New Auto-Injection Device Could Save Opiate Addicts from Overdose

Despite the best efforts of lawmakers and outpatient detox facilities to curb the opiate epidemic, overdose rates remain on the rise in America. With 100 people dying from drug overdoses every day in the United States, this is no small issue. Increasing access to outpatient detox, cracking down on the misuse of prescription painkillers and taking steps to get illegal opiates like heroin off the streets are all part of the solution, none of these measures can help a person who’s already in the grips of an opiate overdose and has only minutes, maybe even seconds, to live.

Naloxone can. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that works to quickly and effectively reverse overdose by clearing the drug from the opioid receptors in the brain. Though law enforcement officers in some locations are already carrying a nasal spray version of the drug, and EMTs throughout the country carry an injectable version of the drug. These initiatives have already been credited with saving hundreds of lives around the country. Now, a new, auto-injection device called Evzio has been approved by the FDA for use by parents, friends, caregivers and drug abusers themselves.

Keeping Addicts Alive Is the First Step in Getting Them into Outpatient Detox

Addiction is a disease, and opiate addiction in particular is insidious. With so many people around the nation struggling against opiate addiction at the moment, access to outpatient detox programs is hard to come by. Many addicts sadly succumb to overdose long before they can get the help that outpatient detox programs provide.

Why don’t addicts get help? Many fear going through excruciating withdrawal symptoms, and don’t understand that outpatient detox medications completely relieve those symptoms. They may be in denial, or suffering from such shame, guilt, and low self-esteem that they believe treatment couldn’t help them anyway.

Many addicts desperately want help, but don’t know where to turn. They fear that they’ll be persecuted if they admit that they need outpatient detox for an addiction to heroin or prescription painkillers. They may worry about being able to pay for the treatment. In many cases, they simply don’t know where or how to access it.

In the meantime, they keep using opiates – and each time they do, they’re at risk of overdose. Given enough time, most opiate addicts will seek help and enter recovery – but many run out of time on the day when they take too much heroin or too many pills at once. A quick, safe, easy-to-administer naloxone injection could put the tools needed to save overdosing addicts in the hands of those who are most likely to be on the scene when the overdose occurs – spouses, partners, friends, acquaintances and family members. Putting this lifesaving drug into the hands of those who are closest to addicts saves the precious minutes needed to call in professional assistance from law enforcement or EMTs. A brush with overdose could be the wake-up call many addictions need to finally enter an outpatient detox program for opiate addiction treatment.

How Evzio Works

Evzio is the first naloxone treatment device that’s been approved by the FDA for use by non-medical professionals. It contains a pre-measured dose of the lifesaving drug, along with a device caregivers, friends and loved ones can use to practice administering the drug, complete with an audio recording of instructions. Evzio administers naloxone into the muscles of the thigh.

The device is available to the friends and loved ones of drug abusers, as well as the abusers themselves, via prescription. In many areas, however, programs already exist to maximize access to the drug, while minimizing the need for drug abusers or their friends and loved ones to actually visit a doctor. In these areas, participating pharmacies collaborate with authorizing physicians to make the prescriptions available to anyone who is willing to sit through a 20-minute session of education about both drug abuse and how Evzio is administered.

If you or someone you love is addicted to opiate drugs, educate yourself about Evzio’s availability in your area. Keeping some naloxone on hand could save yours or your loved one’s life in the event of an overdose. If you or your loved one is ready to seek help from an outpatient detox for opiate addiction, help is just a phone call away.

Call The Delray Center For Healing @ 888-699-5679 today. 


Could Virtual Reality Soon Be Used for PTSD Therapy?

A study published in the April 18, 2014 online edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that virtual reality exposure therapy, or VRE, could treat PTSD symptoms in combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Researchers at Emory University recruited 156 veterans in need of PTSD therapy for the study. They found that VRE greatly improved the veterans’ symptoms, especially when administered in conjunction with d-Cycloserine (DCS), a drug that has been used to treat anxiety and stress disorders, including phobias.

DCS and Minimal VRE Effective for PTSD Therapy

Of the 156 combat vets with PTSD recruited for the study, 53 were given DCS, 50 received alprazolam (or Xanax) and 53 received a placebo prior to undergoing five sessions of VRE. The researchers discovered that DCS significantly enhanced the results of VRE for those veterans who demonstrated a high level of emotional learning during their sessions.

Objective measures, like levels of the stress hormone cortisol and the startle response, allowed researchers to form an accurate measure of study participants’ emotional states and reactions. Study participants also self-reported their levels of fear and stress during the experiment.

While the combination of DCS and VRE improved stress reactivity in the PTSD sufferers, researchers found that alprazolam hampered the study participants’ recovery from PTSD. The study results would seem to suggest that alprazolam, and perhaps similar drugs, are not an effective PTSD therapy.

