Withdrawal is an unfortunate reality for individuals that are looking for help recovering from an addiction. The fear of withdrawal can be daunting and oftentimes, it can keep people from getting the help they need.  There are a number of steps that can be taken to make the transition from active addiction to successful recovery more successful, as well as beneficial.  What is Withdrawal? Withdrawal is a set of physical and psychological symptoms that are associated with addiction. These symptoms typically occur when someone stops using drugs or alcohol after developing a physical dependence on them.  Withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on the substance being used, but some common withdrawal symptoms include intense cravings, nausea, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and irritability.  [...]

Taking sleep medications is a common solution for people who have difficulty falling and staying asleep. But long-term use of certain sleep medications can cause serious side effects, including addiction.  Therefore, if you find that you need to take sleep medication regularly, it's important to understand the best way to properly detox from the drug. What is Sleep Medication Detox? Sleep medication detox is the process of gradually reducing your dependence on sleeping pills by tapering off the dosage over time.  This process should only be done under the supervision of a healthcare professional as it can be dangerous if not done correctly. The goal is to slowly wean yourself off the drug so that your body can adjust without [...]

One of the most difficult issues that arises for both individuals suffering from addiction and mental health, as well as the professionals who treat them, is getting adequate time to receive an accurate clinical diagnosis for what they are suffering from. Unfortunately, for many individuals dealing with substance use and/or mental health disorders, they often find themselves either in crisis situations or where the issue has become acute before they seek help. At that point in time, it is often difficult for a medical or therapeutic provider to have enough time with the patient to both get an accurate diagnosis, as well as the time to make sure a plan of action for both medication and therapeutic services is in [...]

In terms of addiction and addiction treatment, the term “intervention” probably became famous based on the A&E television show, appropriately titled “Intervention.” Starting in 2005, the reality show followed the stories of individuals in active addiction and their concerned loved ones, as a professional interventionist brought the family members together and intervened on the person in active addiction in an attempt to get them into rehab and find sobriety. To go broader or to take it a step further, outside of simply active addiction and looking at a larger health scope, an intervention (or more specifically, a clinical intervention) is described as any intentional action designed to result in an outcome, meaning an intention action is taken to change the [...]

Benzodiazepines, or benzos, are a class of drugs that can be highly effective in treating anxiety and panic disorders.  Unfortunately, these drugs have the potential to be easily abused and when used improperly, can oftentimes lead to addiction. That is why it is so important for those struggling with benzodiazepine abuse to seek professional help.  In this blog post we will explore why timely benzodiazepine prescription drug detox is essential to recovery. The Dangers of Long-Term Benzo Use Benzodiazepines work by slowing down the central nervous system, which can have an anxiolytic effect. However, long-term usage of benzos can lead to physical dependence and addiction which is why it is important not to stay on these drugs any longer than [...]

When people talk about alcoholism or someone having an alcohol use disorder (AUD), they most often think about someone who drinks every day, who drinks uncontrollably, who often gets blackout drunk, or that has little ability to control their drinking. When most people don’t think about when they think of an alcoholic or someone who needs detox or rehab for their drinking is a person who engages in binge drinking. Binge drinking is the act or behavior of consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), binge drinking is “the most common and costly pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States.” The National Institute [...]

When most people think about “sobriety” or “recovery”, for those people who have never done it, they think about having to stop drinking or drugging. They think that sobriety or recovery equates to abstinence. They think to themselves “If I can simply stop drinking alcohol or using drugs, everything will be fine.” Unfortunately, for the many people living life in recovery from addiction, they know that simply stopping drinking or drug use is the first step in sobriety, and that to receive the freedom and blessings that come from recovery, one typically must engage in lifestyle changes that support the transformational power of recovery and not using drugs or drinking is literally step one. So, for many individuals, they believe [...]

Cost is often a large consideration for an individual or family member when they are calling into a detox facility or addiction treatment center, seeking help for themselves or a loved one. Typically in a crisis, the first questions revolve around what the specific rehab does and if what they do is appropriate in offering treatment services for the individual suffering from addiction. However, once there is a mutual understanding of the nature of the addiction for the person needing help, and that the treatment center, detox, or rehab appropriately can offer medical, clinical, and therapeutic services to meet the needs of the person in active addiction, there is often questions surrounding financials and health insurance. Addiction treatment is not [...]