Drug Addiction Archives | Oceanside Malibu

Medication-Assisted Treatment

The medications traditionally used in harm reduction or medication-assisted treatment programs for opiod addiction are Suboxone, Subutex & Sublocade. Suboxone is really made up of two medications with the main med being Buprenorphine. It is a long-lasting opiate. Now why would you take someone off of opiates and put them on more opiates? Well, Buprenorphine attaches to those opioid receptor sites in such a way that makes it very difficult to overdose. Consequently, it increases safety for anyone addicted to opioids or heroin. Another thing is, since suboxone has a tiny bit of naloxone, which is an opioid blocker, it adds a bit more of a safety net. Thus, adding more »

What To Expect During Detox

Detox & withdrawal occur when an addict ceases using. Symptoms can present themselves in several ways including but not limited to stress sensitivity, sleep disturbances, memory problems, impaired concentration, emotional overreaction or numbness and cravings. Substance abusers in early recovery often struggle with situations which bring about stress. It is important to remember that addicts while in active addiction participated in addictive behaviors as a means to cope or get away from the stressful events. Many times addicts describe themselves as raw. Treatment needs to include coping skills to replace the abusive behaviors. Sleep disturbances will subside as time passes & non-addictive medications may be prescribed by a medical more »

The Harm Reduction Approach To Treatment

Harm reduction is an approach to treating addiction that focuses on keeping addicts safe and minimizing death, disease and injury associated with higher risk addictive behavior, while recognizing that the behavior may continue despite the risks. At the conceptual level, harm reduction maintains a value neutral and humanistic view of drug use and the drug user. It focuses on the harms from drug use rather than on the use itself. It does not insist on or object to abstinence and acknowledges the active role of the drug user in harm reduction programs. At the practical level, the aim of harm reduction is to reduce the more immediate harmful consequences more »

Getting Help For Opioid Addiction

Opioids are оnе оf thе world’s оldеѕt addictive drugs, ѕurраѕѕеd only bу аlсоhоl іn tеrmѕ оf hоw lоng humаnѕ hаvе uѕеd thе ѕubѕtаnсеѕ. Thеіr роwеrful ability tо mіtіgаtе pain аnd tо make lіfе ѕееm less stressful comes at a tеrrіfуіng рrісе: an opiod аddісtіоn thаt most people саn’t ѕtор wіth their оwn will. The mоѕt сhаllеngіng аѕресt in treating addiction is taking thе fіrѕt ѕtер оf recognizing thаt thеrе is a рrоblеm. Like many other drugѕ, opioids аrе subtle in thе wау thаt they ѕlоwlу fоrсе thе bоdу tо become рhуѕісаllу dependent uроn thеm. Thаt’ѕ why realizing thаt you or уоur lоvеd one has a рrоblеm wіth аddісtіоn is more »

Methamphetamine Withdrawal

While the physical symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal are not as bad as the symptoms associated with quitting other types of drugs, it’s not fun either. Although methamphetamine is not usually considered a strongly physically addictive drug, common withdrawal symptoms may still include restlessness, fatigue, irregular sleep schedule, and hunger. One may have some intense psychological withdrawal symptoms when coming off methamphetamine. In fact, it is such symptoms that make quitting methamphetamine more difficult than you might think. The severity of symptoms will depend on factors such as how long you were using meth, how much you used every day and whether or not you have any medical conditions. Following your more »

The Relationship Between Anger & Anxiety

Anger is not always negative; it can be channeled into positive achievements. If a particular social condition arouses negative emotions in you, this can motivate you to take the steps necessary to do something about it. Rage, on the other hand, is generally negative, and tends to have no positive aspects. When rageful outburst become a dependency recurring again and again, it can be destructive to relationships and to personal well-being. Seeking help to control such emotional issues, whether for you or for someone else, can be challenging. The perceived stigma in addressing anger issues, can cause fear and hesitation. Some of this comes from guilt—the feeling that the condition more »