Lead researcher Barbara Rothbaum, PhD, who is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and director of the university’s Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, said of the experiment, “D-cycloserine, combined with only five sessions of the virtual reality exposure therapy, was assocated with significant improvements in objective measures of startle and cortisol and overall PTSD symptoms for those who showed emotional learning in sessions.”

In addition to six visits for PTSD treatment, study participants also received follow-up assessments at three, six and 12 months after the therapy ended. The VRE consisted of 30 to 45 minutes of exposure to a virtual reality environment via a head-mounted display. The VRE was designed to match the stimuli the PTSD victims described. They included a variety of scenes in Iraq and Afghanistan, seen from multiple points of view. Study participants took a pill – either DCS, a placebo or alprazolam – about 30 minutes before beginning VRE.

Dr. Rothbaum said that the researchers were “very excited” by the results of the study.

What Methods Are Currently Used for PTSD Therapy?

While the current methods used for PTSD treatment are very effective for most people, some do not respond to them as well as others. Because PTSD symptoms can lead to depression, substance abuse, self-destructive actions and even violence, experts need to explore as many avenues as possible to find methods of PTSD therapy that work for everyone. Some treatment methods currently in use include:

  • Family therapy. The symptoms of PTSD often affect not just the sufferer, but all of those close to him or her. Family therapy is invaluable to help loved ones comprehend the daily struggles of a person coping with PTSD. It can alleviate the relationship problems PTSD often causes, and help members of the family communicate better.
  • Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy. CBT for PTSD generally consists of gradually, carefully, under the supervision of a trained counselor, “exposing” yourself to the feelings, thoughts and situations that remind you of the trauma. People with PTSD sometimes develop avoidant symptoms, meaning that they go numb emotionally, lose memories of the traumatic event and avoid things that remind them of it. CBT can help relieve these feelings, and can also address irrational thoughts and feelings that may stem from the PTSD.
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This form of PTSD therapy incorporates rhythmic stimulation, like eye movements or left-to-right hand tapping or sounds, with elements of talk therapy and CBT. The method is believed to unlock the brain’s information processing system, allowing victims of trauma to finally process their experiences.
  • Medication. Antidepressants can help treat secondary symptoms associated with PTSD, such as anxiety or depression. They cannot treat the PTSD itself, however.
  • Self-help. As with any other mental illness, self-help is effective in managing the symptoms of PTSD, if used in conjunction with appropriate treatment. Self-help can include reaching out for support, practicing relaxation techniques and spending time in nature.

If you or someone close to you needs PTSD treatment, it’s important to seek help right away. PTSD symptoms can get worse and can take a toll on your physical health. Our program for PTSD therapy is one of the best in the country.

Call today at 888-699-5679 to learn how you can move forward.


10 Reasons to Stop Drinking

If you’ve been thinking about quitting drinking, there’s no greater time than the present. Our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program can help you quit drinking while still allowing you to stay home, be there for your family and keep going to work. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of quitting drinking with help from our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program.

1) You’ll Have More Money

As soon as you quit drinking, your finances will improve. Of course they will, because you won’t be throwing away money on alcohol every day! You’ll have money to save for your future, buy nice things for yourself and your family, pay off your debts and enjoy your life. Think about how nice it will be to have more money in your pocket because you quit drinking.

2) You’ll Look and Feel Better

Once you enter our outpatient alcohol rehab, you’ll start to look at feel better within weeks. You’ll notice that, as your brain heals from the effects of long-term heavy drinking, you’ll lose that foggy feeling and regain your ability to think clearly. As your liver heals, your skin and vision will improve. You’ll experience fewer aches and pains in your body and your complexion will clear up.

3) No More Hangovers

Once of the greatest benefits of getting treatment for alcoholism is saying goodbye to hangovers, for good! Most alcoholics get used to the feeling of waking up with a hangover most, if not every, morning. When you enter alcohol rehab, the first thing you’ll notice is that you’re now able to wake up without nausea, headaches or that feeling of general malaise that comes from drinking heavily the night before. And the best part is, as long as you stick with the recovery plan you make for yourself in our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program, you’ll never have to wake to that hung over feeling again.

4) Your Relationships Will Improve

Once you quit drinking, you’ll be able to be there for your family, friends and loved ones in a way you weren’t able to before. Your spouse or romantic partner will be happy that you’ve conquered your alcohol program, and proud of you. Your primary relationship will improve. You’ll be a better parent to your children. Old friends will come back into your life.

5) You’ll Like Yourself More

Once you enter our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program, you’ll begin regaining the self-worth you lost to addiction. You’ll no longer have to worry about embarrassing things you may have done while drunk. You’ll no longer have to hate yourself for your inability to control your drinking. You can face the guilt over your previous actions and move forward into a future in which you’re in control of yourself.

