It’s becoming more and more common in the UK and in some parts of the United States: where drug courts provide drug addiction treatment for those who committed nonviolent crimes while under the influence of drugs or in pursuit of money to buy more drugs, many who stand before a judge as a result are actually requesting to be remanded to treatment. In fact, some “criminals” are asking for drug treatment, saying that they hoped to be arrested for their crimes so that they could get the help that they couldn’t get for themselves out on the street.

One car thief, Stewart Reith, recently stood before a judge in the UK and asked to be locked up so that he could get drug rehabilitation help. The judge said ‘yes.’

Everything about Reith’s crime was very highly visible. He went to a car dealership and posed as a staff member, walking the floor with a clipboard and wearing the company jacket. The cameras on site captured him getting into the Vauxhall Corsa VRM and driving away; the car was found a few days later without its tires.

Even with the camera footage of Reith doing the crime, there was no forensic evidence to help investigators track him down from the abandoned vehicle. The homeless Reith ultimately turned himself in and gave law enforcement all the details they needed, saying he had stolen the car with the hope of selling it to fund his habit but couldn’t find any buyers.

Finding Drug Rehab the Right Way

Reith’s story sheds light on the sheer desperation that many living with addiction feel when it comes to conquering their drug abuse issues. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish even with all the right resources – those who are alone and without support have almost no chance. Not everyone is lucky enough to have family who will help them get the help they need to heal or friends who will persevere and help them to enroll in treatment.

If someone you care about is living with a drug or alcohol addiction, don’t wait to confront the issue. They may not be immediately ready to enter drug rehab, but if they have the determination to get clean, you can help them find a drug rehab that can help.

The Orchid offers a comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment program that treats women who are living with a drug dependence. Call now to find out how you can help a woman you care about get the help she needs to start a new life without addiction.

It’s not an uncommon thing for a family court judge to demand: parents with drug abuse and addiction histories may be required to take drug tests in order to maintain custody of their children. It’s something that both Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller were required to do, according to TMZ. And also according to TMZ, that requirement has been removed from their agreement, meaning neither one now has to undergo drug testing in order to maintain custody of their children – mildly troubling given the drug history of both celebs. In the face of Sheen’s increasingly erratic behavior and Mueller repeated trips to drug rehab, it seems like revoking that particular order was a little premature.

But what about when it happens to you? How do you handle it and how do you earn the trust of the judge?

Child Custody Decisions are Made for the Benefit of the Child

Remember that the judge did not order you to undergo drug testing to be vindictive or judgmental. Chances are, he or she made the decision based on the fact that you have a history of drug and/ or alcohol addiction or knowing that you were released from drug rehab within the past year. Both of these factors makes you a high risk for relapse – and therefore, a risk for your children.

Family court judges know that children fare best when being raised by their parents, unless those parents are living with an active addiction. Drug testing is done purely to ensure that the children are being cared for properly and to make sure that they have attentive caregivers. It’s impossible to be that person if you are high, and hopefully, the threat of drug testing and losing your children will be one more reason to stay clean and sober and avoid relapse.

Earning Your Way Out of Drug Testing Requirements

In most cases, if you can demonstrate that you are clean and sober for six months to a year, that you can continually provide your children with a safe and secure place to live, and that your children are doing well and thriving in your care, then most judges will relax their drug testing requirements. You may still have occasional visits from a state employee or be required to check in every six months or so with the family court judge and provide proof that you are still employed and that the children are doing well in school, but over time, the court will recognize your good faith efforts and allow you to continue in the new life that you’ve created for yourself and your family.

What has your experience been with family court after drug addiction treatment? Do you believe that the system is fairly set up to support the best interest of the kids? Leave us a comment!

In England, one small town was famous for one thing: it’s red light district and the five women who died selling sex on the streets. The murders of those women was a tragedy but one good thing came out of it: the events encouraged many of the street women to get clean and sober and change the lives they were leading.

One woman who kicked her heroin addiction and crack addiction during this period with the help of the local police department and a local nonprofit said: “Due to my drug addiction, it was an endless circle of clients, scoring drugs, popping in an alley to do your drugs, seeing another client.”

But no longer. This small town has become an example to other towns in England also plagued by the problems of prostitution and drug addiction. Police departments are taking note on how to identify just how great is the need in their town and address that need by providing services that are effective, including drug addiction treatment.

This doesn’t mean that there is no longer an issue with prostitution or that women are no longer selling sex in order to afford crack or heroin. What it means, though, is that the problem is no longer on the street, which provides the women with more protection from those who would hurt them or abuse their marginalized status. Though there are still massage parlors and call girls, residents feel much relieved by the changes that have been made.

There’s something to be said for making the most out of a tragedy. When we hear about what happens to those who live without getting the treatment they need for drug and alcohol addiction, it can be saddening but it can also serve as a call to action. Looking inward and taking an accounting of all the damage caused by a personal drug addiction can reveal that treatment is needed immediately. Sometimes it takes a serious incident or tragedy to provide the catalyst for treatment and real change.

