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Category: Mental health

Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

Personality traits of Addicts

While it’s possible to have some addictive personality traits, this doesn’t have to mean that you will be diagnosed with a substance use disorder one day. However, it can mean that you are more likely to develop a substance use disorder. Knowing the personality traits of addicts will help you determine whether or not you need to take extra steps to ensure that you don’t start abusing substances.

What Is an Addictive Personality?

Popular culture presents us with an image of an addictive personality, and it is the typical personality of a person destined to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. According to the stereotype, these people were exposed to trauma or abuse in their childhoods, and they also had unreliable parents. They may have mental health disorders, and they may have been raised in an impoverished household. However, having the traits outlined above doesn’t necessarily mean that you are destined to be addicted to substances.

You and your family members may be concerned that because you can be considered to have an “addictive personality,” you might be on your way toward an addiction. That would be understandable. It would be a good plan to know what the personality traits of an addict are so that you can be proactive in your own life and the lives of your family members and friends. This is an honorable goal, but you must also remember that the addictive personality isn’t necessarily a true construct.

The Myth of the Generic Addictive Personality

A specific addictive personality does not really exist. As a matter of fact, the majority of researchers state that we shouldn’t take for granted that there is one addictive personality that leads us toward addiction. In fact, Scientific American published an article that presented scientific evidence that refutes the belief that one personality type can lead to an addiction. The truth is that a unique group of people may all have different personality types that cause them to become addicted to substances.

Several traits can result in an addiction to substances, and each person can have a different trait. In addition to that, no one person will have every personality trait that causes substance use disorders. That’s why we cannot look at the image of a criminal on the fringe of society and decide that this person has a substance use disorder.

The Traits of People with a High Risk of Developing a Substance Use Disorder

Even so, we can recognize personality traits with a high risk of developing a substance use disorder. These people have a particularly difficult time moderating their behavior when they are exposed to substances. Those in this particular category can be described in the following manner:

  • Cannot regulate their own behavior
  • Are compulsive and obsessive
  • Are cautious and disconnected
  • Take risks and are adventurous
  • Are experiencing co-occurring mental health disorders
  • Have family members who are addicted to substances

We will take a closer look at each of these traits in the following sections:

Cannot Regulate Their Own Behavior

All of these personality traits demonstrate the lack of the ability to regulate one’s own behavior. According to an article from the University of Rochester, when coupled with the anticipation of receiving a reward, this inability has a strong link to developing a substance use disorder.

Even so, this isn’t the end of the story. Those with this personality trait do not particularly enjoy receiving the reward as much as people without this trait. To force the issue, people with this personality trait will work much harder to obtain the reward so that receiving the reward will feel magnificent. This response is directly related to the person’s sensitivity to dopamine and the amount of dopamine that has been released within the brain. It may also be related to other neurochemicals.

Are Compulsive and Obsessive

Addiction is related to the inability to control one’s impulses, but this is not all there is to the story. Those who are unable to resist their impulses may start to use substances because of an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The nature of addiction is to develop habits that continue as time goes by. The habit to indulge in substances becomes a compulsion when an addiction has developed and is not necessarily related to an impulse.

People may develop habitual behaviors because they focus intensely on an issue, and this can mean that these particular people are as likely to fall into a substance use disorder as those with the inability to control their impulses. The main symptom of the disorder is the compulsive use of substances, and it can exist at the same time that the inability to control one’s impulses exists.

Are Cautious and Disconnected

These traits typically belong to women. Most of these women have a hard time with their social relationships and may also suffer from anxiety or depression or both anxiety and depression. These traits often lead to substance use disorders. These women are more likely to use substances to self-medicate when they are experiencing anxiety, depression or loneliness. They begin to need the substances to make themselves feel better on a regular basis. When this occurs, tolerance can set in when they need to increase the doses of their substances of choice to keep experiencing the effects that their substances have given them.

Take Risks and Are Adventurous

People with these traits are at a greater risk of developing a substance use disorder. These people enjoy taking risks, and they have the inability to control their impulses, so they are happy to experiment and try new experiences even if they are dangerous. This means that they are highly likely to try substances. Reuters published a study that found that risk-takers may have higher levels of dopamine in their brains. How sensitive their brains are to this extra dopamine may explain their propensity to becoming addicted to substances.

