Drug and Alcohol Rehabs Blog

Prescriptions Result in Greater Need for Rehabilitation

July 16, 2009 on 8:54 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

Celebrity deaths attributed to prescriptions are just one indication of how our current social climate is infested with these drugs.  All you have to do is turn on the television or open a popular magazine and you will find plenty of advertisements for one drug or another promising a better life.

Do these prescriptions really make life better though?

The evidence of our decaying social fabric can be traced back to various prescription drugs and there harmful effects, withdrawal symptoms and other side effects.  Many of the most popular drugs have a very high potential for abuse and dependency, yet they’re given out almost like candy and are easily obtained.

The most commonly abused prescription drugs include painkillers such as methadone, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Lortab, Percocet, and many others.  These opiate narcotics can be similar to heroin. In both 2006 and 2007, an estimated 5.2 million people in America aged 12 or older were current non-medical users of prescription pain relievers, while the total number of current heroin users fell to about 153,000, showing how much of an impact these deadly prescriptions have had on the country and how many require addiction treatment.

Another category is prescription stimulants.  These are drugs like Ritalin, Adderall and Dexedrine.  Chemically similar to amphetamine and methamphetamine, resptively, they have a very high abuse potential, yet millions of children and adults are prescribed these drugs every year. In 2007, the estimated number of past month non-medical users of stimulants aged 12 or older, 1.1 million, but this does not include the millions more who were prescribed these drugs but are now dependent upon them.

Benzodiazepines (benzos) such as Xanax, Valium and Klonopin have also become very highly abused and they also have extremely dangerous withdrawal effects.

These drugs are also not just being consumed by young people at parties or from their parents’ medicine cabinet.  They are being sold on the street, over the internet and without adequate prescription drug monitoring programs they are being given out by unsuspecting doctors and pharmacists across the country.  They are also being used by young and old alike.  In fact, the number of drug users aged 50-59 have nearly doubled in the last five years.

In addition, there are many dangerous side effects from drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.  The increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior is now well documented and warnings have been issued, but the money from all of these prescriptions (thanks to the biggest lobbying effort in the country) fuels a massive drug-making machine to the tunes of billions of dollars.  The marketing campaigns have convinced doctors and patients alike that prescriptions are largely okay, when there are much more effective ways of dealing with physical and mental difficulties in life that are nutritionally-based.

Another area that shows some of the most insidious betrayal is in the field of drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment.  These prescriptions have found their way into supposed rehab facilities, giving more drugs to already addicted individuals as a form of treatment, yet their very nature means they’re just switching chemical dependencies.  A long-term rehab program is going to be more successful if it is drug-free.

For people caught in the trap of prescription drug addiction and other substance abuse, there is help available.  There area rehabilitation programs that actually work and are drug-free.  Call 1-877-421-9659 today.

Changing the Think on Drug Rehabs

July 8, 2009 on 2:30 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

Over the last half century, since alcoholism and other drug addiction was labeled as a disease by the American Medical Association (AMA), treatment success rates have continued to decrease.  The reason for this is because these doctors are literally brainwashed by pharmaceutical companies and sales representatives into thinking that giving drugs to people is going to solve their problems, when common sense would clearly indicate that giving more drugs to addicts is insanity and not treatment.

We have helped many thousands of people over the years find quality drug and alcohol rehab programs, and the ones that continue to produce the best results for permanent recovery are those that do not put people on drugs.  Unfortunately, these are actually harder and harder to find because of the infiltration of “medicalized” and “dual diagnosis treatment” approaches.

Our society needs to change its think on drug rehabs.  People should demand that our tax dollars only go to support programs that can demonstrate success.  Addicts and family members should be able to expect that the outcome of treatment will be sobriety, not a continuation of treatment for a lifetime.

There are programs that work, and we can help you find them.  We recommend long-term drug rehabs that don’t use replacement drugs and expect permanent recovery.  Contact us today for more information or to get help for yourself or a loved one in need. 1-877-421-9659.