Tag Archives: Addiction Treatment

The BRIDGE: The Latest Technology In Treating Pain Without Drugs

The Bridge Technology Treating Pain Without Drugs - America In RehabToday, we know more about the nature of addiction – and how to treat it – than ever before. Contrary to prior beliefs that drug addicts are “morally flawed and lacking in willpower,” science has shown us that addiction is an issue of physical and mental health. This means that, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in order to treat addiction, we must have a deeper understanding of the brain and human behavior.

Learn more about The Bridge at Bridge-Rep.com.

Environmental factors certainly come into play, but research has also revealed that there exist genetic and biological considerations that influence how the disease of addiction develops in an individual, and how it progresses. Addiction recovery and behavioral health experts agree that to properly treat addicts, clinicians cannot ignore one of the greatest biological barriers to recovery – the physical pain of the detox process, and the patients’ fear of that pain.

The Painful Withdrawal From Addiction

The pain and fear of withdrawal pose a huge gap between addiction and sobriety – a gap which many healthcare professionals have tried, unsuccessfully, to close.

According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, withdrawal symptoms are many, including the following:

  • Agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Muscle aches
  • Insomnia
  • Runny nose
  • Sweating
  • Yawning
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Dilated pupils
  • Goose bumps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Seeing this list, one can begin to understand why someone would opt for the “high” of addiction over the displeasure of getting sober.

In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that 40 to 60 percent of those seeking treatment for addiction ultimately relapse, leaving their treatment program and returning to addiction.

For many reasons, we continue to study how to address addiction. One of those reasons is the cost absorbed by Americans as a result of substance abuse. NIDA reports that addiction and abuse of everything from nicotine to alcohol to illicit and prescription drugs cost Americans more than $700 billion per year in “increased health care costs, crime and lost productivity.”

Costly in both the literal and figurative sense, drug abuse must be addressed through solutions that are both innovative and research-based.

The Medications Available For Addiction

There are a variety of medications available through rehabilitation facilities, all aimed at supporting patients through withdrawal. The medications work to cleanse the body of the substance to which the patient has become addicted. It is a grueling process.

Suboxone

This opioid-based medication is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, and it works to block the effects of opioids such as pain relief and feelings of well-being. The problem is that these effects are exactly what lead patients to abuse the drugs in the first place, so the loss of relief can make withdrawal an extraordinarily uncomfortable process. Although it is used to treat addiction, Suboxone can also be habit-forming if dosage is not closely monitored. It can cause upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea.

Methadone

This opioid is used to treat addiction. It reduces the withdrawal symptoms that people experience when abstaining from heroin. Both Suboxone and methadone can cause breathing problems in patients, so those suffering from asthma or other breathing conditions should disclose these to their doctor so that alternative treatment can be explored.

Vivitrol

This is an injectable substance used to treat drug or alcohol dependence, and it can be effective when used properly. But, like Suboxone and methadone, the side effects can be severe. While this medication can help subside the need to use an opioid or drink alcohol, it can also cause liver damage and more serious and even fatal ailments if mixed with other medications.

The Risks Of Relying On Medication To Treat Addiction

For these and other reasons, researchers are working to identify solutions that can treat addiction, without the residual harmful effects sometimes experienced by patients on medications. Nontraditional methods of treatment are gaining popularity as the idea of addressing dependence on one substance with the use of another has raised concerns about the body’s ability to emerge from such a process healthy and strong.

Treating Pain Without Drugs: Nontraditional Solutions

In the midst of this $700 billion problem, another solution is emerging … one that has the potential to revolutionize the way addiction treatment is managed.

Through a contemporary understanding of how addiction works with the brain, Innovative Health Solutions has come up with a non-narcotic, FDA-cleared device that helps to target the pain and discomfort that is characteristic of withdrawal from opioid addiction.

By easing patients through what is arguably the most challenging phase of the addiction recovery process, this device works with the brain to support patients along the path to overcoming addiction.

The BRIDGE Device To Help With The Pain Of Withdrawal

Bridge Opiate Withdrawal Treatment DeviceThe BRIDGE is a small, discrete neuro-stimulation system (NSS) that attaches to the patient’s ear, sending “gentle, electrical impulses directly into the brain via electrodes placed on your nerve endings found in and around the ear.”

