Newport Academy is dedicated to a supportive and collaborative relationship with our clients, treatment providers and professionals. Welcome to the conversation.

Archive for the ‘Teen Drug Rehab’ Category

Old School vs. New School Treatment - Part 1

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Let's get with the times...

Let's get with the times...

“Institutions become fossilized because they become more concerned with preservation than with the mission upon which they were founded.” - Former US President

The most common question I get is “what makes Newport Academy different from other treatment centers?”  Allow me to answer that in a series of blogs…

Most of the treatment programs out there are stuck in the Stone Age and their treatment modalities are outdated.  When I was a teenager, I was sent to a teen treatment center founded in 1949.  At first thought, you may think, as did my family, “oh, these people have been around a while, they must be good at what they do.”  And they may well have been back in the 50’s compared to the alternatives. Well, in the late 90’s, they were a little behind the times.  You see, the traditional 12-step* treatment model suggests that you write all of your problems down on a piece of paper, then share them with another human being (sponsor), ask “god” to remove your problems, and then go about your business… Are you kidding me?  No, seriously.  So, if you were raped, fondled, molested, assaulted, you have issues over your parents divorce, or your dad beat you as a child, you write this down, tell someone and then it is ok.  Sorry, that didn’t work for me.  When I went to this very well respected (why? I have no idea) teen treatment center, we sat in co-ed groups all day long and read the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (informative, but not too interesting for a teenager).  Seriously, all the groups we had were centered on the Big Book.  I met with my counselor (no, not licensed psychotherapist) once each week for about 50 minutes.  Other than that, if we made our beds and cleaned our bathrooms, we got to go to the YMCA once a week (yay!).   Let me also mention that the facility was represented as “residential” but I will tell you that the accommodations were not much more than that of a hospital (food included, you know, the super high sodium stuff that is so good for you).  The facility was co-ed, so yes, there were boys and girls living close enough to each other.  Most of the down time was spent wondering how I could get Sally into the closet for one-on-one therapy (can you blame a teenage boy that has been taken out of his comfort zone for wanting a little loving from someone that “understood” where he was coming from?).  While I was at this treatment center, my parents were invited to come once for 3.5 days and spent their time with 20 other families watching videos and listening to lectures.  I met with my family for a total of an hour (yes, 1 hour of family therapy).  How much did this program cost?  Around $28,000 for 30 days.  Yes, their program was and still is just a 30 day program.  As we see in countless studies, 30 days doesn’t really do much in terms of long term effects, as was my case.

So, being a fairly high functioning, athletic, high IQ kid, my first glimpse of sobriety was not a shining one.

More to come…..

*I should clarify by saying that I am a big fan and member of a 12-step program that I attend on a somewhat regular basis.  Thanks.

Teen Adderall Abuse

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Teen Adderall Abuse

by Scott Sowle

Executive Director - Newport Academy

The different forms of Adderall

The different forms of Adderall - a drug widely abused by teens.

Teen Adderall abuse has increased dramatically in the past few years with pediatricians writing more than half of the prescriptions for this highly addictive amphetamine. In fact, there has been a spike in prescriptions of over 500% in the past 10 years. Most notably, children and teens are prescribed Adderall for attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD.) When used as prescribed by a physician, Adderall can reduce anxiety in teens and calm their hyperactivity allowing them to more readily focus on tasks at hand. The problem with this however, is that there is a significant amount of misdiagnosis on the part of pediatricians and manipulation of symptoms on the part of teens who are drug seeking. Also, many teens who have been prescribed Adderall for obvious ADD or ADHD are often providing their friends with pills or selling them to classmates and other drug seeking teens. Additionally,  Adderall is also one of the most highly sought after prescription medicines and is often stolen from those licensed to dispense it. More recently, and more alarmingly, teens are using the internet to obtain Adderall and other stimulants. According to recent data, over 4% of high school seniors reported non-medical use of stimulants and there are over 2,000 emergency room visits involving teens and stimulants every year. This number is obviously low as the number of teens who do under report or do not report their use is significant.

Unfortunately teens who begin use of stimulants such as Adderall for properly diagnosed ADD and ADHD, can easily abuse this amphetamine and become addicted. Signs of the onset of addiction to Adderall include irritability, weight loss, outbursts of aggression, paranoia, inability to sleep, picking at the skin, noticeable changes in appearance, and in some cases the onset of more serious psychiatric symptoms. This can be disconcerting to both and parents and teens, as the stimulant when first prescribed and introduced may have had desirous effects such as increased focus on school work and overall concentration. In short, Adderall needs to be prescribed by a physician who understand the potential for abuse, signs and symptoms of abuse, and effective treatment options if necessary. Parents need to be diligent about the use of stimulants such as Adderall, monitor that their children are using the stimulants as prescribed, monitor that pill counts are conducted routinely to make sure that their teen is not selling his/her prescribed medication, monitor their teens computers and internet access (as well as read their texts if necessary), and take  a more proactive stance in monitoring their teens behavior.

If you are a parent who suspects that your teen may be abusing stimulants or if you’re a teen who is concerned about your own drug use, please feel free to call Newport Academy to discuss ways we can help you.  Call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - 1.877.628.3367

Click here to read more about Newport Academy Teen Drug Rehab

SAMHSA Proving Gender-Specific Treatment for Females Is More Effective

Friday, January 15th, 2010
All female treatment more effective according to SAMHSA

All female treatment more effective according to SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says that a new substance abuse treatment model for females, developed by Northeastern’s Institute on Urban Health Research in collaboration with the Boston Public Health Commission, shows superior outcomes when compared to standard addiction treatment methods.

What makes the BCM approach unique, according to Institute on Urban Health Research director Hortensia Amaro, is that it links several critical factors in the patients’ experience.

“Women with drug addiction disorders have high rates of mental illness and a history of childhood and adult physical and sexual abuse, which are often both precursors to and consequences of drug abuse,” said Amaro, an associate dean and professor in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences who led the research and program development.

The BCM takes a multi-pronged approach, including pharmacological and behavioral treatment for addiction, mental illness, and trauma. Additionally, workshops in leadership, economic planning, family reunification, and parenting allowed participants to build the skills necessary for a successful recovery.

Females who participated in the integrated BCM program showed superior long-term benefits when compared to those who underwent traditional substance abuse treatment. Participants reported fewer mental health and post-traumatic stress symptoms, fewer HIV risk behaviors, and more power in decision making with their partners at both the six- and 12-month marks after completing the program. In addition, BCM intervention patients had higher drug abstinence rates.

To read more about how Gender-Specific Treatment works at Newport Academy, Click Here.

© 2009 Newport Academy
Newport Academy is a gender-specific, comprehensive, residential treatment program for teens suffering from substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. If you or your child needs help, please do call us as soon as possible. We are always on call and willing to help if given the opportunity. Please call Newport Academy at 877.628.3367.