You would think that people who are working full or part time, which is about 75 percent of those with alcohol or drug addiction, would be able to pay for the treatment they need. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and it can stop some people from getting into alcohol or drug rehab.

The problem is that the majority of government funded drug rehab facilities are for people who don’t work, and sometimes don’t even have a place to live - working people often don’t qualify. If you do work, and your income is enough to pay for private drug rehab, sometimes can’t get time off work or you get time off without pay. Then you have no way to pay your bills.

Some companies have insurance plans that cover private facilities, but not all. If you need alcohol or drug treatment for yourself or someone you care about, but don’t qualify for state-funded programs, contact a drug rehab program counselor. There are tens of thousands of drug treatment centers available: a good counselor can help you choose the one that best suits your situation.

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Are you wondering if your kid is using drugs? Unfortunately, drugs are more dangerous now than they were years ago: they’re stronger, and often combined with other drugs so it can be hard to tell what you’re taking. If your kid is using drugs, you have to do something about it fast – he may need drug rehab. But if you’re like most parents, you’re probably asking yourself ‘how can I tell if my kid’s using drugs?’

Is My Child Using Drugs or Alcohol gives you a list of signs and symptoms that your child might need help through alcohol or drug rehab, but I’m going to give you the list right here so you won’t have to look any farther.

• Has someone told you your child is drinking or using drugs?
• Has he ‘experimented’ with either drugs or alcohol?
• Does he go up and down emotionally - happy one minute and withdrawn, sad or angry the next?
• Does he suddenly need more money but what it’s for is vague?
• Have you noticed him staggering or slurring his speech?
• Has he turned away from his old friends?
• Have his eyes been red or bloodshot eyes, or their pupil size changed?
• Is he suddenly using breath mints consistently?
• Has he lost interest in keeping his belongings clean and tidy, or is he less attentive to personal hygiene?
• Does he have a negative attitude towards anti-drug or anti-alcohol programs, materials or literature?
• Has he been in trouble with the law?
• Has he developed a bad attitude toward any authority figures?
• Has he become generally dishonest?
• Are there alcoholic beverages or medicines missing?
• Have you found any empty alcohol or solvent containers?
• Has he started smoking cigarettes openly?
• Does he have any medical conditions that might be from drugs or alcohol, such as digestive problems?
• Has his attitude towards school changed or his grades suffered?
• Is he hanging out with an older group or people you suspect of using drugs??

The more questions you answered yes, the greater the chance your kid is taking drugs or drinking. If you suspect it, call a drug rehab program counselor who can help you figure out what to do about it.

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Sometimes drug addicts do desperate things to try to get their daily fix. Some things they do are so off the wall you have to wonder if they’re just trying to send a message to everyone that they want to get caught so that they can go to drug rehab.

I read an article today about a 30-year-old man, Adrian Benedict Frontin, who stole meat to feed his drug habit. No pun intended. The man shoplifted about $150 worth of pork and steak from a grocery store and was spotted by a security guard on his way out of the store. He was caught, of course, and sentenced to two months in jail for theft.

His defense attorney told the judge that Fontin “just does not think when he’s using drugs.”  Fontin’s been taking drugs for 13 years, has been arrested before, and was ordered to drug rehab in 2005. Obviously, he didn’t make it.

Now he’s going to jail for two months – if I were the judge I’d send him to a drug rehab program so he can end this vicious cycle once and for all.

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Another great story hot off the press about an artist who conquered drug addiction and alcoholism, and as an ardent fan, I’m so glad he did. Eric Clapton’s just released autobiography Clapton: The Autobiography tells his story – he’s been about as far down as you an go, and has reached comparable heights. Having spent most of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s stoned or high, Clapton finally sorted himself out after his second drug rehab in 1987.

He also went on to found a drug rehab facility in Antigua. Unlike the drug rehab facilities that housed Lohan, Spears, Winehouse and Doherty, Clapton’s place is not constantly in the news. I don’t know if that’s because celebrities don’t go there, I would think they do, or if it’s just not newsworthy because they don’t relapse. The media loves relapse. No story in success. Maybe it’s because the people going there really don’t want any media coverage on it.

Whatever.

The important point in all this is that Clapton made it in spades. And after seeing hundreds of articles featuring some of the worst role models in the world, it’s good to see someone who deserves the moniker in the news..

No doubt it will inspire others to get into a successful drug rehab program and get their life back.

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I read an ‘ask the doctor’ type column today that blew me away. A reader sent in a question to the doctor asking for advice about a friend’s heroin addiction. The reader said the friend had been addicted to heroin for years, had gone through many detoxes, and is finally interested in getting on methadone or suboxone. The doctor who wrote the column explained the benefits and drawbacks of both, but didn’t once mention the possibility of the addict going through drug rehab to get off drugs.

As this doctor fell short of giving good advice, I will do it. Here’s the truth. 

For most drug addicts, drug detox is not enough. While it’s true that drugs cause a physical craving for more drugs, it unusual that the drugs are the real cause of the addiction. If the person is merely physically dependent on the drug, detox may be enough. But real addiction is a totally different story – the components go far beyond the physical.

A good drug detox center, unlike those the reader’s friend apparently went to, is aware of this, and will make the drug addict aware of it as well. In fact, a really good center has counselors on staff who will help the person determine whether they’re addiction or dependent and, if they’re dependent, will help them get into a successful drug rehab program to address the addiction issues.

