Does this sound familiar?
You call up all your friends and loved ones to inform them about your plans to quit using drugs or alcohol.
You are so sure about it and believe that nothing can get in the way.
So you quit cold turkey, with no help. And just as everything seems to be working out perfectly, the unexpected happens – you slip back in and start using again.
If this is familiar, you are not alone. 19.7 million American adults aged 12+ years struggled with substance use disorder in 2017. This is according to the National Survey on Drug Use Health (NSDUH). Of this number, 38% battled an illicit drug use disorder.
Millions of Americans struggle with addiction. You are not alone. Help is available.
The reason you keep going back is that drug addiction is not just a habit. It is a brain disease. When you use drugs for a prolonged period of time, it can change the way nerve receptors work in your brain. Addiction changes the way critical parts of the brain function, so much that you have a hard time quitting drugs – even if you want to. According to brain science research, addiction:
Addictive drugs alter the way the brain regulates moods and processes emotions. Most of these changes flood the brain with serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters that create an artificial feeling of “high,” or pleasure. This is one of the reasons you find it hard to choose to do the right thing. The other reason is the issue of withdrawal symptoms.
Drug withdrawal is a group of symptoms that happen when you discontinue or reduce the intake of recreational or meditational drugs abruptly. To experience withdrawal syndrome, you must have first developed a form of drug dependence.
If you become physically sick after quitting, it may be an indication that you are physically dependent on the drug. This is usually your body’s way of responding to the absence of the substance. You may also become dependent on drugs or alcohol to prevent withdrawal symptoms or pain.
While every person experiences it differently, withdrawal symptoms can seem unbearable for some.
Note that the severity and nature of the withdrawal symptoms that you experience will vary based on the level of substance dependency along with other factors like:
As an example, a person who takes large dosages of opiate for years through injection and has a family history and/or an underlying mental health problem will experience more extended withdrawal periods and more severe symptoms than one who has been using smaller doses for months. Although the effects and severity may differ, one thing is sure; withdrawal symptoms will be present as long as dependence is formed.
Drug withdrawal symptoms differ based on a range of aspects, as discussed above. Some drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription ADHD meds may have far-reaching emotional withdrawal symptoms. Others, like prescription drugs and heroin, cause extremely uncomfortable physical withdrawal symptoms that mirror flu-like symptoms.
We cannot talk about drug withdrawal symptoms without mentioning alcohol. After all, acute alcohol withdrawal is amongst the most dangerous withdrawal periods of all substances and drugs and can cause potentially life-threatening symptoms. For this reason alone, the process must be approached with care or be done under medical supervision.
Benzodiazepines (Ativan and Valium) can also have adverse withdrawal symptoms like alcohol. The only difference is that alcohol symptoms appear hours after the last drink and subside within a week. Benzodiazepines, on the other hand, take up to a month. Like alcohol, benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms include hallucination, elevated heart rate, and blood pressure, delirium, and seizures.
Opiate (heroin, OxyContin or hydrocodone) withdrawal symptoms aren’t as severe as those from alcohol and benzodiazepines but can cause muscle cramps, aches, runny nose, sleeplessness, nausea, and vomiting. Opiate withdrawal symptoms are often flu-like.
Many addicts report flu-like symptoms from their experiences of withdrawal.
Don’t attempt to quit “cold turkey” after dependence has formed. Evidence shows that this is not the best way to stop. Only a small percentage of patients succeed this way. Besides, the physical aspect of withdrawal is too much to handle alone. Many people who have an opioid addiction end up resuming use to stop the resulting symptoms. So, you should quit gradually with the help of medical professionals. Your symptoms will be managed through a medical detox program as part of a holistic addiction treatment plan.
Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild gastrointestinal upset and nausea to potentially life-threatening seizures. These symptoms often present opposite reactions than those associated with the drug or substance. They include:
The first symptom can appear within 12-24 hours of use and tend to be worse for the first 48-72 hours. However, the symptoms gradually start to decline as your body adapts to the new normal. The whole process can last up to 14 days.
With the right help, addiction recovery is entirely possible. Take the necessary steps and change your life!