What made you get the treatment you need? If you haven’t yet gone to drug rehab, what made you consider it as an option? How did you know it was time?

If you are thinking about choosing a drug rehab to fight heroin addiction or crack addiction, consider our program here at The Orchid. Designed for women no matter what their history with drugs and alcohol, we provide personalized treatment for those in need. Call now to find out more.

Not only can you be addicted to love – like you can be addicted to almost anything – but new studies are comparing love addiction and the effects of a break-up to the effects of drug addiction and trying to ‘kick the habit’ with your drug of choice. Brain scans reveal that physiologically, the changes that occur when we heal from a broken heart are very similar to those who are healing after a physical and psychological dependence upon an addictive substance.

Brain Scans? How is a Breakup Similar to Drug Addiction Recovery?

A biological anthropologist at Rutgers University, Helen Fisher, took a look at the brain scans of college-age students when they were shown pictures of their ex. Apparently, the same parts of the brain lit up on the scan that were associated with cocaine and nicotine addiction, physical pain and distress.

In a way, it makes sense. Consider the actions deemed acceptable by those going through a serious break-up – would an objective person obsess over their ex, imagine that he or she wants them back and take measures to make that happen, or crave their attention by calling obsessively or showing up anywhere where the ex might appear? It’s the same kind of behavior displayed by someone fighting drug addiction: they, too, obsess over their drug of choice, rationalize why continued use won’t hurt them or is even good for them, and go out of their way – even making dangerous choices – to get more of the drug they crave.

The end result is a deep depression or anxiety and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts and ideations. The solution? Treatment.

Is There Treatment for Love Addiction?

No. But there is treatment for drug addiction and very often the two issues collide. Many who go through a breakup report heavy usage of alcohol, painkillers, heroin and other drugs designed to ‘numb’ the pain. They are so depressed that they see no reason to pull themselves out of their growing addiction despite all the problems they are causing themselves as a result. Drug addiction treatment can help those in this situation to get back on track, while also receiving counseling and grief treatment for the issues related to the breakup. This two-pronged approach to recovery can help the individual struggling to get back to a place of balance emotionally and further their progress in drug addiction treatment.

Drug Addiction Treatment Help for Women

If you are a woman who is struggling with a breakup as well as drug and alcohol addiction, an intensive treatment program can help you to process what happened and move forward in your life. Contact us at The Orchid today to learn how we can help you.

Mackenzie Phillips has been in and out of the headlines for decades – first, as the daughter of “Papa” John Phillips, founder of the band the Mamas and the Papas, then as an actress, later for her drug addiction and lastly, for her adult affair with her biological father. Her memoir, High on Arrival, came out last year and the public was shocked that she described her sexual relationship with her father as consensual. She has since released the book in paperback and updated her characterization of the relationship, now saying that she was a victim of incest and that her father was a predator.

The confessions, the drug addiction, a serious relapse– all this has been a part of Phillips’ long road to where she is today, and today, Phillips is full of hope and looking forward to a brighter future without drugs.

Mackenzie Phillips and Drug Addiction

The actress’s drug addiction got her fired from the popular TV sitcom One Day at a Time not once but twice. In her book, Phillips writes about staying sober for 10 years – only to lose it when she was given prescription painkillers. She soon developed a painkiller addiction and then built up to a heroin addiction that had her shooting the drug every 20 minutes. This drug abuse stint ended when she was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport on her way to film a One Day at a Time reunion on the Rachael Ray Show. At that time, Mackenzie says that she got clean and has stayed that way ever since.

Family Issues, Confessions and Chyna

Phillips has said that she has no contact with any of her siblings, including Chynna Phillips, formerly of the band Wilson Phillips. Though Chynna supported Phillips when the book first hit the shelves, Phillips says that Chynna has since gone into rehab for anxiety and has not spoken to her since. Phillips says that Chynna has made comments that imply Phillips wrote the book for money and that the two have agreed to take a break; both comments, says Phillips, are untrue. While she seems to regret the effect of her drug addiction and confessions on her family, Phillips says that without the drama, she and her son, Shane, 24, are better off.

Honesty in Recovery

Phillips says that she feels no regret about writing or publishing the book. Phillips told ParentDish: “I’m very sorry it’s caused this rift in my family, but I feel beholden to a much bigger community of survivors and addicts who have been given a voice where they felt they had none as a result of someone finally coming forward and saying, ‘Look, here’s what happened.’”

She has little concern about a future relapse because, now that she has been honest about everything in her life, she feels more free than she ever has.

If you have been a victim of incest, do not hesitate to get therapeutic treatment. Drug addiction often stems from trauma and if you are struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, drug rehab is your best option. Contact us today to identify the right type of drug rehab for your needs.