Medically Assisted Treatment, what is it, and who is it for?
Medically Assisted Treatment(MAT), what is it, and who is it for? Can anyone sign up for medically assisted treatment or MAT therapy? These questions get commonly asked when someone finds out about MAT. They realize that this may be the right treatment option for their substance abuse recovery. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration […]
Options for Opioid Addict
Options for Opioid Addict While opioids can be a helpful tool for dealing with chronic pain or injury, misuse of the drug can quickly spiral into opioid addiction. Prescription drugs can be costly to obtain through prescription, which makes street drugs and heroin a less-expensive alternative – which is exactly how many people fall into […]
Opioid Overdose and What To Do Next
Opioid Overdose and What To Do Next According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 46 people die every single day from opioid overdoses. Opioid overdoses are extremely common and are almost always fatal. That is why it is extremely important to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and to know what to […]
Types of Opioid Treatment Options
Types of Opioid Treatment Options Over 2.5 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder which contributed to over 28,000 overdose deaths and the number keeps rising, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioid use disorder is a serious, chronic condition that can be fatal if left untreated. Making the decision to get treatment […]
Tips on Fighting Through Opioid Withdrawals
Fighting through opioid withdrawals is challenging, but there are strategies to help make it smoother. Quitting cold turkey is never recommended. It can lead to intense cravings and severe withdrawal symptoms. Medical detox and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) are much more effective options, allowing for a gradual tapering off opioids while also minimizing withdrawal discomfort. Having […]
Long and Short Term Effects of Opioid Abuse
What are Opioids? Opioids are naturally found in the opium poppy plant. They are a type of drug that manipulates the brain to produce a variety of different effects, most commonly as an ingredient in many prescription pain relievers. There are also synthetic (man-made) opioids such as fentanyl and illegal street opioids such as heroin. […]
Alcohol Related Death vs Opioid Related Deaths
By now, you have heard about the opioid epidemic happening in this country. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, in the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to opioid pain relievers and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. Increased prescription […]
What is MAT?
Understanding MAT: Medication Assisted Treatment According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Medication Assisted Treatment (also known as MAT) is the use of medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders and prevent opioid overdose. While MAT is primarily used for the treatment of addiction to opioids, it […]
What is the Difference Between Inpatient Detox and Outpatient Detox for Heroin?
Choosing the Right Detox for Heroin Heroin addiction is extremely intense and life-threatening. In fact, 47,600 people died from heroin overdoses in 2017 and the number keeps climbing every year. Heroin is highly addictive, making it extremely hard for people to stop using it on their own. Heroin gives the body a very large amount […]
How Can Clonidine Manage Withdrawal Symptoms?
What is Clonidine? According to Medline, Clonidine was originally intended to treat high blood pressure or symptoms associated with ADHD. Clonidine treats high blood pressure by decreasing the heart rate and relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through the body. Clonidine extended-release tablets may treat ADHD by affecting the part […]