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It Was Hard For Me To Address My Eating Disorder

I was just on an eating disorder support site and came across their online memorial page. There are over six-hundred entries for people who have died from anorexia-nervosa and bulimia. Many of them were adolescents. One Los Angeles girl died on her way to treatment. Seeing all of these names of people who have actually died from complications from their eating disorders really struck me. Sometimes it is easy to dismiss eating disorders as not being that serious. I never think that restricting my food intake or binging and purging could lead to my death. Seeing the names of people who have died from their eating disorder really makes me want to take my eating disorder recovery seriously.
It was hard for me to address my eating disorder when I was in adolescent eating disorder treatment, since I felt like there were so many things already wrong with me, like my challenges with substance abuse. I am so glad that I was forced to look at my eating disordered behaviors honestly, and that I was offered such quality treatment in such a supportive environment. Left to my own devices, I would have continued to act in my eating disordered behaviors, which would have most likely resulted in me compromising my sobriety. My drug use and eating disorder were strongly linked, as body image and self esteem issues were a large contributor to my using drugs. Being forced to address my eating disorder in treatment is probably one of the main reasons I have stayed clean. The issues that drove me to starve myself or binge and purge are the same issues that led myself and others to use drugs. I learned that the most common element surrounding ALL eating disorders is the inherent presence of low self esteem.

Visions recognized these links and provided me with not only substance abuse treatment, but specialized care for my eating disorder. I was challenged to learn how to make healthy food choices, and was able to work through difficult food issues in a safe environment. Having my meals and behaviors monitored was not at all something I wanted to happen, but working through all of the discomfort of recovery turned out to be very beneficial. I began to learn tools to help me build my self-esteem and less destructive ways of dealing with my feelings. I am so grateful that I was able to address my eating disorder and to find a path to recovery in eating disorder treatment. As I look at all of the names of those who fell victim to their eating disorders, I know that no one else has to die from this. Recovery is a reality and eating disorder treatment can be the first step to freedom.

If you think your teen is suffering from disordered eating, body image issues, or any other form of self harm or abuse, please don’t hesitate to contact us today for adolescent eating disorder treatment in Los Angeles

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Warning Signs of Cocaine Abuse

It’s pretty hard to brush off teen cocaine abuse as innocent experimentation. Cocaine has long been classified in the “hard” drugs category and it hasn’t gone away. Warning signs of cocaine use include:

-A runny nose
-Frequent bloody noses or sinus problems
-Dilated (big) pupils
-Increased excitability or irritability
-Increased heart rate and blood pressure
-Fast speech
-Paranoia
-Sleep loss and weight loss
-User seems to go through money very quickly, needs money frequently. Lies about -where money is going
-Stealing

Paraphernalia includes small mirrors, razor blades, rolled up papers or dollar bills…check the table tops, CD cases, or other flat surfaces for a white residue or razor marks- evidence of cutting cocaine
Teens abusing cocaine are at risk of heart attack and respiratory failure.

Repeated abuse can increase the risk of full-blown paranoid psychosis where they completely lose touch with reality. Adolescents addicted to cocaine may commit more and more risky behaviors to acquire the drug. Addiction often gets between the teen and school, their families, and themselves. Our adolescent residential treatment center in Los Angeles works with your teen to provide a customized treatment plan, addressing not only the potentially deadly effects of drug addiction, but the underlying issues that have driven our someone to use. This all-encompassing cocaine rehab approach works to provide a solid foundation for your teen, offering them a solid chance at long term sobriety.

If you think your teen is abusing cocaine, or any other substance, please don’t hesitate to contact us today for teen cocaine rehab in Los Angeles

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Teen Alcohol Rehab

Teen Alcohol Rehab

It’s not surprising that teens experiment with alcohol, but in some cases, teens cross the “party” line and end up in the world of alcohol abuse. Teens abusing alcohol run the risk of damaging not only their interpersonal relationships, but have increased risk of depression and suicide, injury through risky behaviors, and death. Alcohol abuse can be a red flag indicating some more serious emotional and behavioral problems. If your teen is abusing alcohol, they’re may be some very serious underlying issues that need immediate attention. Teen alcohol abuse can very often be a type of cry for help.

