Narconon is concerned that a recent survey featured in Join Together, points out the alarming fact that there are barriers to patient access to drug treatment.  The immediate problem to receiving treatment is funding, and many drug rehabs are apparently looking for the government to help make their programs available.  Though temporarily it can appear to be a financial burden, long term, it is one of the best investments that society can make right now.

The burden of lost production and extra health costs is not fully realized, but it is great.  The increase in drug addiction, with its crippling effects on individuals is most definitely affecting the economy.  A drugged up population can’t push a nation forward.  The temporary financial gain made by “legal” pot or pharmaceutical companies is going to turn out to be very expensive indeed.  Here is the article:

“A 2010 survey of substance abuse treatment providers showed a field that expects continued barriers to patient access despite health care reform, especially as funding sources change, Addiction Professional magazine reported Nov. 1, 2010.

The 27-item online survey, which was conducted by the magazine in September and October 2010, received 363 respondents from treatment facilities. It covered types of treatment offered, patient characteristics, drugs of choice, and business trends. Respondents represented many levels of care and types of clients served; most (61 percent) served clients that were publicly-funded, primarily Medicaid, while about one third said they did not work with third-party payers.

Although the majority (55 percent) of respondents said they had seen an overall increase in their client censuses in the past year, fewer than half (47 percent) projected patient volume to continue to grow in the next three years, in spite of expected changes to health care because of a workforce shortage and fears that public dollars for treatment –  in particular the federal block grant for substance abuse – could disappear.

“There will be fewer sources to pay, and services will be reimbursed at lower rates,” said one survey participant, William LaBine, who directs the Jackie Nitschke Center in Green Bay. LaBine’s agency has had to diversify its client base and funders as public sources of funding have declined.”

http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2011/addiction-professionals-say.html

Narconon stays busy educating legislatures and schools but we simply can’t get the message out fast enough.  More individuals need to join in on the major communication lines of the world and make the announcement that something has got to change quickly, or we are going to find ourselves in real trouble.

Narconon drug rehab is a good solution for those needing treatment.

Narconon reviewers found the following article from Join Together very interesting.  Apparently, a study found that there is an increase in alcohol related deaths, if there is an increase in liquor stores.   Apparently, without being reminded or coached to drink, some people won’t.  If there isn’t a liquor store on the way home, they won’t drive the extra mile to find liquor.  This is just conjecture, but the statistics are telling.   Here is the article:

“A study led by a researcher at the University of Victoria in British Columbia found a strong correlation between an increase in private liquor stores and alcohol-related deaths, Reuters reported Jan. 31.

The study was conducted in British Columbia between 2003 and 2008, when the Canadian province’s 89 health areas partially privatized alcohol sales and the number of private liquor outlets increased by 40 percent. Researchers looked for relationships between the number of alcohol-related deaths, the density of alcohol outlets, and the proportion that were privately owned.

According to the study abstract, investigators found that “the total number of liquor stores per 1000 residents was associated significantly and positively with population rates of alcohol-related death.” Every additional liquor outlet per 1,000 people resulted in a 27.5 percent increase in alcohol-related deaths.”

As always, Narconon of Georgia believes that prevention is the best solution to any addiction.  If the mere presence of a liquor store increases the number of deaths, then it stands to reason that other forms of advertisement likewise affect over-drinking.   With the increase of alcohol ads that “really aren’t ads” and alcohol “energy drinks” that really make you tired, there is no doubt a greater number of abusers are being created on a daily basis.  Surely, in this economy there are other ways that we can encourage individuals to spend money.   Even if liquor sales go down, the industry is certainly not going to disappear.

And as always there is Narconon drug and alcohol rehab for those who were lured to the liquor store near their house too frequently or bought into the energy drink ads too heavily.

Studies have shown that when dealing with drug addiction, effective addiction treatment is much less expensive and much more effective in preventing relapse  than jail time with no treatment.

