Addiction to substances can
affect anybody I know this first hand. I myself know family members and close
friends who have directly been affected by addiction to substances such as alcohol
or drugs. Many people suffer for years without seeking or looking for help,
often people are unaware they actually have a problem until it's too late.
Treatment options for addiction vary worldwide and there is a huge difference
in approach depending on where you go. The most common treatment with rehab clinics for addiction is a 12 step program which started out with the group
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Other branch offs of Alcoholics Anonymous include
narcotics anonymous (NA), cocaine anonymous (CA), sex addict’s anonymous (SLA),
crystal meth anonymous (CMA)… You get the picture.
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| Rehab - The answer to your problems? |
All the anonymous services listed
above and others not listed work on the 12 step program. This program is based
on total abstinence from the substance involved. The first step in all of these
programmes is admitting your powerlessness over the substance or action
involved, for many this first step is the biggest hurdle there will ever face
and many end up resorting back to it time and time again battling addiction and
being unable to continue life with total abstinence. One of the main issues of
a programme based on total abstinence is the stigma attached to relapse and the
essential loss of face in the community that you have built up during your
recovery. I myself know after being in Alcoholics Anonymous for a few years and
having various periods of sobriety that returning to a meeting after a relapse
is very difficult and often harder than actually the relapse itself. I'm not
bashing Alcoholics Anonymous or any of the above groups that just giving my
point of view on the system I believe fails many people. I know Alcoholics
Anonymous and the other groups have saved millions of lives. The reality is
when you look at the figures from Alcoholics Anonymous or the other groups the
success rate is normally described at best as around 4%.
Many other rehab clinic treatments are based around the holistic type therapies such as yoga, Reiki and
meditation. Success rates relating to treating addiction with holistic therapy
are very rarely monitored and if they are they are extremely difficult to
actually keep on top of. There is no organised group of holistic therapies that
can actually give reliable figures on the long-term recovery rates from
addiction using these different methods. Currently me and my business partner
are trying to measure success of these different approaches to addiction. Many
rehab clinics across the world are adopting holistic approaches to treatment
now.
Other methods to treat addiction
include substituting with new substances such as naltrexone. This is also
available in an injection form known as Voltron. Studies around this particular
substance have been interesting and misleading at times. Initial tests carried
out on naltrexone actually indicated that it was counter-productive substance.
From reading various information on naltrexone I've come to realise that the
initial studies carried out with naltrexone were carried out incorrectly and
the substance was issued to people who were in abstinence from alcohol or other
substances. The results in these particular patients were actually negative and
when using naltrexone without another substance they tended to be more likely
to relapse. A book I recently read actually discussed the mis-Administration of
naltrexone in this situation. Studies are going on in Scandinavia with a
certain Dr who is administering naltrexone in a new radical way. Instead of
issuing to people who have maintained abstinence naltrexone is being issued to
people in active addiction. Naltrexone should be taken before a drinking
session it is believed over a period of time using naltrexone will turn the
most problematic alcoholic into a safe social drinker. This particular story is
fascinating to alcoholics and addicts across the world and I have no doubt a
lot more information will be released on this subject when the study is
completed. Do not be fooled by this though all addiction is dangerous and
simply taking a “magic pill” to cure your problems is certainly not the answer.
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| Many farmers lock children in sheds like this to cure addiction. |
Another method of treating
addiction that is quite out there is using psychedelic substances such as
ayahuasca and ibogaine. These substances are both natural and highly potent
hallucinogenics. Much research is being done into both these substances at the
moment. There is however a huge backlash against any medicine that is not
produced by the pharmaceutical giants and as such these substances are illegal
in many areas of the world. Obviously very few rehab clinics exist that offer
this type of treatment and you usually have to travel to South America and find
a Shaman. I will not go into too much detail about these two and will save that
for a future blog. I have personally researched ayahuasca and will write about
that shortly.
So are rehab clinics the answer
to the problem? I guess that's for you to decide… I do know if you have a
problem with substance addiction and cannot stop on your own a Rehab Clinic is
probably your best option. When stuck in a cycle of addiction it can be
incredibly difficult to stop on your own. This is where the substance abuse
rehab clinic can really help you. Once you have broken the addictive pattern
with the help of rehab centre you can then get your life back on track and
decide which route you want to take.
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