Here’s a case of drug addiction ruining not only the life of the addict but those around her: a woman in Denver was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for exchanging drug-filled syringes with used syringes that were contaminated with hepatitis C.

A former hospital technician, Kristen D. Parker took syringes that had been prepped for surgical patients and full of sedatives and painkillers that they would need to endure the surgery, used the drugs herself and then filled the used (and now hepatitis C contaminated) needle with saline or water and put it back on the tray.

Her personal “needle exchange” at Rose Medical Center where she worked infected at least 18 patients during 2008 and 2009, according to the New York Times.

The Victims of Drug Addiction

Those who were harmed by Parker’s were the focus of the courtroom and the focus of Judge Robert E. Blackburn’s decision. Her severe sentence is more than what the federal prosecutor first agreed to because the judge decided that 20 years simply wasn’t enough to pay for what she had done. The judge called Parker’s crime “as incomprehensible as it is unconscionable” and said Parker showed “a terrible selfishness.”

Hepatitis C - Common Consequence of Heroin Addiction and Intravenous Drug Use

Parker likely contracted hepatitis C when she shared needles with another heroin addict who was also infected with the disease. A lifelong disease, there is no cure for hepatitis C, which can cause liver failure and other chronic issues that can shorten your lifespan and increase your health problems. Though it is sometimes possible, depending upon the strand, to treat the disease with a regiment of interferon, a drug used in chemotherapy, it doesn’t always work to wipe out the problem.

Guilt and Consequences of Drug Addiction

Parker’s case is a severe one, but almost everyone who lives with an active drug addiction hurts not only themselves but the people they work with, those who depend on them, friends, and family members. The physical harm Parker inflicted upon herself by contracting hepatitis C is something that almost every intravenous drug user will deal with, and it can be transmitted to others sexually or through sharing needles.

Parker made a statement before her sentencing and said: “I was a drug addict. I put getting my next fix above my career, my family, taking care of my son and the safety and well-being of my patients. I have hurt an uncountable number of people.”

Heroin Addiction Treatment and Detox

If you or someone you love is living with heroin addiction, the best way to break free before you find your health in dire straits and before you hurt those closest to you is to undergo a heroin detox and heroin addiction treatment. Through medical assistance at a certified facility, you can stop using heroin safely and then follow up with continued detox for optimum health as well as addiction treatment counseling to help you remain clean and sober after you return home.

Michael’s House offers heroin rehab to those who are ready. Contact us today for more information.

Sharing needles is one of the quickest ways to transmit contagious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C, making intravenous drug use (IDU) of drugs like heroin one of the most dangerous types of drug addiction. Up until now, it has been believed that heroin addicts who use needles would not benefit from HIV therapy. More specifically, it was generally believed that IDU addicts had a lower chance of successful HIV therapy and treatment than non drug users. “Similar Immunologic Responses to Modern HAART Among IDU and Non-IDU in a Populational Setting” [Abstract 516] was recently published that turned that notion upside down.

What the Study Says About HIV Positive Heroin Addicts and Treatment

Viviane Lima, PhD, at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, British Columbia, was one of the medical professionals involved in the study that looked at the results of 402 IDU patients with HIV and 1231 non-IDU patients with HIV. After six months of treatment, about 74.6 percent of the IDU patients with HIV achieved undetectable viral loads and 89.8 percent of non-IDU patients achieved the same.

Says Lima: “Our study demonstrates that those patients having a history of injecting drug use are as likely as those without such a history to benefit from antiretroviral therapy.”

The differences between the patients extended beyond whether or not they had a history of illegal drug use. For example, the IDU patients were more likely to be younger and more likely to be women.

Lima says: “Because of the volatility in the life of HIV-positive individuals with illicit drug addiction, some healthcare providers believe that these individuals will not derive the full benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy.”

The results of this study, according to Lima, prove those theories wrong.

