Drug addiction is obviously a bad thing.  Almost everyone knows about the physical, psychological, financial and social toll drugs can on an individual and his or her family.  Yet well over half of those who suffer with drug addiction do not get the treatment they so desperately need.  WHY IS THAT?

A recent survey performed by the producers and researchers of the hit HBO documentary series Addiction asked addicted individuals that very question.  What follows are the fascinating results.

Why People Don’t Seek Treatment

• 94.4% did not feel that they needed treatment
• 4.1% felt like they needed treatment and did make an effort to get it
• 1.4% felt like they needed treatment and did not make an effort to get it

Even more interesting are the responses from those individuals who did seek treatment, but did not receive it.  Among these individuals the reasons for not getting treatment were:

• 44.4% said cost/insurance barriers kept them from getting treatment
• 21.2% said they were not ready to stop using drugs
• 21.1% named other access barriers
• 18.5% said they were afraid of the negative stigma of drug addiction treatment
• 9.4% said they did not know where to go for treatment
• 3.8% said they did not have time for treatment
• 0.4% said they thought treatment would not help them

Help remove these barriers!  If you have a drug addiction problem, contact a professional addiction treatment faciity today.

During his life, Swedish psychiatrist and addiction specialist Nils Bejerot riled many individuals in the research community with his unique views on the origins and risk factors for addiction.

While most research stated (and continues to state) that addiction is the result of a combination of personal issues and socio-economic conditions, Bejerot contended that there were five external factors that represented the most significant risk factors to drug addiction and alcoholism.

Bejerot’s Five Risk Factors:

• Availability of the substance
• The money to acquire the substance
• The time needed to use the substance
• Models of the substance being used in the immediate environment
• A “permissive ideology” regarding using the substance

What was so revolutionary (and controversial) about this theory was that Bejerot believed that entire communities could be impacted by these factors, thus creating epidemics of addiction within a given society.

Bejerot believed that it is up to a society to punish drug addiction, not through the legal system but through social means.  This, he believed, was the only way to reduce the spread of addiction.

Individuals who are suffering from drug addiction or alcohol addiction, no matter what the circumstances or root causes, need to seek help from an addiction treatment facility immediately.  Through detox, counseling and aftercare, these facilities can help the individual develop the required skills to conquer addiction.

Proving once again that it is better to be famous than lucky, Ryan O’Neal’s 23-year old son has managed to avoid serious jail time after his recent arrest on charges of Methamphetamine and heroin.  Instead, Redmond will return for another stint at drug rehab which, to this point, has been unable to help this obviously troubled young man get the help that he needs.

Redmond’s recent arrest drew headlines because police also took his father Ryan into custody when they found the drugs in the family home.  Speaking through his attorneys, a surely-humiliated O”Neal maintains vehemently that the drugs belonged to his son only.

The judge in the case hopes that a two-week drug detox program will hope get Redmond O’Neal back on track.  But as anyone in the addiction treatment industry will attest, detox is only part of the equation - and is not a solution in and of itself.

Once detox is complete, the individual can then move forward with the counseling and therapy that makes up the backbone of any good drug rehab program.  It is in these sessions that the root causes of addiction can be addressed, and real solutions can be found.

Look, if someone you know has become addicted to heroin, they’re probably NOT going to come right out and tell you themselves.   But the problem is that, they need help!   So that means you are going to have to figure it out for yourself and that means knowing the signs and symptoms of heroin use.

The top ten signs of heroin use are:

1. Constricted pupils

2. Euphoria

3. Shallow breathing

4. Abscesses or scars on the arms (or other areas where heroin might be injected)

5. Often seems confused or disoriented

6. Has contracted Hepatitis B/C or HIV/AIDS

7. Poor performance at work or school

8. Has withdrawn from friends and family (and begun hanging out with a new, “sketchier” set of friends)

9. Has asked to borrow from you (and has been secretive about the reasons why they need it) or has stolen from you.

10. Has had run-ins with law enforcement - after never having encountered any before.

If a friend or family member is exhibiting one or more of the signs and symptoms above, they may be using heroin - and if so, need your help! Contact a drug addiction treatment facility in your area to learn how you can get that special person the professional assistance they need to get well.

After an alcohol fueled binge with his 20 year old girlfriend, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood entered into rehab for alcohol addiction, drug addiction and compulsive sexual behabvior.  The 61 year old is now facing legal troubles as his wife prepares to sue him for divorce.

Certainly living and working alongside Keith Richards for decades is not going to do anyone’s health any favors, but Wood has seemingly entered a cycle of addiction that, at his advancing years, will be difficult to dig out from underneath.

Couple that with the financial problems that seem to be right around the corner and, despite being part of the most popular band in the world, Wood’s golden years don’t look to be so sweet.

This latest trip into rehab is one of many - and one can only hope that he benefit from the chance to spend some time away from his party-heavy lifestyle.

When individuals such as Wood fall from grace, we tend to shrug our shoulders and say “told you so.:  This attitude however, will not suffice when helping one of our own friends or loved ones through a difficult alcohol or drug addiction.

The only way to make sure that an individual gets the help they need is to hold an intervention and get them into an alcohol or drug rehab program immediately where there are professionals who have made it their life’s work to get people clean and sober.

