OxyNEO Drug Abuse
Prescription drug abuse is being seen more and more among all ages and demographics. Painkillers, or Opioids, like Oxycodone and Methadone are some of the most commonly misused prescriptions. These medications can become very addictive if not effectively monitored by both patient and physician. In the last few years, Canada has seen many changes to the popular painkiller, Oxycontin. Manufacturers changed Oxycontin’s formula shortly before their patent on the painkiller expired (which would allow generic copies to be produced). While Oxycontin was originally developed as a slow-release painkiller, it was quickly learned that snorting or injected it allowed users to experience the drug’s entire effect all at once. Oxycontin’s New Identity This change in formula made Oxycontin (renamed OxyNEO) harder to abuse. When a person tries to alter OxyNEO for snorting or injection, it forms into a gel and becomes too gummy for such purposes. This change has garnered both support and criticism. Advocates believe OxyNEO lowers levels of abuse and addiction in addition to reducing the risk of fatal respiratory relapse. Others believed it only translates into different problems elsewhere. Outcomes of OxyNEO One of the problems noticed shortly after OxyNEO’s debut was a spike in heroin use. With the inability to use OxyNEO in the same ways as its predecessor, many people turned to the next closest substance – heroin. Heroin is much cheaper and easier to access than prescription opioids. But because illicit substances like heroin are not regulated, users do not know how much heroin they’re ingested or if there are other substances cut in. The risk of overdose, serious health complications, and death are much higher among heroin users. People have also found ways to abuse OxyNEO. A quick search on google will show you how to remove the plastic coating responsible for creating its gummy consistency. Approaching Substance Use Differently Simply removing or changing a substance does not counteract substance abuse or addiction issues within a community. People struggling with substance dependency will find other ways to stimulate their experiences while using substances. Not only is the adoption of substances like Heroin more dangerous, but heroin’s withdrawal symptoms can also be life-threatening. It’s difficult to know what stance you should take on issues like this, especially when authorities are so divided on solutions for people with mental health and addictions. Who do you believe? How do you know who is right and wrong? The truth is you can’t be black-and-white about it. There were likely some people who went into recovery after Oxycontin was taken off the market, meaning that the change worked for some. Additionally, not everyone prescribed Oxycontin in the past developed a dependency to it or the other painkillers than have been around for years. For this reason, unique, individualized approaches to opioid addictions are more effective than simply wiping something off the shelf (alcohol prohibition in the United States is a good example of this). The post OxyNEO Drug Abuse appeared first on Canada Drug...
Slip Vs Relapse
Families of individuals with addictions are not just an important part of treatment, but an important part of recovery (i.e. life after treatment). Relapse can be one of the biggest worries once loved ones return home from treatment, yet many can’t identify what true relapse looks like. TO complicate matters, there is no universally agreed upon definition for “relapse”. What is Relapse? While there are many definitions available, a relapse can be defined as “a return to previous levels of substance use or behaviour(s) after a period of improvement”. Generally, total relapse reflects a higher severity in the return to addictive behaviours. Many factors can influence relapse. To start, it’s not a sign or lacking willpower and control. Certain characteristics affect treatment outcomes and recovery. One study found those with higher self-efficacy, less avoidant coping styles, and a readiness to change showed better outcomes. In contrast, untreated concurrent mental health problems, multiple substance dependencies, and high impulsivity were linked to increased vulnerability for relapse. According to the same study, people experiencing mental health issues like distress, depression, and anxiety are also at higher risk for relapse. Negative emotions account for 30% of relapses and increase the chances of a ‘slip’ turning into relapse. What is a Slip? A slip is defined as “a break in abstinence” or “the act or instance of back-sliding”. A popular belief is that slips are not as detrimental as relapse. The belief is that it is different from relapse, because a slip is not a complete return to addictive behaviours. However, there are a number of people who don’t believe in slips; abstinence is “all or nothing” to them. Any consumption of substances is considered relapse. This belief doesn’t work for everyone. Behaviour & Process Addictions Adding to the confusion surrounding slips and relapse, are those with process addictions such as food, sex, video games, and internet use. For this group, it is not necessarily realistic to abstain permanently. For example, people with food or sex addiction need to develop moderate, healthy sexual or eating behaviours. Harm Reduction Definitions of relapse and slips also become confusing when the definition of recovery shifts from the traditional view of abstinence to moderate removal. For example, individuals with opioid addiction may need to taper in order to achieve long-term recovery. They may even need to use other painkillers to ease an injury or recover from surgery in the future. Recovery is not a State, it’s a Process Recovery is a learning process and a slip or relapse may be a necessary part of that individual’s learning. Individuals who slip or relapse learn more about themselves and better ways to prevent slips in the future. Relapse can also be a sign of boredom and a lack of meaning and purpose. Individuals who slip or relapse have an opportunity to look at their life and find ways to make it more meaningful. This insight can greatly improve their recovery and prevent relapse in the future. Your Role As friends and families, it’s important not to react drastically to a loved one’s slip or relapse. Our negative reactions can translate into failure in their eyes. This sense of failure can cause your loved one to believe they’re hopeless and return to old patterns. Individuals with more supportive relationships with families and friends show better treatment and recovery outcomes. The post Slip Vs Relapse appeared first on Canada Drug...
