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.

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.

Even those who rail the United States for being too soft on drug addiction and those convicted of distribution and sales of illegal drugs are pausing to think after the recent death by firing squad in China of Akmal Shaikh, a drug dealer caught with 4kg of heroin. Was the death penalty too extreme of a punishment for a nonviolent crime? Should he have been given drug rehab instead or a prison term?

The wide spectrum of views on drug addiction, drug abuse and drug dealing range from the very liberal view that everything should be made legal to the very conservative view that, if not the death penalty, then the first conviction should at least come with a harsh and swift penalty.

China’s Argument for the Death Penalty for Drug Distribution

China feels strongly about protecting its people from the harms and dangers of drug addiction. They point out that the amount of heroin that Shaikh was trafficking into China could have killed 27,000 people. Choosing the death penalty, however, says that there is no hope of rehabilitation and since the death penalty in the United States is usually reserved for a similarly violent crime, most Americans are somewhat taken aback by this hard line approach. China views the potential loss of 27,000 countrymen as more valuable than the life of one man and they make no apologies for their decision.

The Softer Approach to Drug Addiction

In the United States, many states have a program that offers drug rehabilitation for first time possession offenders, and often drug dealers get away with inclusion into this program if they are carrying small enough amounts that can be claimed is for nothing more than personal use. Many Americans view this as soft, saying that it sends the message that drug addiction and distribution isn’t that serious and that even if you get caught, you’ll have a few more chances before you get into any “real” trouble, a message that ultimately costs taxpayers millions in court costs, law enforcement, medical care, damage to property, loss of lives and more.

In Britain, drug addiction can get you a disability check for the equivalent of about $200 a week. Here and abroad, there are needle exchange programs and other harm reduction-oriented nonprofit organizations dedicated to assisting those who are living with drug addiction though not necessarily trying to help them break free from addiction. There is also quite a bit of anecdotal evidence in the form of rehabilitated addicts who say that these programs were invaluable in terms of helping them to recover and start a new life.

What Do You Think?

Whatever your view on the death of Shaikh, what is your opinion of the harder line against drug addiction and drug sales versus a more rehabilitative approach? Do you think that drug rehab works? Can it save lives and ultimately save money? Or is it better to send the message to anyone who considers abusing drugs and alcohol that there is a no tolerance policy?

Ever wished there was something more you could do for your loved one caught in the angry drama of drug addiction? Anonymous tips to the DEA are a good place to start.

Since 2004, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has been operating an international, toll-free hotline for reporting illegal sale, distribution, and abuse of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin. Whether it is neighborhood drug sales or an online site that is distributing drugs illegally, you can help break the cycle of addiction by making tips to the DEA.

The Importance of a Hotline for Reporting Prescription Drug Activity

“With one simple call… people in the United States and Mexico have an anonymous, safe, and free way to bring information about suspected illegal pharmaceutical distribution to DEA,” explains Administrator Karen P. Tandy. “This information will greatly assist us in bringing drug dealers to justice and preventing the tragedies that come from prescription drug abuse.”

Whether it happens unknowingly as a result of a doctor’s prescribed narcotic, or from intentional use as a way to “self-medicate” without doctor’s orders, effects of addiction are the same and can lead to the same end no matter where or how it first started out.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health determined 6.3 million Americans in 2003 were obtaining and using addictive medications specifically for the purpose of getting high. Today, pharmaceutical medications comprise the bulk of addictions for youth and adults alike - more than marijuana, cocaine, or crystal meth combined.

“DEA is particularly interested in hearing from families whose loved one has overdosed or died as a result of obtaining pharmaceuticals over the Internet. Tips including the Web addresses will help us put these pill pushers out of business,” Tandy says.

