Naveen Andrews Talks About Sober Living, Role As Princess Diana’s Lost Love

Actor Naveen Andrews is familiar to fans of the television program, “Lost.” In his latest film, “Diana,” he takes on the role of Pakistani heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan opposite Naomi Watts in the title role. The movie, which is based on Kate Snell’s book, “Diana: Her Last Love,” tells the story of the late Princess of Wales’ romantic relationship with the doctor.

In an interview to promote the film, Andrews was also candid about his alcoholism and history of heroin abuse. He is now living a sober life and says that he feels relieved that he “has found a way to function without those things.”

Sober Living Part Of Addiction Treatment Process

For addicts, there is no such thing as being “finished” or “cured.” When someone enters a treatment facility, it is the first step in the journey to deal with this complicated disease. A client may need to go through detox before starting an individualized course of treatment, which may include attending 12-step program meetings, participating in equine therapy sessions, or learning ways to cope with stress. Once this phase of treatment is completed, follow-up care at the Above It All sober living house can be arranged to provide support to clients.

Support Needed For Transition To Independent Living

Part of the addiction treatment process involves giving clients the tools they need to deal with triggers that will stimulate the urge to drink or use drugs. The Above It All Treatment Center sober living home gives clients a safe, supportive place to stay in the early days of recovery, when they are most vulnerable to these types of cravings.

Guests pay their rent every month, in advance. This amount also includes the services of a driver to take them to their 12-step meetings.

There is no time limit imposed on how long a guest can choose to stay at the sober living house. A typical stay is between two and three months, but a person may decide to stay for a shorter or longer time. As long as a guest follows the program rules, he or she is welcome to stay in the house.

Insurance Coverage for Stay In Sober Living House

Health insurance coverage may be available for addiction treatment, which includes the stay in a sober living house. Our services are covered by a number of major health insurance providers.

Making the transition to find a way to function without drugs and alcohol is not something that can be done overnight. It requires a series of steps, and constant vigilance to maintain lifelong sobriety. All the elements of the treatment plan, including the sober living house, have an important role to play to help clients achieve their goal of getting (and staying) clean and sober.

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler’s Addiction Battle

Grammy-award winning front man and ex-American Idol judge Steven Tyler has spoken candidly regarding his past addiction troubles, stating, “I lost everything”.

The Aerosmith singer has undergone a variety of rehab stints over the years, most recently in 2009 to combat a nasty painkiller addiction.

“My sobriety cost me nothing less than everything. I lost everything. It’s serious. It’s serious when you lose your kids…your wife, your band, your job and you’ll never understand why because you’re an addict. You can’t figure that out…” says Tyler.

Tyler also told of the impact the addiction had on his relationship with his kids, stating, “Two of them never saw me high until about seven years ago. I had a bunch of operations and simply didn’t follow my program, and I kept drugs by the side of my bed so I just did more instead of doing what was prescribed. Remember, I’m a very good drug ‘addict’ because I’ve done it for so many years.”

“You also could say I snorted half of Peru,” Tyler joked with Howard Stern this past July.

The singer’s most recent battle with addiction was triggered by a literal fall off the stage in late 2009, prompting Aerosmith to cancel a series of scheduled tour stops. The future of the band, namely Tyler’s involvement, was ultimately brought into question as he took a well-publicized break from the group.

“Drugs took me down,” the singer admitted. “Yes it got us through the 70’s. If it wasn’t for Peruvian marching powder, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did. From the ‘70s to ’79, we played every state except Alaska and Hawaii.”

What Steven was able to communicate to his fans was this: The road from rock bottom to sobriety is a long one indeed. Though the glitz and glam of drugs and alcohol may seem appealing to some, the reality is truly haunting.

“There’s three things that happen to you when you’re addicted to drugs after they take hold,” says Tyler, “is death, jail and insanity. And I can’t preach that enough. The only reason I ‘wound’ up in rehab is because I used to the point of falling down. My kids tell me, ‘Daddy, I don’t know who you are anymore.’ Wives leave, bands break up, and it’s really a one-way street.”

