Perhaps life has gotten out of control. What began as a way to unwind, loosen up, or have fun has become an obsession. That drink or high that was once the highlight of your day has become a slave driver, compelling you to indulge it while your dreams slip away. As you search for drug rehab California you may be feeling desperate. A friend, spouse or boss may have given you an ultimatum to get into one of the drug rehabs in Los Angeles, “or else.” Drug rehabs in Los Angeles and other drug rehabs in California can help you to regain your hold on those dreams.

Drug rehabs in California offer programs which vary from intensive in-patient programs to out patient programs which will give you the freedom to accommodate your present work or family life. Determining which drug rehab California program is the best for you will require an honest assessment of your individual situation. Whether you are looking at drug rehabs in Los Angeles, drug rehab California, or elsewhere, the stakes are the same. Your time with drug rehabs in Los Angeles or drug rehab California is nothing less than a fight for your life. Has your need for drug rehabs in California been triggered because your habits have rendered you incapable of maintaining a job? Hollywood is full of people who have needed to seek drug rehabs Los Angeles alone boasts a plethora of treatment centers that range from traditional medical approaches to more new age approaches. The important thing is to find the drug rehabs in California that will give you lasting success. Recovering your sense of purpose in life by nurturing your career, creating structure around which to plan your day, and fostering a sense of accomplishment all add up to successful recovery at drug rehabs Los Angeles.

Drug rehabs in Los Angeles may be a lifeline as you struggle to save your family or marriage from the grips of one family member’s addiction. Drug rehabs Los Angeles frequently incorporate marriage and family counseling in a well-rounded treatment program. Understanding the relationship dynamics of your home life after you leave your chosen drug rehab Los Angeles will help you to readjust to living outside of drug rehabs in Los Angeles if you have been in an in patient program. If your drug rehab California placed you in an outpatient program, having the added comfort of a relationship or family counselor can help ease your transition, and facilitate communication at home when you are between treatment sessions. Drug rehabs in California have found that repairing close family relationships is pivotal in helping recovering addicts to adjust and integrate what they have learned at drug rehabs California and drug rehabs Los Angeles. The bottom line is that if you sense your life spinning out of control, the time to contact drug rehabs Los Angeles is today. With the right tools and a caring staff of counselors, doctors and supportive specialists, you can regain your sense of power and health quickly.

” Modem” Alcohol and Drug Outpatient Treatment

Post Acute Withdrawl (UAW)

Exerpted From “Staying Sober” By: Terence T. Gorskiwith additions by: Lee Jamison

When most people think about alcoholism or drug addiction they think only of the alcohol/drug-based symptoms and_, forget about the sobriety-based symptoms. Yet it is the sobriety-based symptoms, especially post acute withdrawal, that make sobriety so difficult. ‘The presence of brain dysfunction has been documented iri_. 75-95% of the recovering alcoholics/addicts tested. Recent research indicates that the symptoms of post-acute withdrawal associated with alcohol/drug-related damage to the brain may contribute to many cases of relapse.

Post-acute withdrawal means symptoms that occur after acute withdrawal. Post means after. And syndrome means a group of symptoms.

Syndrome: A group of symptoms . Post: After

Post Acute Withdrawal: Symptoms that occur after acute withdrawal.

Post-acute withdrawal is a group of symptoms of addictive disease that occur as a result of abstinence from addictive chemicals. In the alcoholic/addict these symptoms appear seven to fourteen days into abstinence, after stabilization from the acute withdrawal.

Post-acute withdrawal is a bio-psycho-social syndrome. It results from the combination of damage to the nervous system caused by alcohol or drugs and the psychosocial stress of coping with life without drugs or alcohol.

Recovery causes a great deal of stress. Many chemically dependent people never learn to manage stress without alcohol and drug use. The stress aggravates the brain dysfunction and makes the symptoms worse. The severity of PAW depends upon two things: the severity of the brain dysfunction caused by the addiction and the amount of psychosocial stress experienced in recovery.

The symptoms of PAW typically grow to peak intensity over three to six months after abstinence begins. The damage is usually reversible, meaning the major symptoms go away in time if proper treatment is received. So there is no need to fear. With proper treatment and effective sober living, it is possible to learn to live normally in spite of the impairments. But the adjustment does not occur rapidly. Recovery from the nervous system damage usually required from six to 24 months with the assistance of a healthy recovery program. Recent research is showing that for some recovering people the symptoms of PAW often occur at regular “moon cycle” intervals and without apparent outside stressors. Often those 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and I & 2-year sobriety dates seem to be “triggering” times for PAW symptoms to increase. People recovering from long term opiate and stimulant use often have PAW symptoms for no apparent reason for up to 10 years after they have stopped using their drug of choice. Often PAW symptoms

appear to come and go without apparent reason and without any specific pattern. Individuals who intend to have consistent long-term recovery must learn to recognize these symptoms and learn how to manage them.

