Posts Tagged ‘recovery’

Addiction and Mental Health Parity explained

Monday, February 1st, 2010

With the mental health parity laws going into effect in October of 2009, the levels of health care available to those struggling from addiction or mental health issues have increased. Under the new Wellstone Parity Act, group health policies and employers must provide equal or higher coverage to addiction and mental illness as they would a physical illness, such as cancer. These new rules will make access to treatment much more available to the general public, as insurance companies have often set limits on days for addiction or mental health treatment, but put no limits on other types of hospital care. A government spokesperson said, “…the rules would benefit 111 million people in 446,400 group health plans offered by private employers, and 29 million people in 20,000 plans sponsored by state and local governments.”

The American Psychiatric Association had this to say: “Mental health parity was a major advance for the APA and for our patients living with mental illnesses,” said APA President Alan F. Schatzberg, M.D. “The APA will continue to work hard and submit the important feedback to the Administration that is necessary to make sure our patients receive the care they need.”

So what does that mean for us? Obviously, more access to addiction services bodes well for the general public. With more people gaining access to the resources to get help, one would think more people would get help. But is that the case? Will we see an uptick in treatment admissions? Our bet- probably not. Those who are unable to ask for help for themselves won’t magically be able to get help even when it’s available. That’s why we encourage families to break free from the traps of secrets, and get help for their loved ones. Reaching out and asking for help can provide access to those much-needed treatment options that may not have been available before this act was passed.

If you or someone you love need help with an addiction, call us at 877-320-0247 or visit us on the web at www.a-i-r.com.

You can also follow us on Twitter at @airecovery.

Tags: addiction, addiction intervention, addiction parity, AiR Assistance in recovery, chemical dependency, drug addiction, eating disorders, gentetics of addiction, intervention, mental health, mental health parity, mental illness, parity, recovery, recovery assistance, Recovery Assistance Program, substance abuse, Treatment, wellstone
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Innovative College Recovery Programs

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

With more and more adolescents and young adults seeking drug and alcohol treatment, there have been some distinct innovations in the recovery sector of colleges. According to research done at Yale University, adolescents and young adults are more prone to addiction due to their still-developing brains. There are nearly 50,000 college-age kids in America who are abusing alcohol or other drugs to the extent that they are unable to make it successfully through college. As a result, the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse are more and more prevalent in the world today; however, with additional resources available for young adults and more awareness allowing for earlier intervention, a good number of those young people are entering the journey of recovery at earlier ages. These earlier ages present new and different challenges in the recovery world, and college tends to be a place full of rampant triggers and challenges for a newly-recovering person. As a result, more colleges around the country are starting to develop programs specifically for people in recovery (for a complete list, check out the Recovery Schools website here).

A couple of programs stand out- in our backyard, Minneapolis, Augsburg College has their innovative StepUp program to meet the needs of the recovering community. With support groups and sobriety-specific dorms, Augsburg has some great wrap-around services for those young adults going to college for the first time, or heading back into an environment where they’ve struggled.

Texas Tech, in Lubbock, TX also has their own recovery program for students. Dr. Kitty Harris, director of Texas Tech’s Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery, had this to say about the program: “I want our students to have a true college experience. I don’t want them to feel separate. I don’t want them to feel apart from. I don’t want them to feel different. And I especially don’t want them to drink or do drugs.” This program, integrating students into the college milieu, provides new hope for students that have struggled in the past. Here’s a video about Texas Tech’s program.

However, there are some barriers before college. Should your adolescent or young adult need treatment, please contact us at 877-320-0247 or www.a-i-r.com. We also would highly recommend, for any person in recovery entering a college environment, our Recovery Assistance Program, which will provide additional accountability. When heading off to college, especially those without a recovery program for students, having the Recovery Assistance Program in place can provide a safety net for your loved one.

Tags: addiction, addiction intervention, adolescent addiction, AiR Assistance in recovery, assistance in recovery, augsburg stepup program, college, college recovery, drug addiction, intervention, recovery, recovery assistance, Recovery Assistance Program, sober college, sober in college, stepup program, substance abuse, texas tech, Treatment, young adult addiction
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Mental Health Issues on the Rise

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

A new study from San Diego State University found that FIVE TIMES as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Tags: addiction, addiction intervention, AiR Assistance in recovery, alcohol, anxiety, assistance in recovery, depression, drug addiction, intervention, recovery, recovery assistance, Recovery Assistance Program, substance abuse, Treatment
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New York State adds stronger drunk driving laws

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

As reported by the Associated Press yesterday (via the New York Times), New York State legislators agreed on tougher drunk driving laws.Basically, the law has created a stiffer penalty for those who drive under the influence with a child in the car, turning the DUI from a misdemeanor to a felony. The agreement will also cause offenders to have a breathalyzer installed in their car to stop offenders from starting a car while under the influence. Although some additional details have to be worked out, officials from both sides said that the any differences would be settled quickly. The law will be named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed when a station wagon full of children driven by a mother accused of drunken driving crashed in Manhattan on Oct. 11.

