Heroin Addiction and Treatment

Heroin is a highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is typically sold as a white or brownish powder, or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as “black tar heroin.” Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most street heroin is “cut” with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch or powdered milk.

Heroin can be injected, smoked, or sniffed/snorted. High purity heroin is usually snorted or smoked. Heroin abusers report feeling a surge of euphoria or "rush," followed by a twilight state of sleep and wakefulness.

One of the most significant effects of heroin use is addiction. Because it enters the brain so rapidly, heroin is both psychologically and physically addictive. With regular heroin use, tolerance to the drug develops. Once this happens, the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity. As higher doses of heroin are used over time, physical dependence and addiction to the drug develop. Physical symptoms of heroin use include drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils, nausea, a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Because heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at a high risk of overdose or death. The effects of a heroin overdose are slow and shallow breathing, blue lips and fingernails, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possible death.

Prevent a tragic outcome. Don't let your loved one become a statistic.
Cove Center for Recovery is a premier addiction treatment center offering addiction help and drug rehab in a private and relaxed environment. While drug rehabilitation is our most common service, we also provide solutions to any kind of addiction or loss of self worth. Our approach to curing addiction helps our clients improve the quality of their life. Different levels of assistance are offered, depending on what our clients would like to achieve. We provide intensive outpatient treatment with or without structured residential living as well as Partial Hospitalization/Full day Treatment with Structured Residential Living.

Our addiction treatment - drug rehabilitation also includes assistance with post-drug conditions including anxiety, depression, panic and stress related conditions. Our experience has led us to believe it is just as important to correct the imbalances in life caused by recreational drug use or other addictive behaviors. So we adopt a mind, body and spirit approach to rehab treatment, so our clients are more likely to leave with a sense of purpose and positive outlook on their future after addiction.

We understand the feelings our clients have and we help them realize that there is definitely life and opportunities after addiction.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Faces of drug addiction

Drug addiction in America has many faces. An addict could be a star athlete making millions a year and spending thousands in one sitting on his recreational drug use. An addict on the other hand, could be a mother of small children living in the suburbs, suffering from chronic pain and in need of prescription drug. 

Both of these two diverse people could be abusing the prescription drug, one by abusing it and the second by using it. Both have a problem and both need to address their drug dependency issue. Both can drive under the influence and be a danger to themselves and to others.  As unlikely that it might seem on the surface, both could get involved and statistically speaking, are getting involved with illegal activities and suffer its consequences.

According to Law enforcement officers and social workers at our jails, the majority of the crime in the last few years is directly related to opiate use and abuse.

The illicit drug use has increased the number of violent crimes, drug-related traffic accidents and not mentioning the overdoses and drug related deaths.

Another segment of drug addicts are the teens as young as 14 years old. By some accounts some of these teens find their drug of choice by the age of 16. These are the kids that mostly obtain their drugs from their parent’s or their friend’s parent’s medicine cabinets.

This last group of prescription medication drug addicts, are more prone to violent crime than the two previous groups, the ones who need the drug but over dose and the one who uses the prescription drug recreationally.

Locking up medicine cabinets and properly disposing of unused prescription drugs can help the teen group of abusers, but for the most part, all other prevention and intervention programs should be directed to all these groups of drug users.

There are various places that people suffering from addiction can find help. Places like Al-Anon meetings for family and friends, AA (Alcoholic Anonymous) and NA (Narcotic Anonymous) meetings for users.

There also effective drug addiction treatment programs for inpatients and outpatients at various private rehabilitation facilities which deal with mental and social side of drug addiction. Some of these facilities specialize in treating addictions with dual diagnosis.

If you have come across this article is because you or someone you love is in need of help for an prescription drug abuse. Cove Center for Recovery is an Addiction Treatment Center offering a premier prescription drug abuse treatment program that can help you or your loved one. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to their prescription drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Prescription pain medication addiction epidemic

Prescription pain medications, such as Vicodin (hydrocodone), Percocet (oxycodone), OxyContin, methadone, morphine and Dilaudid,  are similar in nature to hard core street drug, heroin. All these drugs fall into the category of opiates.

Prescription drug abuse has become increasingly more serious in all parts of the US. School kids are using prescription drugs at an alarming rate and contrary to the popular belief these kids are from seemingly well off families with stable family environment.

