Answer Addiction

Author: The Fix

  • Burger King Serves Unhappy Meals for Mental Health Awareness Month

    Burger King Serves Unhappy Meals for Mental Health Awareness Month

    The fast food chain wants to serve customers with meals for every mood with its “Real Meals.”

    Burger King is serving up Real Meals for Mental Health Awareness Month, giving customers who aren’t happy to eat something that better matches their head space. The meals are almost certainly a dig at McDonalds’ Happy Meals, which Burger King seems to believe do not accurately reflect the human condition.

    Instead, the May meal lineup includes a red Pissed meal, a sad Blue meal, a teal Salty meal, a purple YAAAS meal, and a black DGAF meal.

    “With the pervasive nature of social media, there is so much pressure to appear happy and perfect,” the company said in a press release. “With Real Meals, the Burger King brand celebrates being yourself and feeling however you want to feel.”

    Burger King is undertaking the stunt in partnership with a non-profit organization called Mental Health America.

    For those hoping that each meal reflects the mood labeled on the box, there’s bad news: they’re all the same on the inside. Each meal comes with a Whopper, fries and a drink. They also aren’t on the menu everywhere, only in Austin, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

    The campaign also includes television spots that feature people experiencing a range of emotions and the hashtag #FeelYourWay. At the end of the roughly two-minute advertisement, the campaign’s motto splashes across the screen: “No one is happy all the time, and that’s OK.”

    Some Twitter users found the whole campaign a bit tone-deaf, particularly in equating emotions like YAAAS to real mental health threats such as depression.

    “wow thank you for raising awareness about ‘yasss,’ it claims too many lives every year,” wrote one Twitter user.

    “Just punched a hole in my wall thinking about all the money I could have saved last year by just having Burger King instead of having to go to the psychiatric hospital,” posted another.

    Some felt that the campaign’s slogans and wrappers did not treat such a complex and harmful problem with due sensitivity.

    Burger King is no stranger to socio-political publicity stunts. When the Trump administration moved to end net neutrality, the fast food chain made a “social experiment” video that featured a Whopper “fast lane” to demonstrate the injustice of being able to pay for Internet speed.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • National Rating System For Addiction Treatment Being Tested In 5 States

    National Rating System For Addiction Treatment Being Tested In 5 States

    West Virginia is the latest state to announce its partnership with Shatterproof to test the rating system.

    According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 1 in 12 American adults—that’s 18.7 million people—had a substance use disorder. Yet only a fraction of them will get help.

    A pilot program is hoping to change that by setting a standard for quality addiction treatment.

    Five states have teamed up with the non-profit organization Shatterproof to test this new rating system—Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York and West Virginia.

    “People who need help for addiction don’t know what to look for or where to turn. Right now, there is more transparent and credible information about the quality of your next refrigerator than an addiction treatment program,” said Samantha Arsenault, Director of National Treatment Quality Initiatives at Shatterproof. “We are taking rating system best practices from healthcare and other business sectors and applying them to addiction treatment. This will not only provide critical information to individuals looking for care but also drive a long overdue transformation of the addiction treatment industry.”

    The goal of the Shatterproof Rating System is to take the currently fragmented treatment industry and make it more transparent and accessible.

    “The quality of care varies widely among addiction treatment programs, and individuals looking for care can’t identify high-quality programs,” said Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof. “It is time a standard be set across all of addiction treatment, and the entire system aligns behind evidence-based care.”

    Arsenault says that a majority of treatment programs in the U.S. do not offer evidence-based treatment like addiction medication. The Rating System seeks to bring this to light and encourage more access to drugs like buprenorphine within a comprehensive treatment program.

    “One concrete example of that is that we are in the wake of an opioid epidemic and yet 60% of the specialty addiction treatment programs in the U.S. don’t offer a single medication to treat opioid use disorder,” she told Government Technology.

    The Rating System will go live in 2020, according to Shatterproof’s website. All treatment facilities in the pilot states will be invited to participate by completing a Treatment Program Survey.

    West Virginia was the latest state to announce its partnership with Shatterproof to test the rating system.

    “The substance use epidemic continues to impact individuals and families across West Virginia,” said Cabinet Secretary Bill J. Crouch of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. “We believe the results of this pilot program will enable us to ensure effective, quality substance use disorder services are offered across the state, which in turn will benefit those who need our help to combat this problem.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Vince Vaughn Convicted Of Reckless Driving In DUI Arrest

    Vince Vaughn Convicted Of Reckless Driving In DUI Arrest

    The “Wedding Crashers” actor was arrested at a sobriety checkpoint in June 2018.

    After being pulled over for driving under the influence last year, Vince Vaughn has been convicted of reckless driving and given probation time. 

    According to People, the 49-year-old actor recently pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge he received in Manhattan Beach, California in June 2018. The actor did not appear in court, but was represented by his attorney. 

    As a result, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said in a statement, Vaughn was sentenced to three years of summary probation. 

    Additionally, the statement reads, Vaughn is required to participate in a three-month treatment program for alcohol and pay “an unspecified amount of fines.” 

    However, TMZ reported that he will pay “a $390 fine—plus various penalties which ups the payout to around $1,700.”

    People also reports that while on probation, Vaughn must agree to alcohol screening tests. He reportedly also was warned that if he were to be involved in a fatal crash while driving under the influence, the resulting charge could be murder. 

    “The defendant was ordered to complete a three-month alcohol program, pay fines, and cannot refuse a preliminary alcohol screening test while on probation if requested by law enforcement,” the official statement read. “A Watson advisement also was given that states if he drives under the influence and a person is killed, he could be charged with murder.”

    The June 2018 incident was Vaughn’s first DUI. People states that the actor was pulled over between Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach at 2:40 a.m. and apparently refused to exit his vehicle despite law enforcement officials’ requests to do so.

    Vaughn and his passenger were both taken to jail, but released after paying bail.

    At the time, Sgt. Tim Zins, a spokesman for the Manhattan Beach Police Department, told CNN that Vaughn was not “fighting with officers, but more of delaying the investigation.”

