Etta James, the legendary singer, passed away this month, leaving behind a library of incredible music and a success story to inspire any woman in recovery. The 73-year-old singer infamously struggled with dependence upon multiple drugs during her career but ultimately overcame addiction. Unlike most who live through what she experienced with drugs, James did not die of an overdose or a health problem related to drugs but of complications of leukemia. Her story is a shining example of what can be accomplished with a life saved from drug addiction.

Drug Abuse and Women in the Workplace

Etta James’ fight is one that many women can relate to. The music business was one that did not value the contribution of women when James was first starting out. Perhaps in an effort to deal with some of the injustices she came up against in her career, James may have turned to drugs, particularly heroin, to escape.

In 1998, another female artist who came up during the same time, the late Ruth Brown, said: “No one who wasn’t there could understand how hard someone like Etta had to fight.”

Though her R&B hit, “At Last” hit #2 in 1961, it only hit #47 on the pop charts. The wider public didn’t notice James until her song was used in a Jaguar car commercial in the early 90s. When Beyonce played a character that was loosely based on her and sang her hit song, “At Last,” in the 2008 movie Cadillac Records, she again was in the spotlight.

Heroin Addiction: An Obstacle to Success

Though it can be theorized that James’ experience in the music business may have had something to do with her addiction to drugs like heroin, it may also be said that her struggle with the drug may have caused her to have more problems making progress in her career.

It’s a combination of hard work and luck that brought Etta James back into the public eye after her initial success on the R&B charts. For women who are currently struggling with heroin addiction, what can be learned from James’ story? If nothing else, had James not beaten her issues with heroin, she would have been unable to enjoy the renewed success of her song in the ‘90s and again in 2008, performing again and again for huge crowds who appreciated her talent and music.

If you are struggling with heroin addiction, don’t let it stop you from showcasing your talent to the world. Contact us today at The Orchid and learn more about our woman-centered rehabilitation programs. Call now.

Mindy McCready lost custody of her five-year-old son to her mother due to issues with illicit substance abuse, according to CNN. However, she made headlines recently when she took her small son from her mother’s Florida home and fled, refusing to return him for days and asking that he be returned to her custody because she feared for his safety with her mother.

Though the judge in the case made no decision about who should have custody of the child (the hearing was continued), it will be up to the judge whether or not McCready’s son is returned to his grandmother, given to his mother, or put into foster care. An emergency pickup order was given for McCready’s son and mother and child were found hiding in a closet a few days later; McCready’s son was then taken into custody by the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services.

McCready’s mother and stepfather have legal custody of her son, but she has visitation rights. Her very public struggle with addiction played a huge part in that development; the country singer took part in the 2009 season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on VH1.

Fighting Addiction and for Custody

Though many women struggle with issues of child custody and volatile family relationships after drug addiction, it’s not an easy road to travel. The emotional stress of being without a child, the guilt involved with losing them in the first place, and the physical issues that come with drug addiction detox and treatment can make it seem like an overwhelming experience. The good news is that, though many women will fight the battle with addiction, many will win. The challenge then becomes proving to the courts that you are ready to regain custody of children who were placed elsewhere during your treatment – again, not a simple task, but one that can be managed with the right perseverance.

Staying Focused

Just like in the achievement of any goal, both drug addiction and navigating through the legal system and child protective services takes focus and commitment. There will be setbacks and surprise obstacles, as well as unexpected twists and turns – some positive, some negative – throughout both experiences. Staying focused on the goal of peace in recovery with your family around you is the only thing that will help you to get to the other side of the experience successfully.

If you would like to start your road to recovery with a comprehensive drug rehab program here at The Orchid, contact us today.

Hospice is intended to be the final phase of healthcare as someone’s life is drawing to close. The work of hospice is generally regarded as more of a mission than a job and its central goal is to keep patients and their families as comfortable as possible as they move through the end-of-life process. The use of prescription painkillers is almost always vital to hospice achieving its goal. Since hospices only accepts patients that doctors believe will pass within the next 180 days, the concept of addiction to the medications prescribed is the least of anyone’s worries as a patient’s comfort becomes paramount.

Nevertheless, medicine is by no means an exact science and predicting when someone will die is not a guarantee, but an educated guess. Currently, 200,000 patients a year survive hospice and are discharged back to live life. After surviving deadly ailments, many of these individuals are left to fight once again for their lives due to an addiction to painkillers.

It is a rare hospice patient that does not receive opioid painkillers-these prescriptions include the likes of morphine and oxycodone. Often patients are receiving much higher doses of these prescriptions than is normal. Dr. Jane Orient, a professor at the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, says she had to remove her father from a hospice who insisted on giving him morphine he did not need.

Hospice Survivors Often Find Themselves In Drug Rehabilitation

This tendency to overmedicate leaves the nearly quarter of a million people a year who survive hospice in grave danger of a prescription drug addiction. Dr. Walter Ling, director of the substance abuse program at UCLA states, “Everybody who works in the drug rehabilitation field finds these hospice cases.”