Drug Addiction Treatment for Those Who are HIV Positive

Just like HIV therapy is successful for heroin addicts, heroin addiction treatment is successful for HIV positive patients, as well. Intravenous drug use and HIV decrease the immune system and the body’s ability to fight off illness and other diseases. When other medical issues develop, complications can occur especially when drug addiction and HIV are present. Too often, death is hastened when both drug addiction and HIV are allowed to continued unchecked by therapy and treatment.

Though both HIV and heroin addiction are chronic diseases and no cure is in place for either issue, both are treatable with high rates of success for those who stick to their treatment. For those who are addicted to heroin, heroin addiction treatment starts with a medical heroin detox that allows you to stop taking the drug right away. Some may opt for slow heroin detox that utilizes methadone or Suboxone in order to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms and this is a viable option for those who are HIV positive. When you are physically stable and no longer taking heroin, you can turn your attention to the addiction counseling and therapy that will provide you with what you need to remain heroin-free after you return home.

Heroin Addiction Treatment at Michael’s House

If you would like to learn more about our heroin rehab here at Michael’s House, contact us today at 1-877-345-8494 for more information.

Budget cuts in government are happening all over the country and the financial crisis is hurting drug courts and drug addiction treatment put in place to help those struggling with drug addiction. These changes not only affect the future of drug addiction treatment, the personal futures of those who need treatment for drug addiction but their families and the community as well.

Hawaii is one state where the budget crisis is having a big effect on drug courts. Right now, the treatment courts (drug courts and mental health courts) cost about $5 million of the $139 million budget for the state’s judicial system. That’s 4 percent of the budget and lawmakers are looking to cut it, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.

Public Defender Jack Tonaki is against the idea. He says: “I would hate to see this discontinued. Everyone is having to make tough choices.”

The short sighted nature of government and state budgets is leading some in Hawaii to forget what many other states have learned the hard way: cutting the budget for drug courts and drug addiction treatment programs may mean a little bit of savings now but quite a bit of lost funds later.

Incarcerating people for drug possession and addiction is an expensive proposition, a cost that calculates in the millions every year. When you add in the costs of domestic violence, health problems, the effect on children and increased juvenile delinquency, unemployment and other issues associated with continued drug abuse and addiction, the $4 million invested into the specialized courts is minimal in comparison.

Meda Chesney-Lind is a professor at the University of Hawaii and a criminologist and says:

“Obviously, in terrible times, everyone is constrained, and I would argue that money should come from other parts of the criminal justice system that are overused, like corrections. I wouldn’t support across-the-board cuts that tend to cripple small initiatives. We know that huge swaths of the current system are not functioning optimally, so they really need to have new ideas infused into the work they are currently doing.”

In some instances, the court system becomes a service of support for those trying to break free from drug addiction and their families. This is far more beneficial than the combative and confrontational role that the courts usually play in the  lives of drug offenders. By recognizing that drug addiction is a disease that is chronic in nature and requires continued treatment and support, the court can set itself up to help those in the grips of addiction rather than setting the offender up to fail by neglecting to give them the treatment they need while simultaneously incarcerating them with criminals who will only perpetuate their addiction when they get out.

Get Drug Addiction Treatment Before the Courts Get Involved

If you or someone you love would like drug addiction treatment before the courts get involved, Michael’s House can help. Whether you need inpatient cocaine addiction treatment, residential alcohol rehab, opiate detox, heroin addiction treatment, sober living or other drug addiction treatment programs, Michael’s House has what you need. Call 1-877-345-8494 for more information.

It’s a popular controversy and one that deeply affects those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and their families: is drug and alcohol addiction really a medical disease as proclaimed by drug treatment centers, 12 step programs and addicts around the world or is it really a personal flaw, a weakness and an inability to avoid temptation?

The Argument That Addiction is a Personal Flaw

This is the original argument of those on the outside of drug addiction. “You can stop drinking if you want to!” “You promised me you wouldn’t get loaded anymore. Why can’t you keep your word?”

Friends, family members and co-workers who are emotionally or financially invested in whether or not their loved one stops using drugs and alcohol often blame the alcoholic or addict for their continued addictive behavior. They believe that a little bit of willpower and personal, inner strength is all it takes to not only stop drinking and using drugs but to remain drug-free as well. They liken it to quitting smoking and point out that smoking is addicting as well and yet there are no long-term inpatient treatment centers for those addicted to cigarettes.

