Many inpatient drug rehab counselors are concerned with the swing in treatment admissions and the overall outlook on drugs and the danger contained therein. Prescription drug addiction is reaching epidemic proportions and more people are entering inpatient drug rehabilitation clinics for marijuana addiction than ever before.
Alcohol continues be the number substance abuse problem on average nationwide with 465,573 people entering alcohol treatment in 2009 according the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This accounted for 23.4% of overall treatment admissions that year. Marijuana addiction and treatment admissions is rapidly gaining ground in many states however.
Missouri inpatient drug rehab and addiction treatment programs starting seeing a shift ten years ago. Current trends indicate more people are smoking weed than drinking alcohol along with increased prescription addiction treatment occurring. 10,474 addicts entered a drug rehab in Missouri in 2000 and that number jumped to over 12,000 in 2010. 10,600 people entered alcohol treatment centers in 2010 while 11,927 sought alcohol treatment in the year 2000.
Prescription drug addiction also saw in increase across the board for inpatient addiction treatment programs. NSDUH's 2009 reports a shocking 141,380 prescription drug addicts entered inpatient drug rehab programs in 2009 which up 400% from 28,448 in 2000.
Inpatient drug rehab centers across the country are experiencing an increase in prescription drug addiction like never before. Its almost like the pharmaceutical industry and medical field saw an oppurtunity to shift drug abuse trends towards stuffing money into their pockets. Thousands of addicts started flocking into inpatient drug rehabilitation clinics across the country, many of which had sought help in an outpatient drug rehab only to be prescribed even more addictive drugs like methadone and suboxone.
Pain management clinics started popping up all over south Florida and now other states. Millions of people started abusing these meds and now not only are the drugmakers and medical community spitting out pills like there is no tomorrow, drug traffikcers and dealers are in on the gig as well. Online pharmacies to boot. States like Kentucky and areas in east Tennessee are now seeing a rise in the number of "pain management" clinics being developed.
Law makers and enforcement officials are just a few steps behind in Florida having just recently passed laws that basically shuts down these pain clinics and associated pharmacies. This has had a tremendous effect on dealers and addicts in other states across the country. For example, the street market value opiate painkillers ranges from $30-$80 and pharmacy robberies are up over 80% across the board.
Heroin dealers are taking total advantage of this with Mexican drug cartles upping heroin production over 340% since 2004 and selling black tar heroin for $10 a bag. As access to the clinics in south Florida is shut down, Tennessee inpatient drug rehabs are expecting an influx of heroin addicts seeking treatment.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug cultivated from the opium poppy flower and usually comes into the U.S. from either Asia or Mexico. Pain pills are also opiate derivitives making the transition attractive to prescription drug addicts.
Many people cannot begin to fathom the long term toxic effects of drugs and it greatly contributes to the downward spiral of addiction. There is a sequence of events involved, if traced back would bring to light how this works and help people understand why long term drug rehabs work when others fail.
Substance abuse triggers chemical reactions in the body that temporarily provide the desired feeling.These reactions while seemingly positive at the time have adverse reactions that created the need to consume more of the same drug or addictional substances to enhance the feeling. The chemical reactions I am speaking of all take place in the brain, (we will take up other organs of the body later) and take several months to subside. This is why inpatient drug rehab programs have better success rates with addiction treatment.
For example, a couple of drinks of alcohol will release the neurotransmitters in the brain, primarily serotonin, dopamine and endorphines that cause the person to then feel good. As these naturally produced chemicals are released the body has to absorb the toxins and burns up much needed vitamins and minerals that are used for normal bodily function and to produce more neurotransmitters.
This is why when consistent substance abuse occurs more and more drugs or alcohol is needed to produce the same effect. This burns up more and more of the feul needed to feel and think normally and altars overall behavior. This also contributes to depression and anxiety. Many inpatient addiction treatment programs seek to handle these mental emotional issues with more drugs which causes more problems.
Bio-physical drug rehabs have much higher chance of success because they use a natural approach to letting the body heal, restoring self esteem and confidence which allows a stronger foundation to stand from when handling and addiction problem.
There are many methods and theories surrounding drug and alcohol addiction treatment in an
inpatient drug rehabilitation program. In talking to families many loved one's feel that "just getting them into a facility" will somehow magically solve years of substance abuse and emotional problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. More often than not addicts can actually end up in worse condition. Particularly if diagnosis and psychiatric meds are handed out without a complete, comprehensive and thorough physical examination.
Inpatient drug rehab centers that recognize drugs are toxins and have toxic or poisonous effects on the body that can take months to wear off. The toxic effects of drugs cause nutritional deficiencies and offset the normal bodily functions that assist on rational thinking and being emotionally stable. Many inpatient rehab programs diagnose the emotional state of addict immediately upon entering the facility. This is often done with a questionable only, no blood work or physical examination outside of taking normal vital readings. This is a huge disservice to the addict because it validates the person current emotional state and continued dependence on drugs, even though prescribed drugs.
Long term inpatient drug treatment programs work best that focus on restoring the physical health of the addict first, and then handle the mental emotional problems associated with addiction and life's issues work much better. This provides a much stronger foundation to work from and removes the dependence on chemicals.
Inpatient drug rehabilitation programs often fall very short of getting to the core issues surrounding addiction. Yes the person is in a controlled environment and away from drug using family or friends, but is there any real handlings of physical and mental issues while in most inpatient drug rehabs?
When a person experiments with alcohol or drugs or takes drugs at all, it is to solve some type of mental-emotional or physical problem. When the person feels better alcohol or drugs then have value and are looked on as the cure for the unwanted physical or mental pain.This relief is the reason the person continues to use drugs or alcohol, or both multiple times. Inpatient drug rehabilitation programs should address all the mental and physical issues while in treatment.
When an individual reaches this pinnacle point the abuse will get more intense the individual will realize the inherent dangers and take control. For those that continue the abuse and get lost in abyss of addiction, the drug use has value and then becomes a learned behavior. Being subjected to pro drug or alcohol abuse influences greatly diminishes any chance of curbing the addiction problem.
The greater the problem means greater relief felt which places greater value on the alcohol or drug abuse. Unraveling this takes time, and has to start from the ground up in an inpatient drug rehab center setting. Drug rehabs should consider the physical damage done and the emotional damage done during the rehab process.
There are biochemical influences caused by drug or alcohol toxins which set in motion a series of events internally that also influence how the person thinks and feels, which enhances the desire to continue the abuse. Inpatient drug rehab programs should work towards lessening the toxic influence of drugs with nutrional therapy. Some inpatient rehab programs have experienced improvement in psychological test scores with a strong nutritional program alone.
Improving the addicts overall feelings, both mentally and physically greatly decreases the desire to continue the abuse. Inpatient drug rehabilitation programs of three months or longer that encompass physical and mental healing along with learning how to live life again have much higher success rates.
