Cross Addiction And What It Means
One of the problems that I see frequently is patients with cross addiction, specifically those who are also being given “legitimate” prescription medications such as stimulants, benzodiazepines and opiates for bona...
Why Florida Needs Naxolone Access Laws
It is so important to know how to identify, prevent, and reverse an opioid overdose because this is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. In order to...
Americans With Addictions: A New Year With Old Challenges
It’s a New Year and time to turn the page, or so I thought. It only took a headline before I was brought back to reality and reminded of the challenges...
The Prescription Drug Epidemic
Enough painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for a month, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Although most of these pills were prescribed for...
A Disease That Needs Healing
One year after the most tragic event in our country took place, I experienced a moment of blissful laughter that I did not know I was capable of feeling without the...
Painkillers That Kill- A Silent Injustice
A nightclub fire in Brazil leaves 242 college students dead and it makes worldwide news, as it should. Overdoses on opiate painkiller medications take the lives of over 25,000 individuals every...
THE OPIATE ADDICTION EPIDEMIC AND THE RISE IN HEROIN ABUSE
THE OPIATE ADDICTION EPIDEMIC AND THE RISE IN HEROIN ABUSE. If I told you that 2 million people were in the grip of addiction, nearly every one of you would nod...
THE SILENT ASSAULT ON AMERICANS WITH ADDICTIONS
Albert will never know what it’s like to cheer on his college football team or date the co-ed of his dreams. The tall and handsome blonde haired, blue eyed high school...
THE NEW DRUG DEALER IN TOWN
I want to tell you about the new drug dealer in town. You won’t recognize him because he’s cleaned up his appearance. The new guy traded-in his hoodie and sneakers for...
Adolescents, Brain Development And The Turkey Model
Adolescents and Brain Development
For the past five years I’ve overseen an adolescent substance abuse treatment center in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border. The boys are between the ages of 13-20,...