Category: Addiction News

How to Find the Best Zolvit Addiction Rehab
Looking for information on Zolvit addiction? Our guide can help identify symptoms, effects, and luxury Zolvit rehab.

Table of Contents

1. What is Zolvit and What is it Used for?
2. Other Names for Zolvit
3. What is Zolvit Abuse?
4. How Abuse Can Lead to Zolvit Rehab and Addiction Treatment
5. Zolvit Rehab for Addiction – When is Treatment Needed?
6. The Dangers and Risks of Not Going to Zolvit Rehab
7. Zolvit Overdose – The Biggest Risk of All
8. Detox and Withdrawal – How Long Does Zolvit Stay in Your System?
9. How Zolvit Rehab Uses Medical Treatment
10. Therapy Options in Zolvit Rehab
11. What to Look for in the Best Zolvit Treatment Center
12. Choosing Between Outpatient and Inpatient Zolvit Rehab

Zolvit rehab centers are available right now to help you or someone you care about get into recovery. This addiction is very serious and can lead to mental and physical health problems, relationship difficulties, problems with the law and other consequences. At its worst, Zolvit addiction can lead to a fatal overdose.

It’s important to get Zolvit addiction help, even if you aren’t sure you qualify for having a substance use disorder. Any misuse of this drug can be problematic and can quickly lead to a severe and dangerous addiction. Reach out to rehab facilities to find out what your options are and to be evaluated and given an individualized treatment plan for long-term recovery.

What is Zolvit and What is it Used for?

Opioid drugs are narcotic controlled substances used to manage pain. There are many different types, including those that are found naturally in the opium poppy, like morphine, and those that are derived from these natural substances, like Zolvit. Zolvit is a brand name for the synthetic opioid hydrocodone combined with acetaminophen. This latter drug is available over the counter but is often combined with opioids in prescription drug formulations.

Zolvit is used to manage pain, but it is restricted to certain types of patients. It is approved for pain management in people who have pain that is significant enough to require opioids. In other words, when other, safer medications can’t control the pain, then opioids may be prescribed. Patients who do not tolerate other pain medications may also be given Zolvit.

Other Names for Zolvit

Zolvit is one brand name under which the combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen are sold. Other brand names for this combination are Anexia, Ceta Plus, Co-Gesic, Dolorex Forte, Hycet, Liquicet, Lorcet, Lortab, Maxidone, Norco, Stagesic, Vicodin, Xodol, and Zydone.

Zolvit and other opioid drugs are often misused and bought and sold illicitly. They go by many different street names. These are some of the names you may hear used for Zolvit, hydrocodone, or any other opioid:
- Cody or Captain Cody
- Doors and Fours
- Goodfella
- Demmies
- Dillies
- Juice
- China girl
- China white
- Pain killers
- Perks
- Tango and Cash
- Loads
- Apache
- Murder 8
- TNT
- Friend
- Jackpot
What is Zolvit Abuse?

Substance abuse with any drug is problematic. It can lead to addiction, mental health issues, physical health problems, relationship problems, difficulties at work, financial problems, legal trouble, and much more, even overdose and death. But abuse of Zolvit is particularly dangerous because of how addictive it is and the fact that it can more easily lead to a Zolvit overdose than many other substances of abuse.

Zolvit abuse or misuse is any use of this drug that is outside the bounds of what a doctor has prescribed and recommended. If you use it without a prescription, that is considered abuse. Even if you have a prescription for Zolvit, if you are using larger doses, taking it more frequently or for a longer duration than recommended, using it to get high, or using it for any reason other than for what it was prescribed, you are abusing this drug.

How Abuse Can Lead to Zolvit Rehab and Addiction Treatment

As an opioid combination drug, Zolvit is listed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a schedule II controlled substance. This is the second highest scheduling, and the designation means that Zolvit is tightly controlled and regulated. Hydrocodone combination drugs were previously listed in schedule III but were recently moved up to II. The DEA made the move because of the high rate of abuse and addiction to these drugs.

Schedule II drugs like Zolvit are considered to have medical uses but risky because of the possibility of abuse and addiction. They are known to be highly susceptible to abuse and to put any user, even those with a prescription, at a big risk for developing an addiction.

Zolvit, like other opioids, is a useful painkiller because it changes how the brain reacts to pain. But it also causes other effects that make some people want to abuse it. The way it acts in the brain leads to a sedative effect and a powerful sense of well-being known as euphoria. People sometimes want to chase this high, abuse the drug and become addicted.