6) You Can Stop Being Preoccupied with Booze

If you’re like most of the people we help in our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program, you’ll find that, once you quit drinking, you have a whole lot of time on your hands. You’ll no longer spend most of your time drinking, planning to drink or worrying about having enough alcohol. That means no more worrying if you’ll have enough alcohol for the night, if you should go to the store, how you can hide your drinking, or where you’ll get the money to buy booze.

7) You’ll Enjoy More Success at Work

Once you quit drinking, you’ll be better able to focus on your performance at work, and you’ll be more likely to succeed. You’ll miss fewer days. You’ll even be in a better position to find another job if you want.

8) No More Legal Problems

Once you quit drinking, you won’t have to worry about being pulled over for a DUI, getting into a bar fight or having other legal problems brought on by your drinking. With help from our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program, you can resolve any legal problems you might be currently experiencing and move forward into a completely law-abiding life.

9) You’ll Have Time to Explore New Interests

Now that you’re not spending all your time getting drunk, you’ll be able to return to the hobbies you once enjoyed before alcohol addiction took over your life. You’ll have time to devote to the things you’ve always been interested in.

10) You’ll Feel Full of Joy After Outpatient Alcohol Treatment Florida

Though quitting drinking might be tough at first, after a few weeks in our alcohol treatment program, you’ll feel a renewed sense of joy and happiness. You’ll be able to take pleasure in the little things again, and wake up refreshed each morning with a renewed sense of optimism about what the day might bring.

Call us today at 888-699-5679 to find out how our outpatient alcohol treatment Florida program can help you turn your life around.


Attempts to Crack Down on Prescription Opiate Abuse Backfire

The prescription drug epidemic that has gripped our nation in its iron fist for the past 15 years is finally beginning to stabilize. While many people credit government crackdown efforts with the slow decline in rates of prescription drug abuse, the fact is that many people who became addicted to prescription opiates are now turning to riskier hard drugs – heroin, to be exact. Here at our outpatient detox Delray Beach facility, we’ve seen a decided uptick in the numbers of opiate addicts seeking help for heroin addiction. Alarmingly, many of them claim they started out on prescription painkillers.

PDMPs Are Breeding Heroin Addicts, Harming Legitimate Pain Patients

Prescription drug monitoring programs or PDMPs have been lawmakers’ answer to pill mills and doctor shopping. It wasn’t so long ago that we here at our outpatient detox Delray felt helpless to interfere as prescription opiate addicts came from around the nation to obtain illegal painkillers from Florida’s pill mills. The natural solution appeared to be to keep a record of each person who receives a prescription for a controlled substance, and flag that person for suspicious behavior whenever he or she might obtain prescriptions from multiple pharmacies or doctors in a given month.

While these registries were established in many states with the best of intentions, they’ve had two unintended consequences. For one thing, they’ve made it harder for legitimate pain sufferers – the people who need these medications in order to treat chronic and acute pain and function normally – to get the medication that works for them. Many doctors will no longer prescribe opiate painkillers at all, even when their use would be legitimately recommended, out of fear of the harm that could come to them or their reputation if a pain patient found his or her way into our outpatient detox Delray Beach program for opiate addiction treatment.

Second, PDMPs have made it next to impossible for prescription painkiller addicts to get the pills to which they’re addicted. Rather than giving up drugs, they simply find another drug. In this case, more users are turning to heroin to fend off their opiate withdrawal symptoms. Clearly, prescription painkiller addicts needed to be given access to programs like our outpatient detox Delray Beach program in addition to having their drug supply cut off.

Outpatient Detox Delray Finds Drug Testing the Unemployed Creates More Addicts, Not Fewer

The state of Texas has implemented mandatory drug testing for people claiming unemployment benefits, and other states may soon do the same. Unemployed people who fail state drug tests would lose their benefits.

However, the fear of losing benefits isn’t going to be sufficient to keep an addict from using drugs – only treatment can do that. In fact, our outpatient detox Delray experts worry that drug testing the unemployed will only encourage them to turn away from drugs that stay in the system for days or weeks, and instead start using faster-acting, but more dangerous and addictive synthetic drugs that tests are unlikely to detect. Cutting benefits will only drive the addicted into more heavy substance abuse and put up more obstacles to treatment.

Tightened Controls on Painkillers Penalize Innocent People

Less than one percent of the people who are currently receiving painkillers for chronic pain abuse them. But an advisory panel to the FDA voted in January to tighten controls on these drugs, requiring new doctor visits for each refill of a drug containing hydrocodone, and strict limits on the amount of the drug doctors are able to prescribe at one time. Patients can now take home only a 30-day supply of pain meds – meaning patients suffering chronic pain must now visit the doctor each month to get their medication.