Still others don’t believe in the existence of drug and alcohol addiction at all. They don’t believe that some will find it impossible to stop after just one drink. They believe that, like over eating, overindulging in alcohol and other recreational drugs is a matter of moderation and not something that needs to be cut out entirely. Again, they believe that with a little bit of self control, there’s no reason why anyone should succumb to addiction.

The Argument that Addiction is a Medical Disease

The medical community and researchers around the world have done studies, both epidemiological and physiological that have concluded that drugs and alcohol actually change the chemical makeup of the brain. By triggering the pleasure pathway and certain chemicals in the brain regularly and repeatedly, your body begins to alter and adjust to account for the new substance, expecting you to continue providing the drug. When you try and quit, your mind and body rebels more so than if you were to eat a bag of Oreo cookies every day and then suddenly try and stop. The results of these chemical changes in your brain can mean intense psychological cravings and physical withdrawal symptoms, both of which can be next to impossible to overcome alone.

The other characteristic of drug addiction that makes it more than a matter of willpower is the fact that it is chronic. You may successfully detox off of your drug of choice, go through treatment and remain clean and sober for years only to relapse and end up on the bottom again. It can happen if you aren’t vigilant with treatment, or if you begin to follow the theory of moderation described above.

Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Addiction

If you or someone you love is dealing with an addiction to drugs and/ or alcohol, then treatment is a necessity. It is not recommended that you try to stop using any drug of addiction on your own if you experience withdrawal symptoms without it. Contact Michael’s House today for more information.

An interview that Lindsay Lohan did with a British tabloid newspaper recently has everyone twittering. Her drug addiction confession and her comments on father’s contribution to the problem are somewhat more revealing than we have previously seen. Despite three stints in drug rehab and a brief jail stay for cocaine possession, Lohan has always blown off the public’s inquiry into her addiction. Not this time.

Lindsay Talks About Her Stay in Drug Rehab

Lohan says: “I went to rehab three times. The first time I checked myself in because I had taken Ambien. It’s a sleeping aid but it makes you hallucinate. I’d run a bath and fallen asleep on the floor and the bath had overflowed. When I woke up I was so scared, I called my therapist and said, ‘Can I just go somewhere for a month? I’m around bad people and I need to take care of myself’. I was terrified, so I put myself in.”

Lindsay Talks About Cocaine Abuse and Addiction

After a car accident in May 2007, Lindsay was caught with cocaine for the first time. She says: “It was in a purse and I was with friends. I wasn’t trying to lie to police.”

She goes onto say: “I was only aware of cocaine because of my dad. I was terrified of it. But I tried it because I was stubborn, stupid, and wanted to see what it was like.

“It’s not something I ever want to do again. It made me feel like s***. It became uninteresting to me. I’m hyper anyway and I have that kind of personality so I don’t need something like that.”

More Drug Addiction Confessions

According to Lohan, she was close to death due to her mixing of alcohol, cocaine and other drugs. A collapse after taking sleeping pills filled her with “terror.”

Though she blames herself in part, she puts much of the blame on her father and his indictment of her addictive behavior publicly. She says:  “When my father was going public, that’s when I hit rock bottom. I abused substances too much and it wasn’t the answer to my problems. People need to know that.

All Better Now?

Lohan says, that despite all her previous issues with drugs and alcohol, she can now drink in moderation and no longer struggles with addiction:

“I tried to mask my problems with alcohol, cocaine and mind-altering substances. Now I’m in a place where I don’t need to use anything and I can feel emotions because I choose to. I learnt from my mistakes and I’m now healthy and happier. I never want to be close to losing everything I worked for and aspired to have my whole life.”

Drug Addiction Treatment Options

If you or someone you love is living with cocaine addiction, alcohol addiction, or addiction to sleeping medications like Ambien, Michael’s House can help. Located in southern California, Michael’s House offers an holistic drug and alcohol detox and addiction treatment program that will help you no matter what your drug of choice. Call us today at 1-877-345-8494 for more information.

