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November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Managing Addiction Transfer after Weight Loss Surgery

By Dr. Jefferson Vaughan, Bariatric Surgeon

Food addiction is real. Just as our bodies can become dependent on “traditionally addictive” substances, so too do our bodies crave and need sugar and fat. Uncontrolled urges lead to overeating and a vicious cycle ensues – often developing into obesity. As a result of this trend in the modern American’s lifestyle, obesity has, by any account, become an epidemic in the United States with a significant majority of the population suffering from obesity or overweight issues.

There are many treatments for obesity, with varying degrees of effectiveness, including:

-          Traditional Diet and Exercise
-          Medically Supervised Weight Loss Programs
-          Pills and Medication
-          Counseling and Hypnotherapy
-          Bariatric Surgery (Weight Loss Surgery)

The most effective of these treatments, though not the least invasive, has been shown to be bariatric surgery. On average, patients lose about 75% of their excess body weight and keep it off for 5 years or longer (individual results vary of course). Other treatments have more mixed results at best, although there is no one size fits all approach to obesity. [Read more...]

Filed Under: addiction, Weight Issues
November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Addiction Counselor Best Practices for Self Disclosure

Many people who work in the addictions field often have personal experience in substance abuse or addiction. While it may seem therapeutic to share these experiences, it is important, if you are in recovery, to keep your work separate from personal recovery. The Florida Certification Study Guide states, “While occasional appropriate self-disclosure can help the client to open up or motivate the client by providing a role model, too much self-disclosure removes the focus from the client’s own recovery.”

It is imperative that a counselor is aware of how their own issues may be stirred by a client’s problems. Refrain from bringing the context of the counselor’s own personal issues into the therapeutic relationship. For example, the addiction counselor must not rigidly adhere to the opinion of insisting that their experience on their road to recovery is the only acceptable path to recovery. In general, projection of the counselor’s own experiences onto that of the client’s situation can be damaging or, at least, counterproductive. [Read more...]

Filed Under: addiction, Addiction Counselor Best Practices
October 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Ben Brafman Featured in Trade Newsletter

Ben Brafman, the head of the Academy for Addiction Professionals was featured in the latest issue of the online newsletter “Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly.” As a pioneer in gender specific treatment and a leader in men’s addiction issues, Ben’s expertise has been sought far and wide. In this month’s issue, Ben discussed the hurdles associated with starting a treatment facility in the saturated South Florida market. He also offers some insight into how the economy has affected payment structures and what a facility needs to do to stay afloat in today’s harsh cash pay environment.

We can see that the addiction treatment landscape is changing all around us and it is imperative that we adapt to make sure that our centers remain relevant. It is for this reason that we suggest that all addiction counselors, and those wishing to become counselors, take the time to read trade magazines and news and stay abreast of the ever-changing industry in which we work.

Filed Under: News & Press
October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Online Addiction Training Coming Soon!

We’re very proud to announce that we have just completed the set-up of our new online addiction CEU training course system. That means that within a few weeks, we will have the first of many courses available to those who need CEUs for their addiction certification or those who wish to take some or all of their certification classes online. Please keep an eye out for the official launch of our online classroom!

Pricing for our online classes will vary based on the course being taken. The classes will require watching video and downloading coursework from the web. It will also have a significant home study component. Students will then take a comprehensive test to ensure their complete understanding of the topic before they are issued their certificate.

For more information on online classes please read our online addiction class FAQs

Filed Under: Online Classes
October 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Addiction Training for Medical Professionals

The Academy for Addiction Professionals is offering free behavioral health training seminars on managing addiction and addictive behavior in a hospital or medical center setting. Through this lecture series, we hope to reinforce basic addiction training in the hospital and medical center setting. The topics covered in this seminar are critical to effectively dealing with addiction in a medical setting. Seminars will feature the following behavioral health topics: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Medical Centers / Hospitals
September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Drug Related Fatalities Outnumber Traffic Fatalities:

Television ads, car companies and the US government constantly remind us about the dangers of driving, which causes a staggering number of fatalities every year. However, a recent Los Angeles Times analysis of US government records has uncovered that the number of deaths associated with drug overdoses has overtaken traffic fatalities in the United States. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/17/local/la-me-drugs-epidemic-20110918 [Read more...]

Filed Under: addiction, Mortality / Fatality
September 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Beginnings of the “War on Drugs”

The “War on Drugs” was officially launched in the early 1970s when President Nixon coined the term. This program was an expansion of national drug policies dating back to the early 1900s. Initially, the drive was sparked by the alarming rise in drug use by military service members in the Vietnam War. The outrage that this sparked offered a high-profile look at drug addiction and its consequences within the US. The ultimate result of this policy and movement, regardless of its effectiveness, was a newfound appreciation for the scope of the disease of addiction. [Read more...]

Filed Under: addiction
September 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Genetics and Addiction

Recent studies about addiction and addictive behaviors have shown what many have believed over the years — that there may well be a genetic predisposition to addiction. To this point, the difficulty in determining whether there is an addictive gene lies in each addict’s varying exposure to environmental factors that promote drug addiction. As a result, separating environmental causes from a genetic predisposition for addiction has been difficult. However, the medical community now believes that a combination of genetics and environment is the basis of many addictions. Studies have shown that the child of an addict is four times more likely to be an addict themselves, although they are not necessarily doomed to addiction. It is estimated that up to 60% of alcoholics had some form of family history of alcoholism. [Read more...]

Filed Under: addiction, Genetics
June 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Substance Abuse Counselor Job Growth

Here at the Academy for Addiction Professionals we believe that becoming a licensed drug and alcohol or mental health counselor is a fantastic move for personal and career development. No matter what specialization you choose you will be entering a growing industry that offers opportunity and job satisfaction.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected an employment increase of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors of 21% between 2008 and 2018. Further the projected employment increase for mental health counselors during that same period is 24%. This underscores the significant prospects that those who enter the substance abuse and mental health counseling field may have.

Lear more about these projections at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm#outlook

You can also get further information by visiting related links on our website:

Substance Abuse Counselor Jobs
Addiction Counselor Salary
Addiction Counselor Job Growth

Filed Under: Jobs & Careers
March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Welcome to Our Website

Welcome to the all-new Academy for Addiction Professionals website. We’re really happy to have you here. Take a look around and feel free to pre-register for an addiction course. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Stay tuned for blog updates and important information from the Academy for Addiction Professionals.

Filed Under: Introductory
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