Steps for Getting into Women’s OHIP (Ontario Public) Treatment
A woman, Samantha*, called us looking for public treatment resources and the encouragement to seek them. This ended up being a long call that involved giving her all the steps she would need to make to change her current state and even other suggestions such as volunteering, going to the gym, and joining community classes. Here is the information we spoke of: (Printing this email may help you in completing each step) For OHIP treatment, there are set of steps that typically need to happen: A person needs to detox/withdraw from substances Once sober, make an appointment with a drug and alcohol counsellor at the closest local mental health and addiction office. The counsellor may refer to an outpatient programs as an interim solution, while the client is put on a waitlist for a residential treatment program. When you’re searching for treatment facilities, here is a list of potential questions you may want to ask facilities. Once waitlisted, client need to do whatever it takes to keep them sober while they wait for their intake date, which could be weeks to months. This means going to meetings, accessing outpatient services, volunteering, going to the gym, or anything that will keep them occupied until it’s treatment time. Once in residential facility, a client will spend their time in an intensified treatment program. Hopefully with the pre-treatment sobriety and the new skills developed in treatment, a person can hopefully return back the “real world” and learn to live life without substances. ASSESSMENT OFFICE LOCATION Richmond Hill Outpatient Addiction Services for York Region (ASYR) Richmond Hill Office Family Life Centre 10610 Bayview Avenue Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3N8 Phone: (905) 841-7007 ext: 322 Toll-Free: 1(800) 263-2288 ext: 322 This is your nearest outpatient office. They will be able to offer you more counselling for your addiction in the Richmond Hill area. Call them and book an appointment. Here is a link to the outpatient locations that exist in Ontario you can use to find other offices if it’s going to take an unreasonable time to get an appointment with your local office. DETOX – WITHDRAWAL MANAGEMENT Here are the nearest locations that will see you through withdrawals if you cannot taper off alcohol on your own. It typically takes 5-10 days to complete withdrawals from alcohol. If preferable you can talk to your doctor about home withdrawal or safe taper. You can also use this link to see if there are other cities nearby you would be willing to travel to for withdrawal: http://www.canadadrugrehab.ca/ON/Ontario-Medical-Detox-Alcohol-Drug-Rehab-Programs.html#medical Richmond Hill Withdrawal Management Services (Detox) Addiction Services for York Region (ASYR) Community Withdrawal 21 Dunlop St. Richmond Hill, ON L4C 2M6 Phone: (905) 841-7007 ext. 322 Toll-Free: 1(800) 263-2288 ext. 322 Website: www.asyr.ca Addiction Services – Royal Victoria Hospital Community Care Centre 70 Wellington Street West Barrie, ON L4N 1K4 Phone: (705) 728-4226 ext. 24300 or 24100 Fax: (705) 728-7308 Website: http://www.drugandalcoholhelpline.ca/Directory/Program/262 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) 3rd floor – 60 White Squirrel Way Toronto, ON M4G 3Z1 Phone: (416) 535-8501 ext. 36071 Toll-Free: 1(800) 463-2338 ext. 6616 Website: CAMH Medical Withdrawal Unit Bridgewood Chemical Dependency Program Elective Inpatient Withdrawal Program 2175 Keele Street Toronto, ON M6M 3Z4 Phone:(416) 658-2029 Website: Mental Health and Addiction Services OHIP RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS Using the list of questions from above you can start calling these programs to see if they have a bed available sooner rather than later. St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake Camillus Centre 3-9 Oakland Boulevard Elliot Lake, ON P5A 2T1 Phone: (705) 848-2652 Phone: (705) 848-2129 ext. 242 (intake) Website: www.sjgh.ca Note: 21-day abstinence and 12-step...
