Category: Addiction Recovery

Naltrexone: What Is It Used For?

The journey of recovery starts when you confidently decide to take your life back from drugs or alcohol. As rewarding as it is though, with peaks as high as Everest, the valleys and lows can be equally as dramatic.

Anything that helps soften those lows in treatment and can keep you on the path of sustained sobriety is a blessing.

Naltrexone is one of those helpers.

Known more commonly by some of its brand names; ReVia, Vivitrol and Depade, naltrexone – the generic name – works wonders for those recovering from an opioid use disorder or alcoholism.

What Is Naltrexone?

As mentioned, this drug is used as a medication-assisted treatment option for those striving to beat opioids and/or alcohol. Taken as a pill or via injection, naltrexone is part of a broader rehab program, not a solution in its own right.

The fact that it can handle such seemingly disparate substances might have you thinking that naltrexone something of a miracle drug. It certainly seems that way but digging into the science helps make sense of why it works so well for both.

In regards to opioids, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) puts it this way, “Naltrexone blocks the euphoric and sedative effects of opioids such as heroin, morphine, and codeine. Naltrexone binds and blocks opioid receptors, and reduces and suppresses opioid cravings.”

They go on, for alcohol the medication “binds to the endorphin receptors in the body, and blocks the effects and feelings of alcohol. Naltrexone reduces alcohol cravings and the amount of alcohol consumed. Once a patient stops drinking, taking naltrexone helps patients maintain their sobriety.”

In some respects, the brain reacts to alcohol in a way that’s similar to opioids and naltrexone uses that to its advantage and becomes an effective tool for recovery.

SAMHSA also points out that, “naltrexone is not an opioid, is not addictive, and does not cause withdrawal symptoms with stop of use…there is no abuse and diversion potential with naltrexone.”

While there may be no withdrawal symptoms from the medication, it can prompt opioid withdrawal symptoms if taken too soon after your last use of an opioid. Because of that, those undergoing treatment should wait anywhere from a week to 14 days depending on if they were taking short- or long-acting opioids.

For alcohol, it’s generally recommended to begin taking naltrexone after you’ve completed detoxing.

Why You Should Detox From Drugs and Alcohol at a Professional Facility

Rehab and treatment begin in full force only after you’ve detoxed from drugs and alcohol.

Understandably the prospect of detox can be a scary one.

You’ve grown so accustomed to drinking or taking your opioid of choice that there’s an intimidating sense of the unknown involved in what sobriety will feel like. Detoxing from both alcohol and opioids can be arduous and uncomfortable and going through it on your own only compounds the difficulty.

Not only that but the withdrawal from both can actually be lethal, particularly in the case of alcohol where delirium tremens are possible.

Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone and there are a number of benefits to detoxing at a professional facility.

Potentially Life-Saving

Because withdrawal can be deadly in some cases, arguably the most compelling reason to detox at a facility is that being in the immediate vicinity of medical experts can save your life.

Supervised

The entire process is in fact supervised and guided by trained medical staff and addiction professionals to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible and protected from risk.

Supported

A huge component of not only rehab, but also the detox process is support. Feeling like someone is there for you and genuinely understands what you’re going through is a powerful motivator in those low moments.

Reach out to us today at VRC Agua Dulce

If you have any questions about detox or want to learn more about medication-assisted treatment with naltrexone, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Valley Recovery Center at Agua Dulce.

Finding the Best Men Only Rehab

Acknowledging that the time is now for change and that you’re finally ready to take the steps necessary to shift the course of your life is a momentous occasion. Truly a decision worth celebrating in its own right.

However, that first big step leads directly to another important choice and an accompanying question.

Where do you go for rehab?

A quick Google search yields a seemingly endless array of results for treatment and it can all get overwhelming quickly. There are some quick ways to narrow it down though and among them is deciding whether men only rehab is right for you. There are plenty of benefits that are touched on below but the main thing it does, at least initially, is narrow the field of view and make picking a rehab just that little bit easier.

