Money does not cure drug addiction. But it can be an essential weapon in the fight. Recognizing this reality, U.S. President Barack Obama has called for more than $1 billion of new government funding to be dedicated to the battle against one of the nation’s most pernicious drug abuse problems, the ongoing opioid epidemic. The … Read More
Created in 1960 by a physician named Paul Janssen, fentanyl is a powerful opioid medication used to relieve pain. Opioids, which get their name from the opium plant, are a class of medications that are very effective at relieving pain but also present a high risk for addiction. Fentanyl is one of the most powerful … Read More
For many individuals, struggling with an addiction to alcohol and/or other drugs can be a painfully lonely experience. A great deal of time is often spent acquiring, using, and recovering from the abuse of the substance(s) upon which one has become dependent. Additionally, those who are addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs frequently give up … Read More
In an attempt to help decrease overdoses on heroin and other illicit substances, a Canadian facility began a program in 2003 which involved the supervised use of such substances. In Sacramento, California, lawmakers are attempting to follow suit and allow individuals who are addicted to heroin, crack, or other drugs to use their substances of … Read More
An addiction to gambling is a serious mental health disorder that can quickly ravage an individual’s life if treatment is not sought to halt the destructive compulsions and behaviors that are characteristic of this condition. Gambling disorder is the only non-substance-related addiction that is included in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual … Read More
The recent breakup of a “pill mill” ring in Reno, Nevada, has brought renewed attention on the area’s struggles to effectively address epidemic levels of prescription drug abuse. In the nearly 90 years since Reno, Nevada bestowed the “Biggest Little City in the World” nickname upon itself, the former mining town has maintained a reputation … Read More
It’s a scene straight out of a movie — parties, drinking, students passed out on the front lawn of a frat house. Unfortunately, however, this scene is not so much a comedy as it is a tragedy. A recent study from the University of Washington found that binge drinking in Silicon Valley and the Bay … Read More
Defeating an addiction can be one of the proudest moments of an individual’s life, and rightfully so. All of the work and dedication that goes into overcoming the compulsion to use drugs or alcohol can be extremely difficult, so when that success is achieved, it can feel as though the struggle is over and that … Read More
Heroin. Morphine. OxyContin. Vicodin. Mention the term “dangerous opioids” to most people, and these four substances are likely to be the first drugs that come to mind. Talk about dangerous opioids with someone in the Sacramento area, and it’s increasingly likely that he or she will add another drug to that list: Fentanyl. A extremely … Read More
Stepping away from one’s everyday life poses many advantages when taking on the endeavor of becoming sober. Residential treatment, an option for care that enables men and women to fully focus on recovery in a setting that is free from the temptation of using substances, is a level of care that has helped countless individuals … Read More
