after seeing so many of the people she loved being hurt, one Zionsville woman decided to action against a problem that many people deal with, drug addiction.

Dawn Brock says she has dealt with addiction problems her entire life.

“My 17-year-old son is dealing with substance abuse; his father died because of a drug overdose; his brother and their father have died because of drug use,” she said. “I felt that this issue kept showing up in my life, and I feel that when something continues to show up, I need to take notice of it. I started to really see good people in my life that have gotten pulled into this trap.”

Brock said she then began to pray and asked God what she needed to do.

“I kept asking ‘why does this keep showing up in my life’,” she said. “now, I’m starting to see that God wanted to put that fire in my belly to do something about the problem.”

as Brock tried to get help for her son, she noticed a big problem with the way drug addiction is handled.

“There’s just not a place to get affordable help in Central Indiana,” she said. “There are places to detox, but there are no places to rehabilitate. we send people to get detoxed, but their not ready to deal with life. That’s where problems really happen. Once they are detoxed, kids think they can use what they were using prior to going in, and in some cases, that’s when kids die. We’re dealing with this problem through the justice system. That’s a travesty. It’s an illness, and we’re dealing with it through the justice system.”

Brock started up can Live Everyday Alive and new, an organization that hopes to raise awareness of substance abuse made possible by the Community Foundation of Boone County.

“we want to raise awareness about the problem to where it’s not so taboo,” she said. “we want to get this stigma off of it so people who are dealing with this problem can come out and get the help they need.”

Brock said CLEAN will help children deal with inner problems that lead to substance abuse and addiction.

“You think if you send someone to detox that will stop their behavior,” she said. “That does not stop the underlying problems that cause addiction and drug use. Kids are reaching out to make themselves feel normal or better. I see drug use as kids are self-medicating.”

Brock said she hopes the group will be able to raise enough money to build a center in Central Indiana.

“we want the center to be called The Vine,” she said. “That comes from the Bible passage of ‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’. we want there to be different branches within The Vine to deal with drug abuse, alcohol abuse, eating disorders; those are all illnesses. we want it to be a very nice state of the art center.”

For now, Brock said she just wants to raise awareness, though.

“I’m not going to shut up about it,” she said. “I’m just going to keep talking about it and ask for support in any area we can get. I hope that God brings the right people in at the right time, and we can move in the right direction.”

Brock said she hopes to get a lot of community involvement from all of Boone County.

“It’s an issue that people either choose to ignore, don’t know what to do about or think the kids will grow out of,” she said. “Some kids do grow out of it, but some kids get stuck. You really don’t have to look too far past your own backyard to find an issue to address. I believe this is an issue that affects everyone.”

Brock said that children in the community need to be protected from drug use and addiction.

“Kids have so many special gifts and talents,” she said. “we need to help them find those talents; otherwise, we’ve failed them, and their our future.”

Visit cleanindiana.org to learn more about CLEAN. The group meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Lebanon Police Department building, 201 E. Main St., Lebanon.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012 » 08:50am

Demi Moore has been placed in ‘detox’ in her rehab clinic.

The 49-year-old actress has entered into treatment for ‘substance abuse and anorexia’ at Cirque Lodge in Utah – which has previously treated stars including Lindsay Lohan, Mary-Kate Olsen and Eva Mendes – but has not yet had any interaction with other patients.

A source told RadarOnline.com: ‘She hasn’t had any interaction with other patients yet. she is still in detox at the moment.’

Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife Brooke Mueller is also receiving treatment at the clinic and is said to be doing well as she tackles her drug addiction.

The source added: ‘Brooke is doing very well in rehab, this is the first time she has been in residential treatment, and it’s been a very positive experience for her so far. Brooke will be at the facility for approximately 35-45 days in total.

‘Brooke hasn’t talked to or seen Demi. this is simply because they are in different stages in treatment.’

Demi – who was rushed to hospital last month after suffering a seizure at a party – is expected to stay at Cirque Lodge for 30 days, while Brooke is due to leave the facility at the end of this month.

Last week, Demi’s three daughters, Scout, 20, Tallulah, 16, and 23-year-old Rumer, as well as ex-husband Bruce Willis, were said to have encouraged the ‘Striptease’ star – who split from second spouse Ashton Kutcher in November – to seek professional help, but she reportedly refused to go to rehab.

