A Comprehensive Approach to Drug and HIV Recovery
The use of injection drugs accounts for roughly 10 percent of the HIV cases in America each year, according to statistics published online at AIDS.gov. This means that if you’re addicted to a chemical substance that’s administered by syringe, you’re putting yourself at unnecessary risk of contacting this deadly disease.
Addressing HIV in Your Recovery Program
As a recovering addict, you need a treatment facility that screens for diseases that are linked to injection drug use — HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and Tuberculosis. All are life-threatening, and all are more prevalent among those who regularly inject drugs. If you’re currently enrolled in a drug treatment plan at a recovery facility, and you haven’t been tested for these diseases, you should ask why.
The most successful treatment centers perform HIV testing onsite, rather than sending you, as a patient, somewhere else. Testing done on-site better guarantees quality follow-up, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Your treatment center should also inform you that HAART, or Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, can be instrumental in fighting HIV. While this disease isn’t once the death sentence that it used to be, if left untreated, it can lead to infection of others and eventual death.
Treating HIV
- The standard treatment for HIV includes taking a combination of antiretroviral drugs. Most patients take three different medications that perform several functions:
- They prevent the disease from replicating its DNA inside your body.
- Some, such as protease inhibitors, prevent replicated DNA strands from breaking up into usable pieces.
- Entry/Fusion inhibitors prevent the disease from attaching itself to your healthy cells to begin with.
While a three-drug combination is the norm for most people suffering from HIV, not everyone responds the same way to the same three drugs. According to AIDS.gov, currently, there are roughly 30 different drugs that have been developed to help battle HIV. The skilled doctors at your treatment center can help you find the combination that works best for you.
A Comprehensive Approach to Drug and HIV Recovery
We take a comprehensive approach to treating both your drug addiction and your HIV diagnosis. We treat the whole patient by providing a personalized treatment plan that’s tailored to your specific needs.
Nutrition is a major factor in tolerating HIV medications and in staging a comeback from this disease that’s often marked by severe weight loss. You’ll learn how to prepare meals high in caloric content and muscle-strengthening nutrients that are medically tailored to stave off the side effects of medications. This regimen, combined with a healthy workout routine, will strengthen your body against the virus.
And for your mental health, we offer a serene location, spirituality workshops, group and individual therapy, art therapy, excursions, and a full complement of services geared toward helping you achieve inner peace. You’ll interact with others who are struggling through the same battles and gain strength and resolve through hearing their stories. You’ll meet kind and compassionate staff members who care about your every need and who will use their knowledge of addiction to help you gently “step down” from the crisis your life has become.
References: