VistaTaos

The SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies released a national survey map showing drug and alcohol abuse numbers in Texas.  According to the 2006-2007 (most current) survey posted, Texas is reporting that 5.2% - 6.99% of persons aged 12 and older have used illicit drugs within the recent months of the survey.  For binge alcohol drinking, Texas ranks higher at 22.8% - 24.3%.  Because of the recent recession, many Texans are still facing unemployment.  General studies show that alcohol and drug use will increase in times of struggle.  With financial stability being an issue, many find it difficult to enter drug and alcohol treatment centers to receive help.  The cost and lack of payment plans available often drive those who need help away and back into their world of addiction.

Drug and alcohol treatment centers should be willing to work with patients who need help.  Money should be something that can be discussed and comfortable payment arrangements should be a possibility.  It’s important that people know they have options for entering addiction therapy.  Options are the path recovery. 

Where Can You Go?

If you live in Texas, you’re in close proximity to one of the best drug treatment centers, just a short distance away in Taos, New Mexico.  Vista Taos Renewal Center is a short plane ride from the Dallas area, located about 85 miles north of Santa Fe.  Vista Taos uses a variety of educational, therapeutic techniques and holistic approaches to help patients begin their recovery. Patients will receive exceptional service and compassion, as well as a meaningful treatment experience.  Drug and alcohol treatment centers like Vista Taos are helping patients move beyond their addiction and begin a new life.

Having more than 3 million people residing in Oklahoma makes it a populous and exciting place.  The darker side of this state is the drug abuse that is running rampant.  Methamphetamine is taking over many parts of Oklahoma, and the dangers associated with making the drug are following closely behind.  However, there are many drugs making their way to users all over the state.  While some are being overtaken by addiction, many are looking for answers.  Drug rehabilitation in Oklahoma is available, and those who need it most likely know who they are.

There is no easy end to addiction.  It is a fight, a lifelong battle that someone must be willing to wrestle with until their last breath.  Years of sobriety make it easier, and positives changes that come with it lighten the spirits of those who were once weak.  A step away is Vista Taos, a drug rehabilitation center in New Mexico.  They’re ready to create a new way of life for the fallen. 

We often have a mental picture of rehab being a cold, sterile place.  How can you heal in such an environment?  Vista Taos’ renewal clinic is a breath of fresh air.  Bring Oklahoma drug rehabilitation next door.  Away from the uncomfortable environment, the compassionate care from the staff and a peaceful healing process will show you that addiction can be a thing of the past.  Step away from the addictive life you’re living in Oklahoma and find your cure at Vista Taos…a new way to look at drug rehabilitation.

Since 2002, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has provided data on national and state-level rates of substance abuse, highlighting trends in drug and alcohol use and showing us where states like Oklahoma stand in relation to the rest of the country. If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol abuse in Oklahoma, the NSDUH results show that you aren’t alone.

In fact, rates of dependence on illicit drugs in Oklahoma tend to be the same or higher than the average rate for the United States. These illicit drugs include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, and prescription drugs, and this kind of drug abuse is a real problem in Oklahoma. Darrell Weaver, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, has been quoted as calling prescription drug abuse “the silent cancer in Oklahoma.”

On the other hand, a look at past survey years shows that when it comes to alcohol abuse, Oklahoma has consistently ranked at or below national levels of alcohol abuse among people in all the age groups surveyed. Still, the most recent data estimates that 188,000 residents of Oklahoma who are 18 and over have a problem with alcohol abuse or dependence--certainly not an insignificant number.

If you’re one of the many Oklahomans suffering from a drug or alcohol abuse problem, you don’t need to travel far to receive effective, professional drug rehab services. Vista Taos Renewal Center, located just over the border in New Mexico, strives to provide residents of Oklahoma with easy access to its patient-centered, holistic drug treatment program. Vista Taos’ beautiful New Mexico location distances you from the surroundings you associate with past drug use, while allowing you to remain comfortably close to home, family members, and familiar surroundings.

