A Drug Rehab and Dual Diagnosis Treatment

National statistics have shown that drug addicts and alcoholics who attend a long term addiction treatment and drug rehab programs, where their dual diagnosis is addressed, have a higher recovery rate. Although individual addiction treatment and dual diagnosis programs can vary, the average length of time of such a treatment program is approximately four to six weeks.

Detox and Dual Diagnosis

Drug rehab is a series of addiction treatment services with very specific focus to each. Alcohol detox and drug detox is only the first step to completing drug rehab. Alcohol detox or drug detox alone is not sufficient to change the patterns created by drug addiction and alcoholism. Recovery from drug addiction or alcoholism involves an extended addiction treatment process which usually requires the help of drug rehab professionals.In most cases, a person?s dual diagnosis is not fully addressed in detox. The reason for this, is that so many of the symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal or drug withdrawal mimic psychiatric symptoms, it is best to wait until the patient is medically stable. It is usually in the drug rehab portion of addiction treatment that the dual diagnosis is more fully diagnosed and treated.

Why Detox in Drug Rehab

Denial is a significant barrier in treating dual diagnosis and drug addiction. Almost all addicts tell themselves that they can conquer their drug addiction or alcohol addiction on their own without the help of addiction treatment resources. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. When an addict makes an attempt to discontinue drug abuse and alcohol abuse without the aid of professional drug rehab help, recovery is short lived, sometimes due to intense cravings and sometimes due to overpowering alcohol withdrawal or drug withdrawal symptoms. An addict or alcoholic who wishes to recover from their drug addiction or a dual diagnosis needs more than just strong will power. Trying to overcome the barriers to living a drug-free life without the guidance of a successful drug rehab as the foundation can be extremely difficult. For additional information on dual diagnosis or addiction treatment program, call 1-800-511-9225 or go to www.lakeviewhealth.com.

Jonathan Huttner has 25 years experience in the field of addiction treatment and dual diagnosis. He is a partner in Lakeview Health Systems which specializes in the treatment of drug addiction and dual diagnosis.

New Drug Rehab Model Used in Second Chance Program in Albuquerque

A new drug rehabilitation program that uses long-term nutritional and sauna-based detoxification - with no alternative drugs - is achieving high success statistics in a prison setting. Run by Rick Pendery, the national executive director of the Second Chance Centers, and Joy Westrum, the president of the Second Chance Program, the program has been running for several months in a secure setting in Albuquerque, NM.

Westrum explains that the purpose of the program is to "provide secure, long-term rehabilitation for substance abusers in the criminal justice system, and then to transition them back into society so they can lead a stable life free of crime and drugs. The program includes the administration of vitamins and mineral supplements twice a day, drills designed to extrovert the inmate's attention, and physical techniques designed to decrease the physical trauma of withdrawal that are administered by other inmates. The entire process is supervised by a staff member trained in the process."

This long-term detoxification process has been used throughout the world, not only to assist people in getting off drugs, but also to remove chemicals and other toxins from the system. For example, it was used by the New York Fire Department and others who worked at Ground Zero after the disaster of 9/11.

"When the person has completed the long-term detox, the metabolic residuals from years of substance abuse are eliminated from the body. We have found that the detox measurably decreases the craving to take more drugs," Pendery explains. "The also appear more healthy, as witnessed by physical indicators, such as improved skin tone and clear eyes, as well as social indicators like higher activity levels, better communication skills, and so forth."

Those on the program also engage in what are called Therapeutic Training Routines, which are known to increase the inmate's attention and awareness of his present environment, raise his ability to comfortably confront others and examine his own life, and raise his ability to give and receive communication. In the process, the inmate's level of responsibility, ability to gain control over his emotions, ability to control others, and willingness to be controlled also increase.

"These routines consist of actual communication drills that were developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of a newly recognized religion called Scientology," explains Pendery. "Second Chance is a secular program that uses protocol-based research from Mr. Hubbard, but Second Chance is non-religious by nature and is not part of the Church of Scientology. Developing better communication skills, eliminating toxins stored in the body, and learning tools that more effectively help someone learn and apply what they learn are examples of some of these protocols. Our center provides Sunday Catholic and Protestant services, and practices an official policy of respecting the religious beliefs of others. The inmates here are encouraged to pray, read the Bible, meditate, or take part in any religious activity."

