1. Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for you?
2. Is the program run by state-accredited, licensed and/or trained professionals?
3. Is the facility clean, organized and well run?
4. Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the individual (medical: including infectious diseases; psychological: including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)?
5. Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally appropriate treatment services?
6. Is long-term aftercare support and/or guidance encouraged, provided and maintained?
7. Is there ongoing assessment of an individual’s treatment plan to ensure it meets changing needs?
8. Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep individuals in longer-term treatment, increasing the likelihood of success?
9. Does the program offer counseling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies to enhance the individual’s ability to function in the family/community?
10. Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment regimen, if appropriate?
11. Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse to help guide patients back to abstinence?

These are all questions the government’s substance abuse gurus suggest that you ask. Hawaii Island Recovery in Kona, Hawaii fills the bill for all of them. For instance, does the treatment center offer a medically supervised detoxification program? Hawaii Island Recovery features access to a detox facility to help those withdrawing from alcohol and drugs. The program enables you to detox in a relatively pain-free and comfortable environment. The medical staff can prescribe medicines to ease the withdrawal experience. The idea is to get you in shape emotionally and physically so you can easily fit into a residential addiction recovery setting. Ask for a schedule of activities for a typical week at their facilities. Hawaii Island Recovery offers a balanced program of individual and group therapy, lectures, education sessions, support groups and healthy recreational alternatives. There also are frequent medical and psychological assessments performed by professionals, and counseling sessions with clinicians and caseworkers. Ask to see testimonials from former residents. While no treatment center will show you letters from dissatisfied clients, they should have a stack of letters or e-mails from appreciative former participants. And find out how much importance they place on long-term recovery. Aftercare programs are crucial to the success of everyone who enters treatment. At Hawaii Island Recovery, the aftercare regimen includes regularly scheduled meetings with peers, 12-step meetings, family integrations, help with employment and school enrollment, progress and accountability reviews, and organized sober activities with alumni members. For more information or to get answers to your own questions about residential treatment, call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-515-5032.

Big Island Recovery Bed Room

The most obvious sign is your personal appearance and your surroundings. When people have fallen into alcoholism or drug addiction, getting the drink or the drug becomes the most important thing in their lives. It’s more important than food, sleep, school, work, relationships, family members or any other number of responsibilities that go with daily life. Recognizing you need drug rehab may start with a look in the mirror. Again, it’s typically others who will recognize when you need drug rehab before you do. Alcoholism and drug addiction carry the major symptom of denial, which makes it difficult to see how much the drink or the drug is taking over your life. Loss of interest in normal activities and hobbies, falling off in school or work performance, changing your friends (lower companions), changes in appetite and appearance all indicate a personality change brought on by alcohol or drug addiction.
What to Do When You Recognize a Need for Drug Rehab
Whether it’s you or someone you love who needs drug rehab, the most important thing you can do is pick up the phone and call drug rehab centers for information on how to get help. Don’t wait until it gets worse because you never know when the next drink or hit will be the last one. For most people struggling with addiction, drug rehab is a scary thought. It means giving up the drug and learning how to cope without it. Talking to an intake coordinator at a drug rehab center can help guide you on the right path to getting help. They are trained to help break through the denial that often gets in the way of recognizing a need for drug rehab. Research a variety of drug rehabs and choose the one that is right for you. The most important thing you can do for yourself and those you love is to admit you need drug rehab, and take the help that’s offered. Contact Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-515-5032 to get answers to your own questions about residential treatment.

