More than 23 million Americans struggle with drug or alcohol use disorders, yet only about 25 percent receive any treatment. This stems, in part, from society’s misconception of substance use disorder as a moral failing. This attitude can result in shame, or stigma, reducing the chance people struggling with substance use disorder will reach out for help. Following treatment,…
Opioid drug abuse is one of the biggest public health issues facing the country today. The harmful effects of opiates can have devastating consequences on every aspect of an individual’s life. Opioid abuse can result in legal troubles, family problems, financial hardships, long-lasting health problems and loss of life. What Are Opioids? Prescription opiates, as…
According to a 2017 article in The Washington Post, one in eight Americans have an alcohol use disorder and a 2017 Pew Research poll found that nearly half of U.S. adults have a close friend or family member who has a substance use disorder involving drugs. Do you know the signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction? Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol…
An outbreak of synthetic marijuana, starting in Chicago and fanning out in Illinois, has caused more than 50 cases of serious bleeding–including two deaths–and those numbers are rising. “This is the first time we’ve seen an outbreak of this magnitude in the area,” Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, announces. Its effects…
Despite the harmful and long-lasting effects of drug use, people struggling with drug addiction have a compulsive and uncontrollable urge to keep using. Stopping can be difficult. In fact, it may even seem impossible, especially because drug withdrawal symptoms can be extremely unpleasant, dangerous, and even lethal. However, with the right drug withdrawal treatment, people can overcome withdrawal and…
Addiction doesn’t just take a toll on the life of the person struggling with a substance use disorder. It also impacts everyone close to them. After your loved one has committed to treatment, especially in the case of Residential Treatment, you may feel helpless for their well-being or overwhelmed with your own emotions. That’s why Gateway Foundation’s…
Trump Administration Opioid Action Plan During the 2016 presidential election, then Republican nominee Donald Trump took a tough stance on the opioid crisis, declaring he would help solve the crisis if he were elected with is Trump Administration Opioid Action Plan. President Trump often cited his personal connection to addiction as a major motivator, as…
When people think of addiction, they think of substances like alcohol and drugs. They rarely think of addictive behaviors, but addiction goes well past substance use disorders. It also pertains to process addictions. What is Process Addiction? In 2011, the American Society of Addiction Medicine included behavioral addiction in the broader definition of addiction. Behavioral, or process, addiction is the…
Avalere Health’s Findings on the State of the Opioid Epidemic Health research firm Avalere Health looked at how the different states across the country have responded to the current state of the opioid epidemic. When conducting its research, Avalere took into consideration the amount of buprenorphine providers in the state compared to the opioid overdoses a state…