by Sally Rosa | Dec 9, 2013 | Addiction Articles, Recovery
Well, Does It?
I often wonder if there’s quality, effective, and impactful substance abuse and mental health treatment. What I’m asking is – do clinical philosophy and client-centered treatment count more than money?
People are dying left and right from overdoses, driving while intoxicated, and a whole host of other drug-related causes. People are being thrown into jail everyday for minor drug crimes! Addicts, and their families, scramble through a seemingly indecipherable web of personal recommendations and sleazy marketing techniques, desperate for someone, ANYONE!, to help.
To put it another way, our country’s in dire need of quality addiction treatment. How can we tell if a facility is worth sending our loved one to? How do we know if a treatment center has a client’s best interest at heart? How do we know if someplace is capable of providing quality and comprehensive addiction treatment? These are tough questions for any family to answer! Let’s see if we can’t figure them out!
What Does Quality Addiction Treatment Look Like?
People need to learn what factors make a good addiction treatment center. At Sobriety For Women, we want to start that conversation! We hope that this article prompts a discussion on what makes a facility the right fit for addicts and their families.
So, what makes a good treatment center? Well, first and foremost, the focus should be on clients and their families. The bottom line should be secondary. You want someplace that’ll treat you, or a loved one, with respect and dignity, not like a breathing dollar sign.
What else? Any treatment center worth their salt will have a quality, experienced clinical team. If you talk to them and the focus isn’t on programs they offer, you should probably stay away. Treatment centers should offer more than one main focus. While the twelve-step model of addiction treatment is great, scientific and medical resources need to be taken into consideration. While scientific and medical resources are key, a twelve-step approach should be taken to sustain long-term recovery.
Recently, I had the pleasure of touring a drug and alcohol treatment center that meets the above criteria. I feel confident about recommending their services.
Lakeview Health
Lakeview Health, located in Jacksonville, FL, is an addiction treatment facility that specializes in treating individuals with dual-diagnosis disorders. This means they suffer from addiction and mental health issues.
I met with their impressive clinical staff, including: case managers, the clinical director, primary therapists, and behavioral/mental health technicians. I was also able to meet some of Lakeview’s executive staff, including: the VP of Marketing, the VP of Client Services, and the CEO/President, Roy Serpa. Both the clinical and executive staff had no problem taking time from their busy schedules and explaining the various aspects of their programs. They expressed an overwhelming desire to put clients’ needs first. The energy every staff member gave off was contagious and I soon found myself smiling and nodding.
Lakeview Health put their clients’ first. They offer personalized treatment, which encourages clients to focus on an individual recovery program. In turn, this strengthens their chance of long-term success. Lakeview provides a variety of treatment paths, which allow any client to find their place in recovery. Strong clinical care, twelve-step practices, LGBT tracks, Christian programs, and an in-depth family program are offered to all that attend their facility. Simply put, Lakeview has it all!
With a range of care from detox, to residential treatment, to intensive outpatient programs, Lakeview Health easily passes the test of having quality clinical care. They also boast a supportive and innovative team and beautiful location. Lakeview’s campus sits next to the water in sunny Jacksonville, Florida. They provide everything a client could want during their stay,
Lakeview offers numerous addiction support services, including: a 24/7 nurse staff, multiple doctors, primary and secondary therapists, and recreational activities (group and individual exercise classes, music therapy, yoga, and much more).
The staff is always available (with a smile!) to answer any question or concern you have. If you want more information about Lakeview Health, please contact their admission department or visit their website.
by Fiona Stockard | Nov 24, 2013 | Addiction Articles, Drug Addiction
Meet Kratom a.k.a. Legal Heroin
Illicit drugs like crack and heroin have been problems for years. Addicts are flooding into detoxes, treatment centers, and halfway houses all over the country. The substance abuse industry is flooded with people battling deadly addictions. The War on Drugs isn’t anything new. The police and the government have been fighting drugs for decades. They’re always on the lookout for new ways to combat the increasing number of illegal drugs. Well, it looks like the number of illegal drugs may soon increase by one.
A new drug, Kratom, is being found all over south Florida. Hell, it’s being found all over the country for that matter. It’s sold in smoke-shops and Kava bars. It’s hotly sought after for its euphoric effects. Kratom is a member of the opiate family and shares many similarities with its cousin, heroin. It sedates users, causes strong feelings of relaxation, and depresses central nervous system functions.
Just Because It’s Legal Doesn’t Mean It’s Safe
Kratom is sometimes said to be stronger, more addictive, and more dangerous than illegal drugs! Kratom is sold as a powder or, in some cases, as a liquid. This legal powder has sent people to the ER, detoxes, and treatment centers.
“I enjoyed taking the substance because it’s easily available. I could walk right into the local shop and purchase Kratom. There was no waiting around or drug dealer,” states Randy, a twenty-five year old former Kratom abuser. He goes on, “it got to a point where I’d choose to do Kratom over eat food that day. I was heavily addicted to the substance, and entered rehab for the second time in my life. The first time was for cocaine and alcohol use.”
Unfortunately, stories like Randy’s aren’t all that rare. More and more, people are seeking an easy way to deal with the anxiety and stress of the world. New substances, like Kratom and “spice,” may seem like safer alternatives than illegal drugs. However, they often turn out to be just as dangerous as any illegal substance.