Rehab helps teens and their families deal with not only the destructive force of alcohol dependence, such as scholastic problems and relationship troubles, but serious emotional issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder. Our professional staff is prepared to help your teen with a personalized treatment plan that addresses all areas of your teen’s life. The Scholastic Academy at Visions addresses behavioral and academic issues that can arise with teens struggling in traditional school settings. The supportive and flexible educational environment is geared for your teen’s success. Our staff of doctors and counselors work one-on-one with teens to best outline a program for long-term sobriety. Group therapy and recreational activities work to improve interpersonal communication skills and provide a safe and fun therapeutic environment conducive to recovery. Learning that your teen is struggling with these issues can be a very scary time, but we are here to help you figure out which treatment plan would best serve your teen and your family.

Please, don’t hesitate to contact us today for teen alcohol rehab

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The Bride Has Cramps?

I just got back from a wedding in New York and I guess I should have asked my readers if they wanted me to bring back any souvenirs. Percocet? Darvocet? Oxycontin? Vicodin? There were more prescription drugs floating around that wedding party than an Orange County high school. I was amazed at how quickly people offered up pills for any malady. The bride has cramps? “Oh here hon, take half an Oxy.” I was sitting at dinner the night before the wedding as one bridesmaid prepared a list of pill requests for the next day and was surprised to hear the bride’s 13 year old sister pipe in, demonstrating her knowledge of pharmaceuticals. “Oh yeah,” she said when I asked her about it. “All of my friends are on that stuff.”
I don’t know if this group was particularly special in their pill consumption or if I just don’t hang out with “normal” people very often. I have been reading so much about the escalation of prescription drug abuse in this country and to see it firsthand was honestly a bit of a shock. I mean, I abused a lot of prescription medications when I was using, but to see someone offer up Vicodin as readily as most people offer up Ibuprofin was kind of scary. I talked to the 13 year old sister some more when we were alone. I saw some fresh cuts on her arms and felt concerned about her, growing up around all of this casual pill abuse. She told me about her friends in 8th grade that are snorting oxycontin and cocaine, and how a friend of hers overdosed on a scary cocktail of marijuana, mushrooms, vicodin, klonopin, cocaine, and alcohol the other day after his girlfriend broke up with him. All of her friends in this suburb of New York City are engaging in some really dangerous behavior. She insisted that she hasn’t tried any of drugs but that her friends pressure her daily. We talked about how it’s hard to not use drugs when everyone around you acts like it’s normal. I hope she continues to resist. She and her friends cut themselves and show each other, and being in therapy is like a badge of honor among them. I hope that she makes it through all of that. I told her about the struggles I had and about the treatment center in Malibu that I went to. I told her if she ever needs anything, or if her friends are looking for help to call me. I guess that’s all I can do, and sometimes that’s a hard thing to realize.

Click here to contact us about adolescent drug treatment in New York

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The Scholastic Academy at Visions

The Scholastic Academy at Visions, a day school, provided my son with safe and sober learning environment to meet his individual needs which consisted of addiction and behavioral problems, he was previously unable to function in a mainstream environment. The Scholastic Academy created a setting which was conducive to his emotional growth. A conventional school setting had too many social increased stressors like his old “friends”.

I’m proud to say that this fall he will be starting his senior year at Newport Harbor Day. None of this would have been possible if Visions hadn’t furnished an environment which continues to enable students to stay grounded and keep perspective in the face of adversity.

Click here to contact us about The Scholastic Academy at Visions

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Christopher Kennedy Lawford’s Moments of Clarity

Please join Visions Adolescent Treatment Center at South Coast Medical Center June 11, 2009. Christopher Kennedy Lawford will be presenting, Moments of Clarity, his latest book filled of spiritual epiphanies enabling those that had them to move from addiction to recovery. Moments of Clarity was released in January 2009, and quickly hit the New York Times best sellers list. Christopher was born into political and movie royalty. Lawford successfully navigated these two worlds as an actor, author, and advocate. However, before his successes, Lawford battled a drug and alcohol addiction for much of his young life. Sober for more than 22 years, he shares his personal story of addiction with others in hopes of making a difference.

