Rise in Drug Admissions to Treatment

SAMHSA Sees Rise in Drug Admissions to Treatment

More Americans are being admitted to addiction treatment for methamphetamine, prescription-drug, and marijuana use, while a smaller percentage of treatment admissions are for alcohol problems, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2006 Highlights report found that while alcohol abuse continues to be the most common reason for treatment admissions, admissions for alcohol treatment have fallen from 51 percent of the total in 1996 to 40 percent in 2006. During the same time period, admissions for meth, prescription drugs, and marijuana increased.

Admissions for methamphetamine use, for example, rose from 3 percent of all admissions in 1996 to 9 percent in 2006. Heroin admissions remained flat at about 14 percent during the decade studied, but admissions for abuse of prescription painkillers and other opiate-based drugs rose from 1 percent in 1996 to 4 percent in 2006.

Admissions for marijuana use increased from 12 percent in 1996 to 16 percent in 2006. As with methamphetamine, more than half of admissions for marijuana came via the criminal-justice system, which could partly explain the increase reported in the TEDS report.

TEDS includes treatment admissions data from publicly funded addiction-treatment programs. As reported Feb. 18, 2008.

HGH Friend or Foe? Director of Health & Wellness, Doug Szakacsy Investigates...

It’s everywhere! A few years ago you could only find mention of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in medical journals as a treatment for an underactive pituitary in pubescent youth so that they could attain a reasonable stature but just this month it’s been touted as a miracle anti-aging drug by everyone from Rocky Balboa to Suzanne Sommers. February 2008 also saw a controversial U.S. Congress decision to take time away from solving the ills of a suffering economy and Iraq War to investigate the drug use (including the particulars of his buttocks) of famed baseball stud, Roger Clemens. Who, by the way, denies ever using the stuff himself but I guess his wife admitted she tried it for a while, who knew?

So do they think it works like steroids to build muscle?
Are there side effects?
Why would women want to use it?
Are there ways to get our bodies to produce more of our own HGH?
How does this affect the addict?

Does it give you huge muscles like steroids? Obviously not…unless Suzanne Sommers and Debbie Clemens are trying to get yoked. Actually, HGH doesn’t come close to the muscle cell turnover of an anabolic steroid and is way more expensive since it is bioengineered now that so many legitimate patients died from the human version of Mad Cow Disease after using corpse-derived HGH prior to 1988.

Are there side effects? According to the New England Journal of Medicine, it has far less negative side effects than steroids (that can kill you) yet HGH provides some positive effects too. Though some studies have shown HGH use links to prostate and breast cancer, the New England Journal study explicitly stated there was no link. Some reported positive effects are quicker tissue repair time, increased lean body mass, stronger bones, improved mental state, etc. Thus it would make sense why trainers of injured athletes encourage HGH use to hasten recovery time and get back in the game. I suppose if they took enough for a long enough time they may improve muscle size and strength but at these amounts it would likely also cause an enlarged heart as well as Acromegly (Remember “Jaws” from the James Bond movies…enlarged facial bones).

Why would women want to use it? Women likely use it as a diet edge with its body trimming effect. Decreased body fat was a statistically significant, empirically proven result after six months HGH use in the New England Journal Study. Moreover, if you’re going to pay the big bucks and stick yourself with a needle everyday then the belief many HGH proponents have that it may improve skin tone and tightness also adds tremendously to its appeal. Researchers estimate that 30,000 American adults without a medically diagnosed HGH deficiency used HGH shots as an anti-aging therapy in 2004. Obviously not all were men and many must have discovered that natural HGH levels start depleting in the body as we reach 40 and beyond. The question is why? My theory is below.

Are there ways to get our bodies to produce more of our own HGH and how does this affect the addict? I’m glad you asked. I certainly want my older clients at Stone Eagle Retreat to benefit from all the reported graces of HGH but needles and addicts and going outside yourself (unnaturally) to achieve a feeling that can be better achieved naturally (even if you are over 40)…not good!

If it does stabilize mood and increase the feeling of overall wellness then HGH is a nice way to replace the self-induced, short-lived and organ-damaging euphoric effects of drugs and alcohol. This is precisely why a muscle training regimen is one component of our program for men and women alike at Stone Eagle Retreat. Other activities our clients enjoy are the hikes, surfing, kayaking, diving etc. that our adventure directors coordinate and these activities certainly induce a natural release of dopamine which is vital to recovery but they don’t induce HGH release. Our own HGH is capable of providing all the same benefits without the needle and it is guaranteed to work because it is made by us for us. As a physiologist I also understand that the negative feedback cycle informing the pituitary would cause our natural HGH release to attenuate (get lazy) and shut down if you are introducing the synthetic stuff. It is like you become dependent again on another drug in order to achieve what our bodies are equipped to do naturally…sound familiar (addiction)?

Does this mean I don’t believe the New England Journal of Medicine Study about the lesser amounts of HGH found in people over 40 causing the signs of aging? I absolutely believe it but I also absolutely believe that it is due mainly to the decreased muscle cell turnover and decreased amount of sleep this demographic also exhibits. HGH is released naturally in response to tearing down of muscle cells. This requires weight training or strenuous repetitive activity and this is what fewer older folks engage in. I prefer the weight training for our group because it can be done in a controlled manner to eliminate injury.