Need Help?

Researching substance abuse facilities? Contact Above It All Treatment Center today! With a team of seasoned addiction and recovery professionals available to assess and address your individual needs, you can count on Above It All to have you smiling, healthy and on the fast track to recovery in no time. Call today for more information!

Misdemeanor Marijuana Charges Plummet In California

Following the imposition of Senate Bill 1449 in 2010 –which reduced minor marijuana possession charges to civil infractions – the yearly number of misdemeanor drug charges in California has dropped a staggering 50%!

The measure amended the California Health and Safety Code to classify adult possession of up to 28.5g as an infraction, punishable by a fine of $100 – no criminal record, no court appearance, no court costs. Possession offenses involving quantities of 28.5g or higher are still treated as processed as misdemeanors. The measure took effect on the 1st of 2011.

According to statistics released in the 2012 California Crime Report, misdemeanor drug arrests have fallen throughout the state from an estimated 135,000 in ’07 to around 70,000 in ‘12. Though the decline was widespread, the greatest impact appears to be marijuana arrests – dropping from an almost record high of 60,000+ in 2009 to less than 8,000 in 2012.

Stated NORML Deputy Director, Paul Armentano: “Rather than continuing to spend tens of thousands of dollars in police time and in judicial costs arresting and prosecuting tens of thousand of minor marijuana offenders, these state resources are now being reprioritized toward other, more important public safety activities.”

A number of other states – including Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Nebraska – have since declassified minor possession of marijuana as a criminal offense.

California’s felony drug charges also fell a cool 15% during the last 5 years. Recent arrest statistics show roughly 13,500 in ‘12, down from 14,000 in ‘11.

Whatever side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying the need for education in regard to illicit drug use. If you’ve found yourself struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the team at Above It All addiction treatment center is available to help. Pick up the phone today and let our team of addiction specialists get you back on track towards the healthy, happy, fulfilling lifestyle you deserve.

Eminem Details His Scary Drug Past

The new documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs features Eminem opening up about his addictive past, revealing that one particular overdose almost took his life

The multi-platinum rapper, who sought recovery for a sleeping pill addiction in 2005 and addressed the issue on his 2010 record Recovery, has admitted to a 10-20 Vicodin-per-day habit. “Valium, Ambien, the numbers got so high I don’t even know what I’m taking,” he related after rehabilitation.

Prescription Drugs

The new documentary details the steps that lead to a prescription drug addiction that nearly ended in tragedy. “My bottom was going to be death,” he says in the YouTube teaser. Remembering his first Vicodin experience, the singer explains a “feeling of ‘Ahhh,” everything was not only mellow, but didn’t feel any pain. It just kind of numbed things.”

The artist says that it was difficult coming to terms with the addiction since he was steering clear on street drugs like heroin or crack.

“I don’t know what point exactly it started to be a problem, I just remember liking it more and more,” he says.

Loved Ones’ Involvement

If loved ones tried to discuss the issue, “I would say, ‘Get that f—— person outta here, I can’t believe they said that s—- to me,” he explains. “They don’t know nothing about my f——– life, are they out of their f——– mind? I’m not out there shooting heroin, I’m not out there putting coke up my nose, I’m not smoking crack’ … I literally thought I could control it.”

Over time, the addiction caught up to the Detroit native, as he recounts the overdose that almost took his life.

“Had I got to the hospital about two hours later, I would have died,” he says. “My organs were shutting down. My liver, kidneys, everything. They were gonna have to put me on dialysis, they didn’t think I was gonna make it.”

Realization

Following his hospital stay, Eminem says he experienced sleepless nights for three weeks before falling into relapse a month later. “I remember just walking around my house and thinking every single day, like, I’m gonna f——— die. I’m looking at my kinds, and like, I need to be here for this.”

After regaining talking skills and motor skills, the Grammy winner remembers how far he’s home since the addiction.

“It’s been a learning process,” he says. “I’m growing. I just couldn’t believe that anybody could be naturally happy or naturally function or be just enjoying life in general without being on something.

He adds, “So I would say to anybody, ‘It does get better you know. It just does.”