Addiction to prescription drugs like OxyContin, hydrocodone, Percocet, Lortab, Fentanyl and others is on the rise in the United States. One of the reasons why prescription drug addiction is such a large problem is because of the crimes that are often associated with the disease. In order to maintain prescription drug addiction, addicts cost the insurance industry about $72.5 billion every year, according to the 2009 Drug Threat Assessment report. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that deaths that involved painkillers increased by 66 percent between 2001 and 2005.

Every year, prescription drug addiction increases unlike any other illegal drug.

Common Crimes Associated with Prescription Drug Addiction

The most common crimes associated with prescription drug addiction are doctor shopping to procure duplicate prescriptions, outright fraud where prescription pads are stolen and fake prescriptions are written and filled, and pharmacy robberies. “Pharm parties” are common among high school and college aged students as well: each person brings whatever prescription painkillers they have left over from their own (or their parents’) prescriptions and shares with everyone else. Still others try to get the prescription painkillers they are craving by going to the emergency room and faking injuries.

No matter how they are obtained, taking these pills without medical supervision can be deadly. Those same emergency rooms where many prescription pill addicts feign pain in order to get drugs fraudulently report that the number of true admissions related to prescription drug overdose or abuse rise every year.

Private Versus Public - The New Crimes Associated with Prescription Drug Addiction

There have been a number of cases in the media over the past couple of years where the courts have brought charges against those who gave their prescription meds to friends or family members when the person receiving the medication ultimately died using those drugs. In each case, no matter the age of the person on trial (in many cases, they were teenagers), it was ultimately decided that jail time was appropriate. With charges that include involuntary manslaughter, the court is making their position clear: only you should be taking your prescription medications.

Prescription Drug Addiction Crime

Using prescription drugs non-medically is a crime in and of itself. The problem with the other crimes associated with the maintenance of prescription drug addiction is that they will only serve to increase the consequences when you finally get caught. When those crimes turn violent-someone dies accidentally or gets hurt while you are performing the crime-drug court and court ordered drug addiction treatment is no longer an option.

Treatment for Prescription Drug Addiction

If you or someone you love is addicted to prescription drugs of any kind including sleep medications, anti-anxiety medication or opiate painkillers, don’t wait until your cravings have reached such a crescendo that you are forced into criminal acts to get the pills you need. Call Michael’s House at 1-877-345-8494 instead. We can help you stop using prescription pills before they stop you. Call now.

There are few instances in which Democrats and Republicans agree on anything, much less join forces, and legislation reform is rarely a unifying topic. According to State Bill Colorado and KDVR, House Bill 1352 may be one of those rare items of unity.

What Drug Addiction Legislation Reform is Proposed by House Bill 1352?

House Bill 1352 saves money. Here’s how: rather than sentencing drug offenders with prison time, it provides them with a drug addiction treatment program instead. Drug rehabilitation saves the state money (supporting a prisoner is expensive) and also reduces the chances that the drug offender will return when they get out of prison and cost the court time and money all over again.

Both Republicans, who are happy about the financial savings, and Democrats, who are interested in the savings but also interested in the humanitarian effects of the legislation, are on board and ready to make it happen.

Republican Attorney General John Suthers said: “It’s a rare day when the Public Defender’s Office and the attorney general appear together to support a bill.”

Why Are Republicans Supporting Pro-Drug Treatment Legislation?

Across the country, these kinds of bills are routinely shot down by the Republican party because they deem it too soft on crime. The difference with the legislation in Colorado, and the subsequent support of the Republicans, is there is a distinction made in House Bill 1352 between drug possessors and drug sellers. It is a distinction that has made it possible for this kind of legislation to get passed in the states that currently have drug courts.

If you’re a drug addict making bad choices under the influence or in pursuit of more drugs, then you would be eligible for treatment rather than prison. As long as you complete your drug treatment successfully and stay out of trouble, the charges would be dropped from your record. Should you relapse or commit another crime, including drug possession, all the penalties of the first incident would be added to those of the second.

Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs says: “It’s time to switch our focus from being tough on crime to being smart on crime. This bill is about how we can get the best bang for our public-safety dollars.”

Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, agrees: “Incarceration is really not the right answer.  The real problem with most prisoners is addiction. We need to be smarter with public resources by not simply warehousing drug addicts.”

Additional Benefits of New Drug Addiction Treatment Legislation

Christie Donner is the Executive Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. She says that the new bill will also affect the children of drug offenders who would have been jailed for their crimes: “This change in approach will interrupt the cycle of addiction and involvement in the criminal justice system. Families, especially the children, of those caught up in addiction and the criminal justice system, will benefit the most when the cycle is interrupted.”

Avoid Criminal Penalties of Drug Addiction

If you or someone you love is struggling with drug addiction, don’t wait for a court to tell you that you need help. Call Michael’s House today and change your life before you find yourself standing before a judge: 1-877-345-8494.

After Farrah Fawcett’s death last year, her ex-husband and long time friend and partner, Ryan O’Neal, is making a documentary about the star. His hope is to feature her son, Redmond O’Neal, who has famously struggled with drug addiction and is currently incarcerated for crimes associated with his addiction.

Drug Addiction as a Focus of Farrah Fawcett Documentary

Because so many have made TV specials and written books and articles about the former Charlie’s Angel, Ryan O’Neal’s documentary will focus on what happened after Farrah died of cancer in June of 2008. He outlined the plans for his project and said, “We plan to focus on three main areas of her legacy: her art - namely her films and her sculptures - her inspirational battle with cancer; and the light of her life, our son Redmond, who is now fighting to reclaim himself in honor of his mother.”

The “reclamation” of Redmond that Ryan refers to his attempts to let go of his drug addiction and get his life back on track. Currently, Redmond is in a residential drug addiction treatment facility in Pasadena due to a court order transferring him from a prison to drug rehab.

Ryan also says that the documentary will include “an original, never-aired 2005 interview with never-before-seen footage from our private collection of home movies.”

A Family’s History of Drug Abuse and Addiction

Ryan and Redmond have had a rocky father-son relationship. The two of them were arrested in 2008 when crystal meth was found in Ryan’s home. Ryan claimed at first that he had no knowledge or the drugs in his home but later pled guilty to drug possession. He was given 18 months of drug counseling and treatment. Redmond went back to jail, though he was allowed out to visit his dying mother.

Redmond writes from prison: “My plan is to go back with a new attitude and leave my old ideas behind. I am committed to doing this thing.”

Helping A Family Member Break Free from Drug Addiction

Though it is possible to interpret Redmond’s interest in his son’s wellbeing as mercenary since it comes with a desire to create a documentary, one can also see the benefit this attention and exposure might bring to Redmond. Many who are living with drug and alcohol addiction feel abandoned by their families and, depending upon the personal relationship between the two men, this could actually be the catalyst that brings them closer.

Additionally, when we are held accountable for our actions and announce our goals publicly, no matter what they are, we tend to do better as we work to achieve them. Failure in private is far less scary than public failure, and with cameras following him around, Redmond may be less inclined to slip or relapse, which may ultimately benefit him and help him remain clean and sober.

If you would like to help your loved one break free from drug and alcohol addiction, Michael’s House is a drug rehab located in southern California. Call us today at 1-877-345-8494 for more information about our addiction treatment programs.

Blending two families after a new marriage comes with a myriad of challenges. Disparate personalities must learn to live and work together in a new home, which is made even more difficult when all or some of the kids are not totally on board with the new situation. When one of your new stepchildren has a drug problem, this can make the blending process all the more difficult and cause problems between you and your new spouse. Addressing your stepchild’s drug problem can be even touchier, then, than if it were your biological child. Here are a few points to consider.

