U.S. News interviews Nic Sheff and his father David Sheff, a journalist, about their new books "Tweak" and "Beautiful Boy." Both take different perspectives on the story of Nic's drug addiction, their family's struggle, and how they ultimately survived.
Full Story here : http://www.health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/03/06/the-sheff-family-struggles-with-addiction.html
If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter too!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ABTomorrow
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ABTomorrow
Showing posts with label methamphetamine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label methamphetamine. Show all posts
Friday, November 27, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Neighborhood Meth Labs
Meth labs are everywhere. They are usually set up in a rental house that can be abandoned quickly if the need arises. The bad news is there may be one located in your neighborhood without you even suspecting it. The good new is there are tell tale signs that draw attention to a house that is being used as a meth lab.
The outside of the house itself will tell you a lot. If there is a meth lab inside, they do not want you to see what is going on. The windows will always have heavy curtains that are never open, or the windows may be boarded up or painted black to keep people from seeing in. There is no way they can mask the chemical odor that is produced by what they are doing, there will be a chemical smell in the air. If you notice a lot of containers such as bottles and jars in the trash but there is no regular garbage such as food scraps, food containers or packages from a grocery store it should raise suspicions. If you see discarded material, including coffee filters, that may have been used to filter red phosphorus/chemicals, take note. There may be chemical burns in the grass from dumping waste outside. If they have BEWARE OF DOG signs posted and you have never seen any evidence of one, they may be hoping to deter visitors.
You’ll probably notice frequent comings and goings at all times of the day and night, with none of them staying more than a few minutes. The people who are always at the house are very unlikely to be friendly to anyone. The likelihood of anyone in the house having a real job that they go to every day is slim to none, yet they will have money to pay the rent and utilities. In all instances they will use cash to pay their bills. No one will want their name on a checking account, or even on a money order. If there are smokers in the house, you can bet that they will be smoking outside as the chemicals that are inside are extremely flammable. If they are outside for any reason you’ll probably notice that they are paranoid about watching cars that drive by the house, or even walkers passing by.
Maybe no one of these signs alone can point to a meth lab, but as these things add up, there becomes a better chance that there is one. Whatever you do, don’t approach the house or do anything that will arouse suspicion by the occupants. Call the police and report your observations, then let them take it from there.
If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter too!
Facebook: facebook.com/ABTomorrow
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ABTomorrow
The outside of the house itself will tell you a lot. If there is a meth lab inside, they do not want you to see what is going on. The windows will always have heavy curtains that are never open, or the windows may be boarded up or painted black to keep people from seeing in. There is no way they can mask the chemical odor that is produced by what they are doing, there will be a chemical smell in the air. If you notice a lot of containers such as bottles and jars in the trash but there is no regular garbage such as food scraps, food containers or packages from a grocery store it should raise suspicions. If you see discarded material, including coffee filters, that may have been used to filter red phosphorus/chemicals, take note. There may be chemical burns in the grass from dumping waste outside. If they have BEWARE OF DOG signs posted and you have never seen any evidence of one, they may be hoping to deter visitors.
You’ll probably notice frequent comings and goings at all times of the day and night, with none of them staying more than a few minutes. The people who are always at the house are very unlikely to be friendly to anyone. The likelihood of anyone in the house having a real job that they go to every day is slim to none, yet they will have money to pay the rent and utilities. In all instances they will use cash to pay their bills. No one will want their name on a checking account, or even on a money order. If there are smokers in the house, you can bet that they will be smoking outside as the chemicals that are inside are extremely flammable. If they are outside for any reason you’ll probably notice that they are paranoid about watching cars that drive by the house, or even walkers passing by.
Maybe no one of these signs alone can point to a meth lab, but as these things add up, there becomes a better chance that there is one. Whatever you do, don’t approach the house or do anything that will arouse suspicion by the occupants. Call the police and report your observations, then let them take it from there.
If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter too!
Facebook: facebook.com/ABTomorrow
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ABTomorrow
Monday, September 7, 2009
Methamphetamine and Who is Using It.
