Comments for Phoenix House http://www.phoenixhouse.org Rising above Addiction Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:38:57 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 Comment on Denying Effective Treatment for Veterans Struggling with Addiction by Kim Sumner-Mayer, PhD, LMFT http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/denying-effective-treatment-veterans-struggling-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-3398 Kim Sumner-Mayer, PhD, LMFT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:38:57 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10548#comment-3398 Right on, Dr. Blandy. Addiction, PTSD, and family stressors around deployment and reintegrtion are the invisible wounds of these wars, and they will be our nation's largest mental health epidemic for decades to come. We must support our veterans and their families to make a full recovery from the costs of their service. Thanks for laying out a thoughtful argument and highlighting the hypocrisy of saying we're supporting our military personnel, while in deed discouraging treatment that would return these individuals to their highest level of functioning possible. We are only at the tip of the iceberg with realizing the full costs of these wars. Right on, Dr. Blandy. Addiction, PTSD, and family stressors around deployment and reintegrtion are the invisible wounds of these wars, and they will be our nation’s largest mental health epidemic for decades to come. We must support our veterans and their families to make a full recovery from the costs of their service. Thanks for laying out a thoughtful argument and highlighting the hypocrisy of saying we’re supporting our military personnel, while in deed discouraging treatment that would return these individuals to their highest level of functioning possible. We are only at the tip of the iceberg with realizing the full costs of these wars.

]]> Comment on Denying Effective Treatment for Veterans Struggling with Addiction by Kathleen M Burns http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/denying-effective-treatment-veterans-struggling-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-3396 Kathleen M Burns Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:01:29 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10548#comment-3396 I sympathize with the Veterans plight and also advocate for mandatory coverage from insurance companines, whether military or private sector, for treatment of chemical and drug dependancy and for the mental disease/condition that has contributed to the necessity of use of these substances. In all, it has been my experience that our Social environment and that of the insurance companies deems little importance towards the preventative, maintenance and healing of mental illness and addiction. I find it an abomination that an insurance company can override a personal physician/psychologist/psychiatrists pharmaceutical prescription and proven effective healing method for their client. I spent way too many hours fighting with insurance companies to cover pharmaceutical and therapy for my daughter; not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket to pay for what they would not cover. We have a long way to go in this country in recognizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for mental health issues. I believe that early intervention and proper supervised and regular therapy and treatment for children would cut the adolescent and adult addiction numbers by half. Unfortunately, we are still a society of reaction and symptom bandaging rather than prevention and cure. I sympathize with the Veterans plight and also advocate for mandatory coverage from insurance companines, whether military or private sector, for treatment of chemical and drug dependancy and for the mental disease/condition that has contributed to the necessity of use of these substances.
In all, it has been my experience that our Social environment and that of the insurance companies deems little importance towards the preventative, maintenance and healing of mental illness and addiction. I find it an abomination that an insurance company can override a personal physician/psychologist/psychiatrists pharmaceutical prescription and proven effective healing method for their client. I spent way too many hours fighting with insurance companies to cover pharmaceutical and therapy for my daughter; not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket to pay for what they would not cover.
We have a long way to go in this country in recognizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for mental health issues. I believe that early intervention and proper supervised and regular therapy and treatment for children would cut the adolescent and adult addiction numbers by half. Unfortunately, we are still a society of reaction and symptom bandaging rather than prevention and cure.

]]> Comment on Statistics Aren’t Certainties, Switching Drugs Isn’t Sobering Up by Frank Gianakos, LMSW http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/statistics-arent-certainties-switching-drugs-isnt-sobering/comment-page-1/#comment-3388 Frank Gianakos, LMSW Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:24:21 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10400#comment-3388 Someone writing for the Journal has no investment in disclosing the truth. Logic would indicate that they do not want to step on toes since they want to obtain stories and not take the chance of missing out because they offended someone. Good piece Deni, you exhibited great critical thinking about the 'research model'. Someone writing for the Journal has no investment in disclosing the truth. Logic would indicate that they do not want to step on toes since they want to obtain stories and not take the chance of missing out because they offended someone. Good piece Deni, you exhibited great critical thinking about the ‘research model’.

