A Blog To Recovery

Oxycodone is the most commonly abused opioid in America. More than 12 million people use opioid drugs recreationally in the U.S.A. Oxycodone was the leading cause of drug-related deaths in America until 2012, when heroin and fentanyl became more widely abused. Oxycodone overdose can cause spinal cord infarction in high doses as well as ischemic …

Read moreTHE RISKS OF OXYCODONE

Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant used as a recreational drug and rarely as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. It is seldom prescribed over concerns involving human neurotoxicity and potential for recreational abuse as an aphrodisiac and euphoriant.  The highest degree of illegal methamphetamine use occurs in parts of …

Read moreTHE DANGERS OF METHAMPHETAMINE

Cocaine addiction is a biopsychosocial disorder characterized by persistent cocaine use despite adverse consequences, and withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classifies cocaine abuse as a “stimulant use disorder”.  Cocaine use causes euphoria and high amounts of energy, as well as mood swings, paranoia, insomnia, psychosis, high blood pressure, …

Read moreGETTING FREE OF COCAINE

Fentanyl contamination in cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, and certain “prescription” drugs is common. Fentanyl is often found in heroin as well as illegally manufactured opioids and benzodiazepines. Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, can completely reverse an opioid overdose. Fentanyl poses an very high overdose risk, due in part to having an extremely unpredictable …

Read moreUNDERSTANDING FENTANYL

Discontinuation of benzodiazepines, even after a relatively short duration of treatment, may result in withdrawal symptoms, which are the main sign of physical dependence. The most frequent symptoms of withdrawal are insomnia, gastric problems, tremors, agitation, fearfulness, and muscle spasms. Less frequent symptoms are irritability, sweating, depersonalization, derealization, hypersensitivity to stimuli, depression, suicidal behavior, psychosis, …

Read moreGETTING OFF OF XANAX

Psychological dependence is a mental disorder that involves emotional symptoms like anxiety and anhedonia after ceasing prolonged drug use.  It involves a belief that you need the substance to do certain things like sleeping or socializing, and it develops through frequent exposure to a psychoactive substance. While previous definitions of anhedonia emphasized the inability to …

Read morePSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE

If your drug or alcohol use causes significant impairment or distress, you may have a substance use disorder (SUD). Diagnosis usually involves an examination by a psychiatrist, psychologist or a drug counselor, and the most commonly used guidelines can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).  Parameters for the diagnosis …

Read moreDIAGNOSING ADDICTION

Drug tolerance describes a user’s reduced reaction to a drug after its repeated use. An increase in dosage may re-amplify the drug’s effect; however, this may also accelerate tolerance, further reducing the drug’s effects.  One may also develop tolerance to side effects; when this concerns non-addictive, prescribed medications, tolerance may be desirable. A medical intervention …

Read moreDRUG TOLERANCE AND WITHDRAWAL

If you are heading into rehab for the very first time, let me give you some advice, and a sense of where to set your expectations over the next 30-90 days.  First off, I’d like to congratulate you; not only are you about to embark upon what is essentially an extended vacation, but it’s actually …

Read moreWHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I ENTER REHAB?

At a gathering of our cohort last night, I found myself irritated by a particular meeting-goer. This was not the first time I have noticed him.  Last night, he was generally rude and incoherent, and on prior occasions, he has been notably odorous. How do we deal with such members? Shall we cast them out?  …

Read moreOUR COMMON WELFARE