In what some call the ultimate symbol of the power of drug addiction, Dexter Manley, a football legend and 1983 Super Bowl ring holder, took his famed ring to a pawn shop to help fund his cocaine addiction. Years later, while preparing for the 2010 Super Bowl, Dexter’s wife phoned him with the news that she had re-acquired the ring, which became a symbol of Dexter’s new life that’s fully committed to drug addiction recovery.

Manley’s football career is marked with periods of relapse and recovery from drug addiction, beginning with a position on the Oklahoma State University team and then an eleven-year span with the NFL Washington Redskins. Three decades ago, Manley experienced a long-remembered moment in his drug addiction story, when he faced an NFL ban in 1991 for unsuccessful drug tests. Reports indicated jail time and multiple arrests for substances including crack cocaine.

Manley had a chance in 1999 to regain possession of his Super Bowl ring when his family attorney presented it to him – but the football star gave it back, saying he needed to be in full recovery before reclaiming his prized possession. A few years following the event, Manley saw more jail time for cocaine offenses. When his wife, Lydia, gave him the ring again in 2010 Manley accepted, marking his progress along the drug addiction recovery path.

The football legend’s bouts with drug addiction are believed connected to the pressures of the occupation and to the athlete’s personal struggles, including dyslexia. Manley has said in emotional speaking engagements that he has the disorder and struggled to read, even though he is a college graduate. Positive personal relationships along Manley’s addiction journey are also highlighted in reports, including with recovering alcoholic and high-profile attorney John O’Quinn, who passed away in 2009. Manley requested the return of the Super Bowl ring previously from O’Quinn, but the attorney did not return it for fear that Manley had not yet conquered his addiction.

Headlines addressing the famed Super Bowl ring continue to describe Manley as coming full circle with drug addiction. Today, Manley’s personal focus on recovery includes active speaking engagements at high schools. Students who have attended have commented on the athlete’s obvious passion toward a life free of drugs as he recounts all that the drugs have cost him, including relationships, finances and career accomplishments. His presentations are said to be strikingly bold and honest as he talks to students about overcoming addiction – and avoiding drugs altogether.

Refusing to hide from the addiction is also a key factor in his success, says Manley, and it’s part of the message he brings to the public as he strives to help others learn from his story.

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” – Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence (1762-1826)

Separated by more than two centuries, William Shakespeare and Thomas Jefferson both knew the value of honesty. Shakespeare equated honesty with honor, while Jefferson liked honesty to wisdom. Fast-forward to today and how should we interpret honesty as it relates to our daily lives in recovery? Actually, some things never change. Honesty is just as important today as it ever was.

For those of us in recovery, honesty is critical. Without honesty, we will never come to grips with the falsehoods we’ve told ourselves and others. If we fail to be truthful, we will seek to justify our actions and shirk our own responsibility for what we’ve done and continue to do. Without being honest, we will not reach our goals that we’ve set for ourselves in sobriety. Sooner or later we will bump up against a brick wall that’s largely of our own making. By seeking to avoid the truth, by shading and distorting what’s real, we will be doing ourselves and our loved ones a tremendous disservice.
In short, we have to be honest if we hope to continue to make progress in recovery.

How do we know if we are being honest? It is really quite simple. We have to face the truth about who we are and what we’ve done. We have to tell the truth without resorting to lies, deception, half-truths or omissions. And we need to act the truth – doing the things we know we must to embrace and strengthen our recovery.

Is honesty easy? Is it always the only right way to go? If honesty were easy, everyone would always do it. The truth is that honesty requires integrity, and some of us don’t have that in too much supply early in recovery. It is, however, something that we can develop. We learn how by doing, by not taking short-cuts or looking for the easy way out. Maybe we could only tell half-truths and get away with it. But over time, those half-truths will come back to haunt us. We’ll find out soon enough that going part-way in recovery means we’re sabotaging our efforts and putting our sobriety in jeopardy.

Yes, being honest is sometimes painful. Yes, it means that we may be fearful of what will happen when we tell the truth. But honesty is absolutely critical if we hope to make continued progress in recovery. In that respect, honesty is always the best policy.
 