Urban drug abuse is baffling police and school authorities alike. The complication in confronting prescription drug abuse is due to the fact that, for the most part, these drugs exist in regular households with legitimate need. It is hard to demonize something that is legal and moral to obtain.

It is equally difficult to ban the usage of a substance when there are legitimate and proven benefits in its usage. Further complicating the issue is that not all addicted to these opiates are kids or people who are using them recreationally.

Some addictions to prescription drugs may have started by those in need of pain medication through simple increase of dosage or increase in frequency of usage. The approach to these types of addicts should be addressed differently than the 14 or 15 year old high school kid abusing Vicodine to get high with his or her friends.

Having said all that, just because there are good reasons for the existence of a product, the misuse or abuse of that product should not be justified, ignored or its dangers underestimated. Prescription drug abuse is not a new phenomenon; it has existed for years and has been getting worse every year. Whatever the government, media or parents have been doing so far does not seem to be working. It is time to retool and re-plan this battle against drug abuse in general, and prescription drug abuse specifically.

The cost of addiction to prescription drugs is affecting all of us. We pay through our taxes and pay socially for every drug addict in our society.  It is estimated that in Somerset County, Maine, prescription drugs are the primary drugs of choice and 43.2 percent of the population known to be addicted to some sort of substance.

The health care cost alone, for people seeking treatment in Maine is $22.3 million per year. Last year alone, the legal costs, costs of Department of Health and Human Services workers plus the cost of treatment for addiction for state of Maine was $898.4 million. This was what only the state of Maine spent on drug addiction last year. That is $682 per every resident of Maine. One can only imagine the high cost of drug addiction for the other states and for the US in total.

Cost alone, especially in these tough economic times, could be the primary force behind a comprehensive and sustained drug treatment policy. On the private side, there are many effective drug addiction treatment centers. These rehab facilities as they are called, cumulatively, play a positive role in solving this national problem.

We should start effective drug addiction prevention and result oriented treatment that is available to every addict seeking to clean up his or her life and start a productive life.

Nine years ago things were different. Prescription Drug was not the major reason for  a drug addict to check in to a rehab facility. Nowadays most  treatment centers across the country have added this new specialty to their treatment programs. There are special programs in place in many good drug rehab facilities dealing specifically with prescription drug abuse. Two such facilities are Inspirations for Youth  and Families, a teen rehab center, catering to 12 to 18 year old and Cove Center for Recovery, an adult rehab center for individuals 18 year old and up.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Fake Pot - K2 Will Be Finally Banned in US for a Year

On November 24, 2010, Drug Enforcement Administration officials, finally imposed a nationwide ban to the "legal weed", K2, due to the alarming rise in reported abuse. Also known as Spice the herbal blend has been sold in small, silvery plastic bags of dried leaves and marketed as incense that can be smoked. Easy available at convenience stores and specialty shops K2 mimics the effects of marijuana and has gained alarming popularity for such copycat abilities.

The ban is to take effect in the next 30 days or so and it will make illegal for at least a year to sell or possess products containing the five chemicals found in K2. Some 15 states already have banned some or all "legal high" products. When the waiting period expires, sale or possession of the substances will be a federal crime.

"Legal high" products claim to be mixtures of herbs that can be smoked for a psychedelic effect. But the herbs listed on the package label often are missing from the actual product. Instead, the product contains a leafy mixture that is spiked with a designer drug -- usually one of the five drugs listed by the DEA. The same product often is spiked with different doses of different drugs, making it impossible for users to know what they are taking.

Unlike cannabis, which has been used by humans for millennia, the new synthetic marijuana have never been tested in humans.
Street Names: Bliss, Black Mamba, Bombay Blue, Fake Weed, Genie, Nice, Guy, Oasis, Spice, Zohai

Ingredients: Beach Bean, White and Blue Water Lily, Rosehip, Blue Lotus

Mean Chemical Ingredient: JWH-018

Methods of AbuseK2 products are usually smoked in joints or pipes, but some users make it into a tea.

Effect on the MindPsychological effects are similar to those of marijuana and include paranoia, panic attacks, and giddiness.

Effect on the BodyPhysiological effects of K2 include increased heart rate and increase of blood pressure. It appears to be stored in the body for long periods of time, and therefore the long-term effects on humans are not fully known.

K2  has become a highly problematic substance among young adults.

