“5 million adolescents suffer from clinical depression. According to a 2009 study, an estimated 70 percent are undiagnosed and do not receive any form of treatment. Statistics for drug and alcohol abuse are worse. 10 percent of the 1.4 million American teens with substance abuse problems get treatment…” read the article here. Material obtained from “The Drug and Alcohol Scene”
Obama Administration Issues Rules Requiring Parity In treatment of mental, substance use disorders (SUD/MH), implementing the 2008 Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. On a scale of 1-10 on how much more treatment this makes available; a 2 or 3 would be generous, because it simply doesnt require SUD/MH coverage . It addresses limits of covered benefits. It doesn’t count if your not in a large group plan. Insurance companies can still exclude SUD/MH treatment. See links… Going in the right direction; but falling short. Check out the above link. Post by Mary S.
Tales of Addiction
“Once in a blue moon, I read a book that culminates in a poignancy by sharing a powerful experience. Tales of Addiction is one such book: Here is a story and message amidst all of our stories; here is hope set against great challenges in the world of addiction and recovery; here is a legacy of understanding. Tales of Addiction is not just a collection of deep insight and personal accounts of tearful relapse and recovery, it is craftsmanship. Author, Barbara Sinor is a well read specialist in a world coming to grips with the disease of addiction. She offers her own valuable background of relatedness and heartened familiarity. Artfully sharing all of this is the book’s strength. Like a tapestry, it works by holding the reader’s interest with unique tales smoothly interwoven with both a spiritual and intellectual thought process. Sinor progressively weaves the details of her life and practical wisdom in-and-out of the book’s logical succession and its acumen of the disease of addiction. The reader feels her deep and intelligent reflection accompanying each precious contribution of struggle and uncertain recovery. Some make it; others may not, you begin to know this. You feel your own relatedness and in the last chapters, the reader enters the author’s space hearing the breaking news of a sudden culmination of one very special story and a legacy that lives on in her. Sinor’s book pushes forward with exigency and hope.
Tales of Addiction resonates a message to all impacted by the world of drugs and alcohol: It is a world of possibility and joy; it is a world of shocking sadness; it is a world of conquest. One poignant message from the book is that no matter what, a single addict’s life is still sacred and knowing this captures a moment in time. Sinor invites the reader to share in her well of knowledge, reputation and work in the field of addiction and recovery. She expresses touching wisdom gained from her own life experience while delivering generous individual contributions written by people like you and I. Tales of Addiction instills there is no right or wrong; there is the possibility of helping just one more person; there is the possibility of coming to terms with this single moment, just for today.” Bill Ford, www.dadonfire.net
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING (MI) Preparing People to Change:
Excellent opportunity for treatment professionals. This is a theory and skill building seminar. MI FACT SHEET highlights key points and definitions. Registration for the 2010 Seminar is Open. MI seminar contact Kathleen Sciacca, E-mail: ksciacca@pobox.com
- DATES: March 22, 23 & 24, 2010 – Three-Day Seminar.
- PLACE: Hotel Beacon, 2130 Broadway at W.75th St, New York City.
- FEE: $550.00 prior to Feb. 10, 2010, $650.00 after Feb. 10, 2010.
Heaven, Hell, Heroin: Lessons Learned From One Young Man’s Death. Before reading; know that this is a sad real life story by Steve Damish, October 2009. Happens more than you know. Post by Mary S.In
2007 Senator Joe Biden wanted to change the name of the National Institute on Drug Abuse to the National Institute on Diseases, and change the name of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to the National Institute on Alcohol Disorders and Health. The bill didn’t become law, but sparked an ongoing debate about whether addiction is bonafide disease. Opposing views are chronicled in: Medical Misnomer… followed by convincing counter response written by the Institute for Addiction Study NIDA, The National Institute on Drug Abuse, claims that addiction is a chronic disease.
Were talking about the therapeutic replacement drug for opiate based drug addicts. Yes it is an addictive drug too; but the benefits are immense for those who can manage it. The first round of generics comes in at half the cost as Reckitt Benckiser’s patent expired in October. This will help addicts. The blog: suboxone talk zone is the most in the trenches source of information on this. Read the article here.