Patients who need these drugs will have to pay more out-of-pocket for insurance costs or may have to start taking less effective drugs. They may not be able to find a doctor willing to treat them. They’ll suffer more pain if they’re unable to get the medicine they need. And these controls are unlikely to have any effect on prescription drug abuse, according to our outpatient detox Delray experts.

Reformulating OxyContin Increased Abuse of Other Potent Painkillers

The manufacturers of OxyContin reformulated their drug in 2010, hoping to reduce its potential for abuse. While OxyContin did sustain a huge drop in popularity, that shift was accompanied by a surge in the popularity of hydromorphone, fentanyl and heroin. These drugs are far more potent, dangerous and addictive than prescription painkillers, and have been responsible for a dramatic increase in overdose deaths.

The real solution to the opiate epidemic is treatment. If you know someone who is struggling with opiate addiction – or if you’re struggling with it yourself – our outpatient detox Delray Beach facility can help.

Call us today at 888-699-5679.


Top 5 Reasons Kids and Young Adults Do Drugs

While you might think your teen understands the dangers of drug use and would never take the risk of abusing drugs, chances are good your child is now or will experiment with drugs. Teen seek novelty and thrills, and their immature brains aren’t capable of fully regulating their behavior. In fact, researchers now understand that the behavior regulation part of the brain doesn’t finish developing until about 25 years of age. At our program for outpatient addiction treatment in Delray Beach, we’ve helped many young people who first began experimenting with drug use in their teens. Kids often use drugs for many of the same reasons adults do – to cope with stress or emotional pain, for example. Here are some of the common reasons teens use drugs – and what you can do to stop your kid’s drug use in its tracks before he or she winds up in our program for outpatient addiction treatment in Delray Beach.

1) To Cope with Mental or Emotional Issues

Teens struggle with emotional and psychological problems just as adults do, but unlike adults they often aren’t equipped to deal with them. Your teenager doesn’t have access to mental health care and doesn’t have the life experience to have developed coping skills. When teens begin struggling with mental health issues – depression, anxiety, eating disorders or bipolar disorder, for example – they may start self-medicating with drugs. Likewise, teens may use drugs to cope with low-self esteem, or even physical pain.

At least half of the people we help at our program for outpatient addiction treatment in Delray Beach are suffering from a concurrent mental health disorder. If you think your teen is depressed, anxious, or suffering from other mental health problems, seek professional treatment. Signs of a mental health problem include changes in behavior, mood or grades.

2) To Make Friends

If you remember anything about your own teen years, it’s probably your desire to be popular and well-liked and fit in. Teens are still developing emotional maturity, and as a result they base much of their sense of self-worth on the opinions of their peers. They struggle mightily with peer pressure, tough social situations and bullying. If the “popular” kids are doing drugs, or if “everyone is doing it,” your teen will do drugs just to fit in and avoid every teen’s worst nightmare, social ostracization.

To keep your teen’s misguided search for acceptance from landing him or her in our program for outpatient addiction treatment in Delray Beach, keep track of his or her friends. Invite your child’s friends to hang out at your house, where you can keep an eye on their activities (without being overbearing, of course). Keep the lines of communication open so that you will be aware of any social problems your child may be facing, and you can help him or her.

3) To Relax

Teens are just as prone to stress as anyone else, and they may use drugs to cope. One survey found that 73 percent of teens use drugs to cope with stress related to schoolwork, but teens can also get stressed about fights with friends, going through puberty, moving, changing schools, graduating, or coping with death and illness in the family or parental divorce.

Protect your teen from stress by staying involved with his or her life. When you nurture a good relationship with your teen, he or she will feel safe coming to you with his or her problems. You can help your child learn healthy ways to cope with stress that won’t lead him or her into our program for outpatient addiction treatment in Delray Beach. Help your child with his or her homework, share family meals, go to his or her performances and sporting events and make time for regular parent-child bonding.

4) Boredom

Teens seek novelty and get bored easily, as any parent knows. Your teen could turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to stave off boredom, especially if they don’t have access to entertaining or fun hobbies. Keep your kids entertained and occupied with volunteer work, sports and other extracurricular activities, community classes and other hobbies. Make it clear to your teen that you expect him or her to obey your rules regarding substance abuse, and he or she will be far less likely to someday wind up in our program for outpatient addiction treatment in Delray Beach.

5) Out of Curiosity

Kids want to see what doing drugs is like, especially if their friends have done them. Kids who learn from their parents about the dangers of drug use are 50 percent less likely to use them – but be realistic, because kids can tell when you’re exaggerating. Give your teen plenty of safe thrill-seeking opportunities like travel, adventure sports and experimenting with fashion.

Outpatient Addiction Treatment in Delray Beach

Our program for outpatient addiction treatment Delray Beach has to offer has helped thousands recover from addiction. Call us today at 888-699-5679 to learn more about our program.