It’s easy to look at the too-thin, dirt-caked arms peeking through dirty heaps of newspaper and tattered blankets, hear the nonsensical mutterings, and think: “addict.” The quick thought is likely ...
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Narcan Parties: RSVP Yes to Lower Overdose Death Toll
If we could wave a magic wand and reverse the opioid crisis, it would have happened already. It’s long been at a point where saying, “We’re working on it” isn’t ...
Why Fentanyl Causes So Many Overdoses
You’ve probably heard about fentanyl, the pharmaceutical-grade opiate that has caused a spike in overdose deaths recently. The actual numbers should sound alarm bells: OD fatalities that involve fentanyl increased ...
Leaving Against Clinical Advice (ACA) in Rehab
Our culture has a fixation with individualism. Although “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps” may seem like a brave and noble idea in theory, it seems less enticing when it …
The Last Hurrah: AKA Lying to Yourself
Treatment on Monday. Whomp-whomp. You have a vague recollection of a conversation (while you were messed up) with a treatment counselor. You’re now riding the high horse that comes with ...
Why Do Addicts End Up in Hotels?
We’re all familiar with the trope. After days or weeks on a bender, an addict will find themselves holed up in a hotel with bottles, spoons, and whatever else strewn …
Gabapentin Declared Narcotic (Schedule V)
For the last few years, the non-opioid medication Gabapentin (branded as Neurontin and predecessor to schedule V drug Lyrica) has skyrocketed in opioid overdose toxicology reports. Gabapentin’s direct role in …
Faces of Opioids: Nurturing Empathy from Stigma
There’s just something about the disease addiction that feels… dirty to a lot of people. Like it’s something you should be ashamed of to understand, or God forbid, to experience ...
Barbiturates vs Benzos: Comparing Tranquilizers
It’s probably been a good minute since you’ve heard about barbiturates. They have fallen out of usage in the last few decades due to their hazardous chemical effects on the ...
Rising Drug Use in Middle Class Suburban Homes
We’ve all heard the “just say no” chorus since Nixon declared drug use to be America’s public enemy #1 in 1971. But until quite recently, drug use in America felt ...