    “There was no officer use of force or anything like that,” Zins told CNN.

    According to People, Vaughn faced three misdemeanor charges at the time: driving under the influence, having a 0.08% or higher blood alcohol content and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement officials. If he had been convicted of all three, the District Attorney’s office stated, he could have had to serve up to 360 days in jail.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Goldie Hawn: Meditation Helped Me With Anxiety Attacks

    Goldie Hawn: Meditation Helped Me With Anxiety Attacks

    The actress opened up about the anxiety she’s faced since childhood and her goal of helping others conquer it.

    It’s a story that is becoming more familiar as mental health becomes a national conversation: actress Goldie Hawn might be an Academy award-winning actress, but she once struggled with anxiety.

    Hawn told her story at The Child Mind Institute‘s 5th Annual Change Maker Awards, where she won her Activist Award.

    “I lived with anxiety as a little girl,” said Hawn. “I thought the Russians were going to bomb us. I thought I could die without ever kissing a boy. I suffered anxiety every time I heard a siren.”

    Even as she spent more time in the spotlight, she would begin to have anxiety attacks. “The next thing I know I’m doing a TV show and I was having nonspecific anxiety attacks,” she explained. “I didn’t know why I was feeling anxious or what was wrong with me, when I would go into public and feeling like I could vomit. I didn’t know why I wanted to sit on a couch while I was supposedly becoming something that everyone was so excited for me.”

    Hawn soon realized she needed to take action.

    “I suffered for about a year…[then] I took charge and saw a doctor,” she told the audience. “But that was the time when I was 21 and I realized that I had a mind, that I was going to fix that mind and I was going to make sure I knew and understood everything that was happening and why it was happening.”

    Eventually, she found her key to happiness: meditation.

    “I went for meditation because it was the thing to do, and when I did, it was like I can’t ever explain to you—it was the most joyful experience I’ve ever had,” revealed Hawn. “I felt like I returned back to my deepest part, to my heart, to my joy. It just hit this seed of joy that I always had as a young girl. Because all I ever wanted to be was happy. That was my goal.”

    Hawn founded the MindUp program to help children deal with mental health issues through meditation, hopefully providing them with the tools that helped her find happiness.

    She felt concern because of the statistics that suggest suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Finding Recovery and Support for Opioid Addiction on Social Media

    Finding Recovery and Support for Opioid Addiction on Social Media

    The rules state: We support everyone’s path to recovery, including Suboxone, Subutex, Methadone, Vivitrol, cannabis and kratom. We do not allow any debate as to whether or not being on maintenance meds means you are or aren’t clean.

    Four years ago, Dorothy had no support for her opioid addiction. As a mother and stepmother, she was afraid to be open about her struggle; if her children’s father or stepchildren’s mother found out, they might question her ability to be a good parent. She thought about attending recovery meetings but was worried they would shun her for being in active addiction or, some years later, for taking Suboxone, a partial opioid agonist, to manage her chronic pain. Luckily, she discovered a private Facebook group that supported people like her with opiate addiction.

    For the sake of full disclosure, I’m also a member of this group. While I enjoy my social media fill of cats dressed in dinosaur costumes, babies getting slices of Kraft singles thrown at their heads, and I love dad jokes just as much as the next person, I value this group the most.

    Addiction Support…on Facebook?

    The group quickly became a refuge for Dorothy and me, a digital safe haven where we could share our pains and joys behind the privacy of a screen.

    “I have made friends that I’m sure I’ll have for the rest of my life. I feel supported and secure here. What I love the most is how diverse we are. We run the gamut from people who are using to people who are totally abstinent and everything in between… All we ask is that people respect each other and everyone’s path to recovery,” Dorothy said.

    After participating in another group where members were shamed for taking Suboxone or methadone to manage their opioid addiction, I found Dorothy and the group’s perspective on harm reduction refreshing. In order to join the group, members must agree that they will not bash medication-assisted treatment (MAT). According to the official group guideline: “We support everyone’s path to recovery, including Suboxone, Subutex, Methadone, Vivitrol, cannabis and kratom. We do not allow any debate as to whether or not being on maintenance meds means you are or aren’t clean.”

    Another administrator added, “If you hate the fact there are active addicts in this group, if you don’t support MAT or [you] want to be a douche canoe to everyone you meet who doesn’t live up to your standards, LEAVE.”

    After nine months of participating in this group, Dorothy became a volunteer staff member, then administrator. On an average day, she spends six hours involved in the various tasks that keep the group running. Dorothy, along with eight other administrators and nine moderators, approves each post before it hits the page, ensuring that the posts follow group guidelines. The guidelines mirror that of an in-person support group: members must maintain each other’s confidentiality and privacy, be respectful, and refrain from giving medical advice, selling or seeking drugs, asking for money, or posting links to treatment centers.

    Sarah Burbank has also been a volunteer group administrator for four years and spends four to eight hours on the group each day. Sarah considers the members of the group to be family. “The group is a touchstone and an inspiration. I have watched some group members pass away and have to announce to the group a loved one or cherished member has passed away from the disease. Those are the darkest of days. But there are little milestones that we share that make it so special. Day 1! 30 days! Years clean! Getting children back and jobs and lives back. Those are the truly beautiful things that keep me here.”

    Dorothy and Sarah are not alone. This particular Facebook group has blossomed to 22,000 members. Members are hungry to share their stories, to be supported, validated, and encouraged. Posts reveal a complex tapestry of emotions: of recovery, struggle, pain, joy, heartbreak, victory and defeat, often all in a single post.

    Using Social Media to Forge Connections in Marginalized Groups

    It may seem contradictory to turn to social media for support for addiction. According to a 2018 Fix article based on research from Penn State, social media use is correlated with increased rates of depression and loneliness. Similarly, in 2011, Researchers Daria J. Kuss and Mark D. Griffiths systematically reviewed psychological literature and found that social media can be used for connection, but also that it may negatively impact relationships, work, and academic achievement. This and other evidence suggest social media can be an addiction just like alcohol and drugs.

