My Take #8 What is the best way to begin to normalize the dysregulated brain function and allow the person to regain some behavioral control over the use of the addicting substances?My Take #8

The best way to provide a successful result is a residential treatment program. The program begins with a medical assessment before the detoxification begins. The purpose of the detoxification to remove the drugs that are acting on the mesolimbic dopamine system (MLS). Slowly there is fleeting control changes giving back the power to the fore brain (thus the decision make become more normal). 

 Many treatment options are available, and are individualized to fit your recovery needs.  Stopping active addiction is just the beginning.  Recovery is a process of healing the mind, body and spirit.  Our program covers a wide variety of therapeutic areas and techniques designed to get you back into living a happy, clean, and sober lifestyle. For instance gym workouts and groups at the beach in the sunshine allow the nature body chemicals to begin to help take back the brain. Time is the great restorer. Slowly the forebrain gains mental clarity and the loving descent law abiding person returns. This is the beginning stages of getting “CHOICE” back into the equation relating to substance abuse. We use multiple disciplines to help the individual complete the process of early recovery. The process is healing the mind, body and spirit.

Our Goal is to resolve the core psychological problems that trigger the use of the substances. Thus, we provide psychological counseling in one-on-one and group settings through the utilization of the latest advances in Addiction Medicine, individual and group counseling, immersion in 12-Step recovery principles, long term continuing care planning, patients find that full recovery is more than just a possibility.

We teach an understanding of how and why the midbrain Hi-jacks the person away from “the seat of all that we are” in the fore brain. Teach techniques to control the ‘Cravings” that every addicted person has when they are becoming clean and sober. Time and good recovery tools leads to a less intense craving

Ernie @ Hope By The Sea

My Take #5 What is A Dual Diagnosis /Co-occurring Disorder Program ?

Dual diagnosis program means that we view substance abuse may have underlying psychological issues.  People experiment with drugs or alcohol initially. Some are able to quit while others become addicted. 

For those people becoming addicts, when that invisible line is crossed into addiction, the using becomes driven by STRESS manifested as anxiety, depression and or other Psychological Disorders. A dual-diagnosis program  emphasizes the twelve-steps of recovery and equally treat the psychological disorders that are present,

These programs require much more highly skilled professionals.

Ernie in South Orange County Calif.

My Take-# 2 What Does It Mean to Detox

Detox means only to start the process of Rehab Detox is the process of removing the substance from the body This is more on the series of my journey As the Father of a Meth user--

How does detox (or detoxification) fit with drug treatment or alcohol treatment?  IT IS THE BEGINNING AND NOT THE END TO THE LIFE LONG PROBLEM OF ADDICTION. Clearing the Substance form the body is only the first step in taking care of the problem (the disease). Like any chronic disease, addiction (or alcoholism) is a progressing disease that will shorten ones life if untreated. Take, for instance, Diabetes,which I have. if I do not  bring my sugar levels back into the normal range I will die early of physical and mental complications. Diabetes is a lifelong battle and life style change. So is Addition, success is dependent on the individuals willingness to follow a protocol and change lift style.Since addiction is a brain disease, (and there is strong testing evidents that it is).why do we as a society NOT be willing to give time for the brain
to heal as we do when it is a stroke or when there is brain trauma.

Ernie in South OC in California

Drug Addiction: My Story Part 3

I left off with my last post about my first "black out" and alcohol poisoning.

I was 15 years old when this happened. High school for me is a real blur because I was so drunk and high all the time. We partied all the time and by the time I was 16 I had been arrested 2 times. Once for a lying to the police. Yes, I was a liar. Anyway, I was 15 driving my parent vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, got pulled over and told the cop I was my brother Stan. Not sure why the cop let me go but he did. My brother got the ticket in the mail, went to court, and said "I didn't get this ticket" the officer was there and said "this is not the guy". A few hours later the cop showed up at my door with hand cuffs and hauled me off to jail.

The second time I was 16, just got my license and yep, you guessed it, DUI. Hmmm, I am starting to think this kid has a problem.

I was one of those kids that could smile and say everything is OK and I will never do that again. Everyone believed me. I believed me.

And then when everything was going good, I would think. I can have just one.

But you see, I am an addict and for me one is too many and a thousand is never enough. and so the cycle would start again.

I want to jump ahead to my 18th birthday, the day I became a "MAN". I am a man now, I can make my own decisions. I didn't say good decisions, I said my own decisions.

The first "Man" decision I made was to check myself out of high school. Why not, wasn't close to graduating. The second was even better, I was going to quit alcohol, caused too many problems. I think you will like the third, this was my best yet, I would only smoke meth because I could stay awake and get more done. Yes, that was my third "Man" decision.

In my next blog I am going to take you deep into the mind of a meth addict. Where we go, what we do, and who we do it with. You will want to read the next post because this keeps getting better or not ...