have no clue what the effects of drugs and alcohol are on an unborn baby. Let’s get educated, shall we? If you or your significant other is pregnant, or are planning a pregnancy, or you know someone who is, here are plenty of good reasons to get into a drug rehab program first:

Alcohol can cause: impaired muscle and joint use, impaired speech, behavioral problems, unusual facial characteristics, heart and limb defects and miscarriage. And, just so you’re aware, alcohol use by dad can also produce the same problems.

• Marijuana can cause: hyperactivity or an inability to pay attention, impulsivity, impaired decision making skills and memory problems.
• Cocaine can cause: sudden infant death syndrome, mental deficiencies, lowered IQ and miscarriage.
• Amphetamines can cause: problems with the circulatory system – the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries
• PCP can cause: abnormal development
• Barbiturates can cause: seizures, poor feeding, withdrawal symptoms for the baby and birth defects.
• Opioids can cause: preeclampsia (high blood pressure, swelling, headaches, changes in vision), growth retardation while in the mother, premature labor, complications during pregnancy and abnormalities – all of these problems can effect both mother and baby and can be fatal for both)
• Prescription Drugs can cause: many prescription drugs can have similar effects as described above. The best policy one can have is NO DRUGS WHATSOEVER during pregnancy.

But, what if you’re already pregnant? I’d highly recommend that you consult a medical doctor who specializes in drug detox and drug rehab. If you’re planning on getting pregnant or it’s a possibility, a successful drug rehab program that will get you off of drugs and/or alcohol and help prevent relapse should be done without delay.

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What’s the deal here? Why is it that people who are addicted to morphine, heroin and other opiates are put on methadone (a synthetic narcotic used for more than 30 years to “treat” opiate addiction)? Methadone is a drug that is addictive. Does it actually make sense to trade one drug addiction for another when an addict can be helped immediately through drug detox and a successful drug rehab program?

According to the official descriptions from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), methadone withdrawal symptoms are slower and easier to withstand. The theory is that when it’s taken orally once a day, it suppresses narcotic withdrawal for between 24 and 36 hours. When used as a “treatment” it gives time for the addict to eventually be weaned off drugs entirely. Or so goes the theory.

This is from the product information: “It is possible to maintain an addiction to methadone without harsh side effects . .  .” and “. . . many patients require continuous treatment, sometimes over a period of years.”  – Yes, folks… you read correctly. It says YEARS of methadone treatment!

If someone really wants to get help to end their addiction, why on earth would they take an addictive drug instead of using drug detox and drug rehab to handle it in just weeks, or a few months at most?
Here is another crazy fact: Methadone is given away for FREE to people on the street through methadone clinics. In many instances, people turn around and sell their methadone so they can continue to buy heroin or morphine. Methadone has been available as an illicit street drug for decades. The people on the street aren’t taking it to taper their use and eventually wean themselves off heroin or get through some form of drug rehab. They’re taking it to get stoned, and stay stoned. And by handing out free methadone we’re just keeping them addicted to opiates.

Then, there are the dangers involved in methadone use. A few years ago, the FDA issued a methadone public health advisory because it can suppress breathing and cause dangerous, and sometimes fatal, changes in heartbeat. In fact, there has been a huge rise in deaths due to methadone use – even when it’s consumed in low doses. Six percent of people carry a gene that makes methadone a life-threatening killer, according to the ONDCP.

Providing help to free addicts from the violence, crime and dwindling spiral that they will end up going down is a good thing. Handing out methadone and watching them return to continue to struggle is not. Handing out methadone to anyone for any reason is not a good thing! We have got to change our point of view, and demand some system changes that create the means for all addicts to fully recover and reclaim their lives through proper drug detox and drug rehab.

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I was listening to a public radio series today – the first of the series – on the three strikes law. In case you’re not familiar with this law, it basically demands very stiff mandatory sentences for a third offense. Several states have adopted the three strikes law, but exactly how it is defined and executed is different in different locations. In California, a person is sentenced to life after three felony convictions. A non-violent drug-related crime could result in life in prison, with no drug treatment available.

