Riley Regan, Pioneer and Advocate in Alcoholism and Drug Treatment
Riley W. Regan , a nationally recognized authority on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Public Policy, died peacefully at his home on December 7, 2012, after a short bout with primary liver cancer. He was 77. Mr. Regan, who had a life-long personal and …
Read more on PR Newswire (press release)

Saint Jude Retreats Reacts to Brooke Mueller in Drug Rehab for 19th Time …
Saint Jude Retreats' research has concluded that a drug rehab program is largely ineffective in helping those trying to overcome drug or alcohol use. Amsterdam, NY (PRWEB) December 17, 2012. Saint Jude Retreats has learned through the LA Times that …
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Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Clinics in the US Industry Market Research …
Healthcare reform will expand coverage to include treatment for substance abuse and boost demand for outpatient services. For this reason, industry research firm IBISWorld has added a report on the Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Clinics industry to its …
Read more on San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

Drug users call for humane rehabilitation services
Demanding that the Government lay down standards for evidence-based, voluntary treatment for drug dependence, monitor centres that offer such treatment and increase the number of government facilities to manage drug addiction, several organisations …
Read more on The Hindu

Prisoners face long wait for drug–rehab services
2012 – Although drug offenders represent the single-largest category of prisoners in the burgeoning federal prison system, thousands wait months to begin drug education or rehabilitation because of staff shortages and limited resources, according to …
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Neighbors Remain Unimpressed with Rehab Center Plan
The three hours of testimony Thursday night in front of the Hillsborough Planning Board by the drug rehabilitation expert hired by the facility proposed for Route 206 failed to soften nearby residents' opposition. The board will continue the hearing on …
Read more on Patch.com

Drug users call for humane rehabilitation services
Demanding that the Government lay down standards for evidence-based, voluntary treatment for drug dependence, monitor centres that offer such treatment and increase the number of government facilities to manage drug addiction, several organisations …
Read more on The Hindu

Truck driver sent to drug rehabilitation centre after hitting car
"Mandatory treatment at a [drug-addiction treatment centre] not only benefits the defendant, but also society at large," Lam said. He said he did not revoke Ko's licence for a longer period because he is a professional driver. The judge said the case …
Read more on South China Morning Post

Rehab centers: Love, pray, understanding
“This place is good for us to find out about ourselves, which we can achieve by getting to know who God is,” Alex, a former drug addicts who is now a co-caretaker at the center, said. Alex opened-up about his past drug use, “I couldn't get along with …
Read more on Jakarta Post

Public invited to tour drug rehab center
“Basically, we're giving the community an opportunity to see what Best Drug Rehabilitation is all about and what we do here,” said Amber Howe, executive director of the facility that is in the former Tendercare home on the southern border of Manistee.
Read more on Ludington Daily News

Drug rehab facility opening in 2013
"When I was younger, and you know I had my own trials and tribulations with drugs and alcohol and I actually came to South Bend because my friends were in college here,” said Per Wickstrom, CEO Best Drug Rehabilitation. His own personal experience …
Read more on ABC 57 News

bc-drugrehab(sh)
Jeff Arthur talked frankly about struggling with cocaine addiction for years, stopping for good when Drewbee was 6 months old, getting treatment after Jane threatened to kick him out of the family house. By third grade, Drewbee was diagnosed with …
Read more on PennLive.com

Substance abuse and addiction are a problem for millions of Americans. It’s been estimated that almost one-tenth of the population of the US has or is recovering from a substance addiction. These addictions don’t just affect the addict- they affect their entire family, their jobs, their friends, and especially their health. The reasons that substance addiction happen are almost as varied as the people that have the problems. Some people can occasionally indulge but many cannot. It is very hard for a person with a substance addiction to quit on their own, and some do not stop until it kills them.

Most times the addict knows very well that the substance they are addicted to is harmful, but they don’t have the means or the self-control to stop themselves. Almost all addicts are in some form of denial, and if you’ve watched much reality TV, you might think that an “intervention” is always the answer. Sadly, that’s not always the case- for a person to really get help for a substance addiction, they have to WANT to get help.

