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According to the LA Times article on July 10, 2010, 19 people were gunned down in the city of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The gunmen first posed as police before breaking into the rehab clinic and killing 19 people including recovering addicts and staff members. There is no clear cut motivation for the killings as of yet but it is likely tied to a vicious drug war being carried out by rival gangs and drug cartels.
There have been roughly 23,000 deaths linked to gangs and drug cartels in Mexico since 2006. It is believed that many cartels are using the treatment centers as recruiting centers by offering the recovering addicts drugs and threatening them with death if they refuse to join their operation.
According to a recent report from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), prescription drug use and abuse has risen 400% from 1998 to 2008. The data is not yet complete for 2009, but it is sure to reflect another significant increase. TEDS numbers have also revealed that the number of opiate dependent people in the US have jumped from 6.8% to 26.5% during the same time frame. This increase is inevitably due to the increase in prescriptions given out by doctors for these types of medications. The numbers from our own records mirror these findings and I am sure that other treatment centers would come to the same conclusions after checking their past admission numbers.
I believe that the pharmaceutical companies are initially to blame. They have pushed the use of prescription pain killers on doctors and have raked in massive profits off of their use along with other money making avenues like vaccines for bird and swine flu that thousands of people have unnecessarily received in the past few years. At times it seems that the amount of money in the pharmaceutical companies bank accounts is the real motivation for their actions and not necessarily actually helping people.
If you or someone you love has been affected by this increase in prescription drug use and abuse please call us here at Cornerstone. We can help you.
Dear Dr. Stone:
Thank you, thank you for coming to Sacramento to testify before the Senate Health Committee concerning AB 2221. It is such an important bill for all of the patients in California who need access to better care during treatment to relieve their suffering and to allow them the best chance of stability during those important first days. I know it can be quite hectic to leave the clinic and I know that it can be a different kind of hectic waiting to speak at the hearing. All of us at CSAM appreciate that you were willing to do this. It was critically important for you to share your expertise and your experience with this situation with the legislators so they could make a more informed decision. David Pating said that you were terrific and your presence made a difference that day to the voting process.
Thank you again. Your time and professionalism was very much appreciated.
Christy S. Waters, MD
Public Policy Committee
CSAM
There is a new and (at the moment legal) drug on the market all over the world called Spice or K2 that is growing in popularity among teens and marijuana users. It is an herb-based drug sold as an herbal incense online or in local stores, but when smoked, produces a high comparable to THC in marijuana. It is made by spraying the herbs that make up this so-called incense with a synthetic substance that mimics the THC found in marijuana. The danger lies in the uncontrolled manner in which this product is manufactured and the unregulated amounts of undefined chemicals which are sprayed onto the herbs. Health and law officials state that this product is being created in a ‘dorm-room’ type of setting by unqualified scientists or lab workers who most likely are not using any quality control measures. Dawn Dearden, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) likens the use of Spice to, ‘playing russian roulette,’ due to the uncontrolled way in which the product is being manufactured. There is no way to tell the chemical makeup of the product, and many users have had adverse reactions to it. Some such reactions are elevated heart rates, difficulty breathing and possible risk of heart attack.
This new drug is not only available in local stores and online, it is also undetectable by drug screens used in treatment centers. Due to this many probationers are using the substance to get high without fear of being caught. Hopefully lawmakers and officials will move quickly to outlaw this substance and bring it under the scrutiny of the DEA.
My name is Vaughn Callison and I am a case manager at Cornerstone of Southern California. I have been in the field of Addiction counseling since 1978 when I started working at the Naval Station Great Lakes ILL., Alcohol and Drug abuse program. as the Drug and Alcohol Program Adviser. I received training From the University of West Florida and have continued training at the rate of no less than 30 CEU’s per year. I have worked as a teacher, a counselor, a program director in eating disorder, cross addictions, and dual diagnosis settings from “day one”. I wouldn’t trade my job for anything. I love working with this population.
I was certified as a drug and alcohol counselor by the State of Illinois in 1981, the year that I retired from the Navy. Since that time I have worked as a counselor a Case Mgr. and/or in program management. I have worked in 7 different programs . In that group one program was one of the most prestigious programs in the country and I also worked in one of the smallest in the business. I have worked at Cornerstone since 2003 and feel it is the finest program I have worked in, bar none!
I am now a “Registered Addiction Specialist” (RAS), a Nationally Certified Senior Level Addiction Counselor (NCAC II) and have been consistently certified and working in the field of addictions since 1978.
I , of course am somewhat biased, but from my experience I feel this is one of the “ top programs in the nation “! I have extreme respect for my colleagues who are not only treatment professional but as caring a group of individuals I have ever worked with! I have so much faith in this program, partly as a result of my daughters experience here at Cornerstone. She went through this program in 1993 after failing in four previous attempts at recovery. This was the best and the last, she now has 16 years of recovery.