Healing

Struggling with an addiction of your own? Pick up the phone and call Above it All addiction treatment center! With a team of seasoned professionals available to address your individual needs and goals, you can count on Above it All to have you on the fast track to recovery in no time. Call today!

How To Find Spiritual Awakening Through The 12 Steps of Recovery

At first glance, it may seem as though going to a 12-step recovery program and gaining a spiritual awakening might not have very much in common. It’s human nature to want things to come quickly and easily, and recovery is no different. Working through the 12 steps is a difficult endeavor, but the results are always worth the effort.

If you take a look at the wording of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4 of them refer to a Higher Power or to a spiritual awakening directly. You don’t have to be a member of a specific religious faith to follow these steps to sobriety. They are written in a way which makes them adaptable for people of any denomination. The third step addresses this idea when it allows participants to make a decision to turn their will and their lives “over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

No One Way to Sobriety

While each person may be walking along similar steps, their journey is a unique one. The 12-step program refers to tools like prayer and meditation, which can be used to get in touch with one’s self during and after any formal treatment at a drug and alcohol program, has been completed.

Once a client becomes familiar with using tools like prayer, meditation, and mindfulness as part of his or her everyday life, they can be used regularly. This combination of personal resources is an excellent way to reduce stress and stay focused on what is happening in the present. Addicts need to learn to take life “one day at a time.” For some people in recovery, the time frame needs to be shortened to an hour at a time.

Using these strategies can help them stay centered when difficult situations arise and they are tempted to give in and start using drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with boredom, stress, anxiety, grief, or any difficult situation they are facing. Addiction recovery programs include 12-step programs along with counseling (individual and group sessions), equine therapy, and group outings to help clients learn how to adjust to life without drugs or alcohol.

Working the 12 steps is a way of life and the riches that can be discovered on the spiritual journey are numerous. All that a person needs to get started is the willingness to make a change and then everything falls into place from that point.  The greatest gifts of recovery include letting go of shame, guilt, and fear and experiencing more peace, joy, and happiness than ever before.

How To Get Rid Of Heroin

Getting a heroin addict through a detox is their first step on the way to a new, drug-free life. But amazingly, many forms of heroin addiction treatment sidestep this action completely. By giving a heroin addict a substitute, similar substance — or even in some areas, a pharmaceutical form of heroin — a heroin detox is avoided.

In the US, drug programs aim only to reduce the harm of heroin addiction by providing the addict with a chemically-similar drug that prevents withdrawal symptoms from kicking in. The problem is that the person remains chained to an addictive substance. Some formulations are compounded in a way intended to reduce or eliminate the euphoric effect of heroin. But since all of them have become themselves drugs of abuse, this fact tends to believe the theory that they do not provide a high.

Proponents of this substitution treatment argue that since these heroin addicts (now turned into synthetic opiate addicts) are no longer living illegal lifestyles and are not spreading disease by sharing needles and other risky behavior, that this harm reduction is a valid therapy. There is some truth there, because the harm of drug use is reduced.

For years, Above It All Treatment Center has enabled heroin addicts to detox and go through an entirely drug-free rehabilitation. Instead of substitute drugs like methadone, buprenorphine, Suboxone or other formulations, a heroin addict is eased through withdrawal using a combination of nutritional supplementation, gentle reorientation exercises and physical assists. As surprising as it might sounds, some of the severity of heroin detox yields to these simple and non-invasive techniques used at Above It All Treatment Center  drug rehabs.

Because most addicts starting a heroin detox are in poor physical condition, receiving immediate and ample nutritional supplementation alleviates some symptoms that are really based on nutritional deficiencies. Drugs and stressful lifestyles are known to deplete nutritional stores. Nutritional deficiencies can also cause the depression suffered by so many trying to recover from addiction.

Once the heroin detox is done and the person is ready to leave the withdrawal phase of recovery, the recovering addict faces the remainder of the program with a tolerable experience behind him. For some, this starts off the entire drug rehab process on a very positive note.

