• Alcohol rehab may decrease risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart problems

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    Individuals who on a regular basis drink heavily may be at a higher risk for certain types of diseases than moderate drinkers. Although some people have been able to abstain from alcohol due to adverse health problems they are currently experiencing, some heavy drinkers cannot reduce their alcohol consumption regardless of the expected adverse effects. For those individuals, alcohol rehab may decrease risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and other chronic health problems. In an alternative to the 12 step program, evidence-based addiction treatment is available to help individuals solve underlying issues that may have been the cause for their drug and alcohol abuse. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the approaches used where people use talk therapy to solve problems through...
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  • Do Sober Living Houses Help in Addiction Recovery?

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    A non 12 step approach to recovery promotes individuals to continue on to a sober living home after completing inpatient drug or alcohol rehab. While living in sober living homes, individuals can participate in outpatient services where there are opportunities for individuals to receive evidence-based addiction treatment. But do sober living houses help, and just how effective are they? One group of researchers put together a study to answer this question. You might also be interested in: What Will Drug Rehab be Like in 100 Years? Do Sober Living Houses Help? One Study Says Yes. The VH1 television show “Sober House” with Dr. Drew has popularized the concept of sober living houses. However, sober living houses are not just reality TV constructs. California in particular offers a wid...
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  • The Relationship Between Self-Regulation and Alcohol Use

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    Article Updated 4/13/2022 Self-empowering addiction treatment utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy and teaching mindfulness to help people cope with their cravings, be more aware of their thoughts, and increase self-regulation in alcohol recovery. But just how important is self-regulation in recovery from alcohol use? To better understand it in recovery, it helps to understand it in the context of addiction. Read on to learn more about the relationship between self-regulation and alcohol use. According to Hustad et. al., self-regulation refers to “the effortful ability to plan and achieve adaptive outcomes through goal-directed behavior, often by delaying gratification” (2009). It is important for individuals to develop self-regulation ability in alcohol recovery. Since lower lev...
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  • Considering motives for marijuana use in drug rehab

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    When determining a self-empowering treatment plan for a person in recovery from cannabis, it is important to consider the motives for marijuana use. Some individuals may use marijuana recreationally and occasionally for years with relatively few negative consequences. Others become addicted to marijuana and continue to use it daily despite negative consequences. With increased use of marijuana, marijuana addiction is increasingly common, and drug rehab is often necessary to overcome the addiction. In the field of addiction research, relatively few studies have examined self-reports of motives for marijuana use. Self-reported motives for use are important for understanding addiction. Differences in motive for use may explain why one individual becomes addicted while another does not. ...
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  • Alcohol and Heart Disease: Rehab May Lower Risk

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    Alcohol and Heart Disease Alcohol addiction has many negative side effects including higher risk for heart disease. Research has shown that heavy drinkers can lower their risk of heart disease by decreasing alcohol consumption. However, there are many people in alcohol treatment who struggle with decreasing their alcohol consumption and/or completely abstaining altogether. From a self-empowering perspective, individuals can learn and implement coping mechanisms when they feel the urge to drink that will enable them to decrease their alcohol consumption or completely abstain. Previous research shows a relationship between alcohol consumption and coronary heart disease. Low levels of drinking may reduce heart disease mortality. High levels of alcohol consumption increase heart disease...
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  • Drug rehab for mothers: drugs are transferred to breast milk

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    Many studies have shown that alcohol and drugs are transferred to breast milk and ultimately to infants. Thus, drugs and alcohol should be avoided while breast feeding. Mothers who struggle with reducing drug and alcohol consumption should consider entering a drug or alcohol rehab. In an alternative to AA, a self-empowering approach can be used to help mothers learn how to abstain from all drugs and alcohol and learn tactics to cope with cravings so mothers can continue to breast feed without possible harm to the infant. Individualized treatment plans can be created for mothers who are breast feeding which can emphasize on specific thoughts, feelings and behaviors that may have been the cause for their drug and alcohol consumption, and learn how to manage them. You might also be intere...
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  • Considering Parental History of Alcohol Use and Anxiety as Risk Factors

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    Non 12 step addiction treatment puts an emphasis on resolving underlying issues, including issues of anxiety. Family history with addiction and substance abuse can be a major factor in understanding the underlying issues behind one’s alcohol addiction. Previous research has shown that a family history of alcohol dependence is a risk factor for alcohol use disorders. Positive expectancies of alcohol use have been shown to moderate this association. Family history of anxiety disorders may also be a risk factor for alcohol use disorders; this is suggested by high rates of comorbidity between anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorders. Further, expectations of negative reinforcement (such as tension reduction) have been shown to moderate anxiety-related traits. With this in mind, resear...
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  • Health Realization Compared to 12-Step Programs in Drug Rehab

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    It has been widely said that “AA is the only thing that works” when it comes to alcohol recovery. The 12-step model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is now applied to other substance use disorders in drug rehab centers around the world. However, research shows that AA is not the only approach that works. In fact, many studies have shown that other drug treatment approaches are just as effective as 12-step programs. Banerjee et. al. found that a relatively new approach known as Health Realization offered comparable benefits for women in a residential drug rehab program as compared to a 12-step program (2007). You might also be interested in: What is the Best Alcohol Treatment? Health Realization (HR) is an approach to psychology first developed by Roger Mills and George Pransky in the 1980...
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  • Link Between Peer Delinquency and Juvenile Drinking Behavior

    Posted on July 23, 2013
    Evidence based addiction treatment takes into consideration the trend between peer delinquency and juvenile drinking behavior. However, there may be underlying issues present with adolescents that correlate with their alcohol consumption and aggressive behavior. Thus, it is imperative that adolescents receive individualized treatment plans during alcohol treatment so that the individual is encouraged to find motivations that are deeper than the addiction. An individualized self- empowering treatment plan enables adolescents to focus primarily on underlying issues that may have been the cause of their drinking and/or engaging in aggressive behavior. You might also be interested in: From Adolescent Drug Experimentation to Addiction Peer Delinquency and Juvenile Drinking Behavior - The...
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