Signs I Need to Go to Rehab

Before delving into that though, perhaps you haven’t quite come to the conclusion you need rehab or maybe you’re concerned about a loved one whom you think might be abusing drugs or alcohol.

Knowing the signs of addiction and if it’s severe enough to warrant treatment go a long way in making an informed determination. Here are some things to look for that might mean it’s time to start considering treatment or some type of intervention:

Lost control of usage taking more drugs or drinking more than planned
Spending a disproportionate amount of time getting, using or recovering from drugs or alcohol
Inability to quit or cut back despite sincere efforts to do so
Drugs or drinking has become the main priority in your life
Strained relationships with friends and family around you
Missing important events, skipping activities, etc. in favor of drug use or drinking
Work, school and the ability to stick with responsibilities all-around has gone down
Drinking or doing drugs despite the clear negative repercussions
Legal and financial issues related to using
Taking more or drinking more to achieve the same level of intoxication aka developing a tolerance

Why Go to a Men Only Rehab?

There are plenty of reasons why going to a rehab center for men only could be advantageous for you but the most basic is this: addiction affects men and women differently.

From how drugs are taken to the rates of addiction to particular drugs to the effects, there are differences across the board and gender-specific treatment could be more helpful for some people.

Specialized Treatment

On emotional, relational, behavioral and physiological levels, men and women differ. Men only rehab allows for specialized treatment that is catered to the male experience.

Shared Experience Makes It Easy to Relate and Creates Better Communication

There’s an innate baseline of relatability when you’re around people that have likely lived through similar experiences to you from childhood to situations as an adult. A fundamental level on which everyone “gets it” and has some degree of a shared lived reality.

The better you understand someone, the easier it is to have meaningful conversations.

Increased Comfort

If you’re surrounded by people who understand you it’s easier to feel comfortable and open up around them, something that could very well take longer in a mixed treatment center. If your drug or alcohol use was related to a relationship, for example, it might be tough to be honest about if women are present. Similarly, with exploring feelings and fears. The comfort to be candid is priceless when it comes to treatment.

Less Distraction

Getting into a relationship in rehab is generally considered a no-no because it distracts you from the task at hand. Rehab requires focus and a new relationship or even just sexual attraction or tension is something that can derail the process.

Let Valley Recovery Center Agua Dulce Help You Get Sober

If you’re at the point that you’re ready to commit to men only rehab or have any questions or concerns about whether it’s right for you, give us a shout at Valley Recovery Center at Agua Dulce and we can walk you through everything you need to know.

Major Benefits of Attending Residential Drug Rehab

The immersive treatment that takes place in residential drug rehab is likely pretty closely related to what you’re picturing right now: a comfortable – perhaps even luxurious – home, beautiful weather, therapy sessions, alternative treatments like yoga, etc.

Those can all be part of residential rehab but there are plenty of benefits beyond that surface level.

What Is Residential Drug Rehab?

In a nutshell, residential drug rehab is where you live at the treatment facility. Between the support staff, addiction specialists, medical staff like psychiatrists and other treatment professionals the care is 24 hours a day and the programs are highly structured and personalized to suit your recovery needs.

Treatment can last anywhere from a month to over a half a year depending on the severity of the addiction.

How Does Residential Drug Rehab Help With Addiction?

The advent of a residential rehab for addiction really did represent a sea change in recovery and the ways in which it’s beneficial are plentiful.

Structure

You have a real, bonafide daily routine at a residential treatment center and that alone is very important. Between individual and group therapy sessions, meals, recreational and alternative therapy options your schedule is packed. There is simply no time to think about doing anything else.

In your previous life, free time meant time you could fill with drug use. That’s removed and replaced with productive activities and therapy. The building and maintaining of a daily structure is something that you carry with you into life after rehab.

Remove Yourself from Triggers

Being in a place where everything revolves around your sobriety and recovery means you’re getting away from the triggers you once lived with. Whether it was where you hung out or whom you associated with, being surrounded by those same elements makes it hard to get clean.

