Hepatitis C: The Basics

Hepatitis C is a contagious viral disease which leads to inflammation of the liver and if left untreated, severe liver damage and eventually even liver cancer.  In the last year, advances in hepatitis treatment have more than doubled the cure rate from below 40 percent to 80 percent. Hepatitis C can be spread a few different ways. One way is through blood to blood contact, like an infected blood transfusion or intravenous needle sharing; others are by having unprotected sex with someone infected, or being born to a mother with the disease.

The trickiest part about hepatitis is that most people who have been infected by the virus are completely asymptomatic, which means that they exhibit no symptoms whatsoever. This understandably frustrates many as how can you possibly know that you need hepatitis treatment when you don’t even know you’re infected?! A lot of the time a person will go for decades not realizing they are infected until liver damage shows up during routine medical tests.  That said, the most common way the hepatitis virus is transmitted is through needles shared during illicit drug use. So if you are a current or former intravenous drug user, even if you show no hepatitis symptoms at all it’s still imperative that you go get tested as a simple blood test will answer this question for you.

Hepatitis Treatment

If you test positive for the virus, all hope is not lost. Hepatitis C is not remotely the killer it was even one year ago. Hepatitis treatment has advanced so much that there are now antiviral medications on the market that can kill the virus strain with as little as one or two rounds. If you are a former addict who’s recently been diagnosed with having hepatitis, this is not a reason to give up on your hard fought recovery as you can fight through this obstacle as well.

Destination Hope is a full service drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Florida for men suffering from substance abuse issues.  Hepatitis and eventual liver failure has been a longtime concern for former heroin and other intravenous drug users. The new medication on the market has essentially doubled the survival rate of those infected and restored faith and hope to many of these brave individuals in recovery. If you or a loved one is abusing intravenous drugs, please call us today at 1-877-380-9777. Let us help you make your health and happiness your main priority again.

The topic of dual diagnosis always brings up an interesting conversation with regard to whether the addiction or psychological condition comes first and causes the other one? People have a difficult time understanding the concept that the answer to this question is actually “it depends.” A lot of times the mental illness will be the initial disorder. An unfortunately a common coping mechanism of having a mental health issue like depression or anxiety for example is to abuse drugs and alcohol in an effort to self-medicate the symptoms. It doesn’t take a very long time to become physically dependent on these substances when you get into a habit of using them in an attempt to control how you feel.

While the former dual diagnosis causal relationship is more common, it can certainly happen the other way around as well. Alcohol and drug addiction can also serve as the primary condition. When a person’s substance abuse habit becomes severe, it is not uncommon for the addict to start to develop symptoms of a mental illness as a result of brain damage from the substance abuse. Examples of these symptoms include but are not limited to episodes of depression, fits of rage, hallucinations or even suicide attempts.

Treating a Dual Diagnosis

If there is one thing to take away from this entire synopsis of dual diagnosis, it is the one single effective way to treat it. Dual diagnosis sufferers absolutely have to treat both conditions they are afflicted with simultaneously. These co-occurring disorders have such a powerful effect and influence on one another that it is simply not reasonable to think that you can effectively treat one while ignoring the other. Their ability to exacerbate the symptoms of one another is far too strong. The addiction and psychological illness must be tended to simultaneously, preferably by an experienced dual diagnosis counselor. Common methods of treatment include individual cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy sessions, family therapy as well as the possibility of medication depending on which psychological condition you suffer from.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Florida

Destination Hope is a premier drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility for men in Florida. Our experienced treatment counselors can guide you through how to recover from your addiction while effectively minimizing the symptoms of your mental illness as well. We understand that recovering from both of these conditions can seem like an impossible task, but trust us that they are treatable! We can help you move forward in your life like we’ve helped countless others before you. When you’re ready to hear more about our personalized treatment plans catered entirely around the individual, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 1-877-380-9777. Day or night, we’re waiting for your call.

Cocaine and the Heart

While many of the substances outlined above require prolonged abuse to really damage your heart, cocaine can actually kill you on the first try. Cocaine works by triggering a release of dopamine into the brain, and then prevents its reabsorption. Engaging in this type of substance abuse can cause a person to develop an irregular heart beat as well as constricted blood vessels. Irregular heart beats and constricted blood vessels can lead to the following life-threatening conditions, literally the first time out of the gate:

• Heart attack, cardiac arrest and sudden death
• Myocarditis, which is damage to the heart muscle which leads to heart failure
• Endocarditis, which is inflammation of the lining of the heart
• Vascular thrombosis, which is blood clots in the coronary arteries
• Pulmonary edema, which is fluid in the lungs
• Dilated cardiomyopathy, which is the condition of having an enlarged heart

While individuals with heart disease are increasingly likely to suffer from one of these conditions outlined above, they occur every day in people with no history of coronary troubles. Substance abuse is often the explanation in the latter case.

