Before Kevin Simmers’ daughter Brooke died of an opioid overdose, she had wanted to open a treatment center for women. He made her dream come true. When Brooke Simmers was in a rehab facility for opiate addiction, she told her father, Kevin, that she wanted to open her own halfway house. Brooke died in 2015, […]
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Jessica Simpson sat down with “Today” show host Hoda Kotb and spoke honestly about the struggles she faced with alcoholism, which she details in her upcoming memoir, “Open Book.” “I had started a spiral and I couldn’t catch up with myself,” the former reality TV star said during the sit-down, airing in full on Wednesday.
Opiates or opioids are drugs used to treat pain. The term narcotic refers to either type of drug. If you stop or cut back on these drugs after heavy use of a few weeks or more, you will have a number of symptoms. This is called withdrawal. Causes In 2016 in the United States, about
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Experts call it ”our other prescription drug problem.” Like opioids, it can kill and lead to addiction. “It” is benzodiazepine drugs, prescribed to help anxiety and insomnia. While the opioid epidemic has received much attention, the benzodiazepine problem has not, says Anna Lembke, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and chief of addiction medicine at the
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There’s not much solid data about how widespread the use of a psychoactive plant called kratom is in the U.S. But if what Dr. Marvin Seppala is seeing in addiction treatment centers all over the country is any indication, use of kratom isn’t just on the rise; it’s becoming normalized. “What we’re seeing is regular
Yet another study indicates that patients are being tapered off prescription painkillers at “rapid” rates that surpass federal guidelines. Among more than 100,000 patients enrolled in both commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage programs, researchers found that the annual percentage undergoing tapering doubled between 2008 and 2017. In response to the opioid crisis, the Department of
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, was the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Florida and in Palm Beach County in 2018. A synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine was the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Palm Beach County and Florida last year. Fentanyl
This drug was the top killer in Palm Beach County — and Florida Read More »
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Hard-hat jobs are tough and demanding, often entailing intense physical labor performed in dangerous situations.But a new study finds construction work also comes with another danger: An increased risk of drug abuse. Construction workers and miners are much more likely than people in other professions to misuse opioids, cocaine and marijuana,
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Drugs that instantly relieve anxiety can feel like a godsend, but using the pills long-term may come with serious consequences. When Rachel Ziegler was 22, her doctor prescribed 0.5 mg of Xanax once a day to treat generalized anxiety and panic attacks. “I don’t recall ever discussing a potential stopping point,” says Ziegler, who works
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Presented by the World Federation of Mental Health, World Mental Health Day will be on October 10, 2019. The goal is to help raise mental health awareness. Each of us can make a contribution to ensure that people dealing with problems concerning mental health can live better lives with dignity. The Dilemma Every year one
World Mental Health Day 2019 Read More »