So you’ve admitted that you have a problem and decided to seek help. Now you just need to find a good rehab center near Buckhannon WV to recover at. But where should you look? And what exactly are you even looking for? When you’re already at rock bottom, researching and comparing rehab centers in West Virginia can feel very overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to start. But this is an important part of the process if you want to ensure that you’re getting the best care possible. So let’s make this easier for you with a few tips.
As any animal lover will tell you, spending time with animals is good for you. It is not just an opinion either – multiple scientific studies have proven that spending quality time together is beneficial for both humans and animals. In fact, animals are sometimes used in therapy for conditions such as anxiety and depression. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that if you struggle with addiction, bonding with animals can help your recovery in Parkersburg WV too. Many drug and alcohol treatment centers in West Virginia offer animal-assisted therapy as a part of their program or work with non-profits that do. If you are feeling anxious about rehab, consider spending some time with a furry (or feathery or scaly) friend – it could make a big difference in your recovery!
Due to various types of approaches to treating addiction, looking for the right rehab Point Pleasant WV centers have on offer can seem confusing. Fortunately, there are quality rehabs in WV to choose from that are also easy to find online. This guide will show you exactly what to look for in a treatment center and more. Continue reading →
If you’re asking yourself do you have a drinking problem, then the answer is more likely to be yes than no. But there’s good news too – recognizing an addiction problem is always the first step toward solving it, either by changing your habits before it’s too late or by seeking treatment in drug and alcohol rehab in West Virginia. In a society where drinking (even excessively) is normal, however, it can be difficult to know when you’ve crossed the line from partying too hard to being addicted. So what are some of the signs to be on the lookout for?
Most of us like to have a drink every now and then. It’s a great way to socialize and break the ice, or to relieve some stress and enjoy oneself at home. However, mindful drinking and binge drinking are not as far apart as one might think. Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are on the rise, and excessive drinking is one of their clearest signs. If you’ve seen this in yourself, you may want to temper binge drinking and start your recovery in WV – but where do you begin? Continue reading →
Is addiction hereditary? The answer is complicated. Many factors play into why someone starts, continues, or stops abusing substances. Some of those factors are environmental and could occur to anyone. But others have to do with genetics and upbringing. This is why it’s not uncommon for children of addicts to become addicts themselves and later raise children who will become addicts. So if your parents spent a significant portion of your your life in a drug and alcohol rehab center WV, odds are you will do so too. However, nothing is set in stone. There is a way to break the cycle. Breaking the cycle of addiction in families is not always easy. But it it’s important to try if you want a better life for yourself and your children.
For many, sober resolutions are a promise of continued abstinence and sobriety to themselves. For others, they’re the incentive to push ahead, make progress toward recovery, and finally achieve sobriety. In both cases, resolutions can have tremendous psychological and practical benefits – be they for alcohol addiction or other substances. And in all cases, it is vital that you make your sober resolutions and stick to them. Continue reading →
Choosing the right addiction center in West Virginia for yourself or your family member is one of the few life-changing decisions you will ever have to make. Fortunately, rehabs in WV offer a range of substance abuse treatments and services that meet the highest standards of medical and psychological support. Here we talk about criteria to take into consideration to help you choose between recovery centers in West VirginiaContinue reading →
The U. S. has spent two decades in continuous war. Thus, people with personal military connections have raised public and professional concerns for the mental health of veterans and service members. Alcohol and other drugs are frequently used by veterans and military personnel to help deal with anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental challenges. Increased substance use can lead to serious long-term consequences such as addiction though. That’s why drug rehab for veterans is a necessary program.
Who Is Qualified As A Veteran?
The legal definition of a veteran under Title 38 of the U.S. Code is “a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.” Generally, the individual must have “active military, naval, or air service” to qualify as a veteran for most government purposes.
What Is A Substance Use Disorder (SUD)?
A substance use disorder is usually referred to as an “addiction.” It’s a disease that causes people to have problems controlling their use of alcohol, drugs, and other substances. Left untreated, this disease can negatively influence many parts of a person’s life.
Being unable to stop using substances despite the negative effects
A change in relationships because of substance use
Feeling anxious or depressed about your substance use
Feeling sick and going through withdrawal symptoms when substance use is stopped or cut back
Increased tolerance – this refers to the need overtime for more frequent or stronger doses of alcohol or drugs to achieve the initial effects
Addiction is the most severe stage of SUD which features a loss of self-control that leads to compulsive drug-seeking regardless of a desire to stop using
Substance Use Disorders Among Veterans
SUDs remain a problem among veterans and military members. This is partly due to the fact that in these groups of people, alcohol use is common and is typically used for socializing and stress relief. SUDs are linked to significant negative medical, psychiatric, interpersonal, and occupational outcomes. One study even discovered that about 30% of completed suicides and about 20% of deaths by military personnel caused by high-risk behavior could be attributed to alcohol or drug use, hence the need for drug rehab for veterans.
