It’s St. Patrick's Day! Mountainside offers the following ten tips that will help you enjoy the holiday without compromising your sobriety.

Canaan, CT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/13/2014 -- Every year, Americans spend an average of more than $245 million at bars, pubs, and nightclubs on St. Patrick's Day. If you or your loved one is a recovering alcoholic and you want to build new traditions minus the temptation of alcohol, Mountainside Treatment Center offers the following ten tips that will help you enjoy St. Patty's Day without putting your sobriety at risk.

#1 – Take in a Parade – Every major city across the country has its own St. Patty's Day Parade. Taking in the creative floats, eating traditional Irish fare, and looking at all of the people dressed in costumes will not only make your holiday fun and exciting, but it will help keep your mind off of drinking.

#2 – Cook Your Own Irish Dinner – Instead of heading to the pub, try cooking your very own authentic Irish feast. From traditional Irish soda bread to corn beef and cabbage to shepherd's pie, there are dozens of alcohol-free recipes available that will help you celebrate the day's significance. Or, if you would rather enjoy an Irish dinner cooked by the pros, head to your favorite restaurant and check out their St. Patty's Day specials – just be sure to verify that the dishes are alcohol-free!

#3 – Attend an Irish Music Concert or Festival – Nothing can get you in the St. Patty's Day mood quite like traditional Irish music. Find a local concert or festival and revel in the bagpipes, flutes, fiddles, and accordions.

#4 – Take a Step Dancing Class – Before attending the concert, take a step dancing class with a friend and this will help you fit in on the dance floor. You won't be a pro, but the fun you'll have will be more than worth it.

#5 – Plan Your Own St. Patrick's Day Party – Rather than avoiding parties on St. Patrick's Day, why not plan one of your own? Make it an alcohol-free party filled with green decorations, Irish foods and music, and plenty of good times. By hosting your own party, you'll also be giving your friends who are also recovering a safe place to spend and enjoy the holiday.

#6 – Hold a Fundraiser – If you want to spend the day doing something more meaningful, then get your friends together and host a fundraiser for alcohol abuse. If you're crafty you can create Irish-themed gifts for sale or you can hold a bake-sale at your local parish or street-side during the community parade.

#7 – Host Game Night – Invite your friends over to your place for a fun-filled evening of games and prizes. Create games with an Irish motif, such as bingo cards made from green construction paper or a "pot-o-gold" filled with gold-wrapped chocolate coins that your guests will have to try and guess how many coins there are. Or, play traditional Gaelic games like hurling, rounders, or Brandubb.

#8 – Hold a Scavenger Hunt – A great way to keep your mind off of alcohol during St. Patrick's Day is to host or attend a scavenger hunt. Separate your friends into groups and give each a list of Irish-themed items to locate around town. Use rhymes or offbeat hints to help them along their journey.

#9 – Host Irish Movie Night – Rather than cozying up to the bar, cozy up on the couch for an evening of fine, Irish-themed movies with your very own St. Patrick's Day movie night. Have your friends bring alcohol-free refreshments while you supply the films. There are dozens of excellent Irish-themed movies that you can choose from, including The Commitments, The Shore, Waking Ned Devine, The Quiet Man, and of course, Leprechaun.

#10 – Attend a Meeting – If the urge to drink on St. Patrick's Day become too unbearable, then your best bet will be to attend a meeting. Simply being around people who are also recovering will help give you the support you need to get through the holiday.

About Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center
Mountainside Treatment Center is nationally recognized for the effectiveness of its drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs. Our Integrative Care Model provides a comprehensive set of treatment and care offerings coordinated by a multidisciplinary treatment team to best fit the unique needs and interests of each client. We are lauded for our ability to partner with each client and the client's family and healthcare professionals in developing and executing individualized treatment plans that promote long-term sobriety.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Approximately 80% of heroin users had illegally abused prescription painkillers at some point before developing an addiction to heroin.

Canaan, CT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/20/2014 -- In a 2013 study conducted by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, it was found that approximately 80% of heroin users had illegally abused prescription painkillers at some point before developing an addiction to heroin. The study also revealed that 3.6% of people who start using prescription painkillers like Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Opana (oxymorphone), and methadone for recreational purposes turn to heroin within five years.

"Only recently has the connection between painkiller addiction and heroin addiction fully been realized and reported by the media, but for those of us in the addiction treatment field, it is a connection that we always knew to be real," said a Mountainside representative. "The recent passing of actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and his unfortunate relapse in 2013, has certainly shed new light on this connection, but it has always been Mountainside's strategy to help our clients suffering from painkiller addictions to avoid the evolution to heroin use by delivering evidence-based treatments with a focus on healing the client's mind, body, and spirit first and foremost," he added.

