International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of substance overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of...
A co-occurring disorder is when a substance abuse disorder and a mental health disorder coexist. A co-occurring disorder can often be difficult to diagnose due to their complexity as well as the differentiation in symptoms depending on the mental health disorder and substance of choice. For instance, a loved one who suffers from prescription drug...
28 thousand. It’s a number that you remember, especially when you consider that it’s the number of deaths caused by accidental overdoses in 2014, which is the most recent year we have solid statistics documented. More than half of these deaths were related to prescription drugs. These are daunting numbers, but working together could be...
The United States is currently in the midst of a major heroin epidemic. The rate of heroin-related overdose deaths have almost quadrupled between 2002 and 2013, and in the year 2013 alone, 8,200 Americans lost their lives to heroin. Many are butting heads on what the best solution would be to solve the growing heroin...
Even if New Year’s resolutions are not your thing, a big part of drug addiction recovery is discovering ways in which to better oneself and there is no time like the present to cultivate positive change in your life. Here are five ways to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle that is free from alcohol or drug...
It’s September, and there will be social drinking events. You’ve just started the semester and already you’re beginning to feel that heaviness and exhaustion that is synonymous with relentlessly working toward an education. Maybe it’s been a week or a month and the pressure is beginning to really set in. Pressure from tuition and project...
If you’re struggling with a drug or alcohol problem, you may also be dealing with feelings of depression, mood swings or anxiety. When you suffer from both a psychiatric condition and a substance abuse problem, you’re said to have co-occurring disorders or a dual diagnosis disorder. It’s common for people with a mental health disorder to...
If you’ve made the decision to get help for drug or alcohol abuse, you’ve conquered one of the toughest challenges on the road to recovery. Before you begin your journey of learning how to live a sober lifestyle, you need to have a clean, substance-free system. Most addiction treatment programs begin with a medically-supervised detox to...
Addiction isn’t the only problem that addicts may be wrestling with when they enter rehab. Many also battle the mental disorder of depression. Some people may be clinically depressed and suffer from concurrent disorders upon entering a drug treatment center. “Mental health disorders and substance abuse commonly go hand in hand. Either disorder can occur...
The L.A. Kings have had a difficult spring. First, the 2014 NHL champions failed to earn a spot in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the first defending Cup champions to miss the postseason since 2007. Ten days later, forward Jarret Stoll was arrested for illegal drug possession. Stoll is alleged to have had 3.3 grams...