    While it’s important to acknowledge this research and the potential negative impacts of social media, this critique fails to recognize the power of online social networks, especially for marginalized people. Toronto-based mental health professional Krystal Kavita Jagoo says, “For some, authentic human connection may only come online. Sometimes you don’t have those options in person.” Jagoo pointed out that social media or internet forums can feel safer for people of color, queer, trans, and non-binary folks, and people of differing abilities.

    Jagoo continued, “If you’ve had a traumatic experience and are able to hear from others about things someone has struggled with, you don’t feel as alone. Sometimes it’s just knowing that others understand what you’re going through; they can offer strategies or things that have worked for them that you might be more inclined [to try] than a professional who doesn’t have lived experience.”

    Jagoo herself has found valuable support online. “I think of how healing it has been to connect with folks of color around the world with respect to surviving oppression.” In order to maintain balance in our lives and avoid social media burnout, Jagoo recommends finding a group that is anti-oppressive, accepting, and feels rewarding. Setting and maintaining boundaries is important, as is making sure that you only check notifications when you have time and energy to engage, and unfollowing or leaving groups if they are feeling more draining than helpful.

    Both Dorothy and Sarah mentioned that it is difficult to be a group administrator while balancing their work and home lives. But by far, they feel the benefits outweigh the challenges of spending hours volunteering in the group. “The online community is really important because it allows people to connect in the safety of their own homes, anonymously if they choose. It gives us the ability to reach so many more people, people that we wouldn’t have otherwise had any contact with.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Guide to Clorazepate Addiction Treatment

    Guide to Clorazepate Addiction Treatment

    Looking for the best Clorazepate addiction treatment? Read our guide for help in finding the best one for you.

    Table of Contents

    1. What is Clorazepate and What is it Used For?
    2. Development of Clorazepate Addiction
    3. Diagnosing Clorazepate Dependency
    4. Clorazepate Detox and Withdrawal Symptoms
    5. Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab Options for Clorazepate Addiction
    6. Personalized Treatment Services for Clorazepate Addiction
    7. Choosing the Best Clorazepate Rehab Facility for You

    Clorazepate addiction is a serious medical disorder. Left unaddressed, it can ruin your life or the life of your loved one.

    Once it develops, you must act quickly. Men and women struggling to overcome clorazepate addiction need trained professional assistance. They need a warm and supportive, healing-oriented environment. High-quality rehab facilities can offer just this type of specialized service, as they guide their clients along a sustainable path to recovery.

    What is Clorazepate and What is it Used For?

    Clorazepate (clorazepate dipotassium) is a prescription medication from the benzodiazepine family. It is a sedative that works by suppressing activity in the central nervous system, inducing a calm and relaxed state.

    The drug is most commonly sold under the brand name Tranxene. Other brand names for clorazepate include Gen-Xene, Novo-Clopate and Tranxilium.

    Among those who misuse clorazepate and other benzodiazepines for their intoxicating effects, clorazepate is often referred to by its street names, such as:

    • Benzos
    • Candy
    • Chill pills
    • Totem polls
    • Tranks
    • Downers
    • Blues
    • Sleeping pills
    • Z bars
    • Nerve pills

    Clorazepate is most frequently prescribed for the short-term treatment of anxiety. It may be given to people who’ve been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, or to those struggling with anxiety in specific situations.

    The drug may also be prescribed for the treatment of seizures, since it does have anticonvulsant properties. In addition, it may be used in detox to help people experiencing alcohol withdrawal manage their symptoms.

    Clorazepate is a potent medication and is generally quite effective against the conditions it is used to treat. It can be used safely in most instances, as long patients follow the instructions of their doctors.

    The problem comes when people use too much of it or take it for too long. Benzodiazepines are highly addictive when misused, and clorazepate abuse can have significant long-term effects.

    Development of Clorazepate Addiction

    Clorazepate addiction may develop suddenly, especially if the drug is used for more than a month.

    Benzodiazepines cause relaxed states by targeting receptors in the brain that normally bind with a neurotransmitter called GABA. Binding with clorazepate, or with naturally produced GABA molecules, will reduce the intensity of your anxiety. Naturally, this is experienced as something positive and will help you cope with disabling anxiety symptoms.

    But this process remains effective only if you take clorazepate in measured doses, and for a limited period. When you take the drug continuously, tolerance will build. You’ll need to take more and more clorazepate to achieve the same effects, signifying that your GABAreceptors are becoming less sensitive to the drug’s presence. This sets up a vicious cycle of ever-escalating Tranxene usage, until clorazepate dependence develops.

    At this stage, you’ll likely experience numerous clorazepate side effects, caused by the impact of taking so much of it for so long. This is inevitable when you become addicted to benzodiazepines of any type.

    Some of the more common clorazepate addiction symptoms include:

    • Daytime drowsiness
    • Chronic fatigue
    • Stomach cramps or queasiness
    • Slurred speech
    • Blurred vision
    • Dry mouth
    • Constipation
    • Dizziness
    • Headaches
    • Unexplained rashes
    • Mental confusion

    When the abuse turns to dependence, the effects of the drug begin to lessen. Cravings for the drug intensify, even though taking more clorazepate will no longer bring relief. Anxiety and agitation will actually increase as the drug loses it calming capacities.

    At this point, you might be at risk for a clorazepate overdose. More than 11,000 people die each year in the United States from the effects of a benzodiazepine overdose. The risks are especially high for those who mix drugs like clorazepate with alcohol or other mind-altering substances.