Zolvit abuse is not the only behavior that can lead to addiction, though. Valid users of the drug—those with a prescription and following a doctor’s instructions—can also develop a Zolvit dependence. The risk is higher the longer someone has been using the drug and with higher doses. The way opioids act in the brain is to make changes over time that can make you feel as if you need them just to feel normal. This is dependence, another word for addiction.

Zolvit Rehab for Addiction – When is Treatment Needed?

You may need to seek rehab if you have developed a Zolvit addiction. But don’t wait to hit rock bottom to get help. If you feel troubled at all by your use of hydrocodone or another opioid, you probably already have a problem and need professional help to stop. There are some criteria, which are used to diagnosed substance use disorders, that can help you evaluate your own behaviors. Just one of these indicates you are developing a habit and could really benefit from treatment:
- Your use of Zolvit has begun to feel out of control, and you regularly use more than you intended.
- You have questioned your use of the drug and tried to use less, but failed.
- You crave opioids.
- An increasing amount of your time is spent getting drugs or using them.
- The time you spend on drug use is taking away from other activities in your life or preventing you from fulfilling obligations and meeting responsibilities.
- You continue to use Zolvit when you know that it is causing problems in your relationships with those you care about.
- You also continue to use it even though it causes health problems or makes existing issues worse.
- You keep using Zolvit in situations that put you at risk of getting hurt.
- You have developed a tolerance to opioids and need higher doses or more frequent use to get the same effect you used to.
- When not using, you begin to go into withdrawal.
These are important Zolvit addiction side effects and symptoms. You need to be aware of them to know that your use of the drug has gotten out of control and that you need help.

The Dangers and Risks of Not Going to Zolvit Rehab

The consequences of addiction to any drug can be severe, serious, and even life-threatening. The risks of misusing Zolvit and becoming addicted to it are even higher if you do not make the commitment to rehab and treatment. Rehabilitation can help you stop using this harmful drug, but if you choose not to seek help, the risks you are taking are very real.

One of these is the risk that you will experience the uncomfortable Zolvit side effects. Not everyone gets side effects, but by abusing the drug you make it more likely that you will and that those effects will be more severe and serious. Potential side effects of Zolvit are:
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Appetite changes and weight loss
- Constipation
- Difficulty thinking and concentrating
- Difficulty urinating
- Irregular periods
- Lightheadedness
- Skin rashes
- Sleepiness
- Sexual dysfunction
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Muscle stiffness
- Poor coordination
- A tight feeling in the chest
- Racing heart rate
- Hallucinations
Other risks of failing to get help with Zolvit addiction are less physical but may be just as negative and far-reaching. Being addicted to Zolvit could irreparably harm your relationships, cause serious financial difficulties, get you in trouble with the law or even lead to incarceration, cause you to lose your job, or cause or perpetuate mental health issues, like depression, anxiety, or suicide.

The acetaminophen in Zolvit is often overlooked when risks and dangers are discussed, but this drug can cause harm, too. It is an over-the-counter medication, but if you take more of it per day than is recommended, it can lead to serious liver damage. Also, combining this drug with alcohol can cause liver problems and long-term damage.

Zolvit Overdose – The Biggest Risk of All

Opioid overdoses have reached epidemic levels in the U.S. recently, mostly due to the very potent and dangerous opioid called fentanyl. But any opioid can and does lead to overdose, and this toxic amount of the drug can be fatal. There is no specific amount of Zolvit that will trigger an overdose, which makes abusing it even riskier. You can never know how much could kill you. Additionally, there is always the chance that a drug you buy illicitly will be contaminated with fentanyl.

Continuing to abuse Zolvit and not seeking help for your addiction puts you at a very real risk of experiencing an overdose. The signs of an opioid overdose are pale skin that is clammy and cold, blue-tinted fingernails and lips, limpness and unresponsiveness, vomiting or gurgling, slow or stopped breathing, and loss of consciousness. This can be reversed, but it requires immediate action and emergency medical care.

Anyone misusing Zolvit, whether addicted to the drug or not, is at risk for an overdose. The risk is higher if you have certain medical conditions, like reduced liver or kidney function or respiratory problems like sleep apnea or asthma.

Combining Zolvit with other substances that produce a similar depressant or sedative effect also increases the overdose risk. Other opioids, anxiety medications like benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and any other type of sedative will add to the dangerous effects of hydrocodone and make an overdose more likely. Alcohol can also have this effect, and combining it with Zolvit is risky.

Detox and Withdrawal – How Long Does Zolvit Stay in Your System?