SYMPTOMS OF POST ACUTE WITHDRAWAL

How do you know if you have PAW? The most identifiable characteristic is the inability to solve_. usually simple problems. There are six major types of PAW symptoms that contribute to this They are the inability to think clearly, memory problems, emotional overreactions and numbness, sleep disturbances, physical coordination problems, and_, general:-problems in managing stress.. The inability to solve. usually simple probles because of any or all of these symptoms leads to diminished self-esteem. A person often feels incompetent, embarrassed, and “not okay” about themselves: Diminished self-esteem and the fear of failure interfere with productive and challenging living. Let’s take a look at some of the PAW symptoms that contribute to the inability to solve usually simple problems.

TYPES OF PAW SYMPTOMS

1.Inability to think clearly

2.    Memory problems

3.    Emotional overreactions or numbness 4 Sleep disturbances

5.    Physical coordination problems

6.    Stress sensitivity

Inability to Think Clearly

There are several thought disorders experienced by a recovering person when PAW is activated. Intelligence is not affected. It is as if the brain is malfunctioning sometimes. Sometimes it works all right. Sometimes is does not.

One of the most common symptoms is the inability to concentrate for more than a few minutes. impairment of abstract reasoning is another common symptom of post acute withdrawal. An abstraction is a nonconcrete idea or concept, something that you cannot hold in your hand, take a picture of, or put in a box. Concentration is more of a problem when abstract concepts are involved.

Another common symptom is rigid and repetitive thinking. The same thoughts may go around and around in your head and you are unable to break through this circular thinking in order to put thoughts together in an orderly way.

Memory Problems

Short-term memory problems are very common in the recovering person. You may hear something and understand it, but within 20 minutes you forget it. Someone will give an instruction and you know exactly what to do. But you may walk away, and that memory becomes clouded or may disappear completely.

Sometimes during stressful periods it may also be difficult to remember significant events from the past. These memories are not gone; the person may be able to remember them easily at other times. The person realizes that he or she knows but just cannot recall it while experiencing the stress.

For an. alcoholic named Jan this created a problem in AA. “I have trouble presenting my story at AA,” she said. “1 have trouble remembering events that happened before my drinking days, let alone things that happened while l was drinking. So to put my life in story form is hard for me. I don’t remember all of my story. i do remember that some things occurred, but I get confused about when they happened. Many times I can remember things when i am alone with no pressure that l can’t remember under the stress I feel when 1 talk at meetings.”

Because of memory problems in. recovery, it may be difficult to learn new skills and information. You learn skills by acquiring knowledge and building upon.what you have already learned. Memory problems make it difficult to build upon what. you have already learned.

. Emotional Overreaction or Numbness

Persons with emotional problems: in sobriety tend to overreact. When things happen that require two units of emotional reaction, they react with ten. It is like holding the “times” key down on a calculator. You may find yourself becoming angry over what may later seem a trivial matter. You may feel more anxious or excited than you have reason to be. When this overreaction puts more stress on the nervous systems than it can handle, there is an emotional shutdown. if this happens to you, you become emotionally numb, unable to feel anything. And even when you know you should feel something, you do not. You may swing from one mood to another without knowing why.

Sleep Problems

Most recovering people experience sleep problems. Some of them are temporary; some are lifelong. The most common in early recovery is unusual or disturbing dreams. These dreams may interfere with your ability to get the sleep you need. But they become less frequent and less severe as the length of abstinence increases.

Mike was a periodic drinker. Periods of sobriety usually lasted for several months. During the time he was not drinking, he had dreams that severely disrupted his sleep. His wife said, “I never realized the nightmares Mike was having had anything to do with drinking or not drinking. He would frequently jump out of bed,. screaming in terror. When I was able to awaken him and calm him, he couldn’t remember what he dreamed, but he remembered being afraid. After a year of sobriety, he seldom had the dreams. Only then did 1 realize that they were related to his drinking.

Even if you do not experience unusual dreams, you may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. You may experience changes in your sleep patterns; sleeping for long periods at a time or sleeping at different times of the day. Some of these patterns may never return to “normal,” but most people are able to adjust to them without severe difficulty.