If you or someone you know is in need of addiction treatment and or counseling, reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

What is the Difference Between Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one’s health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work
According to National Surveys Manifestations of alcohol abuse include the following:- Failure to fulfill major responsibilities at work, school, or home
- Legal problems related to alcohol, such as being arrested for drinking while driving or for physically hurting someone while drunk
- Drinking in dangerous situations, such as drinking while driving or operating machinery
- Long-term alcohol abuse can turn into alcohol dependence
- Continued drinking despite ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by drinking

Dependency on alcohol, also known as alcohol addiction and alcoholism, is a chronic disease. The signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence include:
- A strong craving for alcohol
- Continued use despite repeated physical, psychological, or interpersonal problems
- The inability to limit drinking

At Cove Center for Recovery, we approach alcoholism or alcohol dependency as a medical condition and our addiction treatment programs focuses on remission through abstinence. The extended care addiction treatment program at Cove Center for Recovery is intended as an extension of a primary treatment program or detoxification process.

We will assist the client in identifying and addressing the underlying neurological, psychological and spiritual factors that cause and maintain alcoholism. Our overarching objective at Cove Center for Recovery, Addiction Treatment Center, is to enable our clients to embark on a journey of self-sustainable recovery in order to minimize or prevent the occurrence of relapse.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Self Injury, SI Behaviors, Cutting Behavior Problems and Treatment

Self-harm is a problem that many people are embarrassed or ashamed to discuss. Often, individuals try to hide their self-harm behaviors and are very reluctant to seek needed psychological or even medical treatment.

Psychological Treatments for Cutting BehaviorsBecause self-harm is often associated with other psychological problems, it tends to be treated under the umbrella of a co-occurring disorder like PTSD, substance abuse, or borderline personality disorder. There is evidence, however, suggesting more improvement when the self-harming behavior is the primary focus of treatment. A randomized controlled trial looked at the effects of adding a short cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention focused on self-harm to treatment as usual in a sample of self-harmers. Treatment as usual included medications or psychotherapy not specific to self-harm. The group that received the self-harm CBT showed a significant reduction in self-harming behaviors, as compared to the group receiving only treatment as usual.

Pharmacological Treatments for Cutting BehaviorsIt is possible that psychopharmacological treatments would be helpful in reducing self-harm behaviors, but this has not yet been rigorously studied. As yet, there is no consensus regarding whether or not psychiatric medications should be used in relation to self-harm behaviors. This is a complicated issue to study because self-harm can occur in many different populations and co-occur with many different kinds.

Most people with deep emotional pain or distress need to work with a counselor or mental health professional to sort through strong feelings, heal past hurts, and to learn better ways to cope with life's stresses. Although cutting can be a difficult pattern to break, it is possible. Getting professional help to overcome the problem doesn't mean that a person is weak or crazy.

Getting Help NowThere are better ways to deal with troubles than cutting — healthier, long-lasting ways that don't leave a person with emotional and physical scars. The first step is to get help with the troubles that led to the cutting behavior in the first place.

Inspirations for Youth and Families and Cove Center for Recovery's therapists and counselors are trained to help people discover inner strengths that help individuals heal. These inner strengths can then be used to cope with life's other problems in a healthy way.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/
http://www.cuttingandselfharm.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/



How Do Drugs Work in the Brain?

Drugs tap into the brain's communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information.

Drugs work in the brain by:
Imitating natural neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain). Because of the similarity in chemical structure between drugs and neurotransmitters naturally produced by the brain, some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, are able to "fool" the brain's receptors and activate nerve cells to send abnormal messages via the network.

Overstimulating the reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. And nearly all drugs of abuse, directly or indirectly, activate this system. Some drugs, particularly stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine, cause nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent their normal recycling, which is needed to shut off the signal between neurons.

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug abuse or addiction and is in need of help, Cove Center for Recovery - Addiction Treatment Center offers a flexible and affordable addiction treatment program. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to you drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each addiction treatment program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Meth: Spreading Addiction

When most people think of a meth addict, they picture the stereotypical meth user. A strung out, unhealthy, thin, unstable, low income person, possibly with a criminal record. However, the drug, meth, is spreading and people contradictory to the stereotypical user are becoming addicted. This new trend has been brought to the attention of police officials. Police see this up rising trend in cases like, a fifty year old mother of two arrested for cooking meth. She did not look malnourished, strung out, or straggly. 

