Monthly Archives: December 2017

Solving Addictions

Americans are dying every day from an overdose after misusing opioids. Addiction to these medications that are prescribed to relieve pain is a serious national crisis. Public health, as well as the economic and social welfare of people, is seriously affected. Fortunately, facilities offer an Altoona intensive outpatient program for patients struggling with opioid addiction.

Treatment in a safe, private and clinically supported environment can increase their chances of overcoming addiction before addiction overcomes their life.

Intensive outpatient treatment, or IOP, is a specialized recovery program that provides an intense level of care in a structured environment. The care received is more than a standard outpatient program, yet still accommodates a person’s home and work life responsibilities.

Treatment Goals for an IOP Program

IOP is not a live-in treatment program. However, patients are still required to make a major time commitment. Most programs offer meetings three days a week. Patients can stay at a facility for up to four hours or longer each day. Typically, days and hours are scheduled around school and work schedules.

A major focus during these times is on preventing relapse, but there are other goals patients work toward achieving. Treatment plans may vary, but most goals may include:

  • Addressing underlying issues that led to substance abuse
  • Identifying psychological problems
  • Implementing lifestyle changes
  • Making new and positive behavioral decisions
  • Learning coping strategies to avoid using again
  • Teaching new skills for solving problems
  • Introducing discipline and structure
  • Achieving and maintaining abstinence from drugs

Most IOP programs will also help patients develop a positive support network outside the clinic. Having and participating in community-based support systems can help patients grow stronger in their sobriety.

What to Expect During Treatment

During an IOP treatment program, patients are usually paired with a team of detox and rehabilitation specialists. A doctor, counselor, licensed psychologist and chemical dependency technician make up most teams. Daily meetings are filled with programming such as therapy in group and individual settings, educational lessons and psychotherapy.

Since intensive outpatient settings allow patients to attend treatment and continue living at home, they can implement recovery skills in real-time. They are able to process their experiences in a safe environment while establishing a substance-free life.

Primary services for IOP include:

  • Assessment and detox
  • sychotherap
  • Pharmacotherapy
  • Educational sessions

A clinical assessment is necessary to first determine if a person is suitable for IOP. The person is counseled on the different treatment options that may fit their needs best. If it is determined that the person will benefit from medically supervised detox treatment, they will get referrals to suitable services if detox is not offered at the facility.

Psychotherapy sessions are also part of IOP. Individual counseling sessions help the person address immediate problems. Often, these issues are due to substance abuse. One-on-one counseling also addresses how to achieve and maintain abstinence.

The licensed counselor reviews treatment and coping techniques while encouraging the person to talk about issues they could not express during group therapy.

During group therapy, participants are encouraged to share personal experiences that can foster behavioral and emotional changes. Some intensive outpatient programs have community-based support meetings such as the widely known 12-step program.

Research supports involving family members in rehab treatment to improve chances of success. Family members also need counseling and information that teaches them to support their loved one in recovery.

Another important part of treating substance abuse often includes medication management and pharmacotherapy. Medications used as part of IOP target specific substance abuse disorders.

In educational sessions, patients examine, without judgment, ways in which their emotions, behaviors and thoughts contribute to or detract from a life of recovery. They receive information and instructions on topics relevant to their situation. They are provided with a better understanding of drug addiction and relapse prevention techniques.

The goal is to help recovering addicts understand root causes of their addiction and learn how to become part of a sober nation.

Finally, supportive services help patients with employment, legal and/or social challenges that could work against their progress. For example, some IOP programs address barriers to employment. These programs may also connect patients with services to overcome legal issues if they were arrested for drug use.

Continued Support after Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Typically, patients progressing successfully through the program will need less intense professional support. They will begin attending shorter sessions on fewer days each week. Known as the “step down” part of rehab, this phase occurs gradually and in line with recovering opioid users gaining better skills to continue a life free from addiction.

Before being fully released, most programs develop an aftercare plan to continue providing supportive care for a sober life.

A Few Reasons to Become a Runner

Тhеrе аrе mаnу rеаsоns tо bесоmе а runnеr that I can think of. Ѕоmе оf thе rеаsоns іnсludе lоsіng wеіght, bесоmіng hеаlthіеr, stауіng hеаlthіеr fоr lіfе, еtс. Ноwеvеr, thеrе аrе sоmе “nоt sо sеrіоus” rеаsоns tо bесоmе а runnеr. Rеаd оn tо fіnd оut 10 оf thе humоrоus оnеs.

1. Runnіng gіvеs уоu а rеаsоn tо еаt роtаtо сhірs. Yеs, іt’s truе. Whеn уоu stаrt runnіng аnd еvеntuаllу stаrt еntеrіng rоаd rасеs, t2.hеrе wіll bе рrоbаblу bе sоmе rасеs thаt уоu wіll bе runnіng іn hоt аnd humіd wеаthеr. Fоr thеsе rасеs, уоu nееd tо mаkе surе thаt уоu еаt mоrе sаlt thе lаst fеw dауs bеfоrе thе rасе. Тhіs wіll hеlр уоu wаrd оff hуроnаtrеmіа – whісh іs саusеd bу drіnkіng tоо muсh wаtеr wіthоut еnоugh sоdіum. Тhus, еаtіng сhірs іs а nесеssіtу fоr runnеrs.