Physical Coordination Problems

A very serious PAW problem – though perhaps not as common as the others – is difficulty with physical coordination. Common symptoms are dizziness, trouble with balance, problems with coordination between hand and eye, and slow

reflexes. These result in clumsiness and accident proneness. This is how the term “dry drunk” came into being. When alcoholics appeared drunk because of stumbling and clumsiness, but had not been drinking, they were said to be “dry drunk.” They had the appearance of being intoxicated without drinking.

Stress Sensitivity

Difficulty in managing stress is the most confusing and aggravating part of post acute withdrawal. Recovering people are often unable to distinguish between low-stress situations and high-stress situations. They may not recognize low” levels of.stress, and then overreact when they become aware of the stress they are experiencing. They may feel stressful in situations that ordinarily would not bother them, and in addition, when they react they overreact. They may do things that are completely inappropriate for the situation. So much so that later on they may wonder why they reacted so strongly.

To complicate things further, all of the other symptoms of post acute withdrawal become worse during times of high stress. There is a direct relationship between elevated stress and the severity of PAW. Each intensifies the other. The intensity of PAW creates stress, and stress aggravates PAW and makes it more severe. At times of low stress, the symptoms get better and may even g away. When you are well rested and relaxed, eating properly, and getting along well with people, you will probably appear to be fine. Your thoughts will be clear, your emotions appropriate, and your memory all right. At times of high stress, however, your brain may suddenly shut down. You may begin experiencing thinking problems, inappropriate emotions, and memory problems.

If your thoughts become confused and chaotic or you are unable to concentrate, if you have trouble remembering or solving problems, you may feel you are going crazy. You are not. These symptoms are a normal part of your recovery and are reversible with abstinence and a recovery program. If you do not understand this you may develop shame and guilt which leads to diminished self-esteem and isolation which creates stress and increased PAW. It is a painful cycle that is unnecessary if you understand what is happening. As your body and your mind begin to heal and as you learn ways to reduce the risk of post acute withdrawal symptoms, productive and meaningful living is possible in spite of the very real possibility of recurring symptoms.

Recovery from the damage caused by the addiction requires abstinence. The damage itself interferes with the ability to abstain. This is the paradox of recovery. Use of alcohol or other drugs can temporarily reverse the symptoms of the damage. If alcoholics drink, or drug addicts use, they will think clearly for a little while, be able to have normal feelings and emotions for a little while, feel healthy for a little while. Unfortunately, the disease will eventually trigger a loss of control that will again destroy these functions.

For this reason it is necessary to do everything possible to reduce the symptoms of PAW. It is necessary to understand PAW and to recognize that you are not incompetent and you are not going crazy. Because post acute withdrawal symptoms are stress sensitive, you need to learn about PAW and methods of

control when stress levels are low in order to be able to prevent the symptoms or to manage them when they occur.

Here are some stories about some people who experienced post acute withdrawal and how it affected their lives without their being aware of what was happening to them.

Ray is a young, single, recovering alcoholic.. He stopped drinking when he was 22 and was very excited about the possibilities that lay ahead of him in his sobriety. After his initial treatment he began restructuring his life around recovery. He was eager to make up for the time he had wasted during his years of drinking. He got a full-time job, enrolled in college, and committed himself to doing some volunteer work.

After a while he began to notice that he was having trouble with his schoolwork. He found himself confused about things that had at one time been easy for him to follow and figure out. He was having trouble taking care of his financial responsibilities, and when people that cared about. him tried to help him figure things out, he felt panicky and overwhelmed. Thoughts rushed through his head, and he was unable to put them in order. He says, “When someone in the financial aid office at the college started talking to me about grant money, loan money, interest, and forms that needed to be filled out, I was so confused and overwhelmed that I couldn’t hear what she was saying. Everything was going around in my head at once and l had to get away. I got up and left without filling out the financial aid form.”

In desperation, and out of fear that he would drink, Ray “ran.” Instead of evaluating what things in his life he needed to change and what he needed to hold onto, he gave up everything. He quit his job, dropped out of school, and stopped doing volunteer work. He gave up his apartment and moved in with a relative until he could “get himself together.” These actions created additional problems with which he found it increasingly difficult to cope. Until he went to a counselor and learned some ways to manage his symptoms, Ray thought he was having a nervous breakdown, when in fact what he was experiencing was PAW.

Do I have to spend a fortune on rehab?