The increase of examples like the one above is creating a large concern for law enforcement. They believe that from the increase of unusual meth users, shows that meth addiction, use, and production is crossing social and economic lines. The prediction is that the trend will heavily impact urban areas, specifically the African-American community.  One of the beliefs of the change in trend from rural white demographic to urban communities is because originally meth was in rural areas to hide the smell that is created when meth is cooked. Now though, law enforcement is finding, meth labs in upscale homes and a shake version of meth which can be made in SUVs. This shake and bake method of producing meth is even more dangerous than producing the drug in a meth lab. The ingredients are highly flammable.

Meth is crystal methamphetamine which is a strong addictive illegal substance. On the street it is also known as meth, glass, crank, speed, tweak, and yaba. The side effects of meth abuse consist of irreversible brain damage, addiction, overdose, death, severe weight loss, rotten teeth, blackened gums, skin and muscle damage, anxiety, aggression, paranoia, and irritability.

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug abuse or addiction and is in need of help, Cove Center for Recovery - Addiction Treatment Center offers a flexible and affordable addiction treatment program. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to you drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each addiction treatment program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237 http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Drug Use is Spreading Out of Control

The popular trend of recreational drug use has been on the rise for years now. Drug addiction has naturally risen in conjunction with the rising trend. Some people believe that substance abuse is such a problem, that now addicts will stop at nothing to get their fix. Analysts report that when something or someone tries to intervene with a person who’s addicted to a substance from obtaining that substance; the users are likely to lash out, becoming enraged with anger and aggression.  This leads to prohibitionists fighting for the ban on drugs.
Prohibitionist report that they want sobriety. That they stand for the ban against drug and substance abuse in order to reduce danger with in their communities. The support that by banning illegal drugs will reduce this danger and save lives. However opponents to the prohibitionists argue that if the true goal of these prohibitionists were to reduce this danger they speak of and save lives, why not focus on the two deadliest substances in the world; alcohol and tobacco. Instead the prohibitionists focus their efforts on trying to ban mepehedrone, and prescription drugs.  Alcohol is responsible for 40,000 deaths a year and tobacco is responsible for which kills 80,000 people a year.  There are even more deaths from people consuming peanuts than dying from mepehedrone. The cause of the prohibitionist would be more credible if their efforts were redirected. However, the two opponents disagree, they do agree that drug addiction and substance abuse is becoming out of control. Just criminalizing the drugs are not enough.

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug abuse, prescription drug abuse or addiction and is in need of help, Cove Center for Recovery - Addiction Treatment Center offers a flexible and affordable addiction treatment program. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to you drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each addiction treatment program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Alarming Increase in Prescription Pain Medication Abuse

According to figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration there has been a 400 percent increase in prescription painkiller abuse treatment in 10 years. The admissions for treatment for prescription drugs abuse such as Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and morphine cut across age, education, employment, race, and geography. 9.8  percent of the hospital admissions for substance abuse in 2008 involved painkillers which showed an increase of 2.2 percent from 1998.This increase was much higher than the increase in treatment admission rates for methamphetamine (doubled), and increase in marijuana abuse rate (half).The hospital admission rate due to prescription drug abuse was specially high for people aged 18 to 24 (13.7 percent of all admissions) in 2008, compared with 1.5 percent in 1998.

SAMHSA's Peter Delany, who oversaw production of the report calls this “a true public health problem". He said "Those are our employed people, making big decisions about life — Am I going to get married? What am I going to do for a living? What's my next job?"

SAMHSA also reports that more than 6 million Americans admitted to abusing prescription drugs in the month before they were surveyed, while 15.2 million said they used marijuana in the same time frame.

According to Thomas McLellan, deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy said painkiller prescriptions increased between 700 to 1,000 percent over the 10 years. McLellan believes the reason is simply due to the increased availability. Fifty-six percent of the patients got their drugs from a friend or relative for free, and about 9 percent purchased them from an acquaintance.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy called the spikes in prescription drug abuse rates “dramatic, pervasive, and deeply disturbing”

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug abuse or addiction and is in need of help, Cove Center for Recovery - Addiction Treatment Center offers a flexible and affordable addiction treatment program. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to you drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each addiction treatment program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/