A Stepchild’s Drug Addiction: Assessing the Situation

First of all, you will want to make sure that the issue your stepchild is dealing with is truly drug addiction and not, for example, drug abuse or bad behavior meant to get your spouse’s attention. Acting out against a new marriage or a divorce they didn’t want or ask for may be the starting point for addictive behavior, but it’s also a cry for help and one that, if heeded early, can help your stepchild bypass drug addiction.

Full blown drug addiction can be identified by a general and long lasting pattern of behavior that includes lying, stealing, hiding drugs and paraphernalia, mood swings and depression, a decline in hygiene and self-care as well as lost interest in former friends who are more “straight,” hobbies and school work.

A Stepchild’s Drug Addiction: Talking to Your Partner

When you have ascertained that your stepchild is either abusing drugs in an attempt to get your spouse’s attention or dealing with a serious drug addiction that requires drug addiction treatment, your next step should be to talk to your partner. He or she may not want to hear what you have to say and may argue with you over the existence of the problem or whether or not it is serious enough to do anything about, but you have to voice your concerns.

If your partner doesn’t seem receptive to the conversation the first time you try, give them some space and try again later. They may already recognize the problem but just not be ready to deal with it yet. While that’s a fair response, it is a serious issue and after a bit of time has passed, it’s important that you bring it up again. If you or your partner wishes, it may be an issue to discuss with a family therapist so that you can keep the conversation productive and focus on a plan.

Getting Drug Addiction Treatment for Your Stepchild

If you and your partner agree that your stepchild needs drug addiction treatment, the next step is an intervention. Here, you and your partner will be able to confront your stepchild on his or her drug addiction with two goals in mind: to help him or her to understand the serious nature of the disease and to invite them to enter drug rehab immediately. Before you begin, you should speak with a drug rehab center and secure a spot for your stepchild.

If your loved one is over the age of 18, Michael’s House can provide your stepchild with the drug and alcohol addiction treatment he or she needs. Call 1-877-345-8494 for more information.

A little bit of online research revealed some unhappy numbers for crack dealers and hopeful crack dealers. The lure of being in a gang and selling drugs or putting in other “work” in order to move up through the ranks and gain “respect” usually ends one of two ways: prison or death. Either way, drug addiction plagues those who sell drugs as well as those close to them, including their families.

Selling Drugs: How Much Money Do They Really Make?

It turns out, first of all, that the job isn’t quite as lucrative as the movies lead you to believe. It seems that a researcher who had access to a certain gang’s records and finances found out that the average crack dealer on the corner only makes about $3.50 an hour.

Second, the occupational hazards of the job are somewhat more harsh than those of, say, anything legal: the annual death rate was marked at about 7 percent, a number which increased to 25 percent after four years. (Why the increase? Perhaps disgruntled customers or competition tend to target those who have made a name for themselves?)

Even if you made $1300 a hour instead of $3.50, you can’t spend it from the grave.

The Myth of Drug Dealing and Sales

No matter how you add it up, being a crack dealer (or a drug dealer of any kind) isn’t going to do much for your financial standing. Unfortunately, kids are seduced by glamorous depictions of rich drug lords on TV, Hollywood and in their own communities. They think that if they put in the time that they, too, will one day be driving fancy cars, wearing lots of gold and buying houses for their mother. The fact is, that very few actually profit off of selling drugs and those are very, very high up in the chain and making it there alive is practically impossible.

Drug Addiction Among Drug Sellers

Perhaps the biggest issue that faces those who start selling drugs is the development of their own drug addiction. Ready access to large amounts of drugs and large amounts of money in the midst of high emotional stress (I doubt there’s a more stressful job) is pretty much the perfect storm for the creation of drug addiction.

Another issue is getting caught. Whether it’s for the crimes they have to do to supplement their income since they’re using their own supply or whether it’s for selling drugs, they are no longer eligible for drug addiction treatment through drug court. When selling or violence is an issue over and above possession charges, no drug court will give you drug addiction treatment instead of prison.

Healing Drug Addiction and Getting Out of Selling

If you or someone you love is struggling with drug addiction, the time to stop is now. Rates of death are as high among drug addicts as they are among drug dealers, if not higher. Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic. Call Michael’s House today: 1-877-345-8494.