Before Walter Cronkite passed he wrote about the war on drugs in the Huffington Post: Telling the Truth About the War On Drugs. He also aired a great television series on the drug war a little over a decade ago. If you never saw it; HERE IT IS.
Tales of Addiction “…gut-wrenching yet heart-warming narratives by people with long-standing addiction issues. Weaving the unedited stories into a theme of upliftment and hope are Dr. Sinor’s astute commentaries and observations….riveting…” Your can read the rest of her comments on this book scheduled to be published in 12 weeks from now on Dr. Sinor’s Blog and in this download PDF review
Addiction, Whats really Going On Many know the ins
anity of the addiction. This book published in 2009 looks inside a heroin treatment program. It addresses the important questions. …”It helps us understand the need for a “wake-up” call regarding drug and alcohol use … It declares a passion for client advocacy and discovering ways to deal with those addicted … It brings the reality of addiction out-of-the-closet…. Read it.
America’s efforts to reduce illegal drug traffic is not reaping big benefits. It is chewing up 20% of U.S. spending. Here is one idea that for some reform that can turn this around. Its text from a letter I sent to the Drug Policy Alliance who is pushing support for Senator Webb’s work.
“A big part of my concern is a costly prison system, where SUD/MH (Substance use disorder/ mental health) gets little or no address, which with screening could be a good place to start treatment for jail bound addicts. Here’s what I see.
- Proactive judicial and prison systems that screens offenders and inmates for SUD/MH treatment diversion.
- Re-classification and/or dismissal of non-violent petty crimes stemming from SUD/MH, based on the success of treatment and victim restitution.
- Re-classification of narcotic drug “use” related offenses to a civil status and a re-designation of marijuana “use” to civil or a “no offense” status.
- Public funding and treatment of SUD/MH outside the prison system based on a sliding scale of client financial contribution and/or contributing service.
Broad reform has a realistic possibility of showing how cost is assimilated. Regarding drug and alcohol abuse, N.I.D.A. estimates 480B is already spent on incarceration, judicial work, demand reduction and general societal damage. A 1/3 of that goes directly to prisons. These expenditures are firmly entrenched in federal and local penal budgets. If a third of inmates are SUD/MH identified by screening, then that part of the job has begun. We have them. We keep them. We treat them. If we don’t, we know they will be back to impact to the system. The cost doesn’t go away. This is also known as the revolving door.
If the same energy spent criminalizing addiction is transformed into treatment, funding is already there! The more we de-criminalize and treat, the less need for incarceration. This reduces demand for an illegal drug market. The message needs to go to the ears of lawmakers from voices from American’s impacted by the scourge of addiction” dadonfire
A lot of parents and families of alcoholics and addicts are patiently waiting for a mandate on SUD/MH (Substance use disorder/ mental health) treatment coming out of health care reform. After today’s election victory of Scott Brown it looks like the senate health bill may be in for some re-constructive surgery. I guess it is time to quit holding my breath for Health Net Insurance to cover SUD/MH in this family. Recovery is a tough row to hoe and it looks like we may have to plow through a lot more hard pan and black clay for some time to come. The American Society of Addiction Medicine did make a comparison of addiction issues in the hotly debated health reform bill. Here it is → January 5th , 2010 side by side comparison. All I can say is that America deserves this.
Some insurance companies may cover substance abuse treatment. The vast majority will provide far too little help for their insured addicts. That is a hard reality for addicts to face. It is one reason among many others, that reform and public acceptance of treatment is needed. Here is a look at common discrimination practiced by the insurance industry as it is related to treatment for drug addiction. View it in an HBO.com piece entitled “Can’t Get Treatment Through Your Health Insurance Plan”. Also check out the rest of HBO.com’s film series on addiction. The website CHOOSE HELP goes on to talk about affordability and other options for treatment.
Healing a Broken System: Veterans Battling Addiction and Incarceration How many vets battle substance abuse as they cope with the aftermath of living in war zones. This is much like how drugs and alcohol impacted veterans coming back from Vietnam. Great Report. Also See Vietnam Vet Eddie Grijalva’s story.
At estimates of $484 billion dollars a year to deal with substance abuse, re-allocating budgets might pay for drug treatment; maybe stopping some of the damage before it starts. Because of increased demand for pain pills, addicted baby boomers alone will double the need for treatment dollars in ten years. Keeping addicts out of jail or treating while in, will help. 80% of inmates in America have drug and alcohol abuse problems according to the Beckley Report. Read the Drug Policy Alliance budget letter to see what is being proposed in California. links by Mary S.
OxyContin and the Opium Epidemic of the 21st Century. Larry G. of Prescription Addiction Radio wrote this piece early in 2009 to bring attention to the epidemic sweeping America; quite frequently culminating in street heroin addiction. Its not about responsible use of pain medication. Its about kids dying. A dozen young people died just in the NW part of Tucson this year! Evan Cueto was the 3rd overdose death at Canada Del Oro High School in just 3 months into 2009. Many Blessings to his family. This is an epidemic. If it were a terrorist incident, it would be all over the news. The death toll of opiate overdose barely gets print. Why is America silent? The carnage won’t end without communities demanding it stop. Opiate Addiction is a serious illness and is treatable if addicts want it and have an accessible support network behind them. Current estimates of opiate addiction in America is roughly 2 million and growing. 100,000 may die. The writing is on the wall. Parents can start by educating themselves. Time to Act.
If our celebrities are any indication, look out. Most don’t know that the opiate drugs, heroin and oxycontin are virtually identical and that opiates are being abused in the form of more than two dozen other prescription opiate in America. Rush Limbaugh ♦ Michael Jackson ♦ DJ AM ♦ Heath Ledger are just the lastest recent heavy hitting opiate addicts that have fallen victim. Limbaugh is still with us showing that addiction can hit every corner of society.
Casey Johnson daughter of Billionaire “Woody” Johnson (Robert Wood Johnson IV) found days after her death from possible drug related causes @ age 30 in her apartment. Casey has a history of drug problems. Prescription Addiction Radio’s January 10th radio show talks about drugs as a possible cause of death and ironically, a major Johnson family charity, The Partnership for a Drug Free America who may not be doing enough. Woody is owner of the New York Jets. His father, Robert Wood Johnson III founded the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was CEO of the family company Johnson and Johnson Drug Company who has marketed the recalled, opiate based duragesic patch. The Robert Wood Johnson’s Foundation is also known for working to find solutions to problems with drug use in America.
This is the time for change. An opportunity to expand treatment and recovery options. The ONDCP will complete their strategies this year and Webb’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 is coming to a head at the end of 2010. Here are Webb’s main points: The USA has 5% of the world’s population and houses 25% of all prisoners • Incarcerated drug offenders grew 1200% since 1980 • Four times as many mentally ill people are in prisons than in mental health hospitals • A million gang members and drug cartels operate in 230+ communities across the country • Post-incarceration re-entry programs are haphazard and often nonexistent, undermining public safety and making it extremely difficult for ex-offenders to become full, contributing members of society. READ A FACT SHEET ON THE BILL HERE
Community input on the bullet points in this fact sheet are critical. We can look at addiction and mental impairment screening of new offenders and inmates with immediate diversion of addicts to venues of compulsory treatment. Costs can be covered by the same funds we already waste. We can look at re-categorizing criminal charges based on successful diversion of non violent offenders. Right now, diversion options for drug addicted offenders to treatment misses most addicts because of their crime category. When jailed, untreated addicts are released and continue to use. This is the revolving door of jails and drugs. We can also expand and fund drug courts. Addicts not yet criminalized could have the threat of jail removed by de-criminalization of drug use, accessible treatment, alternative replacement drugs, safe detoxification with follow-up post acute withdrawal treatment and so on. We can’t ask to legalize street narcotics, but we can own the reality of the horrific impact drugs and trafficking has on us and reduce demand and jail populations at the same time.
In order to make an impact that helps young addicts and families, reduces drug demand, and better spends tax dollars, we need to impact law makers at all levels. Maybe our elected officials don’t listen to activists but an America full of families affected by the scourge of addiction can convince their lawmakers. Thanks to Senator Jim Webb for getting the ball rolling. Lets help him.
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