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If you decide to go into a line of speech pathology employment, you will eventually encounter many different types of mental health conditions; the severity of condition will affect the way your patient interacts with you. Here are a few of the most common mental health conditions that are known to affect speech.

The mental health of stroke victims largely affects the way that they speak. For instance, some recovering stroke patients have to relearn the entire English language, while others speak by replacing letters with numbers. Depending on the severity of the situation, this can be very frustrating for both the patient and their therapist because it makes it difficult to communicate. If you choose a speech pathology career, you will need to have a lot of patience.

Other mental health conditions, like autism, also affect the way a person speaks. Depending on where they are on the Autism Spectrum, the effects can be as mild as occasional stuttering or as severe as being unable to communicate at all without hand gestures. Parkinson’s Disease also has the ability to profoundly affect the way a person speaks. In the least severe scenario, PD causes a person to speak very quietly and slowly, which can make it very difficult for them to participate in a conversation.

Speech therapy can have a positive effect on many different types of afflictions, from Autism to Parkinson’s Disease. If you choose speech pathology employment for your future, you will be able to help a wide array of people regain their life.

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People who are struggling with mental health issues can get treatment and support in a variety of ways. This can help them to cope and overcome these obstacles in their lives.

When mental health suffers, a person can suffer from anxiety, depression and a number of other issues. The first step is to find a good counselor that can help guide you to a solution. Therapy can be very helpful for those who have suffered traumatic events and need help dealing with them. Counseling can give you practical tools to help you live a more normal life each day and can aid you in resolving past issues. This may or may not involve the use of medication, depending on your condition and the treatment plan.

Those who are suffering from addictions to gambling, alcohol or drugs may need further treatment in a rehabilitation center. This is a safe environment where the person stays for a set period of time, ranging anywhere from a few months to up to a year. During the time there, the individual will attend individual and group counseling, along with support groups geared for the type of addiction he or she is suffering from. The center may also use medicines to aid in overcoming an addiction to a particular drug as well.

Your family doctor can suggest the best course of action and give you a referral to a good counselor. If you have a limited income, many counseling centers will allow you to pay based ony your income level.

Checking into a rehab for treatment can be a great cause of anxiety in an individual, especially if they are caught up in the throes of substance abuse. One of the most common forms of substance abuse is with alcohol. Often an alcoholic turns to liquor to mask emotional pain or other mental illnesses. This is why the first phase of a rehab stay will often involve some form of detoxification. A qualified rehab facility can provide the kind of medical attention a person needs as they are going through a painful withdrawal.

Once the body has become “clean” you can begin the real work of recovery and target any mental health issues. This will involve some intensive forms of private and group therapy. After the initial stay, a patient will have the opportunity to continue the work as they return to their daily routines. The road to recovery can begin at rehab.

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Dealing with insurance is never anyone’s favorite thing. You need to navigate through a lot of red tape. However, you can bypass a lot of this red tape by being proactive and giving your insurance a call at the beginning of each calendar year. This will give you a chance to get straight answers for the new year and be prepared for everything.

First ask what your out of pocket limit for the year will be. This is a very important question and one that could save you a lot of stress over the year. People get hung up on their bills and begin to worry about how much money they are going to spend when they don’t realize that there is an out of pocket limit for the year. So if you are smart you will find that out so you know what you cannot go over.

Another question to ask is if you can get a list of preferred hospitals that you can go to. The difference between going to hospitals that are covered and hospitals that aren’t will cost you a lot of money. If you knew where you can and cannot go you will find that it is much easier to manage. If you ask they should be more than willing to send that to your house.

The key to dealing with insurance is just to be thorough. You don’t want to make the mistake of not looking at all the angles of your insurance that could save you a lot of money in the long run.

This was the case with one California patient. Her doctors failed to communicate with doctors in another state, and ended up giving her considerably more medication than her body and mind could handle. This mistake caused damage to her brain and took months to recuperate.  This California medical malpractice case caused serious damage to the patient’s life and health.

For these cases, patients should pursue legal action to protect their own life and health, as well as to keep other patients from becoming victim to the same mistakes. To help prevent these malpractice cases from happening, patients should be familiar with their medical history and should not be afraid to correct their doctor. However, many of the mistakes doctors make are caused inefficient communication between institutions, and because doctors are overworked and tired. New systems of sharing patient information will be crucial to correcting some errors, as will better work hours and regulations for all medical professionals

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When a person becomes addicted to a substance, it can be all too easy to start thinking that the activity itself is the root cause of the problem. But when a person drives while they’re intoxicated, gets into fights or acts abusive toward their family members, or in some other way acts out, this is nearly always nothing more than a sign of something underneath the surface.