Methamphetamine, also known as meth is a chemical stimulant similar to adrenaline but powerfully addictive. Methamphetamine effects the central nervous system.
Street names for meth are crank, crystal, speed ice, and glass. The prevalence of meth is extremely high. The reason being is that it is easily made out of cheap ingredients that are easily assessable.
The hook on meth comes from the effects the user achieves: increase wakefulness and physical activity, decreased appetite, and increased mental and physical well-being. Users report there is a brief intense sensation when meth is snorted or injected.
The rush and the high are believed to result from the release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine into areas of the brain that control feelings of pleasure. Usually a person who uses meth never gets as big a “high” as he or she did the first time. As tolerance for meth develops with chronic use, in an attempt to intensify the desired effects, users will take higher doses more frequently. It is not uncommon for meth abusers go without food and sleep while indulging in a form of binging known as a “run,” injecting as much as a gram every two to three hours over a several day period. This will continue until the user runs out of the drug or is too disoriented to continue. With chronic use and/or increased dosages of meth, the toxicity level increases. With the increased toxicity, the user may experience irritation, outbursts of anger, paranoia, delusional thinking, visual or auditory hallucinations, inflammation of the heart lining as well as progressive social and occupational deterioration. Psychotic symptoms can sometimes persist for months or years after use has ceased.
If that is not scary enough, the fact that our teens make up a significant number of meth users today is. In the past few years, the use of this drug has increased dramatically in teenagers from 12 to 17 years old. What makes matters worse is the internet has hundreds of web sites that provide the recipes and places to purchase ingredients to make meth. Just a couple of the ingredients that are toxic on their own, commonly known to be used to make meth are battery acid and drain cleaner. This is what is what our youth is putting into their bodies.
Regardless of social or economic background, the experimentation with crystal meth has become commonplace for our teens. The TV does not help. It portrays that thin is beautiful and has become increasingly important teen girls unfortunately. With extended meth use, one does experience dramatic weight loss but at the same time risk their lives.
Other factors that play a role in the increased drug use amongst our teens are the youth rave culture that encourages hard drug use, desire for personal freedom, self-discovery, peer acceptance, and the “non-alcohol” after hour’s club. Sadly, the increased use of meth has shown in the statistics.
According to the 2005 NSDUH, 10.4 million Americans age 12 and older had tried methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes. (NIDA) Based on its 2007 survey results, NACO reported Meth is still the number one drug problem.
Within the criminal justice system the cost associated with enforcing Meth laws represent the second largest category of costs at $4.2 billion.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Drug Threat Assessment 2009 continues to report that an overwhelming percentage (68%) of state and local agencies in the 20 Western states perceive Meth as their greatest drug threat.
According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the best estimate for the number of Meth dependent users is 270,348—an 11% increase from 2005.
Between 1998 and 2000, meth related emergency room visits doubled - 47% of hospitals report Meth as the top illicit drug involved in emergency room visits. Between 1998 and 2002, death from methamphetamine overdoses rose 125 percent.
The calculated costs associated with drug treatment are approximately $545 million, of which $491 million is in the community-based specialty treatment sector.
Treatment admissions for Meth more than doubled nationally between 2000 and 2005.
If you need help or know of someone who does, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Wide World of Drugs
With so many possible drugs available today, is it any wonder that 1 in every 12 people has had, is having or will have a problem/addiction. Obviously there is wide variety of street drugs. However, often overlooked is the misuse/abuse of prescription drugs, which, according to recent studies, has become an extreme danger throughout society. As a matter of information, the material below is a basic list of drugs that are commonly being abused all of which can become physically and/or emotionally addicting and all of which may lead to medical complications and withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol
Comes in many forms such as beer, wine and hard liquor.
Obviously, alcohol is the most readily available drug and it ranks third in the United States as a cause of death. It is classified as a depressant and can negatively impact the brain, vision, hearing and muscle coordination. Alcoholism is impacting millions of Americans and their families each and every day, and among teenagers and college students, binge drinking has reached near epidemic proportions.