Drug Addiction Rehab Alternative to jail

In states that have some of the highest incarceration rates in the country, such as Georgia, this is encouraging news. A recent survey of local politicians, The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab showed that local politicians preferred that drug addicts convicted of non-violent crimes get drug rehab time instead of jail time.

“This is very encouraging,” stated Mr. Gordon Weinand, Public Relations for The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in Georgia. “Georgia is traditionally known as the state that incarcerates more than any other state; we have more jails per capita than 48 other states. Yet we are near the bottom of the list for drug rehabs per capita.”

Public awareness on drug rehabs as well as studies showing that drug rehab is not only more effective in treatment of non-violent offenders than jail time, but is also more cost effective could be a part of the shift in opinion.

“It costs the state almost 3 times as much to incarcerate someone for a drug offence than it does to put them through an effective drug rehab program,” states Mr. Weinand. “It just makes good sense, politically, economically, and socially to put them through a good rehab where they can get clean, feel good about themselves, and learn where they went wrong than it is to spend millions of tax dollars to punish them in jail where the recidivism rate is sky high. I went through  original Narconon Program 40 years ago while I was in jail, and have been clean ever since. The Atlanta Recovery Center Program, which uses the Narconon protocol, turns people who are an extreme liability to society, costing the economy billions per year, into productive, responsible citizens. Jail sure doesn’t do that.

“Many judges are now sending offenders to The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab as an alternative to jail time, with excellent results.”

Studies show that even rehabs or treatment centers that offer sports tournaments for drug addicts can lower crime rates and raise self-esteem.

“Nobody wants to be a drug addict, no matter what they say,” states Mr. Weinand. “Get them help before they wind up with jail time.”

For information on drug rehab versus incarceration, call 1-877-236-3981 today.  

Important Links

Xanax Addiction

Many are now finding themselves in a drug rehab, unwittingly becoming addicted to prescription drugs.

Myra, a housewife, mother of 4, and grandmother to two, tells her story of her life before coming to The Atlanta Recovery Center to get help to quit her Xanax addiction:

I had a great life, grew up in a loving family, met the man of my dreams, and was all around a happy mother and grandmother.

I decided to go back to work, mainly just to find something to do, and found that while enjoyable, life became a little more stressful.

I had trouble sleeping, so I went to the doctor, and he prescribes Xanax, to help with my anxiety over my new job, and help me sleep better.

The Xanax pills helped me relax, and I could get through the day without stress.

I found myself starting to take more without realizing it; I just wasn’t getting get the same feeling of relief.  One day I left my prescription at home, and had to work late helping with a presentation, forget to take it, and the next thing I know, extreme anxiety set in. My heart started racing, and I had a panic attack. I didn’t know what’s happening.

At that point I realized: I am a drug addict. Addicted to Xanax.

“If you find yourself taking more and more Xanax to feel comfortable, be very careful,” warns Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia. “This prescription drug can be very easy to abuse, and is found in many medicine cabinets. Unfortunately, Xanax addiction usually occurs accidentally. Xanax is prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, panic attacks or moderate to severe stress. It is easy to get addicted to it.”

The unfortunate part is that although Xanax is available by prescription only, many Xanax addicts now get it through the internet with no prescription.

“The sad part is that many children are also abusing Xanax, some as young as 12 years old,” comments Ms. Rieser. “They find this in medicine cabinets, at home or at friends’ homes, and get addicted. Once addicted, withdrawal can be deadly. Get medical help if someone is addicted to Xanax.”

Xanax, produces a calming effect on the brain by “slowing it down.”  When these calming effects cannot be duplicated unless Xanax usage is increased, a Xanax addiction can result.

If you suspect someone you know is addicted to Xanax, get help now. The alternative can be deadly.

For information on Xanax addiction,  call 1-877-236-3981 today.

Important Links

Pharm Parties

You may not know this, but seven of the top ten drugs being abused by teenagers today are legal prescriptions or over-the-counter medications.

What does this have to do with your teen?

Let’s say you have teenagers.

