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Breaking the chains : Treatment often brings hope for a better life free from addiction

By JARED DuBACH - Staff Writer
Thursday, November 20, 2008 12:13 PM PST

In this photo illustration, Vitality Center rehabilitation technicians Holly Warner, right, and Janie Roberts, center, tend to the physical and emotional needs of a detoxification client. At lower left is one of the center's therapy dogs. (Ross Andreson/Elko Daily Free Press)

Prescription drug abuse has taken hundreds of lives in Nevada and thousands nationwide. While law enforcement is doing what it can to stem illegal use there is still the issue of addiction - for those to whom the drugs are legally prescribed as well as street junkies.

But as long as there is a breath of air left in an addict's lungs, there is hope for recovery through programs such as those offered by Elko's Vitality Center.

The center is a 41-bed adult addiction treatment facility. It has a sister 20-bed facility for adolescents in Reno.

According to Dorothy North, chief executive officer for Vitality Unlimited, the Elko facility sees more people coming in for treatment of prescription drug addiction than anything else.

“We don't see as much meth considering the hype that was based around it,” North said.

North said some people coming into the center have a plastic bag containing a 90-day supply of drugs, which they apparently get from out-of-country providers.

“No legitimate physician gives you more than a 30-day supply,” she said.

But the draw to purchase drugs out of country is strong, even if it's not for recreational purposes. North noted U.S. pharmaceutical companies sell drugs to Canada and Canada sells them to the public far cheaper than in the U.S. Also, North said she knows of some people in Elko who go to Mexico to buy their prescription pills, again because it's cheaper.

But this form of shopping can lead to problems with addiction just as easily as recreational use can, considering a doctor is not monitoring the use or the prescription dosage.

For addicts, Vitality Center offers a chance to not only get off drugs but also impact critical life changes.

The first step is realizing there is an addiction and the desire to live free of the drug. This realization can come from the addict or from a family member or close friend who desires to help their loved one through intervention.

Then, there's a call to a treatment facility, such as Vitality Center. The center's number is 738-8004. Additional information can be found online at www.vitalityunlimited.org. North said sometimes it's the person who calls or it's a family member, friend, court or attorney.

North said the addict then meets with clinicians to assess the problem and consent to a 10-panel drug test to find all detectable substances in their system - including alcohol.

Then the person goes through detox. The addict stays in a detox unit from five to seven days while they are assessed by the facility's nurse and doctor. Detox is meant to help the person get the drugs out of their system - what some refer to as going “cold turkey.”

North said, interestingly enough, that the most dangerous drug for a person to get off of during detox is alcohol, because an alcoholic can experience DTs (delirium tremens), seizures or even death as a result of a combination of withdrawal symptoms.

After detox comes the residential program where the patient stays in a housing facility and participates in programs dealing with behavioral health, recurring disorders and psychological issues such as depression and anxiety.

Clinicians also address possible family and spiritual issues, which may contribute to the addictive behavior. There are group counseling sessions, lectures and other activities six days a week. People also learn refusal skills for when they eventually get back to their daily life and may be faced with pressure from acquaintances.

Treatment is individualized, meaning each person works on specific life goals. Residency is indefinite, but North said adults stay anywhere from 21 days to six weeks. Adolescents stay anywhere from a month to 45 days because of developmental issues that already exist.

But it never fails - there is always someone who tries to sneak in drugs or party one last time before treatment, which is why everyone is searched prior to entering the clinic.

North said the Vitality Center has a reputation throughout the West as a facility with great success. The center receives referrals from even Scottsdale, Ariz., where the Betty Ford Clinic and Sierra Tucson facilities are located.

The center has had thousands of people recover over the years since it was started in 1971.

Some of these people have been sober for 25 years or more. North herself went through treatment and subsequently has become a force in the treatment industry for 34 years. She has children and grandchildren, another testament that there is life after substance abuse.

“There are people all around you who were in recovery and you don't even know,” North said.

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