February 5, 2012

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Common Medical Errors Caused by Drug Abuse

It is common knowledge that substance abuse is a serious problem in modern society. What isn’t commonly known is that countless medical professionals, including physicians and nurses, suffer from drug abuse problems while on the job. This has led to some major medical errors and malpractice claims.

Historically, doctors have always had a high rate of substance abuse. It’s generally been viewed as an occupational hazard because physicians are constantly exposed to prescription medication and have constant access to a prescription pad. This can easily lead to addictions. Some doctors have been known to write their own prescriptions for pain killers or other narcotics and have used these substances on the job, despite the side effects that can occur and affect the treatment of patients. Nurses and other medical professionals have been caught abusing prescription drugs at work. Many end up stealing medication from patients or hospital pharmacies.

If you suspect medical drug abuse, contact medical malpractice Southern California attorneys for legal advice. You may be able to file a claim against the medical professional or institution.

In the cases where medications are being taken from patients, the medical error is that the patients are not getting the prescribed amount of drugs. If a nurse is taking a patient’s pills instead of giving them to the patient, that patient may face harm or even death for not being properly treated.

For doctors, treating patients while under the influence has resulted in cloudy thinking and lack of judgment. Doctors abusing drugs can miss a diagnosis, misdiagnose, or make a wrong decision that results in the harm of a patient

 

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction Tagged With: , ,

How to prevent a rehabilitee from getting back to old ways

Various prescription and street drugs may caus...

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A rehabilitee has strong chances of getting back to old ways. When an abuse victim gets discharged from a rehabilitation center, all is not over yet. There could be a relapse. During rehabilitation, the drug abuse victim might have been quarantined in controlled environments. But what happens when this person comes home and sees a bottle of whisky on the shelf? Would it not again trigger a creation of crave in the brain?

When a rehabilitee is in the house, make sure that you do not have any things present in the house that could trigger a crave. Do not even have a picture of something that could get the rehabilitee feel like getting back to old ways. You need to shut out all images of triggers completely. Often images or crave-stimulants could get the rehabilitee to get back to old ways.

Do not let the rehabilitee get out of the house often. By doing this, you are potentially stopping the rehabilitee to meet up with old friends, and be exposed to old environments, from where the substance abuse could have started.

You need to carefully monitor how the rehabilitee is keeping up after rehabilitation. You could continue the cognitive therapy exercises prescribed by the rehabilitation center or the doctor. Always keep the rehabilitee on a tight leash. Inculcate discipline and wisdom. All these efforts are only fruitful if the rehabilitee has the attitude to change. Otherwise the whole exercise becomes a damp squid.

Encourage, and motivate the rehabilitee. Offer words of appreciation. Often rehabilitees have low self esteem levels. You could prop their self esteem up for them. They will feel better about themselves.

Filed Under: Relapse Tagged With: , ,

Helping Your Loved one get Better

Addictions are a terrible thing, and you need to use some discretion when someone you love is suffering from one. After all, when a person suffers from an addiction, they are just sick. Far too often society puts blame on these people and thinks of them as intrinsically bad people. It is unfortunate that so many feel this way, because it just isn’t true. The good news is, almost every addicted individual can be helped towards a full recovery in time, and there are plenty of places which can help with this recovery process, too.

For instance, there are places such as Aventa, where a student can take classes to keep up with their peers while they recover from the terrible early stages of their addiction. There are also places such as the Aurora Center, which provides all kinds of different specialized counseling, including treatment for animal abusers. In addition to those types of rehabilitation centers, there is also A Home Away Retreat, which sits in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and allows an addicted person to heal in an idyllic, low stress environment.

You can search for these kinds of places through a service such as Canada 411, and find one in your area which meets you and your loved one’s needs. When you find the right place for your loved one to recover from their addiction, you will know it by how the process becomes slightly easier, even though it is never truly easy. After all, the treatment option you choose will do a lot to advance the journey of your loved one coming home feeling better.

Filed Under: Support Tagged With: , ,

Effective Substance Abuse Treatments

There are many different approaches to successfully help a person that is addicted to drugs or alcohol. Each substance abuse treatment center will have its own philosophy and methods of treatment. Because each center is different, it is important that you research your options to find the best place for you or your loved one. Ever person will react differently to a treatment program so it is very important to find the right program for the individual

Behavioral Treatment

During behavioral treatment, patients will learn to modify their behaviors and attitudes toward drug use and will learn healthy life skills. Typically, this type of treatment is enhanced with the use of medications, which will help the person remain in the program until the professionals agree that they have completed their entire treatment regimen. The most common types of behavioral treatment include family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and motivational incentives.