Marijuana
Also known as 'pot', 'weed', 'grass' and can come in other forms such as 'hashish' or 'hash'.
It's not the marijuana of the 60s and 70s any more. Its potency has increased by nearly 700 percent over the years. It can produce effects on the nervous system such as loss of energy, decreased coordination, loss of memory and questionable judgment or reasoning.
Heroin
Also known as 'smack', 'horse', 'H', 'tar' and 'China White', and sometime misspelled as "heron" and "heroine."
In its street version, this drug has been used for centuries to promote a sense of well being and to relieve pain. However, it also creates a very fast physical */dependency/* that is extremely difficult to break. From a pharmaceutical standpoint, synthetically produced opiates are manufactured primarily as pain relievers. Used judiciously, they have value. Abused, and they become just as dangerous as their street cousin heroin. Some of the more common prescription drugs in this category are Morphine, */Oxycontin/*, Vicodin, */Lortab/Loratab, Dilaudid, Darvon, Percocet, Percodan, Demerol, Hydrocodone/* and */Codine/Codeine/*. Methadone has also been used as a pain reliever and as a medication to ease withdrawal symptoms from heroin. However, there are some newer alternatives such as buprenorphine and soboxin (which is a combination of buprenorphine and moloxin to prevent misuse) that have been found to be quite effective without some of the drawbacks of methadone.
Cocaine
Also known as 'coke', 'blow', 'powder', 'snow' and 'nose' candy' or, in the case of 'crack', 'rock' or 'base'.
Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs available today. It offers an intense immediate rush lasting for 15 to 30 minutes with lesser euphoria for a few hours. However, as tolerance builds, more and more cocaine or switching to crack is needed to sustain the result. Negative complications from cocaine use are quite severe and can include respiratory problems, loss of ambition and efficiency, and time distortion. In addition, chronic use can result in near permanent brain impairment.
Methamphetamine Amphetamines
Also known as 'speed', 'meth', 'crystal', 'crank', 'uppers' and 'bennies'.
Pharmaceutical versions include Ritalin, Dexedrine and Cylert. These are very potent stimulants often used by people who want to stay awake and active for extended periods of time. Other than the pharmaceuticals, which can also lead to problems, meth is usually cooked in home-based laboratories with devastating results on the end user. The chemicals are commonly available in grocery and drug stores. However, when combined to make meth, they are quite volatile and can lead to explosions. The residue is also very dangerous and hazardous to the health of those who are exposed. Meth is quite addictive and those who are cut off from their supply can become violent and paranoid.
Sedatives Benzodiazepine
Also known as 'yellow jackets', 'ludes', roofies and reds and include those pharmaceutical drugs such as barbiturates and tranquilizers such as Xanax, Librium, Ativan and Valium among others.
Because of the availability of these drugs through prescription, these drugs are very easily abused, usually over a long period of time. As a result, the long-term, negative implications can be quite severe.
Club Drugs
Including 'Ecstasy' (also known as 'E', 'extasy', 'X, 'XTC' and essence');
'GHB' (also known as 'liquid ecstasy' and 'G'); 'Ketamine' (also known as 'K', 'Kat', 'Special K' and 'Vitamin K'); 'PCP' (also known as 'Angel Dust');
and 'LSD' (also known as 'acid').
Ecstasy combines the properties of methamphetamine and mescaline offering not only a rush, but also hallucinogenic qualities. Heavy doses can have wide ranging negative consequences. GHB and Rohypnolare commonly used to relax the user. However, they are often used for the purpose of gaining submission over the user without their knowledge, thus resulting in the name 'Date Rape drugs'. A large enough dose of GHB can also result in coma and death. Ketamine and PCP are veterinary anesthetics. Large enough doses can cause delirium, high blood pressure, amnesia and respiratory problems as well as a tendency toward violence. LSD was the hallucinogenic drug of choice in the 70s and is still readily available. Its use often results in delusions and a total loss of reality. It can also cause the user to suffer delusional flashbacks long after the last dose was taken.
