Purdue Pharma Settlement
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Purdue Pharma plead guilty to criminal charges this week for their reckless marketing of the drug OxyContin which many view as a primary cause of the devastating opioid epidemic in the United States. They also agreed to pay $8.34 billion and will close the company. This is big […]
Addiction Recovery, the Immune System & Covid-19
As someone in recovery from addiction, it will probably not surprise you to learn that active addiction can greatly negatively affect an individual’s immune system. Not only that, but even after a person gets clean and sober, he or she will likely experience a weakened immune system for years. These are unfortunate truths and in […]
Jamie Lee Curtis
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has had a pretty easy life and she had a smooth rise to fame. She is an excellent artist in her own right, but the fact that she was born to two Hollywood greats – Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis – certainly gave her a boost along the way. She has […]
Dock Ellis and his Drug Use
Dock Ellis died in 2008 in Los Angeles, but this baseball player lived an incredible life and has a very amazing story. Although Ellis is perhaps best well known for throwing a no-hitter under the influence of LSD in 1970, he later quit baseball in 1980, entered addiction treatment, got clean and sober, and spent […]
National Recovery Month
National Recovery Month. This observance began in 1989 to recognize the achievements of those who have successfully broken free from addiction to drugs and alcohol. Further, it aims to recognize the hard work of people who work in the field of addiction recovery and to educate the public about the recovery process and the fact […]
Recovery High Schools
Every year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse conducts a survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders nationwide. It’s called the Monitoring the Future Survey. This survey has been very helpful in allowing doctors, researchers, law enforcement, mental health providers, and drug abuse services providers to view trends in drug and alcohol consumption and abuse […]
Al-Anon and Alateen
When it comes to addiction and addiction recovery these days, the focus seems to be on opioids and opioid abuse disorders. This is not surprising. The opioid epidemic is immense and has taken many lives; it continues to do so as it grows, and therefore it is fitting that the abuse of this particular class […]
Sesame Street & the Opioid Epidemic
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug use in the United States has been increasing. In a 2013 study by this government organization, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or old had used an illicit drug in the previous month. That’s 9.4% of our country’s population and is an increase from 8.3% […]
Collegiate Recovery
Due to our country’s current opioid crisis, plus the lure of other substances and subsequent development of substance abuse disorders, it’s no surprise that there are many thousands of college students that have suffered from addiction in the past, and who now are in recovery from addiction. Although drug and alcohol abuse among teens is […]
Deep Brain Stimulation for Addiction Recovery
It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but implanting tiny electrodes into a patient’s brain may actually be able to change behavior and further, it may help those struggling with addiction. This treatment is called deep brain stimulation and it is not new. This interesting method has been around for over […]