The electrical impulses sent through the electrodes target the areas of the brain most damaged by addiction, blocking pain signals that travel through the spinal column. This act of blocking pain is crucial, as the first few days of being weaned off a drug can be torturous.

In short, the BRIDGE is a tiny tool that sticks to the patient’s ear and signals the brain to block the physical and emotional distress suffered during withdrawal.

Relief is often felt within 10 minutes, and nothing is ingested by the patient. This research-based opiate epidemic solution makes it possible for those who choose to take action to heal from the disease of addiction to do so gently and effectively.

The BRIDGE Is A Groundbreaking Device

The Bridge Opiate Withdrawal Treatment DeviceThe device should be placed on the patient by a licensed clinician, and it attaches externally behind the ear with thin electrodes that adhere to various areas of the ear itself. In this age of technology, the BRIDGE is minimally obtrusive and can go as unnoticed as a Bluetooth headset, earbuds attaching to one’s cell phone, or even a hearing aid.

Once the BRIDGE has been installed – a process taking only 15 minutes – patients describe the relief of pain, reduction of sweating, shaking and anxiety, as well as feelings of calm and relaxation … all within half an hour. Those who walk into a clinic with extreme discomfort, nervousness and fear have been witnessed walking out with a smile, and a noticeably calm and soothed demeanor after using the BRIDGE.

According to Jeff Mathews, a director for the Union County Opiate Treatment Center in Indiana, his experience with the device has been…

“Phenomenal”

See Mathews’s full interview about the BRIDGE by clicking on the link below:

https://vimeo.com/innovativehealthsolution/review/172016651/c9f21757b3

A Solution At A Crucial Time

Patients are instructed to wear the device for five days before having it removed, and then they are placed in a long-term assistance program, which often includes counseling and medication-assisted treatment. These are the most critical five days of an addict’s recovery process because, as mentioned previously, the withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that many people never make it to the stage of long-term assistance or counseling. They often quit, opting for the unfortunate state of addiction over the painful process of recovery.

The BRIDGE is an innovative opiate epidemic solution to the distress of withdrawal.

In 2014, the U.S. National Library of Medicine reported that there were 435,000 heroin users in the United States and more than 4 million people who were users of non-medical narcotic pain relievers. Not only does the BRIDGE have the potential to drastically reduce this national number, but it can offer an economic boost to the nation, as it is American-made. Innovative Health Solutions is a company based out of Indiana, so the device’s success not only points to addiction recovery, but also to the state’s (and country’s) economic development.

Where The BRIDGE Is Used

VA hospitals and clinics across the nation are already implementing this innovative technology to relieve post-surgical chronic and acute pain. It has been tested on more than 30,000 patients, and the effects are undeniable.

The Union County Opiate Treatment Center has also used the BRIDGE on dozens of patients. Of the first 37 to be treated with the BRIDGE, all have made it through the initial withdrawal phase and continued on to the long-term treatment phase.

Of those who continued, 89 percnet succeeded in completing the entire process. Compare that to the 40 to 60 percent relapse rate reported by the NIDA, and it is clear why so many are reaching out to Innovative Health Solutions to learn more about this cutting-edge product.

Drawbacks Of The Device

The drawbacks of using the BRIDGE are minor. First, although it is extremely safe, water resistant and low voltage, the device should not get wet. If the batteries get wet, it will simply stop working. Patients need not fear any sort of electrical shock. Patients have been able to take showers and wash their hair by simply holding a dry washcloth over the device.

There have also been rare side effects reported, including slight skin irritation, bleeding, pain or infection at the site of the device, dizziness, fainting, and an allergic reaction to the adhesive or tape used to attach it. Those experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their clinician.

It’s Time To End The Opioid Epidemic

Previous attempts at addressing the growing drug addiction problem in the United States have, quite frankly, not worked. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that in 2014, opioids killed more than 28,000 people – more than any other year on record. The BRIDGE has proven results, and can drastically lower these numbers.

An experienced medical team coupled with the biological and technological accuracy of the BRIDGE can optimize your outcomes in recovery. It’s time to reclaim your life.

If you (or someone you know) is ready to recover and has been held back by the fear associated with withdrawal pain, now is the time to act. For more information on the BRIDE, see what WDRB in Kentucky had to say about the device, or contact us to learn more.