The Risks of Continued Prescription Drug Addiction

The health effects of prescription drug addiction are severe and extensive. Depending upon the drug of addiction, you may experience respiratory problems, liver and kidney damage, seizures, hallucinations, insomnia, acting without awareness, heart problems and more. Drug overdose is always a risk, no matter how long you have been taking your drug of choice, and dangerous or negligent actions under the influence that hurt you or those around you are always an issue as well when you use drugs that alter your perception and slow your response time.

How to Help Get Prescription Drug Abuse under Control by Sharing What You Know

To make an anonymous report, you can visit the DEA’s website www.dea.gov or call 1-877-RxAbuse. It’s a free call from anywhere in Mexico or the United States and it helps those in the know get the necessary information to those who can effectively do something about it.

Would You Use a Drug Addiction Hotline?

Would you feel safe using an anonymous hotline like this one to tip off law enforcement to the illegal activities you’ve discovered your loved one is involved with? Do you think it would help your situation?

Artie Lange is famous for being the comedic sidekick to the notorious Howard Stern on “The Howard Stern Show” on Sirius XM radio. Unfortunately, Lange was hospitalized this weekend. The reason for his hospitalization was undisclosed to the public, but rumors abound: most believe that Lange’s long struggle with drugs and alcohol either resulted in overdose or that he suffered an accident or illness that is drug or alcohol related.

Howard Stern Comments on Artie Lange, Addiction, and the Future of the Show

Despite rumors that Lange’s hospitalization and the issues that led up to it are serious enough to warrant his replacement on “The Howard Stern Show,” Stern himself disagrees, according to Gather.com. When asked about the rumors that Lange may be replaced by Jim Breur, Stern said that there was no truth to the story.

Stern made a public comment recently stating: “We all have our demons. Artie has given this show tremendous moments of great comedy. He’s a tremendous contributor. He is a good man. Don’t forget how great he is.”

Robin Quivers, a co-host on “The Howard Stern Show,” had nothing but good things to say about Lange as well: “[He] is the most loving guy, always giving.”

The Secret of Drug Addiction

None of Lange’s friends or family is commenting on the reason for his hospitalization, not even the usual “exhaustion” malady that so often seems to plague celebrities dealing with drug abuse issues. While Stern alluded to the well-known issues he has had, he is supporting Lange and Lange’s family by allowing them to keep their personal battle private.

While that is admirable, the issue of secretive drug addiction can often tear families apart. Too often, when a friend or family member is suffering from the disease, those who are close to them will cover up the issue, hiding their mistakes or “cleaning it up” for others. Some do it because they are embarrassed for themselves or for the addict in their lives. Others do it because they believe that, if given enough time do so privately, the addict in their life will be more likely to stop drinking and using drugs on their own. Still others are just in denial and don’t want to believe that the problem is as serious as it is. Whatever the reason, keeping secrets and hiding a family member’s struggle with something as deadly as drug and alcohol addiction isn’t doing anyone any favors.

Help Your Loved One Heal: Drug Rehab Intervention

A drug rehab intervention is a great way for you to take a proactive stand and help your loved one get the help they need to recover from drug and alcohol addiction. By confronting the addict in your life with concrete examples of how their addiction and actions under the influence have hurt them and those who love them, you can reveal to them an incontrovertible way just how serious their addiction problems are. By offering them the opportunity to immediately leave for drug rehab, you are also offering them a solution.

If you would like a professional interventionist to assist you in setting up an intervention for your loved one, contact us at Michael’s House today for more information.

Elton John recently made a few comments about Eminem, Eminem’s struggle with prescription painkiller addiction and the part he played in helping the rapper get through a difficult recovery.

About Eminem’s drug addiction, Elton John says: “I’ve been helping Eminem over the last 18 months and he’s doing brilliantly.”

Eminem’s History with Prescription Painkiller

A popular topic in his music before he retired a few years ago, Eminem made no secret of his abuse of a variety of drugs including prescription painkillers. When he decided to retire a few years ago, it was clear that it was his issue with drug addiction that was keeping him off the stage. He made a few comments to the press and didn’t try to hide his stint in rehab.