When any kind of addiction gets out of hand, the addicted individual can no longer control the parts of their life that are affected by their addiction. In the case of a sex addict, their unrelenting desire for constant sexuality can hinder their work and family life. In the case of a drug addict, the drugs they cannot stop taking become how they deal with any kind of problem, as well as how they celebrate any kind of positive happening. In time, these activities even tend to stop being pleasurable, and end up merely being for the relief of pain.

The underlying causes of these addictions, however, are never so simple to see. For the addict, the pain generally began a very long time ago, and has merely been repressed throughout the addict’s adult life. In order for anyone to help the addict, regardless of what group meetings they may attend, the underlying problem needs to be both understood and actively dealt with in a kind and caring fashion. Trying to beat a problem into submission or cover it up with techniques will only result in failure in the end. An addict’s addiction is not the real problem, but there is one.

For example, PACS proves very useful in some tests commonly administered to female patients. Here is a couple of examples and how PACS contributes to the experience of medical archiving:

Mammograms: This X-ray examination of the breasts is becoming increasingly common; many doctors urge females over a certain age to get the test on a regular basis in order to detect any problems as early as possible. PACS sees and saves those images, making them available for immediate viewing and archiving, along with the patient file so that they are ready at hand in the same place.

Ultrasounds: Certainly any mother knows all about the ultrasound, but even those who just watch TV should know about the test that uses sound waves to look inside the body and detect structures, baby or otherwise. At the time that the test generates the images and video, PACS captures those files and stores them on the network for immediate authorized access. That means if there’s something the doctor needs to see right away, he can pull the imagery up on his computer. That saves time and could potentially save lives.

These are just two examples of how PACS makes a revolutionary contribution to medical archiving.

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Ever feel depressed and realized you just forgot to eat? While many people may not know they are experiencing that, not eating right will make you feel symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, lack of energy, irritability, and poor concentration and memory, all of which are also symptoms of depression. Living like that too long will create a snowball effect into making poor decisions, getting behind on work, which eventually results in loss of hope, pessimism, and feelings of guilt. Some key nutrients to make sure you are getting on a regular basis include the following:

Water

Dehydration causes many of the symptoms of depression in of itself. Some studies suggest most of America is regularly a little dehydrated without realizing it. Cut back on soda and caffeine and increase juice and water. Fruits like watermelon are high in water as well.

Protein

A necessary building block for the body, protein provides long term energy. In addition, it helps build muscle, and as you build muscle, you increase metabolism, and all that can lead to weight loss.

Iron

Your blood needs iron. Anemia will make one feel incredibly sick on a regular basis.

Fiber

Fiber keeps you regular, and if you aren’t getting rid of the things you in-take, it sits in your body and makes you feel yucky.

Vitamins and Antioxidants

Found in many fruits and vegetables, vitamins and antioxidants keep you feeling your best. Many improve immunity functions as well as can increase mental concentration, provide energy, and are good for the heart.

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Studies suggest as children learn to talk and verbally communicate their feelings, they learn to take control of the situation and eventually reduce temper tantrums. Well, adults are basically overgrown children. The old “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me,” was based on the concept that the reason for throwing verbal stones was to hurt the other person, but in reality, people throw verbal stones to make themselves feel better.

So maybe it is possible adults who say, “That guy is an idiot,” may just lack the vocabulary to articulate how they truly feel, and maybe if they were able to communicate better, they would reduce their own frustrations and anger. For instance, maybe the guy isn’t an idiot as much as his rhetoric lacks evidence, such as a politician who might make one angry or feel frustrated. Or maybe the guy is someone you can talk to and ask questions to remove assumption such as, “Did I say something to make you angry?” or “Why did you just do that?”  Maybe the problem is some adults are angry about a situation like not being able to pay a bill, and they just aren’t sure how to release that frustration.

Whatever the reason, adults can benefit in many other ways to increase their vocabulary, and it is very possible as they do so, and as they learn to articulate their true emotions and frustrations, whether it be to another individual or to themselves, but as they learn to do such things, they can take better control of their situations and reduce the adult versions of temper tantrums.