Specifically, higher levels of dopamine may mean that the person isn’t as sensitive to its effects. Therefore, they must have more dangerous experiences than someone without this sensitivity to dopamine to feel the pleasure that dopamine causes. The use of substances can become connected to the pleasurable feelings that dopamine creates, so the dopamine system is directly involved. It makes someone with this personality trait more likely to take risks with substances and become addicted later on.

Experiencing Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders

The existence of a mental health disorder can increase your risk of developing a substance use disorder. If someone is experiencing a mental health disorder that hasn’t been diagnosed, it is highly likely that this person will self-medicate by using substances. They are highly likely to abuse these substances and then they are likely to become dependent on them. Several mental health conditions can lead to substance use disorders, including the following:

  • Antisocial personality disorders
  • Psychotic disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Depression, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders
  • Family members who are addicted to substances

Scientific research studies found that 50% of a person’s risk of becoming addicted to substances depends on the genetic makeup of the person. Scientists even discovered that there are more than 400 locations on the human genome that can influence a person’s risk of becoming addicted to substances. Because of this research, scientists are close to discovering a way to determine whether or not someone will become addicted to substances before it happens. Even so, just because you are genetically predisposed to becoming addicted to substances, it doesn’t necessarily have to occur.

Preventing a Substance Use Disorder

If you or your loved one have one or more of the personality traits listed above, you may have a higher risk of developing a substance use disorder. Since you have learned exactly what your risks are, you have lowered this particularly high risk. If you are currently in a drug treatment program, you must not think that your treatment is hopeless because you have a few of the personality traits of someone addicted to substances.

If you recognize yourself in this article, you have the option of tackling the issue and getting help for your substance use disorder. You don’t have to allow your personality traits and your family history take you in a direction that you do not wish to go. Take the first step and contact us at the Long Island Addiction Treatment Center.

How to Help a Person with High Addiction Risk

If you are concerned about a loved one, the Long Island Addiction Treatment Center can be the safe haven that this person needs as well. We can offer your loved one several options for getting the help that he or she needs. These include outpatient rehab, the evening intensive outpatient program, the intensive outpatient treatment program or the partial hospitalization program.

If you would like to end your dependence on substances or get treatment for a loved one, contact us at Long Island Treatment Center. We can also provide you with dual diagnosis treatment. Call us today.

Posted on by Long Island Treatment Center

Fluconazole and Alcohol

Many medications do not pair well with alcohol. Sometimes, consuming alcohol with a specific medication can lead to unpleasant effects like dizziness or nausea. It can potentially lead to dangerous effects on others. Many people wonder if fluconazole is one of those medications. To understand the potential risks of taking it while drinking alcohol, it is essential to understand what the medication is, how it works, and the effects alcohol has on the body with and without fluconazole.

What Is Fluconazole?

Fluconazole is the generic name for Diflucan. The drug is classified as an azole antifungal and is prescribed for preventing or treating yeast or fungal infections.[1] Fluconazole inhibits the growth of some types of fungus. Also, it can kill some types that cause infections. The medication works by attacking the fungus and creating holes in the membrane.[2] This means that the contents of the fungus behind the membrane leak out. A result is a well-rounded approach to treating an infection with a dual benefit.

Most people notice an improvement in symptoms within as little as a week or longer. For instance, someone with vaginal thrush may notice symptom improvement after a week.[2] However, it may take about two weeks for someone with a severe fungal infection to see symptoms improve.

Does Alcohol Make Fluconazole Less Effective?

No, alcohol does not make fluconazole less effective. Some people may feel it does if they do not see an improvement in symptoms within the average time frame. The lack of improvement does not come from ineffective medicine. Instead, it comes from alcohol itself. The fluconazole still performs its job in most cases. However, the adverse effects that alcohol has on yeast or a type of fungus can counteract the effectiveness of fluconazole. It helps to understand how alcohol may affect an infection.

How Alcohol Affects the Immune System and Fungal Infections

Two key issues are important to understand with alcohol consumption and fungal infections. The first is the immune system. Without a robust immune system, fighting any infection or illness is hard. Over the last several decades, research has revealed many adverse effects of alcohol and the immune system. In several complex ways, alcohol disrupts immune pathways that limit the body’s ability to fight infections.[3] Also, it can negatively affect the body’s ability to repair injured tissue. Those are just a couple of potential effects on the body.