They say that they are going to a friend’s house for a party. You, reminded of the drunken “keggers” you went to as a teenager, ask if there will be alcohol. They say no. You breathe a sigh of relief and give permission.

They come back, obviously intoxicated, but you don’t smell any alcohol, or marijuana. They haven’t been drinking, but something is wrong.

Welcome to the world of the Pharm Party.

The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug  Rehab in Georgia warns that while alcohol is still the drug most abused by teenagers, pharma parties are becoming the rage.

“ Teens will raid their parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinet, take Oxycontins, Percocets, Valiums, Xanax, and a get together with their friends,” warns Mary Rieser, Executive Director Of The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in Georgia. “They will mix and match their drugs, which is of course very dangerous. Soon they become drug addicts and this starts the dwindling spiral. Parent’s can’t figure out what happened.”

Prescription drug abuse among adolescents is at an all time high.

There is little wonder as Big Pharma keeps pushing drugs as the panacea for all ills. One example is Purdue Pharma, the makers of Oxycontin. Despite heavy fines for failing to label Oxycontin as highly addicted, Oxycontin sales still exceed $9.6 billion from 2000 to 2006.

Kids today can get their hands on practically anything. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America did a survey in 2005 that revealed 19% of U.S. teenagers (about 4.5 million) had taken prescription stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, or painkillers Vicodin and OxyContin for the purpose of getting high. According to a University of Michigan study, Vicodin and OxyContin are now more popular among high school seniors than cocaine and Ecstasy, beat out only by marijuana.

“While prescription drugs can be a God-send for someone who is sick, all too often these are misplaced or abused not only by the person, but by members of their family,” comments Ms. Rieser. “Unfortunately there is a myth among youngsters that these are not harmful drugs, as they were prescribed by the doctor, and Mom or Dad took them, so they can’t be all bad. This kind of mindset among adolescents can kill them. They become drug addicts and ruin their lives.”

How to fight drug addiction in your own family?

1. Keep careful track of all prescription medications. Once you are done throw away the rest.
2. Keep prescriptions locked up. Although your children may not abuse them, their friends may come over and take them.
3. Educate your children on drugs and drug abuse.
4. Be aware of the signs of drug abuse in your family.
5. Communicate. Keep in good communication with your children on the type of parties they go to, who their friends are, and what is going on in their life.

“Adolescence can be a difficult time for children,” comments Ms. Rieser. “If children don’t have someone they can talk to, someone they can trust, it is all too easy to go down the wrong path.”

The Atlanta Recovery Center of Georgia is a non-traditional drug abuse treatment program. The Atlanta Recovery Center was founded in 1967, and its mission also includes drug education and working with children.  While many drug rehab statistics are nebulous, The Atlanta Recovery Center boasts a 76% success rate (based on a two year follow-up) through a non-traditional drug treatment program.  This program provides body detoxification through a sauna and exercise program that helps eliminate or reduce cravings. After the sauna program, the client learns those life skills essential to success in life and the ability to stay clean.  They graduate from The Atlanta Recovery Center with a life plan and continued support to make sure they make it in life.

Addiction Intervention

In growing momentum as drug addiction affects parishioners, another local church turned to The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in Georgia for help.

A local church in Marietta, Georgia, hearing of the successful training delivered to other churches in the area, contacted The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in  GA for training on substance abuse and drug rehabilitation.  A seminar was delivered by two The Atlanta Recovery Center staff to church goers who had an addiction problem and wanted to learn about new approaches.  The seminar was very well received.

“We have had very positive response from churches in the area,” stated Ms. Mary Rieser, Executive Director of The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in Georgia. “We have delivered seminars to members of Baptist Churches, Catholic Churches and Methodist Churches, and they are very enthusiastic about being able to help their parishioners.”

One Catholic priest commented, “We have a growing problem with drug and alcohol addiction in our parish. Unfortunately I can fill them with the Holy Spirit, but if the vessel is broken, the Holy Spirit empties out. With the tools provided by The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab, I can help fix the vessel so that the Holy Spirit can fill them and keep them filled.”

