When trying to stop drinking, some people try to give it all up at once. This strategy works for a few but not for many. A gradual decrease in consumption can be more effective and less dangerous as the alcohol slowly leaves your system rather than abruptly. This way feels safer for many because there…
In a medically-assisted detox program, medical professionals monitor the patient and administer medication that counteracts some of the more painful withdrawal symptoms. In alcohol and opioid detox programs, the withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that they can become life-threatening. Severe dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting can lead to heart failure when blood sodium…
Many people shy away from entering an addiction treatment program due to the costs. They need help with a substance abuse problem but think that they cannot afford it. This is one of many obstacles on the path to wellness, but there are ways to minimize the out-of-pocket costs that come with a treatment plan.…
When people use cocaine, they are solely interested in the short-term effects. The alertness and euphoria they feel only last for so long, and then they use more to achieve the same high. It is highly addictive and dangerous. Overdoses happen due to the cocaine in a person’s system reaching toxic levels, essentially poisoning them.…
Heroin withdrawal can be very severe and even fatal. Dehydration due to persistent vomiting and diarrhea can lead to elevated blood sodium levels, which can cause heart failure. This is not a common occurrence, but it is a possibility if you attempt to detox on your own without proper medical supervision. When done under the…
At their heart, 12-step programs are about accountability. This treatment asks you to accept that drugs or alcohol have taken over your life and that you feel increasingly powerless to do anything about it. In doing so, there must be a light bulb moment where you find yourself ready to face your fears and seek…
The rate of drug use in Ohio is one of the highest in the country. Heroin and opioids are the main culprits. Over just a few months in 2020, heroin use increased by 35% in Ohio, and over 500 Ohioans died in a single month. One of the determining factors in the rise of heroin…
The three ‘C’s, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, will always be at or near the top of the list of the top drug-using cities in Ohio due to them being the three biggest cities in the state. But by percentages, the three counties that those cities reside in were not in the top ten, and two…
There are several outside factors besides the opiates themselves that will determine the timeline for opiate withdrawal. Age, sex, body composition, and genetic predispositions for addiction are relevant when discussing how long it will take to complete the withdrawal stage. The timeline will fluctuate between one week and several months, depending on the individual. The…
How long the traces of medication stay in the body depends on several factors. Drugs metabolize differently depending on the person using them, the drug itself, and how they administered the dose. A person’s age, sex, body composition, and certain genetic and biological markers contribute to how long the medication remains in detectable amounts in…
