Over the decades, the number of 12 Step programs has multiplied. The tenets of the twelve steps and what it means to work the steps has remained fairly consistent throughout the years and has remained close to the original concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its corresponding 12 Step philosophy. Sponsorship is a strong component of the 12 Step program. According to the AA literature on sponsorship, a sponsor is like a guide to sharing with a newly recovering person in A.  A sponsor shares what tools, slogans, and skills have helped  [Read More...]

Many addicts experience anticipatory anxiety when thinking about entering substance abuse treatment. Many questions such as what should I expect, will I be able to see and speak to my family and will I be in pain, plague the addict prior to treatment. These feelings of trepidation some times prevent addicts from following through with treatment and getting help for their addiction. Having insight about the expectations of treatment is helpful to decrease anticipatory anxiety.  Let go of preconceived notions about treatment. There ar [Read More...]

  What To Look For In A Drug & Alcohol Detox Program? Drug and alcohol abuse can create profound changes in your brain and body chemistry. That's why one of the first steps in the drug and alcohol addiction treatment process is to detoxify from these toxic chemicals and their byproducts. There are several types of drug detox programs and alcohol detox programs available such as outpatient detox programs and ultra rapid detox programs, but the detox programs that have proven to be the safest and most effective are referred to as &qu [Read More...]

    Drug detoxification Drug detoxification is used to reduce or relieve withdrawal symptoms while helping the addicted individual adjust to living without drug use; drug detoxification is not meant to treat addiction but rather an early step in long-term treatment. Detoxification may be achieved drug free or may use medications as an aspect of treatment. Often drug detoxification and treatment will occur in a community program that lasts several months and takes place in a residential rather than medical center. Drug detoxifica [Read More...]