    Diagnosing Clorazepate Dependency

    Only a trained addiction specialist or medical professional can diagnose clorazepate addiction. To do so, they will search for the telltale signs of Tranxene dependency, which could include:

    • Strong cravings for the drug
    • Withdrawal symptoms experienced when usage stops
    • An inability to stop using clorazepate for more than a few hours
    • Taking the drug for longer or in heavier amounts than originally intended
    • Spending inordinate amounts of time using clorazepate, acquiring it or recovering from overconsumption
    • Increased tolerance for clorazepate, marked by increasing usage
    • Continuing to use the drug despite its negative impact on physical or psychological disorders
    • Continuing to use the drug despite it causing relationship problems
    • Neglecting important personal, professional or family-related responsibilities because of clorazepate
    • Abandoning favorite hobbies or activities because of your drug use
    • Continuing to take clorazepate even after your drug use put you in danger

    If these behaviors sound familiar, you should seek an evaluation for clorazepate dependency right away.

    When you’ve been diagnosed with clorazepate addiction, the time to seek treatment is immediately. Failing to do so will put your health in danger.

    Clorazepate Detox and Withdrawal Symptoms

    Benzodiazepine dependence causes significant changes in brain and body chemistry. It is these changes that cause cravings for the drug. Withdrawal symptoms will develop quickly if those cravings are denied.

    It is a mistake to quit powerful pharmaceutical medications like clorazepate cold turkey. Clorazepate withdrawal symptoms will only get worse, making it very difficult to preserve a commitment to stop using the drug.

    If you stop taking clorazepate suddenly, without gradually lowering your dosages, serious withdrawal symptoms are inevitable. These unpleasant clorazepate withdrawal effects may include:

    • Agitation and nervousness
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Insomnia
    • Diarrhea
    • Memory loss
    • Disorientation
    • Uncontrollable tremors
    • Muscle aches or cramps
    • Heavy sweating
    • Seizures
    • Hallucinations
    • Delirium
    • Suicidal thoughts or actions

    These symptoms are highly unpleasant and can even be hazardous in some instances. If clorazepate addiction is complicated by the use of alcohol or other drugs, withdrawal effects may be even more intense.

    To facilitate a lasting recovery, people looking to overcome a benzodiazepine addiction should go through medical detox before they begin formal addiction treatment. This is the first step to healing, and top Tranxene rehab centers usually offer comprehensive clorazepate detox services onsite.

    During detox, you will gradually taper your doses of clorazepate. This gives your body a chance to regain its equilibrium while making sobriety much easier to sustain. Clorazepate withdrawal symptoms may still be experienced but in less severe form.

    Formal detox for prescription benzodiazepines generally lasts for up to 10 days. However, this can be extended if the addiction is severe or other medical complications arise. Detox facilities are designed to treat all existing physical or mental health conditions, in a hospital-like setting where 24-hour medical care is available.

    Clorazepate is a long-acting benzodiazepine. This means it stays in the body longer than many other drugs in its class. Consequently, its withdrawal symptoms often won’t peak until more than a week has passed. In most cases, this means the tapering process for this drug must be extended beyond the initial detox period.

    This shouldn’t delay the onset of addiction treatment, however. The purpose of detox is to help the patient safely manage the worst of their clorazepate withdrawal symptoms. Once stability has been achieved and withdrawal effects are under control, formal treatment for clorazepate addiction can begin.

    Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab Options for Clorazepate Addiction

    Top drug and alcohol rehab centers feature both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. Diverse offerings are necessary to meet the diverse needs of clients.

    In most instances, inpatient treatment will be recommended for men and women addicted to clorazepate. Residential treatment plans provide round-the-clock supervision and access to vital healthcare services of all types. This can be essential if comorbid mental health problems have been diagnosed, as they frequently are in people who have substance use disorders.

    Some people who abuse Tranxene also develop other substance use disorders. In addition to putting themselves at higher risk for clorazepate overdose, they may also become addicted to alcohol, opioids or any other intoxicating substances.

    In these cases, recovery can be a long and complicated affair. Inpatient treatment programs offer the kind of comprehensive services that are usually necessary to achieve full sobriety.

    Inpatient treatment is an immersion recovery experience, and that is often ideal for people struggling with benzodiazepine dependence. If your home environment is chaotic, stressful or unsupportive, staying at a treatment facility full-time can help protect you from these negative influences. It can also keep you away from people or situations that may have triggered your drug abuse in the past.

    But some people simply don’t have time available to enter inpatient rehab programs. They have career, family or personal responsibilities that cannot be easily put aside. If inpatient rehab is their only choice, they might decide to forego treatment altogether.

    To avoid this contingency, top clorazepate addiction treatment centers feature outpatient options that let clients customize their recovery schedules according to their individual needs.

    Rehab services will still be provided on a daily basis, in a supportive environment where access to addiction specialists and peer support groups is guaranteed. But only a few hours a day will be spent at the rehab facility. The rest of the day will be left free for other activities. If you choose inpatient clorazepate addiction treatment, you will be free to return to your home to eat, sleep and interact with your family.

    Standard outpatient programs may involve less than 10 hours of treatment services per week. Intensive outpatient programs and partial hospitalization programs will involve longer time commitments. However, they may be recommended if your addiction is severe. What is most important is that you have the time you need to truly heal.

    Regardless of your choice of inpatient or outpatient treatment, your time in Tranxene rehab is likely to last for one to three months. Aftercare programs will be made available and will be included in your recovery regimen as well. This is necessary to keep you focused and on track to long-term sobriety.

    Personalized Treatment Services for Clorazepate Addiction

     

    Superior treatment for clorazepate abuse will be personalized to fit your medical and personal requirements.

    Every person is different, which is why recovery plans must be customized if they are to have maximum impact. The medical professionals employed by top addiction rehab centers understand this. They always work closely with clients to make sure they offer the right types of intervention, chosen carefully and with clear goals in mind.

    Your recovery plan will include a full and comprehensive menu of rehabilitation services. It will keep you busy at all times, completely absorbed in your quest for wellness. Should you carry a dual diagnosis for clorazepate dependency and another mental or behavioral health disorder, your plan will be designed to address all disorders at the same time.