Not only does the body get a flood of HGH from consistent muscle training but the muscle demands so much more metabolically than any other tissue (other than the brain), that the muscle-toned body will actually burn more calories when asleep. What about sleep? The Journal also reported that most of our HGH is released during sleep…maybe this is why people who get quality sleep look and feel younger. What a nice cycle to be in: You are working out consistently to create muscle mass and this induces more quality sleep for repair purposes and both activities induce a flood of HGH that, in turn, makes you look and feel younger.

I would like to check the HGH levels of a few of my 50+ year old clients who have bought into this and compare them to the sedentary teenager who stays up all night playing video games. We might be surprised to find that HGH is doing just fine in the older folks who know how to “do life different”. As for the ladies fearful of weight training causing big muscles, you are not equipped with enough testosterone to accomplish this feat so fear not! Those female bodybuilders are not achieving masculine bodies without help…trust me. All a sustainable, moderate training program will achieve for you is a toned, younger looking you who will sleep and feel better consistently not to mention be burning more calories while you are sleeping.

What makes us different from other Malibu Rehabs?

How is Stone Eagle Retreat different from the other Malibu rehab centers located in Southern California?

Stone Eagle is a result of 30 years experience in the field of addiction treatment. Its very existence is a personal mission to give back integrity and state of the art medical assistance to those who continue to suffer this personal and often times unending enigma. Stone Eagle Retreat, based in Malibu, sets the focus on just six clients at a time providing them with 120 hours of therapy a month. This doubles the treatment experience offered anywhere else providing a highly active schedule engaging each client in every aspect of their personalized treatment plan. And even though we're located in a beautiful mansion surrounded by twenty-one sprawling acres, the frequent and intimate interaction with our highly-trained staff creates a homelike setting. This personalization, closeness and teamwork make Stone Eagle an unforgettable holistic experience we couldn't be more proud of. Further, we are the first and only rehabilitation center to partner with the Prometa Center in Santa Monica, which treats the biological components of addiction such as the cravings for alcohol, methamphetamine, crack and cocaine. The Prometa protocol eliminates the cravings, which allows people to focus on their core psychosocial issues.

Do all of your clients receive the Prometa Treatment?
No, not all of our clients are candidates for Prometa, but those who are determined to be candidates greatly benefit from our partnership on many levels. Regardless, all Stone Eagle clients receive medical evaluations, detox care and treatment by two leading addiction doctors.

What other unique programs does Stone Eagle Retreat offer clients?
Spearheaded by my husband Doug Szakacsy, our Director of Health & Wellness, we have created a unique nutritional program that is tailored to our client's individual dietary needs. Doug works in tandem with our Cordon Blue Chef to implement the nutritional component of the Prometa protocol which is individualized for each client's specific needs. Further, he acts as a liaison between the client and the medical staff by attending all treatments and follow-ups. It is not uncommon through this partnership that other conditions come to light requiring specialists with whom Doug has established trusting relationships. We are honored to assist any further medical needs and take pride in walking our client's through these tender times. In addition, Doug spends hours physically training each client which allows him to experience firsthand how their mind and body work together.

Nancy's Appearance on Hollywood 411 Leads to Segment About Malibu Rehabs

Producers at the TV Guide Channel were so impressed by Nancy's past appearace on Hollywood 411 as well as her vast knowledge of addiction therapies, they will be visiting Stone Eagle to film footage for an upcoming segment "Inside a Malibu Rehab". The segment will be airing sometime in Mid-March on the TV Guide Channel.....dates and times coming soon!

Nancy on The Big Story - Fox News

What kind of message are Hollywood's hottest stars sending when we witness them "losing" their battle with the bottle....Stone Eagle Retreat's, Nancy Szakacsy, comments on Fox News regarding the treatment of celebrities and their addictions.

What advice can you offer somebody who has experienced the “revolving door of rehab,” which is all too common when other treatment centers fail to help them find their inner peace?
For those who have worked to truly achieve a sustainable recovery, I must apologize for our industry. Until now, they have been limited in their ability to assist the biological aspects of the disease, making it impossible to focus on recovery when cravings are at the forefront. Now, with the Prometa Treatment Protocol, we have the necessary help. When you are ready to be done with addiction, Stone Eagle Retreat has combined a state-of-the-art treatment plan for your genuine recovery.

What is your patient recovery success rate, what do you attribute this to, and how do you track it?
I track a client’s success rate when they are with me for a minimum of 18 months which includes out-patient follow-up. I realize the public wants some kind of recovery guarantee, but it is in these so-called success rates that the disrespect and misconception begin. Success in recovery is an individual thing. Recovery is a process - not an event. Sobriety fluctuates, and is determined one day at a time. As for my clients, at least 75% maintain sobriety with ongoing support, which includes the process of testing the waters and a relapse or two generally in lesser magnitudes. I attribute my success to strong bonds of trust between client and therapist, an unending integrity for best interests of my clients, and a higher wisdom in regards to the human and spiritual experience.

In several of your lectures, you state that “alcohol and drug addiction is not the problem.” What do you believe is the problem?
The problem is that we have been socialized to look outside ourselves for answers, as a result, we have deterred from the attainment of internal skills to assist in navigating our human experience. We then feel the need to self medicate -- numbing ourselves instead of learning what we need to do in order to emotionally evolve. Continually numbing our already limited conscious experience derails our ability to grow. At that point, not knowing how to cope, we spiral further into not knowing who we are or even how to be. To make things more challenging, some of us have a genetic propensity for addiction. Generationally, it is all passed down until someone values self-exploration and awareness enough to break the cycle. The suffering is optional - the learning is not.