Eminem said in one interview: “If I was to give you a number of Vicodin I would actually take in a day? Anywhere between 10 to 20. Valium, Ambien, the numbers got so high I don’t even know what I was taking. I started looking around my house to see if I had a stash box of Vicodin. I’m ransacking my house, finally find something in the basement, in a little napkin, seven and a half Vicodin - the big extra-strength ones - and a few Valium. It never once hit me that drug addiction runs in my family. Now that I understand that I’m an addict, I definitely have compassion for my mother. I get it.”

Elton John and Celebrity Drug Addiction

According to the Daily Mail, Elton John is proud of Eminem’s progress and believes that he himself played a large part in helping the rapper go from active addict to recovering addict over the last couple of years. But this isn’t Elton John’s first rodeo. He has staged a number of interventions in the past and helped more than a few other celebrities with their battle with drug addiction. According to the interview, he attempted to help Michael Jackson before the pop star eventually succumbed to the disease last year, and he also tried to encourage George Michael to enter drug and alcohol rehab (although Michael apparently was none too pleased with John for his efforts).

Said Elton John to Danny Baker at Radio 5: “I’m there if people want my help. If people ask for help you tell them where to go but there’s no point advising people if they don’t want to do it.”

Does Someone You Love Need Drug Rehab?

If you are watching a friend or family member struggle with drug and/ or alcohol addiction, an intervention may be the appropriate next step. If you are sure that this is addiction and a problem that is taking its toll on your loved one’s health, relationships, finances and future, then confronting them in a loving manner while surrounded by other loved ones is definitely the right next step. If you would like more advice on how to perform an intervention, a professional interventionist may be able to assist you. Contact Michael’s House today for more information.

Preventing relapse after you graduate from a drug and alcohol rehab should be your primary goal. It is simultaneously the easiest time to keep your focus on relapse prevention and the hardest. It is easy because you are just out of rehab with a great support network and fresh from all the experiences that landed you in rehab in the first place. You know exactly why you need to avoid drinking or getting loaded, and you’ve just learned all the tools you need to remain clean and sober. On the other hand, it’s hard because you’re just out of rehab and have a world of things to do in terms of getting your life together and starting over.

Preventing Relapse After Drug Rehab: Set Reasonable and Achievable Goals

Your primary goal is not to pick up and use or drink. It’s far too overwhelming to wake up in the morning and think, “I will never use drugs or drink again.” Vague absolutes like “never” or “forever” are only going to cause you to panic and feel like you won’t be able to succeed. Rather, say to yourself, “I won’t drink or get loaded today.” And then set yourself another, accomplishable task. This could be extremely basic: Make your bed. Eat a healthy breakfast. Go for a run. Or it could be a little bit bigger: Update or create a resume.

For bigger tasks, you will need to create a list of smaller goals that will lead to you accomplishing the larger goal. For example, if “Find a job” is your larger goal, then your list of smaller goals might include: Update or create resume. Look at job listings on Craigslist. Apply for three jobs. Put together an interview outfit. Any one of those goals can be accomplished in one sitting, which will keep you from getting overwhelmed.

Preventing Relapse After Drug Rehab: Triggers

“Triggers” are a term for all those things that happen to you that make you want to drink or get loaded. While you can avoid some of them, some will be unavoidable. Perhaps a certain club makes you want to get loaded or seeing certain friends who use drugs makes you want to give up on being clean and give into your desire to get high. By simply avoiding these people and situations, you can avoid the pitfall of relapse.

Other triggers aren’t so easily sidestepped: emotions like anger or sadness, for example. When you’re used to numbing your emotions with pills and other drugs, it’s not so easy to find another way to make yourself feel better. During drug addiction recovery, however, you have the opportunity to change those behaviors and learn healthier ways to assuage your feelings until the urge to use passes. One healthy way is to pick one of those achievable goals described above and focus on that instead. Another is to call your sponsor or other supportive friends who can help you focus on the positive. Another way is to go to a meeting and stay with clean and sober people until the triggered feeling passes.