Most people who get onto methadone to get off heroin fail miserably. Methadone in itself is addictive and most methadone clinics aren’t about getting people off drugs, they’re about trading the heroin addiction for a methadone addiction. Sometimes permanently. A good drug rehab program can get the person off heroin without getting them addicted to another drug in the process. So, reader, the answer to your friend’s heroin addiction is a good drug rehab program.

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It’s great to see a story about someone who is taking alcohol and drugs seriously: an article today about Brad Pitt saying he stopped drinking so he can be a good father. And this isn’t a guy who has a reputation as a lush. He concluded that drinking and fatherhood don’t mix when he’d had a couple of beers and noticed his 2-year-old daughter choking on an ice cube. That was enough. This is one guy we won’t have to read about going into alcohol rehab.

Millions of fathers don’t think twice about getting drunk with their kids around, don’t think about the fact that their impaired alertness, judgement and motor control could actually put their kids in danger. Their kids safety is their responsibility but, for most, it’s not a good enough reason to get into alcohol rehab so they can stop drinking.

Unfortunately, this is not a story that is going to make headlines for the next several months like Lohan, Spears, Winehouse, et al. But, really, if the media made as big a deal about Brad Pitt not drinking as they make about the drinking and drug habits of other celebs, maybe more people would be getting into a drug or alcohol rehab program instead of  thinking it’s cool to get high.

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I recently came across an article about a unique addition to drug rehab treatment - clients learn circus acrobatic skills to help them overcome fears and prepare them to face uncomfortable situations in life. Improving your health and conditioning your body should be part of every drug rehab program, although this technique may be a bit over the top for those who aren’t athletically inclined.

Clients enrolled in the program jump trampolines and walk the high wire alongside stuntmen honing their skills for a new movie. Sounds like fun!. Of course, they’re strapped into harnesses, safety nets in place, and given some basic training before they take the plunge.

I’ve never walked a high wire, but I am sure anyone who can do it successfully probably has a better ability to maintain their focus than the majority of us couch-sitters. Which is precisely what someone coming out of rehab needs – an ability to stay focused on their goal of staying off drugs or alcohol regardless of pressure. And, they get in shape!

We don’t know anything about the success rate of this program but, hey, as long as the other components of a successful drug rehab program are also in place, why not?

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The father of pop star Britney Spears is going to arrange an intervention to get his daughter into drug rehab. A recent article reported that even though Britney became estranged from her parents after feeling they pushed her into drug rehab the first time, her father is ready to try again.

In fact, he is so serious about it he even consulted a lawyer. Who can blame him under the circumstances – she’s lost the kids, at least temporarily, and she’s running wild. God knows what she’ll do to herself, and the kids, and she’s obviously incapable of taking responsibility for herself. Someone has to. If she makes it into and through a good drug rehab program, she’ll thank him. If she doesn’t, there wouldn’t be much of a relationship anyway.

Anyone who’s seen Britney Spears on television recently would agree that she’s a mess. She bombed at the MTV Video Music Awards and was just arrested for hit and run, and now has to take weekly drug tests and tests before her supervised visits with the kids.

Her attorney reported she’s passed the last few drug tests, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s staying off drugs. If she’d done a second intervention right after her last relapse, the problems wouldn’t have escalted. One thing for sure, she needs a long-term residential drug rehab program - not a short stint in a luxury hotel.

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Malibu has one of the highest concentrations of rehab centers in the country. Currently there are at least 11 for-profit rehab centers in the Malibu area, many of which cater to celebrities – I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of recent news articles about some of their clients, Britney Spears, for example. While these high end places may be luxurious, they’re reputations are not as good as other drug rehab programs.

Known for their plush accommodations and amenities - 500-thread-count sheets, great views; private chefs who cook gourmet meals, flat-screen televisions, private massage rooms and so on - they cost somewhere between $20,000 and $67,000 a month.

But according to a recent news article, Malibu rehab firms are having major problems with lawsuits filed by former clients, and they’re struggling to keep their licenses.

Since 2002, nine Malibu centers have been cited for 20 licensing violations including operating at more than client capacity, failing to adequately train staff members in first aid and resuscitation, and inappropriate behavior on the part of a staff member towards a client, to name a few.

It looks like ‘you get what you pay for’ doesn’t hold true when it comes to drug rehab in Malibu. If you’re looking for a reputable rehab program that’s focused on successful rehab, and gets results, contact a drug rehab program counselor who can tell you about your options.

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Drug arrests have filled Oklahoma state prisons to overcrowding, according to Enid News. Police are conducting raids to get drug dealers and drugs off the street, but that alone is not going to handle Oklahoma’s drug problem: as long as there is a demand for drugs, the drugs and dealers will be there. A real solution would have to include getting offenders into a drug rehab program.

The White House Drug Policy reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration made over 299 drug arrests in Oklahoma in 2006 – which was the highest in five years. But the problem isn’t going away: The most recent drug raid, in Enid Oklahoma, involved 29 people who were charged with over 73 drug-related offenses.

Many of those 29 people are likely to also have a problem with drug addiction and abuse themselves. Unless they get into drug rehab, chances are they’ll serve their time and go right back out on the street and do the same thing. They’ll be back on drugs themselves, and they’ll be selling them to support their habit. Then they’ll be back in prison. Without drug rehab, prison is a revolving door.

There are many Oklahoma drug rehab facilities. It’s time for the powers that be in the state to get together and come up with ways to get drug offenders through a successful drug rehab program so they can put a stop to this never-ending cycle.

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