The second key issue to consider is how alcohol affects fungal growth. With all the recent trends in supplements to improve the microbiome, many people know the importance of maintaining good bacteria in the gut. However, the microbiome also encompasses fungi, viruses, and archaea.[4] Research shows that alcohol can change the microbiome or community of microorganisms in the gut in a negative way.[5] It encourages both bacterial and fungal overgrowth in the gut.[5] Also, some alcoholic drinks have high sugar content, and candida yeast feeds on sugar.[6] In multiple ways, alcohol only fuels a fungal infection. This is why some people feel that fluconazole is ineffective if they consume alcohol regularly while they take it.

Possible Effects of Combining Fluconazole and Alcohol

One of the reasons why health experts often advise against alcohol consumption while taking fluconazole is that it can potentially lead to liver damage. In one study, about 5% of patients who consumed alcohol while taking fluconazole experienced hepatoxicity.[7] Other studies have also shown that people who drink alcohol while taking the medication have elevated liver enzymes, which is an issue that is observable through blood tests.

As stated in the previous section, alcohol can also feed harmful bacteria and lead to an overgrowth in the gut. This means that taking fluconazole to treat a fungal infection may feed bad bacteria and the harmful fungus the medication should treat. When that microbiome imbalance continues for longer, research shows that it can lead to alcoholic liver disease.[5] To complicate matters, people who consume alcohol to the point that it weakens the immune system are also more susceptible to pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.[3]

Is Alcohol Safe To Drink While Taking Fluconazole?

According to health experts, it is safe for most people to consume one drink while taking fluconazole.[8] However, this applies to otherwise healthy people. Those who take other medications that may interact with alcohol and those with liver issues or other health problems should still avoid alcohol. Daily alcohol consumption or heavy drinking episodes can lead to the adverse effects discussed in earlier sections. Another risk of consuming alcohol with or without fluconazole is developing a substance use disorder or an addiction.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment

People who develop an addiction to alcohol cannot stop drinking even though they understand and recognize the harm it does to them. For example, someone who causes a serious accident and loses a job because of alcohol is aware of its consequences. If the person is addicted, the individual will still try to consume alcohol. A person addicted to alcohol must consume more to avoid withdrawal and its unpleasant feelings or side effects. Once someone is addicted, the only solution is professional treatment.

Detox is the first step in treatment to help the body adjust to living without alcohol. There are partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, aftercare, and other programs to meet various need levels. People go through cognitive behavioral therapy to learn about their triggers or behavior causes and find ways to cope or change behaviors. They often have group, family, and individual therapy sessions. There is dual diagnosis treatment for those with coexisting mental health issues. Because mental health issues often lead people to start drinking, it is crucial to treat addiction and mental health issues together. Professional treatment facilities provide support and teach people the strategies to break the cycle of addiction.

Find Alcohol Addiction Treatment Near Long Island

There is hope if you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol misuse. Long Island Treatment Center offers several treatment structures, including aftercare, dual diagnosis treatment, intervention assistance and more. In addition to treatment for alcohol addiction, we have programs for heroin addiction, opioid addiction, and other forms of drug addiction. Please contact us to learn more.

References
[1] https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3780-5052/fluconazole-oral/fluconazole-oral/details
[2] https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluconazole/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590612/
[4] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03249/full
[5] https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/fungi-gut-linked-alcoholic-liver-disease
[6] https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/health/symptoms-and-diseases/how-to-get-rid-of-candida
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548300/
[8] https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/fluconazole-can-you-drink-alcohol-while-using-one-146854/

Posted on by Long Island Treatment Center

How Much Does Rehab in Long Island Cost?

Addiction is painful for everyone involved, including family members and friends. If you or someone you know is seeking drug or alcohol rehabilitation in Long Island, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’ve been considering rehab, one of your pressing concerns might be the cost of treatment. There are multiple factors contributing to the various costs of rehab in Long Island.

Here, you’ll find an extensive guide breaking down the cost and what to expect when either entering or helping someone you know enter a Long Island rehab center.

The Cost of Care

A common bump in the road when it comes to choosing inpatient or outpatient care is the cost. Let us break it down for you.

It’s important to know that there are multiple factors contributing to the cost of addiction treatment. These include:

  • The type of treatment needed by the patient
  • The length of the program
  • The comforts provided by the facility
  • The location of the rehab center

The cost of private inpatient care varies between $7,500 at the lowest and $20,000 for a program of higher quality. At luxurious rehab centers meant for celebrities and higher executives, treatment can cost between $80,000 and $120,000.