VA Substance Abuse Programs – Drug Rehab for Veterans
Veteran Affairs (VA) provides a number of rehab options for veterans who need treatment for substance use issues. The services offered by VA depend on the veteran’s needs and can include medication options such as:
Medically managed detox to stop substance use safely
Drug substitution therapies and medications to reduce cravings for alcohol and opiates
Nicotine replacement for stopping tobacco use
Drug rehab for veterans services offered by VA can also include counseling and other therapy choices such as:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — CBT teaches individuals how their faulty beliefs are influencing their behaviors and how to change them.
However, the most publicized mental health issues facing veterans are PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and depression. Research has estimated that about 14-16% of service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq have PTSD or depression.
The effects of these disorders can be far-reaching and may significantly impact veterans and their families. Although combat and deployments are associated with increased risks for these conditions, general military service can also be a cause.
PTSD and SUD – Drug Rehab for Veterans
Research has shown that PTSD and substance use problems are strongly linked in people who served in the military. Many people try to deal with the symptoms of PTSD by drinking heavily, using drugs or alcohol, or smoking too much. Furthermore, people who have issues with drugs or alcohol are also more likely to develop PTSD.
How Common Is Co-Occurring PTSD And SUDs In Veterans?
More than 20% of veterans with PTSD also suffer from a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Almost 30% of veterans seeking treatment for a substance use disorder also suffer from co-occurring PTSD.
The number of veterans who smoke (nicotine) is almost twice as much for those with PTSD (about 6 out of 10 vs. those without PTSD at 3 out of 10).
In the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, about 1 in 10 returning veterans had a problem with drugs or alcohol.
War veterans with alcohol problems and PTSD are more likely to binge drink. (Binge drinking is when a man consumes 5 or more within 2 hours or a woman consumes 4 or more drinks within 2 hours).
Depression And Substance Addiction In Veterans
After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, a growing number of veterans with combat and deployment experience are in need of mental health care. Although depression often does not gather the same attention as PTSD, it remains one of the main mental health conditions in the military. The fact is that up to 9% of all appointments for patients who aren’t bedridden in the military health network are related to depression.
The environment of the military can easily spark depression in military personnel. This is particularly true in military personnel that are already biologically susceptible to developing depression.
Elements that increase the risk of depression in active duty and veteran populations include:
Separation from loved ones and support systems
The stress of combat
Seeing oneself and others in harm’s way
Military medical facilities reported an increase from a baseline of 11.4% of members diagnosed with depression to a rate of 15% of military personnel diagnosed with depression after deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Symptoms Of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Depressed mood
Loss of interest in activities
Insomnia
Weight gain or loss
Difficulty concentrating
Feelings of worthlessness
Suicidal thoughts
Half of all depressed patients are not correctly diagnosed by their medical providers. This makes it vitally important to screen for, identify, and follow through with suitable treatments. This is particularly true in the active duty and veteran military community.
How Does A Dual Diagnosis Create Problems?
When a person has a co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder, it is referred to as a dual diagnosis. To effectively treat both disorders within a dual diagnosis, one needs to receive dual diagnosis treatment.
Many people develop co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders because they use drugs or alcohol to help them cope with PTSD and other mental health disorder symptoms. For instance, veterans and military personnel may use drugs to help them relax, sleep, or manage mental illness symptoms that they would rather just avoid. Using substances to handle mental illness symptoms though can actually make the symptoms worse.
Veterans and military personnel that suffer from co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders also frequently have other problems such as sleep issues. In fact, suffering from a mental health or substance use disorder that caused a veteran or military personnel to develop sleep issues, may lead to behaviors that cause such individuals to develop a co-occurring disorder in the first place. This is primarily because mental health disorders often cause sleep problems (difficulty falling asleep or waking up during the night).
As a result, veterans and military personnel may decide to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs because they think doing so will help them sleep. In reality, though, the use of drugs and alcohol will often negatively change the quality of their sleep. This, in turn, often causes such veterans and military personnel to feel less rested.
Furthermore, such substance abuse could lead to the development of a full-fledged substance use disorder. As a result, many former military personnel will need to receive drug rehab for veterans.
It’s not always easy to tell if someone has a substance use disorder, especially because of shame and stigma. Some people try to keep their drug use a secret. However, if you suspect someone you love is suffering from addiction, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, an estimated 22.7 million Americans, or 8.6% of the population needed drug abuse or alcohol abuse treatment in 2013. Only 2.5 million Americans or 0.9% of the population received treatment at a rehab facility. The significant treatment gap itself speaks for how easy it is to force someone to go to a drug treatment program.
Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. The risk of addiction and how fast you become addicted varies by drug. Some drugs, such as opioid painkillers, have a higher risk and cause addiction more quickly than others.
If your loved one is showing these outward signs of a substance use disorder, chances are they could be treading the path to dependence. If you have questions about addiction and abuse, the best way to get them answered is by contacting a rehabilitation program directly.
Types Of Addiction
According to ASAM, substance use disorder is when a person is unable to consistently abstain from a behavior or substance. This is typically at the cost of their mental and physical health. Addiction, whether physical or behavioral, impacts many parts of a person’s life. Repeated use of substances or repeated behaviors results in physical brain changes, leading to impaired learning, decision-making, memory and judgment. Over time, addiction causes organ damage and increases risk of contracting a communicable disease. Addiction is known to cause depression and/or suicide and affects relationships with family and friends. Legal problems and financial woes are also common issues that result from addiction.