The hit VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab kicks off its second season on October 23^rd and brings with it a new batch of famous people from the world of entertainment who have set their careers aside to work with host Dr. Drew Pinsky in an effort to achieve recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

The cast includes the return of former Taxi star Jeff Conway, who has faced a series of setbacks since his last appearance on the show including several back surgeries that have caused him to relapse into his habitual use of pain medications.  Joining him in the rehab program are a wide variety of celebs including:

• Sean Stewart (Sons of Hollywood)
• Amber Smith (model/actress)
• Rodney King
• Nikki McKibbin (American Idol)
• Steven Adler (Guns n Roses)
• Tawny Kitaen (Actress).

Perhaps the most notable appearance of the season will come from actor Gary Busey.  The actor is over a decade removed from his cocaine addiction, but will take the other residents on what is being billed as a “spiritual journey” and share experiences from his own recovery.

Questions about the quality of the show remain, but certainly anything that raises awareness about the availability and effectiveness of quality alcohol and drug rehab programs can’t be all bad.

Celebrity Rehab will run for 8 episodes every Thursday beginning on October 23^rd.

A small town in central India has recently taken their fight against drug addiction to some rather extreme measures.

The village of Bongaon, India has decided to bar all male drug addicts who live in the town from becoming married.

Inexpensive drugs and a high unemployment rate have led a high percentage of young men in the area to become addicted to heroin, marijuana and other drugs - which consequently led to the passage of this unique law.

To those who live in the Western portion of the world, this penalty may seem odd and even a bit ineffective.  But Indian culture places great emphasis on marriage, in particular arranged marriage, which can impact the long-term financial health of the entire family.  Under the new ordinance, parents are forbidden from offering their daughters’ hands in marriage to any young man who is a known or convicted drug offender.

Just as accountability is an important part of helping break the cycle of addiction, so too is drug rehabilitation.  A top drug rehab program can help individuals around the world address both the physical and psychological components of addiction.    This is accomplished through:

• Drug detox
• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• General wellness and health programs
• Aftercare

Comedian Andy Dick has joined a growing list of celebrities who have recently entered into a televised drug rehab program.  Dick, known for his outlandish antics and frequent reality show appearances, and was recently the focal point of several embarrassing incidents around Los Angeles, will join the cast of Sober Living, a new show that is a quasi-spinoff of the VH1 hit program Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Andy Dick has come under fire in recent years for his rumored involvement in the death of Bryn Hartman and her husband, legendary comedian Phil Hartman.  Many people throughout Hollywood believe that is was Dick who gave Ms. Hartman the drugs which set her off a rampage which ended with the shooting death of her husband.  Recently, comedian Jon Levitz even punched out Dick at a comedy club because he was gloating about the incident.

While celebrities prefer the spotlight, everyone with a drug or alcohol addiction is urged to find a quality rehab program in their area.

Already serving time in prison for driving while under the influence of heroin, Garret Reid, the son of Philadelphia Eagles’ coach Andy Reid, was recently sentenced to two years probation recently for trying to smuggle drugs in the Montgomery County jail where he was incarcerated.

The verdict is yet another dark moment for the Reid clan.  Last year, Garret’s younger brother Britt Reid served a prison sentence for a road rage/DUI incident in which he pointed a gun at another individual involved in the dispute.  Britt Reid is currently enrolled in a drug rehab program.

While many feel for Reid Sr. and everything his family has been through, the coach also has his detractors, many of whom wonder how the man can continue to work an 80-plus hour a week job while his sons were busy destroying their lives.  And although family matters such as this are really nobody’s concern but the family, it does raise some questions about where Reid’s priorities truly lie.

When a young person is involved with drugs or alcohol, it affects the entire family.  That’s why alcohol and drug rehab facilities often include family counseling as part of their treatment program.  These counseling sessions work to rebuild trust among family members and rebuild the relationships that drugs and alcohol helped to diminish.

In the U.S., most states require that group health plans cover rehab and other forms of addiction treatment.  But as many people have found out the hard way, insurance companies don’t always make it easy for their customers to receive payment or reimbursement for their alcohol or drug rehab care.

Here are some tips for “fighting back” against insurance companies that are trying to deny you the benefits you are entitled to under law:

• Get help from your employer. Look through your employee handbook to see if there is specific mention of reimbursement for addiction treatment. If the answer is “yes”, your employer can override the insurance company’s denial of coverage.
• Get assistance from the state’s insurance office. Every state has an insurance department whose job it is to make sure insurers are following all the rules.
• Get your elected officials involved. If you are unable to make any progress on your own, ask your local government representative to step in and help enforce the laws of the state regarding insurance coverage for its residents.
• Keep good records. Make sure that there is always a proper “paper trail” of all your interactions with the insurance company, the rehab center and any government offices you contact.
• Don’t wait! Most importantly, you should never hold off on starting your rehab program until these insurance-related issues are resolved. Your life and well-being are just too important.

Also check with your local government office to confirm that your state forces insurance companies to pay for addiction treatment.  As of this writing, the states which currently DO NOT pay for alcohol and drug rehab are:  Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

Visit Michael’s House for more information about alcohol and drug rehab programs that treat the mind, body and spirit of the individual.