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OHIO VALLEY — in November of last year, there were 10 babies born at Pleasant Valley Hospital and six of those 10 were born addicted to some kind of drug.

That statistic came to light at the recent Mason County Anti-Drug Coalition meeting, though it could be relevant to any of the communities in the Tri-County area. The recent meeting featured not only speakers from the local community but neighbors from the Healing Place Treatment Center and loved Ones Support Group in Huntington.

Tim White, who works with Mason County as region two prevention coordinator for Prestera, said there are 275 beds in West Virginia for the 19,000 people who need them for substance abuse recovery. he told the group West Virginians have an average of 18.5 prescriptions each – the national average is 12. White also spoke about success stories in Huntington’s drug war, including the opening of the Healing Place, which utilizes a 12-step program philosophy and provides a long-term residential program of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. The non-medical detox and residential recovery program is provided cost free to the individual alcoholic/addict. The residents contribute to their room and board in other ways- such as providing services in food preparation, housekeeping, building and grounds maintenance, security, peer-mentoring, teaching, etc. White and others spoke about the need for a recovery center in Mason County, speaking about faith-based programs which churches are becoming involved with in other areas across the region.

After speaking about the Healing Place, White said what many in the room already knew — drugs and substance abuse know no boundaries. he then introduced a recovering addict from the Healing Place, Jason Martin of Hurricane, who looked more like a church deacon than any junkie stereotype. Martin spoke about having a wonderful family, a college education and a career in the funeral industry but he said on the inside, he had felt like a “dressed up trash can.” Martin spoke about his first high from alcohol and then becoming addicted to pain pills, specifically talking about Lortabs. he said getting drunk or high allowed him to feel “normal” for the first time in his life. he talked about being “spiritually bankrupt” after hiding his addiction, lying to his family and stealing form his workplace. he spoke about being at rock bottom last July when he entered the Healing Place and how it helped him turn his life around.

Another parent, Cary Dixon from the loved Ones Support Group, spoke about her 24-year old son who started his drug use with marijuana, progressed into hard drugs and has overdosed multiple times. Dixon told the group her son is a “wonderful young man” and addicts “aren’t bad people” but are “sick people trying to be well.” she said she and her husband were desperate for help when they found the loved Ones Support Group which meets at 6 p.m., every Tuesday at the Barnett Center at 1524 10th Ave. in Huntington. Dixon said families need help as well as addicts because having family members dealing with addiction is like a being on a roller coaster, explaining “until someone gets off, everyone is going down.”

Dixon, who is a facilitator of the group, said the loved Ones Support Group is willing to start its own chapter in Mason County if interest is high enough. Dixon can be reached at 304-633-9632.

The need is most certainly there, particularly in Mason County. Officers from Mason County Day Report spoke about addicts showing up at their office daily, begging for help and those officers having to beg to find to find them a bed, if it can be found at all. Officers report they have to send local people to Michigan and Pittsburgh, Pa. Two days last week, five people showed up at day report, asking for help, but despite the officers’ efforts, help could only be found for one person – proving resources for addicts are severely limited, and desperately needed, in West Virgina.

Voices then began to rise from around the room as residents of Mason County filled the meeting with stories about their own addiction or a son or daughter who was an addict, parents spoke of their desires to help and a realization everyone has their own rock bottom. a man from Mason County spoke about his son who is currently in the Healing Place program, explaining his son went in only after he let him hit rock bottom. despite wanting to help, many parents echoed a sentiment (and determination) about not loving their children to death.

Lauri Johnson, coordinator with the Mason County Anti-Drug Coalition said it’s one thing to see drug addiction on television or read about it in the newspaper – it’s an entirely different thing to walk that walk.

The next Mason County Anti-Drug Coalition meeting is set for March 15.

The Park City Medical Center sees one to two overdose patients per night, every weekend. “And that is here, at this hospital,” says emergency department director Kris Kemp. the cases include overdoses from a variety of substances including alcohol, methamphetamines, prescription drugs and heroin.

“Frankly, I am surprised we see as much as we do,” said Kemp.

The demographics of those patients, he says, closely mirror national statistics. Most are in their late teens, 20s and 30s, both male and female. However, he adds, “I have taken care of a 14 year old here in this hospital who was on many different drugs, had stolen a vehicle, rolled it and managed to find his way to the emergency room with traumatic injuries.”

