May 29, 2020

COVID-19, Addiction, and “Deaths of Despair”

Amid a global pandemic, it can be challenging to remember that America was already facing a national addiction epidemic before COVID-19 washed ashore. Now the country is faced with two public health crises; one is two decades old, and the other just a few months. However, in a short...

February 14, 2020

Naloxone Saves Lives and Helps People with Opioid Use Disorders

It's hard to imagine how much deadlier the American opioid addiction epidemic would be if it were not for naloxone. Often sold under the brand name Narcan, naloxone is a drug that can reverse the potentially fatal effects of an opioid overdose. If the naloxone is administered in a timely...

November 9, 2018

Opioid Misuse Warning Signs

The National Vital Statistics System indicates that 115 Americans die from drug toxicity each day. However, it is often the case that overdose deaths come as a surprise to loved ones, more times than you might think. Those who find themselves battling substance use disorder learn fairly quickly that...

August 4, 2017

Opioid Misuse Among Older Adults

Earlier this summer we wrote about an alarming trend of overdose deaths involving older Americans. Overdose is quite common among opioid users, but people over the age of 50 are far more likely to be on several other medications. Compared to younger adults, that is. The mixture of opioids...

June 13, 2017

Opioid Addiction Among Older Americans

The “golden years” of one’s life ideally would be typified by spending time with grandchildren and spending time on the links. After all, you have earned it after decades working towards a comfortable retirement. Unfortunately, older Americans are often set back by chronic pain, the lingering symptoms of an...