Concludes Pendery, "The results of this part of our program really pull the individual out of his 'drug life.' The remaining steps help stabilize him so he can successful reintegrate into society."

Kent McGregor, previously the Director of Substance Abuse for New Mexico and later a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Certifier, has acted as a consultant for the Second Chance Program. He outlined how the various parts of the Second Chance Program fall within what is considered to be the best practice in substance abuse treatment, saying, "The Second Chance program uses a holistic approach of exercise combined with the use of nutrients to replace metabolic deficiencies. They use a sauna/nutritional detoxification therapy that reduces the burden of toxic body metabolites. They additionally use motivational interviews, contingency management, community reinforcement therapy all combined into a successful matrix model in a social detox therapeutic community environment.

Information about the Second Chance Program can be found at www.secondchanceprogram.net.

Flipping Houses Ethics: Ethical Rehabbing

In wrapping up my article series on the ethics of flipping houses and real estate investing in general, I?d like to share a word on rehabbing houses ethically.

First, for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, ?rehabbing? a house is simply the act of making repairs and/or renovations to put the house into ?fair market condition? ? or, as I prefer it, ?like new? or ?better than new? condition.

The purpose is typically to build value into the property where value currently lacks ? either for the sake of equity or profit at resale.

When I rehab a house, I tend to go over and above, spend more and do more than your average real estate jockey.

When I rehab homes, I like to do them ?right.? I don?t cut corners or hide things that should really be fixed, and if you strive to be an ethical investor, neither should you.

If I encounter something that could be costly, I always explore all of my options as long as the final result will provide my customer, the ultimate homeowner, with a quality product. Though I?m not opposed to finding the cheapest way to get things done, I want the job done properly rather than just covering up defects which should really be fixed. And whenever I'm helping newer investors learn how to get started right in the house flipping business, that's exactly what I teach them.

Of course, just like settling all of your deals, rehabbing houses properly can be difficult at times ? especially if you find yourself working on a shoestring budget.

But in the end you have to sleep well at night. And you can sleep well knowing that you?ve virtually eliminated any risk of a lawsuit from an angry homeowner and created a good name for yourself in the community to boot by rehabbing something the right way. As with settling your deals, this type of reputation can go a long way, particularly if you are focused on rehabbing homes in a particular area. And shoddy work yields a shoddy reputation.

Lastly, I must caution those of you who know the types of rehabs that I do today not to get caught up in thinking that you must do full-blown gut rehabs to do them ?right.? This is just my preference, and I?ve told you in other articles why I personally prefer the ?gut rehab?.

You can do cosmetic ?paint and carpet? rehabs and still do them ethically as I?ve described. I still like to complete one of these myself every once in awhile, as it?s nice to get an easy deal here and there.

My main point is this. If you know there?s a leaky pipe in a wall that no one else can see, fix it! Don?t hide or gloss over necessary repairs, even if you think no one will find out for a long time. If you make this a business practice, it will catch up with you in one way or another.

Florida's Gay Population and a Florida Gay Alcohol Rehab

Florida's gay and lesbian population is growing daily and with it is a growing need for gay and lesbian services. For the purpose of this article we are concerned with gay drug rehab, gay dual diagnosis and gay alcohol rehab services. Regardless of where a person is from, they bring their personal history with them. In the case of the gay and lesbian, the personal histories of which I speak are related to prejudice, discrimination, internalized hompohobia and shame. Growing up gay and having to deal with the attitudes of the general public and family, have led many gay and lesbians to the world of drug addiction and alcoholism. Unfortunately, what happens is the attitudes of the heterosexual population become worse as the gay man or woman becomes drug dependent and their ability to cope with their feelings diminish even more.

