Heroin addiction imprisons its victims in a world that seems inescapable, even after successful heroin detox treatment.  Opiate cravings lead them to believe they can have “just a little” heroin since the body is cleansed.  For many, outpatient heroin treatment helps them to avoid relapse by dealing with life issues.  And for those who have work and family obligations, there is the option of online drug treatment via telemedicine.

Medical detoxification cleanses the body of alcohol and drugs, and is only the beginning of successful treatment.  So the physical battle with heroin addiction may be over, but heroin cravings and psycho-social factors remain.  The addicted brain sends a multitude of signals to the body, telling it that it either needs heroin to survive or that it won’t hurt to use a small amount.  The signal offers a sense of relief from all the obsessive thoughts in the addict’s mind.  Relapse is often the result.

Heroin treatment helps to ease the mental obsession for the drug, and get past the cravings.  Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) may also help with opiate cravings.  Residential treatment is very effective, and outpatient treatment works in many cases as well.  Some individuals, though, may have time or travel hindrances that make it difficult to attend outpatient sessions regularly.  For them, telemedicine is a welcomed solution.

As an example, a young male husband and parent is on his final two days of opiate detox.  He desperately wants to change his life and enter treatment.  He feels a need to get a job and support the family he had neglected, and declines residential treatment.  While he is willing to enter outpatient treatment, he can’t afford the travel costs and worries that it will interfere with a new job.  Without another option, he is likely to attempt recovery without treatment and is sure to relapse.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles offers telemedicine as another heroin treatment option.  Our friend could attend regular individual and group sessions by video conference using a webcam and computer with internet access.  Our TherapyLiveVisit application, powered by MDLiveCare, provides patients with a secure connection to our addiction treatment providers at affordable rates.  We are also able to offer phone consultations for those without video conferencing equipment.

Telemedicine at Tarzana Treatment Centers is not limited to addiction treatment.  We also provide online mental health treatment and online medical care.  Our goal is to see that those who need treatment can get it.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment.  We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Tolerance, as it relates to alcohol dependence and drug addiction, is often misunderstood by many in the general public.  In the manner that drug and alcohol tolerance functions, it can be a safety mechanism to the body and, at the same time, deadly.  This makes awareness of the subject critical for anyone who engages in alcohol abuse or drug abuse, as well as those in recovery.

It can easily be assumed that tolerance means that an individual can drink more alcohol without getting drunk, or handle drug use in a seemingly controlled manner.  With this assumption comes the belief that these “abilities” are an example of the natural differences that exist from one individual to another.  While this is partially true, the nature of alcohol and drug tolerance is much more complicated.

Alcohol tolerance is the example with which most people can relate.  Consider the amount of alcohol you need to drink before you feel the effects, or “buzzed”.  Let’s say this is 2 beers.  If you drink 2 beers every day, over time you will feel less of an effect.  If you want to feel the same effect, you must drink more alcohol.  The amount of alcohol needed for the same feeling will continue to increase as you add more alcohol.  

The same concept works with drugs.  Alcohol abuse or drug abuse can result from tolerance since individuals will chase that feeling by drinking or using more on each occasion.  If the cycle continues with regular daily alcohol or drug intake, the body can become physically dependent and alcoholism or drug addiction is the result.  

On this road to addiction that we just followed, the brain has protected the body from overdose, with tolerance, by adjusting to the higher levels of substance use.  This benefit of drug tolerance can become a dangerous consequence, though, for recovering individuals who relapse.  The addicted brain still needs a large amount of drugs for an effect, but the body returns to a lower tolerance of what is essentially a poison.

At the time of first use on a relapse, the brain will dictate the most recent amount of drugs used to get a desired effect.  If the formerly recovering addict is not careful, this amount can easily cause a drug overdose or even be fatal.  Many drug addicts are not aware of this fact, and will even ignore warnings from fellow drug users because they don’t realize the consequences they face.

While alcoholics are less likely to overdose on alcohol during first use on a relapse, they may experience what is known as a lack of tolerance.  At this point, a drunken feeling may result from only 1 drink.  Lack of tolerance can actually occur with anyone who drinks alcohol, but it is typically coupled with alcohol dependence.  Of course, that 1 drink will still not be enough to satisfy alcoholics and they can become a danger to themselves through inebriation and alcohol’s effect on the body.