Inpatient care will cost more because you are living there to receive your treatment. Employees are working around the clock because you are there 24 hours a day, so naturally, this type of care will cost more than alternative options.

Due to the pricing of inpatient care, some addicts may choose to receive outpatient care instead. This is an understandable choice because many families do not have room in their budget to pay for inpatient care.

The cost of outpatient treatment varies depending on the specific services you are seeking. Addiction therapy sessions are sometimes free or as low as $1,400, whereas intensive outpatient care costs between $3,000 and $10,000.

Cost of Detox

Before receiving either inpatient or outpatient care, you have the option of detoxification treatment. A detox is a form of care provided by specialists to help you wean off of the drugs instead of quitting cold turkey.

Detoxing is beneficial to those who feel like they will struggle with the withdrawals. If you think your addiction is severe, you can choose to receive inpatient detox care. Your addiction may be less severe, so outpatient detox treatment may be a better option for you.

Generally, the cost of detox does not include whatever treatment you may pursue following the detox, like inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment. Costs for detox are usually accumulated on a daily basis – sometimes, the cost for detox can run you over $1,000 per day.

To avoid paying a large sum for detox, there are different methods of payment such as private pay, loans, and crowdfunding.

Paying for Rehab

Rehab is expensive, no matter what treatment option you go with. That’s why we’ve laid out some methods of payment for you here:

  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • Private insurance coverage
  • Employer assistance programs

You may not have insurance, which is why some rehab centers offer financial assistance or work with you on developing a monthly payment plan.

Types of Treatment

Before delving right into the cost of rehabilitation in a Long Island facility, it’s important to understand what types of treatment are available to you. Two common addiction care options are inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Inpatient Care

When you choose to be treated through inpatient care, you will remain at the rehabilitation center. Sometimes this is a better, more effective option for an individual with serious drug addiction.

An addict may choose inpatient treatment if they also struggle with other mental health issues for the wide range of care available.

By choosing to remain in the rehab center, addicts remove themselves from the triggers that they were possibly a part of their daily life. Inpatient treatment provides a safe environment for addicts to comfortably begin the recovery process.

You may be wondering what’s in it for you. Here are some benefits to receiving inpatient care:

  • 24-hour a day services to guide you while battling the addiction
  • Support during the detoxification process
  • Structured treatment that will address personal history
  • Preparation for life after addiction care

Outpatient Care

A slightly less intensive treatment option is outpatient addiction care. Outpatient care allows you to receive the help you need while staying at home with your family, going to work, and going to school.

An addict who chooses outpatient as their form of treatment will receive group and individual therapy sessions while maintaining a sense of normalcy in their daily life.

Here are some benefits to receiving outpatient care:

  • Live at home
  • Continue working, going to school, and caring for your family
  • Flexible therapy and counseling times
  • Varying levels of treatment to best suit your needs
  • Typically costs less

Recovery After Rehab

Remember that recovery is a never-ending journey. We know it sounds daunting to think of recovery as a constant part of your life, which is why we provide aftercare programs.

Within the first year after completion of treatment, around 85% of addicts relapse. We acknowledge that maintaining sobriety is challenging for some addicts, thus implementing aftercare programs that will help you to stay sober after the tremendous progress you will have made.

Aftercare assists you in upholding the drug-free lifestyle you built for yourself while in treatment. Here is what your Long Island rehab center can include depending on what you need:

  • Sober-living facilities
  • Individual or group therapy sessions
  • Childcare
  • Job training
  • Continuing education

It’s important to keep in mind that you are not alone in your journey to recovery. While feeling lonely is completely valid, developing connections with your aftercare providers is one way of relieving that feeling.

Another way is by engaging in group therapy. Both your providers and the members in group therapy sessions understand what you’ve been through and what you will continue to endure in the future.

Looking for Rehab in Long Island?

Are you ready to begin the road to recovery? We’ve got your back. With the numerous services we offer such as detox, inpatient, and outpatient care, don’t let cost hold you back from getting the help you need and deserve.

If cost is a concern to you before treating your addiction, begin with researching if a specific Long Island rehab center accepts your insurance.

If you’re looking for rehab in Long Island, we’re here for you. Contact us today to get started on the path to recovery.

Posted on by Long Island Treatment Center

How Long Does Rehab Take in Long Island?

