Tina and Melinda are both addicted to opioids. Both of these women are paying for suboxone treatment for their opioid use disorder. Tina has private insurance. Melinda has Medicaid coverage. Which of these two women is more likely to get an appointment? Will providers discriminate when it comes to the method for paying for suboxone …

Over 93,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose in 2020, which is a 30 percent increase from the previous year. The effects of fentanyl are the root cause behind this increase. It is a powerful synthetic opioid that is infiltrating the drug supply. Americans are buying other drugs, like cocaine or benzodiazepines, that have been …

A lot has changed when it comes to prescription opioids and how they’re prescribed. It’s been six years. Six years since the CDC released its Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. So, why did the CDC decide to propose an update this year? What compelled the organization to take action now? Let’s take a …

It was a day she would never forget. Tammy came home from work and found her husband slouched in the recliner. She thought he was dozing, but then he didn’t respond when she tried to wake him. She tried again. Then she noticed his lips had a blue tint to them, and his breathing was …

Eight days ago, Angela was in rehab. Now she’s completely off heroin and has an impressive five weeks of sobriety under her belt. She has a new job and a new apartment. But things are starting to get a little more stressful than she thought they’d be — so many changes, so many new responsibilities. …

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has been a life-saving tool for so many people with opioid use disorder. In fact, the most popular medication used in MAT—Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone)—is approved and endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Thousands of people …

Between April of 2020 and April of 2021, 100,000 Americans died from drug overdose. Around 75,000 of those deaths were due to opioids, mostly fentanyl. At least 76 recent fentanyl cases involved the use of social media to traffic the drugs. Dealers use Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube to reach customers.

Childhood emotional neglect has a high correlation with addiction. It is not uncommon for a person in addiction treatment to have an aha moment where they realize their emotional or physical needs were neglected as children. They see for the first time how this neglect influenced their choices, feelings, and behavior as adults.

Let’s take a quick trip back to the 1990s. That’s when it all started. Opioid prescription numbers were beginning to climb. And they didn’t slow down. Over the next two decades more and more doctors filled their prescription pads with painkillers. By 2012, opioids were being dispensed at a rate of 81.3 prescriptions per 100 …

There is no safe amount of IV drug use. IV drug use increases the risk of infectious disease, overdose, and addiction.