For-Profit Hospices Possibly Making Money Off Addiction and Illness

Although in general most hospice care follows its guiding principles to the letter and provides a valuable and necessary service for both patients and families, a Harvard Medical School study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) sheds some light on why we are starting to see hospice survivors turning up in drug rehabs. For-profit hospices have quadrupled Medicare hospice spending in the last ten years while not-for-profit have stayed steady. Twenty percent of for-profit hospice patients survive as compared to twelve percent of not-for-profit hospice patients with an average stay of 30 days longer. Nancy Kane, a professor of health policy at Harvard believes from her analysis of the information that “The long lengths of stay and high rates of live discharges suggest some hospices are signing up people who don’t belong in hospice.”

In other words, for-profit hospice may be manipulating medical uncertainties, such as when someone will die, for profit and possibly creating prescription painkiller addicts in the process. What do you think can be done to help curb painkiller addiction for hospice survivors? Do hospices have a responsibility to survivors who develop a dependence? Your opinions are welcome below.

For many moms, the fight against drug addiction is paralleled by their fight to regain custody of the child or children they lost during active addiction. For Teen Mom star Jenelle Evans, it’s a struggle that she lives in front of the media. She lost custody of her son, Jace, to her mother in full view of the reality TV cameras, but now, she’s in marijuana addiction treatment and working hard to regain her sobriety as well as full custody of her little boy.

Hollywood Life eports that Jenelle says that treatment is helping her to get closer to becoming the mother that her son wants and deserves.

Jenelle told the magazine: “I’m doing everything in the right direction. I’ve learned how to control my anger.”

Recognizing Obstacles to Recovery

Some believe that one of Jenelle’s biggest problems is her choices in companionship. Her ex-boyfriend, Kieffer Delp, has been in and out of jail and some say that their relationship encouraged Jenelle to begin smoking marijuana in the first place and may have contributed to the development of her addiction. The hope is that she’ll make choices in future relationships that prioritize her son and minimize her chances of relapse.

This is a common problem among women in recovery. Boyfriends or partners who abuse drugs are one of the biggest reasons that women ultimately relapse and find themselves again in need of treatment – and in some cases, in front of a judge as well.

Fighting Obstacles to Custody

Women in recovery who are ready to regain custody may find that many in authority positions disagree. It may be necessary to prove to a judge, a case manager, or Child Protective Services (CPS) that you have secured and maintained a job that can support your child, that you have a home that will serve your child and be safe, and that you have adequate child care and transportation that makes sure that they always have access to the care that they need.

In Jenelle’s case, her mother, Barbara Evans, has full custody and reportedly doesn’t feel that her daughter is yet ready to take on the responsibility of full-time parenting.

She told Hollywood Life: “Jenelle continues to struggle with motherhood.”

But she went on to say: “I can never give up on my daughter, and it’s important to me that Jace has a close relationship with his mom.”

In the end, Jenelle’s success in regaining custody of Jace will come when she successfully fights marijuana addiction. Other mothers in the same position will find that their success is no more complicated than that.

If you would like to learn more about the drug rehab options we provide women here at The Orchid, contact us today for more information.

Things aren’t going so well for the former Miss Russia, Anna Malova: she recently found herself back in jail after being dismissed from a rehab for assaulting another patient in the program.

Malova was crowned Miss Russia back in 1998 and later moved to the United States. However, in 2010, Malova was faced 44 charges ranging from theft to forgery and illegal purchase and possession of illicit substances. She pled not guilty to all charges but was arrested again this spring and ultimately ended up incarcerated.

Bad Decisions = Criminal Charges

It seems that the alleged charges may be a result of a long standing issue with drugs and alcohol. Her attempt at a year-long drug and alcohol addiction treatment program were court-mandated and her inability to stay in the program due to an altercation with another patient s well as breaking a few other rules. Her initial 44 charges were pending based on her ability to complete the program. Unfortunately, her expulsion meant that she was not cleared of those charges. When she stands in front of the judge, she could be looking at up to seven years in prison – or she could be offered the chance to go back to rehab.

Second Chances

There are a number of reasons why a court-mandated drug rehab may not end happily for the patient and expulsion is one of them. People get thrown out for bringing drugs into the facility, for relapsing, for leaving the program, and for breaking other rules – like in the case of Miss Russia who reportedly assaulted another patient, read someone’s diary, and stole food from the refrigerator. Other than the assault, some of these rules may seem unimportant but they all help the patient build toward a life structured by respect for rules, respect for others, and a respect for self.

In some cases, the courts may offer second chances and, those who are lucky, will find that the rehabilitation center, too, is open to offering the patient a chance to return to the program. There may be a period where demonstrating commitment is required and certain limitations may be imposed, but if the ultimate result is sobriety – and avoiding incarceration – it’s well worth it.

Would you like to learn more about the recovery program options available at The Orchid? We offer a range of options for women ready to fight against drug and alcohol addiction. Call now for more information.