Sunday, May 3, 2009

Drug Addiction Program with Alcoholism Treatment Too

A center for addiction treatment that treats all addictions

If you’ve been reading this drug rehab blog, you already know there are lots of centers for addiction treatment out there that treat for either drugs or alcohol, but few that treat both. For example, a drug addiction program will probably not have the best alcoholism treatment, because the staff is more familiar with teaching a drug addiction program.

On the other hand, a center for addiction treatment that bases itself in alcoholism treatment probably will not have a good drug addiction program to speak of. We’re not saying every center for addiction treatment operates this way, but just that this is how many places are in the treatment community.

Alcoholism treatment combined with a drug addiction program

It all comes down to specialties and resources. A center for addiction treatment gets to choose what its specialty is from the very start, and then it allocates resources accordingly. So, if a drug addiction program decides they want to offer alcoholism treatment as well, they have to take some of their resources away from the drug addiction program in order to provide alcoholism treatment. Because of this, some places have really shoddy alcoholism treatment but an amazing drug addiction program, or vice versa.

The center for addiction treatment we want to tell you about combines cutting-edge alcoholism treatment with a strong drug addiction program. How do they avoid the resources vs. specialties trap? They began by specializing in both alcoholism and drug addiction, and they set themselves apart by providing holistic treatments that other centers for addiction treatment do not. Not only will they provide their patients with traditional 12-step, group and individual therapies, but they also offer alternative therapies like acupuncture, massage, yoga and more.

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Drug addiction programs for women

As a woman who has attended a drug addiction program in an addiction center, I know that there are quite a few women in recovery. But, I thought it’d be helpful for girls out there to know more about a rehab program that really focuses on issues that affect us more than guys. My experience in a drug addiction program for women showed me that help is out there for us girls, as long as we ask for it.

A women’s drug addiction program at an addiction center

I went to a drug addiction program at an Orange County addiction center that was mixed with men and women. However, the therapists and counselors were definitely sensitive to my issues, and the topics covered in my individual counseling sessions reflected this deep understanding and trust. My drug addiction program was specially tailored to deal with my past issues involving abuse and anorexia.

Through focused and productive individual counseling with an understanding therapist, I was able to confront the issues that had driven me to abuse drugs and alcohol. A huge weight was lifted off my back once these issues were resolved through therapy. The experience was also a little frightening, because these were some deep fears and memories that I had kept secret for decades. I’ve been clean and sober for a few years now, so I’m very grateful I went to an addiction center that had treated hundreds of female addicts and alcoholics before me.

A women’s sober living home helped my transition after rehab

After my month in the addiction center, I moved into its affiliated sober living home for women, which was also in Dana Point, California. It was a safe space where I could take new life challenges at my own pace. In the sober living home I met a great group of sisters to help me through early sobriety. We supported each other and looked out for one another, and that sometimes made all the difference.

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12-Step Rehab with alternative options

I recently finished a program at a 12-step rehab center in Southern California, so I thought I’d post a review of this 12-step rehab center and give everyone the heads up. I searched far and wide for a drug addiction program in Southern California that would treat me like an individual. The last thing I wanted was some sort of “one size fits all” rehab. This was not only the nicest looking place I saw, but also the most affordable drug addiction program I came across. While it is a 12-step rehab, I should mention that they also offer a whole host of alternative therapies there as well.

I wanted to go above and beyond a 12-step rehab center

I know the 12 Steps do wonders for many millions of people. However, I had been to a 12-step rehab center before, with unsuccessful results. If I was going to do this again, I felt compelled to find a drug addiction program that offered the 12-step method along with some alternative treatment options. That search led me to an affordable drug addiction program that offered holistic therapies in addition to the traditional 12-step and psychotherapy approach.

A different kind of 12-step rehab center

After seeing pictures of this place, I was amazed that it was an drug addiction program. Not only was it in a beautiful home in Dana Point, California (the “Gold Coast” of Orange County), but it also had a wealth of holistic treatment options. From acupuncture to massage, meditation to yoga, this place had holistic therapies galore. Not only did they have rapid medical detox programs—which I needed because the withdrawals from the amount of booze I was drinking might have killed me—but they also had connections with sober living homes in the area where I could go after treatment. This drug addiction program was truly amazing, and I recommend it to anyone who’s looking to beat their addiction before it gets any worse.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Recovery is for us girls too!

So, I’ve been reading up on this blog and I noticed that there’s almost nothing about women in recovery. As a woman who has attended a drug addiction program in an addiction center, I know that there are quite a few women in recovery. From my experience in a same-sex sober living home I know there are sober living homes in Southern California that are for women. I just thought I’d shed some light on the subject of drug addiction programs for women, so that if there’s a girl in trouble who’s reading this blog, she knows there is help out there.

A drug addiction program for women at an addiction center
I went to a drug addiction program at an Orange County addiction center that was mixed with men and women. However, the therapists and counselors were definitely sensitive to my issues, and my individual counseling reflected this deep understanding on their part. My drug addiction program was specially tailored to deal with my past issues involving sexual trauma and an eating disorder.

Through focused and insightful one-on-one counseling with an understanding therapist, I was able to confront my issues that were driving me to abuse drugs and alcohol. It was like a huge weight was lifted off my back once these issues were aired in a professional and therapeutic setting. The experience was also a little frightening, because these were some deep fears and memories that I had kept secret for decades. Now that I’ve been clean and sober for a few years, I’m very grateful I went to a drug addiction program at an addiction center that had treated hundreds of women addicts before me.

The women’s sober living home helped my transition after rehab
After my month in the addiction center, I moved into its affiliated sober living home for women, which was also in Dana Point, California. It was exactly what I needed at that time of my recovery: a safe space where I could take new life challenges at my own pace. Oh, and not to forget, I couldn’t go back to where I was staying before because I lived with my dealer! Not only did the sober living home protect me from having to deal with that mess, but I feel like I met a great group of sisters while living there. We supported each other and looked out for one another, and that sometimes made all the difference.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

FAQ Series: What’s the timeline of a drug treatment center?

How a drug addiction program works
While each drug treatment center varies in the specifics, a typical drug addiction program lasts about a month. There are also detox programs recommended for some patients that last from a few days to a week. Detox programs occur at the drug treatment center either before or during the first part of a drug addiction program.

Some alcohol and drug treatment centers adhere to strict time schedules, enforcing move-out days for each patient, while others are more lenient on the time requirements/limits of their inpatient drug addiction programs. After the month at a drug treatment center, patients go home or enroll in various aftercare programs—including sober living homes—to help with their recovery.

Detox programs: a sensitive undertaking
Detox programs must be under the supervision of medical professionals because the body can react violently to drug and alcohol withdrawals. Having a doctor on hand for detox programs ensures that the patients’ safety is monitored while their bodies cleanse themselves of addictive chemicals.

Detox programs can be traditional—lasting about a week—or they can be rapid, which involves doctor-administered medications to lessen the severity and symptoms of withdrawal. Some people choose to feel the symptoms of withdrawal because they feel it will be a helpful deterrent against future substance abuse. Others, especially people in outpatient drug addiction programs, choose rapid detox so they can return to work or family as soon as possible.

Inpatient and outpatient drug addiction programs
Some drug treatment centers have the staff and resources available to also offer outpatient drug addiction programs in addition to their inpatient, residential drug addiction program. This is an especially popular choice amongst executives, professionals, and homemakers, or anyone else who can’t responsibly take a month away from their professional lives or family. Think of an outpatient program like a night school, where you attend a rigorous schedule of counseling and therapy sessions to help you understand and defeat your addiction.

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