Functioning Alcoholic with DUI Needs Treatment
We recently connected with Drew*, a functioning alcoholic who went from drinking after work everyday to drinking all day around 6-8 weeks ago. He doesn’t know what change caused him to start suddenly drinking heavily. Since this change, he was caught driving under the influence and now has a 90 suspension and court hearing next month. Drew was proactive about his recovery and wanted to find out how to start seeking treatment. At the time of call, he had gone through withdrawals and was about 7 days sober. Here’s what information we started Drew off with: His local mental health and addiction office Back on Track (the impaired drivers program in Ontario) Private practice therapy to discuss stress and coping strategies His local AA chapter (we told him to start attending meetings and have them documented) Affordable (Drew is close to retiring) residential treatment program to consider if he self-refers or it is court ordered or self imposed Many of our suggestions and resources were aimed to help Drew find a recovery community and also show initiative that he is remorseful for driving under the influence and is genuine in seeking help. FRONTENAC MENTAL HEALTH and ADDICTIONS One of the first places you want to contact is this agency: http://www.fcmhas.ca/index.cfm/contact-us/ This is your local mental health and addiction office. Start off by scheduling an appointment. You will want to know if they have any impaired driver resources and if you can get started in outpatient programs before your hearing. BACK ON TRACK Here is the website for the back on track program: http://www.remedial.net/index.html It is Ontario’s impaired drivers program. Call the toll-free telephone number to see if they have any programs near you. Again, getting information or signing up for this program will show initiative for your recovery and to the legal system. THERAPY Here are the therapists in your area that address addiction issues. Private practice therapy is something that you would pay for or get covered by extended health insurance. It may help to talk to someone private on how to cope with alcohol, prevent relapse, and address other mental health issues that may have been contributing to your drinking behaviours. Kingston – Private Practice Addiction Therapists Altrows, Irwin F. – Ph.D. 837 Princess St., Suite 305 Kingston, ON K7L 1G8 Phone: (613) 549-2195 E-Mail: irwin.altrows@queensu.ca Ashford, Keith – BA, M.Div. Men’s Counselling Services 797 Princess St., Suite 305 Kingston, ON K7L 2Z8 Phone: (613) 214-2555 E-Mail: keith.ashford@menscounsellingservices.com Marchenko, Natalie – MA, CCC 308 Wellington St. Kingston, ON K7K 7A8 Phone: (613) 425-4257 Seidman, Bonnie T. – Ph.D. 128 Ontario Street Kingston, ON K7L 2Y4 Phone: (613) 546-9118 Williams, David – MA, RPC L&A Addiction and Community Health Services 5 Westview Road Kingston, ON K7R 4C1 Phone: (613) 354-7521 ext. 305 You will need to call them and discuss if they will be a good fit for providing therapy. If you do not feel that any of these therapist will help you, use this link to see if there are other suitable therapists in your area: http://www.canadadrugrehab.ca/ON/Ontario-Outpatient-Alcohol-Drug-Rehab-Programs.html#private This page is organized by outpatient offices then private practice. Both sections are categorized alphabetically by city. MEETINGS Here is the contact information for the AA groups in Kingston: Kingston AA District 36, Area 83 P.O. Box 1726 Kingston, ON K7L 5J6 Phone: (613) 549-9380 E-Mail: aadistrict36@gmail.com Website: www.kingstonaa.org You will have to see if you can make a document showing your attendance. You may need to go to a meeting and talk to the moderator/chair to see if they can help you with that. Again, that will show the legal system that you are...