Alcohol
Comes in many forms such as beer, wine and hard liquor.
Obviously, alcohol is the most readily available drug and it ranks third in the United States as a cause of death. It is classified as a depressant and can negatively impact the brain, vision, hearing and muscle coordination. Alcoholism is impacting millions of Americans and their families each and every day, and among teenagers and college students, binge drinking has reached near epidemic proportions.
Marijuana
Also known as 'pot', 'weed', 'grass' and can come in other forms such as 'hashish' or 'hash'.
It's not the marijuana of the 60s and 70s any more. Its potency has increased by nearly 700 percent over the years. It can produce effects on the nervous system such as loss of energy, decreased coordination, loss of memory and questionable judgment or reasoning.
Heroin
Also known as 'smack', 'horse', 'H', 'tar' and 'China White', and sometime misspelled as "heron" and "heroine."
In its street version, this drug has been used for centuries to promote a sense of well being and to relieve pain. However, it also creates a very fast physical */dependency/* that is extremely difficult to break. From a pharmaceutical standpoint, synthetically produced opiates are manufactured primarily as pain relievers. Used judiciously, they have value. Abused, and they become just as dangerous as their street cousin heroin. Some of the more common prescription drugs in this category are Morphine, */Oxycontin/*, Vicodin, */Lortab/Loratab, Dilaudid, Darvon, Percocet, Percodan, Demerol, Hydrocodone/* and */Codine/Codeine/*. Methadone has also been used as a pain reliever and as a medication to ease withdrawal symptoms from heroin. However, there are some newer alternatives such as buprenorphine and soboxin (which is a combination of buprenorphine and moloxin to prevent misuse) that have been found to be quite effective without some of the drawbacks of methadone.
Cocaine
Also known as 'coke', 'blow', 'powder', 'snow' and 'nose' candy' or, in the case of 'crack', 'rock' or 'base'.
Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs available today. It offers an intense immediate rush lasting for 15 to 30 minutes with lesser euphoria for a few hours. However, as tolerance builds, more and more cocaine or switching to crack is needed to sustain the result. Negative complications from cocaine use are quite severe and can include respiratory problems, loss of ambition and efficiency, and time distortion. In addition, chronic use can result in near permanent brain impairment.
Methamphetamine Amphetamines
Also known as 'speed', 'meth', 'crystal', 'crank', 'uppers' and 'bennies'.
Pharmaceutical versions include Ritalin, Dexedrine and Cylert. These are very potent stimulants often used by people who want to stay awake and active for extended periods of time. Other than the pharmaceuticals, which can also lead to problems, meth is usually cooked in home-based laboratories with devastating results on the end user. The chemicals are commonly available in grocery and drug stores. However, when combined to make meth, they are quite volatile and can lead to explosions. The residue is also very dangerous and hazardous to the health of those who are exposed. Meth is quite addictive and those who are cut off from their supply can become violent and paranoid.
Sedatives Benzodiazepine
Also known as 'yellow jackets', 'ludes', roofies and reds and include those pharmaceutical drugs such as barbiturates and tranquilizers such as Xanax, Librium, Ativan and Valium among others.
Because of the availability of these drugs through prescription, these drugs are very easily abused, usually over a long period of time. As a result, the long-term, negative implications can be quite severe.
Club Drugs
Including 'Ecstasy' (also known as 'E', 'extasy', 'X, 'XTC' and essence');
'GHB' (also known as 'liquid ecstasy' and 'G'); 'Ketamine' (also known as 'K', 'Kat', 'Special K' and 'Vitamin K'); 'PCP' (also known as 'Angel Dust');
and 'LSD' (also known as 'acid').
