How Opioids Impact Your Body and Brain
While many people associate the term “opioids” with illegal drugs like heroin, it also applies to prescription pain medications. American patients receive more than 191 million opioid prescriptions each year. These medications interact with the body’s nerve cells, also known as neurons, to block pain and put patients at ease. Although opioids can help with managing […]
How to Discuss Opioid Addiction Treatment with Children
Children of parents with substance use disorder are often exposed to trauma throughout their caretaker’s illness before they choose to enter treatment; however, it’s impossible to shield kids from all negative experiences in life. While elders may be tempted to avoid these serious conversations, talking about opioid addiction with their kids is a vital step […]
How to Speak With Someone About Getting Them Help for Addiction
Communication is a key component of friendship, families and romantic relationships. The ability to share thoughts and feelings is foundational to any healthy bond. Sadly, addiction breeds deceit and mistrust, often leading to broken ties between loved ones. If you want to encourage your loved one to get help for addiction, you must talk to […]
Supporting an Opioid Addict During the Holidays
While many believe that the holidays bring out the best in people, if your loved one struggles with opioid addiction or another substance use disorder, the stress and chaos of the holiday season may be too much for them to bear. Especially if they are new to recovery, they may need extra encouragement, support and […]
How the Pandemic Has Changed the Fight Against Opioid Addiction
The pandemic has created a convergence of dangerous factors, and those with opioid addiction are most at risk. More than 40 states have reported a noticeable increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the use of illicit fentanyl — an opioid 50 times stronger than heroin — continues to rise, […]
Massachusetts Battling Opioid Addiction in 2020
While the opioid crisis is a national epidemic, Massachusetts has been hit especially hard. The scale of this crisis can be felt in urban, suburban and rural communities throughout the state and is fueled by a surge of illicit fentanyl, heroin and prescription painkillers. Sadly, Massachusetts has one of the top five highest opioid-involved overdose death rates […]
How to Tell Kids That a Family Member Is Getting Treated for Addiction
How do you tell children that one or both of their parents struggle with addiction? While talking to kids about a parent’s addiction isn’t easy, it is an important conversation to have. Open and honest communication can help eradicate children’s misunderstandings — one common and critical misconception being that the drug or alcohol abuse is […]
How Opioid Addiction Impacts the Economy
Most people are aware of opioid addiction’s impact on a personal level. However, the cost of opioid addiction goes beyond those grappling with the disease. Its impact can be felt, in part, by everyone. That’s because the opioid epidemic has far-reaching consequences, even having an adverse effect on the nation’s economy. The danger of opioids […]
12 Risk Factors for Opioid Addiction
It’s more important than ever to understand the potential dangers of opioid use. Why? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Knowing when opioid overdose risk is the greatest and which treatment approaches are most effective can help you or a loved one […]
Is Individual Counseling Important in Overcoming Opioid Addiction?
If you struggle with opioid addiction, the importance of individual substance abuse counseling cannot be overstated. While medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has proven to be one of the most effective ways to address the cravings and withdrawal symptoms produced by addiction, counseling offers insight into the inner workings of this disease. Individual counseling for opioid addiction offers a […]
