New NIDA Study on Increase in Heroin Use

A National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) article highlights findings recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study determined that new opioid prescription policies which more carefully regulate the prescribing of opioids have not directly led to a rise in heroin use over the last few years. Researchers found that an individual’s
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Thinking About The Meaning of Recovery

The word Recovery is a powerful symbol of hope for people who deal with addiction. Before alcohol and drug addiction were so readily addressed in society, the medical community used recovery as a reference to that period of time when a person was recuperating from a surgery or extended illness. So-and-so has had a full
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Methamphetamines and Methadone Are Not The Same

Monday, November 30th is the official start date of “National Meth Awareness Week” which is an initiative to educate the public on the dangers of methamphetamine abuse. This is a coordinated prevention program by the Partnership For Drug-Free Kids. It is important to note that some people occasionally confuse “Meth” (a slang abbreviation for methamphetamine)
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Celebrate Recovery

Each September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors National Recovery Month, a national observance that educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that
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Public Perception of Methadone

Methadone is the prescribed medication which ADS uses to assist opioid-addicted people in their effort to become free of heroin and other deadly opiates. Methadone has been proven a highly effective treatment intervention for individuals struggling with daily opioid withdrawal. Methadone is FDA-approved and is presently being prescribed to many thousands of opioid-addicted people throughout
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CNN Article on Heroin-related Overdoses

A new article from CNN cites an announcement by the Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) confirming that heroin use is increasing rapidly across the United States. The staggering result of this is that: “Deaths from heroin-related overdoses nearly quadrupled between 2002 and 2013.” The CDC report indicated that heroin use doubled among women
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Alberta Canada Sees Increase in Utilization of Methadone

The Metronews of Canada recently published an article outlining a recent increase in the utilization of methadone to treat opioid addiction. The Alberta Canada Health agency shared statistics showing that approximately twice as many people began opioid replacement therapy with methadone during the fiscal year 2012 – 2013. The number of patients receiving methadone rose
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Beginning Buprenorphine in the Emergency Room

There is an interesting blog post by Dr. Jana Burson in which she discusses a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study occurred in the state of Connecticut, and it centered on providing patients a 3-day supply of buprenorphine when they presented in the ER and were found to
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Smartphone App for Recovery

Increasing numbers of people are utilizing their mobile phone for many purposes. Technology is now a daily companion and has become a helpful tool in organizing and scheduling our busy days. Smartphones have evolved into mini personal computers and now provide so much more than basic telephone communication. Elements Behavioral Health based out of California
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The Road To A Drug Free Life Includes Lifestyle Balance

Much has been written over the years about the process of living drug free and maintaining a sober life. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous were among the earliest programs that provided its members a path to freedom. Throughout recovery literature are detailed accounts of recovering addicts who learned that drinking and drugging were actually only
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