Business Information

Online alcoholism addiction recovery, alcohol treatment center and DUI evaluation services

Web Site: 

AlcoholDrugSOS Services, Ltd.

Email: 

jwilliamsalcoholdrugsos [dot] com

Mobile: 

443-610-3569

Contact Person: 

Jan Edward Williams

Location

Spoken Language: English

Business: Healthcare, Healthcare Products and Services

Licensed addictions counselor with 31 years of experience, and 33 years of personal recovery, provides online professional addiction treatment and counseling recovery services, including daily alcoholism addiction recovery tips by email, telephone therapy, online DUI DWI alcohol evaluations, recovery coaching, and help for seniors with drug or alcohol concerns.

Jan Edward Williams has personal and professional experience as a licensed certified addictions counselor in helping persons with alcohol addiction and other drug problems. In addition to being an addictions counselor, he is in long term recovery himself with 33 years of continuous abstinence and sobriety. He has been working as an addictions counselor for 31 years.

He has been Director of Treatment at two residential treatment programs and was the Chief Substance Abuse Counselor and Program Coordinator of the Chemical Dependency Unit at the Sheppard Pratt Health Systems in Baltimore Maryland for four years.

He considers addictive disease to be a three-fold illnes: physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual. For most individuals, the strength to overcome the power of addiction cannot be found in one's own will power alone, but through help from others, including a spiritual source of strength.

He has been Director of Loyola University in Maryland's Alcohol and Drug Education and Support Services for the past 21 years, providing education and treatment services as an addictions counselor to students. He is also an affiliate professor in the Psychology Department of Loyola University, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in drug and alcohol addictions. He also has a private practice as an addictions counselor in addition to his online addictions counseling services.

In addition to his law degree from the George Washington University Law school in Washington, D.C., He has a Master of Science degree in Pastoral Counseling, and was a CCDC, or Maryland Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor, and an LCADC, or Maryland Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor. He is a member of the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors of Maryland as well.

Basic Definitions about Addiction and Dependence:<

Let's start with a basic truth: Addiction is addiction; a drug is a drug. It matters not whether the drug is alcohol or heroin or marijuana, for example. An individual who has lost control over, that is, developed an addiction to, any class of drug (sedative, stimulant, psychedelic, whatever), cannot safely use any other drug if he/she wants to have an honest, quality recovery. The terms “addiction” and “dependence” are often used interchangeably.

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Ed. (DSM-IV-TR) uses the term “dependence” to refer to the cluster of signs and symptoms that combine to produce the drug and alcohol problem< commonly called alcoholism or drug addiction. In an effort to arrive at some consistency, we will use the language adopted by the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Pain Society, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

• Addiction<

  • Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving.

• Physical Dependence<

  • Physical dependence is a state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug class specific withdrawal syndrome that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, and/or administration of an antagonist.

• Tolerance<

  • Tolerance is a state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a diminution of one or more of the drug’s effects over time.

Addiction is often (but not always) accompanied by physical dependence, a withdrawal syndrome, and tolerance. In this document, use of the word “physical” before dependence or addiction signifies use of a drug to the point of development of tolerance and withdrawal syndrome, as explained below.

Physical dependence is a physiological state of adaptation to a substance, the absence of which produces symptoms and signs of withdrawal.

Withdrawal syndrome is a predictable group of signs and symptoms resulting from abrupt removal of, or a rapid decrease in the regular dosage of, a psychoactive substance. The syndrome is often characterized by overactivity of the physiological functions that were suppressed by the drug and/or depression of the functions that were stimulated by the drug.

It is possible to be physically dependent on a drug (with tolerance and withdrawal syndrome) without having addiction (as defined in the first paragraph, above), and conversely, it is possible to have an addiction without being physically dependent (developing tolerance and withdrawal syndrome).

There are many examples of physical dependence on drugs without development of addiction. One would be the patient with cancer who becomes tolerant to, and physically dependent on, opioids prescribed to control pain. Such a patient may experience withdrawal symptoms with discontinuation of the usual dose, but will not experience social, psychological, or physical harm from using the drug and would not seek out the drug if it were no longer needed for analgesia.

An example of addiction to opioids that can occur without physical dependence (tolerance/withdrawal) is a patient with an oxycodone addiction who has been recently detoxified from the drug. In this situation, the patient may no longer be suffering from withdrawal symptoms or tolerance but may continue to crave an opioid high and will invariably relapse to active opioid abuse without further treatment.

Alcohol Drug SOS Services<

DUI DWI and Evaluations Online<

State laws vary in regard to DUI evaluations and DUI education. Please get approval from the court, DMV or your probation agent, or your attorney, before making a payment for Jan Williams' services. Jan Williams is a Maryland Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (LCA #280)).