Public Addiction Treatment & Detox for Benzodiazepines and Alcohol in Ontario
Alex* is addicted to benzodiazepines and alcohol and has seizures from alcohol withdrawals. His family fought hard to get him into the CAMH medically-supervised withdrawal unit. Both his family and the doctor at CAMH agree he needs long-term treatment for 90+ days, preferably a minimum of 6 months. For a list of medically-supervised withdrawal units in Ontario: http://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca/toronto-rehab.html#medical_services June*, his mother, called us looking for treatment facilities fulfilling the criteria listed above. Below is the information we provided her. Long-term treatment programs in Ontario for men can be found on this list: http://www.canadadrugrehab.ca/ON/Ontario-Residential-Alcohol-Drug-Rehab-Programs.html#adult Some of these programs are OHIP, while others are charitable. In other words, the programs listed having costs ranging from no-cost (public health coverage), moderate fees (charitable and nonprofit organizations), and full coverage required (private treatment). There are many short-term programs on this list as well, including fee-for-service alternatives ranging between $8,000-$20,000 for approximately 30 days worth of treatment. Before choosing a program, make sure you have the contact information for the addictions and mental health office in Ingersoll to get a referral for Alex (if it wasn’t completed at CAMH): Addiction Services of Thames Valley (ADSTV) 121 Thames Street N Ingersoll, ON N5C 3C9 Phone: (519) 673-3242 ext.222 E-Mail: intake@adstv.on.ca Below is the list of long-term residential programs we recommended: The Brock Cottage 58 Wall Street Brockville, ON K6V 4S1 Phone: (613) 342-6415 Fax: (613) 498-1376 E-Mail: brockcottage@brockcottage.org Website: http://www.drugandalcoholhelpline.ca/Directory/Organization/1497 St. Denis Centre 339 Second St. East Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y8 Phone: (613)933-0418 (direct) Toll-Free: 1(800) 272-9236 ext.107 (Admission/referral) Fax: (613) 933-3825 E-Mail: annzeran@aseo-steo.org Website: http://www.drugandalcoholhelpline.ca/Directory/Program/1932 Salvation Army Hope Acres Rehabilitation Centre 998614 Mulmur Tosorontio Townline Glencairn, ON L0M 1K0 Phone: (705) 466-3435 ext. 251 Fax: (705) 466-2102 E-Mail: Yvonne.forrest@hopeacres.ca Website: www.hopeacres.ca Hope Place Centres – Halton Recovery House 8173 Trafalgar Road Hornby, ON L0P 1E0 Phone: (905) 878-1120 Ext. 222 or 228 (Intake) Toll-Free: 1(877) 761-6357 Fax: (605) 878-1269 E-Mail: rickm@hopeplacecentres.org Website: www.hopeplacecentres.org Caritas Project – Community Against Drugs King City, ON Phone: (416) 748-9988 Toll-Free: 1(800) 201-8138 Fax: (416) 748-7341 E-Mail: help@caritas.ca Website: www.caritas.ca Salvation Army Kingston Harbour Light 562 Princess Street Kingston, ON K7L 1C7 Phone: (613) 546-2333 Fax: (613) 546-4699 E-Mail: kingharb@kingstonharbourlight.org Website: www.kingstonharbourlight.org Teen Challenge London 9340 Sharon Road London, ON N6P 1R6 Phone: (519) 652-0777 Toll-Free: 1(888) 417-7777 E-Mail: ernie.tell@teenchallenge.ca Website: www.tclondon.ca Seven South Street Treatment Centre 7 South Street Orillia, ON L3V 3T1 Phone: (705) 325-3566 Fax: (705) 325-9355 E-Mail: scmps@csolve.net Website: www.sevensouthstreet.ca Teen Challenge North 1446 Great Northern Road Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 5K7 Phone: (705) 942-7771 Toll-Free: 1(800) 480-3153 E-Mail: linda.hall@teenchallenge.ca Website: www.tcnorth.ca Salvation Army – Sudbury New Life Centre 146 Larch Street Sudbury, ON P3E 1C2 Phone: (705) 673-1175 Fax: (705) 673-0140 Website: www.salvationarmysudbury.ca E-Mail: Use form on “contact us” page. Rockhaven Recovery 402 Brady St. Sudbury, ON P3B 2P6 Phone: (705) 675-1179 Fax: (705) 671-8069 E-Mail: intake@rockhavenrecovery.ca Website: www.rockhavenrecovery.ca Charity House (Windsor) Brentwood Recovery Home 2335 Dougall Avenue Windsor, ON N8X 1S9 Phone: (519) 253-2441 ext. 240 E-Mail: email@brentwoodrecovery.com *Name changed for confidentiality and...