Ecstasy combines the properties of methamphetamine and mescaline offering not only a rush, but also hallucinogenic qualities. Heavy doses can have wide ranging negative consequences. GHB and Rohypnolare commonly used to relax the user. However, they are often used for the purpose of gaining submission over the user without their knowledge, thus resulting in the name 'Date Rape drugs'. A large enough dose of GHB can also result in coma and death. Ketamine and PCP are veterinary anesthetics. Large enough doses can cause delirium, high blood pressure, amnesia and respiratory problems as well as a tendency toward violence. LSD was the hallucinogenic drug of choice in the 70s and is still readily available. Its use often results in delusions and a total loss of reality. It can also cause the user to suffer delusional flashbacks long after the last dose was taken.
Monday, July 10, 2006
A BETTER TOMORROW TARGETS COUNTY’S METHAMPHETIMINE CRISIS
Jerrod Menz NEWS RELEASE
(800) 757- 9867
A BETTER TOMORROW TARGETS COUNTY’S METHAMPHETIMINE CRISIS
Half of the clinic’s patients are methamphetamine addicts
MURRIETA, July 10, 2006 ― Charles Anderson is living proof that methamphetamine addicts can be successfully rehabilitated and live happy, productive lives.
A former drug dealer, Anderson was arrested on methamphetamine charges at the age of 25 and spent two years in state prison, where he began to participate in a 12-step rehabilitation program.
But while some doubt the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs on methamphetamine addicts, the treatment worked. And with the help of going support group meetings, Anderson has not only stayed clean for the past 13 years, but has taken his life in a new direction by co-founding A Better Tomorrow, a Murrieta-based drug and alcohol treatment center that has helped place more than 150 Southern California methamphetamine addicts on the road to recovery.
“I feel very good about what we’re doing,” said Anderson, A Better Tomorrow’s CEO, adding, “We are effectively teaching people how to be happy and to live without drugs.” Overcoming methamphetamine addiction is challenging for addicts, Anderson said, because it requires them to live life differently.
“These people live in a world that is not our own,” Anderson said. “Speed addicts have their own social circle. They’re addicted to the scene and to a bizarre lifestyle. These are the people who are up at three in the morning running around. Methamphetamines create insanity. They make people paranoid and have delusional thoughts. It’s a difficult condition to treat because we not only have to get them off methamphetamines, but get them to change the way they live.”
Successful recovery, he added, not only requires self-discipline and the ability to follow the clinic’s rehabilitation guidelines, but a willingness to explore the psychological factors that fueled the patient’s interest in drug addiction to begin with.
But while some say it’s impossible to successfully treatment methamphetamine addicts, at least 60 percent of A Better Tomorrow’s methamphetamine clients succeed in conquering their addiction. “The longer we have them in treatment, the better,” said Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president.
Consequently, while initial drug rehabilitation programs typically last 28 days, follow up treatment is often needed. “These people didn’t get to where they were overnight,” Menz said, “so they’re not going to recover overnight. That’s why we recommend they continue with outpatient services, either with us or with a clinic close to their home.”
Menz added that even a 60 percent success rate for methamphetamine addicts is laudable, considering the alternative. “Even if we are only successful treating two out of three methamphetamine addicts,” he said, “that’s two out of three addicts that are now being responsible parents and productive members of our society rather than a burden to our society.”
Statistics underscore the value of drug rehabilitation counseling and treatment. According to Children’s Advocate newsmagazine, criminal activity drops 72 percent after offenders receive substance abuse treatment. Moreover, every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayer’s $7.46, the magazine said.
A Better Tomorrow provides methamphetamine treatment for residents of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Orange counties. The Murrieta-based clinic, which provides a broad range of treatment services for drug, alcohol and gambling addicts, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow or to arrange interviews with consenting patients, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867.
(800) 757- 9867
A BETTER TOMORROW TARGETS COUNTY’S METHAMPHETIMINE CRISIS
Half of the clinic’s patients are methamphetamine addicts
MURRIETA, July 10, 2006 ― Charles Anderson is living proof that methamphetamine addicts can be successfully rehabilitated and live happy, productive lives.
A former drug dealer, Anderson was arrested on methamphetamine charges at the age of 25 and spent two years in state prison, where he began to participate in a 12-step rehabilitation program.
