Substance Abuse Program Jupiter FL

4 Tips for Inpatient Substance Abuse Programs Prep

 Thinking about going to a drug or alcohol detox or rehab center may be a bit on the overwhelming side.  There are going to be quite a few things for you to think about before you go.  There are some suggestions of things to keep in mind or things to do while you are making your detox and rehab decisions.

 Tip #1 Pack Only What You Think You Will Need

It will likely be your instinct to over pack for your stay in a detox or rehab center.  Before you start packing, think about all of the things that you are really going to need.  Think about taking comfortable clothing options, comfortable footwear options, and pajamas.  Then think about the personal care items you will need. Do not forget about the list of items that you are and are not allowed to bring with you.

 

Tip #2 Make a Plan for Aftercare

The therapists at your substance abuse program can help you make a plan for what kinds of care you are going to want after you are finished with your formal treatment.  Thinking about these plans before and during your drug treatment can be very useful when it comes time to make aftercare decisions.  There are many different kinds of aftercare – 12-step meetings, sober living communities, continued intermittent therapy.  Any or all methods can be very useful after your treatment is completed.

 

Tip #3 Drink A Lot of Water

Water helps your body flush the toxins out.  Flushing toxins is what detox is all about.  Your body has become dependent on your substance of choice and believe that it needs that substance to function properly.  It is the flushing of that substance from the body that causes withdrawal symptoms.  Drinking more water will help your organs and body systems function properly during the detox process.

 

Tip #4 Get Some Rest

Detox and rehab are going to be taxing on the mind and the body.  Get some rest and relax a little before you go.  You do not want to start your recovery journey when you are tired and irritable.  You will have enough of that during detox.

 

Call 888-699-5679 today to learn more about options offered by professional addiction treatment programs  and more things that you can do before you go to enhance your rehab experience.

2 Major Pros for Outpatient Substance Abuse Programs Port St Lucie

Are you thinking about finding an outpatient substance abuse program for yourself or for one of your loved ones?  Outpatient treatment can be one of the best things that you or your loved one can do to improve the quality of your life and to get rid of your drug or alcohol habit for good.  Outpatient substance abuse programs may seem like the best of both worlds when it comes to addiction treatment.  They combine the intensity of a residential program with the ability to continue on with work or family commitments.  Before making your decision about signing up for outpatient treatment, there are a few things that you should think about.

 

1.  As mentioned above, you or your loved one could continue on with work or family responsibilities should you choose to participate in outpatient treatment.  Being able to keep up with these responsibilities may mean the difference between seeking treatment and not.  Often, people with substance abuse problems will have minor children or elderly relatives who are dependent upon them for care.  This makes seeking residential treatment impossible.  Sometimes outpatient treatment participants find that they have more time to devote to their responsibilities during treatment than they did during addiction because they do not need to spend time either looking for their next fix or hiding their substance abuse problem from their loved ones.

 

2. Outpatient substance abuse treatment is often more cost effective than inpatient treatment.  This is very important for substance abusers because they have often used up any savings they had in buying drugs or alcohol.  Sometimes insurance will cover some of the cost, but not always.  Outpatient treatment is more cost effective because the treatment centers have an overall lower overhead.  Doctors and trained staff do not need to be available 24 hours a day.  The facility does not need to handle things like meals and snack for residents, heating and air conditioning during the night, or electricity for when the center is closed.

 

Outpatient treatment does require the same amount of commitment asked for with residential treatment.  Many of the same therapy techniques are used in both outpatient and inpatient treatment so neither set of patients is getting better treatment than the other.

Call 1-800-411-9200 now to find out more reasons what outpatient substance abuse programs may be right for you.

Drug Rehab Near Fort Pierce

Drug Rehab Fort Pierce

3 Tips for Success in Recovery for Crystal Meth Addiction

 Crystal meth addiction is a very serious problem in this country.  More and more people are becoming addicted every day because of the quick high and the inexpensive price tag.  Once a crystal meth addict makes the decision to seek help from a drug rehab near Fort Pierce, he or she will need a decent amount of help.  There are a few tips that the addicted person can focus on that may make drug rehab in Fort Pierce a little bit easier for him or her.

 

1.  Do not be afraid to ask for help.

If you think that you would like to make the commitment to become clean and sober, but you are having a hard time sorting out the details, making decisions, and getting started, ask for help.  The first people to ask should be your friends and family who should be around to support you through the process.  If you do not have a stable enough support group, finding a doctor, a clinic, or even calling a treatment center may be your best option.

