When Do Most Alcoholics Have Their First Drink?

Most alcoholics begin drinking in their teens, but the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has concluded that a third of kids between ages 12 and 17 had their first drink before the age of 13. The Partnership for a Drug Free America revealed that ten percent of nine year olds have had more than a sip of alcohol. Columbia’s research indicates that people who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol and substance abuse problems than people who wait until they are 21 or older to begin drinking.
Many parents may expect to look for signs of alcohol abuse in high school, but more and more young people are abusing alcohol at much earlier ages. I think my drinking went undetected for some time simply because my parents did not assume their 12 or 13 year old could possibly have an alcohol problem. Unfortunately, as my drinking progressed, so did the consequences that became impossible to ignore. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t a phase I was going through. Even at that young age, I felt that alcohol would always be a part of my daily life. I couldn’t imagine getting by without it.
I’m sure it was difficult for my parents to conclude that someone so young might actually need adolescent drug and alcohol treatment. It was certainly hard for me to think that I could possibly be an alcoholic at fourteen. Our culture often defines alcoholics as a real “grown up” disease, and recovery programs tend to cater to an older crowd. Fortunately, this attitude is changing, thanks to more media coverage and to adolescent treatment centers.
Visions was made just for me, and kids like me. No one there questioned my alcohol problem. They didn’t act like I was going through a phase, or acting out for attention. They gave me the serious attention I needed. As I have stayed sober over the years, I have come to believe that anyone has the right to recovery, regardless of age or anything else. Coming to Visions helped me take my problem seriously. Alcoholism destroys lives no matter how old you are, so why prolong the destruction? I’ve always felt that if I couldn’t pull off drinking into my twenties even, then I am definitely an alcoholic. Sometimes in 12 step meetings, older people like to joke about how young I am and even question why I’m there. I know that if I kept going at my previous rate, I might not get another chance to recover. I might be dead or in jail instead. I don’t care about those people and what they think of me. I’m changing my life. I’m getting another chance, and I will do what I need to do to keep it. Visions bolstered my resolve to recover. Going to meetings with them helped me remember that they had my back- that they believed in my ability to change my life. I know that there are more kids getting that chance every day there. I see them at meetings, or at alumni functions, or when I go there to work with a sponsee. Some people may not believe in the idea of a preteen alcoholic, but Visions does and for that I got a life. A real, good life.

Bam Margera's suspected "overdose"

Medical sources report Bam Margera's suspected "overdose" was a legitimate case of dehydration?

Margera was in the middle of a 4-day drinking binge to drown his marital sorrows when he was rushed to the hospital after his wife Missy learned the Jackass star had taken an Ambien on top of all the booze, according to Margera's mom.

Mixing Benzodiazepams like Ambien, Xanax, Valume...with alcohol is extremely dangerous and often results in overdose but apparently not for Bam.

Bam says he managed to damage his kidney and leg muscles from not keeping sufficiently hydrated or nourished while drinking.

Margera has returned home from the hospital after getting the green light from a psychiatrist and claims he's in "good health."

Might wanna lay off the booze, though! or you he may need to fallow his cast mate Stevo into recovery.

For more information about Visions please click here teen drug treatment

Am I an Alcoholic?

One major university has concluded a study indicating that underage drinkers consume 90% of their alcohol while binge drinking. This is no surprise to me really. Our culture, including the media, often promotes this attitude towards drinking. The problem for young people, is that younger drinking increases the chances of dependent drinking later on, and for some of us, that happens much earlier than others. The way I know that I was different from my drinking peers is that my life became quite unmanageable pretty quickly. I was consumed with the need to drink, and the longer I drank, the more I turned to other substances to increase my levels of intoxication. It was hard for me to see my peers “successfully” partying without the consequences I seemed to have. I couldn’t understand how they could be more in control than me. I resented having to go to adolescent rehab while my friends stayed home and continued to have fun. Fortunately, I was so miserable deep down that I felt desperate enough to give rehab a chance.
The following questions are taken from Alcoholics Anonymous’ website. These are the questions that really stood out to me and helped me honestly see my addiction to alcohol for what it was:

Do you ever wish people would mind their own business about your drinking- stop telling you what to do?
Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
Have you had problems connected to drinking in the last year?
Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Do you ever try to get “extra” drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?
Do you ever have “blackouts”?
Have you ever had an “eye-opener” upon awakening during the last year? (a drink in the morning)
Have you ever decided you would stop drinking for a week only to last a couple of days?
Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?