Poly-Substance Abuse and the Heart

As devastating as cocaine can be to the heart on its own, mixing certain substances together only makes things that much worse, particularly smoking and drinking alcohol. Cigarettes essentially add fuel to the fire as they can exacerbate cocaine’s ability to elevate the heart rate constrict blood vessels. The presence of both cocaine and alcohol  in the system simultaneously prompts the liver to produce the substance cocaethylene, which increases cocaine’s ability to cause heart strain and sudden death.

Florida Substance Abuse Treatment

Destination Hope is a premier drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Florida for men who suffer from substance abuse issues. The quickest and most effective way to protect and minimize future damage to your heart is to stop the substance abuse today. If you or a loved one has developed a problem with drugs or alcohol, please call us at 1-877-380-9777. The sooner you stop, the sooner your risk of heart disease and heart failure will decrease. We’re here to help when you’re ready.

The basis of the investigation hinges on two main allegations: 1) the implication that the drug companies may have promoted misleading information about the safety and effectiveness of these prescription painkillers and 2) that they worked in partnership with several non-profit organizations to whom they’ve donated large sums of money to help spread the misinformation. Because of these allegations, the Senate panel has subpoenaed records from not only drug companies Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and Endo Pharmaceuticals, but also from nonprofit organizations the American Pain Foundation, the American Pain Society, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the University of Wisconsin Pain and Policy Studies Group as well as the Joint Commission. If these allegations prove to be true, an unprecedented legal and financial penalty could fall on the involved parties for playing such a pivotal role in the prescription drug addiction and overdose epidemic in this country.

The Senate panel issued each of these organizations a letter, in which they cited the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel’s report that “a network of national organizations and researchers with financial connections to the makers of narcotic painkillers helped create a body of dubious information” promoting the safety and effectiveness of opioids. This information or misinformation really was found in prescribing guidelines, patient literature, position statements, books and doctor education courses. The same newspaper article reported that many of the nonprofits outlined above pushed for expanded use of these prescription painkillers while pocketing millions of dollars from the drug companies that manufactured them. With mounting evidence in favor of the Journal Sentinel’s original investigation, it’s not surprising the monumental increase in accidental drug addiction and overdose rates. Occurring at almost the same time as the Senate panel’s investigation announcement, the American Pain Foundation closed its doors, stating it “must cease to exist, immediately.”

Destination Hope is a full service alcohol and drug addiction treatment center for men in Florida. We can only hope that this investigation will prompt stricter regulation of these highly addictive and potentially lethal prescription painkillers, which we believe will ultimately result in saving lives. If you or a loved one has developed a prescription drug addiction, please don’t hesitate to call us today at 1-877-380-9777. We have the tools and the determination to put you back in the driver’s seat of your life.

The bill was originally sponsored by Florida state Representative Robert Schenck, whose original goal was to put restraints on not only the abusers of the drugs, but most notably the doctors who prescribed them and even the pharmacies that fulfilled them. This issue came to a head when the lack of regulation of narcotic painkillers like OxyContin lead addicts and dealers from all of the country to our backyard to “doctor shop” and try to get as many pills prescribed to them as possible. Since there was no tracking system in place, these individuals could literally be prescribed and fill hundreds upon thousands of these drugs with no one being the wiser. Unfortunately things grew even worse when a series of unethical doctors realized the profit potential in selling these pills for cash to addicts and dealers alike and Florida’s prescription drug abuse and addiction rates skyrocketed.

The legislation instated tight reporting requirements to a prescription drug monitoring database including the patient’s use records as well as the doctor’s prescribing records. It banned most doctors from dispensing prescription pills themselves and even started moving towards creating a “monthly dosage cap” that pharmacies could not surpass. Penalties were also severely increased for all, dealers, doctors and pharmacists who were found guilty of unlawful dispension, theft, or failure to report the loss of controlled substances.

In addition to doctor’s prescribing 97 percent less of these powerful pain killers, pharmacies in the state collectively purchased almost 15 percent less oxycodone in 2011 than the previous year. In 2010 when prescription drug abuse had seemed to find its way into every community in the country, 90 of the top 100 oxycodone prescribing and purchasing physicians in the nation practiced medicine in Florida. One year later in 2011, only 13 from this list reside in Florida.

Prescription Drug Abuse Treatment

While the dispensing of prescription narcotics like oxycodone has decreased, the intensity of an addiction to them is as strong as ever. Prescription drug abuse has become one of the most common addictions Americans face and getting off of them is no easy task.