 

2.  Be realistic about withdrawal symptoms.

Almost everyone who knows anything about detox and rehab knows that a client who is detoxing is going to experience some challenging withdrawal symptoms.  These withdrawal symptoms can be very scary if you do not know what to expect.  The more you know about what to expect, the better equipped you are going to be to handle what comes at you.  The typical withdrawal symptoms experienced during crystal meth detox are:

• Anxiety
• Sleeplessness
• Restlessness
• Cravings
• Fever or chills
• Excessive sweating
• Depression

 

3.  Keep your spirits up.

Much of your recovery success is going to depend upon your outlook.  If you have convinced yourself that you are going to fail, you likely are going to fail.  Detox is designed to help clients overcome the physical addiction to crystal meth.  Rehab is designed to help you figure out how to deal with the mental and emotional addiction to crystal meth.  Your attitude and your commitment to the program will definitely effect how you do.

 

If all clients of drug rehab centers had some tips and support before and during treatment, the process of recovery would likely be a more pleasant experience for all involved.  To find out more about crystal meth addiction recovery tips and drug rehab near Fort Pierce, call 1-800-411-9200 now.

Port St Lucie’s Drug Rehab

Compulsive and Impulsive Behavior in Addiction Patients

 

Addiction is considered to be a disease of the brain.  It is considered a brain disease because addiction alters the brain’s structures and function.  This alteration leads to a loss of behavior control specifically in relationship to compulsive behavior and impulsive behavior. 

 

Compulsive behaviors are an intense need to avoid discomfort and the stress and anxiety that occur before an undesirable situation is presented.  Compulsive behaviors are also earmarked by the feeling of relief and release of stress and anxiety when the situation is completed.  Compulsive behaviors are repeated over and over again even though they likely cause a negative result.  For example, a student who has serious anxiety about taking an exam may engage illicit substance use before going to take the exam even though he or she has not had good results with that kind of behavior in the past.

 

Impulsive behavior is generally all about pleasure seeking.  Impulsive behavior is spontaneous and usually hedonistic.  People who are impulsive generally are aroused by the tense build up to an impulsive act and then feel gratification and pleasure once it is completed.  People who have problems with impulsive behavior often ignore larger delayed rewards in favor of small immediate rewards and usually act quickly without planning or thought to anything beyond the immediate reward.  For example, an alcohol addict may continue to drink with friends late into the night without regard to what he or she is obligated to do or responsible for during the following day.

 

Port St. Lucie drug rehabs see both impulsive and compulsive behavior exhibited in patients every day.  The increase in the impulsivity and compulsivity of patients at Port St. Lucie drug rehabs is due to the changes to the cortex made by drug addiction.  These changes reduce a patient’s ability to regulate behavior and ignore or override negative impulses.  These changes also make long term goals more difficult to achieve in the face of short term behavior and immediate gratification.

 

For patients who have been with addiction for a long time, there may still be hope.  It is possible to learn tools and skills that can help a patient compensate for the lack of behavioral control.  Skills that can be learned include mindfulness strategies and better physical and emotional care.  These and more are very effective at treating destructive behavior.

 

Call 1-800-411-9200 now to get more information about affordable Port St. Lucie’s drug rehab and about treating the disease that is addiction.

Formal Substance Abuse Treatment is Completed: Now What?

Substance abuse treatment programs do not last forever.  Once a treatment program has been completed, you will have to be able to find your footing in the regular world again.  There are some things that you can do to make that transition a little less stressful and a little easier on yourself.

 

—Make and Keep Follow-up Appointments

Once you have completed a substance abuse program, you may want to make appointments to reinforce the skills you learned during your programs and keep your training fresh in your mind.  You are likely to be encountering situations for which you prepared during your treatment, but some things are always going to be different from the model.  During these appointments, you and your counselor can deal with some of the relapse triggers you have encountered, strengthen your skills, and set goals for your future.

 

—Keep on Top of Relapse Signals

Addiction is a chronic illness.  According to recent studies, forty to sixty percent of people who have suffered from addiction will relapse at least once.  This does not mean that addiction treatment is not effective, but it does mean that people who have had addictions must be cognizant of possible triggers.  During treatment, you likely discussed triggers and how to deal with them with your therapist.  Keeping these tools in mind all the time will help keep relapses to a minimum.  Letting friends and family know what relapse looks like, how it generally starts, and what to do about it can be helpful also.  Your friends and family may be able to step in if you need help that you cannot find for yourself.

 

—Find Some Friends Who Are Also Clean and Sober

It is possible that many of the friends you had before you went into a substance abuse treatment program were also drug or alcohol abusers.  When your friendships are built around drug and alcohol use, you are likely going to find it hard to continue hanging out with the same people you did before.  Having clean and sober friends is important because they are more likely to encourage activities and gatherings that do not center around substance use.  It is possible that temptation levels will decrease if you have friends who are clean and sober like you are.