Although you can detox privately at home, there are numerous reasons why doing so might not be the best choice. For starters, it may not be safe because you are unsupervised. Remember, issues like violence, injury, psychosis, medical illness, and even threat to self can arise a few hours after drug detox. Besides, at-home drug detox is usually ineffective. So, it is best to get care at a reputable treatment center.
Drug and alcohol detox is the first step in a holistic treatment program that provides all the necessary tools needed for recovery. Detoxification can prevent unpleasant or adverse side effects arising from sudden cessation of use and can help you become abstinent from alcohol or drugs.
Drug detox lasts as long as the withdrawal symptoms are present, and for as long as it takes you to stabilize both mentally and physically. Medical detox aims to stop the abuse of substances and also prepare you for the work that lies ahead on counseling and therapy.
Being caught in the throes of addiction is to be caught in a state where logic, consideration, and reason are thrown out the window in exchange for the pursuit of using. Otherwise, sound individuals will engage in irrational or out-of-character behavior, lying, stealing, cheating, and using any means possible to achieve their end. This is one of the most hurtful symptoms of addiction.
Addicts will sometimes disappear. It could be for a few hours, or it could be months. It is extremely hurtful and worrisome to their loved ones. What do you do if a friend or family member disappears?
Call agency for your town, county, and nearby towns. Ask if the subject has been seen. Suggesting that they could be in trouble. Describe any known associates or hangouts.
There is no time limit to do this, you can file a report immediately and have all law enforcement keeping an eye out for your loved one. The vast majority of missing persons cases are resolved by the missing person themselves within 72 hours. However, there’s the consideration of additional danger for addicts, as their situations are intrinsically more complicated. Give local law enforcement as much information as possible.
Contacting local authorities and filing a missing person report may be necessary to find an addict who has disappeared.
"Be prepared to provide information on the missing person, including birth date or age, physical descriptions, and most importantly, any medical information. Police will also need to know the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and the last location where the missing person had been seen or was known to be. Also, provide any known associates and telephone numbers of persons who know the missing person. Other helpful information that may be provided: cell phone numbers, email addresses, or social network information. When an adult person has been reported missing to police, he or she is entered into a nationwide database; this will assist other law enforcement agencies in finding the missing person."
The above text, taken from the Los Angeles Police Department website, covers some of the information you could provide to make law enforcement’s job easier. Others include what clothing they may have packed to take with them, what kind of vehicles they may drive or have access to (and plate numbers if possible), any known associates or friends that may be helping them, and any present or prior significant others. Additionally, as many recent photographs as you can find will help with the description.
It is by no means a pleasant thought, but contact your local, county, and state coroner’s offices to canvas for your missing addict. A description may help identity a John or Jane Doe that otherwise would be kept in unidentified storage.
Homelessness affects people who are addicted to drugs. Homeless shelters may offer them hope in a dark time.
Acquire a list of homeless shelters in your area, and call them every day. Homeless shelters are often a revolving door of clientele. Over 35% of homeless people have a substance abuse disorder.
The Salvation Army has a missing person program, available here. This program specializes in locating missing adults.
Create a Facebook profile with pictures of the missing individual and post in local area Facebook groups. Raise community awareness by posting flyers everywhere, check your local ordinances first. Notify local church groups and charities, put up posters in bus stops, businesses, restaurants and anywhere else that will allow it.
If your loved one has not been turned up after this searching process, it may be time to hire a private investigator, or “PI.” Here are some guidelines for employing and retaining the services of a Private Investigator.
A private investigator may have more resources to help find your loved one who has disappeared.
In closing, keep heart: the majority of missing persons will show back up on their own within 72 hours. Your addict may stay away longer, but anecdotal evidence dictates the majority of addicts will resurface when they need support from their family. Do the best you can do, and wait.
https://salvationarmysouth.org/ways-we-help/missing-persons/
Inevitably, one of the first questions asked when discussing drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs is, “will my insurance company pay for it?”
If you have employer-provided or otherwise “private” insurance, you must contact your insurer to discover the exact terms under which your insurance covers your recovery journey. However, if you are one of the 12,000,000 (that’s 12 million!) Americans who receive their insurance coverage via the Affordable Care Act exchange (AKA ‘Obamacare’), you are in luck.