Big Island Recovery Garden

Drug and Alcohol addictions continue to affect people from all walks of life. Many people believe that all drug and alcohol abusers are criminals or are morally weak. But, that simply is not the case. Whether one is a doctor, stay-at-home mom, lawyer, teacher, preacher, mill worker, teenager or even a child, drug and alcohol addictions respect no one.
Addiction is a physiological dependence on something, meaning it is both physical and psychological in nature. Therefore, when one is addicted one literally needs whatever it is that feeds that addiction. Education remains a key factor in fighting drug and alcohol dependencies. When Hawaii Island Recovery helps people understand drug and alcohol abuse prevention becomes visible and effective.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes, a tremendous opportunity exists to effectively change the ways in which the public understands drug abuse and addiction because of the wealth of scientific data NIDA has amassed. NIDA further states that overcoming misconceptions and replacing ideology with scientific knowledge is the best hope for bridging the “great disconnect” – the gap between the public perception of drug abuse and addiction and the scientific facts. In the mean time, it is necessary to facilitate assistance for the current drug and alcohol abusers. There are diverse options in treatment and rehabilitation programs. Those options include: 12-step programs; 12-step alternatives; programs, wilderness camps and schools for troubled teens with addictions; inpatient residential; day treatment; outpatient treatment; faith-based facilities; and holistic treatment. The 12-step program, one of the most popular rehabilitation programs, originated for Alcoholics Anonymous, but later versions were adapted for other addictions.3 The synopsis of the 12-step programs consists of: 1) Admit that we are powerless over drugs or alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable. 2) Come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. 3) Turn our will and our lives over to the care of a Higher Power. 4) Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5) Admit to a Higher Power, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6) Be entirely ready to have a Higher Power remove all these defects of character. 7) Humbly ask a Higher Power to remove our shortcomings. 8 ) Make a list of all persons we have harmed, and be willing to make amends to them all. 9) Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10) Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it. 11) Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with a Higher Power, praying only for knowledge of the Higher Power’s will for us, and the power to carry that out. 12) Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, try to carry this message to other drug addicts or alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs. The Comeback Treatment Center of California states several facts regarding drug and alcohol rehabilitation: drug addiction and alcoholism is a highly treatable disease (continued suffering is optional); no drug addict really likes the way he or she has to use drugs and alcohol; drug addiction can be outgrown in an honest, responsible, character-building environment; personal growth feels better and lasts longer than any drug; the hardest part about drug rehab recovery is getting started, the rest is reward, once earned, sobriety becomes a precious gift of spirit and mind that overcomes negative emotions and mental blocks that could keep one from continuing in a responsible direction towards self-fulfillment.4 In conclusion, drug and alcohol abuse will be around as long as there are people, drugs and alcohol. One must make a proactive choice to educate and understand these addictions so that early intervention can be made as soon as abusers are identified. Ideally, education and training would decline the statistics on addictive behavior, but personal pleasure and the masking of personal problems through addiction remain prevalent today. Call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-515-5032 today and get you or your loved ones the help they need to live a productive and fun-filled life.

Corals near Big Island Recovery

Government spending costs in regards to substance abuse and addiction reached $467.7 billion in 2005, according to a study released last month. The report, released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), was based on three years of research, and is the first ever study to assess the costs of alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, prescription drug abuse, addiction and its consequences when it comes to all levels of governmental expenditures.
The study also found that 96 percent of the federal and state government spending was used on alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, prescription drug abuse, addiction and its consequences, in contrast to only two percent that went toward prevention and treatment. So for every dollar that is spent on prevention and treatment, $50 go towards programs addressing the effects. Of the money, governments spend the most on health care costs associated with substance abuse (58 percent) followed by the costs due to crime and homelessness (13 percent).
These 2005 figures, the most recent year for which data was available over the course of the study, reveal a stark reality and ever-present stigma when it comes to substance abuse. Amid a range of suggestions on how to address these spending patterns is the suggestion that governments balance the cost allotments more evenly taking into account that addiction is a disease, that it is preventable and treatable, but that the treatments needs to be widely available for them to be effective. Call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-515-5032 and see how eager we are to help you.

Big Island Recovery Beach

The effects of alcohol addiction range across all aspects of the individuals life. The main effect is the individual drinking alcohol in overabundance at times that they should not thereby causing damage to themselves and possibly others. Some of the potential effects of alcohol addiction include but are not limited to the following: Physical effects: cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and death from many sources. Social effects: Marital conflict and divorce, social alienation because of behavior. Economic Effects: loss of employment, financial problems such as loss of living quarters, poor judgment, Legal Consequences: charges for drunk driving or public disorder. There is also the possibility of domestic violence either to spouse or children. Emotional Consequences: alcohol abuse can affect the individual drinking as well as the recipients of probable abuse. For instance, an alcoholic’s children can experience delays or damage to their emotional development. Friends and family who perceive alcoholism as self inflicted may lose respect for the alcoholic further diminishing his or her social support network. Get yourself or your loved ones on the right track to recovery call Michael Larroque at 866-515-5032 @ Hawaii Island Recovery today and start a new wonderful life.

