At Creative Care, we provide state of the art drug and alcohol rehab facilities. We are able to do so because we understand the issues that lead people to turn to substance abuse, be they psychological or physiological. Creative Care is available to help with drug and alcohol addiction and withdrawal, helping people to return to society as well-balanced, grounded individuals who are able to contribute to their community. We do not judge, aiming to provide support and help instead.
Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it brings your natural energy levels down. It is consumed as a liquid, with the most popular ones being beers, wines and liquors. It is very important to understand the overall effects of alcohol and what it does to the body.
Alcohol is absorbed by the stomach when it is consumed, and its immediate effects depend on the physiological makeup of the individual, as well as factors such as outside temperature and how much they have eaten prior to and during consumption of alcohol. The effects are disinhibiting, which is one of its main attractions. However, once too much is consumed, people start to feel dizzy, their speech becomes slurred, their sleep is disrupted, and they experience nausea and will frequently vomit. One of the most dangerous effects of alcohol, however, is that it impairs coordination and judgment, even when consumed in a low dose. This is why one is not allowed to drive a vehicle after becoming impaired by alcohol. Because it disinhibits, people are also more likely to engage in violent acts, including domestic violence, fights and child abuse. After consuming alcohol, people frequently experience a hangover. This means they will have a headache, feel nauseous and thirsty, experience dizziness and feel very irritable.
Alcohol has long term effects as well and it is an addictive substance. Once someone is addicted, they are classed as an alcoholic. At this point, sudden cessation will lead to significant withdrawal symptoms, including tremors, severe anxiety, convulsions and hallucinations. Long term abuse of the substance can lead to organ damage, in particular the brain and liver. Pregnant women can cause their children to be born with fetal alcohol syndrome, meaning their baby is born an alcoholic. This can cause physical abnormalities and mental retardation.
It is very important to be aware of whether or not you are drinking too much. You can take the Alcohol Assessment Quiz to find out whether you are placing yourself at risk.
Drug Abuse
Drugs, of which alcohol is one, are chemicals that are designed to change the natural functioning of your body. Some commonly taken drugs include aspirin, caffeine and nicotine, for instance. Drugs are absorbed by your body and then travel to your brain. Once there, they change the way your brain sends messages to the various receptors and the rest of your body. This is done by altering the way the neurotransmitters send signals on the various synapses of your body.
Not all drugs are bad and many have been designed to promote greater health. However, certain drugs have been designed solely to help people alter their state of mind and they often are highly addictive substances, creating a dependency. Furthermore, as the majority of drugs are illegal, they also create a culture of crime.
Trends in drug abuse vary from country to country and even state to state, but they can generally be classified in a number of categories. These include:
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Cannabinoids (marijuana)
- Opioids (heroin, opium)
- Stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine)
- Club drugs (MDMA, flunitrazepam, GHB)
- Dissociative drugs (Ketamine, PCP, Salvia divinorum, DXM)
- Hallucinogens (LSD, mescaline, psilocybin)
- Others (anabolic steroids, inhalants)
- Prescription medication (depressants, stimulants, pain relievers)
As you can see, there are many categories of drugs available. Not all of these products are addictive, but all of them do have the potential to cause harm. The effects they give vary depending on the substance, although they can generally be categorized in stimulants (uppers) and depressants (downers). One problem in particular with drug abuse is that people tend to need more and more of the substance in order to, initially, continue to feel the effects and, later, sustain a semblance of normality in their life, as they want to stave off the withdrawal symptoms.
The Principles of Treating Drug Addiction
Drug addiction has been studied for many years, as it is something that has existed around the globe since the beginning of times. However, successful treatment of addiction is still relatively new, with only some 30 years of scientific study on the topic. However, through these years of research, some 13 principles to treating drug addiction have been developed. At Creative Care, we offer drug and alcohol treatment that is based on these principles. These principles are:
- Addiction is a complex disease affecting both body and mind, but one that can be treated.
- Treatment has to be tailored to the needs of the individual.
- Treatment has to be accessible to people who need it.
- When treating an addiction, underlying issues that led to the development of the addiction in the first place must be addressed too.
- It is vital that an addict remains in treatment for the correct amount of time.
- To treat drug abuse, behavioral therapy has to be used, preferably including family, friends and groups of peers.
- Patients should be given medication if needed.
- The treatment plan must be continuously assessed and altered as and when needed.
- In many cases, a drug addict also has mental health issues.
- Detox is the first step, but someone who has detoxed is not cured.
- Treatment can be effective even when it is not voluntary.
- If drugs are provided during treatment (such as medication), this must be monitored to stop a person from relapsing.
- Addicts should be tested for infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
A Complex Illness
It is very important to recognize drug addiction as an illness. The cravings for drugs are incredibly intense and cannot be controlled. This means that an addict will do all they can to find their drug, even if the consequences are severe. Various circuits in the brain are affected once someone is addicted, in particular the circuits that involve reward and motivation, inhibitory control learning and memory and behavior. As such, addiction is a disease of the brain.
There is such a thing as an “addictive personality”, as some people have certain genes that make them more likely to develop a dependency. However, other factors are equally important, including how old they were when they first used a drug and various factors in their environment. Indeed, the initial decision to take a drug is a choice, but once someone is an addict, they no longer have the ability to choose. Finding and taking the drug of choice becomes truly compulsive, meaning people no longer have the willpower or self-control to stop it.
Indeed, when someone presents at a drug and alcohol rehab clinic, it is a known fact that they don’t just compulsively take drugs. The social and health consequences go much further than this. People who have addictions often have mental health problems as well, some that were present before the addiction and, at times, leading to the addiction, as well as new problems that have surfaced as a result of the addiction. Furthermore, because someone who is addicted to substances exhibits dysfunctional behavior, they often destroy relationships with their nearest and dearest and the community, as well as losing their ability to hold down work.
There are many different dimensions to drug and alcohol addiction and it disrupts many different parts of the life of an individual. It is for this reason that treatment is a complex and unique processed, designed to help individuals specifically. At Creative Care, we ensure that various components are incorporated in the treatment plan, focusing on the particular substances that person chooses to use and the factors that influenced them to become addicts in the first place.
Making Addiction Treatment Work
At Creative Care, we understand what works when it comes to effective addiction treatment. We help individual people to stop using alcohol or other drugs and show them what it means to live a life that is free of harmful substances. The treatment we offer is designed to make sure they are able to become productive members of society once more, who have strong relationships with their friends and family and who are able to hold a job. We understand that addiction is a disease and not something that requires little other than will-power. An addict cannot simply stay off a certain substance for a few days and be declared “cured”. Rather, what we offer is packages of long term care that make sure that patients are able to achieve sustained abstinence, allowing them to fully recover their lives.
We operate according to clinical practices and scientific research, which has shown again and again that continuing care is the best way to treat addiction. We utilize a variety of different approaches that have all been tried and tested, and we have integrated these not just in our residential facilities, but also in community settings where recovering addicts are able to continue with the support they need.
We also look towards the future. We are at the forefront of all new research in addiction causes and treatment, including epigenetics, which researches how gene function and expression work together. The nurture versus nature debate, in other words, doesn’t exist in our eyes. Rather, someone becomes an addict due to both nurture and nature. Epigenetics have been vital in the development of new and improved treatment interventions that look at the personal and individual. As this research progresses, so will the treatment we are able to offer, as we always integrate existing evidence with new research into our plans.
To treat drug addiction, we focus on withdrawal, treating the underlying addiction and we offer executives fighting drug addiction. Creative Care is there to help you or your loved on beat their substance abuse problem and get their life back on track. Contact us today to see how we can help you.