GENDER AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Of all the factors that play a role in substance abuse, gender is perhaps the most surprising. Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illegal drugs, and in most age groups, men have higher rates of use or dependence on drugs and alcohol than women. However, women are just as […]
EFFECTS OF ADDICTION ON RELATIONSHIPS
Addiction is notoriously hard on relationships. Couples in which one partner uses/abuses drugs or alcohol tend to be very unhappy, as drug use can take over one’s life to the detriment of everything else. It can create both an emotional distance and a physical one if the user is frequently out doing or acquiring drugs […]
ROHYPNOL
If you watch any of the many police or medical shows out there, you’ve probably seen an episode where a criminal slips something into an unsuspecting girl’s drink while her back is turned. The world goes blurry, and the next thing the audience knows – depending on the show – she either wakes up captive […]
DRUG-ADDICTED INFANTS
Almost any drug will pass from a pregnant woman’s bloodstream through the placenta and then to the fetus. Substances that cause drug dependence and addiction in the mother can also cause the child to become addicted. This early drug exposure can cause complications that follow babies for the rest of their lives. Opiates, such as […]
NALOXONE COMPLICATIONS
Naloxone is a life-saving treatment for people who have overdosed on fentanyl, heroin or prescription painkillers. It counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose by blocking the brain’s opioid receptors, and it comes both as a nasal spray called Narcan and an auto-injector called Evzio. Despite it undoubtedly saving many lives, there are concerns about […]
PAYING FOR REHAB WITH MEDICAID OR MEDICARE
Going for detox and rehabilitation to a professional addiction center can be a very expensive proposition. In many instances, the cost could run into the tens of thousands for a mere 6-week stint in the rehab facility. Often times people who are suffering from addictions have lost their jobs and do not have any money. […]
DRUG COMPANY PAYMENTS FOR OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS
As the opioid crisis worsened over the years, we began looking for people to blame. Manufacturers, doctors, patients, pharmacies – anyone was fair game. In fact, there have been lawsuits filed against both the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids, as well as the pharmacies that dispense them. We know that the makers of many […]
THE WEARABLE DEVICE FOR OPIOID WITHDRAWAL
Opioids are a class of drugs that include illegal drugs like heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine, and more. Unintentional overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers have more than quadrupled since 1999, and in 2016, more than 42,000 people died from an opioid overdose, […]
CONFIDENTIALITY AND DRUG TREATMENT
Entering addiction treatment is a tough decision. You’re leaving behind family and friends, a job or classes, and committing yourself to a difficult process. You know it’ll be worth it when you come out the other side sober, but that doesn’t necessarily keep the anxiety at bay. One thing you might be thinking, that you […]
WHAT IS ART THERAPY?
When we imagine substance abuse treatment, most of us picture medication-assisted detox and some intensive, evidence-based therapy. While these things are absolutely helpful and even necessary, there are plenty of alternative treatments out there as well. Some people are naturally skeptical of things that fall outside the lines of hard science, and they might be […]