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After the questions are stated, what the answers mean will be explained. This works best if you answer the questions before knowing what the answers mean. This is inspired by personality tests rumored to be provided by the L.A.P.D. and used in some private investigation firms.

Question 1: What is your favorite color and why?

Question 2: What is your favorite animal and why?

Question 3: How do you feel about ghosts? What would you do if you saw one?

Question one is about you. Your favorite color usually is a choice made based on who you are. If you like green because it’s the color of the light when you are allowed to go, then more than likely, you are the type of person who is always on the go, and it might show a sign of impatience. If you like green because it’s the color of the plants and trees, then it’s very possible you are all about growth.

Question two is about how you like the world to see you. If your favorite animal is the tiger because it’s not the animal to mess with, then you want others to see you as the type of person one shouldn’t mess with. If your favorite animal is the dog because it’s loyal, then you probably take pride in knowing others trust you.

Question three is about how you perceive death. If you don’t believe in ghosts, you are in denial about your inevitable fate. If you do believe in ghosts and believe if you saw one, you’d run away scared, then death probably scares you. If you believe you would ask that ghost a million questions, then you are probably curious about death. Amazingly, as your perceptions of death change in a lifetime, so do your feelings toward ghosts.

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Whoever said, “Beauty is only skin deep,” probably didn’t feel too beautiful when they said that. In actuality, beauty is a feeling. It is a feeling you get when you see something you think is beautiful, and it is a feeling you get when you think you are beautiful. Looking at something beautiful is inspiring, but knowing you are beautiful is empowering.

So, look around. What do you think is beautiful? Is it certain colors? People? Trees? Flowers? Make a list and turn it into a poem. Go ahead and get metaphorical. Is the color blue beautiful because it’s peaceful, or is the color orange because it’s creative? Is Angelina Jolie beautiful because she looks like a queen? Or is Jennifer Anniston the belle because she is so down to earth?

Sometime after you finish your poem, do some things to pamper yourself. Give yourself a facial and a pedi. You can spend a day at the spa, or find some recipes for the home spa, the one in your kitchen and bathroom. If you pamper yourself at home, throw in your favorite girly movie while you are at it. Maybe spread it out over a week where you get your hair cut one evening and pluck your eyebrows the next.

Once you feel pampered, and maybe a little better about yourself, take a look at your poem. What is you in there? Maybe you love blue because you are peaceful and it reminds you of your own peace. Maybe you think Angelina Jolie looks like a queen because you rule your house. What is you you’d like to become? Maybe Blue represents your desire for peace and Angelina represents your desire to rule. What steps can you take to get you there? Are you sure you aren’t already there?

Now go look in the mirror. That’s the best place to find something beautiful.

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While there is no “cure” for autism, there surely are options when it comes to treatment and therapy. It takes time, and it basically treats the symptoms, but since all that the world knows about autism are really the symptoms, that’s the best the world has to offer for a solution.

The safest and most effective treatment is early intervention. What exactly are you supposed to intervene? That isn’t quite spelled out yet by the experts, but the first step would be for you to study Asperger’s Syndrome and the autistic spectrum to get a feel for what that entails. Many issues someone on the spectrum faces can be taught or re-directed. For those with a speech delay, speech therapy is very beneficial. When they are really young, you want to emphasize learning of feelings (both for the child and other people), motor skills, and coping strategies. As they get older, because everyone on the spectrum is unique, you look for specific problems they are facing and work on those one by one.

Another safe approach is Defeat Autism Now (DAN) theories. They are focused on the notion that vaccinations might be a cause to many people’s autism (not all) as well as certain food allergies. DAN doctors will test for toxicity levels in the body related to vaccinations as well as different food allergies to help identify what is going on specifically in you or your child, and then based on those results will formulate some therapy to help clean out the system.

The most popular, and least safe, option that many people have resorted to is medication. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety agents, and even stimulants have been used to treat autism, and many times it’s a trial and error method per patient. The thing to consider for this option is the benefit vs. the cost. These medications all come with a hefty helping of strange and unusual side effects, some of which are worse than what you are trying to treat. Some of the side effects are irreversible.

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Some of the psychological forefathers such as Freud seem to contradict each other on whether or not religion is good for psychological health; however, empirical evidence today is trying to resolve the debate, and signs are pointing to, “Yay, God is good for your health.”

Spiritual people believe in a higher power, use prayer or meditation, often use their intuition, place a focus on the bigger picture, and are more hopeful through faith.

