Why Opioid Prescriptions Should Include Risk Assessment for Drug Abuse and Addiction Articles>Drug Addiction, Articles>Early RecoveryBy The Ranch TNJanuary 23, 2015Over half of the 41,502 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2012 were due to prescription drugs, and 72 percent of these were related to opioid painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin. In 2012, there were 259 million prescriptions written for painkillers in the U.S., enough for every single adult in the country to have… Details
Vermont Aggressively Tackling Heroin Epidemic Articles>Drug AddictionBy The Ranch TNJanuary 23, 2015In America, we are still in the early phases of what some have termed a heroin epidemic. But in Vermont, where heroin use has been growing by leaps and bounds, there is nothing theoretical about the arrival of a truly dire situation.
Triggers: A Fact of Recovery Articles>Early RecoveryBy The Ranch TNJanuary 22, 2015One of the most challenging aspects of recovery is how to handle triggers. No matter what the source addiction is—whether it’s alcohol and substance addictions, sexual addictions, addictive co-dependencies or something else—we all have to deal with things that make us want to re-engage in the self-destructive patterns that brought us into recovery in the… Details
Doctors Increasing Use of Buprenorphine in Addiction Treatment Articles>Drug Addiction, Helpful ArticlesBy The Ranch TNJanuary 21, 2015The use of buprenorphine to treat opioid dependence has increased dramatically in the last 10 years, particularly among general physicians, indicating a clear shift in opioid maintenance therapy in the United States, a new study finds. Buprenorphine is a modern opioid medication designed to, among other things, help people affected by opioid addiction break a… Details
Is There a Link Between Prescription Opioid Abuse and PTSD Severity? Articles>Trauma and PTSDBy The Ranch TNJanuary 20, 2015Prescription opioid abuse is the collective term for both the misuse of opioid medications by legitimate prescription recipients and any form of opioid medication use by people without a legitimate prescription. In the U.S., people participate in this form of prescription drug abuse fairly often. In a study published in May 2014 in The American… Details
Addicted to Love Articles>Sex AddictionBy The Ranch TNJanuary 17, 2015Love addiction is a term many people are not familiar with. Although it is not a diagnosable condition according to many experts, there is evidence that some people become addicted to the feeling of being in love and to being around the person they love. Some would call this a behavioral addition, while others call… Details
Six Essential Rules of Addiction Recovery Articles>Early RecoveryBy The Ranch TNJanuary 15, 2015What does it really take to get sober and stay sober? If you talk to several people in recovery, you may get several opinions. Some will emphasize the importance of a sponsor or attending a lot of meetings. Others will insist that they couldn’t have gotten sober without the religious undertones of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Health Officials Scramble to Respond as Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic Sweeps through Tennessee Articles>Drug AddictionBy The Ranch TNJanuary 13, 2015America’s rapid explosion of prescription painkiller abuse has put health officials across the country on the defensive. Nowhere is this truer than in Tennessee, where a virtual epidemic of addiction is stressing the state’s health care system to the breaking point.
For Those With PTSD Any Public Trauma Could Cause a Spike in Symptoms Articles>Trauma and PTSDBy The Ranch TNJanuary 10, 2015In the spring of 2013 there were 12 mass shootings and one terrorist bombing on American soil. Most often the discussion afterward focuses on what was wrong in the life of the perpetrator. While mental health professionals are concerned with what inspires these kinds of acts, they’re also concerned with how they affect people already dealing… Details
Why Go to Rehab? TreatmentBy The Ranch TNJanuary 9, 2015You are starting to come to the realization that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol. You may have tried to stop drinking and drugging on your own, only to go right back to substance abuse, maybe with increasingly concerning consequences. You know you’re hurting your loved ones and yourself, but you can’t seem… Details