While some addicts have found the 12 steps to be the only path to recovery, there are other methods being deployed that seem to be viable options for some people. In many cases, these non-12 step rehabilitation programs are designed specifically for those individuals who have tried the traditional 12 step method and have determined they either did not like it or it did not work.

The traditional 12-step program relies on a Spiritual aspect, while a non-12 step program tends to be more clinical and scientific in its approach. Such programs tend to attract those who are more logically oriented in the way they do things as it follows a process more attuned to their disposition or personality.

The reasons for seeking out non-12 step programs are not as important as to what type of program will better suit the individual. It does stand to reason that an atheist or agnostic may not appreciate the Higher Power concept behind the 12 steps, but what type of program would such an individual be more inclined to find success?

One option may be the SMART Recovery program. SMART is an acronym for Self Management and Recovery Training. The Rational Recovery program is a family-based model that uses AVRT, Addictive Voice Recognition Technique. While not every solution will fit in every situation where a non-12 step process is desired, access to alternative options is important if the addict resists the potential of the 12-step program.

An individual with a drug addiction may seek a non-12 step program if they believe the 12-step program is designed only for those with an alcohol addiction. Non-12 step programs tend to work well in situations where the individual is seeking help voluntarily and for those who are directed to undergo treatment as part of a court-ordered program.

The type of treatment applied can depend fully on the treatment center selected, although many of the viable options today try to design their programs to cater to a wide range of addicts. Some prefer a holistic approach to overcoming their addiction, while others simply want to learn to live drug free. Whatever the motivation, the treatment center that can offer the program that best suits the personality and disposition of the individual is more likely to help drive a successful recovery.
 

Drug rehab is a daunting prospect for many addicts. First, they see it as a place that will definitely make it hard for them to change their minds about using drugs. Second, they likely have all sorts of prejudices about drug rehab and the types of people who go there.

Drug rehab is a highly effective way to build a solid set of tools for recovery. It is just the first step, but it is a powerful one. If you are wondering if you should go to drug rehab or just try it on your own, consider these good reasons to choose drug rehab to start your journey to reclaim your life.

1. Drug rehab is a safe place where you can focus on the primary issues

A good drug rehab will help you do a comfortable detox, an aspect of addiction treatment than can actually be dangerous if not medically monitored. If detox is done right, you will be able to make it through without significant discomfort. You can then focus on why you developed an addiction – without all the distractions of your life. Think of drug rehab as a sanctuary where you are treated by professionals for the life-threatening disease of addiction.

2. A good drug rehab will help you identify other disorders

Rarely does a drug rehab see an addict who has no underlying issues. Often, people turn to drugs as a way to medicate away problems like depression, anxiety, ADHD, or PTSD. If you just quit drugs but don’t address the underlying emotional issues, it will only be a matter of time before you turn to drugs to “feel better.”

3. A good drug rehab helps you identify your triggers

Every addict has his or her triggers. These can vary dramatically from person to person. One person might be triggered by family gatherings – fights, criticism from a parent, or jealousies between siblings might make you feel depressed or anxious. If in the past, drugs relieved those feelings, you might turn to them again after a family event. For others, certain places or things can be triggers. For some, it’s certain emotions. While some might drink when something sad happens, others might drink when they are elated.

By identifying your triggers, you can start to develop strategies to deal with the feelings that come up when you encounter them. If you do not develop these strategies, you will be battling cravings much of the time. Addicts often cave to cravings, so it’s critical that you have a plan should you recognize that you are encountering one of your triggers.

4. Good drug rehabs offer effective treatment options

A drug rehab can be a single place to learn about treatment options that work for you. Maybe you experienced abuse as a child and that trauma continues to haunt you. If the drug rehab offers EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), you can try this therapeutic option and discover if it works for you. Some drug rehabs offer neurofeedback, a noninvasive technique for changing your brain’s ability to stay focused. Some people with ADHD have actually been able to permanently stop taking stimulants after a series of sessions of neurofeedback. Some drug rehabs also offer equine therapy, somatic experiencing, and other modalities that you may discover really do the trick for you. It’s a great way to really find the right path for you in a safe, secure environment. You can then take this knowledge with you and continue the most appropriate therapies when you return home if needed.

