Month: November 2008

November 14, 2008

Hello All Visions Staff:

Thanksgiving is nearing and we wanted to be sure that you know how thankful we are that you have been a part of our lives. One year ago, we received a phone call that our son had overdosed and was on the way to the hospital via ambulance. We were in a state of fear and apprehension. It seemed very likely that he would die from an accidental or intentional overdose.

Today, we hear from our son daily. He talks about his dreams, his program, and his gratitude for this day. The difference in our relationship with him is almost unbelievable! One day last week, he called and mentioned that it was kind of a rough day at school. We listened and told him that tomorrow was another day. His response was, “Don’t get me wrong, a bad day now is better than any good day I used to have.”

Our son had nine months of sobriety on November 15. A couple of months ago, his NA sponsor relapsed and went back out after years of sobriety. He quickly found another sponsor, who is a tech at In Balance Transitional Living. Although we are sorry about his former sponsor, this change has turned out to be pivotal in our son’s recovery. He has worked steps one through six with his new sponsor, and the fact that his sponsor lives on site is an added blessing.

We have read testimonials from past Visions’ parents thanking you for giving them back their son or daughter. What you have given us is a completely new son. Each of you helped to lay the groundwork for the transformation that is taking place day by day in our son. He is learning to love, value, and accept himself; and as a result, to love, value, and accept others. Last week, after a community meeting, our son called home to tell us that he had been moved to tears. He said he never thought he would hear the kinds of things said about him by others that he had heard during that meeting. The fact that his peers recognized the changes in him was very powerful.

Heading into this holiday season, we send our love and gratitude to each of you. Your jobs are difficult, demanding, and often we would imagine, heartbreaking; but…you change lives…you make a difference in this world…you have changed the life of our son.

God bless you all,
With love and gratitude,
Proud Parents of a Visions alumnus

Cocaine Gene

One of the concepts that prove the most difficult for people to grasp is the concept of addiction/alcoholism being a disease. It has always been somewhat difficult for me personally to fully concede to. When I first learned about addiction I was 13 years old and my mom started going to Alcoholics Anonymous. When she told me that alcoholism is a disease, being the angry teenager that I was, I believe I responded by letting her know that I thought that it was a cop-out and people should learn how to man up (or woman up in this case) and take responsibility for their behaviors. Through working at Visions and going through the process to become a chemical dependency counselor I have learned a lot about the disease concept and it has become an easier concept to wrap my head around.

These days technology continues to advance and science continues to make more discoveries. Now insurance companies recognize addiction as a disease and will compensate individuals for their treatment. The American Medical and Psychiatric Associations also now recognize addiction as a disease. This is just some of the evidence that helped me succumb to the idea that addiction/alcoholism is a disease.

Among these scientific discoveries is one that is helping to spread the disease concept of addiction as a more globally acceptable idea. November 11, 2008 scientists discovered a gene that shows one’s vulnerability to cocaine addiction. The study was initially done on mice and later on humans. Rainer Spanagel, a professor of psychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, led the study. They noted that out of 670 cocaine addicts, 25 percent were more likely to carry the gene variant than people who did not use the drug. They also concluded that cocaine addiction can be passed down in families just like other mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. It was noted that cocaine addiction is 70 percent genetic.

There was an excellent article in the LA Times today (“The 30-Day Myth”) which supports the idea that for lasting recovery, more treatment time is essential. The 28 day program is simply not working anymore. Research indicates that relapse rates are proportional to how long an individual has been in treatment. Many people come unwillingly into treatment, so their recovery may not even start within the first month. It may take weeks for a patient to “clear” or “detox,” which can also impede progress. These facts are what made Visions reconsider their residential policies.

Visions opened as a 30-90 day treatment program for adolescents. Over time Visions learned what this article reveals; that extended treatment ensures better outcomes in terms of relapse prevention. Currently, the minimum stay at Visions is 45 days. Addictive behaviors develop over time and so it’s no surprise that there is no quick fix in the treatment of addiction.

For more on this topic see today’s paper or follow the link:

https://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-addiction10-2008nov10,0,1225784.story