Substance addiction is dependence on any one or more of the following:
nicotine, or tobacco
alcohol
inhalants, often household items like oven cleaners, spray paints, or other aerosol products
drugs, illicit or non-illicit
Medication
Both genetic and environmental factors influence decisions and circumstances that lead to addiction. It is a confusing and challenging path to travel, not only for the person suffering but also for their friends and family members. It’s important to know that no addiction, regardless of what it is to, is untreatable. Professionals can effectively treat addictions of all types, both physical and behavioral.
What Are The Signs Of A Substance Use Disorder?
In the early stages, a person might not show telltale signs of a full-blown addiction. A healthy person can usually identify negative behavior and get rid of it. This is not the case with someone with an addiction. Rather than admit the problem exists, they’ll find ways to justify and continue the behavior. This is why it is crucial to get the necessary help early. Some early stages of a substance use disorder include:
Experimentation
Family history of addiction
Being particularly drawn to an activity or substance
Seeking out situations where the substance or activity is present
Episodes of binging or loss of control with little to no feelings of remorse after
When it comes to common social behaviors like drinking or smoking, it might be difficult to determine if there’s an addiction problem. What looks like addiction could be an experimental phase or a form of stress management. But a real addiction, if left untreated, can develop into a debilitating habit or increased risk of illness.
Drugs can also change personalities and behaviors, or make people act in ways that they normally don’t. At first, these behaviors may happen infrequently so it may be hard to notice them. Over time though, they may occur more regularly as drug usage increases.
Spending more time alone
Changing friends a lot
Losing interest in favorite hobbies or usual activities
Not taking care of appearances (not showering, brushing teeth, changing clothes)
Having mood swings or being more irritable, tired, or sad
Sleeping for longer or less, or at different hours than normal
Recognizing Unhealthy Drug Or Alcohol Use In Family Members
Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish normal teenage moodiness or angst from signs of drug use. Possible indications that your teenager or other family member has a substance use disorder issue include:
Problems at school or work — frequently missing school or work, a sudden disinterest in school activities or work, or a drop in grades or work performance
Physical health issues — lack of energy and motivation, weight loss or gain, or red eyes
Neglected appearance — lack of interest in clothing, grooming, or looks
Changes in behavior — exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering his or her room or being secretive about where he or she goes with friends; or drastic changes in behavior and in relationships with family and friends
Money issues — sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation; or your discovery that money is missing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from your home, indicating maybe they’re being sold to support drug use
How Do You Convince Someone They Have A Substance Use Disorder Problem?
When someone you love habitually misuses alcohol or drugs, it may be clear to you that they need help long before it’s clear to them. A person with substance use disorder is likely to strongly deny that there is a problem. Here are some helpful steps you and your family can take to help a person realize their substance use disorder problem.
Family intervention. Family members and an interventionist get together with the addict to tell them how they love them and wish that they would get help. Each family member takes a turn and tells the person how special they are and that they need to get help. The person who is struggling listens and perhaps becomes convinced to enter treatment.
Talk to, not at, the addict. Nobody wants to be lectured. Be honest with the addict and tell him or her that it will require some hard work but that he or she can get better. He or she will suffer without getting help. The person who is struggling is scared and they need help in overcoming their fears and resistance to getting help. Remember to find out those fears, address possible solutions to those fears, and you will have a better chance of getting through to that person.
Discuss consequences. An addiction expert can have a one-on-one talk with the addict. The expert should warn the addict of the dire consequences if they do not change their ways. The expert should be vivid as possible and hold nothing back. The goal is to convince the person to get help.
Have someone who’s been there talk to the addict. People who have themselves experienced addiction can try to reason with the addict.
Ask the addict why he or she won’t get help. Ask the addict to list three reasons why he or she will not get help. At first, he or she will say all kinds of things, but continue to engage the person and get the three main reasons why he or she refuses to get help. It might take a couple of tries, but listen to what he or she says. Once you get the answers, write them down.
Determine solutions to barriers. Once you get those three reasons, ask a professional to find the solutions to those issues. For example, the person says that he or she will not get help because he or she has failed repeatedly and fears failing again. Ask a few addiction professionals to help the addict overcome this barrier.
Use your list from no. 3 and list every positive thing that will counter those barriers. When you are finished, present this to the person who is struggling and explain what you came up with. This will help reduce the person’s fears and anxieties and may convince them to get help. Developing a plan to counter their reasons for not getting help will go a long way.
What To Do Next? We Are Here To Help.
For anyone who has a few or all of the signs of a substance use disorder, finding quality drug and alcohol addiction treatment is an important first step. Beginning with a detox period, treatment usually progresses to either an inpatient or outpatient program and is followed by comprehensive aftercare. When a new patient walks through our doors, it’s our priority to make him/her feel comfortable. For us, treating and conquering addiction is personal.