Her father, Lenny Rosado, had this to say: “Today I consider this a very glorious day and very victorious day for me. For my family, and for my daughter … this is what is going to save lives in her honor.Everyone who takes a drink and gets behind the wheel, is going to think twice about driving whether there are children in the car or outside of the car and taking a life, that my daughter’s name and her death will make a difference.”

On the heels of Diane Schuler, the mother who drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Thruway in New York earlier this year and killed multiple children, this law is a long time coming. We can only hope that those who choose to drink and drive are apprehended and given the help that they need. What we have found interesting in the past is that car insurance companies tend to give more “points,” or items that raise individuals’ insurance rates, to speeding tickets over DUIs. This needs to change. Driving under the influence is one of the most dangerous activities out there- one can only hope people learn to simply call a cab when necessary. Should drinking and driving be something a family member engages in, it’s the family’s responsibility to hold him or her accountable.

For help for yourself or a loved one, please call us at 877-320-0247 or visit us on the web at www.a-i-r.com.

Tags: addiction, addiction intervention, AiR Assistance in recovery, alcohol, alcoholism, assistance in recovery, drug addiction, DUI, hazelden, intervention, recovery, Recovery Assistance Program, substance abuse
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The Genetic Link to Addiction

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

An article on CNNMoney.com today spoke about the genetic link to addiction. Although widely acknowledged throughout the addiction treatment community, it’s nice to see additional research showing the link between addiction and genetics. According to Dr. David Goldman, the director of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said that according to the massive study they completed of addiction in twins, addiction ranks “among the most heritable of mental illnesses.”

Dr. Goldman also said that social cues and environment obviously contribute to addiction, a valid point. Someone with the “alcoholic gene” who is never exposed to alcohol may never lead themselves down a destructive path. After all, genetics load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger.

“What’s interesting,” Goldman says, “is that the more addictive the substance, the stronger the role of heredity in causing an addiction to it.” Therefore, if someone is using crack cocaine or opiates and has the genetic predisposition towards addiction, the greater the chance of getting hooked. Other environmental things, such as abuse or other instances of trauma, can severely influence the nature of addiction.

Dr. David Oslin, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania, had this to say about the study, “It reinforces for the patients that they are not just a bad person or lack will power. It resonates with the notion that their brain may work a little differently than other people’s and that this really is an illness they can treat like any other.”

As a family member or a loved one, be sure to be aware of the genetic triggers in your family- if a parent struggles with alcoholism, be sure to be aware of your genetic history and approach your drinking carefully. After all, there’s only so much one can do after addiction has taken hold.

Be sure to check out our new Wikipedia page, located here.

For any questions or help with yourself or a loved one, call us directly at 877-320-0247.

Tags: addiction, addiction genes, addiction intervention, AiR Assistance in recovery, alcohol, alcoholism, assistance in recovery, chemical dependency, cnn, genetics, gentetics of addiction, intervention, recovery, recovery assistance, substance abuse
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Grace After Fire and AiR

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

One of the great things we at AiR get to do is work with struggling families to help them find the right direction; however, we also get to work in avenues that can truly help a very selective population, our veterans. We have partnered with Grace After Fire, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing addiction treatment and trauma treatment for women veterans. With more and more women in the military reporting instances of severe mental and emotional trauma, even more resources are needed- especially ones not currently available via government resources. With a long and detailed history of Vietnam veterans suffering large instances of trauma, one would think we’d be better prepared for our returning soldiers. Alas, that is not the case. However, Grace After Fire is there to help bridge the gap in resources, and we’re excited to be a part of their cause.

One of the founding board members, Tia Christopher, provided a great testimony at the Veteran’s Affairs Committee meeting, and a video can be seen here. Women veterans can also find resources and help via their community message board, available here.

Issac Skelton, the publications director for the Drug Policy Alliance, puts our veterans’ addiction and trauma problem into focus in this editorial in the New York Times. The main point that he focuses on is this, that “…thousands of returning veterans who cope through self-medication are risking addiction, arrest and jail time.” He wrote this in response to another New York Times article that spoke directly about the problem of returning veterans and healthcare- that the Walter Reed Hospital and its neglected outpatient programs weren’t the main problem- they were only a symptom of a broken system.  We need the resources available to provide the best care possible for our returning heroes.

