Chemical Dependency
This author chose to conduct her research on a drug and alcohol abuse program located in the South Bay in order to familiarize herself with the resources available within her community. This paper will proceed to discuss the characteristics and services provided by her chosen chemical dependency program. It is her belief that a substance abuser and/or addict is more likely to succeed at living a life free of alcohol and drugs when they continually attend a 12-step program, follow the steps, have a sponsor, a support group and educate themselves on how to live life without turning to alcohol or drugs. Of the several chemical dependency programs available, she chose to conduct a telephone interview with a treatment professional employed by
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the Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment of Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment of Torrance Memorial Medical Center is an outpatient center located in city of Torrance and is open between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. This newly built facility is an addition to Torrance Memorial Medical Center and is made up of approximately 10,000 sq. ft. and offers two programs that provide treatment and assistance for those with problems associated with substance abuse, such as an addiction to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, marijuana and/or prescription drugs. One program focuses on treating and assisting adults and their new addition, the Thelma McMillen Teen Outpatient Program, focuses on helping adolescents. The adult program serves males and females, between the ages of 18 and 65. The teen program serves adolescents, both male and female, between the ages of 13 and 17. On average, each month, there are 22 to 23 new intensive (adult) patients seeking substance abuse treatment and 4 to 5 teens. The treatment professional interviewed was Kathleen Ballue, Outreach Manager & Marketing. She is responsible for overseeing the programs offered, marketing their center and services within the community to provide awareness and also continually strives to enhance their referral sources, in-house specialists and programs. In addition to her knowledge of the services and treatment provided by the facility, she has previous counseling experience. Prior to her employment at Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment of Torrance Memorial Medical Center, she served as a drug abuse counselor. The chemical dependency professionals at the Thelma McMillen Center provide services that focus on the substance abuser and their families or co-dependents.
This center does not self induce their services upon any individual. Patients come to their facility seeking treatment by their own will, by court order, by employer demand, parents and/or family involvement (i.e. a wife may coerce her husband to obtain treatment or she will file for divorce, etc.). Prior to accepting a patient, the facility will conduct an assessment in order to determine whether treatment is necessary. If they find that treatment is necessary, the patient will be required to take a drug test in order to be admitted and if detoxification is required, the patient will be referred to local hospital to complete detoxification. Although many facilities do offer a detoxification process for their patients, this center is an exception. Throughout the detoxification period, there are several withdrawal symptoms that can occur, some of which can be life threatening. Withdrawal symptoms may range from tremors, anxiety, vomiting, nausea, hypertension, hallucinations, diaphoresis, seizures and tachycardia. "Despite appropriate treatment, the current mortality for patients with DTs ranges from 5-15%. Mortality was as high as 35% prior to the era of intensive care and advanced pharmacotherapy. The most common conditions leading to death in these patients are respiratory failure and cardiac arrhythmias." (eMedicine, 2009) Although there are licensed nurses on staff, the center does have on site physicians to monitor and administer care. Once the detoxification phase is complete, the patient may return and commence the treatment
program.
The treatment approaches that the center focuses on are individual with an intense 3-step phase, individual counseling sessions and a 12-step program. The first phase of treatment is the Intensive Phase, where the individual attends the program 4 times per week for 6 weeks, individual sessions with a counselor and a 12-step program for the first 30 days. The next phase is the Transitional Phase, where the individual must attend the program for 18 days, 3 times per week, for 6 weeks. The third phase is the Continuing Phase, wherein the individual must attend the program 1 time per week, for 24 weeks. The programs that these individuals must participate in for 36 weeks are support and educational groups that consist of specific gender groups, intensive process groups, family groups, individualized counseling sessions and relapse prevention. Patients have the option of choosing a morning program that begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at noon or an evening program that starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. The chemical dependency professionals at the Thelma McMillen Center consist of licensed staff, psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed therapists, social workers, nurses and certified alcohol and drug counselors. The goal of these professionals is to educate their patients about their addiction, actions and consequences and teach them how to deal with the events in their life that they feel they cannot handle. According to The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application, “A recent study finds that higher rates of remission are correlated with past participation in both Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and professional treatment.” (2009)
The research conducted by the author led her to believe that an addict cannot achieve this goal alone, without support and without guidelines. “If the one who has the initiating illness seeks, and finds, support from others of his kind, and his co-victims then find their corresponding programs, it is not at all unusual for so-called impossible situations to turn into amazing, wonderful developments of new found hope and direction. Most recipients of such help will agree that the gratitude they feel and express for their metamorphic miracles is the fuel that perpetuates ongoing recovery. They have discovered that the simplicity inherent in their self-help programs works.” (Chemically Dependent Anonymous, 2011) An addict must learn how to live day to day, endure the struggles and daily stresses of life without depending on alcohol or drugs to get them through it, as they once may have been accustomed to. Alcoholics Anonymous is part of the recovery program for alcohol addicts, which aims to help addicts understand that they cannot achieve a life of soberness alone. With a large support system, there are more people for the individual to turn to when encountering an issue that he/she feels they cannot control, change or overcome, it is more likely that they will be able to get in contact with someone who can talk them through their issue.