Mental and behavioral health services are essential health benefits
All plans must cover:
Your specific behavioral health benefits will depend on your state and the health plan you choose. You’ll see a full list of what each plan covers, including behavioral health benefits, when you compare plans in the Marketplace.
The above text, taken from Healthcare.Gov, shows us that It is a requirement of the Affordable Care Act that providers pay for at least some of your treatment and recovery process. However, that’s not the end of the story.
The majority of plans on the Affordable Care Act exchange are high deductible, meaning you must hit a dollar amount spent per calendar year before you gain the benefit of your insurance coverage.
You can relax, knowing that your mental health needs are covered by your insurance.
Additionally, you will be responsible for a “copay” or “co-insurance” even after you reach this deductible limit. The cap for “max out of pocket” is often quite high for more economically priced plans, so that “copay” will likely be an ongoing part of your recovery process.
However, not all the news is dour. Let’s refer to Healthcare.gov again:
Pre-existing mental and behavioral health conditions are covered, and spending limits aren’t allowed
The pre-existing condition language tells us that the insurer cannot attempt to avoid the responsibility of assisting your recovery journey by stating that your disease arose before you were covered under their policy. The second point states that the insurer cannot make you wait to seek treatment for your sickness - your coverage begins as soon as the policy is in effect. Lastly, they cannot cap their expenditures on your rehabilitation, as opposed to say, limiting your number of counseling sessions.
However, there are more concerns at hand than just financial. To get the treatment you need, we must consider the following:
Depending on the care you need, you may need a referral from a doctor for the care to be covered by insurance. HMO plans often have this requirement, and your PCP (Primary Care Provider) would have to evaluate your situation and provide referrals accordingly for you to have your care covered by your insurance.
PPO plans, on the contrary, will often allow you to simply seek the care you require without having to have your PCP approve it. If you have any questions whatsoever, contact your insurer on the phone number on your card.
Another consideration is the nature of your addiction. Under the ACA, coverage for alcohol, opioids (prescription and otherwise), and recreational drugs is mandatory. However, coverage for other addictions, such as behavioral (for example, a social media addiction, or online gaming addiction) may not be - consult with your doctor and insurance company for clarification.
Medically Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is the use of ‘maintenance’ drugs such as Suboxone and Buprenorphine (or Subutex), combined with various types of therapies to prevent relapses. Some treatment plans are covered by ACA insurance, and some are not. Again, the best way to avoid unexpected financial hardships during your treatment is to consult with your doctor and your insurance company.
When your doctor refers you to a course of treatment, your chart is submitted, along with his or her recommendation, to the insurance company, where their internal adjustors make a decision to cover the claim or deny it. If you are denied the claim, immediately demand a review of the decision. If their denial is especially egregious, they may cave immediately.
If they do not, then your claim is submitted to a doctor employed by the insurance company to decide if the plan is medically necessary. This is what is known as an “Internal Review”. If the insurance-employed doctor upholds the rejection of the claim, do not fret. You should then immediately demand an outside doctor review the claim, in what is known as an “External Review”.
Insurance coverage can help you achieve the healthy lifestyle you know you want.
Some insurers have so-called “Fail First” policies, to where you must have relapsed on a cheaper outpatient program before they will honor a claim for an inpatient program. Outpatient programs are often quite successful, so unless your living situation is untenable in regards to your recovery journey, you may find that these are a better option than going to an inpatient rehabilitation center.
These processes can often be avoided if your referring doctor is familiar with the correct wording and verbiage to use in your chart to impress upon the company the debilitating and time-sensitive nature of your addiction. Your doctor can be a powerful ally if they are experienced in dealing with often stingy insurance companies.
Your ACA plan does cover rehabilitation services. The amount of coverage varies based on your insurance plan. You will likely face up-front costs (your deductible) before your insurance provider steps in. Some types of addiction may not be covered, but major chemical dependencies are (opiates, alcohol, so-called ‘recreational drugs’).
Some providers will require a referral, and some will not. Verify with your doctor and insurance company about what is covered and what is not. If your treatment plan is denied - immediately challenge the denial. If the internal review is denied, challenge again for an external review.
It may seem complicated, but by being proactive and fighting for yourself you have a good chance of getting rehabilitation programs to be covered by your ACA plan.
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