Buprenorphine is a common medication used as an opioid treatment. Those who receive addiction treatment for opioid addiction and abuse will often be encouraged to take this medication, which can ease withdrawal symptoms for a more comfortable recovery. This drug is one of the three more popular opioid addiction treatment medications. It has some unique…
What Are The Different Levels of Care? And, Why Are They Important? When looking for addiction treatment, you’ll come across different levels of care. Understanding the unique differences between each level of care will allow you to make a more informed decision on the type of substance abuse program that you are the best fit…
Dual diagnosis refers to a person that is suffering from substance use disorder in addition to an underlying psychiatric or mental health issue. While alcoholism and drug addiction are themselves mental disorders, many people that are experiencing addiction also have co-occurring mental health disorders. Understanding Dual Diagnosis Research points to the fact that an individual…
What is the relationship between psychedelic drugs and mental health disorders? Over 30 million Americans abuse psychedelic drugs, like LSD, psilocybin and DMT. The majority of these users are abusing the drugs to trigger a psychedelic experience or hallucination. But, can this type of drug use lead to mental disorders and illnesses? Do these drugs…
We recently broke down the AA Preamble into separate parts, noting that it was important to understand the text which begins every AA meeting. But the Preamble doesn’t technically begin every meeting. Both AA and NA meetings generally start with the Serenity Prayer. Much like the Preamble, some just say the Serenity Prayer without really…
The target audience for “We Agnostics” is relatively easy to define. (aga7ta/Shutterstock) Groups such as AA and NA have many detractors, people who believe that they are religious organizations or even cults. This misconception extends to 12-based treatment centers, who are accused of brainwashing their patients rather than treating a disease. Those who make such…
The proponents of safe injection sites feel that the sites are a welcome addition to the fight against addiction. Specifically, they believe that they are a benefit to public health and the community. On the other hand, the opponents of safe injection sites vehemently insist that these sites cause roadblocks in the battle against addiction. They…
With more and more benzodiazepine prescriptions being written, more and more Americans are seeking Xanax addiction treatment. Non-adherence to a schedule or non-compliance to dosage can quickly lead to drug abuse. Xanax is, after all, a very potent and strong prescription drug. It’s meant to be taken for up to 4 weeks only, but some…
Eating disorders and substance use disorders often come hand in hand. Studies show that anywhere from 8% to 41% of drug abusers struggle with bulimia nervosa (BN). Another 2% to 10% of drug addicts struggle with anorexia nervosa (AN). Eating disorders are particularly common with alcoholism. These mental health disorders are also prevalent in drug…
Xanax is the 5th most prescribed drug in America, so it’s important to fully understand the short-term and long-term Xanax side effects that are expected. These prescription medications are part of a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines treat symptoms of anxiety. They have a calming effect on the central nervous system (CNS). They can…