You are not the only person struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Something has brought you to this article, there is a reason that you are reading this. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Rehab begins with a choice to get clean, and a detox from the substance you are addicted to. The detox may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, but the rest of the treatment time span will vary. What matters is that you take the first step towards the goal of conquering your addiction.

Your Treatment

Your treatment will be specifically tailored for your recovery. And, because of that, it will be unique to your situation, and the length of time it takes may vary. Not everyone’s body receives and accepts treatment the same way.

Factors that may come into play when determining the length of your treatment may be how serious the addiction is, which means how long you have been suffering from the addiction and how much or how often you consume the substance that you are addicted to. There is no one direct answer as to how long it will take.

Some patients need longer-lasting programs with more intense therapy. Others benefit greatly from short programs. The important thing is to focus on today, and not tomorrow, or how long your rehab timeline will last because some people never really stop getting treatment.

Just for today, I will try to live through this day only and not try to tackle my whole life problem at once. – Frank Crane

Addiction

You know how addiction feels like a roller coaster, and it is exhausting. In addiction, we lose ourselves, and often we are afraid of who we will be (or how we will feel) without our substance to keep us company.

Addiction can also make us lose trust in ourselves. Recovery will help to rebuild that trust in yourself. Treatment can be extended if you feel like you need more time under the facility’s medical guidance and supervision- it is perfectly normal to extend your treatment process.

What Happens in a Treatment Program

In any addiction treatment program, there is a basic protocol or a method of steps that are followed.

First, you will go through an intake which is basically very detailed paperwork. This will help the facility better understand your background, who you are, and gauge what your needs will be.

After filling out your intake if you will be doing an inpatient treatment, you will be given a tour of the facility and shown your room that you will stay in during the duration of your treatment.

Once your intake and tour are done you will go through a mental and physical evaluation. Physicians will meet with you to evaluate you on different levels so that they can better understand how to make this detox treatment best suit all of your needs including nutritional needs.

Next will be the detox or the weaning process where your body (and mind) may go through a few weeks of symptoms such as sweating, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety.

Every person experiences detox differently. You may have all of these symptoms, none of them, or go through different symptoms. The important thing to remember through this is that it doesn’t last forever, and you will feel much better once it is all done.

Counseling and Group Therapy

Through every single step of your treatment, there will be counselors helping you to get through it by talking you through it, encouraging you, helping you to understand and deal with the feelings and emotions that you will go through during the detox, and afterward.

In addition to one on one counseling, you will have a chance to join in group therapy where you can talk and share with others that are in recovery, as well. This is important because sometimes recovery can make you feel alone and singled out in your family or circle of friends.

Inpatient Rehab Treatment

Once a patient goes through detox the body is technically not addicted to the substance anymore, but the treatment is far from over. Many would say that the hardest part is over, though. There are two options after detox, one is to stay at the facility, the other is to go home and come back to the facility to continue treatments.

The most common form of addiction rehab is inpatient treatment. It is the most common because with an inpatient you stay at the facility the entire time you are going through treatment. This separates you from temptation, access to substances, and gives you full focus on recovering while being under professional medical supervision.

This can take 28 days to 6 months depending on all of the various factors previously mentioned.

Outpatient Rehab Treatment

Another form of rehab treatment is outpatient. This type means that instead of staying at the facility during your rehab treatment, you will stay at home and come to the facility a certain amount of time each week. While this may not work for every patient, it is helpful for some to be surrounded by the support of their family or people at home.

Dual Diagnosis

Are you one of the adults suffering from a dual diagnosis? Mental health issues affect about 20% of adults, so it is more common than most people think. And, about a quarter of those adults will also struggle with some type of addiction.

When a mental health disorder is paired with addiction it is known as a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis will be revealed during the intake process, and treatment will be specifically tailored to the patient’s needs. There are different levels of care in addiction treatment whether there is a dual diagnosis, or not.

Ongoing & Active Recovery

As many recovering addicts know, recovery never really stops, and neither does treatment. Long after the 30, 60, 90, or 120-day clinical treatment is over they still participate in aftercare.

Active recovery is when an addict goes to meetings and it helps to prevent relapses from occurring.

Rehab

Don’t let the unspecified time of rehab treatment confuse you or get you down. Chin up, and make the call to Long Island Treatment Center- they are waiting for your call. Addiction can be a thing of your past, instead of your present reality. You can do it!

Posted on by Long Island Treatment Center