Two ministers from local churches are taking the spiritual – as well as the physical well-being of their parishioners seriously. They are training to be drug addiction specialists at The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in GA.

The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in GA offers free drug education seminars to church groups, children’s groups, and community centers.

Ms. Rieser states: “We believe that recovery and drug prevention starts in the home, church and community. We encourage anyone interested in helping their neighbors, friends or family to contact us.”

Any church group interested in receiving free drug education lectures is welcome to call The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in GA for free training.

For more information on drug addiction rehabilitation or drug education, call The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab Georgia at  1-877-236-3981.

Adolescent Abuse of Prescription Drug: Xanax

Xanax is a prescription drug, a benzodiazepine or tranquilizer, used to treat anxiety.   It is a Schedule IV controlled substance, which means that it has a high potential for abuse.   There are at least 28 adverse reactions that can be caused by Xanax, including headache, tremors, confusion, blurred vision, memory loss and convulsions – not the ingredients for those who want to make the list of “those most likely to succeed.

Xanax Addiction

The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in Georgia warned that according to survey, kids take it for the relaxing high and because it is socially acceptable and easily accessible.   The prescription drug can be found in many family medicine cabinets or three tablets can be bought on the streets for five dollars.   Some kids take eight at a time.  They mix Xanax with orange juice, alcohol or an energy drink to intensify the effects.    Those who mix it with alcohol, are putting themselves at extreme risk.  The mixture of xanax and alcohol can result in respiratory suppression and even death.

A survey at a local high school revealed that Xanax abuse is on the rise with our students.  One student interviewed reported, “Xanax is the most commonly abused drug in my school.  Kids take it all the time.  They get it out of their parents’ medicine cabinets.”  He continued with, “It’s a bigger problem in my high school than pot.”

Some kids feel they are addicted to Xanax and were from the first moment they took it.   This is not surprising as Xanax is very addictive – a person can become dependent on Xanax in just a few days.  Others surveyed feel it would be difficult to stop because of the accessibility of the drug.

Mary Rieser, Executive Director of The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab of Georgia, stated:   “We need to get on top of this extreme situation now.   Kids need to be educated on the risks involved, not only in taking xanax, but in suddenly discontinuing it without the help of a physician.  Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and include agitation, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting and convulsions.   It is one of the most difficult drugs to withdraw from, once addicted. Many cases require a medically supervised detox from Xanax addiction, as withdrawal symptoms can be deadly.

“Parents have to be willing to ask their kids if they are taking Xanax and if they are, get them the help that they need to safely discontinue it.   Most high school kids probably at least know about Xanax.  A recent CASA study revealed that 80 percent of our high school kids attend drug-infested schools.  Assume that your kids at least know about Xanax and talk to them about it.  The family car can become a lethal weapon if driven by a teen mentally impaired from Xanax.”

Find out the truth about those you love and call us if the truth is hard to face.

For more information on drug rehabilitation, over the prescription drug abuse, or drug education, call The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab of Georgia at 1-877-236-3981.

LSD Blotter paper

LSD is not something people hear much about. While other drugs have taken headlines, and many are routinely portrayed in the news, LSD, not very publicized, is still used by many to get high. The Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab in Georgia warns that its use is still widespread.

While originally used in the 1940’s and 1950’s as a research tool in studies of mental illness, and once marketed as a cure from everything from criminal behavior, alcoholism, sexual perversions, and a wide range of other illnesses, LSD has no legitimate medical use in treatment, and is classified as such by the FDA. Although the study of LSD and other hallucinogens increased the awareness of how chemicals could affect the mind, its use in psychotherapy largely has been debunked. It produces no aphrodisiac effects, does not increase creativity, has no lasting positive effect in treating alcoholics or criminals, does not produce a “model psychosis,” and does not generate immediate personality change.

