Can you answer brittany ce’s question about Addiction?:

My brother’s been suffering from his alcohol addiction for quite some time now. He has only just admitted to himself that he has a problem with his alcohol consumption. He wants to get himself treated now and I really want to help, if only by finding a rehab for him. How will I do this?

Heroin Addiction Rehab

Ethyl glucuronide or EtG is a metabolite only produced when alcohol is in the bloodstream. It is identified as a marker in alcohol hair testing, through a patented analytical process that provides forensic evidence of the pattern of alcohol abuse - or absence of it.

EtG, alcohol testing (ethyl glucuronide) is a relatively new way to test someone for alcohol in their blood. The big deal behind EtG testing is being able to test for alcohol in a person’s blood, long after a person has consumed it. Because drugs are easier to detect longer after they have been consumed verses the rapid dissipation of alcohol consumption, EtG alcohol testing is an exciting advancement in alcohol testing.

EtG hair drug testing has been around for a little while, but EtG hair alcohol testing and EtG urine alcohol testing is fairly recent. So what is the difference between the two?

The more alcohol a person consumes the greater amount of EtG markers are present in the hair. EtG alcohol testing is unique compared to other alcohol tests in that it allows you to segment testing results into months instead of only days, if you were to test for urine alcohol testing. Only EtG alcohol testing in hair can prove month to month activity- with urine alcohol testing, evaporation, dilution and other factors are the concern for testers to accurately account for blood alcohol concentrations.

According to Alliance for Worldwide Alcohol Research and Education, 5-10% of ingested alcohol is excreted unchanged in urine, sweat, and expired air. The remainder is turned into carbon dioxide and water. For example, a shot of 80 proof alcohol, a 4 ounce glass of wine or 12 ounces of beer will be completely cleared from the body in approximately 1.75-3.5 hours. With EtG hair alcohol testing, a tester can fully calculate a person’s accurate blood alcohol concentration weeks after the person consumed alcohol.

EtG lasts for up to five days in urine, and confirms beyond all doubt that someone has had a drink in that time. The presence of EtG in EtG, alcohol testing through hair alcohol testing now shows whether drivers or workers who have been involved in an accident last week, were drunk at the time, even if they are not tested until a month later.

Features of EtG alcohol testing

•    Identify long-term alcohol addicts, offer help and improve treatment success rate– an alcoholic’s treatment can be monitored periodically as their hair grows

•    Prove a parent is fit to have custody of their children because they show no signs of abuse.

•    Identify an alcohol abuser in a safety critical job before you hire them.

•    Prove someone does not have an alcohol problem and is fit to lead for a position in public office, for example.

•    Prove someone is long-term abstinent and a suitable candidate for a liver transplant

When it comes to advances in drug and alcohol testing technologies, there is a growing need for this its uses. And just as importantly, the need for hair alcohol testing to prove a history of alcohol abuse is just as necessary to disprove any abuse.



Thanks to Melissa Peterman for contributing this article to our Addiction blog:

Prescription Drug Abuse Symptoms

span style=”font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”;”>The world is seeing a spurt in alcohol and drug production, consumption and addiction presently even though the governments are trying to stem the rot. United States is also not immune to this situation. However, many drug and alcohol rehab centers have come up in most states, including Utah, to pull out the unfortunate souls who have fallen prey to the menace.

Utah, with a population of about two and a half million people, is threatened with the ever increasing use of cocaine, heroin and marijuana to name a few. The problem is compounded with the over use of alcoholic drinks which amount to addiction. These have enhanced the need for treatment and rehabilitation centers in the state. These centers have come about as places imparting hope for disillusioned and helpless souls.

Treatment centers adopt a slew of measures to bring a troubled soul back into life. These steps, which are time tested, scientific and practical are applied on the patients on a case to case basis. Some rehab centers offer individualized one to one therapy. Before starting the treatment procedures, there is a high need to understand the family and social backgrounds of the individual as this would help the doctors and psychologists to arrive at the correct conclusions about his current state of mind and body, which in turn facilitates correct and up to the point treatment measures.

Drug detox or alcohol detox is the first step to cure a drug addict or an alcoholic. Modern therapies like acupuncture, physiotherapy, acupressure etc are conducted side by side with medication to wash out drug sediments or alcohol remnants from the body. This often proves to be frustrating to the patient whose body has come to a state where it cannot survive without these additives. Many people fall into a relapse and show severe withdrawal symptoms. But slowly and steadily the body learns to cope with lack of drugs or alcohol. Yoga and physical fitness training also helps a lot at this stage.

Next they move on treat the mind and spirit. Most often, people turn to drugs or alcohol due to lack of self esteem. They feel, very wrongly, that these additives would enhance their image. The second stage of treatment deals with this. Psychotherapy, spiritual counseling, self image enhancement therapy etc are administered to the now physically better patient. This approach has been found to be very successful.

The rehabilitation stage is the most important part of any drug and alcohol rehab plan. The patient is given drug and alcohol counseling to enhance his or her self esteem so that they may stay away from these dangerous materials in future.

There are many drug detoxification centers in Utah, among whom there are a handful of very successful ones. You may check up in the internet sites of these centers and also pay a personal visit to ascertain facts before availing their services.



Thanks to Roberta Groche for contributing this article to our Addiction blog:

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When you love someone close to you, sometimes you need to make the tough decisions. When someone you are close to is obviously abusing alcohol or drugs, you know that the best thing you can do to help them is to get them into a rehab program. It will be hard for them and perhaps hard for you as well, but you know that this is what you need to do for them to help them before the problem gets worse.