    Your addiction treatment recovery plan will likely include some combination of:

    • Individual therapy. This is the foundation of your healing regimen. Daily sessions with trained addiction specialists and psychotherapists can help you confront any underlying issues that may have contributed to your drug dependency.
    • Group therapy. Regular interactions with peers working to overcome substance use disorders can be a source of moral support and constructive feedback.
    • Family therapy. Having the unconditional love and acceptance of family members can strengthen your resolve and assist you in the recovery process. Family therapy also gives you the chance to heal important relationships damaged by your drug use.
    • Holistic healing methods. Practices like yoga, meditation, massage therapy, art and music therapy, Tai Chi, biofeedback and acupuncture can increase your energy levels, improve your mood and help you achieve a more relaxed state of mind.
    • Life skills and coping skills classes. These types of classes can help people recovering from addiction gain greater understanding and perspective on their lives. In these courses you will learn how to avoid self-destructive traps that could derail your sobriety.

    The purpose of recovery is to equip you with the insights and strategies you need to resist the temptation to take clorazepate again. Recovery from addiction is a lifelong process, and you’ll only preserve your sobriety if you are prepared to handle each and every challenge involved.

    Top Tranxene rehab centers rely on evidence-based methodologies with a proven record of success. If you are diligent about your recovery program, and participate willingly with a positive attitude, your time in treatment can be the start of a whole new life.

    Choosing the Best Clorazepate Rehab Facility for You

    Before enrolling in an addiction treatment program, you should visit several facilities first. Ideally, you should do so in the company of family members and friends who can offer their input and guidance. As you tour the facilities and speak to administrators and staff members, you should ask a lot of questions and observe everything going on around you as closely as you can.

    The best clorazepate addiction treatment centers will welcome your feedback and be glad to answer all your questions. They will be open and honest about the challenges you’ll face during your recovery. But they’ll work with you to develop a clear and sustainable plan for recovery.

    The right Tranxene rehab facility for you is the one that makes you feel most comfortable. It is the one that leaves you filled with optimism and convinced that wellness is within your grasp.

    The ultimate goal of clorazepate addiction treatment is straightforward. It is to help you find lasting sobriety, free from clorazepate and any other substances you may have been abusing.

    Rehab for clorazepate dependency can renew your hope for a brighter future. Clorazepate addiction is a life-altering medical condition that will not get better on its own. If you take the initiative to overcome it you can find success. But the time to act is now, before you sacrifice another day or another hour to a drug that once helped but is now only causing you harm.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Bill Aims To Deregulate Buprenorphine & Other Addiction Treatment Meds

    New Bill Aims To Deregulate Buprenorphine & Other Addiction Treatment Meds

    The proposed bill would remove the extra barrier that prevents all doctors from being able to prescribe opioid treatment meds.

    The movement to deregulate drugs that treat opioid addiction is gaining steam in New York with the support of 18 state public health directors and U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, who will soon introduce federal legislation to make it easier for doctors to prescribe medications like buprenorphine.

    Currently, prescribers need special training and permission to give out addiction treatment drugs which they don’t need to prescribe opioid pain medications like oxycodone. The proposed bill would remove that extra barrier.

    “These professionals can use their training and skill and ability to provide medication for treatment of pain,” said Tonko to STAT News. “But when it comes to addressing the illness of addiction, they have to jump through additional hoops.”

    Buprenorphine, a major ingredient in medications like Suboxone, is an opioid initially designed to relieve pain without producing as many side effects as morphine. Though it is possible to abuse and become addicted to buprenorphine, opioid-tolerant individuals are generally unable to get high on controlled doses. It can therefore be used to treat cravings and withdrawal symptoms without getting patients high.

    Opponents have expressed concern that deregulation could result in an increase in diversion and misuse of these drugs. However, addiction experts say that most illegal use of buprenorphine and similar drugs is used to treat addiction rather than for recreation. If access to addiction-treating drugs is expanded, they argue, non-prescription use should decrease.

    “We want people to be getting medication from health care providers,” says addiction medicine specialist Dr. Sarah Wakeman. “The question with buprenorphine diversion is how you best reduce its non-prescribed use—and the answer is probably expanding access to treatment.”

    Less than 7% of health professionals hold the DEA waivers necessary to prescribe addiction treatment medications. Currently, physicians need to go through an extra eight hours of training in order to obtain these waivers, and nurses and physician assistants have to complete 24 hours of training.

    The lack of available prescribers means that even those who seek out addiction treatment may have to see a different health professional just to obtain a prescription for buprenorphine.

    In March 2019, two physicians published a call for the deregulation of buprenorphine, saying that it could save thousands of lives. They cited the example of France, which removed additional restrictions on prescribing opioid addiction treatment drugs in 1995 and saw an 80% decrease in opioid overdose cases in the following years.

    With opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. drawing close to 50,000 each year, even “just” a 50% decrease could save tens of thousands of lives.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How to Find the Best Rehab for Tranxene Addiction

    How to Find the Best Rehab for Tranxene Addiction

    Looking for a Tranxene rehab? Our guide can help you find the right treatment center.

    Table of Contents

    1. What is Tranxene and How is it Used?
    2. Possible Symptoms in Tranxene/Clorazepate Users
    3. Tranxene Dependence
    4. Tranxene Addiction
    5. Possible Symptoms of Tranxene Abuse and/or Addiction
    6. Detox Comes Before Active Treatment in Rehab
    7. Next Stop: An Addiction Treatment Program
    8. Outpatient Care and Inpatient Care
    9. Proven Treatment and Recovery Options
    10. Picking the Right Addiction Program

    If you or someone you know has a Tranxene addiction, your future well-being depends on your ability to find the appropriate resources for treatment. However, what do you do when you can’t tell quality programs from those that don’t meet accepted standards for care?

    First, you must increase your understanding of how substance abuse can turn into addiction. In addition, you must spend some time learning the basics of effective rehabilitation. And to receive the best possible care, you must also learn how to focus on programs that combine core addiction expertise with personalized plans suitable for even the most unique treatment circumstances.

    What is Tranxene and How is it Used?