Believing in a higher power gives people a sense that they are not alone, that someone else is in control, and that there is a reason for things, good and bad. When people give their problems up to God, really they are letting go of their negative emotions (like worry and fear) in faith that someone smarter is handling it for them. In addition, by grace, they are forgiven, which contributes to letting go of guilt and shame.

The power of prayer goes beyond having an all-powerful being answer your wishes. In prayer and meditation, people tune in to their subconscious mind that holds a lot of unbiased information about who you are and the world around you. Tapping into that brings more wisdom to making smarter decisions and nurtures psychological growth.

One common attribute amongst many of the self-made millionaires is their ability to make intuitive decisions. In fact, some believe that a decision is made by the heart and logic only delays the decision and is then used to justify it. Making intuitive decisions can lead to success which is imperative for confidence.

Placing a focus on the bigger picture allows people insight on what truly matters in this life. When you die, does it really matter if you were a few days late on that credit card payment 25 years ago? This mentality teaches people to let go of the things that don’t matter and embrace the things that do.

Hope is essential to preventing and battling depression. If the light at the end of the tunnel can’t be seen with the naked eye, it can be seen with faith.

Community Hospitals:

Community hospitals are the most common type of hospital. These care centers, generally speaking, are small, with only about 50-500 beds. Community hospitals provide quality services in cases of routine medical problems or surgeries. Many of these hospitals are traditionally non-profit. However, increasingly, they are being acquired by investor-owned corporations.

Teaching Hospitals:

Teaching hospitals differ from community hospitals in many important ways. For one, these hospitals are much larger. They’re also affiliated with medical schools, and serve as important teaching tools for new doctors. Beyond that, many physicians working here also hold teaching positions at the affiliated medical school. Patients may be wary of repeated examinations by residents and students, but physicians at these hospitals also have access to advanced technology. And renowned experts make teaching hospitals ideal for patients with complex diagnoses.

Public Hospitals:

Public hospitals, finally, are hospitals owned by the government, either federal, state, or city. These hospitals traditionally provide care for the poor. People with limited insurance coverage or who otherwise do not have the ability to pay for their care often turn to public hospitals for much-needed services. As a result, public hospitals can find themselves in difficult financial situations because many patients are unable to pay for their care.

These three types do have something in common—they all are ready to meet the needs of patients looking for care.

Choosing a Center:

Programs run from the very expensive to the affordable and even free. Some treatment facilities accept insurance, and many will accept Medicaid or Medicare. Other programs require cash payments but have moderate fees for those with little or no insurance coverage.

Most of the many drug and alcohol treatment programs in the United Steps follow a 12 step model. However, there are a wide range of options available, including gender specific, holistic, and Christian-based, to give only a few examples.

Choosing a Treatment:

Rehab centers differ on the levels of care they provide. Detoxification is generally an inpatient procedure, while many other programs focus on outpatient or day treatment. Others still are residential. Even individuals who choose these programs will usually follow their treatment with weekly outpatient care groups post-treatment that focus on preventing relapse. Finally, sober living homes require their residents to pay a small rent while working and attending school during the day and have a set of house rules to maintain sobriety.

Facing addictions is a tough and scary process. Knowing the options for rehab that are out there will help you make an informed decision about which program is the right one for you.

Warnings of Addiction:

Certain warning signs may alert you to the fact that someone you love has a drug addiction. Warnings can be behavioral, physical, and psychological. However, it can be difficult to separate warnings signs from the ups and downs of life, especially in the case of teenagers. Beyond that, a loved one you worry could be abusing drugs might try to cover up these very symptoms and warning signs.

Behaviorally, performance at work or school may begin to suffer. Missing money, or constant borrowing, could be signs of stealing to fund a drug habit, and a sudden switch in groups of friends is also a warning sign. Physical symptoms could also signify a drug habit. Sleep patterns change, weight is lost or gained, and eyes are bloodshot. Psychological signs include shifts in attitude or personality not linked to any obvious personal event.

Why are some more Susceptible to Addiction?:

You may wonder how someone develops an addiction while others in similar situations do not. As with many things, biology and environment intertwine. Family history certainly plays into it. If someone has a family history of addictions, they are more likely to develop one as well. An early start to using drugs can also be an indicator. Preexisting mental disorders—anxiety, for instance—may predispose someone to a drug habit. At the same time, abuse or other traumatic events could lead to drug use.