2. А bооst fоr уоur sех lіfе. Ѕеrіоuslу. Тhеrе hаvе bееn studіеs dоnе оn thіs subјесt. Маlе runnеrs hаvе thе sехuаl рrоwеss оf sоmеоnе 2-5 уеаrs уоungеr. Аlsо, а studу hаs fоund thаt mеn whо run аt lеаst 3 hоurs а wееk hаvе а 30% lоwеr rіsk оf іmроtеnсе thаn thоsе whо dіd nо ехеrсіsе.

3. Yоu саn gеt hіgh lеgаllу. Runnеrs hаvе bееn studіеs fоr уеаrs rеgаrdіng а runnеrs’ hіgh. Тhеу hаvе соmраrеd thе sсаns оf runnеrs bеfоrе thеіr run аnd аftеr thеіr run. Тhеsе sсіеntіsts hаvе fоund thаt runnеrs аftеr runnіng аrе hарріеr аnd strеss frее. Аnd, thіs іs dоnе wіthоut рuttіng аnу substаnсеs іntо уоur bоdу.

4. Yоu hаvе а lеgіtіmаtе ехсusе tо gеt а mаssаgе. Маnу реорlе fееl thаt а mеssаgе іs frіvоlоus аnd nоt nееdеd. Wеll, fоr runnеrs thеу аrе nесеssаrу. Аftеr а hаrd wоrkоut, а lоngеr run оr а rасе – nоthіng bеаts а gооd mаssаgе.

5. Runnіng іs сhеареr thаn wrіnklе сrеаm. Іt hаs bееn shоwn thаt rеgulаr runnіng саn hеlр tо rеduсе thе sіgns оf аgіng. Аs уоu run, уоu аrе іnсrеаsіng thе сіrсulаtіоn оf охуgеn іn уоur bоdу. Тhіs, іn turn, flushеs оut hаrmful tохіns. Ехеrсіsеs орtіmіzеs соllаgеn рrоduсtіоn tо suрроrt thе skіn – аnd tо hеlр rеduсе thе арреаrаnсе оf wrіnklеs.

Тhеrе уоu gо. Іn аddіtіоn tо оvеrаll bеіng hеаlthіеr аnd lіvіng lоngеr – runnіng wіll lеt уоu еаt sаltу јunk fооd, hеlр уоur sех lіfе, lеt уоu gеt hіgh lеgаllу аnd wіthоut drugs, hаvе аn ехсusе tо gеt а rеgulаr mаssаgе аnd kеер уоur fасе lооkіng уоungеr. Whаt еlsе саn уоu аsk fоr?

Being Healthy and Avoiding Injury In Sports

It’s always important to maintain some type of activity at all different ages. If you’re a parent, you want to get your kids involved in sports or other active events. And as an adult, you need to make sure that you keep your body moving to stay healthy as well. But in addition to just the primary health factor, you do have to make sure that you avoid injuries so that you don’t lose the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Some of the things that you can consider when it comes to avoiding injuries include buying safety equipment like mouth guards, doing your stretching exercises, getting your calorie input correct, and making sure that you stay at the right hydration level.

Mouthguards

For any sport where you can get hit in the teeth, you need to buy a mouthguard. It’s simply not worth it to have to go to a dentist or doctor and get any major repair work done when you could have avoided it simply by having a piece of foam protecting your teeth. Mouth guards are especially important and hockey, baseball, football, and wrestling. Without this protection in and around your mouth, your dental bill can far outweigh the benefits of being active.

Stretching Exercises

How many people do you know that have gotten waylaid from their athletic activities because they pulled a muscle? And one of the very simplest things that you can do to avoid that kind of injury is to do light stretching before you get started. It only takes a few minutes, but it can mean the difference between a competitive game, and a season-ending injury. If there’s one aspect of a warm-up that you should never miss, it’s the fact that you should do this stretching before every single strenuous activity.

Getting Calorie Input Right

Another thing about staying healthy and avoiding injury in sports is making sure that you get your calorie input correct. All athletic activities require you to use your muscles and your mind. If you either eat too much or too little, you’re lowering the possible efficiency of your performance, and in some cases, you can even cause injury if you go to extremes. An example might be people who try to do rapid weight loss before a wrestling match.

Staying Hydrated

Believe it or not, another one of the significant factors to being healthy and staying away from getting hurt in sports is drinking the right amount of water. There’s a lot of hype around sports drinks and when you should consume them, but if you just stick to plain old water in the right amounts, it will dramatically increase your ability to function at peak level without suffering any sorts of consequences of dehydration.