The increased number of overdose deaths from opiates is due in part to the ubiquity of fentanyl. Many drug manufacturers choose to use fentanyl as a way to strengthen other opiates, but because of the extreme potency of fentanyl, this often leads to immediate overdose upon use. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate about 80 times…
Drug and alcohol treatment programs vary in length. The duration of stay necessary to support the maintenance of sobriety is dependent upon the individual needs of the client. Some men and women are able to effectively utilize the tools they develop in treatment to achieve long-term sobriety, while others may have extenuating circumstances or cooccurring…
When a person combines heroin and cocaine it is known as a ‘speedball’. The combination can be extremely dangerous or lethal because it mixes together a very strong depressant with a very strong stimulant. Heroin depresses respiration while cocaine stimulates the heart, which can lead to simultaneous cardiac and respiratory arrest. Dr. Adam Winstock, founder…
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause inflammation and damage to the liver. The virus can cause serious health complications including liver damage, liver failure, and liver cancer. Hepatitis C is easily spread among injection drug users and, although it can go away naturally, 80 percent of people develop a chronic and lifelong…
Psychedelic drugs have recently entered the spotlight because of their potential effectiveness in treating certain mental health disorders. However, it is important to understand that the new research into psychedelics is taking place in clinical settings and under the supervision of therapists and medical professionals. Psychedelics encompass a broad range of different psychoactive substances. Some…
Alcoholism is a destructive disease that entirely overtakes one’s mental, physical, and spiritual health. It reaches a point where a person is entirely unable to stop drinking despite any negative consequences they may face. It is difficult to determine at what point a person’s drinking crosses the threshold into alcoholism, but there are a variety…
From Ernest Hemingway to Amy Winehouse, it seems as though there is a strong link between creative, talented people and the disease of addiction. . It seems that every week we hear about another musician or artist struggling with the disease, and it would not be entirely incorrect to assume that creative people are more…
Recovery from addiction is about more than just abstinence from drugs and alcohol. It is a process of achieving and maintaining sobriety, as well as growing and developing both personally and spiritually. Selfishness and self-centeredness can be major stumbling blocks on our journey of recovery. We should do our best to shift our behavior from…
Detoxification is the process of allowing the body to remove any and all traces of drugs and alcohol. Many people are familiar with feelings of withdrawal, especially if they are coming off of harder drugs like heroin that cause extreme physical dependence. However, medical staff are able to address and treat symptoms of withdrawal as…
The disease of addiction arises from a complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors. A person’s environment may be a factor in influencing whether or not they experiment with drugs at a young age, and environmental factors can influence one’s ease or difficulty with recovering from addiction. Addiction is characterized by a lack of control…