Florida Gay Alcohol Rehab

Now imagine that we ask a gay or lesbian to check into an alcohol rehab run by a group of heterosexual men and women. It is like asking an anorexic to check into an addiction treatment program for compusive overeaters. This could be their worst nightmare. Don't misunderstand me, this doesn't mean that the alcohol rehab has to be run by all gay men and women. That is not the real world. The alcohol rehab must, as a minimum, have a gay alcohol rehab component, within the alcohol rehab itself. This will provide the gay or lesbian with a "safe space" in which to express their feelings and thoughts without thinking they are being judged. Their are many other clinical benefits derived from a gay alcohol rehab run in this fashion, such as being able to eal with internalized homophobia, but it also allow for the heterosexual to deal with their own homophobia. Everybody wins!

Jonathan Huttner is a partner in Lakeview Health Systems's a alcohol and drug rehab, which has its own gay friendly alcohol rehab component called Freedom Rings. Freedom rings provides alcohol and drug rehab for the GLBT population.

For additional information on an alcohol rehab program that has a gay alcohol rehab component call 1-800-511-9225 or go to www.gay-rehab.com. If you are not concerned with whether the alcohol rehab is gay focused, then go to www.steppingstonecenter.org.

 

Proper Alcohol Rehab Methods

The best solution for a drinking or alcohol problem is to find the proper drug or alcohol abuse treatment program and then gently discuss with patient, if he is not the one initiating the alcohol rehabilitation, the dangers of continuing alcohol or abuse, the benefits of rehabilitation and your love for them. The patient may not be amenable to your appeal initially, don?t give up.

Tell them lovingly the need to get back on a healthy track and that going to an alcohol rehab center is like taking off on a deserved holiday, and that the healing effects of such a holiday will give them a new lease of life that brings about a behavioural advancement away from the influences of alcohol and its negative tendencies.

Whether you are the patient or you are the patient?s counsellor, I want you to bear in mind that rehabilitation is a very serious issue, which emotional impact on the patient you must try to understand in other to be able to deal with it. No one wants to lose their freedom to anyone or institution, but that is what an alcohol rehabilitation program is all about. The rehab center takes over your life in such a way that it shuts out a habit you have enjoyed for a long while.

This is why you should be careful in choosing an alcohol rehab that will in turn choose an appropriate medium and motivation for you or your loved one. Every alcohol rehab patient is an individual whose agreeable tendency must be found and used for his own good.

Whether an alcohol rehab should rely heavily on prescription drugs and techniques, holistic or natural methods, will depend on the individual patient?s readiness to embrace such a therapy without force. No matter how good an alcohol rehab may claim to be, only the cooperation of the patient can bring about a successful alcohol rehabilitation.

Aside from prescription drugs and natural treatments, ensure that your choice of alcohol rehab engages in psychological repair of their patients, because though the patient be purged of both alcohol use and cravings, their view of themselves is the main cause of alcohol abuse.

Whether an alcohol rehab patient should be an in or out patient depends on the gravity of the abuse, however, this decision should be left for the rehab center to take after thorough examination of patient and the patients financial ability to foot the bills.

There are lots of alcohol rehab centers in the United States and overseas, the best alcohol rehab centers for patients are ones that a little far removed from home.

Neshah writes for your success. He recommends Proper Alcohol Rehab Methods, the road map to life changing Alcohol Rehab programs.

How to Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff for Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

Chances are if you are at all familiar with your rotator cuff it is because you have injured it at some stage. Unfortunately the group of muscles that make up the rotator cuff are quite vulnerable to injury, especially when subject to sudden stresses and strains that occur in some sports. For example, throwing a ball can be very stressful to the rotator cuff. That being said, it?s not only those participating in sports activities who are at risk of rotator cuff injury ? the rigors of just regular daily activity can also exact their toll on the rotator cuff, especially where excessive repetition is involved.

So how do we avoid injuring our rotator cuff and if it?s been injured in the past then how do we ensure the quickest recovery and minimize the likelihood of injuring it again?

The answer lies in strength. In truth there, are a number of factors but strength is a major factor and the one we will consider in this article. Quite simply: a strong rotator cuff is more likely to withstand the demands of everyday life as well as the exertion of sporting activities. Strong and healthy muscles are less likely to be strained or torn and are more resilient to higher than usual demands being placed on them. Injury recovery will also be quicker.

So how do you strengthen your rotator cuff? The same way you strengthen any muscles: exercise. There are a number of exercises that directly work the muscles of the rotator cuff and one of the easiest and most effective to do is the one I will describe below.