Mountainside Treatment Center in Canaan, CT is taking on the escalating problem of heroin addiction at its root – by actively treating clients suffering from addictions to prescription painkillers. In 2014, the rehabilitation facility is expected to finish construction on a brand new state-of-the-art detox center and introduce a new intensive outpatient program and an expanded family wellness program, all of which will help the center meet the growing needs of its clients.

With a reported 1 in 20 people in the U.S. aged 12 or older using prescription painkillers for non-medical reasons (according to 2010 data compiled by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention); it shouldn't be surprising that the rate of heroin initiation has grown from 108,000 in 2005 to 178,000 in 2011. Until the problem of prescription painkiller abuse is managed, heroin dependency and its related fatalities will continue to grow. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, approximately 4.2 million Americans aged 12 and older has used heroin at least once in their lives. Nearly a quarter of those who try this dangerous drug find themselves dependent on it and as the untimely passing of Hoffman reminds us, the link between prescription painkillers and the increase in heroin dependency is quite close.

The first step toward overcoming an addiction is recognizing it and accepting it. If you or someone you love is addicted to one or more prescription drugs, help is available. Mountainside Treatment Center utilizes evidence-based treatment programs and holistic mind, body, spirit wellness techniques to help encourage longer-lasting, more effective recoveries. Drug addiction is a life-long battle. Get the help you need to regain control of your life and the skills you need to stay sober – call Mountainside today at 800-762-5433.

About Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center
Mountainside is nationally recognized for the effectiveness of its drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs. Our Integrative Care Model provides a comprehensive set of treatment and care offerings coordinated by a multidisciplinary treatment team to best fit the unique needs and interests of each client. We are lauded for our ability to partner with each client and the client's family and healthcare professionals in developing and executing individualized treatment plans that promote long-term sobriety.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Canaan, CT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/20/2013 -- This year Mountainside Treatment Center celebrates fifteen years of helping individuals recover from drug and alcohol addiction. As Mountainside positions itself for a new chapter of growth, it welcomes addiction treatment veteran Maureen O'Neill Biggs as Clinical Director to helm its clinical team. Ms. O'Neill Biggs has over 20 years of experience in the behavioral health field. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Alcohol and Drugs Counselor, and Medicated Assisted Treatment Specialist.

Ms. O'Neill Biggs' career spans across all levels of addiction treatment, from detox, to inpatient, residential and outpatient care. Her responsibilities have ranged from development of protocol, curriculum and structure, to implementation and management of programs. Ms. O'Neill Biggs' extensive knowledge in the addiction treatment field is coupled with expertise in working with diverse populations, including women, adolescents, individuals experiencing trauma and individuals with co-occurring mental disorders.

In the year ahead, Mountainside aims to provide the community greater services beyond residential treatment programs. Martin Fedor, Chief Operating Officer of Mountainside states, "Maureen is the perfect partner to help us accelerate growth. Not only does she possess deep clinical knowledge and strong leadership skills but also a firm belief in respectful and compassionate care, which Mountainside is renowned for."

Ms. O'Neill Biggs will oversee Mountainside's existing residential rehabilitation programs as well as play an instrumental role in developing and directing the new treatment offerings on the horizon. Per Mountainside's commitment to raise the standard of comprehensive addiction treatment, it is in the process of extending its continuum of care to offer a full spectrum of services to people suffering from addiction. Currently underway is the construction of a 46,000 square feet, state of the art facility to house a new 20-bed detox center, an outpatient treatment unit, and a family wellness center. The $15 million dollar project will be completed and ready to serve its first clients by early 2014. Following soon after, Mountainside expects to gain CARF accreditation.

When asked her motivation to join the Mountainside team, Ms. O'Neill Biggs shared, "Mountainside's peaceful environment and its highly trained, dedicated staff are the personification of effective, cutting-edge treatment. When I walked through the doors I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I wanted to join the Mountainside team. My professional philosophy parallels Mountainside's mission—to provide people with integrated, evidenced-based and respectful care."

A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with a Master of Science Sociology and Psychology, Ms. O'Neill Biggs started her career at Shirley Frank Foundation's detoxification unit for men and quickly rose to lead its inpatient residential program. She would later join and lead other private, state-run and non-profit chemical dependency centers. Prior to Mountainside, Ms. O'Neill Biggs worked at Recovery Network of Programs, first as clinical director for its New Prospects Enhanced Residential Program for clients diagnosed with co-occurring disorders, then later as Division Director of Residential Services.

About Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center
Mountainside is nationally recognized for the effectiveness of its drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs. Our Integrative Care Model provides a comprehensive set of treatment and care offerings coordinated by a multidisciplinary treatment team to best fit the unique needs and interests of each client. We are lauded for our ability to partner with each client and the client's family and healthcare professionals in developing and executing individualized treatment plans that promote long-term sobriety.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm