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Substance Use Disorder

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Recovery is a team effort

Men and women have different needs when it comes to drug rehab. However, why is it that so many rehab centers don’t focus on these differences? At Zelus Recovery, we pride ourselves on offering gender-specific treatment for men and women. Our womens rehab program caters to the needs of young adult women, giving them a better chance to recover.

IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER AN ILLNESS OR A CHOICE?

Insurance law changed in the recent past, listing addiction as an actual brain disease and not a “bad habit.” Because of these changes, your insurance policy now covers your teen or young adult’s treatment. Of course, that coverage varies from policy to policy and person to person. For clear language and billing, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) now calls addiction a “substance use disorder.”

When you gain a diagnosis of a substance use disorder in your teen or young adult, their doctor usually goes a step further and classifies it as a mild, moderate, or severe condition. This classification comes from a review of their symptoms, health, and substance abuse methods. All of this information comes together to help them get the right level of care for long-term recovery.

WHAT COUNTS AS A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER?

Any dependency on a substance counts as a substance use disorder. The American Psychological Association uses a variety of criteria to classify how severe a substance use disorder is. These criteria include:

  • When you don’t use the drug or alcohol, you suffer from withdrawal symptoms, which don’t go away until you use more of the substance.
  • You’ve developed a tolerance for the substance, meaning that you need to take more of it to get the same effects.
  • You continue to use the substance, even though you know it causes hazardous mental or physical conditions.
  • You frequently use the substance in dangerous situations, such as driving drunk or while under the influence.
  • You’ve frequently given up professional, recreational, or social activities in order to use the substance.
  • Your substance abuse has led to interpersonal problems.
  • Using the substance has led to a failure to fulfill work, home, or school responsibilities.
  • When you don’t use the substance, you get strong urges to use it again.
  • You spend a significant amount of time getting the substance, using the substance, or recovering from using it.
  • You’ve tried, or you want to try cutting down or controlling your substance abuse, but you’ve failed to do so.
  • You take more of the substance or use it for more extended amounts of time than you originally intended to.

If you have two or three of the symptoms of a substance use disorder, you likely have a mild dependency. Four or five signs will land you in the classification of a moderate disorder, and six or more criteria means you have a severe dependence.

Persistent follow-up, very flexible with our personal requirements, accepts our insurance, friendly staff and very welcoming environment.

-Stephanie G.

ALCOHOL AS A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is just one of the multiple defined substance use disorders. Older terms for this condition include alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and alcoholism. This condition leads to serious health problems, even at your teen or young adult’s age. It derails their career goals, education, social life, and reputation from what should be an enjoyable, exciting time in their life. In 2012, about 64 percent of 12th-grade students abused alcohol. About 24 percent of 8th graders also drank alcohol. This number is tragic, considering the amount of problems drinking can cause for young bodies, minds, and your young person’s safety. Moderate alcohol use disorder includes one drink per day for adult women and two drinks per day for adult men. In young people, alcohol affects them more and can put them at high risk for accidents and other problems, even at this moderate level. Binge drinking is a significant problem among young people. This habit is especially prevalent during the college years when access to alcohol also increases. Binge drinking is having five or more alcoholic drinks on one occasion. Heavy drinking is having five or more drinks on five or more days within each month.

MARIJUANA AS A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER

This disorder, more technically called cannabis use disorder, is pervasive among young people. In 2014, one in fifteen Americans aged 12 or older reported using marijuana within the previous 30 days. About 42 million of these people have an actual cannabis use disorder and need treatment. The average age for starting the use of cannabis is 18.5. With the recent legalization of marijuana in some states, many people question whether the overuse of marijuana is possible. But this overuse is common and can cause many life problems, starting with issues at school, work, and home life. Many people overuse marijuana, much like alcohol, despite the drug being legal.

OTHER DRUG USE AS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

Multiple types of drugs lead to problems for people of all ages. These include stimulants, hallucinogens, and opioids. You hear these called substance use disorders in general, or precisely as stimulant use disorder, hallucinogen use disorder, and opioid use disorder. The most commonly abused stimulants include amphetamines, cocaine, and meth. Hallucinogens include LSD and mushrooms. Opioids include heroin, prescription painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone, fentanyl, codeine, and morphine. Regardless of the type of drug your young person abuses, they need help from a quality substance use disorder treatment program, such as Zelus Recovery in Meridian, Idaho.

TREATMENT OPTIONS AT ZELUS

At Zelus Recovery, we know that there are many types of substance abuse disorders in the United States today. We offer a variety of treatment programs, including:
  • Alcohol abuse disorder
  • Marijuana abuse disorder
  • Opioid abuse disorder
  • Heroin abuse disorder
  • Meth abuse disorder
Additionally, we understand that many times, mental disorders are connected to substance abuse. Perhaps your teen began using alcohol to overcome their depression symptoms. Conversely, maybe your teen’s meth abuse caused an anxiety disorder. Whatever the case, if your child struggles with a substance abuse disorder and a mental disorder, it is imperative to treat both at the same time. If you choose only to address one or the other, the untreated disorder can cause a relapse. For example, if your teen gets treatment for their alcohol addiction, their depression symptoms come back full-force. Unable to handle these symptoms, your teen begins drinking again to self-medicate. This type of relapse is dangerous, as your teen may assume that they can drink at the same levels they did before treatment, which can lead to an overdose. In order to treat both the mental health disorder and the addiction, we recommend dual diagnosis treatment. This method simultaneously treats both disorders, and ultimately helps your loved one’s mental and physical health.

QUALITY TREATMENT FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS

When your teen or young adult faces a substance use problem, they need professional help to get their life back on track for the future they truly deserve. Zelus Recovery works with teens and young adults to help them overcome substance abuse and build a brighter future that brings them lifelong satisfaction and joy, without alcohol or drugs. Substance abuse programs of Zelus Recovery include:
  • Intensive outpatient programs
  • Outpatient rehab
  • Early intervention for adolescents
  • Family program
  • Multi-systemic family approach
  • Ages teen to 25

Your young adult or teen can get his or her life back on track, with the right help. That help comes from Zelus Recovery in Meridian, Idaho. Call Zelus Recovery now at 208.518.0797 for more information about available programs for a substance use disorder.