These questions helped me realize that maybe I wasn’t participating in normal social drinking. For whatever reason, I am an addict and alcoholic, and I just can’t succeed when I drink and use. Visions gave me the safe environment to build a new way of life. If these questions have led you to a similar conclusion, don’t hesitate to contact Visions today.

A new way of life is right in front of you.

http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=71

Adolescent Outpatient in Newport Beach and The Safe Rides Program

Mission Hospital of Orange County has found a way to help prevent teen drunk driving accidents by providing South County Safe Rides, a program that gives intoxicated Orange County teens a safe ride home. The program enlists high school students who travel in pairs to pick up intoxicated callers and deliver them safely to their destination, thus reducing the number of intoxicated teens on the road. In 2008, the program had over 700 callers. One of the volunteers, a San Clemente High student, argues that teens will continue to get drunk and high, and that this program at least helps to alleviate the dangers of teens drinking and driving. The attention this harm reduction program has garnered also calls attention to the growing number of teens in Orange County abusing alcohol and drugs. In Southern California, where drinking and drug abuse is often portrayed as glamorous, more light must be shed on this very real problem.
As Orange County begins to take notice of this issue, the next step is looking at solutions. Some teens need serious help when it comes to dealing with their drug and alcohol problem. Residential treatment offers a safe place for teens and their families to begin the healing process. In the therapeutic community, teens are given the support and structure needed to help rebuild. I was initially threatened by the idea of structure, but found that it was actually very helpful. Coming from the chaos of my life of addiction, the structured program at Visions made me feel calm, like I could relax and let other people take the reins for a bit. As I learned more tools for self care, I gradually gained more privileges and felt more qualified to make healthy decisions for myself. The periodic field trips and weekly dinner/movie/meeting trips made me realize how much fun can be had in recovery. It was the first time I really felt alive in a long, long time. As I bid farewell to residential treatment and moved along to outpatient, I began to see the huge difference in the person walking in the doors to the person walking out.

DMX in Celebrity Rehab

Rapper DMX will be checking into Dr. Drew’s 3rd season of Celebrity Rehab. The troubled rapper has been plagued by numerous drug-related run-ins with the law. Celebrity Rehab chronicles celebrities attempts at achieving long-term sobriety. Dr. Drew has long been an advocate of residential treatment and 12-step based programs, bringing his latest efforts at Pasadena Recovery Center to the public through his shows, Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. Residential treatment is an excellent choice for anyone struggling with addiction. Many parents may worry about sending their teens to treatment, but I am so glad that my parents and I made the difficult choice. The time I spent at Visions, away from my life in Los Angeles allowed me to focus 100% on my recovery, without the distractions and temptations that I faced at home and at my school. It was like I got to put my life on hold and face what was really going on.
At first, I thought that the suggested 45 days in treatment was going to be the longest time ever. I had no idea how I would live without face book for that long, much less not using drugs! I am so glad I went. Having the chaos of my everyday life taken away from me ended up being an incredible relief. I could calm down and focus on me. Through a highly structured program, I was able to learn new coping skills and ways to deal with my feelings. I began to make friends and saw that I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling. The other residents and I formed bonds of support. At the AA and NA meetings they took us to, I began to see that a life of sobriety was entirely possible- and actually enticing! With the support of my counselors and treatment staff, I began to work on my core issues- the things that kept me using. It wasn’t always easy, but the result is who I am today, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Click here to contact us for more info on rehab in Los Angeles

Article in the LA Times today (“The 30-Day Myth”) Drug Rehab

There was an excellent article in the LA Times today (“The 30-Day Myth”) which supports the idea that for lasting recovery, more treatment time is essential. The 28 day program is simply not working anymore. Research indicates that relapse rates are proportional to how long an individual has been in treatment. Many people come unwillingly into treatment, so their recovery may not even start within the first month. It may take weeks for a patient to “clear” or “detox,” which can also impede progress. These facts are what made Visions reconsider their residential policies.