Cocaine addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to treat--there just aren’t a lot of effective treatment methods or medications available for cocaine addicts. Two groups of researchers recently published a report of their study on cocaine addiction, with an interesting discovery on the biology of why some people become addicted to the drug while others don’t.

The article contains a lot of technical information, but the bottom line is that some people’s brains are more “plastic” than others--they have a flexibility that allows them to adapt to the changes caused by chronic drug use. Chronic cocaine use causes a loss of brain plasticity in all users, but some are able to adapt and recover their plasticity. People who suffer from cocaine addiction aren’t able to do this, which causes their drug-seeking behavior to become compulsive and out of control.

There will always be people who say that cocaine is nonaddictive, and it can be tempting to believe them. However, research like this shows that drugs can affect people quite differently. Even if you know someone who has used cocaine without becoming addicted, that doesn’t mean that it is not an addictive drug. And if you have been addicted to cocaine in the past, you likely have an increased susceptibility to cocaine addiction that means you cannot simply use recreationally without becoming addicted.

If you’re wondering how a horse can help you on your journey to addiction recovery, you aren’t alone. Many people find the concept of equine therapy--in which you work with horses as part of your treatment plan--a little strange at first. More and more drug and alcohol treatment centers are offering equine therapy as part of a comprehensive, holistic rehab program, and their clients are quickly discovering the remarkable benefits of working with horses.

Benefits of Equine Therapy:

• One of the greatest benefits of equine therapy is that you have the opportunity to work closely with a creature who is not judging you. Your horse does not care about your past, only about how you act in the present.
• Taking care of a horse helps you to relearn the importance of responsibility.
• Interacting with your animal is like looking into a mirror--your horse will react immediately and honestly to your behaviors and emotions, teaching you about yourself and how your actions and state of mind affect others.
• Riding and caring for a horse is a positive and soothing activity that can take the place of your former negative activity of drug use.

If you think equine therapy sounds like something that can help you, look for drug and alcohol treatment centers that offer complementary therapies in addition to more traditional addiction treatments.

There are all kinds of factors that influence a person’s susceptibility to drug abuse and addiction. We know, for instance, that there are genetic factors that play a role. Certain genes predispose some people to alcoholism or other addictive behaviors, and many people who struggle with addiction can name several family members with similar problems.

In addition to genes, environment can play a substantial role in determining whether a person develops a substance abuse problem. It seems only logical that being surrounded by drug users will increase a person’s likelihood of developing a substance abuse problem. These two strong influences on addiction development--genetics and environment--also have a surprising influence on each other, as shown by a recent study on peer drug use.

This Washington University study looked at more than 2,000 female twins, comparing information on the women’s own substance use and that of their friends. What the researchers found was that a woman’s genetic tendency to use drugs was linked to her exposure to drug-using friends. In fact, associating with friends who use drugs seemed to increase the genetic influences on substance abuse.

Studies like these point to the importance of a residential drug treatment center like Vista Taos. At Vista Taos, people struggling with addiction have a safe and supportive environment in which to heal and regain control of their life. It is obvious that peer groups have a tremendous influence on our behavior, and a stay at a residential drug treatment center removes the negative influence of drug-using peers. At a residential drug treatment center like Vista Taos, recovering addicts are surrounded by a supportive group of peers who understand the difficulty and importance of the recovery process. Substituting the negative influence of drug-using peers with the positive influence of recovering users can have a hugely beneficial impact on one’s journey of recovery from drug addiction.

When looking for a drug rehabilitation center, be sure to consider the following topics:

Treatment Type/Philosophy:

Do you like the comprehensiveness of a holistic approach? Are you a fan of the medical model of addiction treatment? Are you a very religious person who would benefit from a Christian-based program? There are many different treatment philosophies, so take the time to learn about the different approaches out there and choose a treatment center whose approach feels comfortable to you.