    Tranxene is the branded trade name of a medication called clorazepate (i.e., clorazepate dipotassium). It belongs to a widely prescribed group of substances called benzodiazepines. Members of this group can be used as anti-anxiety treatments (i.e., anxiolytics), sedatives or tranquilizers. Each approved use is based on benzodiazepines’ ability to decrease the amount of activity generated in your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

    Tranxene and other members of this large family achieve an activity decrease by boosting levels of a natural chemical in your brain called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). When GABA levels rise, they essentially limit the maximum speed at which individual nerve cells can communicate. To a person who takes a benzodiazepine, this effect translates into feelings such as sedation (a reduced sense of irritation or agitation), calmness and relaxation.

    Given the similarities in the ways these prescription drugs work, it’s not surprising that they share large parts of their chemical structures. However, their impact is far from identical. While there’s plenty of overlap, any given benzodiazepine can differ from its family members in three basic ways. First, it can reach your bloodstream at a faster or slower rate. Once it reaches your brain, its effects can last for a shorter or longer amount of time. And once it loses its effectiveness, it can take a shorter or longer period of time to clear your system.

    The differences in how benzodiazepines act in your body are tied to the specific reasons that doctors prescribe them. Some medications of this type act as frontline treatments for seizure disorders. Others act as treatments for alcohol withdrawal or as temporary relief for severe cases of insomnia. In addition, benzodiazepines are often used as short- or long-term treatments for a group of mental illnesses known as anxiety disorders.

    Tranxene’s most common use is as an anxiety disorder treatment. Your doctor may prescribe it for either short-term symptom relief or ongoing control of long-term symptoms. Doctors also sometimes use it to ease the symptoms of both seizure disorders and alcohol withdrawal. The prescription drug comes in the form of a standard, non-extended-release tablet. Three dosage strengths are available.

    When you take Tranxene,its effects take hold quite rapidly. In fact, it will begin to alter your brain function in as little as half an hour. The medication is also short-acting. Depending on your level of intake and other factors, it takes only three to eight hours for an individual dose to wear off.

    In the U.S., clorazepate is also available under the brand name Gen-Xene. In addition, you may receive a generic equivalent labeled as clorazepate dipotassium. When used illicitly, prescription drugs are sometimes identified by specific street names. But Tranxene does not appear to have a commonly used informal name. Benzodiazepines in general, however, may be referred to by street names such as:

    • Benzos
    • Tranks
    • Blues
    • Chill Pills
    • Downers

    Possible Symptoms in Tranxene/Clorazepate Users

    If you take Tranxene or generic clorazepate, you may develop any one of a range of side effects. Specific symptoms you may experience include:

    • Lightheadedness
    • Fatigue
    • Sleepiness
    • Headaches
    • A confused mental state
    • A nervous mental state
    • Lack of normal saliva production

    Medical attention is only required if these symptoms persist over time or take a severe form.

    Use of the medication can also trigger side effects that always require immediate evaluation by a doctor. This list of symptoms in this more serious category includes:

    • The appearance of a rash on your skin
    • Blurry vision
    • Double vision
    • Slurring of your speech
    • Involuntary muscle tremors
    • Loss of your normal sense of balance

    You should also contact your physician if any other unexpected symptoms appear.

    Long-acting benzodiazepines are known for their potential to trigger an overdose. This power is due, in large part, to the amount of these substances that can build up in your bloodstream over time. Since your body eliminates Tranxene rapidly, its use does not come with the same degree of overdose concern. Despite this fact, an overdose is still possible if you use this prescription drug in excessive amounts.

    You can seriously increase your chances of life-threatening problems if you ever combine the use of clorazepate with the use of opioid drugs or medications. The same fact applies if you drink alcohol while taking the medication. Why?

    Opioids and alcohol both slow down your central nervous system, just like Tranxene and other benzodiazepines. When you take these substances together, they have an additive effect. This means you will experience more of a system slowdown than you would if you took any of these substances by themselves. The effect can easily exceed your body’s limits for normal, safe function. The end result can be a medical emergency with symptoms such as extreme drowsiness, intense lightheadedness, slowed breathing or other breathing problems, and unresponsive loss of consciousness.

    The combination of opioids and benzodiazepines is of particular concern. That’s true because many people who hold prescriptions for Tranxene or similar treatments also hold prescriptions for opioid painkillers. In these situations, even small errors in dosage or increases in consumption can have major negative consequences. In fact, nearly one-third of all Americans who overdose on an opioid also have a benzodiazepine circulating in their systems.

    Tranxene Dependence

    Dependence is a possibility even if you take Tranxene at dosages prescribed by your doctors. Doctors and other health experts use the term dependence to describe certain changes in your normal brain function. These changes make your brain reliant on continued medication use in order to maintain a stable chemical environment. Dependence may be more likely if you take this prescription drug as a long-term treatment for seizures or anxiety.

    If you bring your intake to a quick halt after dependence sets in, you stand a high chance of developing a significant case of Tranxene withdrawal. The same issue can also appear if you abruptly switch from a high dosage of the medication to a low dosage. Potential withdrawal symptoms you may experience include:

    • Seizures or convulsions
    • Memory disruptions
    • A nervous or irritable mental state
    • Insomnia
    • Abdominal cramps
    • Achy or cramping muscles
    • Unusual sweating
    • Uncontrollable body tremors
    • Diarrhea
    • A confused mental state
    • Vomiting

    If you take high dosages of a short-acting benzodiazepine like Tranxene, your symptoms may take a severe form.

    Despite the potential for withdrawal, clorazepate dependence is not synonymous with addiction. If you become dependent, your doctor can alter your dosage or take other steps to manage your health and help you remain functional. In stark contrast, the hallmark of addiction is an unstable state of health that disrupts your ability to avoid serious, substance-related harm.

    Tranxene Addiction

    Some people may become addicted even when using the medication appropriately. However, addiction is more often associated with some form of prescription drug misuse or abuse. You can misuse or abuse clorazepate in three ways. First, if you don’t have a prescription for it, intake of even a single dose of Tranxene is illicit and improper. You can also engage in misuse/abuse if you hold a prescription but fail to follow the terms of that prescription. In these circumstances, consumption of individual excessive doses qualifies as abuse or misuse. You also meet the same standard if you consume normal doses at intervals that are too close together.