Destination Hope is a full service addiction treatment center in Florida for men with substance abuse issues. The prescription drug epidemic literally started in our backyard and we have the experience to help you overcome the abuse and addiction. If you or a loved one has begun abusing prescription drugs, please contact us today at 1-877-380-9777. We can help you take control back of your life, one day at a time.

Having worked in the Behavioral Health field for 30 years, I have come to appreciate and depend heavily on the professional care provided by nurses.  Nurses often play an understated role in this area.  Usually when one thinks about substance abuse and mental health the professions that come to mind are psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and substance abuse professionals.  We tend to overlook the important role that nurses play.

Nurses are usually the stabilizing force in an organization.  As the organization grows, changes focus, downsizes the one constant providing comfort and care has always been nurses.  Unlike most professions, nurses have education and training that enable them to assume a variety of roles.  Nurses can provide medical attention and oversight that most other professions can’t.  By virtue of their training they possess great organizational skills, which provide stability and direction to organizations. They make patient, knowledgeable counselors which bring a calming atmosphere.  Nurses are often promoted to administrative/management positions allowing them to utilize the skills and training as stated above.

At Destination Hope we have learned to recognize and rely on the skills of our ARNP, Linda Milano.  Linda, who is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner brings a number of years of education and experience to her role.  We have come to rely very heavily on her ability to assess the needs of our clients and relay that information to our clinical staff in a professional, concise manner that allows us to provide the best care possible.  Linda’s background in the field is evident as she conducts med-education groups with clients or provides suggestions to staff about care.  Linda brings excellence to clinical care at Destination Hope and we want to say Thank You, Linda for making a positive difference in the lives of so many.

Sincerely,

Alton Smith

Vice President of Operations, Destination Hope

How Family Therapy Can Help Heal Past Wounds

Most families are struggling by the time they get to our doorstep. There’s a part of them that’s relieved and grateful that their loved one is finally enrolled in a treatment program, but there’s also still plenty of resentment and old wounds that need to be reconciled. There is no such thing as the perfect addict whose behavior didn’t have negative repercussions for their family. Addicts often steal, lie and deceive their family members in defense of their habit. Nothing takes a higher priority than their addiction and that’s a tough thing to move beyond. What we try and do in family therapy is get everything out in the open so accountability can be taken from all sides, apologies made and accepted, and finally a commitment to a change in behavior. This is not just the addict’s responsibility either. A change in behavior needs to be made from all members of the family if they want their loved one to have the best shot at long-term sobriety.

The key to all of this is open, honest communication without judgment. When someone is trying to be honest with you and you pass judgment on them, you are immediately no longer a safe haven for them to express themselves. Relationships are built and rebuilt on trust, and trust comes from involved, active listening. This is what we aim to teach in our family therapy program. The family that learns this skill and practices it in their own lives and homes is much more likely to get the recovering addict to come back to their family of origin.

Destination Hope is a premier addiction treatment center for men in Florida. We know how critical of a role family plays in an addict’s ability to recover, so we pride ourselves on having one of the most intensive, involved family therapy programs around. If there’s a man in your life who could benefit from the focused, personalized care of Destination Hope, please don’t hesitate to put him in contact with us today at 1-877-380-9777. If you can get him to our doorstep, we’ll take it from there.

Myth # 1: Depression in Men Looks the Same as Depression in Women

If you have depression, then regardless of gender you’re just really sad for extended periods of time, right? This is a big misconception about depression. While it absolutely affects both sexes and can cause serious disruption in their daily lives, the way men and women express their symptoms of depression is actually very different. While it’s fairly well-known that depression in women can cause feelings of sadness and worthlessness, depression in men is actually more likely to cause sufferers to be irritable, aggressive or hostile.

Myth # 2: He Seems So Happy, He’s Not Depressed!

If only if were that simple. Someone can seem to be as jovial and happy on the outside as a kid on their birthday, but that in no way means that they’re not suffering from severe clinical depression on the inside. We have to remember that on average, depression affects one out of every 10 people in America and the majority of them continue on with their daily activities all the while suffering silently. Depression in men, especially when left untreated, can get so bad that they become unable to function, but most are much harder to identify from the outside.

Myth # 3: People with Depression Can Just Snap Out of It

This is a myth that is due to the extreme lack of understanding the general population has about the mental illness of depression as a whole. If a loved one suffers from clinical depression, as bad as they might want to, they can’t just snap out of it or suck it up. Depression in men is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and there is no snapping out of that without treatment. Would you expect someone with diabetes to just snap out of it? No, you probably wouldn’t and shouldn’t for someone with depression either.

