Drug treatment centers

The Treatment Episode Data Set collects usage data from drug treatment centers around the country. Between 1993 and 1999, it was reported that metham-... 

A dramatically different pattern is found in surveys of drug abuse treatment facilities. Substance abuse treatment centers have reported that more than 20% of patients use benzodiazepines weekly or more frequently, with 30%— 90% of opioid abusers reporting illicit use (Iguchi et al. 1993 Stitzer et al 1981). Methadone clinics reported that high proportions ofurine samples are positive for benzodiazepines (Darke et al. 2003 Dinwiddle et al. 1996 Ross and Darke 2000 Seivewright 2001 Strain et al. 1991 Williams et al. 1996). The reasons for the high rates of benzodiazepine use in opioid addicts include self-medication of insomnia, anxiety, and withdrawal symptoms, as well as attempts to boost the euphoric effects of opioids. 

As alluded to at the beginning of this section, traditional Minnesota-model treatment merges the disease model with the spiritual model. Since within this model the disease has no known cure, a spiritual solution has taken on importance. Because of this, disease-model counselors refer people to 12-step support groups for continued recovery. Some treatment centers even have spiritual counselors who work with clients on spiritually related goals listed in the treatment plan. This arrangement provides a great service to the many people with drug problems who have spiritual doubts or problems. However, it has been my experience that not everyone who enters treatment feels he or she has a spiritual problem. 

In addition to his research at Edgewood Arsenal, he has broad experience in the area of alcohol and drug abuse and has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters. His teaching activities include many invited lectures, seminars and the direct supervision of medical students. As a clinician he spent 30 years in hospital and office settings, as well as a variety of community clinics and residential treatment centers. Currently he resides and writes at home in Santa Rosa, California. 

To consider how drug treatment might succeed in reducing drug use, one must first look at what happens when someone becomes addicted to a drug. Starting in the 1950s, experimenters observed that animals that were allowed to control the stimulation of pleasure centers in the brain would continue to do so until they collapsed from exhaustion. The pleasure centers are a vital... 

Addiction to prescription painkillers is a major reason people are admitted to drug rehabilitation centers. In the early part of the twentieth century, however, treatment for addiction to opiates was actually self-administered. Private doctors would prescribe narcotics for opiate addicts, but that practice was soon outlawed, and local governments and communities established formal morphine clinics. By the 1920s, these clinics too were closed and opiate addicts were jailed or treated, usually unsuccessfully, in public health hospitals. 

TEDS correlates the referral sources to substance abuse treatment centers with the number of admissions to these facilities. Note that TEDS defines admissions as annual treatment episodes rather than the number of individuals entering treatment. Therefore, one person could enter treatment and be treated several times over the course of a year. These multiple episodes are counted as multiple admissions. When reviewing the findings below, keep in mind that the number of admissions is not the same as the number of individuals seeking treatment for drug dependency. 

Look in your telephone directory s Yellow Pages under Alcoholism Information and Treatment Centers or Drug Abuse and Addiction Information for help in finding treatment near you. 

Illegal use of barbiturates can lead to many serious consequences, and these drugs should never be considered safe, unless prescribed and monitored closely by a physician. Tolerance can easily develop, and a small increase in dose can lead to intoxication or overdose. The withdrawal effects of barbiturate abuse, like other drugs, are very unpleasant and can cause abusers to continue abusing for fear of feeling worse than ever before if they were to stop. With the help of treatment centers and doctors, however, abusers can overcome the symptoms of withdrawal and stay on the road to addiction recovery. 

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