Knowing signs and symptoms puts you in a place to help your loved one overcome his or her addiction.

However, scientists have completed studies that have revealed new options when it comes to treating heroin addiction. Prescription painkiller dihydrocodeine has been shown to be just as effective as methadone when helping heroin addicts kick the habit which in rehabilitation. Dihydrocodeine has several benefits, mainly for the clinics that provide the addiction treatments to patients. For instance, dihydrocodeine comes in a tablet form which makes it easier to store than the liquidated methadone. There are also less restrictions on its use because it is not as toxic. This also means that there is a significantly lower chance of a fatal overdose, which is important when dealing with the treatment of heroin addicts. For the patient, dihydrocodeine costs about half as much as comparable methadone treatment, on average.

Dihydrocodeine has been the perferred way of treating certain drug conditions by some specialists and in places where hazardous materials are highly regulated, like in prisons. But with the studies showing that it is as effective as other leading treatment options, the use of dihydrocodiene to treat heroin addiciton is likely to continue to rise and also gives users another option if they have bad reactions to methadone.

Researchers have determined that online interventions can be highly effective when used to identify whether people have drinking problems or when trying to educate alcohol users on the dangers of drinking in excess. In fact, online interventions have been shown to have a significant public health benefit that can actually be just as effective as face-to-face interventions.

When drinkers with possible problems with alcohol were exposed to an online survey that questioned them about their alcohol use, problem drinkers were more likely to self identify as such during the survey and showed considerable changes in their drinking behaviors after experiencing the online intervention. People who took the survey reduced their drinking by an average of 30 percent – up to seven drinks each week – and the reduction in alcoholic intake was sustained in both a three-month followup and a followup that occured six months after taking the initial survey.

Because of the stigma associated with seeking face-to-face treatment for a problem with alcohol, online interventions could have a much higher rate of success than traditional treatment options since problem drinkers may be more willing to seek help themselves on the Internet. The survey takes the information that the drinker has self-reported and gives a plethora of information and tips that the drinker can use to analyze their own behavior. For instance, the drinker’s results are compared to national averages, the user’s weight and average alcohol intake is used to let the drinker know what sorts of effects alcohol has effect on their body and gives them ways to reduce their risk.

A 2002 study shows that more than one-third of people who exhibited signs of alcoholism more than a year prior had already achieved a “full recovery.” A full recovery means that the person no longer exhibits or experiences any symptoms of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse. Out of people in the study, only one-quarter had received treatment for their problems with alcohol.

Fully recovered people typically abstain from drinking alcohol entirely or only drink small amounts during social occasions – at amounts lower than those thought lead to higher rates of relapse. Currently, the amount of alcoholic consumption that is thought to increase the chances of relapse is more than 14 drinks a week (or more than four drinks on an individual day). For women, that amount is more than seven drinks a week or more than three drinks on any individual day.

Out of the two-thirds of alcoholics that hadn’t yet realized full recovery, there was still news that should make anyone struggling with alcohol dependency feel positive about their chance of recovery. For instance, Almost 12 percent of the original people currently have no symptoms of alcohol abuse or dependency but do drink as much or more than the amount of alcohol traditionally thought to increase the chance of relapse.

More than one-quarter of the people who were part of the study were in partial remission. While they may still exhibit or experience symptoms of alcohol dependence or abuse, they are in treatment and moving toward a normal relationship with alcohol. The remaining quarter of people are still dependent on alcohol – but this shows that the recovery rate for alcoholism is achievable for the majority of dependents.

A 2005 study shows that people who smoke marijuana habitually have a 10 times higher risk of getting into a traffic accident than people who do not smoke cannabis at all. This increased risk was seen even amongst users who hadn’t smoked immediately prior to the incident showing that marijuana use has a long-lasting negative affect to reaction time and brain functionality, at least during a high-stress situation. Unlike alcohol which impairs the part of the brain that regulates risk-taking (meaning that drunk drivers often engage in more risky driving situations that can lead to accidents), cannabuis users probably drive more carefully when they’re under the influence. However, this care can give a false sense of security since users are not taking into account the long-term affects that marijuana has on the ability to drive carefully and with a high sense of alertness. The slowness seen in reaction times can last for up to a year after the last usage, according to the study.

