In addition to stopping drug abuse, treating drug addicts aims to return the user to productive life by functioning in the family, workplace and community. Some research that followed individuals in treatment over extended periods showed that most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, exhibit a decrease in criminal activity and improve occupational, social and psychological functioning. For example, studies show that methadone treatment increases participation in behavioral therapy and decreases both drug use and criminal behavior. However, individual treatment outcomes depend on the extent and nature of the problems of the patient, the appropriateness of treatment and related services doctors use to address those problems and the quality of interaction between the patient and the treatment providers. Relapse rates for addiction resemble those of other chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Like other chronic conditions, drug addicts can learn to manage the issue successfully. Treatment enables a person to counteract the powerful disruptive effects that addiction has on brain and behavior in order to regain control. The chronic nature of addiction means that relapsing and using drugs is not only possible, but also likely. The rates of drug relapse are similar to those of other chronic medical illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Unfortunately, when relapse occurs many people consider treatment a failure. However, successful treatment for addiction often requires continual evaluation and modification as appropriate. For example, when a patient receives active treatment for hypertension and symptoms decrease, doctors consider the treatment successful, even though symptoms may reappear when the patient stops treatment. For the addicted patient, lapses to drug abuse do not indicate failure, but rather signify that doctors need to reinstate, adjust or alter treatment.

Treatment Gap

The treatment gap is massive among those who need treatment for a substance use disorder and do not receive it. In 2007, 23.2 million people aged 12 or older required treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem, but only 3.9 million received treatment at a specialty substance abuse facility. Reducing this gap requires a multipronged approach. Strategies include increasing access to effective treatment, achieving insurance parity, and reducing stigmas and raising awareness among both patients and health care professionals.

Implant Checks

Patients should perform implant checks regularly for breast good health. Physicians recommend patients follow up with doctors for the life of the implant. Though generally safe, breast implants are medical devices and they can fail. If detected early enough, replacing a ruptured breast implant, particularly saline-filled breast implants, is similar to replacing a battery in a battery compartment. If detected late, ruptured silicone implants can cause thickening of scar tissue around the implant, which can lead to breast deformity and pain. Delayed replacement or removal of ruptured breast implants can be more complicated. Like all surgical procedures, breast enlargement exposes patients to potential mistakes and side effects. Breast implants are medical devices that can fail. A breast implant alters the size and shape of the breasts of a person. There are two primary types of breast implants: saline-filled and silicone-gel-filled. Saline implants have a silicone elastomer shell filled with sterile saline liquid.

Michael Siegel

Michael Siegel has a deep interest in fine art, which dates back to his early childhood, and it was at the age of 14 that he took his first serious steps towards becoming a professional artist. He studied figure drawing and portraiture in Milwaukee and Los Angeles under such luminaries as James Prohl and Glenn Vilppu. The pivotal moment in his studies came in 1998, when at the age of 18 he attended a painting seminar taught by Gregg Kreutz of the New York Art Students' League, who introduced him to the chiaroscuro style of the old Dutch Masters. Since then, Michael has studied privately under the incomparable David Leffel, formerly of the Art Students League in New York, who is the 20th Century Old Master. "Painting, as a discipline, is governed by an inherently beautiful logic, and it is through the understanding of this logic that the painter can achieve beauty on the canvas." Born in 1979, the youngest son to a violinist father and artist mother, Michael grew up drawing from a very early age. With an interest in becoming an animator, Michael spent his high school years in Los Angeles studying anatomy and figure drawing under leaders in the field. It was not until the age of 18, however, when Michael went to his first painting workshop that he knew he had found his calling. Known now for his still life, portraiture and figure painting, Michael uses a dramatic "chiaroscuro" (or "light and shadow") approach to create powerful and moving paintings. At his young age, Michael earned honors at many national exhibitions, and galleries across the USA and the world have featured his work. Currently, Michael resides in Los Angeles. http://www.siegelfineart.com/