But while some doubt the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs on methamphetamine addicts, the treatment worked. And with the help of going support group meetings, Anderson has not only stayed clean for the past 13 years, but has taken his life in a new direction by co-founding A Better Tomorrow, a Murrieta-based drug and alcohol treatment center that has helped place more than 150 Southern California methamphetamine addicts on the road to recovery.
“I feel very good about what we’re doing,” said Anderson, A Better Tomorrow’s CEO, adding, “We are effectively teaching people how to be happy and to live without drugs.” Overcoming methamphetamine addiction is challenging for addicts, Anderson said, because it requires them to live life differently.
“These people live in a world that is not our own,” Anderson said. “Speed addicts have their own social circle. They’re addicted to the scene and to a bizarre lifestyle. These are the people who are up at three in the morning running around. Methamphetamines create insanity. They make people paranoid and have delusional thoughts. It’s a difficult condition to treat because we not only have to get them off methamphetamines, but get them to change the way they live.”
Successful recovery, he added, not only requires self-discipline and the ability to follow the clinic’s rehabilitation guidelines, but a willingness to explore the psychological factors that fueled the patient’s interest in drug addiction to begin with.
But while some say it’s impossible to successfully treatment methamphetamine addicts, at least 60 percent of A Better Tomorrow’s methamphetamine clients succeed in conquering their addiction. “The longer we have them in treatment, the better,” said Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president.
Consequently, while initial drug rehabilitation programs typically last 28 days, follow up treatment is often needed. “These people didn’t get to where they were overnight,” Menz said, “so they’re not going to recover overnight. That’s why we recommend they continue with outpatient services, either with us or with a clinic close to their home.”
Menz added that even a 60 percent success rate for methamphetamine addicts is laudable, considering the alternative. “Even if we are only successful treating two out of three methamphetamine addicts,” he said, “that’s two out of three addicts that are now being responsible parents and productive members of our society rather than a burden to our society.”
Statistics underscore the value of drug rehabilitation counseling and treatment. According to Children’s Advocate newsmagazine, criminal activity drops 72 percent after offenders receive substance abuse treatment. Moreover, every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayer’s $7.46, the magazine said.
A Better Tomorrow provides methamphetamine treatment for residents of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Orange counties. The Murrieta-based clinic, which provides a broad range of treatment services for drug, alcohol and gambling addicts, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow or to arrange interviews with consenting patients, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867.
A BETTER TOMORROW TARGETS COUNTY’S METHAMPHETIMINE CRISIS
Jerrod Menz NEWS RELEASE
(800) 757- 9867
Half of the clinic’s patients are methamphetamine addicts
MURRIETA, July 10, 2006 ― Charles Anderson is living proof that methamphetamine addicts can be successfully rehabilitated and live happy, productive lives.
A former drug dealer, Anderson was arrested on methamphetamine charges at the age of 25 and spent two years in state prison, where he began to participate in a 12-step rehabilitation program.
But while some doubt the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs on methamphetamine addicts, the treatment worked. And with the help of going support group meetings, Anderson has not only stayed clean for the past 13 years, but has taken his life in a new direction by co-founding A Better Tomorrow, a Murrieta-based drug and alcohol treatment center that has helped place more than 150 Southern California methamphetamine addicts on the road to recovery.
“I feel very good about what we’re doing,” said Anderson, A Better Tomorrow’s CEO, adding, “We are effectively teaching people how to be happy and to live without drugs.”
Overcoming methamphetamine addiction is challenging for addicts, Anderson said, because it requires them to live life differently.
“These people live in a world that is not our own,” Anderson said. “Speed addicts have their own social circle. They’re addicted to the scene and to a bizarre lifestyle. These are the people who are up at three in the morning running around. Methamphetamines create insanity. They make people paranoid and have delusional thoughts. It’s a difficult condition to treat because we not only have to get them off methamphetamines, but get them to change the way they live.”
Successful recovery, he added, not only requires self-discipline and the ability to follow the clinic’s rehabilitation guidelines, but a willingness to explore the psychological factors that fueled the patient’s interest in drug addiction to begin with.