Please come educate yourself and support teen drug treatment

Click her For more information on this Laguna Beach event

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Unintentional Deaths From Prescription Opiates Rise

The National Drug Control Policy recently reported that unintentional deaths from prescription opiates, like Oxycontin, increased by 114% between 2001 and 2005. In 2006, accidental deaths from overdoses exceeded those by firearms and were second to car-accidents in the United States. Reports from across the country all point to the ever-increasing risks of teen prescription drug abuse in the United States. These alarming numbers point to the need for increased awareness and treatment of this epidemic.

Perhaps it is the perception that these medications aren’t as dangerous to use as say, crack or heroin. The numbers say otherwise. I now recognize that my drug abuse was just as bad and deadly as the junkie downtown. The decision to ask for help and enter teen drug treatment can be a very difficult one, but it is not nearly as difficult as trying to maintain a life of active addiction. In residential treatment, adolescents are given new tools to help deal with not only the acute problem of drug and alcohol abuse, but the underlying issues that drive them to use in the first place.

If you suspect your teen is struggling with teen prescription drug abuse don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Testimonial From a Greatful Family

Dear Visions,

Craig graduated from Transitional Living in Tucson, Arizona on April 29. He entered the In Balance program immediately upon leaving Visions on June 22, 2008. The staff of Visions helped craig to lay a foundation upon which to build a life. He learned by working with Celeste and others that he had a right to a life, that he could be forgiven for his past and did not have to live the rest of his life defined by his failures. We learned, as a family, how to communicate with honesty. I learned how to let others take responsibility for their own decisions without trying to cushion the blow.

We sent Craig to Visions on February 15, 2008 with one prayer…that he would not die of a deliberate or accidental drug overdose. The road he was on surely lead to that end. The outcome for Craig has been so much more than we would have even dared hope for. He has been sober since he entered Visions. We would have liked to bring Mike home when he left Visions. I am so thankful that we listened to Celeste’s recommendation and had Craig continue in a structured recovery program. The staff at In Balance has helped him to build upon the foundation that was laid at Visions andcraig has begun to build a beautiful life for himself.

He has decided to stay in Tucson where he has a very strong support network of friends in recovery and an amazing sponsor. Craig is also sponsoring a young man in recovery, He will get his high school diploma on May 21 and plans to enroll at Pima Community College. He will begin working towards his associate’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Chemical Dependency Counseling this summer. He is on staff at In Balance’s Intensive Outpatient Program and at the In Balance Ranch, a therapeutic boarding school working part-time as an aide.

Of course Craig’s recovery and growth hasn’t been a constant upwards line. There have been periods where we all; Craig, his dad, and I took three steps forward and two steps backward. However, we have all continued on a path of recovery and growth. Each of us can say with certainty that, although we don’t know what lies ahead, we know how far we have come and we never want to go back again.

There are no words that can convey our gratitude for the fact that on February 15, 2008 a young man who seemed destined to self-destruct is now a young man with a purpose who is planning for his future with optimism and a desire to be of service to others!

As inadequate as the words are, thank you.

Sincerely,

A Grateful Mother

Click here to contact us for more info regarding adolescent drug treatment

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Symptoms of Oxycontin Opiate Abuse, From a Former Opiate Abuser

Symptoms of Oxycontin Opiate Abuse, from a former opiate abuser:
I often read through information on addiction, including symptoms of addiction and think that someone should really expand on some things, so I’m going to address some of the things I, a former opiate abuser, consider telltale signs of opiate dependence or abuse. remember the opiate family is large, it includes heroin, Oxycontin, dilaudid, vicodin, hydrocodone, codeine, cough syrups and other pain killers…

-Nodding out, or being “on the nod“. This is when the user is so intoxicated they can’t keep their eyes open. Their head will literally nod forward as they go back and forth between being nodded out to jerking awake. If your teen is sitting straight up, asleep, they probably aren’t “just tired”. I don’t think anyone sleeps like that.

-Pinned eyes. Lizard paint. These terms explain how small pupils get when a person is under the influence of opiates. It’s freaky. Also, when someone is coming down from an opiate high, or is in withdrawal, their pupils tend to get really big. I used to try to blame this on my antidepressants, but opiates are the only drug I can think of that do this.

-Itchiness. Opiates usually make you itchy, especially the face, for some reason. Someone under the influence of opiates may seem to absentmindedly rub their face a lot, or scratch themselves elsewhere. Symptom lists seem to leave this one out a lot, but this combined with a couple of other factors helps me to peg an opiate user pretty quickly.

