Lindsay Lohan's Legal Troubles Remind Delray Recovery Center of the Value of …
At Delray Recovery Center we have seen countless numbers of patients try and fail in the rehab process. We now institute a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or REBT approach to helping address the true roots of addiction, and work on those problems.
Read more on Equities.com

Addiction treatment center opens in Bridgeport
Cambio Life Recovery Center opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting Nov. 30. The private, 16-bed inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment facility occupies space in the Medical Office Building attached to North Texas Community Hospital. Its …
Read more on Wise County Messenger

Straight Street opens addiction recovery center on West Main Street
An addiction recovery program has found a home in downtown Ionia and is turning people's lives around. The community is invited to come and take a look at Straight Street Recovery Center's new facility at an open house Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m. …
Read more on Sentinel-Standard

New Missoula addiction treatment center to open in April
The center is a project of the Western Montana Mental Health Center, and housing and development director Patty Kent said the campaign will help bring in part of the remaining $ 300,000. The Mental Health Center already has raised $ 3 million so far.
Read more on The Missoulian

Addiction treatment center opens in Bridgeport
Cambio Life Recovery Center opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting Nov. 30. The private, 16-bed inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment facility occupies space in the Medical Office Building attached to North Texas Community Hospital. Its …
Read more on Wise County Messenger

Straight Street opens addiction recovery center on West Main Street
An addiction recovery program has found a home in downtown Ionia and is turning people's lives around. The community is invited to come and take a look at Straight Street Recovery Center's new facility at an open house Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m. …
Read more on Sentinel-Standard

Question by Danyel: What type of education would I need to become an RN at a substance abuse detox facility?
I am currently going to school for pre-health with a nursing concentration, until I have the requirements to apply for nursing. I would like to be able to work as an RN in a substance abuse facility. I was wondering if anyone could give me any advise as to how to go about doing this? I do not know if I will need to specialize in a certain area in order to do so or not? If anyone could help me out in regards to what to do education wise I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by MeMeMe
Hi,

First off, good for you for wanting to work in addiction treatment! I’m an addictions counselor and have been working in mental health (mostly suicide prevention) for 7 years and we certainly need more qualified RNs in the field. So I think you will have an easy time finding work once you’re finished with school.

As for your question… To become an RN, you need to go to nursing school. Although I’m sure you already know this. As for specializing in addiction treatment, I don’t believe there are any additional requirements, but it would be good if you have experience working with addicts or at least a greater knowledge of treating clients with addiction. So I would suggest trying to get an internship of some sort with a treatment center in your area. They may not let you do much while you’re in school, but you will be able to put it on your resume. You can learn a lot from observing how things work in treatment. The other suggestion I have would be to take some extra classes that focus on substance abuse. Drug addicts and alcoholics face a variety of special issues separate from the “normal” population you would be working with in a hospital. Most community colleges and some universities now offer programs where you can learn more about these issues. I don’t know where you live, but you may want to start looking for college programs titled “Addictions Counseling” or “Addictions Studies.” Classes you may want to take would be any type of pharmacology, a bloodborne pathogens/infectious disease class, and even alternative treatments to addiction classes. It could also help to take a few classes for addictions counselors like group therapy, individual therapy, or something similar. These will definitely help you in the future in terms of communicating with your clients.

The most important thing I would think an RN working in addiction should have to be educated about is prescription drugs of abuse. Normally when I do an intake on a client coming into treatment, they have been medically prescribed multiple addictive drugs that only contribute to and exacerbate their disease (addiction). Usually these include opiate painkillers, benzodiazepines, and other sedatives and tranquilizers. I had a client once who was on NINE different benzos which she had been on for years, all prescribed by doctors for things like insomnia, anxiety, and even hypothyroidism. This is so egregious and disgusting to me! They were killing her. She obviously had to be medically detoxed for risk of seizures and death from her meds. And needless to say, after being evaluated by our MD, she didn’t NEED any of the pills.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Just excited to see someone wanting to help in the field of addiction treatment. It is rare these days, it seems. But what a satisfying and rewarding job. Good luck to you!!!

What do you think? Answer below!

Addiction treatment center opens in Bridgeport
Cambio Life Recovery Center opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting Nov. 30. The private, 16-bed inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment facility occupies space in the Medical Office Building attached to North Texas Community Hospital. Its …
Read more on Wise County Messenger

Straight Street opens addiction recovery center on West Main Street
An addiction recovery program has found a home in downtown Ionia and is turning people's lives around. The community is invited to come and take a look at Straight Street Recovery Center's new facility at an open house Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m. …
Read more on Sentinel-Standard

Actor Martin Sheen helps Tulsa addiction treatment center at fundraiser
"Addiction treatment and recovery centers help the entire community in ways most never see," Sheen said during a recent phone interview. "People we all know need help. They're in our churches. They're our co-workers. They're our children and our family …
Read more on Tulsa World

Internet addiction can cause psychological disturbances
Current Psychiatry Reviews published a summary of research and practice on internet addiction treatment. Hilarie Cash, lead author of the summary and executive director of reSTART: Internet Addiction Recovery Programme in Washington state, believes …
Read more on South China Morning Post

Students and Video Game Addiction
For the past six years as an administrator at a large community college, I've focused on developing workforce education programs that have helped hundreds of at-risk students succeed in college programs. …. “Given that college students are at the …
Read more on Inside Higher Ed

Addiction is a serious disease that needs to be treated by professionals. Treatment for addiction differs from many other kinds of treatment in that it often requires a significant mental and emotional effort on the part of the addict in order for treatment to be effective.

Choosing the right addiction recovery programmes is vital both in order to support the patient during treatment, and to increase the likelihood that the addiction treatment will be successful.

Before treatment can commence, addicts need to cease their addictive behaviour.
Successful treatment for addiction must address the underlying emotional and spiritual problems faced by the addict. Without tackling the underlying causes of addiction, treatment will not be successful in the long term.

This is why therapy is recommended for people who want to overcome their addiction. Therapy may take the form of individual or group sessions, or a combination of both.

Group therapy

Group therapy has the advantage of providing addicts with peer support and helping them to understand that they are not alone, and that their problems are not unique. This can be a tremendous source of comfort and emotional strength, which is particularity important during the initial, very difficult, stages of cessation.

While the support gained from a group therapy session is valuable, it is important that these sessions are coordinated trained professionals. Group therapy is not merely a talking shop – it is about confronting difficult emotional problems – so the therapy sessions need to be guided by experienced therapists.

12 Step recovery programme

Some addiction centres incorporate a 12 Step recovery programme into their programme. Not all treatment centres use a 12 Step programme, but there is evidence that including the programme in the treatment regimen leads to a better rate of success.

Following the principles of the 12 Step programme can help patients work through their difficulties and find purpose and motivations.

Experience shows the programme increases the chance of remaining clean and decreases the likelihood of relapse.

Achieving a balanced lifestyle

A good in-patient addiction treatment centre will probably supplement therapy sessions with workshops and lectures. But overcoming addiction is, in no small part, about finding a sense of balance. A holistic addiction recovery programme may also offer activities and excursions that help addicts to lead healthier, more balanced lives. A variety of fun activities can also make the treatment process less arduous.

Centres may offer sports or hikes, and may even include activities like yoga or tai chi. A healthy eating plan is also often considered integral to a holistic treatment programme.
A tranquil, secluded environment can also be beneficial while experiencing treatment. Patients generally value the opportunity to step outside of everyday demands and focus on overcoming their addiction.

This is not because addiction recovery programmes are an escape from everyday life. On the contrary, the purpose of these programmes is to give patients the space and support to deal with their problems so that they can return as productive members of society.