At one time you didn’t usually have to spend anything.  Alcohol and addiction were recognized as diseases by the AMA, APA and various governmental agencies and, as such this placed the burden of financial responsibility in the hands of the insurance providers as well as the healthcare system.  However, because of a saturation of ineffective, short-term, high cost, billable treatment programs during the 1980’s with very poor long-term abstinence results, insurance companies have become more and more reluctant to pay for treatment expenses beyond 10 days of inpatient or even outpatient.  As a result, the burden of financial responsibility has been placed back in the hands of addicts, alcoholics and their family members.  When looking for treatment we can generally describe the various price ranges of treatment and what you can expect from each.

Jerrod Menz
(800) 757-9867
jerrod@abttc.com

FOUR A BETTER TOMORROW STAFFERS RECEIVE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION AS CERTIFIED ADDICTION SPECIALISTS

MURRIETA, Calif., Nov. 5, 2008 – Four support staff members of A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center Inc. have become Certified Addiction Specialists after completing a training program administered by the California Association of Recovery Resources.

Clinic staffers receiving CAS certification include Meg Dean, lead house manager; Rebecca Magaña, house manager; Tami Scarcella, intake coordinator; and Cecilia Franklin, intern.

Based in Murrieta, A Better Tomorrow is the only drug and alcohol clinic in southwest Riverside County that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Jerrod Menz

(800) 757-9867

jerrod@abttc.com

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT CLINIC GIVES ARIZONA FAMILIES A FRESH START

A Better Tomorrow, which opened two years ago in Murrieta, Calif., near San Diego, is drawing growing numbers of patients from Arizona

BUCKEYE, Ariz., October.  2006 – Ted Hamel can trace his 15-year addiction to drugs and alcohol all the way back to his sophomore year of high school.
But while he subsequently managed to complete school, get married, father two children and find work as an electrical contractor, his life became totally unmanageable last year and, fearing the breakup of his family, he finally sought help.

Hamel left Arizona to spend 28 days at A Better Tomorrow, a drug, alcohol and gambling treatment center in Murrieta, Calif., roughly an hour north of San Diego. It marked a turning point in his life.

The clinic not only gave him tools to control addictions, but information about some of the psychological factors that led him to pursue addictive behaviors in the first place.

“It was a good move, not only for him, but for our whole family,” said Hope Hamel, Ted’s wife. “They really made a big change in our lives.”
The Hamels’ story is not unique.

According to a recent national survey by USA Today, one in five Americans has a close family member who has suffered from addiction to drugs or alcohol. The greater Phoenix area, on the other hand, has a relative shortage of private clinics that specialize in drug and alcohol recovery.

The Hamels said they liked A Better Tomorrow because it provided drug and alcohol treatment in a tranquil, suburban setting. It was also far enough away from Arizona to ensure that Ted would stick to it and not feel the temptation to drive home on the rough days. “We were looking for a place far away because we wanted his focus on recovery to be a serious effort,” Hope Hamel said.

Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president, said A Better Tomorrow has treated more than 300 drug, alcohol and gambling addicts during the past two years. While the majority of the clinic’s patients are from Southern California, the clinic has also been drawing large numbers of patients from Arizona and Nevada, which lack comparable private facilities.

A Better Tomorrow provides treatment for individuals suffering from drug, alcohol and gambling addictions. The Murrieta-based clinic is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow or to arrange interviews with professional staffers and consenting patients, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867. Additional information is available on the company’s websites at www.aabettertomorrow.com and www.treatment4gambling.com.

Jerrod Menz
(800) 757-9867
jerrod@abttc.com

MURRIETA DRUG REHAB CENTER IS OFFERING ONE MONTH OF OUTPATIENT TREATMENT AT NO COST TO A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TURN IN THEIR BONGS, SYRINGES, INDOOR HORTICULTURAL LAMPS AND OTHER DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

“Ironically, it’s often harder to open a drug and alcohol treatment center than it is to open a business that promotes the use of drugs and alcohol. It’s time somebody put the spotlight on these businesses because they’re leading our friends and family members onto a path of self destruction.”

— Charles Anderson, CEO, A Better Tomorrow

MURRIETA, Calif., August 22, 2007 ? A Better Tomorrow is one month of free outpatient treatment to a limited number of addicts who turn in their bongs, syringes, indoor horticultural lamps and other drug paraphernalia.

“The treatment is being made available at no cost in evening sessions at our private facility in Murrieta as an act of community service,” said Charles Anderson, A Better Tomorrow’s CEO.

