With half a billion Oxycontin pills distributed in Florida in 2009 alone[1], the Sunshine State stands at the forefront of the U.S. Oxycontin addiction.  Indeed, Florida’s illicit pill use is twice that of the next closest state—and it’s on the rise[2]. Federal authorities estimate that the problem grew by 100 million pills in a single year, an increase of 25 percent[3]. The drug is a full-fledged public health and addiction crisis affecting millions of families.

What is a pill mill?

“Pill mill” is a colloquial term for semi-legal distribution centers of controlled substances, chief among them Oxycontin[4]. Doctors, clerks and other pill mill employees often have firearms or other weapons within easy reach[5], suggesting that these establishments more closely resemble drug houses than medical clinics. Outside of Florida, Texas[6] and Pennsylvania[7] host the most pill mills. Branded (or, some would argue, disguised) as pain management clinics, pill mills often pop up and disappear rapidly. When one closes, another can pop up quickly in its place.

An Overview of Psychotherapy

Mental health—and the human nature and experience that shape it—are the domain of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy or counseling, is the practice of addressing mental health issues with a trained therapist.[1]

The most prominent form of psychotherapy is psychoanalysis, which focuses on the application of psychoanalytic theory as a method of treatment between a trained professional and a client. Psychoanalytic theory rests on the following key principles:

• That each individual is unique
• That there are factors outside of a person’s awareness—unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences—that influence his thoughts and actions
• That the past has a direct role in shaping the present
• That human beings are consistently developing throughout their lives

–At Treatment-Centers.net, we understand that finding the right treatment options can be very difficult and stressful, not to mention risky and costly. And that's why our goal has always been to provide individuals and families with a trusted platform to learn about addictions and co-occurring disorders, and a safe, compassionate space to share, learn, help and heal.

At the same time, we've always been relentlessly focused on developing treatment center innovations, and serving as a trusted resource for information about addiction and addiction treatment centers. And that's why we're delighted to announce that, thanks to a new update, we now feature the country's largest and most up-to-date online directory of treatment centers.

Our online directory, which was launched five years ago, is the largest and most comprehensive publicly-rated and reviewed directory of addiction treatment centers in the world – online or offline. Each treatment center in our online directory is checked and verified per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) Database.

In those who have an addiction, the most common precipitating thread is trauma. This can fall into any category, including physical, mental, emotional or sexual abuse, or being exposed to some sort of major trauma. The sad reality is that people experience things that others can’t even bear to hear about, much less imagine going through. The emotional, mental and even physical impact of these traumas cannot be understated – even among people who consider themselves to be “strong” and for whom difficulties can “roll off their backs”.

This isn’t an uncommon question.  Alcoholism, or alcohol dependence, is different from alcohol abuse.  Often, they look the same from the outside but are in reality very different struggles.

Alcohol abuse is when a person uses alcohol to the point that it causes problems but does not lead to physical dependence.  Symptoms of alcohol abuse can include:

• Heavy drinking (more than one drink per day for women and two per day for men).
• Binge drinking (having episodes of heavy drinking with the intent to get drunk and usually resulting in negative consequences).
• Intentional, repeated use of alcohol in response to or in anticipation of stress.