Visions opened as a 30-90 day treatment program for adolescents. Over time Visions learned what this article reveals; that extended treatment ensures better outcomes in terms of relapse prevention. Currently, the minimum stay at Visions is 45 days. Addictive behaviors develop over time and so it’s no surprise that there is no quick fix in the treatment of addiction.

For more on this topic see today’s paper or follow the link:

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-addiction10-2008nov10,0,1225784.story

Working in Adolescent Drug Treatment

An Outsider’s Perspective

When I started working at Visions Adolescent Drug Treatment Centers two years ago, I didn’t know the 12 Steps from a 12 pack. I wanted to familiarize myself with the program not only for my job, but to satisfy my own curiosity. What I found is that the principles of AA definitely apply to my life. When you get down to it, AA is really about living a life of integrity and service, and staying the course when things go bad. I found that it is about taking care of ourselves and each other, and taking the appropriate actions to right our wrongs. I am lucky to be surrounded by so many recovering adolescent alcoholics and adolescent addicts, and I have nothing but a great respect for those Adolescents and adults who have been reborn through AA, NA, CA or any “A” for that matter!

Singing For the Kids

Singing for the Kids

This past weekend I was out in Riverside, California performing at an amusement park called Castle Park. The purpose for my trip wasn’t to ride rides however. I ended up doing that anyways, but my purpose was to perform. Not some operation or brain surgery, but a musical performance. I am a singer/songwriter or musician if you will. I have been performing since I was 9…mostly through school, but more so on my own these days. In addition to being a starving college student trying to make a name for myself out in LA, I work at Visions. I will justify how it all relates in a second. I love working here at Visions. It’s in my blood. Both of my parents have worked in the psychiatric and drug fields as nurses since I pretty much was born. I have been around rehabs my entire life. I love kids. Having two younger brothers and nieces and a nephew, you tend to love hanging out with kids, and I’m only 21 and by LA standards all I am is a kid myself. Visions was right up my alley. It is important to me as well as my passion to help put a positive influence into a child who has ended up on the wrong side of the road. I tend to not look at this place I work as a place that pays the bills or gets me through school or affords my gas, but more along the lines as a place where you help kids find their dreams again. In addition to that, Visions has helped me become more vocal in the southern California community as a singer in the ways that the promoters and venues and fellow music artists that I sing with and work with are doing shows where we send a positive message to kids, raising the awareness and safety about underage drinking and drug abuse. My music targets a 13-25 year age range. So again, it’s all right up the alley. With that in mind, riding the rides with the kids and fans that came to the show this past Sunday was amazing. Seeing happy smiles and enjoyment for just being a kid and not having to stress about peer pressure or if they will survive through tomorrow was so rewarding to witness. Kids are important. They are the future and they will be in control of the world one day. It’s important to make sure we nurture and see that through the best we can. The difference between adults and kids is quite simple. Kids are always more impressionable than adults. You inspire a child then you plant a seed for a better growing future.

Andrew Caravella

A Proud “Visions Mom”

Next week on February 5, Josh S. will have 116 days sober. I (the proud Mom) thought you might enjoy some digital photos of some of the paintings Josh has done since he’s been home. Living a sober life has elevated Josh’s artistic creativity to a whole new level. What I see as a “Visions Parent” is that after his being a part of the treatment program, Josh now has the ability to reach down inside his heart to use “what he feels inside” for inspiration to paint his “vision.”

He had his very first art exhibit on January 26th along with 40 other kids who are part of the Youth Arts Collective program which he attends 4 days a week from 3pm-7pm. There are some pretty amazing young artists at YAC, and Josh has been learning a lot from them.

I hope you are all doing well and I know that you are working hard with all the kids and their families.

Anyway, Josh says, “hi,” and please tell Lani that we miss her cooking.

Warmest Regards,
A Proud “Visions Mom”