Why do people get addicted to things that they know are bad for them? The reasons are as different as the people are. Some people drink, smoke, or do drugs to have a bit of an escape from the stress of daily life, and when the problem that has caused the stress has been dealt with, they will keep right on doing it and a substance addiction will result.

Some people get addicted to substances that were originally prescribed by a doctor. Depressants like Valium and Xanax are particularly addictive because of the “rush” they give, and people continue to take them after they are no longer needed. Prescription substance addiction is as big a problem as illicit drug use, and teenagers are especially at risk. For them, these drugs are often readily accessible or even prescribed. No matter how the drugs are obtained, substance addiction is a serious and deadly problem.

People sometimes become addicted to substances because of boredom, or to fit in with their peers, or like we said earlier, to deal with stress or a traumatic incident. Unfortunately, the “escape” provided by the substance ends up creating a lot more problems than it solves. The substance addict will use, then get depressed, then use even more.

It’s a vicious cycle that cannot end without medical intervention.

When a person decides to finally seek help for a substance addiction, there are plenty of programs (like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, and various drug rehabilitation centers) to help them start out on the road to recovery. It is difficult to beat a substance addiction, but it’s not impossible.

Drug Enforcement Agnecy (DEA) – http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) – http://www.samhsa.gov/
National Institue of Health (NIH) – http://www.nih.gov/

Every year the US Dept. of Human Services puts out a report on the various treatment options for substance abuse in this country. The most current report available, from 2007, tells us that the most admissions to drug rehab were because of opiates like Xanax and Valium. Next came marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Altogether, these drugs make up sixty percent of all admissions to drug rehabilitation centers. There are over twenty million drug abusers in the US, so there is a real need for more effective ways to treat addictions and keep people from relapsing. Here is a breakdown of the various ways people sought treatment:

More and more drug rehabilitation centers are becoming privatized these days, and they are about equal parts for-profit and non-profit entities. A good number of these centers have contracts with their state and local authorities, as well as hospitals. Up to 90% of these centers get some public funding, which makes it a lot easier for the poorest among us to seek treatment. As of 2007, there were almost 14,000 drug rehabilitation centers in the US, offering a multitude of programs and services.

There are a lot of options for the addict seeking treatment, from counseling, to detox, to residential treatment facilities. There were almost two million people treated for substance abuse in 2007, and of those, over 60% went to outpatient treatment, 20% got into a residential detox program, and 18% got other forms of residential treatment.

Residential drug rehabilitation is used in situations where the addiction presents medical issues that can’t be dealt with on an outpatient basis. This treatment is made up not only of detoxification, there is group and behavior modification therapy, as well as mental health counseling. Many residential programs have a faith-based or spiritual component as well. A good program takes care of an addict’s wounded mind and body, and seeks to reintroduce them to society clean and sober.

Inpatient drug rehabilitation programs have many advantages over outpatient treatment. Almost 90% of substance addicts are treated as outpatients because they have milder addictions, or because cost or insurance coverage is an issue. Unfortunately, those that aren’t under the strict supervision of a residential program are more likely to relapse, and outpatient treatment programs have high drop-out rates.

Drug rehabilitation isn’t just for junkies and street people. Since 1999, the abuse of tranquilizers and other prescription drugs has risen drastically, and almost twenty percent of seniors abused their prescription medication.Teenagers abuse drugs like Xanax and Vicodin to get the “rush”, or to fit in with their friends- and of the almost two million Americans admitted to drug rehab in 2007, over a quarter million were under 17.

If you or someone you know has a substance abuse problem, you should seek help immediately. No matter where you live or what your financial situation is, there is a program that can help you. First, you or the addict should get evaluated by a doctor, who will be able to determine what kind of program you need.

Drug Enforcement Agnecy (DEA) – http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) – http://www.samhsa.gov/
National Institue of Health (NIH) – http://www.nih.gov/