Community Participation May Help Prevent Further Drug Abuse

Posted by azdrugrehabctr on May 17, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News | Comments are off for this article

Keeping drug abuse a secret has proven not to help anybody. The addict suffers because they are able to continue using the substances that are killing them. Families suffer because they oftentimes feel that they have no one to talk to or anyone to provide advice for how to deal with their loved ones. Members of the community suffer because they are not aware that the drug problem is infiltrating their towns, schools and neighborhoods. In order to bring communities together, some areas are conducting surveys. The surveys are intended to provide a truer, deeper look into the drug activities of residents. Understanding this information will better help law enforcement and public officials monitor the drug scene and create better, more effective programing.

“It is extremely important for individuals to participate in this survey. The results of this survey will give us a glimpse into the needs of the community as we work on prevention and treatment efforts,” explained Kirsty Nichols, a coordinator that is working with communities to better handle the drug crisis.

One particular survey that is being administered in New Mexico by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation is geared towards finding out about the drug use and perceptions about drugs and alcohol in the community. The survey asks questions regarding drinking and driving, mental health, specific questions regarding past drug and alcohol use and how survey takers feel about narcotics. Understanding these types of topics will help to create more tailor-made programming for community members. The goal is to make drug and alcohol abuse something that people feel comfortable discussing and getting out in the open.

New Mexico, in particular, is a state that has an extreme problem with drug and alcohol abuse. However, it is not the only state that is suffering from the drug epidemic that is sweeping throughout the country. The hope is that other states will agree to become more involved with their residents and find out how drug and alcohol abuse is affecting families throughout the country.

Maybe parts of Arizona can emulate similar practices to help reduce the drug problem in our communities as well.

Mothers Struggling with Addiction

Posted by azdrugrehabctr on May 9, 2015 under Addiction Trends | Comments are off for this article

Oftentimes the media and law enforcement focus on the dangers and threats of drug abuse as it pertains to teens and young adults. This may be because those under 18 are exposed to more drugs than ever before, however there are plenty of other groups of people that are struggling with substance abuse as well. One of the most difficult includes mothers who are addicted to drugs while pregnant.

Many mothers are unable to quit their addictions after finding out they are pregnant, thus jeopardizing their health as well as their unborn baby’s. As more incidents of drug-abuse during pregnancy occur, treatment centers and public outreach programs are focusing on this group and the children born to these mothers. Some mothers find the inspiration of being pregnant enough to quit on their own, while many need help to do so.

“I was waiting for it to take away every craving that I had, every want to go and get high. And it didn’t do that. It’s just so shameful,” explained Linsey Vanover, a recovering addict who abused drugs while pregnant with her son. The assumption and hope that the pregnancy and love for the unborn child will trump the addict’s need to get high is not uncommon. Unfortunately, the addiction is oftentimes so intense that these women continue to abuse the drugs anyway. This leads to babies being born with serious health complications and a physical addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Babies whose mothers abused heroin during their pregnancy are born addicted to heroin (or dependent on methadone or buprenorphine from treatment) and have to undergo the painful withdrawal symptoms.

As a way to answer the growing need for treatment and education for potential mothers and women who are already addicted to drugs as well as pregnant, some treatment centers are welcoming these women and helping them overcome their addictions so they can be involved in their children’s lives. Some treatment centers are even specifically geared to pregnant and single mothers. Focusing on rehabilitating mothers is necessary in stopping the addiction from continuing on to the children. Studies show that children who grow up in households where family members abuse drugs are more likely to abuse drugs and/or alcohol themselves, and helping mothers to become free of addiction so they have a better ability to raise their children is something that benefits all of society.