If you want QUALITY treatment for the addicted person and their family this is the place to go. I know because I have experienced the benefits of this program.
Our daughter soon to turn 19,was admitted here for a stay of approx 62 days. Thank goodness for the cornerstone staff on the 24 hr hotline that night, when i called distraught, the staff were and continue to be so helpful, they are well qualified and genuinely care. When i talked to someone there, in the middle of the night distraught, I knew that our daughter would get the help that she needed there.The programme there is structured and educational for the addict and along side the treatment plan for the loved one, they offer support and education for the families too..We were attending classes/groups along with our loved one, and also without, at the same time our daughter was attending the inpatient treatment centre.We got so much out of the educational groups that we have attended, as well as support, guidance and help from all at Cornerstone.The staff there are very supportive, and knowlegable. I would like to just like to say especially to the staff member who runs the Tuesday night family/loved ones group,(u know who u are) a big. Thank you .
Our daughter has left the facility now, with the tools, guidance,support and strength to stay sober and I am proud to say Has 90 days sobriety. We still attend the support groups offered there, in order to stay healthy and educated so we are able to help and support her in her new sober life……
To all at Cornerstone from the intake staff, to the group councellors, to the drivers, and the house managers and everyone else there,who has so positively impacted our lives we cannot express the gratitude that we have for the facility and everyone there.. Thank YOu!!! xx
Nicky M
Cornerstone was recommended to me in January by an independent counsellor. I researched their website and immediately had a gut feeling this was the place for my son. There was so much information, and a wide range of programs for the addict/alcoholic. Not only help for them, but for the families too. The Tuesday night session for family members is extremely supportive. It is incredible to see how peoples emotions can change so much over time, and how strong they can become themselves in their recovery process. This group is also open to siblings, which is a great idea. The Thursday night lectures are invaluable in helping to understand the disease of addiction. One thing I find great is that you can still go to the Tuesday evening group and the lectures on a Thursday even after your ‘qualifier’ has left the centre. This support is fantastic.
The programs for the addict/alcoholic are superb. The staff at Cornerstone do their job in a professional manner, and really do care. Despite what my addict son said when he first arrived at Cornerstone that they try and keep you longer than you need, that they only want your money, and that you don’t learn anything…. I found this far from the truth. Those 3 statements from my son are typical from some addicts in their disease. Cornerstone helped my son…. they gave him the tools he needed to stay clean and sober… they also gave me the tools I need to take care of myself. Cornerstone family members are like my second family, and have helped me get where I am today. I am so thankful to all the staff at Cornerstone for their help, guidance and support. Their website is also very informative, and extremely helpful. Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
jane d
TO THE FAMILIES OF THE ADDICT:
I have been dealing with my wife and her alcohol addiction for some time now. She finally decided to get involved with a rehab. We were very fortunate to have found Cornerstone for her rehab facility. She received excellent care from a group of very caring people. She is currently in a sober living house, and is doing well.
The thing that I did not realize or expect was that I needed help for myself and I was going to get that help in the form of a family group meeting. Most everybody enters this meeting with a bundle of emotions in the form of being angry, scared, nervous, and tired. Just as your addicted loved one is going to meetings and learning about their addiction, the family goes to their meeting to learn how to deal with the addict, and how to bring some calm back into their lives. The secret to these meetings is to give it some time. I did not want any part of this process in the beginning, but because I wanted to do everything I could for my wife, I returned for meeting after meeting. In a very short time my mind set had changed and I could not even consider missing one. The format of the meeting is set up to allow cross talk. This works extremely well. You will meet people that have gone down the path that you are just venturing into. They will share their experiences and their resolve, from that you will be able to pick what applies to you and what you think will work best for your set of circumstances. Our meeting manager is Vaughn. His life experiences, knowledge of the subject matter, and personality have enabled him to be the perfect match for the job.
You will learn you are not alone in this. You will learn that it isn’t healthy for anybody to allow the addict to consume their life. You will learn to deal with the addict while taking care of yourself. If you pay attention and open up you will even learn to smile and laugh again.
I would like to close by giving a bit of advice. When it comes to your addicted loved one and rehabilitation, the longer the person is involved with treatment the better. When it comes to the family members, attend as many meetings as you can. The result will be a higher understanding of the addict, addiction, and your role for the future.
I wish you the Best of luck in your future.
Thank you
Nick
Dear Dr. Stone and friends at Cornerstone -
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know I am doing FINE!! I am going to meetings, getting together with friends, went up to San Francisco over Memorial Day and, of course, doctors appointments!!! (HA HA! No one like you though, Dr. Stone – unfortunately!)
Anyway, hope all of you are well. I think of you often and about all of the wonderful things you have done for me! It will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!
Thanks again,
Fran
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