Kemp points out that the crossover between drug addiction and trauma is not uncommon. the statistics also show that people who are addicted to drugs are 63 percent more likely to die from traumatic injuries.

But from the perspective of a veteran emergency room physician, death by heroin overdose is especially ugly.

“It usually results in a long period of minimal breathing so the person looks like they have suffocated. They become blue and it takes some time before the person quits breathing entirely if it is someone who has been using chronically, they may tolerate a higher dose but they slow their breathing down to a point they may be breathing only a few times a minute.”

If those patients survive, they may sustain brain damage. if they die, Kemp says, “They look like they have been dead for days.”

Despite the gruesome facts about heroine addiction, the drug packs a potent allure. according to Kemp, while opiates are an effective treatment for pain, they also trigger a receptor in the brain that causes feelings of euphoria, what addicts refer to as a rush.

In addition to psychological addiction, Kemp explains, opiates cause a body to become physically dependent and the symptoms of withdrawal are painful. It can cause sweating, chills and muscle aches like the flu, but without a fever. “So when a patient comes in trying to hide the fact they are in withdrawal, it’s pretty obvious most of us in the emergency room could easily recognize that,” said Kemp.

As if the drug wasn’t dangerous enough, Kemp said users can never be sure of the dose they are inhaling or injecting. “Most forms on the street have been cut so the percentage of the active drug is all across the board.” and, it is anyone’s guess what else is in the mix.

“It can be cut with other things like Sudafed, other drugs of abuse like meth, or even household baking products.

“So you are taking something off the street and putting it in your body and there are any number of unknown chemicals in unknown percentages. That is where the potential for overdose becomes a major problem.”

A trip to the emergency room, however, can be a positive turning point for a young person who is using narcotics. according to Kemp, physicians are under no legal obligation to report a drug overdose to the police. their responsibility is solely to treat the patient, he said.

“We do not call the police, we do not try to track down who brought them in. We are there to take care of the person, and the person alone,” Kemp said. At the hospital, physicians can reverse the effects of an overdose with an injection of Narcan to bring a patient around, but it immediately puts the person into withdrawal.

If a patient is under 17, doctors may call in Child Protective Services, or it may be necessary to contact a minor’s parents in order to get permission for further treatment. However, Kemp said, when possible, physicians try to get the patient to make that call. “We try to be sensitive. We try to get them to communicate the problem to their parents,” he said.

After a patient has been revived, that’s when physicians try to steer him toward long-term treatment. “It is standard that we offer resources. We want them to detoxify and then go into rehab. there are a lot of programs we can offer and we have case managers and social workers at the hospital who can assist.”

Kemp admits the programs are expensive, but financial help may be available, and he said, they are worth it because you are trying to save a life.

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If you or someone you know suffers from an addiction to drugs they may experience what is known as withdrawal when they stop using the drugs. this can cause great struggle within the body that result in severe symptoms and reactions. These symptoms are most painful during the first few days after a person gets off of drugs or alcohol. it is suggested that people who are getting off drugs seek medical intervention that can curtail the effects of withdrawal. Medical detox can be a very helpful tool to allow people to end their drug addiction and move on with their lives and get their life back on track.

How Long it Takes

Usually, medical detox takes about a week to fully complete depending on the drug and the level of dependency. However, sometimes it can take up to two weeks. this time period, if not carefully managed, can lead to long term health problems. there are some drugs that cause much worse withdrawal symptoms than others. Alcohol, Xanax, heroine, and opioids are all drugs that can be very painful to get off of.

Setting

Normally, this type of medical detoxification takes place in a treatment center or hospital setting. there can be some serious consequences which is why it’s important for medical supervision. Also, there are residential treatment facilities that handle withdrawal and detoxification in house. it is good if people going through a detoxification process have constant supervision. this way if any problems arise there will be a doctor there to take care of them. Your doctor will be able to tell you which of these detox options may be right for you.

Potential Harm

If a person attempts to quit drugs all at once, without medical help, they can do serious damage to themselves. Not only can they do physical damage to their bodies, but they can also experience severe mental distress when the stop getting the drugs their used to. this is another reason it is vital to seek medical help when you get off of drugs or alcohol.

Constructive Atmosphere

Medical detox facilities can also offer counseling sessions for patients. this provides a constructive activity for individuals to take part in while they are going through their detox. it also helps to share these experiences with people who are going through the same situation as you are. People who have drug addictions can learn a lot about their behavior by listening to other addict.