Medication

When an addict is suffering from sever withdrawal symptoms, medication can help suppress those symptoms while the patient is in detoxification. Medication is also used to help reestablish the normal functions of the brain and can also help diminish cravings and prevent relapse.

Outpatient Treatments

In an outpatient treatment program, the addict will visit a clinic on a regular basis. Typically, the addict will come every day for various types of therapy sessions, and then go home at night.

Residential Treatments

Residential treatments are the most successful forms of treatment for those with long-term substance abuse problems. The addict will live in the treatment center for as long as a year and receive round-the-clock support, therapy, and treatment. Here, many forms of treatments are used together, including medical and behavioral treatments.

Filed Under: Substance Abuse Treatment Tagged With: , ,

Effective Drug Abuse Treatment Principles

There are all different kinds of people that are addicted to drugs and all different kinds of treatments that can help them become healthy. The trick is to find the right form of treatment for the individual addict. Studies have shown that getting help from a treatment facility greatly enhances the addict’s success of recovering and avoiding relapse. Since the mid-1970s, there have been numerous scientific studies and research to determine the best principles of the most effective treatment programs.

Treat the Individual

It is very important to treat the individual, and not just the drug problem. Not every treatment will work for every person. The patient’s treatment plan must be assessed often and may need to be modified several times to make sure the patient continues to progress well. And, it is very important that the addict remain in treatment for the entire length of time that is required to become healthy.

Offer Multiple Forms of Help

The best treatment facilities will use a combination of treatments. The most successful forms of treatment include medications, counseling, group therapy, individual therapy, detoxification, and behavioral therapy. The various combinations of therapies will change over the time spent in the treatment facility. For those drug addicts that also have other mental disorders, which there are many, these disorders must also be addressed during successful treatment.

Other Important Information

It is very important to remember that a successful treatment plan doesn’t have to be a voluntary plan. Many people that are forced into rehab actually end up doing great and kick their bad habits. It is also good to know that many centers will test patients for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, and other disease.

Filed Under: Substance Abuse Treatment Tagged With: , ,

How to Support Substance Abuse Treatments

Substance abuse treatment facilities have saved the lives of millions of people. Through caring, understanding, and sometimes the firm push that is needed to help people overcome their illness, substance abuse treatment centers require a lot of money to make a difference in people’s lives. If you have been in a treatment center, or one of your loved ones have, you understand how important it is to have the money to run a successful program. Many of these programs are non-profit and rely on donations and volunteers. If you are looking for a way to give back and help support substance abuse treatment centers, you have several options.

Fundraising
There are many ways you can help support substance abuse treatment programs by fundraising. The next time a program in your area is having a walk or run to raise money, take part. You can be a walker or runner to raise donations or you can be a donator and give to a walker or runner. Some centers may have other fundraising methods, like bake sales, craft fairs, silent auctions, bike races, musical performances, and other similar types of events. If you are really great at project management, offer to plan an event for your local facility.

Direct Donations
Many facilities welcome donations of all kinds, at any time. You can donate money by sending a check to the center, or dropping it off in person. Get a receipt as your donation may be tax deductible. Sometimes, centers will also welcome donations of non-perishable goods, such as canned food, bedding, and toiletries. Or, inquire about volunteering at the center and donate your time.

Filed Under: Support Tagged With: , ,

Intervention Information

When a loved one has a serious substance abuse problem it might be time for an intervention. An addict whose life has been ruined by drugs or alcohol will need something severe to get them to understand that they need help. There are a couple different approaches to having an intervention for your family member or friend.

Depending on the level of help your loved one needs, and the comfort level of those involved in the intervention, you might be able to have one without a professional. But, it is really recommended that you hire a professional that is trained in how to handle an intervention because it can get messy.

The intervention should be held in a place that person is familiar with, but will not be inclined to exit quickly, like a hotel or workplace. It is best if the addict does not know about the intentions of the meeting because he probably will not show up if he does know it’s an intervention.

Everyone involved in the intervention, except the addict, will meet at least once. The professional will go over what will happen and what to expect during the process. You may be asked to write a letter to read to the addict, or bring pictures of a happier time with the addict when she was much healthier and ultimately from a time when there was no substance abuse.

One of the most important things that you can do for your loved one is to be strong and firm. It will be hard, but sometimes love is hard. Remember, it is in the best interest of the drug addict to get help, even if you have to push him to it.

Filed Under: Interventions Tagged With: , ,

Addiction and Pain Treatment

Sometimes, healthcare professionals find themselves in between a rock and a hard place. They must help a patient by providing pain relief, but at the same time these drugs can become addicting, including opioid medications like codeine and morphine. That means healthcare professionals must find the fine balance between giving enough medication to relieve the pain, but not so much that the patient will become addicted.

When a patient comes into the doctor’s office with a substance abuse problem, the issue is even more challenging. About 191 million people a year visit their primary care physician at least every two years, and not only do these doctors prescribe medication to their patients, but they should also indentify a drug abuse situation, work with the patient to recognize the problem, and to also help the patient seek the appropriate help to break the addiction. It is often up to the doctor to not only identify a prescription drug abuse situation and help the patient, but to help prevent one from occurring by monitoring the prescriptions that they give to their patients.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is continuously looking to create new medications that are less likely to become addicting. One example of the work done by NIDA is on the drug called buprenorphine/naloxone, also called Suboxone. This drug was created with help from the pharmaceutical industry to treat opioid addictions, but it is suggested that this medication can also be used as a pain treatment that is less likely to become addicting to the person that takes it. Further studies are needed on this alternate pain medication before it will be recommended, but it is a step in the right direction.

Filed Under: Substance Abuse Treatment Tagged With: , ,

Older Drug Users Fear the Future

When people think about drug addicts or see television shows about drug addicts, there is usually a young man or woman that is battling a disease and searching for help. All drug addicts need help to get better and live a healthy and enjoyable life, but what happens if you are older? What if you are a drug addict and you are 60 or 70 years old?

Many older addicts struggle with what will happen to them in the future. For instance, Tammy Johnson is 60 and has used drugs for most of her life. She is currently taking regular doses of methadone, a prescription from her doctor, to keep her heroin addiction under control. She is confident in her doctor’s ability to get her the medication she needs if she is in the hospital, but what happens if she can’t get to her methadone? The most terrifying thing on Tammy’s mind is if she has to go into an old people’s home, how would she get her medication?

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health gathered some data between 2006 and 2008, which showed that about 4.3 million Americans that are 50 and older claimed that they used illegal drugs within the last year. As the Baby boomers advance in age, many are still smoking marijuana and abusing prescription drugs.

Most long-term drug users will have a rather short life, with plenty of health problems. Doctors are seeing drug users in their 40s that have health issues that are typical of 60 and 70 year olds. The troublesome thing is that the majority of substance abuse treatment facilities do not cater to the older generations. Thus, older people are not getting the help that they need. Drugs continue to be considered a young person’s problem so older people that need help simply do not go to the doctors. This has got to change.

Filed Under: Relapse Tagged With: , ,

Get the Help You Need in California

If you are looking for a rehab program for yourself or a loved one, you may find that there are many options, and in fact, there are rehabilitation facilities all over the country. Some of the best rehab facilities that you will find, though, are based in Orange County, California.

There are many reasons that these facilities are considered some of the best in the country. Many say that the weather in California helps. When staying at a California alcohol rehab center, the weather and scenery can be a relaxing, and even in some cases spiritual, aspect to your treatment. In fact, this is so much the case, that there are many people that, when they are looking at a rehab center, look in California first.

When rehab is something that you are looking into, it can be a stressful time for everyone involved. Whether you are looking for yourself, or for a loved one, you know that the rehab program itself will not be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. But, having the beauty of the area, and the mildness of the weather

can be a huge help. To some, this may seem almost a little silly, but it has been shown that being able to sit back and relax can help a person overcome their addictions. There is nowhere in the country better suited to this purpose than in California.

Along with the weather and the scenery, the rehab facilities in California also offer tried and true programs to help their patients get clean. No matter what you are trying to rid yourself of, you will find the perfect program to do it in a California rehabilitation center. Many different options that include trained professionals and great programs will help you move past your addiction and on with your life.

Filed Under: Substance Abuse Treatment Tagged With: , ,
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