This information is good to share with teens, friends in recovery, or anyone you may know who engages in alcohol abuse or drug abuse.  Too many see tolerance as a benefit both early in substance use and in addiction.  Tolerance is explained in effective alcohol and drug treatment as part of addiction education groups to prevent accidental overdoses among those who may relapse.  Bringing this awareness to the general public may save even more lives.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides youth alcohol and drug treatment and addiction education.  We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

After years of suffering, and finally making the decision to enter alcohol and drug treatment, the last thing alcoholics and drug addicts want to do is wait.  Forms need to be completed, printed and signed, and all of that paper used can’t be good for the environment.  Digital signatures address both of these issues.

When alcohol and drug treatment centers stay current with technology in health care, the main goal is to improve patient outcomes.  Any new technology aims to provide better security, efficiency in treatment, and the ability to store and share information between staff professionals.  But even with efficient systems in place, paperwork can seem overwhelming to patients being admitted to treatment.

Many individuals entering alcohol and drug treatment require medical detoxification to minimize withdrawals.  The decision to enter treatment may have taken months, partially out of fear over alcohol, heroin, or prescription drug withdrawals.  Once they enter the doors of a facility, with no access to their drugs of choice, that fear makes every minute seem like an hour.

Suddenly, they are faced with a stack of paperwork that needs to be read and signed.  Before they are halfway through the stack, physical signs of withdrawal may begin to appear.  No matter how quickly an admissions counselor wants to proceed, this work needs to be done to ensure patient security and proper treatment.

Paper use is a problem in this process, as well.  If two professionals need to see a form at the same time, it means that copies need to be made.  Most of those copies are shredded after use.  Digital creation and storage of many forms minimizes waste, but there are still some that need patient signatures.  This still means that paper is printed, copied and shredded over and over again.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles has addressed this issue by incorporating digital signature capturing into the admissions and counseling process.  Patients can now proceed through the admissions process without waiting for forms to print.  They can simply sign them using a digital signature pad during the admission interview process, effectively cutting the admission time in half.

When patients complete the admissions process, they are walked into a treatment unit with minimal paperwork.  This not only saves paperwork, but also provides better security for patients.  This is because their detailed information is only available on a secure network computer, accessible only to treatment staff.  It also means that two professionals can look at the same information simultaneously, without needing to make copies.

Our goal is to be completely paperless as a health care organization.  The ability to capture digital signatures provided a bridge over a big chasm that prevented us from reaching that goal.  This took some time to accomplish, but it was worth it considering that we made great leaps toward two of our goals.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles uses the latest technology to provide effective alcohol and drug treatment.  We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a safe and effective method for alcohol and narcotic withdrawal and maintenance.  There is ample evidence suggesting that harm reduction strategies should be more widely available to those suffering from alcohol dependence and drug addiction.  Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles has taken note of these facts, and offers several medication assisted treatment options.

Traditional alcohol and drug treatment services help many individuals to begin a life in recovery and improve their lives.  MAT is utilized in medical detoxification at the start of treatment to minimize withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and other drugs.  This process is important since patients must be medically stable before beginning the process of recovery.

For some, though, relapse commonly follows traditional treatment.  This is generally due to alcohol cravings and opiate cravings that vary greatly from patient to patient.  Medications like Suboxone, Vivitrol, and Methadone help to minimize cravings so these individuals may begin the process of recovery, medically stable and in a receptive state of mind.

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Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles offers many medication assisted treatment options.  We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Alcohol and drug detox is performed in many different ways depending on where one decides to receive treatment. Tarzana Treatment Centers’ medical detoxification program provides medically monitored treatment to avoid physical withdrawal to alcohol and other drugs. We have a trained detox team that incorporates counseling and therapy during alcohol and drug detox to help with the psychological distress that the individual may experience as well.

Virtually all treatment centers incorporate the 12-Step model as a basis for these elements of their programs. But Tarzana Treatment Centers’ detox program is unique in that it includes group and individual counseling as well.  Addiction education groups teach patients relapse prevention skills to resist drug use, problem-solving abilities, as well as tools and techniques to replace drug-using behaviors, along with full medical and psychological services.

Tarzana Treatment Centers’ detox program will offer assistance in family counseling during recovery and in aftercare. Family counseling is shown to lower the risk of relapse by providing the entire family with skills to deal with addiction and education on the nature of drug abuse.

The best treatment programs address the complex needs of their patients. Addicts use drugs for many reasons, so a patient’s drug use must be understood in the area of other physical, emotional and social needs. During an initial assessment our trained staff takes into consideration the addict’s age, gender, ethnicity, cultural background and sexual orientation to further enhance the patient’s ability to be successful with our program.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides services based on our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in adolescent and adult alcohol and drug treatment.  They include mental health treatment, HIV/AIDS services, alcohol and drug detox, and culture-based tracks like Native American alcohol and drug treatment.