The over-consumption of alcohol is currently rated to be the third most preventable type of death in the US today. The problem is that alcohol is readily available in bars, which are extremely easy to find, and alcohol consumption even seems to be glamorized in many of the ads you see in magazines and newspapers. Alcohol in and of itself is not bad or evil, but all people are different, and not all people know when to stop, people have different tolerance levels, and it can be easy to become addicted to without realizing that it has become a major problem.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is, without a doubt, the most popular self-help group dedicated to alcohol rehabilitation. Many prefer to try a self-help approach to alcohol rehabilitation. People suffering from alcohol abuse are taken care of in dedicated rehab facilities as well as mental health clinics. A major problem with self-help is that the alcoholic will frequently not recognize that they have a problem. Rather, they start self-help techniques out of respect for people who care about them, like a spouse, but unless and until they admit and recognize that they have a problem, the self-help techniques rarely are effective for the long term.

In the United States, the number of alcohol rehab facilities exceeds 10,000. The effects of alcohol devastate the lives of many individuals and cause trauma to their families. With alcohol rehab, the longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she is able to stay sober. It is easier if the affected person has a “buddy” or someone they are accountable to. Without being accountable to someone, it is just simply far too easy for the alcoholic to go back to their old ways and cloud their reality with the effects of alcohol.

Drug addiction is similar to alcohol addiction but can be even more devastating, and can lead to longer term adverse effects if not treated. Popular drugs today include vicodin, oxycontin, valium, Xanax, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, and many more. Sometimes drug addiction can start with taking prescription medication that was prescribed by your doctor for some type of ailment. But long after your ailment has been resolved, your body has become addicted to the prescription drug, and the user needs more and more of it to pacify the body and avoid the inevitable withdrawal symptoms. Usage of other drugs may start as a “recreational” thing, perhaps being introduced at a party or gathering of friends. But the addictive powers of these drugs are just as devastating.

Interestingly enough, the state of Arizona has one of the worst drug problems in the United States. The use of heroin in the US has also increased in recent years, meaning that the drug rehab system now has to work harder than ever before. The use of crack cocaine is Chicago’s biggest drug problem - since the early 1990’s, admissions to Chicago drug rehab centers for the treatment of this drug have more than doubled.

Effective treatment is available for both alcohol rehab and drug rehab. Specialized doctors build a complex treatment that includes each patient’s individual needs and problems, in order to succeed the reintegration in the healthy and normal life of the society. The basic principles of the drug addiction treatment start from considering each case a particular and individualized expression of the medical condition. They don’t necessarily receive the adequate treatment to appease their psychotic desires. Alcohol rehab is similar, because each individual person is unique with different levels of being able to cope with the withdrawal symptoms.

Speaking openly and honestly with the person about the effects his addiction is having on those around him is often the eye-opener the person needs in order to see clearly enough to accept help. From a medical perspective, addiction can be compared to many other serious medical conditions in that it will require long term treatment, lifestyle changes, medication at times and if not monitored, relapse will occur. It has taken some time but, researchers have come to the conclusion that drug addiction and alcoholism are diseases and like other diseases, are chronic and those afflicted are subject to relapse.

Choosing drug rehab or alcohol rehabilitation is a positive step adopted by addicts in reclaiming their normal life. In the beginning, it is important to know that the addiction can be conquered with rehab. The Wellness Enhancement and Longevity Learning (WELL) program incorporates this powerful technique with other pioneering therapies in the their addiction treatment program.



Thanks to Jon Arnold for contributing this article to our Addiction blog:

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

en seen that alcohol detox is considered to be one of the best options for getting rid of your addiction to alcohol. Basically alcohol detox implies the elimination and removal of alcohol from the body of an alcoholic, which is brought about by abstinence from alcohol. Alcohol detox also includes medication, and altering the diet of the patient along with support from friends and family so that they can remain committed on the same for a longer time. Through the alcohol detox you can be ensured that the liver and kidneys would be able to normally carry out detoxification in the body. And in hardened alcoholics there are also options for alternative detoxification processes because they are the ones which are the most difficult to detox. There are various methods for alcohol detox and these include detoxification procedures that can be done at home but applies to the people where the alcohol consumption is moderate.

However in the complicated alcohol detox cases, which often involve symptoms like hallucinations and multi-substance misuse, it becomes necessary for a team of doctors and nurses to interfere and the person may have to stay in rehabilitation for a certain period. There are various methods for alcohol detox but the general detoxification session usually lasts 5 to 6 weeks. Here protein-rich diets along with fiber and fluids are suggested to the person and they should also consume water throughout the day. There are various other kinds of medicines and foods given in these alcohol detox treatments so that the person is able to recover from internal damage as well as mental problems caused due to alcohol abuse. It should be remembered that alcohol detox should always be consulted with a doctor or family physician so that the extent of treatment required can be understood.

Alcohol Detox - Just the Beginning of Alcohol Treatment

Alcohol detox is only the first step towards recovery from alcoholism. In an alcohol detox program, all that has been accomplished is the elimination of alcohol from the body, the management of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and the development of a foundation for your future recovery. The real work must follow and comes in resolving the core issues surrounding why you continue to drink, despite all of the negative consequences. Research shows, that people who only attend alcohol detox, instead of also following through with an alcohol rehab program, will most likely end up in relapse.

The average length of time you spend in an alcohol detox program is between three to seven days. Alcohol detox can be completed safely and effectively in any residential alcohol treatment program. If you are using drugs in conjunction with alcohol, it is imperative that this information is shared with the treating physician. These additional drugs can drastically alter the alcohol detox protocol designed for you, which is the tool used to manage your alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Thanks to Gen Wright for contributing this article to our Addiction blog:

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