“Ironically,” Anderson added, “it’s often harder to open a drug and alcohol treatment center than it is to open a business that promotes the use of drugs and alcohol. It’s time somebody put the spotlight on these businesses because they’re leading our friends and family members onto a path of self destruction.”
Indeed, since A Better Tomorrow opened its doors over three years ago, the clinic has seen a dramatic increase in its local patient base.

While A Better Tomorrow offers treatment for alcohol, drug and gambling dependencies, including addiction to prescription painkillers, Anderson said addiction to illegal drugs continues to account for half of the clinic’s caseload. He added that while some states are now making it legal to use marijuana for pain management, the federal government still considers it to be an illegal drug.

In fact, a major study by the British Health Department this year found that even infrequent use of marijuana can increase the risk of developing a serious mental illness by 40 percent. The study, which was published in The Lancet, examined 35 other studies that tracked the short- and long-term effects of marijuana use on the mental health of tens of thousands of people.

“While it’s hard to dispute marijuana’s ability to relieve the pain of the terminally ill, we know from experience and from the latest research that its use often leads to nothing but irresponsible behavior and even mental illness for everyone else,” Anderson said, adding, “The best rule of thumb is to simply avoid marijuana and other illegal drugs at all cost, and to seek immediate treatment if you or a family member has developed an addiction to these illegal substances.”

Based in Murrieta, Calif., A Better Tomorrow has the highest level of certification of any drug or alcohol treatment center in southwest Riverside County. The clinic is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867. Additional information is available on the company’s website at http://www.abttc.com/.

Jerrod Menz
(800) 757-9867
jerrod@abttc.com

A BETTER TOMORROW TREATMENT CENTER OFFERS 50 PERCENT DISCOUNT ON ITS INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT SERVICES

“We are seeing more people who need addiction treatment and counseling as a result of the worsening economy.”

Jerrod Menz, President, A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center Inc.

MURRIETA, Calif., Feb. 23, 2009 ? A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center Inc. is offering a 50 percent discount on its intensive outpatient treatment services to accommodate individuals who are developing drug or alcohol addiction problems as a result of job losses and economic stress.

“We are seeing more people who need addiction treatment and counseling as a result of the worsening economy,” said Jerrod Menz, A Better Tomorrow’s president, adding, “By reducing our outpatient treatment fees, we can get more of these people into treatment and perform a community service during these difficult economic times.”

Unlike A Better Tomorrow’s standard 28-day inpatient treatment program, which includes 36 hours a week of counseling and group activities, the outpatient program provides three hours of treatment three days a week. Sessions are available in the evening, although morning and mid-day sessions are also available upon request.

Menz said A Better Tomorrow is providing outpatient treatment services for three hours, three days a week for $2,990 per month, which is half its standard rate for outpatient treatment.

“Outpatient treatment is ideal for people who want to stop their addictive behavior before it takes over their lives,” Menz said. “It also gives people the ability to quietly deal with their addiction issues in a responsible way without having to take time off of work.”

Most major health insurance providers, including Cigna, Magellan, PHCS, MHN and Value Options, cover A Better Tomorrow’s intensive outpatient treatment services, although out of network agreements can also be negotiated. “If we find that an individual requires more intensive treatment than what we normally provide on an outpatient basis, we will contact their insurance provider to see what other treatment options they will cover,” Menz said.

Based in Murrieta, Calif., A Better Tomorrow has the highest level of accreditation that can be obtained by a drug or alcohol treatment center. The clinic is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867. Additional information is available on the clinic’s website at http://www.abttc.com/.

Jerrod Menz
(800) 757-9867
jerrod@abttc.com

A BETTER TOMORROW TREATMENT CENTER’S PRESIDENT IS APPOINTED TO CALNET’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MURRIETA, Calif., March 24, 2009 – Jerrod Menz, president and co-founder of A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center Inc., has been appointed by CALNET to serve on the statewide organization’s board of directors.

CALNET is a statewide not-for-profit provider services network founded in 1983 to help bring together high quality behavioral treatment providers with insurers and managed care organizations.

Menz also serves on the advisory board of The Addiction Hotline, a Riverside, Calif.-based 24-hour addiction hotline service, as well as the board of advisory for Outreach Services, a Los Banos, Calif.-based addiction resource and referral center.

Based in Murrieta, A Better Tomorrow has the highest level of accreditation that can be obtained by a drug or alcohol treatment center. The clinic is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), placing it in the top 5 percent of drug and alcohol treatment clinics in California. For more information about A Better Tomorrow, please contact Jerrod Menz at (800) 757-9867. Additional information is available on the clinic’s website at http://www.abttc.com/.