If you or a loved one needs alcohol or drug detox, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles is participating in Recovery Month 2009, in part, with articles about recovery during the month of September.  Most individuals suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction begin their recovery with alcohol and drug treatment.  So it is our pleasure to help bring awareness to the general public about the benefits of recovery to individuals, their families, and everyone with whom they interact.

An alcohol and drug detox program is an integral component of any substance abuse treatment. Many factors must be considered when developing an alcohol or drug detox protocol. Issues such as age, related medical issues, amount used, years of use, and frequency of use are all considered. The alcohol or drug detox treatment protocol developed is the key in managing any symptoms associated with withdrawal.

The detox program at Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles is a medically monitored unit, complete with 24-hour nursing and a physician credentialed in addiction medicine. Due to the health concerns associated with alcoholism, alcohol and drug abuse, and drug addiction, a detox and treatment program must be able to address the medical needs of each patient.

When you begin the process of medical detoxification, you will most likely experience some withdrawal symptoms. These physical withdrawal symptoms are different for everyone, but can include, sweats, nausea, vomiting, tremors, anxiety and the possibility of convulsions and seizures. With the medications that are available today, an effective treatment program can minimize and in some cases, almost eliminate the symptoms associated with withdrawal.

Medical detoxification is only the first step towards recovery from substance abuse. In a detox program, our priority is the elimination of alcohol or drugs from the body, the management of withdrawal symptoms and the development of a foundation for your future recovery. The real treatment must follow in other levels of care such as residential rehab or outpatient alcohol and drug treatment in order to resolve underlying issues surrounding why one continues to drink, despite all of the negative consequences. Research shows, that people who only go to detox, instead of also following through with a rehab program, will most likely end up in relapse.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medical detoxification as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

By Ken Bachrach, Ph.D.
Clinical Director

The first step in drug addiction treatment is to stop using one’s drug or drugs of choice.  One of the diagnostic criteria for drug addiction is the inability to successfully cut down one’s use or stop it completely.  These failed attempts to stop drug use is due to both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms or the fear of them, if one would actually attempt to cut down or stop drug use.

There are many drugs of abuse, but most people use either opiates, tranquilizers, stimulants or some combination of these drugs.  In addition, alcohol is a common secondary drug of choice for those who abuse drugs.  There are illicit or “street” forms of these substances or prescription medication varieties.  A person may be using heroin or the prescription medications Vicodin or Oxycontin.   

Tranquilizers are primarily prescription drugs used to treat anxiety and sleep problems, particularly the class of drugs known as minor tranquilizers or benzodiazepines.  These include medications such as Ativan, Xanax, and Klonopin.  

The most commonly abused stimulants are methamphetamine and cocaine, but prescription medications, such as Ritalin or Adderall, are also abused by some individuals.

The first step is to determine whether or not medical detoxification is necessary.  This requires an evaluation by trained medical personnel in the field of addiction, since stopping substances abruptly can be very difficult, dangerous, and even fatal.  When stopping the use of alcohol, opiates, and tranquilizers, one can become very ill or even have seizures that can be life-threatening.  

Physical withdrawal is a real phenomenon that must be assessed and addressed by medical personnel.  Medications are usually prescribed to ease the symptoms of withdrawal and make sure alcohol or drug detox is done is a safe manner.  Stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, do not require medically supervised detoxification, but there may be significant psychological withdrawal symptoms that need to be monitored and treated, if indicated.

Medical detoxification is done by substituting the drug of abuse with a medication that is administered according to a specific schedule.  This can be done on an inpatient or outpatient basis, with the determination based on an individual’s intoxication or withdrawal potential, medical and psychological needs, motivation level, relapse potential, and recovery environment.  

To detox on an outpatient basis, one needs to have relatively low medical and psychological needs, be fairly motivated, have not failed detoxification one or more times on a outpatient basis.  They must have structure in their life, and a living environment supportive of recovery. Otherwise, inpatient detoxification is usually recommended.

Medical detoxification is achieved by slowly lowering the amount of medication each day until all medication is stopped and detoxification is achieved.  For opiates, methadone, buprenorphine or even Clonodine can be used to detox the individual.  For tranquilizers, the barbiturate, phenobartital, is often used in decreasing amounts.  

The length of time one will require for drug detox can vary, based on the drug of abuse, the amount used daily prior to entering detoxification, and one’s own idiosyncratic issues.  Generally, most detoxification protocols can be completed within one week, but can be as short as three days or as long as ten days.  Certain drugs or combinations of drugs may take a longer period of time.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides drug and alcohol detox in alcohol and drug treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol or drugs, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.