Being confrontational with someone you care about is never easy. But when someone you care about is risking their safety with substance use, intervention becomes necessary. But how do you approach someone about seeking help for their addiction? Where do you even start? Start here with our step-by-step guide on how to structure and conduct a successful intervention.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is characterized by addiction or the uncontrolled use of a substance despite its negative effects. Prolonged Substance Use Disorder can result in a host of complications ranging from behavioral issues to serious diseases. Entire books have been written about the harmful effects and damage that result from severe addiction. The list could truly be endless.
So we’ve selected a few conditions that arise from long-term substance abuse to discuss. Health risks like cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, respiratory/lung disease, and mental disorders are the most common and/or dangerous conditions that contribute to chronic addiction. In most cases, these health risks are permanent, life-long struggles that individuals must be treated for alongside addiction recovery.
It’s time for a vocabulary lesson on the word “clean” in reference to addiction. This word and many others like it often impress a negative connotation on individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders. It’s our responsibility as a community to strive to support addicted individuals. One of the ways we can accomplish this is by acknowledging harmful language in reference to addiction and work to reform the vocabulary. Let’s discuss why words like “clean” are insensitive and identify some alternative phrasing with neutral or positive connotations.
Detox and withdrawal are trials that many people struggle with and addiction medication may be the key to successful addiction treatment.
Addiction comes in many forms and levels of severity so let’s discuss the top 5 most addictive drugs, their traits, and their characteristics.
Withdrawing from opioids is often much more manageable when symptoms are being controlled with an addiction medication like Buprenorphine. But what exactly is Buprenorphine and what does it do? Here’s everything you need to know about the addiction medication Buprenorphine.