But while some say it’s impossible to successfully treatment methamphetamine addicts, at least 60 percent of A Better Tomorrow’s methamphetamine clients succeed in conquering their addiction. “The longer we have them in treatment, the better,” said Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president.
Consequently, while initial drug rehabilitation programs typically last 28 days, follow up treatment is often needed. “These people didn’t get to where they were overnight,” Menz said, “so they’re not going to recover overnight. That’s why we recommend they continue with outpatient services, either with us or with a clinic close to their home.”
Menz added that even a 60 percent success rate for methamphetamine addicts is laudable, considering the alternative. “Even if we are only successful treating two out of three methamphetamine addicts,” he said, “that’s two out of three addicts that are now being responsible parents and productive members of our society rather than a burden to our society.”
Statistics underscore the value of drug rehabilitation counseling and treatment. According to Children’s Advocate newsmagazine, criminal activity drops 72 percent after offenders receive substance abuse treatment. Moreover, every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayer’s $7.46, the magazine said.
A Better Tomorrow provides methamphetamine treatment for residents of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Orange counties. The Murrieta-based clinic, which provides a broad range of treatment services for drug, alcohol and gambling addicts, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow or to arrange interviews with consenting patients, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867.
(800) 757- 9867
Half of the clinic’s patients are methamphetamine addicts
MURRIETA, July 10, 2006 ― Charles Anderson is living proof that methamphetamine addicts can be successfully rehabilitated and live happy, productive lives.
A former drug dealer, Anderson was arrested on methamphetamine charges at the age of 25 and spent two years in state prison, where he began to participate in a 12-step rehabilitation program.
But while some doubt the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs on methamphetamine addicts, the treatment worked. And with the help of going support group meetings, Anderson has not only stayed clean for the past 13 years, but has taken his life in a new direction by co-founding A Better Tomorrow, a Murrieta-based drug and alcohol treatment center that has helped place more than 150 Southern California methamphetamine addicts on the road to recovery.
“I feel very good about what we’re doing,” said Anderson, A Better Tomorrow’s CEO, adding, “We are effectively teaching people how to be happy and to live without drugs.”
Overcoming methamphetamine addiction is challenging for addicts, Anderson said, because it requires them to live life differently.
“These people live in a world that is not our own,” Anderson said. “Speed addicts have their own social circle. They’re addicted to the scene and to a bizarre lifestyle. These are the people who are up at three in the morning running around. Methamphetamines create insanity. They make people paranoid and have delusional thoughts. It’s a difficult condition to treat because we not only have to get them off methamphetamines, but get them to change the way they live.”
Successful recovery, he added, not only requires self-discipline and the ability to follow the clinic’s rehabilitation guidelines, but a willingness to explore the psychological factors that fueled the patient’s interest in drug addiction to begin with.
But while some say it’s impossible to successfully treatment methamphetamine addicts, at least 60 percent of A Better Tomorrow’s methamphetamine clients succeed in conquering their addiction. “The longer we have them in treatment, the better,” said Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president.
Consequently, while initial drug rehabilitation programs typically last 28 days, follow up treatment is often needed. “These people didn’t get to where they were overnight,” Menz said, “so they’re not going to recover overnight. That’s why we recommend they continue with outpatient services, either with us or with a clinic close to their home.”
Menz added that even a 60 percent success rate for methamphetamine addicts is laudable, considering the alternative. “Even if we are only successful treating two out of three methamphetamine addicts,” he said, “that’s two out of three addicts that are now being responsible parents and productive members of our society rather than a burden to our society.”
Statistics underscore the value of drug rehabilitation counseling and treatment. According to Children’s Advocate newsmagazine, criminal activity drops 72 percent after offenders receive substance abuse treatment. Moreover, every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayer’s $7.46, the magazine said.
A Better Tomorrow provides methamphetamine treatment for residents of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Orange counties. The Murrieta-based clinic, which provides a broad range of treatment services for drug, alcohol and gambling addicts, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow or to arrange interviews with consenting patients, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867.
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