References
The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application (2009). Dual-Treatment
Approach Encourages Remission. Retrieved on May 9, 2012. eMedicine (2009). Delirium Tremens. Retrieved May 9, 2012. from: http://www.emedicine.com
Chemically Dependent Anonymous (2011). Retrieved on May 10, 2011. from: http://www.cdaweb.org
the Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment of Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment of Torrance Memorial Medical Center is an outpatient center located in city of Torrance and is open between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. This newly built facility is an addition to Torrance Memorial Medical Center and is made up of approximately 10,000 sq. ft. and offers two programs that provide treatment and assistance for those with problems associated with substance abuse, such as an addiction to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, marijuana and/or prescription drugs. One program focuses on treating and assisting adults and their new addition, the Thelma McMillen Teen Outpatient Program, focuses on helping adolescents. The adult program serves males and females, between the ages of 18 and 65. The teen program serves adolescents, both male and female, between the ages of 13 and 17. On average, each month, there are 22 to 23 new intensive (adult) patients seeking substance abuse treatment and 4 to 5 teens. The treatment professional interviewed was Kathleen Ballue, Outreach Manager & Marketing. She is responsible for overseeing the programs offered, marketing their center and services within the community to provide awareness and also continually strives to enhance their referral sources, in-house specialists and programs. In addition to her knowledge of the services and treatment provided by the facility, she has previous counseling experience. Prior to her employment at Thelma McMillen Center for Chemical Dependency Treatment of Torrance Memorial Medical Center, she served as a drug abuse counselor. The chemical dependency professionals at the Thelma McMillen Center provide services that focus on the substance abuser and their families or co-dependents.
This center does not self induce their services upon any individual. Patients come to their facility seeking treatment by their own will, by court order, by employer demand, parents and/or family involvement (i.e. a wife may coerce her husband to obtain treatment or she will file for divorce, etc.). Prior to accepting a patient, the facility will conduct an assessment in order to determine whether treatment is necessary. If they find that treatment is necessary, the patient will be required to take a drug test in order to be admitted and if detoxification is required, the patient will be referred to local hospital to complete detoxification. Although many facilities do offer a detoxification process for their patients, this center is an exception. Throughout the detoxification period, there are several withdrawal symptoms that can occur, some of which can be life threatening. Withdrawal symptoms may range from tremors, anxiety, vomiting, nausea, hypertension, hallucinations, diaphoresis, seizures and tachycardia. "Despite appropriate treatment, the current mortality for patients with DTs ranges from 5-15%. Mortality was as high as 35% prior to the era of intensive care and advanced pharmacotherapy. The most common conditions leading to death in these patients are respiratory failure and cardiac arrhythmias." (eMedicine, 2009) Although there are licensed nurses on staff, the center does have on site physicians to monitor and administer care. Once the detoxification phase is complete, the patient may return and commence the treatment
program.
The treatment approaches that the center focuses on are individual with an intense 3-step phase, individual counseling sessions and a 12-step program. The first phase of treatment is the Intensive Phase, where the individual attends the program 4 times per week for 6 weeks, individual sessions with a counselor and a 12-step program for the first 30 days. The next phase is the Transitional Phase, where the individual must attend the program for 18 days, 3 times per week, for 6 weeks. The third phase is the Continuing Phase, wherein the individual must attend the program 1 time per week, for 24 weeks. The programs that these individuals must participate in for 36 weeks are support and educational groups that consist of specific gender groups, intensive process groups, family groups, individualized counseling sessions and relapse prevention. Patients have the option of choosing a morning program that begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at noon or an evening program that starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. The chemical dependency professionals at the Thelma McMillen Center consist of licensed staff, psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed therapists, social workers, nurses and certified alcohol and drug counselors. The goal of these professionals is to educate their patients about their addiction, actions and consequences and teach them how to deal with the events in their life that they feel they cannot handle. According to The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application, “A recent study finds that higher rates of remission are correlated with past participation in both Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and professional treatment.” (2009)
The research conducted by the author led her to believe that an addict cannot achieve this goal alone, without support and without guidelines. “If the one who has the initiating illness seeks, and finds, support from others of his kind, and his co-victims then find their corresponding programs, it is not at all unusual for so-called impossible situations to turn into amazing, wonderful developments of new found hope and direction. Most recipients of such help will agree that the gratitude they feel and express for their metamorphic miracles is the fuel that perpetuates ongoing recovery. They have discovered that the simplicity inherent in their self-help programs works.” (Chemically Dependent Anonymous, 2011) An addict must learn how to live day to day, endure the struggles and daily stresses of life without depending on alcohol or drugs to get them through it, as they once may have been accustomed to. Alcoholics Anonymous is part of the recovery program for alcohol addicts, which aims to help addicts understand that they cannot achieve a life of soberness alone. With a large support system, there are more people for the individual to turn to when encountering an issue that he/she feels they cannot control, change or overcome, it is more likely that they will be able to get in contact with someone who can talk them through their issue.
References
The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application (2009). Dual-Treatment
Approach Encourages Remission. Retrieved on May 9, 2012. eMedicine (2009). Delirium Tremens. Retrieved May 9, 2012. from: http://www.emedicine.com
Chemically Dependent Anonymous (2011). Retrieved on May 10, 2011. from: http://www.cdaweb.org