 

Learn more about substance abuse treatment and making a plan for after treatment is completed by calling now.

 

Parents Can Help Students Feel Connected At School and Stay Away From Drugs

Children and teens spend a significant amount of time in school.  It is not surprising that school culture has a great effect on how these teens respond to their world and whether or not they eventually need help from substance abuse programs.  Studies have been conducted to show that teens who feel connected to school are less likely to have problems with drug and alcohol abuse, to smoke cigarettes, to engage in sexual activity at a young age, and are more likely to graduate from high school.

There are ways that parents can help teens feel connected in school and increase the likelihood that teens will keep out of substance abuse programs.

 

• Be involved in school activities and all of the happenings with the school community.  Read all of the information that teens bring home from school.  Know the rules and expectations that the school has set up for teens.
• Talk with the teens teachers.  If the teen is struggling, teachers and parents can make a plan to help.  If the teen is not struggling, checking in with the teacher can tell the teen that the parent is involved and cares about what is going on.
• The teen should be encouraged to talk to parents, teachers, or any other trusted adult about problems or challenges faced at school. Talking to adults should not be limited to just academics.  Teens should be encouraged to talk about friends, relationships, and anything else that could be a challenge.
• When parents volunteer their time to help out with any of the teen’s favorite activities, this shows that parents want to know what teens are involved in.
• Get involved in the PTA.  Parents and teachers who work together can get more done than one or two people trying to work alone.
• And teens should be encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities at school.  Parents should get involved in these activities if they can.

 

Making sure that teens are living up to expectations and up to date on their work is the best way to assure that they are staying connected.  If parents are informed and involved then teens are more likely to be informed and involved.

 

To find out more about substance abuse programs and get support for you or your loved one, call 1-800-411-9200 now.

Solutions For Substance Abuse

Understanding the Most Common Drugs of Addiction

 While there are a number of commonly used solutions for drug abuse, the key to finding a successful solution for drug abuse is really understanding the drug in question.  Each drug has a different effect on the body and causes different kinds of symptoms.  There are some commonly used drugs to which people become addicted more often than others.

 Cocaine

Cocaine is a very powerful and very addictive stimulant.  Its main effect is that it makes the user feel euphoric.  This rush of feeling generally lasts 30 to 45 minutes.  Because of the longevity of the high, users turn from casual users to addicts very quickly.  Cocaine can be snorted or turned into a rock and smoked.  Since cocaine is known to speed up the heart rate and tighten the blood vessels, the effects on the heart are the main reason for deaths from cocaine use.

 

Methamphetamine

Meth is a white powder that can be snorted, smoked, or injected.  Meth, like cocaine, is a powerful stimulant.  Also like cocaine, meth speeds up the heart rate.  It can also cause hyperthermia which is an extremely high body temperature.  Since this drug is very acidic, it wears down the teeth over time.  Long time users can experience hallucinations, insomnia, anxiety, and other kinds of psychotic episodes.

 

Alcohol

While the consumption of alcohol in moderation is sometimes considered a health benefit, constant, heavy drinking can lead to severe health problems.  Alcoholism is generally accompanied by a variety of other physical and mental illnesses.  Long term heavy drinking can cause liver disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, nerve damage, and pancreatitis.

 

Heroin

Heroin is a very powerful opiate that is allegedly one of the most dangerous in the world.  Heroin,like cocaine has a short-lived high which causes users to seek it out more and more often.  The health risks associated with heroin use include a variety of infections, kidney disease, cardiovascular issues, and a very high risk of overdose.  Since users very often do not know how potent the batch of heroin they care consuming is, they can take too much causing overdose and death.

 

By understanding the effects of these drugs, researchers can keep working on and finding some more effective solutions for drug abuse.

 To find solutions for substance  abuse and get support and advice about your drug addiction, call 1-800-411-9200 now.

 

Fighting Alcoholism with Nutrition and Exercise

Highly Effective Alcoholic Help in Port St Lucie.

 

Getting an alcoholic help can be life altering for you and for your loved one.  Both you and your loved one have been suffering.  By committing to a treatment program, you are both making the choice to imagine that your lives can be better.  When looking for a rehab program, you may want to think about programs that offers alternatives to the traditional therapy and medication based aspects of treatment.  In recent years, studies have concluded that teaching rehab patients about nutrition and exercise can increase the patient’s chances of staying sober permanently.

 

Nutrition

Recovering alcoholics will need to be trained in how to choose the right foods to meet their own dietary needs.  Long term alcoholics often suffer from gastro intestinal disorders, heart failure, osteoporosis, brain damage, and an increased risk of cancer.  All of these are made worse by poor nutrition.

