Saturday, April 28, 2012 has been designated Drug Take-Back Day by the Drug Enforcement Agency. The DEA regularly schedules these National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days so that anyone who has accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs can safely dispose of those medications.

Americans who participated in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at 5,327 take-back sites across the US. When the results of the three prior Take-Back Days are combined, the DEA, and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.

“The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs,” DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said. “DEA remains hard at work to establish just such a drug disposal process, and will continue to offer take-back opportunities until the proper regulations are in place.”

Safe drug disposal continues to be a problem because medications are often flushed down toilets, sending them into the water supply, or thrown in the trash, which lands them in a local landfill where they can still be accessed and misused.

This latest DEA Take-Back event will take place from 10 am to 2 pm at thousands of sites around the country. To find a site near you or for more information, visit dea.gov or call 800-882-9539.

Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment at La Paloma

If you or someone you love needs help with prescription drug addiction, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Has VH1 pulled the plug on the popular show Celebrity Rehab? The network has no current plans for 2012 versions of Celebrity Rehab, or its spin-off Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House, but the official word from the network is that programs are not cancelled and future editions are off the schedule due to scheduling issues, EW.com reported.

While the Dr. Drew-hosted show has been popular, drawing a lot of publicity for the network, the idea of taking the very private process of substance abuse treatment public and showing it on the small screen has been questioned. Proponents argue that the celebrities who appear on the show ARE getting professional help — despite the cameras.

Tragedy struck last year, though, when two previous participants died. Jeff Conaway, who appeared on season two of Celebrity Rehab, passed away from complications from taking prescription medications. Season three participant and former Sober House resident Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr died after mixing Xanax and alcohol.

The network aired five seasons of Celebrity Rehab, including two editions in 2010, EW.com reported. The show, set at Southern California’s Pasadena Recovery Center, was considered a success for the network, averaging about 1 million viewers per episode, higher than the network’s 600,000 primetime average.

The shows could still return, but they remain off the schedule for now and Dr. Drew is currently focusing on his daytime CW talk show, Lifechangers.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment at La Paloma

If you or someone you love needs help with alcohol or drug addiction issues, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

It’s perfectly understandable that a major life event would have you considering using again. After all, that was your primary way of coping for a long time. Before you begin to panic, though, give yourself credit for being honest. Feeling that urge and acting on it are two very different things, and one doesn’t have to lead to the other. In fact, recognizing that urge and knowing where it comes from shows just how far you’ve already come.

Relapsing Won’t Help Anything

Now use that newfound self-awareness to take the scenario a step further. While you may have an immediate desire to numb your feelings with drugs, you also know that those unhealthy habits never solved any problems for you, they just created new ones. And those feelings you were trying so hard to suppress? They remained just below the surface, refusing to go away because you hadn’t ever really dealt with them. Relapsing won’t help anything, it will just cause more trauma that you’ll eventually have to confront.

Dealing with heartache or loss stone-cold sober is difficult, but it’s the right thing to do. It allows you to grieve or deal with problems in a way that lets you hold your head up in the long run. By processing what’s going on and getting through it instead of drowning your feelings in drug and alcohol addiction, you have the opportunity to get past the problem and move on in a positive way that substance use will never provide you.

We know you’ve heard it before, but recovery is a lifelong process. You’re never declared “cured” from addiction, but with ongoing support and the tools you learned in treatment, you can get through life’s disappointments clean and sober, and come out a better, more whole person on the other side.

Relapse Prevention Help

If you or someone you love is battling a relapse, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recently released a comprehensive study that tracked alcohol consumption per capita for every state in the U.S. Essentially, the NIAAA gathered up data on alcohol sales for each state and then divided it by census population numbers, including any person 14 or older, accounting for underage drinkers in each state. The study didn’t just look at overall consumption, but it also broke down their figures by beer, wine and spirits.

The numbers, which are for 2007 (the latest year studied), are based on alcohol sales in each state, so there’s no way to confirm that everything purchased was actually consumed. The study figures show alcohol consumption in terms of ethanol (or pure alcohol) consumed per capita in terms of gallons.

New Hampshire topped the list, with 4.22 gallons of ethanol consumed per capita in 2007. Washington, DC followed behind with a rate of 3.95 gallons consumed. Nevada and Delaware have the dubious distinction of coming in third and fourth, respectively, with totals of 3.61 and 3.23.

So which state consumed the least amount of alcohol? Utah takes that honor, with 1.34 gallons consumed per capita. West Virginia is next with 1.76 gallons consumed. Arkansas and Kentucky nearly tied for third place, with consumption rates of 1.84 and 185 respectively. Also coming under 2.0 were Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Alcohol Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Has the stigma of addiction done a complete 180-degree turn? In the past, those in the public eye were afraid to admit they struggled with drug or alcohol addiction for fear of the negative impact on their career. But in today’s “reality TV” culture, serious problems like addiction can lead to massive media coverage – and a higher profile in attention-hungry Hollywood.

Charlie Sheen is cashing in on his issues with a new sold-out road show. And White House party-crasher Michaele Salahi recently signed on to do VH1’s Celebrity Rehab, before being released from the show because experts found she didn’t have an addiction.

Why would someone without an addiction issue want to enter rehab? That remains to be seen, but Salahi’s manager was quick to insist the network knew that was the case all along. Sheen, meanwhile, managed to keep his job on the top-rated sitcom Two and a Half Men after drug-related legal and personal issues, only being let go after public rants against the show’s creator and the network.

While the recovery community has viewed the lessening of the stigma of addiction as a positive and healthy change, this new development could make addiction seem like something to strive for. It’s a danger that parents and educators need to be aware of.

Addiction Rehab

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Drug trafficking is taken seriously in the U.S., but in some foreign countries, it’s grounds for execution. According to CNN.com, Philippines Vice President Jejomar Binay traveled to Beijing in mid-February to appeal to the Chinese government for clemency for three Filipinos set to be executed a week later for drug trafficking. The three in question were arrested in 2008 and have already been convicted of drug trafficking in China, a crime that is punishable in that country by death.

An Appeal for Filipino Drug Traffickers

Binay arrived in China carrying a letter from President Benigno Aquino III asking for clemency for the three Filipinos on humanitarian grounds, according to Filipino media reports. In a public statement before his departure, Binay said, “We do not condone drug trafficking. However, we believe that these Filipinos were merely victims of international drug syndicates. I carry with me the prayers of the Filipino people that clemency could be granted on humanitarian grounds.”

The personal appeal apparently worked – at least for now. China has decided to “postpone the execution within the scope of the Chinese law,” the two nations said in a joint statement after Binay met with Wang Shengjun, president of China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and senior foreign policy officials.

“The Philippine side stated that it fully respects China’s law and the verdict of the SPC,” the statement continued. “The Philippines and China are determined to work together in the fight against transnational crimes. Including drug trafficking.”

Drug Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Illness doesn’t just affect those who are sick, it affects all those around them as well, creating a hardship on the whole family. But when an individual gets a diagnosis of cancer or suffers a heart attack, loved ones are usually sympathetic. When someone is battling the disease of addiction, support is harder to come by, in part due to misunderstandings about the nature of substance abuse and frustration at the behaviors that often accompany it.

Need for Addiction Treatment

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that 23.6 million Americans age 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem, but only 10.8 percent of this population received treatment at a facility specializing in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. That would be unheard of, if we were talking about any other disease, but addiction also brings with it a lot of denial. It also can lead to job loss, relationship issues, and financial and health problems. These can lead to shame, making treatment even less likely.

Despite its differences, addiction is a disease and responds best to professional treatment, whether in a residential or outpatient setting. Treatment is the best insurance against relapse, and the best shot at long-term sobriety and health.

Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Addiction is a disease, not an illness like the flu or common cold. As a result, you don’t get over it from a few days of bed rest or a short course of antibiotics. Those battling substance abuse often undergo multiple courses of treatment and that treatment is best left to the pros.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 23.6 million Americans age 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem, but only 10.8 percent of them received treatment at a facility specializing in the treatment of substance abuse disorders.

A professional treatment program staff has the experience to properly assess an individual, determine if detox is needed, recommend an appropriate treatment plan customized to the individual and uncover any co-occurring issues such as trauma, depression, past sexual or physical abuse or bipolar that may contribute to addiction.

Once that assessment has been completed, decisions can be made regarding appropriate treatment, from a residential program to an intensive outpatient treatment program. Not all treatment facilities offer every level of care, so it’s important to get an assessment from a professional who can direct you to the right program for your specific needs.

Once you’re in a treatment program, the professionals there can help you assess your progress, determine the most appropriate length of stay and help with after-care plans that give you the best chance at long-term sobriety.

La Paloma Treatment Program

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

December 2010 kicks off a fourth season of the VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab with addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky. This latest cast includes former teen idol Leif Garrett, The Hills alum Jason Wahler, aging supermodel and reality star Janice Dickinson, actor (and Julia Roberts’ brother-in-law) Eric Roberts, Tiger Woods’ mistress Rachel Uchitel, Keyshia Cole’s mom Frankie Lons, actor Jeremy London and billionaire heir Jason Davis.

Do the Cameras Effect Treatment?

While many have questioned the wisdom of televising the treatment process, Pinsky defends the benefits.

“Most of them do want to exploit us for the celebrity they’ll get from being on the show … but what happens is the tables get turned,” Pinksy tells The Huffington Post. “Most drug addicts leave when you start to squeeze them, but these people, because they feel that pull to stay on camera and get famous, they stay and go through the steps it takes to get clean. I never would have predicted it would work that way, but it does. Once they get clean, they feel motivated to go out and help other people get clean. And because they’re now celebrities, they have this platform to do that.”

No matter what you think of the show, it’s raised the profile of addiction as a disease and has served to educate about the reality of the treatment process. “Addiction really is the medical problem of our time,” Pinsky says. “It’s so destructive, and yet it’s so common.”

Drug Treatment at La Paloma

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

It’s far from becoming a household word, but Dialectical Behavior Therapy (or DBT as it’s known) is growing in popularity and has proven very helpful in treating drug addiction. This fast-growing method of treatment is being used increasingly to overcome substance abuse problems. But what is its role in the treatment process?

What is DBT?

When DBT is used in drug treatment, it involves the individual considering his or her responses to a number of real-world situations and asked, by the therapist, how they would respond in each. These answers are used by the therapist to highlight the patient’s thinking, particularly in relation to his or her drug use. The treatment then involves working with the patient to role play and find alternate responses that allow for healthier thought processes that will enable long-term sobriety.

How DBT Works

Those in the grip of addiction often lose self-respect as well as respect for others. The need for the user’s drug of choice becomes all-consuming, taking over all reason and responses. During the treatment process, the addicted individual needs to relearn how to treat others – and themselves – with respect. Individuals also need to learn to avoid temptation and to respond to triggers in healthy ways instead of returning to drug use. DBT helps the individual rehearse scenarios they may face once they leave treatment and prepare to respond in a way that won’t threaten their newfound sobriety.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is also a way for those in recovery to get back in touch with their own feelings and how their words and actions affect those around them. DBT shows an individual how to change their own actions to create different outcomes in a variety of situations and provides a window for the recovering addict so that they can see how their words and actions can have a profound meaning on those closest to them.

Those who have been addicted to drugs have only seen the world through the narrowest of prisms. When one’s existence is only tied to getting that next “fix,” it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. DBT puts individuals back in touch with how little decisions impact the big picture every day. By utilizing Zen teachings, DBT shows the recovering addict how every decision they make helps create their total self. While this may be obvious to many people, it’s something those in recovery need to learn or relearn after a long period of faulty thinking.

DBT at La Paloma

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.