I remember all too well trying to find an inpatient drug rehab facility for my son several years ago. He was just 14 and already in way over his head. He needed help but I had no idea how to find it.

I know that we hear every day about another celebrity getting into some kind of trouble and entering a drug treatment program. In some ways, it’s become a joke because these celebrities are obviously doing what their handlers tell them to do. What irks me is that they can afford this great treatment while so many of us struggle to afford any treatment at all.

So what should the rest of us do when faced with the need for drug addiction treatment? How does the average person living in Anytown, USA find an effective, affordable drug rehab facility? If your area is anything like mine, the local hospitals and mental health services facilities won’t be able to offer you the kind of help you can get online.

That’s right, I found help online. It took me several days to do the research but I finally found a facility nearby. If you’re engaged in a similar search, you won’t have to spend days looking, though. I’ve just discovered 1800nodrugs.com and my first thought was, “Where were you when I needed you?” My second thought was, “Thank you!” because anyone who has been through this sincerely hopes that others will have an easier time than they did.

This site is really a one-stop blessing for anyone touched by addiction. The information provided is a must-read, whether you need to learn about club drugs or heroin or marijuana. The section on prescription drug addiction, one of the most widespread yet well-hidden problems among every age group, enlightened even me. And all of this information, including their referral service, is free. This non-profit organization is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee for their services.

I’m aware that the success of any drug rehab program depends entirely on the addict wanting to get well. No program can work if the desire to be clean isn’t there. However, my son did not want to be clean when he went into the rehab facility. The program and those who were involved with my son broke through my sons “garbage” thoughts and somehow, my son decided he wanted to be clean. That was over 4 years ago. He’ll be 19 this week and he’s still clean.

Please, if you love someone who is suffering from addiction, visit the website to learn about this disease and call these wonderful people to talk to them about what is available to you. You just never know what may happen until you take that first step.

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Someone I know is trying to quit smoking. He asked online about tips and tricks to succeed. I know all about trying and failing; I did just that many times. So how did I succeed this last time? Well, I think I’ve succeeded by using what I learned while my son was in a drug rehab facility.

During our family group therapy sessions, the staff stressed NA, AA and the 12 step program. I saw how 12 steps could work for addiction and realized that nicotine, while legal, is an addiction also. If it works for alcohol or crack or crystal meth or whatever, why not for cigarettes?

It did work. I’ve been smoke free for 18 months this coming Monday. And I’m still working my program.

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Do you remember when you were a kid? I guess it’s farther away for some than for others. I remember, even though at times it seems like another lifetime. I remember thinking I was invincable. I thought of that today when my mom mentioned a tragic railroad accident from a few years ago involving kids playing chicken with a train.

I may not have taken that kind of chance when I was a kid but I did take others. In fact, up until last year I continued to take a chance with my life every time I lit up a cigarette. It was that feeling of invincibility that allowed me to pick up that first cigarette; it was addiction that kept me smoking for 33 years. And let’s face it, smoking is not much different than playing chicken with a train. It’s a stupid risk that really isn’t worth taking.

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There’s been so much talk about Anna Nicole Smith and her prescription drug addiction. That’s good. If nothing else comes of this tragedy and the media’s non-stop reporting of it, at least we’ve brought this serious issue to the forefront.

A dangerous myth surrounding this type of addiction, though, is that this is an addiction of the rich and famous. For some reason, we think of Elvis in comparison. We think that the average, everyday addict is usuing cocaine, crystal meth or pot. We just don’t think about the average person abusing prescription medications.

But the average person does. It’s more prevalent than most people realize and has been going on in suburbia for decades. And women are most often involved. Just because a doctor is prescribing, doesn’t mean there is no addiction and doesn’t mean that it’s safe.

So if you’re tired of Anna Nicole Smith and want to move on to something more useful and pertinent, research drug addiction. Get involved in community efforts to help those who suffer from it. Reach out to families who are dealing with a loved one’s addiction. In this way, you can make Anna Nicole Smith deserving of the publicity she always craved and is now recieving.

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I don’t think I’ll ever figure out how people in power can deny the problems that are staring them in the face. It’s as though the minute we elect someone to office they lose the part of their brain that does the critical thinking. They just walk around repeating pithy phrases as though life is just one continuous sound bite.

Around here we have kids dying every week from drug overdoses. And by kids I mean teens and young adults. There have been over a dozen that I have known personally, who have walked into my home, who rode in my car. And that doesn’t even count the ones who are walking zombies. Kids who played ball with my boys, who spent the night here, jump between heroin and their methodone treatment, then back to the heroin again. The cycle never ends.

From what I’ve seen of methodone treatment, it isn’t working. What these addicts really need is a comprehensive, inpatient drug rehab center. We need this nearby, not 100 miles away, so that parents and siblings can be part of the recovery. Like it or not, the entire family is part of the addiction and the entire family needs treatment. That doesn’t happen when the addict is sent hundreds of miles away. At some point, they must return to their family and community, neither of which have changed. We need neighborhood drug rehab facilities.

Why don’t we have them? Because, according to one local mayor, our problem is no worse than anywhere else in the country. According to the people in the local towns, we need help but Not In My Backyard.

I have to wonder how many people we need to lose before something is really done about this.

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Maybe it’s because Britney Spears is about the age of one of my sons, but I’m feeling really bad for her right now. She doesn’t need someone to party with or clean up her mistakes. She needs her mom.

Hey, Britney’s mom, where are you?

I know Britney is an adult. She’s a mother as well. Nevertheless, someone needs to get that girl to see what she’s doing. Someone needs to be brutally honest with her. Someone needs to point out that her sons already have one parent who’s a waste; she can’t let them down, too.

I happen to like Britney Spears. I don’t like when people bash her. I don’t like seeing her destroy herself, either. She needs to understand that she must learn to love herself. Everything she’s doing right now reflects some real hatred for who she is.

Come on, Britney! You’re pretty, talented and have a heart of gold. Get it together for yourself and those great sons.

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I know all too well the sense of hopelessness when someone you love with all your heart is suffering from addiction. I remember feeling like my whole world was crashing in on me. And I also remember the moment when my son committed himself to recovery.

We were lucky, I suppose. We had treatment available to us. Not everyone does. I’ve seen too many families destroyed by addiction when they had no where to turn. Not everyone has the luxury of drug rehab, either due to finances or location.

Back in 1998, a group of addiction specialists and investors got together and founded the Watershed Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program. They were committed to providing treatment in an affordable way. They opened their first facility in Boca Raton and now have treatment centers in Boynton and Houston, Texas.

I’ve read through the Watershed website and I can’t help but wish that someone would bring this type of treatment to our area. We need it. We need a facility that treats addiction as a disease, because that’s what it is. Addiction is not a character flaw. It’s not weakness. It’s a disease that needs treatment. Watershed treats the disease and helps the person heal.

Perhaps just as important, Watershed has programs for the family as well. Addiction is a family disease. The family group therapy sessions I attended with my son contributed to his ability to remain clean for over 3 years. Watershed recognizes the part played by the enabling family members and works to educate the family about addiction. There is much to be learned.

Watershed Drug and Addiction Treatment Centers off hope to those who feel hopeless. They offer a new, clean life to those who want to overcome the prison of addiction. Watershed goes a step beyond to bring sanity to those living in the insane world of addiction.

This is a sponsored post.

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