For a DUI or DWI, you will need to provide the following information:

• Court Papers (Summary suspension, Court Order)
• Drivers Abstract (copy of driving record from DMV)
• Copy of Photo ID or Drivers License
• Printout of All Previous Offenses - if any
• BAC (if not refused)

If receiving online services, please Note the Following General Information about Online Services:

All information submitted to Jan Williams is confidential, safeguarded by encryption, firewall, and other protections, and will not be revealed to anyone, without a release of information from the client. Confidentiality is mandated by Federal Confidentiality Law and Regulations (42 CFR Part 2).

Any individual seeking help through this site who is under 18 years of age must provide a verifiable expression of consent from a parent or legal guardian.

By its nature, internet counseling can be interrupted by technological difficulties beyond the control of either the counselor or the client. Before services are provided, the client will be given suggestions for alternative methods for contacting the counselor should disruptions in the client's service occur (for ex., a public library). Jan Williams pledges that should technical difficulties result from his internet home service, he has alternative internet access.

The visual and auditory cues available during face-to-face counseling are, of course, not available in internet counseling. Therefore, it is vital that both the client and Jan Williams seek clarification of any communications, as needed.

Jan Williams has included safeguards to keep client information confidential and protected from unauthorized access. Client information, including history, diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and progress notes, are all for Jan Williams' eyes only. No one else has access to this information. The information will be retained on a safeguarded CD for one year after the counseling relationship has ended, or for a longer or shorter period of time dictated by the client. A copy of the electronic directive from the client to retain or delete will be filed.

Same Day Answers<

Ask personal, confidential questions about your alcohol or drug and get a same day expert response on the difficulty of the issue.

Confidential Screening Tests<

Addictions screening tests, also called alcohol abuse screening or drug abuse screening, can be helpful if you are trying to determine if you or someone you care about has a drug or alcohol problem. Remember that addictions screening tests can only give you a preliminary idea about the presence of a problem.

Help for Individuals<

If you have concerns about your drug or alcohol use, get an evaluation online and get a same day answer to any question you may have about alcoholism or addiction.

Help for Family Members<

If you have concerns about drug or alcohol use by someone close to you, contact Jan Williams for an evaluation or with a question so that you can find out what help you, or your loved one, may need. Individual counseling, education, and daily recovery tips are available.

Help for Seniors<

Contact Jan Williams with any questions you may have about your own drug or alcohol use or that of an elderly person in your life, or ask for an evaluation to see the extent of the problem.

Indicators of a Drug or Alcohol Problem<

This information about indicators of problem use of alcohol or other drugs (AOD) is intended to serve as a practical guide to help a person to decide whether or not AOD use is causing problems. We do not think labels, such as "alcoholic" or "drug addict", are very helpful. Instead, we ask:

Does use of a substance of abuse cause problems in significant areas of a person's life, and, if so, does the person keep on using it in the face of knowledge that it is causing these problems?

If the answer is "yes" to these two questions, then the person clearly has a harmful relationship with the substance, and can benefit from help.

A common misconception is that in order for a person to have a problem with AOD, he or she must use every day, and must physically crave the substance. Often problem users drink or use other drugs only two-to-three times per week.

The best question is not "Do I have to drink?”, or, "Can I stop using marijuana during the week?", but, "Is my substance use causing me problems in important areas of my life?"

Here are some more danger signs.

• Drug addiction or alcohol problem in parents, grandparents, or other close family members.
• Tolerance, need for more to achieve intoxication or the desired effect.
• Blackouts, gaps in memory for what happened while using.
• Loss of control, difficulty stopping once started, or inability to control frequency of use.

Here are some specific Questions which explore how AOD use can harm an individual in significant life areas:

• Has substance use hurt your work performance, or academic performance, if in school?
• Have any of your friends said they were worried or concerned about your use or your behavior while using?
• Has substance use caused any tension in relationships with important people in your life, such as a spouse, boy or girl friend, or roommates?
• Has your behavior while using caused you any social embarrassment or hurt your reputation?
• Has your AOD use caused you to do things that go against your value system?
• Do you use AOD even though advised not to because of a medical condition (for example, ulcer, diabetes, or being on medication for depression)?Have you due to AOD use gotten into legal trouble (e.g., DWI, disorderly conduct, drug charges).
• Have you ever had an injury, or been to the ER, or hospitalized due to AOD use?
• Have you ever gotten into any fights while using?
• Do you often drive a car knowing you would flunk a sobriety test if caught?
• Have you ever been to see a counselor or therapist where part of the problem related to AOD use?

A "Yes" to any of these questions is cause for concern and indicates the person may be developing a harmful relationship with alcohol or other drugs.