Getting away from those negative influences lets you truly focus on the positive elements of rehab and cementing the things you’re learning. The coping mechanisms, thought patterns and behaviors you’re picking up in rehab need time to gel and going back to that world of triggers is a recipe for relapse.

Surrounded by People Who Understand

Similar to removing yourself from difficult situations or people, residential rehab affords you the opportunity to be in the midst of those who truly do understand you. It’s just easier to relate to someone who has experienced addiction. Even if your home life is full of supportive people, there is still a gulf of understanding between you.

Moreover, being surrounded by people who are working towards and committed to a sober life means you can start to create a network of aligned and like-minded people with whom you can stay connected once you’ve finished up and are back to your daily life. That need for support doesn’t go away.

Drug-Free Environment

Sort of an obvious one but it needs to be said, living in a drug and alcohol-free environment is important. Just like people and places can trigger, the sheer proximity to drinks or your drug of choice can do exactly the same thing.

Part of recovery is learning to deal with cravings and if you have easy access to drugs or a drink you can quickly find yourself overcome by the urge in a moment of weakness. Being in a place that’s free of that and chock full of supportive people makes a huge difference.

Support

Speaking of support, having it is vital in recovery and residential drug rehab is built on support. Not only that but the accountability that it engenders.

VRC Agua Dulce Is Here to Help With Addiction

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, residential rehab at Valley Recovery Center at Agua Dulce with private rooms, luxurious amenities and expert addiction specialists, could be the right fit for you. Reach out to us to learn more.

The Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction in Adults

It can feel like the ultimate betrayal when something that’s meant to help you turns into what hurts you. That’s the case with prescription drug addiction, a substance that’s supposed to be the solution is now the problem. The hero becomes the villain.

Because prescription drugs are, by definition, prescribed by a doctor we can be lulled into a false sense of security that these drugs aren’t necessarily as dangerous as their illegal counterparts. However, our current reality plainly shows that this isn’t the case.

The clearest and starkest example of prescription drugs being misused is opioids. In 2018 alone, 41 people died per day from overdoses involving prescription opioids. Not to mention the people that turned to substances like heroin after being prescribed opioids.

It doesn’t stop with opioids though, that’s just one class of drugs. Worse yet, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States for teenagers isn’t cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines. It’s prescription drugs. In other words, while this is already an issue for adults today, the next generation looks to be in dire straits as well.

As far as adults go, abuse of prescriptions knows no age limit with nearly 1 million Americans older than 65 living with a substance abuse disorder. That’s not all prescription drugs but naturally, those who are older tend to have dramatically more prescriptions with more than 80% of the participants in one study using at least one prescription daily.

Are Prescription Pills Addictive?

They are indeed, yes. Now that doesn’t mean that all pills are addictive but there is the potential for addiction to any substance or drug that alters how the brain works. It’s really the misuse of a prescription that unleashes the addictive fury of these drugs.

What constitutes misuse?

Taking a medicine different from how it’s prescribed, be that larger doses or ingesting it in ways other than you’re supposed to i.e., snorting them. Or if you switch to taking your medication just to experience an associated high.

A 2012 study showed some startling numbers:

“…more than 16.7 million people ages 12 and older in the United States abused prescription drugs in 2012, with approximately 2.1 million people meeting criteria for a diagnosis of a substance use disorder related to prescription drugs. This reflects an increase of 250% in prescription drug abuse over the previous 20 years. Treatment admissions for substance use disorder services for prescription opioids alone increased more than 5-fold from 2000-2010 in the U.S….”

What Are the Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction in Adults?

Given that, it’s more important than ever to know and understand the signs of prescription drug addiction in adults.

The most commonly abused prescriptions are sedatives/anti-anxiety medications, stimulants and the infamous opioids. The signs of what abuse looks like therefore varies by the type of drug but here’s an overview of the common symptoms for each:

Sedatives

Confusion
Drowsiness
Lack of concentration
Lethargy
Slurred speech and slowed breathing

Stimulants

Overly alert
Feeling high
Abnormal heartbeat
High blood pressure and temperature
Insomnia
Easily agitated
Anxiety and paranoia

Opioids

Euphoria or feeling high
Slower breathing
Drowsy and confused
Lack of coordination
Irritable

In addition to that there are some general behavioral signs of addiction to be aware of as well:

Stealing prescriptions or forging prescriptions
Pretending to lose prescriptions so another can be written
Seeing multiple doctors to get additional prescriptions
Poor judgment and decision making
Drastic changes to sleep patterns
Mood swings
Developing a tolerance and taking ever larger doses

Beat Addiction At VCR Agua Dulce

It’s no doubt a scary thing to see something that’s supposed to help, start to hurt you or a loved one. Keeping a vigilant eye out for the warning signs of addiction can make all the difference in catching a problem before it spirals out of control.

At Valley Recovery Center in Agua Dulce we understand the burden of drug addiction, be it to prescription meds or otherwise. If you’re struggling with addiction, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

What Are the Stages of Addiction Recovery?

Removing the mystery often makes things easier to undertake.

That holds true for many of the things that life throws at us and few of them are as potentially overwhelming as the prospect of overcoming and beating an addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Understanding the stages of addiction treatment is therefore of paramount importance. Either for yourself, if it’s something you’re personally going through, or as a loved one watching a son, brother, uncle or friend battle addiction.

Addiction Recovery Explained

Knowing is half the battle and first and foremost, this is a process, not some overnight thing.

So what are the stages of addiction recovery?

There are 5 of them for starters and they describe the lifecycle of recovery from before you or a loved one even sets foot in a treatment center through to successful completion of a program.

Pre-Contemplation

A person in this stage is squarely in the grips of addiction and very likely doesn’t consider their usage to be an issue at all. On the contrary, their addictive behavior will generally be positive in their minds and they’ll have scarcely experienced a negative consequence themselves. Trying something like an intervention at this stage would be met with extreme denial.

However, those negative experiences will eventually catch up with an addict and move them into the next stage.

Contemplation

The realization stage in other words. The user acknowledges there is a problem with substance abuse. Awareness is another way to put it. People become aware at this stage of the consequences of their drug or alcohol use on themselves, their family, friends, work-life, etc.

Intervening at this stage with information and discussing real options for overcoming addiction could prove successful because as the name suggests, they’re thinking about changing.

A word of warning, contemplation can ultimately last for years and people will either revert to pre-contemplation or move forward.

Preparation

This is a biggie.

This is where a person understands that the negatives outweigh the perceived “positives” of substance abuse. They’ve committed to moving forward with a change of some kind. The excitement is palpable at this stage and the thought of living a sober life is something they truly want. This is where they’re very receptive to the prospect of recovery and are on the edge of commitment.

Action

Naturally, this is the next step, the tipping point so to speak where the work of recovery finally begins in earnest.

This is where the familiar elements of recovery come into play. When a person is in the action stage they are entering a rehab facility. They go through detox and, depending on the severity, move on to residential inpatient care.

Maintenance

Last and certainly not least is maintenance and this stage is by no means an afterthought. Recovery is a journey; in fact, it’s often said that recovery is a lifelong process. It’s something you constantly have to work at. What that looks like in practice is outpatient care, aftercare, sober living homes, support groups like AA and NA, etc.

It’s about staying engaged.

Why Are There Different Stages of Addiction Treatment?

The different stages exist because it makes understanding the mindset of addiction easier. It helps you get a feeling for where a loved one is on their particular journey and when they might be the most receptive to outside assistance, advice and care.

What Are the Stages of Addiction Recovery Offered at VRC Agua Dulce?

At Valley Recovery Center in Agua Dulce, we’re well versed in all phases of addiction recovery with a specialization in bringing people through the action stage. Out intensive and highly structured holistic programs can help set you or your loved one up for the sober life you’ve longed for. If you need advice or more clarity on these stages of addiction recovery, please don’t hesitate to reach out.