Do you have any advice for those who are trying to stay clean and sober after drug rehab?

For months now, people have been losing their jobs due to the failing economy. Despite recent surges in the stock market and reports that fewer and fewer are reporting job losses, it seems that there are still a number of victims of the financial problems in our economy and drug addiction treatment may be one of those victims.

Iowa: Drug Addiction Treatment Cut in New Budget

According to Jennifer Jacobs and Jason Clayworth at the Des Moines Register, drug addiction treatment is one of many programs being cut in Iowa’s new budget. Governor Culver of Iowa cut about $16 million from the budget in programs that include “preschool programs, college grant money, advocates for foster children, child abuse prevention, chiropractic care for people on Medicaid, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and drug-addiction treatment, unwanted pregnancy prevention services, school lunch programs and amusement device inspections.”

It seems short sighted to cut drug addiction treatment when numerous studies point to the ability of drug rehab to cut costs in other areas like law enforcement, court costs, prison costs, and medical services among others. But in Iowa like the rest of the nation, the money just isn’t there to cover the upfront costs even though the cuts will cost more in the long run.

Drug Addiction Treatment Costs Prohibitive to Individuals

The cost of drug and alcohol rehab is cited as one of the top three reasons why people who need medical treatment for addiction often procrastinate on enrolling in a program even when they know that they need it. Either they have no health insurance or their health insurance won’t fully cover the cost or they can’t afford the time off of work. It appears to many that getting medical detox and addiction treatment is simply too expensive despite the fact that drug addiction itself and avoiding treatment is far more expensive in the long run.

The Cost of Avoiding Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Consider how much you spend on maintaining your drug and/ or alcohol addiction. How much does it cost to get a bag of weed, to pay for a bottle of Xanax or Vicodin or codeine, to get a bottle of liquor or a case of beer? Often the costs of the drugs alone mean that drug rehab would pay for itself within six months.

But consider the other costs of addiction. Add up the late fees from bills that are paid late because you are too high to remember to pay them on time. What about the costs of car repairs because you didn’t change the oil or notice the check engine light or get the smog check and licensing taken care of on time? How about the legal fees for DUI tickets, for damage done to public and private property, for court costs on these issues and more? Add in the untold emotional costs to your relationships, your reputation, your self esteem and pride, your children, your family, your opportunities at work and in the community and the cost of drug rehab is suddenly starkly minimal in comparison.

Covering Up Front Costs of Drug Rehab Now

Check with your health insurance provider first. Whether you have state-provided coverage or private healthcare insurance, there is likely some coverage for drug rehab and treatment. To cover the rest of the costs, consider a loan, scholarships, programs that provide assistance for your gender, ethnicity or age group through local organizations.

How did you pay for your drug rehab costs? Do you have any advice for those who need assistance in covering the costs?

Friendships That Fail After Drug Addiction Treatment

Because drug and alcohol addiction is so all-encompassing, the relationships that stick through the ordeal tend to be enabling relationships, that is, friends and family members who either help us to continue addictive behavior or those people who we use with. This can be a problem when we return home after drug rehab and attempt to figure out how to live without drugs in a place where we used to define our lives by drug and alcohol addiction, surrounded by people who know us by our addiction.

Can You Go Home After Drug Rehab?

The truth is, it’s different for everyone. First of all, not everyone has a “home” to return to. You may go back to a town or city you called home, but essentially, you will have to rebuild your life from the ground up, starting with finding a home and a job. Others have a family waiting for them, and the stress of the expectations they may have as well as the guilt that comes with knowing you’ve hurt people you love with your addiction can make the idea of returning home bittersweet. Still others may have no other goal in mind but to go to a new place and start over completely where no one knows about their drug and alcohol addiction history. In order to postpone returning home until they feel more ready, many choose sober living after a successful stay at drug rehab because the stress is too threatening to their ability to remain clean and sober.

