DRUGS AND DUAL DIAGNOSIS
Drug addiction is challenging enough, but combine drug addiction with a mental disorder like anxiety and the challenge to function in life becomes extremely difficult. This is what dual diagnosis is and often the symptoms of mental illness show up first followed by drug use to self-medicate for those symptoms. When someone is experiencing anxiety […]
METH ADDICTION
Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth or crystal meth, is a white, odorless powder stimulant. The powder itself has a bitter taste, and it dissolves in water or alcohol. Meth is extremely potent and a much higher level of the actual drug enters into the brain compared to other drugs during each use, increasing the […]
ARE LABELS HELPFUL OR HARMFUL?
Addict. Alcoholic. User. Junkie. Criminal. Crackhead. Dopehead. Stoner. These are all labels that have at some point been applied to people with substance abuse problems. Some of them are meant to be derogatory, while others simply sound like fact. But are these labels harmful? Let’s consider some of the most obvious negative terms first. Junkie […]
COPING WITH FAILURE
All of us fear failure to some degree, but for people with substance abuse problems it can send them careening down the path to relapse. Failure can mean different things to different people, and sometimes what we view as failure is really just a setback. A relapse, for example, isn’t a failure. It happens more […]
WHY PEOPLE RESIST ADDICTION TREATMENT
About half of the people who recover from drug or alcohol addiction do so with some sort of formal treatment program. Of those who manage it on their own, most still seek some type of support, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or other meetings. While it is possible to successfully go it alone, there are a […]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE POWERFUL OPIOID CALLED “DSUVIA”
As the Opioid Crisis continues to plow across our country, officials have faced another problematic situation which could potentially skyrocket into an emergency. Recently, despite receiving warnings about the possibility of addiction, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new opioid called Dsuvia, a variation of the drug sufentanil ((a dangerously powerful […]
ELDERLY PATIENTS IN NURSING HOMES ARE BEING GIVEN DANGEROUS ANTIPSYCHOTICS
Putting your loved one in a nursing home is not always an easy choice but it is sometimes a necessary one. After all, some older men and women may suffer from an illness or an injury that they can no longer manage and require the assistance of a loving medical staff. However, what if those […]
BUPRENORPHINE POSES RISK TO CHILDREN
In the fight against the opioid epidemic, experts have suggested a bit of a kitchen-sink approach. Someone seeking treatment might go through detox, enter an inpatient rehabilitation facility, get therapy and counseling, make use of medication-assisted treatment, go to an outpatient program, and attend support groups. It’s not a one size fits all solution, but […]
WHAT IS XANAX?
Xanax (also known as alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine medication that directly affects your central nervous system (CNS). Even though it’s classified as a Schedule IV drug, Xanax is high risk for abuse being that it possesses the ability to trigger calming feelings. It is also considered the second most popular drug of abuse in the […]
ATIVAN
Ativan (a benzodiazepine medication) is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant with a high potential for misuse. Obtaining or using Ativan without a doctor’s prescription is considered drug abuse. People often take medicine belonging to someone else (with or without their knowledge), buy pills via the internet, or purchase it from street dealers. Whether you […]