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“Substance abuse” and “addiction” are closely-related terms, but there are key distinctions between them. Learn how to recognize the differences between the two. In everyday conversation, the distinction between substance abuse and drug addiction can sometimes be ambiguous. However, while both substance abuse and addiction can have detrimental effects on your life, not everyone who …

Substance Abuse vs. Addiction: What’s the Difference? Read More »

This photo provided by Nancy Sack shows Carter Lange, Kim Gustavson, Jason Lange, Matthew Gustavson, and Travis Gustavson. Sack’s grandson, Travis Gustavson, died at age 21 in Mankato, Minn., after overdosing on what he thought was heroin but was actually laced with fentanyl. Katie Tettam/Nancy Sack via AP An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug …

U.S. overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say Read More »

Naltrexone is a drug used primarily in the continued management of alcohol dependence and opioid addiction. How it helps in each case differs. For alcoholism, the treatment can help quell one’s desire to drink. In contrast, the drug works to actually thwart the actual effects of opiates on the brain. Naltrexone is sold under the …

Naltrexone for Alcoholism and Opioid Addiction Read More »

Cravings for alcohol or drugs are common among people who have been addicted, or even after a period of intense use. They are both physical and psychological in nature and are most intense during the acute withdrawal period, the day or two after you stop using the drug or alcohol. They can, however, also occur …

How to Cope With Withdrawal Cravings Read More »

Substance-use disorders are complex conditions that often require treatment. Getting help might seem like the obvious first step to take, but managing drug-withdrawal symptoms is no easy feat. That’s because using drugs (including alcohol) long-term can cause your body to become dependent on the substance. And, if you’ve become dependent and then suddenly stop taking …

What Are Drug-Withdrawal Symptoms and How Long Do They Last? Read More »

If you aren’t a danger to yourself or others, and you can stay sober when you go home, other types of rehab may be a better fit for you. Partial hospitalization or day treatment is where you live at home, but you go for treatment at a hospital or clinic at least 5 days a …

Alcohol Detox and Rehab Programs: What to Know Read More »

Benzodiazepine, or benzo, withdrawal happens when a person suddenly stops taking benzodiazepine drugs, which doctors do not recommend. The withdrawal symptoms, which vary in severity, typically begin within 24 hours and may last from a few days to a few months. Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs called nervous system depressants. People may take them …

What happens when you stop taking benzodiazepines? Read More »

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is sponsoring the 23rd National Recovery Month (Recovery Month). This long-standing, national observance promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for substance use and mental disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of …

September is National Recovery Month Read More »

International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31 each year. This somber day functions as a remembrance of more than 500,000 lives lost and a reminder of how far we have come in combatting addiction across America.1 True awareness requires reflection on the crisis’ origins, actions to mitigate its consequences, and ideas to move us forward …

International Overdose Awareness Day Is Somber Reminder Read More »

Whitney, whose name we changed to protect her privacy, sometimes has panic attacks. Her hands shake and her chest tightens. By the end of one, she’s drenched in sweat. To alleviate her worry about having another attack, she carries a prescription bottle of clonazepam, a benzodiazepine, with her everywhere she goes. The medication works fast, …

The Pandemic Is Spiking Anxiety. Before You Take Anti-Anxiety Medication, Understand The Risks Read More »