-Being cold when it is not cold. Especially when a user is “sick” (beginning withdrawal), they will get super cold. You can usually spot an opiate user because they are the one wearing a sweater when no one else is. When I was using opiates and I was sick, no amount of clothing could keep me warm.

-Sleepy, or not sleepy. Haha I know this one sounds weird, but when a user is high, they might sleep a lot- like, at really inappropriate times. Being in withdrawal makes you not be able to sleep.

-Stomach problems. If your teen suddenly loses their appetite or seems to be having a lot of stomach trouble, you may have an opiate user. (Or an eating disorder…see previous post on those symptoms.) The rush from an opiate high can often make one vomit. Withdrawal from opiates can make you vomit. I remember a lot of vomiting. If anyone had “food poisoning” as much as I claimed when I was using, all of Los Angeles should have been shut down. Also, withdrawal gives you really bad diarrhea. So glamorous.

-Runny nose. Withdrawal makes your nose run. Again, very glamorous.

-Other symptoms of withdrawal, in my experience, are muscle and back pains, cramping, sleeplessness, irritability, panic attacks, crying, hurting…ugh it was gross. Withdrawal sucks. It should be enough to keep sane people from using again, but often perpetuates use with addicts. At the end, I kept using because I didn’t want to get sick. This is especially dangerous because “chipping” (using and then quitting and then using and then quitting etc) messes with your tolerance and one can easily overdose. And die. It’s a big deal. Because withdrawal from opiates can be such a difficult and painful thing, I think it’s a really good idea to do it in a safe a supervised place, like residential treatment. When I had tried to quit cold turkey on my own, I never made it past two days because I couldn’t stand the withdrawal symptoms. I will admit I am quite the crybaby when it comes to pain, which I’ll admit is weird coming from an ex-cutter/IV drug user. I “kicked” opiates in a safe environment under a doctor’s care, and once I was safely detoxed from the drugs, was able to begin my real recovery process. I hope some of these “insider tips” help. Opiate dependence is a very serious issue; opiates kill people. If you think your teen is struggling with Oxycontin-opiate addiction, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

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Finding Balance in recovery

Sometimes I feel lonely being the only person at my work or from my school friends who doesn’t drink or do drugs. Last night a bunch of kids from my school had a party and I wasn’t invited because I don’t drink. I guess some of my “normal” friends are afraid to drink around me because they think I’m going to go crazy and just grab the alcohol away from them and start chugging away. I know my limits these days, about what kind of situations I can put myself into, for how long, and how often. Being around alcohol now doesn’t really bother me because I have made a decision in my life to not drink or use. Over time in my recovery, it has become second nature. It’s just not something I do. This isn’t to say I spend all of my free time at raging keggers or raves- I have a deep involvement with a 12-step program and spend most of my time with my recovery friends mostly because we just get each other. I guess I just had a little flash of that loneliness I used to feel in early recovery when I really did have to cut myself off from people who drank or did drugs. It was a necessary precaution. As time has gone on, I feel more and more solid in my recovery identity and the occasional party where alcohol is being served doesn’t trigger me to use.
Finding a balance between my recovery life and my school or work life has been a challenge. If I spend too much time immersed in my recovery world, I miss out on other relationships and experiences. I don’t want to become a recovery zombie. On the other hand, I can’t devote all of my time to school and work. If I do that, I can easily lose focus on what is important, like my sobriety. I learned early on in adolescent treatment that if I don’t put my recovery first, I will lose it. Sometimes it has been hard to put it first when I see my peer group at school in Los Angeles going out drinking together. Sometimes I feel left out, but when I really think about it, nothing is as important as my recovery. When I feel left out or like someone my age should be out drinking and having fun, I have to remember where drinking took me, and all of the painful work I had to do to get where I am today. I may not have been invited to the party, but I have grown more in my early adult years than any of my work and school friends. I wouldn’t trade who I am or what I’ve been through for the world. I have very good friends in recovery and from my treatment center that love me and support me in my growth, and who will be there for me though all of life’s ups and downs. When I made the decision to go ahead and give rehab and recovery a shot, I lost my old life, but gained a new one that is better than I could have ever hoped for. So even though I felt kind of bummed out this weekend about not being invited to the stupid party, I ultimately feel grateful for the life that treatment helped me find.

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