5. Drug rehabs understand who you are and why you do what you do

Most people with drug addiction experience prejudice and dismay by family members and friends. Many people do not understand addiction. They may tell you, “Just stop using drugs.” They have no concept of the changes in the brain that occur after long-term drug use. They do not understand cravings or compulsions. The clinicians and other staff at the drug rehab will fully understand your issues. They will not judge your addiction. You will find utter acceptance by your peers in treatment. Sometimes in drug rehab it is the first time the addict has felt like he or she is not the only person in the world with this problem. A whole new perspective is created as you learn about the disease of addiction and the reasons you turned to drugs.
 

This fear was expressed in a recent Scotsman News article as new Scottish statistics show nearly one in ten who are waiting for an assessment for drug treatment had to wait more than a year. For those seeking community treatment, one in 20 had to wait more than a year for assessment.

The Scottish Government is taking steps to try and change this outcome, pushing for 90 percent of patients receiving treatment within 3 weeks by 2013. The challenge here is that between October and December of last year, only 85 percent were offered an appointment for assessment within four weeks of referral. In fact, the number of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders from 2007-08 fell 11 percent from 2006-07.

James Kelly, Scottish Labour’s community safety spokesman, said: ”The decrease in the number of drug treatment and testing orders is a worry. This could well lead to more people committing crime, putting more pressure on the justice system.”

Scottish Liberal Democrats spokesman, Robert Brown, noted that drug addiction and the associated damage to individuals and communities is supposed to be a high priority for the SNP government. His group finds it appalling that there are so many addicts waiting so long for treatment.

While the Scottish government rebukes the claims that the situation is as bad as it seems, the reality is this is a challenge is many countries, including the United States. Crimes do increase when addicts are seeking ways to fund their habit and treatment must be available and effective to reverse the trend.
 

This region, an established transit point for Latin American cocaine to large Western markets, has become a drug processing site among rising addiction rates. Drug violence is expected to follow.

"A flourishing illicit trade in the hands of organized crime is obviously a threat to the rule of law, governance and, as a result, human rights," said Alexandre Schmidt, West African head for the U.N. Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in Reuters. "But we must no longer hide the indirect consequences with regard to the increase in problems linked to drug abuse."

According to the United Nations, some 20 tons of cocaine passed through West Africa in 2008, worth roughly $1 billion.

Warnings of things to come were shared during a meeting of seven West African governments who are seeking to implement declarations of intent to curb trafficking. They are relying on support from the United Nations, France and Spain.

The landing point for most of the cocaine is Guinea-Bissau. This region saw a strong of political assassinations that analysts way were linked the drug trade. It is also believed that the notoriously brutal military in neighboring Guinea were also involved.

Experts note there is clear evidence of a rise in local use of cocaine and crack. Citing research in Cape Verde, the region’s initial drug hot-spot, Margarete Molnar, a health specialist at UNODC, said drug use is entrenched in the region and among citizens.

"This shows that being on the route of trafficking is a disaster," she said. "(Law enforcement) may protect West Africa and Europe but I can tell you that in this region there are people who are hard drug users who need to be rehabilitated."
 

According to the Post, these individuals are given an ultimatum: “Work for us or we’ll kill you.” It is known that two of the country’s six major drug cartels are known to have used this tactic to further their trade.

In El Paso, Texas, 41 people have been killed in mass shootings at drug rehab clinics over the past year and a half. These massacres are said to have been prompted by recruitment efforts within the clinics and by common reasons such as failure to pay for drugs or betrayal of a dealer.

“The rehabilitation centers are an extension of the battlefield,” said Edgardo Buscaglia, a leading Mexican drug expert, in the Post. “There are no refuges anymore.”

This rise in cartel-driven drug rehabilitation is attributed to the government’s failure to address the social ills that continue to emerge from Mexico’s drug trade. The government and its military have gone after the cartels, but continue to do little to regulate private treatment facilities that have proliferated throughout the country.

In Ciudad Juarez alone, this city of 1.3 million has an estimated 100,000 addicts. The clinics within the city include a number that are unlicensed and are run out of dilapidated homes by former addicts.

Recovered addicts are often seen on street corners selling candy, cigarettes and gum to try and raise money for struggling rehabilitation centers. Some cartels have seized this opportunity to use the addicts to add their drugs to their offerings.