Addiction can have a devastating effect on a person’s health and relationships. Watching someone go through a substance use disorder can be very taxing, both physically and emotionally. While a client’s loved ones may have the best of intentions, they may still be ill-equipped to handle the needs of someone in detox and recovery. In…
Recovering from addiction is a long process with many stages that require different levels of care. Clients who are looking to recover from addiction may choose between inpatient or residential treatment, intensive outpatient or outpatient treatment, or partial hospitalization programs. Depending on their stage of recovery and their personal circumstances, they can choose the kind…
Ketamine has a long history of use in ways that are both legal and illegal. Its medical uses date back to the Vietnam war when it was commonly used as battlefield anesthesia for injured soldiers. Following the war, it continued to be used as a sedative in the operating room. Illegal street usage of ketamine…
Ketamine transfusions are a type of treatment for depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. They can be profoundly effective in reducing symptoms related to mood disorders. Moreover, they are quick-acting and able to produce results in just a few hours. They should not be viewed as some miracle cure. After all, they do not solve…
When someone is said to have a dual diagnosis, it means they have a recognized mental health disorder simultaneously as a substance abuse disorder. Multiple conditions are common, as mental health and substance abuse overlap fundamentally. Struggling with one type of disorder does not guarantee that someone will develop the other. However, it happens often…
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant. Most of the cocaine supply in the United States is illegally distributed and used. Cocaine tends to come in a powder form. The “crack” variety of cocaine comes in small crystal form and is smoked instead of snorted. Both types of crack can cause numerous physical and mental ailments. Abusing…
Cocaine is a type of stimulant drug. It is naturally derived from the leaves of the South American coca plant. Cocaine does have valid medical uses, though they are limited. Most cocaine in the United States is an illegal variety that comes in a white powder form. Cocaine is often cut with other substances, some…
Fentanyl is a type of opioid that is incredibly powerful. It is many times more potent than morphine and exponentially stronger than the types of opioids prescribed for pain relief like oxycontin and codeine. Recent data indicates that over 100 people die in the United States every day from opioid overdoses, with fentanyl being the…
Both men and women experience substance abuse at similar rates across the United States. Yet men and women have different needs when it comes to treating addiction. A general practitioner would never assume using the same exact methods for men and women would produce the best outcomes. The same is true of the addiction treatment…
A partial hospitalization program, or PHP for short, is a type of intensive outpatient addiction treatment. Clients spend up to six hours per day every day of the week attending on-site treatment, accessing therapy, and getting help with medication management. But does PHP work? The simple answer is yes. The more complex answer is yes,…