After the body breaks down drugs like heroin or cocaine and gets rids of the majority of the components, residues called metabolites are left behind, lodged in fatty tissues. These residues have been proven to be involved in the triggering of cravings, even years after a person stops taking drugs. The proof is that once a student on the Above It All Treatment Center program flushes out these residues, she not only can think more clearly, she also normally notices a reduction in drug cravings. Some people even say they are gone. There is no greater gift to a person who intends to leave an addicted lifestyle behind than the reduction or elimination of drug cravings. Without this, every day may be a battle to overcome the cravings and stay sober.

Yes, Virginia – There Really is Affordable Drug Treatment

“I can’t get clean and sober, because I can’t find affordable drug treatment.” In many cases, those struggling with alcohol and drug addiction do not receive the help they need, because they believe they can’t afford the cost of treatment. Actually, that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s true that many of the high-profile and high-dollar rehabs centers favored by Hollywood A-listers can cost well into five-figures for a one-month stay. According to TheFix, an addiction website, one well-known Malibu clinic charges about $80,000 for a month of treatment. While that’s a number well out of reach of most average Americans, with a bit of research it is possible to find effective and affordable drug treatment.

Most large urban areas offer not-for-profit and publicly-funded treatment centers which offer low-cost, or subsidized treatment programs. For those suffering addictions not requiring medically-monitored detox, outpatient clinics can also be an affordable option. Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous are  both free of charge, and meetings are held at a variety of times and locations to fit just about any schedule. For those with deeply-rooted, life-threatening addictions that require doctor-supervised detox, local hospitals can also be a good resource – especially those with health insurance coverage or Medicaid/Medicare. Some private facilities will offer payment plans or sliding scale fees to cash-strapped clients. Often, the family of the person seeking treatment will gladly contribute resources in hopes of seeing their loved one freed from the slavery of addiction.

Those seeking an affordable, effective option might consider our Los Angeles rehab. Licensed by the State of California Department of Alcohol & Drug Programs, we treat a variety of addictions and related disorders using a variety of evidenced-based treatment modalities. Our experienced licensed and credentialed staff includes LCSW, MFT, CADC and RADS Counselors, nurses, psychiatrists and physicians. We offer medically-monitored detox along with around the clock availability and support via group and individual therapy utilizing 12-Step principles and practices. Other offerings include stress and anger management counseling, relapse-prevention education and even organized outside activities many local activities such as visits to the Antique Wooden Boat Show, the Annual Art Festival and The Summer Concert Series.

High cost is no guarantee of great care. Pricey treatment centers may boast high thread-count sheets, gourmet meals and sunrise yoga classes, but they don’t necessarily yield better results. For those seeking alcohol drug rehab, the incalculable costs of continued addiction to health and relationships far outweigh the costs of treatment, regardless of price.

 

Sobriety and Living in the Present

As we begin and proceed down the path of sobriety, there are times when we may be swayed by remorseful thoughts of what-could-have-been or if-only-I-hadn’t-done-that or why-didn’t-I-do-this or I-should-have-done-that.  We can get caught up in the idea of missed opportunities as we’re being separated from the item(s) that kept us from being present in the world while we awaken to our lives as they actually are.

This line of thinking keeps us far from being aware and in the moment.  We realize that if we immerse ourselves in reveling in our respective remorse, we are living in a past that never actually existed while, simultaneously, we project and fantasize about what would have happened in our future.  As we are so often reminded, neither the past nor the present is the now.

It can be difficult to remain present, especially in early sobriety.  There are so many distractions, be it the person next to us talking or the radio on or the tv or even the blowing breeze.  The staff at this California rehab is well aware of what it looks like when we start to ride our horse of remorse into the wilderness of our fantasies.  They have the ability to not only recognize the moment when that starts to occur, they have the skills to refocus our wandering minds and reorient us to the present.

The present is a new and unfamiliar place in which we begin to reside.  It can be uncomfortable and it can be scary.  Conversely, it is a rich world we inhabit and until we can learn how to live within it and amongst others, aware and mindful of all that is around us, we may continue to hide.  Haven’t we, while using and drinking, hidden enough?