We need to educate ourselves about the dangers of legal highs! We need to learn what we’re putting into our bodies! We need to stop thinking just because something’s legal, it’s safe. Look at alcohol. It’s legal and causes far more deaths each year than all illegal drugs put together!
For information on Comprehensive Addiction Treatment, please visit Lighthouse Recovery Institute
by Sally Rosa | Oct 8, 2013 | Drug Addiction
Nick Carter’s Success Story
Celebrities are role models. That’s it, simple as pie. Often, our current celebrities become role models for tomorrow’s youth. Unfortunately, celebrities don’t always lead the sort of life we want our children to follow. Fame, fortune, and money can throw anyone into a whirlwind. When you live in front of a camera, that whirlwind is broadcast for the whole world to see.
Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger, and Whitney Houston are examples of celebrities behaving badly. They’re also three people we watched die. Lindsey Lohan and Amanda Bynes are celebrities we watched grow up. We’ve experienced their growing pains and struggles. Once in a while though, well, once in a while we get to witness positive change. We get to see a celebrity return to health right in front of our eyes. We get to see someone move from self-destruction to helping others. Nick Carter is one of these success stories.
You Mean the Backstreet Boy?
Yep, that Nick Carter. By now you’ve probably heard, he’s an addict! Nick Carter, teen heartthrob extraordinaire, recently opened up about his addiction. He let everyone know what he experienced and how hard it really was.
Nick began drinking in his early teens. By the time he was nineteen, right around when the Backstreet Boys blew up, he’d moved onto harder drugs. Nick admits to abusing cocaine ecstasy, and prescription pills. In an interview with Dr. Phil, Nick told the world “I drank, did drugs, and partied until I was paralyzed and passed out.” He went on to talk about how his family blames him for the death of his older sister, Leslie, who overdosed. Leslie’s death, and his family’s resentment, led to estrangement.
Nick’s use began to make headlines around 2005. He was arrested and charged with a DUI. Still, Nick insists there wasn’t anything that could stop him. By 2006, his weight had ballooned to 224 pounds. He was dating Paris Hilton and says that she played a large part in his addiction. They two would often use together. Nick also admitting to suffering depression, due to his heavy ecstasy use and unhealthy relationship.
Not long after, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart condition. All his drinking and drugging had led to a buildup of toxins in his heart, which weakened it severely. Sort of a good metaphor for addiction, huh?
The Road to Recovery
Nick’s journey to recovery began after he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. His was way overweight, had a weak heart, and couldn’t stop getting high. He decided it was time to change! His former bandmate, Kevin Richardson, suggested reading his book, “Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results.” Nick read this and started to become healthy, one small step at a time. Soon, Nick wanted to write a book of his own. He wanted to share his struggles and successes with the world.
Nick’s memoir is called “Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It.” It details his fight with substance abuse and addiction throughout his life. It also examines his early alcohol use. He admits to taking his first drink at two years old!
Today, Nick’s been sober over five years and is living a much different life. Nick’s brother, Aaron Carter, is also believed to have gone to treatment. Apparently, Nick’s positive change is rubbing off on his entire family! The family is no longer estranged and life is good. Nick is engaged with fitness guru Lauren Kitt. When asked about his new life, he often responds by saying he’s taking it one day at a time.
by Fiona Stockard | Sep 2, 2013 | Benefits of Sobriety
“Waiting is the Hardest Part” – Tom Petty
I agree, Tom, waiting sucks. So, why do we do it? I’m not talking about waiting for the bus, or waiting for a burrito, or waiting for your next paycheck. I’m talking about waiting for things we don’t need to wait for.
The idea of waiting for your ship to come in is ridiculous. If you’re waiting for your ship to come in, get the crap off the beach and start swimming! Go find the damn ship! Yeah, there might be sharks. Yeah, the water will be rough. Yeah, your arms are going to get tired. If you look for your ship, though, you’ll get there a hell of a lot faster than by sitting on your butt, supping coconut juice.
My life sucked! Like, hardcore sucked! I knew I had to stop drinking and getting high. I actually wanted to stop, too! I knew how to stop, but I kept waiting. Waiting to be caught. Waiting to lose it all. Waiting for a sponsor to knock on my door and say, “hey, I’ll sponsor you! I was just in the neighborhood and saw you drinking whisky in your underwear at noon. I kind of think you need help!”
A sponsor isn’t going to walk up to you. It just won’t happen. Let me repeat, IT WON’T HAPPEN!
I guess you can wait. Hell, I did. Here’s the thing, as I stood waited, I kept getting pushed and beaten by my own self-destructiveness. I was tossed around like a tree in a hurricane. I was beaten over and over again, but still refused to move from the path of the storm. Standing still and waiting left me vulnerable to hurt myself and I did. Finally, after a decade of waiting…
I stopped f**king waiting!
I got off the beach, dusted myself off and started to swim! Sharks nipped at my feet. Waves shook me back and forth. My arms felt like they were going to fall off. The water was cold, but guess what? All that crap? It made me stronger!
I went to a meeting and got a sponsor. I met him once a week. I never missed a meeting, not one! Then, eight months later, my life was 100% fireworks blasting, scream it from a mountain top, awesome. All I could ask myself was “why the hell did I wait so long to change?”
Waiting IS the hardest part, so don’t wait!