Cannabis can also lead to psychotic symptoms in users that are already susceptible to such issues, another study shows. People who smoke marijuana on a regular basis are more likely to suffer from schizophrenia than members of the general population, although researchers don’t know if this has to do with an effect of the plant or if individuals who suffer from psychotic symptoms are more likely to turn to marijuana for self-medication purposes.

Unlike what many of the marijuana legalization advocates say, there are many demonstrated negative effects that come from sustained smoking. While it may be thought of as a harmless recreational drug, these significant side effects should be considered, as well as the addictive quality of marijuana.

However, social services also provide more indirect benefits to patients who experience social services as part of a comprehensive addiction treatment program. For instance, patients who benefit from social services stay in addiction treatment longer. Studies over the past few decades have confirmed the fact that patients who stay in treatment longer have better rates of recovery and lower rates of relapse. However, social services is such an important part of the recovery process that studies have shown that a 6 percent increase to the availability of social services to addicts in treatment programs is equivalent to the patients staying in other traditional rehab programs for up to 12 weeks.

“Given the stagnant state of comprehensive service delivery in recent years,” said Dr. Dean Gerstein, who led a 2004 study on the subject, “federal and state grants and policies should emphasize delivery of comprehensive services, especially housing and employment services, among high-needs populations.”

His study showed that access and use of social services during treatment directly related to patients having improved drug use outcomes following their rehab.

Why Choose a Program

You may think that you can kick the habit all alone, but in general, you will have a higher chance of having a relapse. Instead, by choosing to enroll in a drug rehabilitation program, you will have the support system in place to help you succeed. In a rehab facility, there are doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals available to help guide you through your detoxification. Along with the professional help, you will also receive help from people who are in the same situation you are in.

What to Expect

While enrolled in a rehab program, you will be removed from your normal routine, and also away from your normal temptations. You also have the benefit of being in a comfortable room with great food and company, instead of in a lonely hospital bed. It’s also a way to get yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually ready to recover from your addiction. It can be a very difficult transition, but enrolling in a program will give you the best possible chance of overcoming your addiction, and staying clean for the rest of your life.

Which one is Right for You?

There are many different addiction recovery programs available, so how do you choose which one is right for you? You first need to assess your level of addiction. This is best done through a healthcare professional. They will be able to make an objective decision, and advise you on a program that is right for you. In all reality, any step you take toward your recovery is a step in the right direction.

Previously, the accepted scientific reasoning for the way that someone becomes addicted is that drugs and other addictive elements take over the brain’s reward system and makes the user feel like they are experiencing some sort of physical or emotional payoff. Drug-taking or engaging in other types of addictive behaviors becomes an overwhelmingly rewarding feeling that rises in importance above all other aspects of life.

However, Dr. Dan Lubman and a group of scientists studying addictive behavior have identified another aspect of the brain that is affected when a subject becomes an addict: drugs and other addictive elements may actually interfere with the frontal brain circuitry that maintains the ability to retain inhibition and control. Brain science shows that the brain not only has an impaired way of understanding when to do certain activities (relating to the reward system) but also when not to do things – that is, the lack of inhibition and lack of control that comes as a result of taking drugs.

The new theory helps rehab clinics to understand another part of the puzzle that can be used to break the chain of addiction. The loss of control and frequency of relapses could never quite be explained solely by the idea that engaging in addictive behavior felt like a reward to the addict, but now that those who work in treatment centers understand that the inhibition circuits are impaired, new strategies can be developed.

While many drug treatment programs around the world have taken a more direct approach in terms of mental health and medical services, social services like job training and housing mean the most in changing the life of addicts. When well placed, well staffed and well funded, social services can address the addictive behaviors directly as well as the many life problems that can contribute to drug use. They can also help to identify the family, social and financial issues that are brought up indirectly through drug use and help the user to change these circumstances for the better. Oftentimes, mental health and medical assistance works well but if an addict is placed back into the bad environment that contributed to the rise of drug use in the first place, relapses are especially common. That’s why social service programs is one of the largest factors in determining if an addict will recover or continue to use drugs or other addictive substances.

Historically, patients who have the most amount of life problems benefit the most from involvement in social service programs. This is because the physical removal of life situations that contribute to drug use – including physical surroundings, social-economic situations and friends – mean that there are less opportunities to turn to the reward or escape triggers that drugs and other addictive substances provide.

Of course, social services is not a perfect treatment, just like any other type of medical or behavioral treatment and other addiction therapy. The desire of the patient to change is key to recovery and social services is just one tool that can be used to show patients what life without drugs can be like.