 

In the treatment center, nutrition is not something patients have to think about.  Meals are created with the health and wellness of the patients in mind which means they are filled with all of the essentials that patients need during recovery.  However, after the program ends and patients return home, they need to be able to make the right food choices.  Learning to eat the right foods may help heal or ease the symptoms of some of the illnesses experiences by recovering alcoholics.

 

Exercise

Since regular exercise releases endorphins, it can help the body fight off depression, fatigue, and insomnia.  All of these are regular parts of early alcohol recovery.  Patients are taught to use exercise as a therapeutic aid.  Exercise is the best way to reduce stress in patients who will spend much of their time in rehab sitting and talking.  By learning exercise regimens or systems such as yoga or Tai Chi that incorporate a series of movements and breathing, patients are actually learning how to reduce their stress levels and maintain sobriety.

 

Another useful yet less strenuous form of exercise is meditation.  While meditation is not really an exercise in the strictest sense of the word, it is an exercise for the mind.  BY quieting the mind and observing the thoughts rather than directing them, patients learn to stop before they act.  They learn to be calm rather than rash.  They learn to have greater insight and self-awareness.

 

Call 1-800-411-9200 now get an alcoholic help and 24-hour support.

Visit Aroadtorecoveryrehab for more details.

4 Essentials to Pack for Going to Rehab

There are likely to be three types of items you will think about packing for going to rehab – things you think you will need, things you want to have, and things you don’t want to have at all.  However, there may be a better way to think about it.  In packing for a Port St. Lucie rehab, you may need to consider instead things you are going to need, things that will make you comfortable, and things that you are not permitted to bring.  It is mostly the overlap in the things you are going to need and the things that will make you comfortable that will be the best things to pack.

 

Socks and Underwear

They are the easiest things to forget and the first things you will miss if you don’t have them.  These are also the first items that are going to make you comfortable.  There is little worse in an already uncomfortable situation than wearing unfamiliar underwear.

 

Shoes

Bring something comfortable with a closed toe like Crocs or moccasins, and then bring flip flops.  There are likely times when you will want to have the option for either one or the other.  Florida is hot.  You will want flip flops or sandals for outside, but for inside, something closed toe might be better for you.

 

Books

There are going to be times when you need something to do.  Books are the easiest option for curing boredom as you can go anywhere and read a book.  Take books that are light and easy to read.  You may be tempted to take uplifting stories about people who have had success in rehabilitation and recovery, but something that does not require you to do a lot of thinking and a lot of soul searching might be best as you will be doing a lot of both of those things in other areas of your treatment.

 

Workout Clothes

Going into a Port St. Lucie rehab, you may feel like exercising is the last thing you want to do.  But in a week when you’ve have time to adjust, it may be the only thing you want to do.  Plan for all contingencies and be ready for quickly changing feelings.

 

Having a few things around you that remind you why you are there such pictures of family and friends can be a big help as well.  Call 1-800-411-9200 now to learn more about Port St. Lucie rehab center.  

 

Prevention is Just as Important as a Cure: Availability Causes Drug Abuse

One of the causes of drug abuse is often simple access.  The temptation of available drugs or alcohol is just too much for some people.  Particularly with prescription medication, easy access is a factor in the rising amount of abuse cases.  Preventing access to drugs is the first step in the fight against drug addiction.

 

If your home has frequent visitors or children with friends who come over to your house, you may want to think about cleaning out your medicine cabinet or locking it up.  You may want to think about getting rid of drugs that potentially have a high resale value.  An open medicine cabinet with lots of options is in invitation for anyone who comes into your home to take what they would like to try and experiment with it. 

 

Keeping potentially dangerous medications under lock and key is really the best option for keeping people who don’t need these medications away from them.  Counting pills is another way of catching medication dabbling before it gets too far. 

 

Another easy prevention technique is monitoring the use of drugs within your home.  If someone who lives in your house has a condition that requires drug use, take note of how often the prescription needs to be filled.  Notice if this loved one is adjusting his or her dosages without consulting a doctor.  Are they seeing doctors who don’t know about each other and may be prescribing conflicting medications?  Discussing these potential issues with the loved one in questions can help steer him or her toward treatment if it has reached that point, or toward consulting a doctor.

 

Sometimes you will end up with excess medications that you have no use for or have expired.  It is not recommended that you throw these medications away without adhering to the standards put forth by the US Food and Drug Administration.  The US Food and Drug Administration suggests that whole pills be mixed with coffee grounds or kitty litter, the mixture is securely sealed into a small plastic bag, and then the plastic bag can be thrown away with regular household garbage.  The FDA also recommends that labels be removed from pill bottles and shredded while bottles can be recycled.

 

Call 1-800-411-9200 now for help and support in exploring the treatments and causes of drug abuse.