Behavioral Health Affects Overall Health

SAMHSA published an article on their website referencing data collected from 40 million Blue Cross Blue Shield subscribers. The article stated that Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders have a negative effect on Americans’ longevity, productivity, and general health. Specifically, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders were cited as having the greatest impact on health. Substance
Read more
No Comments

Shocking Overdose Situation in Kentucky

As we examine the opioid crisis in America, it is important to take note of trends in both the prevalence of opioid abuse as well as progress in providing education and treatment to address the problem. CNN reported that during a 32 hour span of time between Wednesday and Friday of last week, emergency personnel
Read more
No Comments

Heroin Overdoses Behind The Wheel Are Increasing

The News & Record published a recent story about an increase in heroin overdoses occurring while operating a motor vehicle. This has resulted in serious car crashes around the Piedmont Triad community. In some instances, small children were in the backseat of the car and in jeopardy of severe injury while the driver overdosed and
Read more
No Comments

Giving Up Tobacco

Tobacco has been one of the most prevalent, long-standing addictions in America. Fortunately, tobacco use has declined over the past 30 years with many public buildings, retail stores, and restaurants having banned smoking as a service to their patrons. Smoking cigarettes was once a rite of passage as teens aspired to look older and act
Read more
No Comments

Recovering From Heroin Addiction

Opioid addiction is a particularly difficult addictive disorder to deal with because it creates not only a strong psychological dependency, but also a powerful physical dependency. The progression of opioid addiction is rapid for most people because of the euphoric effects (stimulation of the brain’s pleasure/reward center) and increased tolerance to the drug. Increased tolerance
Read more
No Comments

Addicted Parents Risk Child Safety

It has been said there is more than one victim in addiction. Sadly, families are often ripped apart and children left unattended for prolonged periods of time while a parent is out seeking drugs or actively using. As America’s heroin epidemic continues to unravel, we are witnessing innocent victims in this disease of the body,
Read more
No Comments

CBS News on Opioid Addiction

In the video shown below, CBS News aired a short piece on America’s opioid addiction crisis highlighting how people begin with prescription opiates and then transition to heroin. The segment addresses the well-publicized opioid overdose concerns making headlines, and raised questions for which there are yet no clear answers. Also of interest is the recent
Read more
No Comments

Opioid Prescriptions – Surgeon General Makes Statement

The Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, took an unprecedented step this month sending out a cautionary letter to 2.3 million U.S. healthcare providers. In the letter, he shared his concern regarding the prescription opioid crisis which has led to a staggering number of opioid overdose deaths across the country. Dr. Murthy
Read more
No Comments

Probuphine for Opioid Addiction

Probuphine is a new drug recently developed and released by Braeburn Pharmaceuticals. The drug is FDA-approved and is a time-released version of buprenorphine (the active ingredient in Suboxone that staves off opioid withdrawal symtoms). Probuphine must be implanted beneath the patient’s skin (typically in the arm) where it gradually distributes medication for 6 months. The
Read more
No Comments

The Meth Project

The Meth Project was founded in 2005 and is currently a program managed by the national non-profit organization, The Partnership For Drug-Free Kids. Methamphetamine (“Meth”) is a highly addictive stimulant drug that is typically smoked (sometimes injected) and produces an effect similar to that of cocaine. Methamphetamine addiction is characterized by a rapid loss of
Read more
No Comments