We strongly encourage any family to get help, but we especially want to put resources in the hands of families of veterans. Should you, or someone you love, be struggling with their transition back into the civilian world, please call us at 877-320-0247 for assistance. With the help of organizations such as Grace After Fire, we can help put a healing hand out for the veterans that really need us.

Tags: addiction, addiction intervention, AiR Assistance in recovery, assistance in recovery, chemical dependency, Grace After Fire, intervention, prescription drug abuse, recovery, recovery assistance, substance abuse, trauma and addiction, Treatment, veterans, veterans and trauma
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Why isn't EVERYONE monitored?

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Ok, so we all know that monitoring works. Addiction, like other chronic diseases, needs daily treatment to stay in remission. If one looks at diabetes, another chronic illness, it takes daily maintenence and monitoring to avoid a relapse into diabetic symptoms. This is recognized as a method of creating wellness in a diabetic’s world- so why aren’t we helping our addicts in recovery have a better chance to make a change? Our Recovery Assistance Program is, we feel, an integral part of the recovery process. Who wouldn’t want their loved one to have additional accountability and a significantly better chance of having a positive outcome? As we’ve seen in the past with both doctors and pilots, patients who are monitored at the beginning stages of their recovery have a significantly better chance to succeed.

When a family approaches us for an intervention, they are often at the greatest moment of crisis in their lives. Our goal is to provide the best solution possible- for the family as well as the identified patient. In our eyes, the best way to get someone well is long term care and a program of rigorous accountability to the recovery process, family, and career.

So what is the downfall? Are we looking at this as a business as opposed to a recovery practice? What we, as a treatment field, need to remember is that we are in this for the patients; that our only true goal is to help our clients and families get better. And as we know, the greatest gift is the gift of time. Allowing an addict to have additional accountability for their first year can only increase the ability to get well- and that should be our end goal. The better our treatment, the better our monitoring, the smaller the relapse rates and the better our families get.

The bottom line is this- when you’re considering the fate of your loved one, why not provide them with the best care possible? Recovery Assistance, a program that provides therapeutic support for the family and the identified individual, will help families recover. Isn’t that what we’re all here for?

Tags: addiction intervention, addiction intervention resources, assistance in recovery, intervention, monitoring, pilot and doctor recovery, recovery, recovery assistance, sobriety
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Intervening against an adult's will- a tough task

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

An article on the CNN website on Friday afternoon touched on how difficult it can be to intervene on an adult. This article, of course, was brought up by the death of Michael Jackson (details of his drug use can be found here, here and here) and the efforts of his sister to perform an intervention. However, Jackson had his security guards shut down the family and the entire process- eventually leading to his early demise. Could he have been saved if his family had a professional interventionist available to guide them through the process? We think yes. We believe that once you are aware that a problem exists, it is no longer an option to do nothing.

We feel that addicts, much of the time, have trouble asking for help for themselves. This leaves it to family, friends and coworkers to step in and create change- build a “soft bottom” for the addict/alcoholic, one that doesn’t end in prison or death. Through the intervention process, we at AiR can create a change in the family dynamic. By setting boundaries and removing the primary enabling behaviors, we can actually change the family system from one of enmeshment to one of healthy boundaries. This provides a path for a family to start the healing process.

Here’s an excerpt from the article, wherein Dr. Marvin Seppela, Chief Medical Officer of the Hazelden Foundation, talks about the intervention process:

‘A more formal, direct intervention involves family members confronting the person and encouraging the addict to seek help. Before this meeting, a professional interventionist typically meets with family members or friends of the addict to get a history of what’s happened, said Dr. Marvin Seppala, chief medical officer at Hazelden Foundation.

Letters are a typical component of a direct intervention: The family members or friends will explain in writing that they are doing the intervention because they love the addict, and that they have observed specific troubling behaviors, as described in the letter, Seppala said.

Beforehand, the professional interventionist will try to prepare for the possibility that the addict will run away and, along with the family, create specific consequences if the person does not agree to go into treatment, Seppala said.

For example, if the person is married, an addict’s spouse may not permit him or her back into the home, Seppala said.’

This is a simplified description of the intervention process; for more details, contact us at 877-320-0247.

Tags: addiction, assistance in recovery, cnn, hazelden, intervention, michael jackson intervention, recovery
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