Many people who consider themselves in recovery count themselves among the lucky. After all, getting clean and sober is a massive change in life. It garners many rewards. Unfortunately, long-term drug use can cause health issues and serious diseases no matter who you are. The research, done by the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Recovery Research
Recovering from addiction requires the help of an active support community, family and friends. But not everyone who needs this kind of assistance has the support systems in place. This is why Lucien Izraylov, an addiction counselor who is also a recovering addict has created an app that can help those without support structures to
On Tuesday, the FDA continued its investigation and crackdown on bad actors within the pharmaceutical industry by sending a warning letter sent to drug distributor McKessson. The sternly-worded letter accuses the opioid distrubitor of shipping "illegitimate" product. This is the first time the FDA has taken formal enforcement action to curb abuse. The letter from
Over the past several years, the media has paid a lot of attention to the opioid epidemic, without noting another silent killer: the over-prescription of benzodiazepines. Benzos prescriptions such as Klonopin, Xanax, and Ativan, used primarily to help with anxiety disorders, have been rising steadily. Research shows they are increasingly prescribed for off-label use, without
There is still an opioid problem in America, but there’s also a problem with access to the health care required to fix the addiction epidemic. Opioids are such a problem that South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Alaska, Virginia, and Massachusetts all issued a state of emergency declaration in the past few years. However, funding
This week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Gina Raimondo's took a tour of the facilities for inmates and people involved in the post-incarceration program. Gov. Raimondo then participated in a roundtable discussion about the state's medication-assisted treatment program. Introduced in 2017, the program offers inmates in the prison system, also called AC)
An alarming uptick of amphetamine use, such as crystal meth and speed, has quietly taken center stage for some hospitals also struggling with opioids abuse. Between 2008 and 2015, Amphetamine-related hospitalizations jumped by about 245%, according to the American Medical Association’s latest report. The increase is a startling reminder that the addiction epidemic isn’t isolated
While the opioid crisis is currently raging, a resurgence of methamphetamine use also looms in the background. While it hasn’t been publicized in many cities, meth use is rising. And in Michigan, County Prosecutors have declared its use a crisis. Meth, Ice are Getting Stronger Meth has also gotten stronger in Michigan and other states
Last week, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced his agency is considering banning all flavored e-cigarette products (vaping) from the market, due to what he calls “epidemic of addiction” among American teens. This announcement followed several other firm actions taken by the agency against vaping companies in the past few months. “The disturbing and accelerating trajectory
In Salt Lake City, Utah, a new program has launched to help addicted parents re-unite with their child housed by social services in Odyssey House’s “Parents with Children Program.” The program, which focuses on keeping families together, has provided a lifeline for those with drug problems. Instead of separating children from parents completely, participants still