Rocks near Big Island Recovery

Maintaining comprehensive bio-behavioral understanding of addiction also speaks to what needs to be provided in drug treatment programs.
At Hawaii Island Recovery we are careful not to pit biology against behavior.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently published Principles of Effective Drug Addiction Treatment provides a detailed discussion of how we must treat all aspects of the individual, not just the biological component or the behavioral component.
As with other brain diseases such as schizophrenia and depression, the data show that the best drug addiction treatment approaches attend to the entire individual, combining the use of medications, behavioral therapies, and attention to necessary social services and rehabilitation.
These include such services as family therapy to enable the patient to return to successful family life, mental health services, education and vocational training, and housing services.
That does not mean, of course, that all individuals need all components of treatment and all rehabilitation services. Another principle of effective addiction treatment is that the array of services included in an individual’s treatment plan must be matched to his or her particular set of needs. Moreover, since those needs will surely change over the course of recovery, the array of services provided will need to be continually reassessed and adjusted. The staff at Hawaii Island Recovery is trained to do just that. Come see what recovery in paradise looks like. Visit us soon at http://www.hawaiiislandrecovery.com or call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery’s office at 866-515-5032  in Kona, Hawaii.

Diving at Big Island Recovery

There is at least one genetic test for an allele that is associated to alcoholism and opiate addiction. Though this allele is more common in individuals with alcohol addiction, there is no conclusive evidence that the presence of this gene is necessary for alcohol addiction. Some researchers argue that the evidence for such alleles is contradictory. There is a theory that alcohol was discovered and utilized as a replacement for polluted drinking reservoirs in urban society. In this case, death from liver disease was preferred to death by waterborne disease. Over time, this resulted in a selection process of genes that were able to handle more alcohol. Essentially the population changed from being a predominately hunter-gatherer society to more urban. This theory explains why certain groups like Aborigines or Native Americans have a higher alcohol tolerance.
Alcoholism can be a lifelong struggle. Though behaviors are changed, relapse is always a possibility and often occurs. Relapse does not mean an individual is doomed to alcoholism.
Call Hawaii Island Recovery at  866-515-5032 today and talk to Michael Larroque for more information.

Sea Shells - Big Island Recovery

As of 2003, 77 alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation centers in Hawaii served more than 3,000 patients. State-funded institutions and private centers administer various drug rehab programs such as behavioral and cognitive therapies, long-term and short-term treatments, the 12-step program, and confinement to residential facilities. However, majority of patients with drug dependence and alcoholism problems still prefer programs for an outpatient course of treatment.

The initial phase of most treatments is known as the detox program. Through alcohol or drug detox, the patient is relieved from accumulated toxins. The process usually results in physical discomfort but in due time, may help the body adjust from the withdrawal symptoms. Interventions and counseling are also recommended. The patients are normally advised to join support groups to sustain the progress. Meanwhile, after-care treatments are also available to avoid relapse.

The success of any rehabilitation program lies on active participation of the patient and his family. Although full-recovery is not an absolute guarantee, professional treatments help patients be more prepared to lead a normal life. Call Hawaii Island Recovery today for the help you deserve from people that are dedicated to your health and recovery.

Common Room - Big Island Recovery

Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid heroin. It is highly addicted drug derived from morphine. It was first processed in 1874 by C.R. Alder Wright, an English chemist can be used both for pain-killer and as recreational drug. Heroin frequently leaves its effects on addicts and and may quickly lead to other addictive behaviors. It is white to dark brown powder. It can be harmful to lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain.
There are many ways to take Heroin, it can be injected into vein, injected into a muscle, smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe, mixed in a marijuana joint or regular cigarette, inhaled as smoke through a straw, known as “chasing the dragon,” or snorted as powder via the nose. These are the symptoms of heroin: rush, pleasure, euphoria, nausea, comfort, lack of pain, happiness, drowsiness, warmth, heaviness, constipation, floating, blurriness, contentment, a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. It is considered illegal to manufacture or sell heroin in the United States. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Street names for heroin include “smack,” “H,” “skag,” and “junk.” Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical area, such as “Mexican black tar.
Heroin is hazardous to one’s health, it is fatal if overdosed, can cause spontaneous abortion, collapsing of veins, particularly in users who inject the drug, infectious diseases due to reuse of dirty equipment, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Its effects appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours. Tolerance develops while using heroin regularly. As you use more, the addiction capacity increased.
Like many other crucial diseases a wide range of treatment for heroin addiction is also available; it can be medication or behavioral therapies including Contingency management therapy, Cognitive-behavioral interventions.
People dependent on heroin need to go to addiction centers to get treatment and long term help in “kicking” the habit. On such treatment center is located on the big island of Hawaii on the Kona Coast. Hawaii Island Recovery is run by Michael Larroque and he is always ready to help you. Call him today at  866-515-5032.

Sunset - Big Island Recovery

Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives. That is what we do here at Hawaii Island Recovery. Helping people resume productive lives is our hope and desire. Call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery’s office at 866-515-5032 now and start your journey to health and happiness.