Myth # 4: Wealthy People Can’t Get Depression

If you were fortunate enough to be born into money or have a high paying job, then you must not be able to suffer from depression as you have everything you need, right? Again, a giant misconception. Depression is a mental disorder that crosses all socio-economic bridges and boundaries. There is no gender, nationality, educational background or amount of wealth to shield you from the possibility of depression.

Depression in men is a serious, but treatable condition that should not be taken lightly. Untreated depression in men has been known to cause reckless and dangerous behavior like substance abuse. Destination Hope is a Joint Commission accredited drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility for men in Florida. If you or a loved one if suffering from the co-occurring disorders of addiction and depression, please don’t hesitate to call us today at 1-877-380-9777. Substance abuse will only make the symptoms of depression worsen, call us today so we can help take the pain away.

While many clinicians and addiction specialists around the world are baffled how this drug that’s been around for 50 years could provide effective alcoholism treatment, the French health authorities are championing the research. They’ve admitted thus far that Baclofen has “not been definitively shown to be efficient in the treatment of alcoholism, but it had shown clinical benefits in some patients.” The research is very much preliminary, but gained the support of France’s health systems, who have agreed to finance over 50 percent of the soon to begin one year long clinical trials. The research team, headed up by lead researcher Philippe Jaury of the University of Paris-Descartes hopes to prove that high doses of Baclofen will yield a higher success rate of easing alcoholic cravings than existing drugs Naltrexon and Acamprosate currently do.

While a drug that can help substantially ease alcoholic cravings would indeed be revolutionary for those who suffer from an alcohol addiction, it in no way is intended to supplement traditional alcoholism treatment. As many who read this blog know all too well, the physical addiction to alcohol is only part of the disease. It’s common for there to be a myriad of psychological and emotional issues that need to be treated as well, for which there is no magic pill. Human beings are complex creatures with complex thoughts and feelings that shape the decisions we make every day. Preconceived notions and negative thought patterns can subconsciously prompt our destructive behavior and they need to be identified and addressed before someone can legitimately hope for achieving long-term sobriety. These sorts of self-reflection and internalization exercises are best handled by a licensed therapist.

Florida Alcoholism Treatment

Destination Hope is a Joint Commission accredited drug addiction and alcoholism treatment facility in Florida for men who are struggling with substance abuse issues. Alcoholism is a very serious illness that many people refuse to admit that they suffer from. Through intense cognitive behavioral individual therapy, group therapy and family therapy, we can get through to your loved one about how significant their alcohol problem truly is and what they can do to turn their life around. If there’s a man in your life who could benefit from the focused, personalized, hands-on approach of Destination Hope, please don’t hesitate to put him in contact with us today at 877-380-9777. We can guide him to a place he didn’t think possible- a fulfilling life, alcohol-free.

To add some context to this concept of cognitive behavioral therapy, take the example of the substance abuser. They experiment with drugs or alcohol for a variety of reasons. They decide that people like them more when they use. People want to hang out with them more, girls are more attracted to them, they feel more self-assured and confident, etc. They’ve now decided consciously or subconsciously that the drugs are the reason they have this newfound fanfare and self-worth so they continue this detrimental behavior. In order to change the behavior of the substance abuse, you need to change the thought patterns that led them to believe that they were getting all of these positive outcomes because of it. This is the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy: changing your thoughts to change your behavior.

Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is So Successful

One of the most important aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it helps you become aware of some of your false or negative thinking. Once you are aware of these destructive thought patterns, in theory you are able to look at a situation in a more objective light. In other words, you can see things a bit more clearly and really for what they are, and then make the choice to respond to it in a more positive, productive manner. This of course is not something that happens after one counseling session, but with commitment to succeed and a skilled therapist, cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be very effective over time. In fact, clients report seeing faster results with cognitive behavioral therapy over traditional psychotherapy.

What Makes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Different

• It helps reframe negative thoughts
• It’s more targeted than typical psychoanalytic therapy so you see results faster
• It’s more behaviorally focused, changing thoughts and behaviors
• It’s more action oriented. It makes good use of homework assignments so clients are not only doing work in therapy sessions but outside as well, which teaches you to apply the principles to your everyday life

Destination Hope is a Joint Commission accredited Florida drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment center for men who suffer from substance abuse issues. Destination Hope has a highly skilled team of licensed therapists and addiction treatment specialists that are all well trained in cognitive behavioral therapy. Our experienced treatment team will help you overcome your substance abuse problem. If you or a loved one is having a problem with drugs or alcohol, please call us today at 1-877-380-9777. Let us show you how to stop addiction right in its tracks.