One story on the series was that of a mother whose son, Shane, got involved with drugs. He stole a few things from around the house and from the neighbor to get drugs. She didn’t know what to do about it; she settled on tough love, which she interpreted as ‘take a stand.’ So, she pressed charges, and convinced the neighbor to do the same. She thought Shane would get drug rehab. Instead, he went to prison on two counts of residential burglary.

Years later, Shane was with a friend when the friend sold an undercover police officer $20 of cocaine. Shane was not involved in the crime, but the police identified him as the ‘lookout’ and he was sentenced to 25 years to life. He’s now been in prison for 14 years. He’s 41 years old.

I don’t want to make Shane’s mother feel any worse than she already does, but I want to make a point about tough love, about taking a stand. Taking a stand is refusing to buy the lies, refusing to ignore the situation, refusing to look at it as simply a ‘phase’ he’s going through – and many other variations of the same – and demanding that your son, daughter, whoever, gets into a drug rehab center.

Exposing our loved ones to the possibility of being surrounded by hardened criminals in an  dangerous environment where they could get beaten, raped, and even killed is taking things too far.

If someone you care about is in trouble, make sure that whatever stand you take includes drug treatment. And do it quickly, before they get involved in the criminal justice system.

Our justice system may be a lot better than in some other countries, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Witness Shane’s situation, for example.

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A friend of mine’s son was born with a heart defect. It was a life threatening situation that required an operation on his heart but the doctors said they couldn’t do it until the boy’s body was close to maturity. He would have to endure about 15 years of touch and go; had he experienced the stresses that are part of many childhoods, he could have died. When you look at what my friend had to do to keep his son happy and relatively stress free, you get an idea of what kids go through in life, why they might be tempted to start drinking or taking drugs, and what situations might eventually lead to the need for substance abuse treatment. Here’s a brief summary:

1. He kept in constant, daily communication with his son to find out exactly how school was going. He reviewed what he studied every day, made sure he understood it, could use it in a practical sense, and wasn’t getting hung up on things he didn’t quite get. Many kids don’t understand everything they learn in school and often don’t even realize it. But they become unable to do the work as well as they are inherently capable of, start to dislike school, and every day can become a grind where they feel they’re accomplishing nothing and don’t have much of a future ahead of them. This lowers self-esteem and can lead to substance abuse.
2. He also made sure he knew who his son was meeting, what they were like, and so on – and this included everyone; teachers, students, other connections. Like it or not, there are people out there who don’t have your best interests at heart. Sometimes they can be very misleading – you think they’re your best friend but your life has changed for the worse since you met them – and sometimes they are just out and out bullies. Either way, it can be stressful. My friend made sure his son understood how to recognize these types of people, why they were dangerous, and how to deal with them. When necessary, my friend stepped in. My friend didn’t want to fight his son’s battles for him – but their bigger life and death battle took priority.
3. The boy was brilliant – and very interested in just about everything. At eight years old, he explained to me how rockets work. His dad made sure he went to schools that had the personnel and facilities to teach his son what he was interested in and keep him challenged, but without pressure. Doing this, and the first two steps, also meant that my friend was very involved in his son’s school, with his teachers, and so on.
4. He made sure family life was happy. He and his wife were united in their efforts with their son, and they made sure their own relationship was clean and loving and they were all in good communication. They didn’t impose their problems on their son, and they discussed things rationally and calmly.

When I personally look at what my friend did for his son, it occurs to me that this should be normal – this should be the life of every child. Happy, healthy, not worried about things, able to pursue things he’s interested in, and know he’s progressing towards a satisfying future in which he can accomplish something.So few kids have that, it’s not surprising that many of them wind up experimenting with alcohol and drugs at a young age and, later in life, need substance abuse treatment.Along with teaching your kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, do what you can to help your kids create a happy and fulfilling life. If they’ve already crossed the substance abuse line, get them into drug treatment and, after that, do what you can to help them create the life they didn’t have before.And, by the way, my friend’s son did live to have the operation. He is now doing exceptionally well in life. He’s even able to run marathons and pursue the physical activities he never could do when he was younger.

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