    Tranxene addiction falls under the larger heading of an officially defined mental health condition called sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic use disorder. Doctors and addiction specialists can also apply this diagnosis to cases of non-addicted abuse that are serious enough to disrupt key aspects of your life.

    Possible Symptoms of Tranxene Abuse and/or Addiction

    You can have a maximum of 11 separate symptoms of sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic use disorder. At the low end, you must suffer from at least two of these symptoms in a 365-day timespan to receive a diagnosis. In moderately affected people, four or five symptoms are present. At least six symptoms affect the health of severely impacted people. When making a diagnosis in Tranxene users, doctors and other experts check for:

    • Repeated use of excessive single doses of the prescription drug
    • A recurring pattern of taking it too often
    • The appearance of strong substance cravings during various times of the day
    • Reliance on medication misuse/abuse as a favored leisure activity
    • Tolerance to the drug effects of typical doses of Tranxene
    • Use of the medication that repeatedly endangers your own physical safety or that of others
    • Refusing to change your habitual use after it produces obvious signs of harming your mental or physical well-being
    • Refusing to change your habitual use after it produces obvious signs of disrupting your most meaningful relationships
    • Scheduling your day around your need to obtain the medication, use it or recover from its drug effects
    • Shirking or otherwise failing to meet important obligations as a result of your prescription drug use
    • Appearance of the same withdrawal syndrome that affects dependent users of Tranxene

    Detox Comes Before Active Treatment in Rehab

    Before you can undertake active enrollment in a substance program, you must go through a course of medical detox (also known as medical detoxification). Detox is designed to provide proper support while you break away from your habitual pattern of substance abuse/misuse. It can take months to go through this process if you’re addicted to a long-acting benzodiazepine. However, it takes far less time to detox from a short-acting product like clorazepate.

    Benzodiazepine detox differs from many other forms of medical detoxification. To begin with, it does not involve the use of other types of medications to ease the intensity of your withdrawal symptoms. Instead, effective treatment is provided by gradually lowering your level of benzodiazepine consumption. This approach aims to stabilize your system while keeping you as free as possible from any withdrawal-related problems. At this stage, you may undergo a switch to a less powerful option from the same prescription drug family. Diazepam (Valium) is the common treatment choice in these circumstances.

    During detox, your doctor may aim to completely halt your medication intake. This abstinence-based approach prepares you for a life in which benzodiazepine use does not play a role. However, if you have ongoing problems with an anxiety disorder or seizure disorder, your doctor may decide to take another approach. Instead of halting intake use altogether, you may taper down to a lower level of intake. In this way, you will still receive the help you need for your anxiety or seizure symptoms.

    Next Stop: An Addiction Treatment Program

    The efforts you make to complete detox can quickly go to waste if you don’t continue on to enrollment in addiction treatment. For this reason, rehab is considered an essential component of any recovery process. There are several reasons why rehabilitation plays such a vital role.

    Perhaps most importantly, detox does not provide you with an opportunity to understand how and why addiction has become part of your life. It also doesn’t help you address the underlying behaviors and attitudes that help keep a pattern of substance abuse alive. In contrast, these important objectives are at the core of effective rehab programs.

    Rehab addiction treatment also supports your recovery in other ways. For example, while you’re enrolled in treatment, your care team will help you avoid relapsing back into active substance abuse. During participation, you can also reduce or eliminate your exposure to places or situations that make abuse more probable.

    Outpatient Care and Inpatient Care

    In consultation with your doctor, you can choose the best setting for receiving required care. If you only suffer from two or three symptoms of addiction, your doctor may recommend that you enroll in outpatient treatment. This form of care gives you the freedom to live at home while still receiving the help needed to support your recovery. To gain access to that help, you make regular visits to your program’s main location.

    If you suffer from more than three addiction symptoms, your doctor may instead recommend that you seek help by enrolling in inpatient treatment. This form of care requires you to reside onsite for the duration of your rehab program. While in residence, you receive ongoing oversight from your care team.

    This ready availability cuts down any risks for unforeseen treatment complications. And if complications do occur, you’ll have prompt access to medical assistance. Inpatient addiction treatment also simplifies the process of modifying or updating the specifics of your recovery plan. If you’re severely impacted by addiction, you may go through a period of hospitalization before continuing on to an inpatient facility.

    Even if you only experience two or three symptoms of Tranxene addiction, inpatient care may be better for you than outpatient care. That’s especially true if you have an anxiety disorder, personality disorder (PD) or any other life-disrupting mental health condition. When they overlap, substance issues and separate mental health issues can make a successful recovery much more difficult to achieve. Residential treatment may be essential for providing the needed level of help.

    You may also decide to enter residential rehabilitation for a couple of other reasons. For example, your home life might not be stable enough to support your recovery needs. In addition, you may want to purposefully isolate yourself so you can avoid any harmful influences in your daily life. Conversely, you may choose outpatient care over inpatient care if you lack the funds or scheduling flexibility for residential treatment.

    Proven Treatment and Recovery Options

    Unlike some types of substance treatment, benzodiazepine-related care does not focus on the use of medication. Instead, most of the assistance you receive will come in the form of behavioral psychotherapy. This modern school of treatment uses active methods to help you address the deep-seated habits that provide support for abuse and addiction.

    If you’re addicted to a benzodiazepine, you have three evidence-based options for behavioral psychotherapy. Perhaps the most common choice is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT starts by helping you realize how your typical behaviors and thoughts can bind you to a cycle of addiction. It follows up on this insight by helping you make changes that break that cycle and promote short- and long-term sobriety.

    Programs may also use a motivation-based therapy designed to help you come to grips with the need for addiction treatment rehab. A specific approach called motivational enhancement therapy is often used for this purpose. In addition, you may receive something called psychoeducation. This family-centered approach to therapy helps you and your loved ones improve your knowledge of addiction and its widespread impact. It also helps you learn how to speak up for yourself during treatment and voice any concerns.