Before we get to the exercise I should insert a quick few words of warning: if you are already suffering an injury you should check with your doctor before performing any exercise that works the injured area. Also, if you feel any pain while exercising then back off a little ? either reduce the weight or resistance you?re using or decrease the range of motion to within pain free limits, or, if neither of these actions eliminate the pain then you should not perform that exercise until you can do it without pain.

With that out of the way, here?s how to perform the exercise:

To exercise the rotator cuff on your right hand side you lie on your left side, on a bench if you have one or otherwise the floor is fine. Position yourself so your upper right arm lies along the length of your upper body and is bent 90 degrees at the elbow to make an ?L? shape with your forearm resting across your body. Place a folded up a hand towel and position it under your right elbow so your upper arm is supported and is parallel to the floor. This is the starting position.

Take a very light dumbbell (it is essential to start with a very light weight especially if recovering from an injury) and as you exhale slowly and deliberately rotate your forearm to a vertical position all the while keeping your elbow resting on the towel and your upper arm along your body. So the finish position has your upper arm along your body and your elbow still bent at 90 degrees with your forearm vertical and your fist pointing at the roof. Lower slowly and repeat for at least 12-15 repetitions for each set.

This is just one simple exercise, easily and comfortably done by anyone, that will increase the strength of your rotator cuff. With a strong rotator cuff you will be less likely to injure it and more likely to recover quickly if you do happen to sustain an injury to the cuff. You can also use this exercise as part of a post-injury rehabilitation program but be sure to do so only under the advice of your doctor or physical therapist.

Sean Jacey is a former personal fitness trainer who developed his own powerfully effective method of healing rotator cuff injuries after his physiotherapist told him she was unable to help him further with his chronic shoulder injury. Sean's website is RotatorCuffRemedy.com where you can find out how to heal your rotator cuff injury easily and effectively.

Returning To The Work Force After An Injury - Occupational Rehabilitation

Injuries can be common at the workplace. For anyone getting injured, a common worry is the ability to continue working at the specific vocation. For employees, the main anxiety is about getting back to work as soon as possible as well as being seen as a productive and contributing member of society.

Occupational therapy can also help one regain emotional stability and allay fears about getting laid off. In addition, occupational therapy can help the patients determine if they need to look for another job should the extent of the injury be too serious and to prepare the patients emotionally and mentally for the new jobs.

Depression and a sense of worthlessness is common among those who have had been injured and recuperating for a long time. Work allows one to feel fulfilled and productive; and when one does not work for an extended period of time, their self esteem maybe severely affected. Occupational therapy can help address this problem and restore the sense of self worth and confidence. Doctors and qualified professionals are able to determine if a patient should seek alternative occupational direction should the injury or illness necessitate the change.

For serious injuries, once the patient is out of the critical stage, occupational rehabilitation can begin soon after. Doctors will analyze the extent of the injury as well as the physiological effects on the patient?s mental health and the impact on the job. The person?s ability to perform the functions of the job adequately will also be measured and the appropriate steps to return the person to the previous condition will be applied.

Individually structured programs are drafted once the need for occupational therapy has been determined. It could focus on regaining physical strength, flexibility or the range of motion once enjoyed by the patient. The therapy could also focus on regaining a previous mental state. It is important to know that any success is not instantaneous. It may take several sessions of occupational rehabilitation, over an extended period of time before positive results may be noticeable. In some circumstances, the person may still need to undergo occupational rehabilitation even after returning to work.

Work is itself, a form of occupational rehabilitation. Those who return to work, even if they do not operate at full capacity, the time needed for full recovery to take place carries on at a faster pace. This is because the person undergoes a mental adjustment when returning to work. This added confidence and a feeling of self worth spurs them on to adapt and motivates their recovery.

Companies are sometimes willing to make adjustments to the persons work environment to accommodate the person when he is undergoing occupational rehabilitation. This is a positive signal to the patient that the company values and appreciates the work the person has contributed to the company.

Moses Wright is the founder of Rehabilitation Program. He provides more useful information on Drug Addiction Rehabilitation and Physical Rehabilitation Therapy on his website. Webmasters are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.