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Hiring Addiction Treatment Counselors – Link Building SEO

Here is an idea for link building from a different perspective. If you are hiring Certified Mental Health Professional’s i.e.CMHP’s you want to make sure that they are open to writing, are good at it and if writing is not their thing make sure they will allow themselves to be video taped.

In my experience in working with drug addiction treatment centers one of the best ways to generate new business is through the internet. What the Internet requires is content. The users want quality content. The families seeking addiction treatment do research, a lot of it. The more high quality information that you can put on your website the more likely it will be found.

The problem for many addiction treatment centers is that their Certified Mental Health Professional’s or addiction treatment counselors find themselves too busy too either write or talk about their craft. The treatment centers that have C.M.H.P.’s who write and are willing to be in videos can have a significant advantage with their marketing if they are willing to publish this information on their websites. As a matter of fact if I owned a treatment center I would make it mandatory for every CMHP or addiction treatment counselor to write at least 1 article per week and publish at least 1 video per week for the website.

If you customers are passionate about your content they will share it. If they share it you get links. If you get other websites and social media sites linking to you, Google likes this. If Google likes this then they will push up your SEO rankings. If this happens you will see more traffic on your website. If you see more traffic on your website you will get more phone calls. If you get more phone calls you will see more business in your addiction treatment center. If this happens you don’t have to pay as much money to addiction treatment marketing consultants to help you with your SEO and lead generation.

Once you get a system down for publishing this type of content it is like brushing your teeth once per day, it is no big deal. Not only will Google like this but your customers will like it even more. I often hear that customers say “you’re that guy in the videos!” And when you say “yes” it is like an instant creditably connection, which is TRUST, which is what brings in customers in every business. You already know what their problems are but they don’t know you, unless they have met you on the website videos.

Chris Rene – X-Factor 2011 Clean and sober for 70 days

Every now and again we see some really heart warming addiction treatment stories. We all have our stories. While this is a feel good story that connects way deeper than just addiction alone, it connects with life. Here is a young man, Chris Rene who has recently beat his alcohol and drug addiction and is a trash hauler for a living. Chris auditions for X-Factor and scores big time. Obviously he is a talented singer, song writer and composer. But what I think will capture most people is his authenticity. Everything about him is real. I think Simon nailed it when he said I think we need you. Simon, what the world needs right now is the truth. Chris Rene is 100% real, this is why he should go far.

Alcohol Addiction – Addiction Treatment Marketing Technique

Addiction Treatment Marketing Technique Using Twitter

If you want more traffic to your Twitter ID and to your web site this is a handy little addiction treatment marketing technique I use all the time. Make sure you insert your keyphrase into the post if it is not already in there. You will see that if you do a search on Twitter you will see Alcohol Addiction in the search results posts. What this will do is make your post more visible to the users on Twitter.

When more people who are searching on Alcohol Addiction they are more likely to find your post, when this happens it also creates an opportunity for the user to click on one of the two links in your Twitter profile and go back to your site. While this might seem like minutia if you do it often with your core body of keyphrases you use in PPC and SEO chances are they will click back to your addiction treatment center website, then of course you have the possibility of getting a phone call from someone whom you can help.

Treatment of Substance Abuse – a different approach

Why does it seem when the USA declares “War on This……or War on That…..whatever this or that is always seems to grow out of control….take for instance illegal drugs. It seems we have been fighting this war for decades now and it seems like it keeps growing and destroying lives. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all agree that this is not working and that there might be a better approach to get results? One such country is doing that and it is Portugal. Less drug usage, less crime etc. So if it is working over there why wouldn’t we try it over here in the USA?

I have my opinions on it but I’d much rather hear your opinions on how to get this scourge under control. At the same time we have the prescription drug industry running a muck and I wonder if that is a coincidence or by design? There is an interesting article by the Cato Institute that I share below in the video.

I’m on the receiving end of the phone calls helping treatment centers market to addicts and helping addicts find the right fit for themselves with their addiction. There is really nothing more painful than a parent who calls seeking help for their son or daughter and we’ve had a few who have 2 kids on IV drugs who need treatment simultaneously. This destruction of families seems needless to me if there are others who seem to be making progress towards a better result with treating addiction by legalizing drugs.