    Picking the Right Addiction Program

    Now that you’ve improved your understanding of how programs for Tranxene addiction treatment work, you can begin choosing the right program for your needs. For starters, you should exclude any option that does not follow the accepted model for proper treatment. That model is based on medical detox followed by active recovery techniques proven to produce benefits.

    Any program you consider should be staffed with experienced experts who know how to deal with addiction in its many forms. A call to that program’s hotline should provide you with ready answers to all your questions. If necessary, the person you speak to should also be able to direct you to additional resources.

    At the start of treatment, the first thing you should expect is an intake interview that includes a complete health assessment. That assessment should cover all topics that have an impact on your odds for effective rehabilitation. In addition to your addiction symptoms, that includes the presence or absence of PD, anxiety disorders or other notable mental illnesses.

    Be aware that the best programs do much more than cover the basics in a competent way. They take a wider perspective that views addiction as just one part of your unique personal situation. By doing so, they make it much more likely that you will make effective progress on your path to sobriety. Specific things to look for in exemplary programs include supportive care options (e.g., stress management, yoga) and advanced treatments like EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing).

    Bear in mind that the right facility improves your odds for success, but it won’t do the work for you. The main factor in your recovery remains your commitment to the process. But without a doubt, it’s best to maximize your chances by choosing your treatment destination wisely.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Can Watching Intense TV Shows & Movies Relieve Stress?

    Can Watching Intense TV Shows & Movies Relieve Stress?

    A survivor described to The Fix how she felt empowered while watching a traumatic storyline on a season of “Dexter.” 

    Psychological research has shown that for some, watching high-stress drama can actually relieve feelings of stress.

    One reason for this is that viewers watching a traumatic event that they themselves experienced can feel that their experience is being normalized—not in the sense that it’s common, but that it is a part of the human experience. This reduces feelings of shame and self-loathing that can be the result of post-traumatic stress disorder after a trauma.

    Alaina Leary, an editor and communications manager in Boston, wrote about her own experience of this phenomena for Hello Giggles. After being raped in college, Leary found that watching crime shows such as Dexter or horror shows such as The Vampire Diaries actually had a sedating effect.

    Leary spoke with The Fix about her experience watching Dexter in the context of her rape. “I could see a survivor (Lumen, the woman Dexter saved, played by Julia Stiles) onscreen dealing with her trauma. In season five, Lumen goes from a traumatized, terrified person to a strong, confident person who has done a lot of healing from what happened to her.”

    Despite the unlikely plot turns that occurred, Leary still felt empowered by the story playing out on the screen. “Lumen experiences very real effects of trauma like nightmares, panic attacks, specific triggers, and difficulties with trust/physical touch,” Leary explains. “I experienced all those things as a survivor too and it was powerful to see that portrayed in a narrative where the survivor heals, moves on, and lives their life.”

    Those who have experienced trauma may find themselves caught in what is called reenactment, where the adult person recreates a traumatic experience, with themselves in a position of mastery, in order to gain a feeling of control over the events. The publication Psychiatric Clinics of North America notes that, “The only reason to uncover traumatic material is to gain conscious control over unbidden re-experiences or re-enactments.”

    In other words, in order for it to be helpful to provoke stress through watching TV, movies or theater, the viewer must be aware of what is occurring inside themselves. Leary was conscious of what was happening as she watched stressful shows, and found it healing.

    “I could channel my emotions into the characters while getting my own sense of healing through therapy and art,” Leary told The Fix. “I am someone who lives with love, compassion, and vulnerability, instead of mistrust, anger, and resentment. Those are my active choices. I get to decide who I am today.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Harvard, MIT Receive $9 Million Gift For Cannabis Research

    Harvard, MIT Receive $9 Million Gift For Cannabis Research

    The donation is the largest ever earmarked for marijuana research. 

    An investor who made millions investing in the medical cannabis market in Canada has donated $9 million to Harvard and MIT to find research on cannabis. The $9 million gift is the largest donation ever earmarked for marijuana research. 

    “Our desire is to fill the research void that currently exists in the science of cannabis,” Bob Broderick, a Harvard alumni, told the school. 

    Broderick hopes that the gift, which will be divided evenly between the two universities, will empower researchers to commit to studying cannabis, despite federal regulations and limitations on marijuana research. 

    “People take risks when they say, ‘I’m going to start doing cannabis work,’ ” Broderick told WBUR. “For a young researcher at MIT or Harvard to say, ‘I’m going to pivot my career and study the effects of cannabis,’ I don’t think that’s something that would have happened five years ago.”

    Broderick said that it’s important for everyone that more research be done on cannabis and its health effects. 

    “And that’s going to be good for all of us,” he said. “A majority of Americans live in a regulatory environment that has either medical or recreational cannabis.”

    Bruce Bean, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, said that the gift will allow researchers to learn more about THC and CBD, but also begin studying the hundred other cannabinoid compounds in marijuana. 

    “Even for [THC and CBD], I have to say our knowledge is very, very sparse in terms of how they actually have their effects on the brain. But for many of the other hundred cannabinoids or so we know — we really know nothing,” Bean said. 

    MIT professor and researcher Myriam Heiman studies the effect of cannabis on symptoms of schizophrenia. Her lab will receive $1 million of Broderick’s gift. 

    “We were saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to study this?’” she said. “And then this gift comes along and really is enabling us to do everything we wanted to do.”

    John Gabrieli, another MIT professor who studies marijuana, will use $1 million to help fund research into the effects of cannabis for people with schizophrenia and autism. He said that marijuana use is already widespread among people with mental illness, so it’s important that research catch up with this current use and understand the health effects for this population. 

    “That’s why we need the science,” he said. “Because right now, it’s happening without the science, and it’s likely to happen all the more as marijuana becomes highly available legally in many states.”

    Broderick hopes that his donation will inspire other philanthropists to help fund cannabis research. 

    “My thought is that this is the largest gift to support cannabis research, but it’s not going to be the largest for long,” he said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com