Reading Time: 7 MinutesDetox is one of those words we hear so often that we stop hearing it at all. It becomes shorthand for something clinical, cold, and stripped of feeling, a sterile room, a narrow bed, a body shaking its way through withdrawal while a clock ticks loudly in the background. But the real story of the […]
Reading Time: 6 MinutesIt’s been what, five seconds? Can’t sleep, feeling anxious, or having a stressful day? Your fingers already know where the phone is, no thought, just reflex. A quick scroll, a notification check, maybe a peek at your inbox, and before you know it, your brain is chasing the next dopamine hit. It’s become our default […]
Reading Time: 4 MinutesInhalants are readily available and inexpensive substances a person can breathe in (inhale) in order to get high. People who use inhalants breathe them in through the mouth (huffing or bagging) or the nose (sniffing or snorting). Most inhalants can be found in the home and include paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, glue, spray […]
Reading Time: 4 MinutesWhen you walk into a gas station or convenience store, you don’t expect to find an addictive and dangerous drug on the shelf. But in most states, you might. And you wouldn’t even know the dangers just from looking at the package. This drug claims it can bring “happiness in a bottle,” and many people […]
Reading Time: 4 MinutesWhy Can’t I Go Cold Turkey At Home?: The Dangers of Unsupervised Withdrawal Quitting “cold turkey” is a quick-fix method to stop engaging in drug and alcohol use by stopping immediately rather than gradually tapering off. It is defined in the medical community as the “abrupt complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug.” […]
Reading Time: 4 MinutesWe often tell “little white lies” to our healthcare providers in terms of our diet, exercise, taking our medications as prescribed, and the amount of alcohol (and if we consume any drugs) we drink. We may say that we eat healthy, but in reality, we have a soft spot for fried food and drive-thru restaurants. […]
Reading Time: 5 MinutesCommunity Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court is a new program in California that launched in October 2023 and slowly rolled out throughout the year to other counties to help people with mental health and substance use disorders get the support they need while combating California’s homeless crisis. Eight counties are enrolled in this plan: […]
Reading Time: 4 MinutesWhat do drugs, alcohol, sex, social media, and food all have in common? They all create the same “instant feel good” response in our brains. Fueled by the neurotransmitter dopamine, pleasurable activities significantly impact our brains’ reward and motivation center. Dopamine is a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) released from your nucleus accumbens, a tiny structure within […]
Reading Time: 5 MinutesTreating an addiction, also known as a substance use disorder, is very similar to treating any other type of medical condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure; the goal is to reduce problematic symptoms and improve your overall well-being and lifestyle. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance misuse or addiction, […]
Reading Time: 2 MinutesYou may have heard of Xylazine making headlines in the news this past year, as it is becoming a popular drug laced with opioids, contributing to lethal overdoses. Xylazine makes fentanyl, the deadliest drug in the United States, even more fatal. The DEA Laboratory System is reporting that in 2022, approximately 23% of fentanyl powder […]
