There are millions of addiction recovery stories, but not enough are covered in the media – except when it involves a celebrity. Here are some of our favorite famous addiction recovery stories. Celebrities are humans, just like us, and despite their fame, money and cool occupation, many celebrities have gone on to suffer from an…
Preliminary data shows that opioid deaths have fallen (maybe) by 5 percent in 2018 — the first drop in overdose deaths since the country’s opioid epidemic began in the 1990s. The statistics about opioid abuse in general are shocking. The data, first reported by the New York Times, seems like good news. A 5 percent…
Substance Abuse and Homelessness For years, scientists, government agencies and others have been studying the link between substance abuse and homelessness. The two are directly related and studies reaffirm this. For example: substance abuse can lead to homelessness and vice versa. That’s probably no surprise to anyone, especially if you’ve seen celebrities struggle with addiction.…
When to Call Your AA Sponsor Knowing when to call your AA sponsor is sometimes difficult and confusing. We’ve put together the top 10 times you should call your sponsor. 1. If you find yourself stressed out by friends, family, work, school or in any situation (ex. during the holidays), you should pick up the…
Questions to Ask Your Treatment Provider If you’re thinking about going to or sending someone into treatment, you need to know what questions to ask your treatment provider. This is the minimum amount of due diligence that must be done to ensure any reasonable chance of success. There are many reasons that getting it right…
Treatment of Substance Use Disorders In a recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), substance use disorders (SUDs) were divided into two distinct categories–substance abuse and substance dependence. An individual could receive a current diagnosis of either abuse or dependence (not both) for a single drug class. A current SUD…
The research and statistics are irrefutable: methadone treatment is successful at improving almost every quality of life measurement for patients and creates safer, healthier conditions for families and communities. It is one of the many treatment options for those suffering from addiction. Methadone remains controversial though, with no shortage of myths, misinformation, and outright lies…
Opioid Doctors Face Jail A Virginia doctor was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Wednesday October 2, 2019, for prescribing a half-million doses of opioids to patients over two years, prosecutors said. Dr. Joel Smithers, 36, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. He was found guilty in May of more than 800 counts of illegally…
Landmark $270 Million Opioid Lawsuit Settlement Opens Door for Dozens of Pending Cases Purdue Pharma recently agreed to pay Oklahoma $270 million rather than face trial on charges of misleading marketing practices and misrepresentation regarding Oxycontin, according to company and state press releases. Court battles are far from over for the pharmaceutical company, which still…
Medication-assisted treatment programs use a few alternatives to dangerous opioids. Medications, including buprenorphine (Suboxone®, Subutex®), methadone, and extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol®), are effective for the treatment of opioid use disorders. Buprenorphine and methadone are “essential medicines” according to the World Health Organization. A NIDA study shows that once treatment is initiated, a buprenorphine/naloxone combination and an…