]]> Comment on Phoenix House of Florida Success Story by donna thompson http://www.phoenixhouse.org/florida/tampas-phoenix-house-teen-interviewed/comment-page-1/#comment-3374 donna thompson Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:28:43 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=6123#comment-3374 I think this is a wonderful thing that is happening. May God Bless. I have friend that is going to be there soon. Hopefully this will help him. The first step is owning your problem, which has finally done. He's such a good person, only needs to find his path. TX DT I think this is a wonderful thing that is happening.

May God Bless. I have friend that is going to be there soon. Hopefully this will help him. The first step is owning your problem, which has finally done. He’s such a good person, only needs to find his path.

TX

DT

]]> Comment on Statistics Aren’t Certainties, Switching Drugs Isn’t Sobering Up by Gary Carpenter http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/statistics-arent-certainties-switching-drugs-isnt-sobering/comment-page-1/#comment-3368 Gary Carpenter Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:57:03 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10400#comment-3368 The Wall Street Journal is trying hard to sell newspapers. The author should do his/her analyzing and data collecting before he/she puts statistics in the newspaper. Especially when they are messing with peoples lives. It would be interesting to get real research. Thank you Deni!!! The Wall Street Journal is trying hard to sell newspapers. The author should do his/her analyzing and data collecting before he/she puts statistics in the newspaper. Especially when they are messing with peoples lives. It would be interesting to get real research. Thank you Deni!!!

]]> Comment on The ‘Pill Mill’ State by Laura Moss http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/pill-mill-state/comment-page-1/#comment-3315 Laura Moss Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:12:08 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10274#comment-3315 "prescription opiate abuse now accounts for 95% of admission calls [at Phoenix House adult residential program in Florida]" 95%?! That's incredible. I agree - there absolutely needs to be a better monitoring system in place as it pertains to pain clinics and their distribution of painkillers. How disturbing that presriptions written to improve quality of life end up destroying the lives of so many. And greed is a big motivator - this certainly appears to be the case in these FL pill mills. Keep up the good work in your region, Jack. We'll be keeping a hopeful eye out that Florida lawmakers address this issue. “prescription opiate abuse now accounts for 95% of admission calls [at Phoenix House adult residential program in Florida]”

95%?! That’s incredible. I agree – there absolutely needs to be a better monitoring system in place as it pertains to pain clinics and their distribution of painkillers. How disturbing that presriptions written to improve quality of life end up destroying the lives of so many. And greed is a big motivator – this certainly appears to be the case in these FL pill mills.

Keep up the good work in your region, Jack. We’ll be keeping a hopeful eye out that Florida lawmakers address this issue.

]]> Comment on The ‘Pill Mill’ State by Deirdre http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/pill-mill-state/comment-page-1/#comment-3312 Deirdre Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:14:07 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10274#comment-3312 Good points jack Good points jack

]]> Comment on Judge Carol Berkman Visits Phoenix House Academy At Yorktown by Chanel A. Harris http://www.phoenixhouse.org/new-york/jose-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-3302 Chanel A. Harris Sat, 21 Aug 2010 09:37:26 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10205#comment-3302 Jose! You are truly an inspiration. Jose! You are truly an inspiration.

]]> Comment on Yes, Dr. Johnson. Treatment Does Work! by Deni Carise http://www.phoenixhouse.org/blog/johnson/comment-page-1/#comment-3293 Deni Carise Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:01:12 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10123#comment-3293 Update: Check out the great post on this issue by my friend and colleague Dr. Keith <a href="http://www.samefacts.com/2010/08/drug-policy/science-supports-the-12-steps-for-addiction" rel="nofollow">Humphreys</a>. Update: Check out the great post on this issue by my friend and colleague Dr. Keith Humphreys.

]]> Comment on Judge Carol Berkman Visits Phoenix House Academy At Yorktown by Deni Carise http://www.phoenixhouse.org/new-york/jose-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-3285 Deni Carise Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:23:03 +0000 http://www.phoenixhouse.org/?p=10205#comment-3285 Great post - Congratulations Jose, for a big life turn-around that many others have and will continue to benefit from! Great post – Congratulations Jose, for a big life turn-around that many others have and will continue to benefit from!

]]>