Running Into Friends You Use to Drink and Use Drugs With After Drug Rehab

Staying clean and sober with liquor stores on every corner and the phone number of your connection still in your cell phone is hard enough. The drug cravings that occur when you are without the structure and safety of drug and alcohol rehab can be even harder. But when you return home only to have people coming over to your house and offering you exactly what you’re trying to stay away from, it’s almost impossible to stay clean and sober for long if you don’t take care of the situation immediately.

Here is a three-step process that will help you handle it if your friends come over and don’t respect your wishes that they leave their drugs at home:

• Let everyone know that you’re trying to stay clean. Make it common knowledge. Most people will respect this and stay away until they’re doing better as well. But if they don’t….

• Be polite but firm and ask them to leave if they show up under the influence, try to use in front of you or offer you anything. Make it clear that you’re not being judgmental but that you need to steer clear of all drugs and alcohol for awhile. And if that doesn’t work….

• Don’t be afraid to be rude. They’re being disrespectful to you by using in front of you. This is a life or death journey you’re on and to so blatantly flaunt their drug use when you are in such a vulnerable situation and in your house is unacceptable. Tell them so and make them leave.

Other than that, the best you can do is avoid the spots where you know people will be using and prepare yourself with the knowledge that your life is going to change in more ways than one. Friendships are just one thing that will change as you start a life without drugs but it can be one of the most difficult. Make use of your support system and try to rekindle old friendships with clean and sober people that you lost while you were using.

How do you handle it when you see people who are using when you’re trying to stay clean?

Some people say that you can’t be successful in drug and alcohol rehab if you don’t really want to go. Others say that successful drug addiction treatment goes deeper than that, that you have to lose everything before you can fully understand how vital it is to get clean and sober.

The research doesn’t show this, however. Some studies show that drug rehab can be successful even for those participants who have no desire to be there at first. Success, according to these studies, depends more on the length of your stay. In short, it doesn’t matter if you want to be there; if you choose an immersive, residential drug rehab program and stay there for as long as possible, your chances for success are extremely high. If you are considering outpatient drug rehab, however, those statistics no longer apply and your attitude towards drug treatment will significantly change your outcome.

You Have to Need Drug Addiction Treatment

Maybe this idea of “hitting rock bottom” is true for some people, but not all. I don’t even think that you have to want to get clean for an inpatient treatment program to have some impact. Drug and alcohol addiction, is after all, a chronic disease and everyone has to start somewhere. However, I do think that if you’re going to attempt an outpatient drug addiction treatment or day treatment program, you not only have to want it, you have to need it. You have to equate getting (and staying) clean with the other human needs (air, food, water, shelter). It’s that basic and that necessary. If you’re not on that level, if you’re still qualifying your choices and justifying “just one…” then you’re not ready for an outpatient drug rehab. You need an inpatient, residential drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility.

You Have to Be Done With the Life That Comes With Using Drugs

If you’re still enamored with “the life” of using, if you’re still nostalgic about “getting high,” if you’re still interested in the drama that goes along with chasing a bag or getting roaring drunk at the club, then you’re not ready for an outpatient drug treatment. Don’t get me wrong: even those who have been clean for years, even decades, are tempted sometimes. You may even have a few funny or good memories of getting loaded. But if you don’t also remember how sick the drugs make you when they wear off, how miserable you were on the roller coaster of chasing a high, how miserable everyone around you was while you destroyed your relationships and yourself, then the nostalgia will win and you’ll end up relapsing without the 24-hour support of a residential drug and alcohol rehab.

You Have to Have a Plan During Drug Rehab

Just saying you want to get clean isn’t enough, especially during outpatient treatment. You have to commit to your program and to the therapies, fully applying yourself to your treatment goals and really trying. You have to have a support system to help you through the hard times when you are outside of the facility. You have to have coping skills and relapse prevention skills almost immediately.

What’s your plan?