During the late 1960′s and early 1970′s, the drug culture adopted LSD as the “psychedelic” drug of choice. This lasted for a number of years until considerable negative publicity emerged on “bad trips”- psychotic psychological traumas associated with the LSD high. Bad trips included seeing one’s teeth fall out, feeling one was falling into glass shards, among other hallucinations.

LSD, or acid, is the strongest hallucinogenic substance known. In comparison, dosages of cocaine and heroin are measured in milligrams, or thousandths of a gram, but dosages of LSD are measured in micrograms, or millionths of a gram. LSD is 100 times more potent than psilocybin and psilocin, other hallucinogens, and 4,000 times more potent than mescaline. Fifty micrograms, or 50 millionths of a gram, is the standard dosage used.

“Flashbacks,” or uncontrollable recurring experiences, also started occurring. Days, weeks, even years after taking a hit of LSD, users could experience a recurring full-blown “trip”, in the most unexpected times.

LSD dramatically decreased in popularity in the mid-1970′s. Scientific study of LSD ceased circa 1980 as research funding declined.

As a casual drug of abuse, LSD has remained popular among certain segments of society, and is popular with high school and college students and other young adults. LSD also has been integral to the lifestyle of many individuals who follow certain rock music bands, most notably the Grateful Dead. Older individuals, introduced to the hallucinogen in the 1960′s, also still use LSD.

LSD most often is found in the form of small paper squares or, on occasion, in tablets. On occasion, authorities have encountered the drug in others forms-including powder or crystal, liquid, gelatin square, and capsule-and laced on sugar cubes and other substances. Some put the liquid into used inhalers and drop a few drops into their mouth to get “high”.

LSD is sold under more than 80 street names including acid, blotter, cid, doses, and trips, as well as names that reflect the designs on sheets of paper. More than 200 types of LSD tablets have been encountered since 1969 and more than 350 paper designs have been acquired since 1975. Designs range from simple five-point stars in black and white to exotic artwork in full four-color print. Inexpensiveness (prices range from $2 to $5 per dosage unit or “hit,”; wholesale lots often sell for as little as $1 or less), ready availability, alleged “mind-expanding” properties, and intriguing paper designs make LSD especially attractive to junior high school and high school students.

However, drug studies have confirmed that the powerful hallucinogenic effects of this drug can produce profound adverse reactions, such as acute panic reactions, psychotic crises, and flashbacks, especially in users ill-equipped to deal with such trauma.

Signs of LSD Abuse:
•    A person who has take LSD or other psychedelics will manifest glassy eyes and have a blank, vacant stare.
•    Often they appear to be daydreaming and needs to be spoken to several times before responding.
•    They will be found to have inappropriate and extended interest in common objects. For example, examining an ashtray or a drawing for a long time, turning it, viewing it from different angles.
•     The person may also have a similar interest in body parts, such as a finger, hand or food.
•    Conversation tends to be esoteric, like a “head trip.”
•    They will hallucinate.
•    They will experience anxiety for no apparent reason.
•    They may have dilated pupils and may be inexplicably high-strung.

For more information on drug addiction rehabilitation or drug education, call The Atlanta Recovery Center of Georgia at 1-877-326-3981.

Atlanta Skyline

This week Atlanta Recovery Center located in Atlanta Georgia updated our web site.  The new site is designed to allow the public to interact with the treatment center in new ways.  The site includes an integration with twitter and other social media sites.

Atlanta Recovery center is promoting Operation Medicine Cabinet in cooperation with a Georgia Sheriff’s department scheduled for later in the month.  The event will offer $5 gift cards to anyone returning unused or out of date prescription drugs.

The Atlanta Recovery Center and its dedicated staff can help you in this fight against drug addiction. Daily we help bring lives, communities, and families back together. We can no longer ignore the fact that alcoholism and drug addiction are a widespread devastating force in our world. Pleading ignorance or ignoring this fact will only lead to the destruction of our children, our families and their futures. Get help today with Atlanta Recovery Center!