Services Offered:

Do you need a medically supervised detox? Do complementary therapies like massage and meditation appeal to you? Does your family want to be involved in the treatment process? Different drug rehabilitation centers offer different services, so don’t just assume that whichever one you choose will have what you need. Do a little research—you might find some offer therapies you never thought of that could be very helpful.

Location:

Do you want to stay near home or distance yourself from the environment surrounding your addiction? Do you prefer an urban location or a more remote, natural retreat?

Success Rate:

What statistics can the drug rehabilitation center show you? What is there success rate and how do they calculate it? Success rates can vary quite a bit; while higher is better, a center with a rate higher than 80% is unusual and should raise some red flags—they might consider something “successful” that you would not.

Program Length:

Studies show that 90+ days in a treatment program will give you the best chance for success, but not everyone can spend that much time away from work and family obligations. Is a 30 day program right for you? 90 days? What options are offered by the drug rehabilitation center you’re considering?

Aftercare:

Some centers offer their own aftercare programs, while others help you find follow-up care in your own community. Still others offer no aftercare or assistance in finding it. You might not feel as though you need follow-up care, but choosing a center that will help you find it will better your chances of recovery.

Addictions to substances—like alcohol, recreational drugs, or prescription medications—are widely recognized by society and the medical community as genuine medical problems that require specialized treatment. But in recent years, a number of behavioral addictions have started to become well-known. For example, sex addiction was made famous by celebrities like David Duchovny and Tiger Woods, and Internet addiction is widely discussed in the media and everyday conversation. Who hasn't heard someone profess to have a “Facebook addiction,” or something similar?

Are these behavioral addictions the real thing? Is sex addiction as legitimate a problem as cocaine addiction? Opinions vary, but science is beginning to provide evidence that addictions can go beyond drugs and alcohol. Gambling addiction has been recognized as a diagnosable disorder for some time, and recent studies show that even behaviors like eating junk food and tanning can be addictive.

It is not uncommon for people with an addiction to one substance or behavior to have other addiction problems as well. Vista Taos is uniquely suited to treat people with multiple addiction issues—including those who are struggling with addictive behaviors—thanks to our commitment to providing every client with an individualized, multidimensional treatment program that focuses on healing the individual as a whole.

Recovering addicts know that relapse into former addictive behaviors is always a possibility. The residential treatment program at Vista Taos aims to teach recovering addicts coping strategies and new lifestyle habits that will maximize their chances of successful recovery and minimize future relapses. Complementary therapies like massage, yoga, acupuncture, and meditation are all offered at Vista Taos’ residential treatment program as innovative ways to address aspects of the addiction recovery process. One aspect all these complementary therapies address is stress--something recovering addicts are certain to feel before, during, and after their stay in a residential treatment program.

Vista Taos knows the importance of controlling stress in safe, natural ways, and a new study indicates that this focus plays an important role in successful recovery. Researchers found that recovering substance abusers who dealt with stress through avoidance reported twice as many substance cravings during a stressful day as those who used coping skills to deal with them. It makes sense, then, that addicts who know and use coping skills to deal with stressful situations have a better chance of staying in recovery and avoiding relapse.

There’s no question that exercise has health benefits--we all know that leading physically active lives will make us strong, healthier people. That is why Vista Taos offers complementary therapies like yoga and other exercise options as part of its thoughtfully designed holistic alcohol rehab program. Here at Vista Taos, we know that physical health influences mental health, and taking care of your body will aid in your recovery from alcoholism.

Holistic alcohol rehab programs like Vista Taos have long made physical health a cornerstone of addiction recovery, and a new study on exercise and alcohol dependence shows that holistic alcohol rehab may indeed have advantages over more conventional programs. The study looked at wheel-running in hamsters to draw conclusions about the relationship between alcohol intake and exercise. The researchers found that when hamsters ran more, they consumed less alcohol. Those that ran less craved alcohol more and drank more.

Hamsters are, of course, not human, but it’s likely many of the study’s observations will hold true for people as well. But instead of a giant hamster wheel, you have a much better option--a holistic alcohol rehab center like Vista Taos, where physical health and activity is given the attention it deserves.