If you are misusing Zolvit and start to feel very uncomfortable, moody, and sick when not using it, you may be exhibiting withdrawal, an important sign of drug dependence. The process you go through to stop using a drug like Zolvit is called detox. The time it will take for the opioid to leave your system and for withdrawal symptoms to ease depends on many factors. The longer you have been misusing Zolvit, the larger the doses you take, and the larger the last dose, the longer detox will be. There are other individual factors too, including personal health, that can impact how long withdrawal lasts.

Withdrawal from opioids can be painful, but it is not harmful in the long-term. The biggest risk you’ll face when detoxing is relapse. There is an increased chance that a relapse will trigger an overdose, so the safest way to go through this necessary process on the way to recovery is supervised. Let anyone you trust help you through it, but the best way to detox is with an addiction specialist.

Early Zolvit withdrawal side effects are agitation, anxiety, achy muscles, tearing, sweating, yawning, difficulty sleeping, and a runny nose. As detox continues, you may experience some more difficult Zolvit withdrawal effects like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, goosebumps and chills, and dilated pupils. Going through these symptoms is necessary for real treatment to begin. Do not think that detox by itself is treatment, though; it is simply the first step and what you must do in order to be ready for treatment.

How Zolvit Rehab Uses Medical Treatment

One of the most important types of care you will receive in Zolvit rehab is medical. Most drug addictions do not have medicines that can help with treatment, but opioids do. There are three approved drugs that can be used to treat and manage opioid use disorder. Medical treatment is not adequate treatment for this addiction, though. Medications can help, but you also need a complete, well-rounded treatment plan with therapy as well as medicine. The drugs that you may use to manage Zolvit addiction are:
- Methadone. Methadone has long been used in maintenance therapy for heroin, an illicit opioid. It stimulates the same receptors in the brain as other opioids but produces less of an effect. Methadone can be used to wean you from opioids and to minimize withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Buprenorphine. This drug is used in a way similar to methadone, but it produces even less effect and is less likely to be abused. It can help you experience less intense cravings for Zolvit and is a useful supplement to rehab and therapy.
- Naloxone. This is the antidote administered to reverse an opioid overdose. It can also be used to block the effects of opioid drugs in order to prevent relapses during and after treatment. An injection that lasts one month protects you from relapsing, because if you try to use Zolvit during that time, you will experience none of its effects. The naloxone blocks the receptors the drug normally inhabits.
Effective Zolvit addiction treatment includes medical care. These medications may not be appropriate for or useful for everyone, but they are proven to help reduce the risks of relapse and to complement traditional therapy. In general, the use of medications along with long-term therapy is proven to be an effective way to treat addiction.

Therapy Options in Zolvit Rehab

The combination of therapy and medical care is essential in effective Zolvit rehab. The real hard work of recovery will be done in the hours of therapy that give you the tools for living life drug-free. When you find the right rehab for treatment, you can expect to be offered a variety of therapy types, because some may resonate better with you than others:
- Behavioral therapy. You can expect to go through at least some type of behavioral therapy. All are based on cognitive behavioral therapy, which relies on goal-setting, practical actions, trigger identification, coping strategies, and proactive, positive lifestyle changes to achieve lasting recovery. Variations on this include therapies that focus on accepting negative feelings, finding internal motivation, and using external motivating factors to avoid relapse.
- Trauma-focused therapy. Addiction is often a consequence of past trauma. At intake, you may be evaluated and find that bad experiences in your past contribute to your current behavioral health issues and drug use. Therapies that revolve around remembering, processing, and reframing trauma can be important in addiction treatment.
- Relationship therapy. Relationships can be triggers for drug use, but they can also suffer because of drug use. Therapy that teaches you better communication and social skills is helpful, as is therapy that includes your partner or other members of your family.
The best rehab centers for Zolvit addiction will offer you different types of therapy and even variations on those. They will also have alternative therapies that can be useful supplements to these: art therapy, dance and movement therapy, writing, therapy, music therapy, animal therapy, recreation therapy, and more.

What to Look for in the Best Zolvit Treatment Center

As you search for the rehab facility that best meets your needs, insist on one that offers both therapy and medical care. These are the basics of Zolvit treatment for addiction. Beyond these two factors, there are other things to consider and to look for in the rehab that will offer you the best treatment.
- A staff of caring experts who treat patients with respect
- An initial evaluation to determine the extent of your addiction and any mental health issues
- Treatment for any co-occurring mental illnesses
- An individualized plan made just for you
- A treatment plant that considers your input and preferences
- A focus on relapse prevention
- A variety of support services
- The inclusion of family when appropriate
- Aftercare programs or options for care during the transition back to the home
These are the kinds of things that make a rehab the best and most effective for addiction treatment. Additionally, look for aspects of a facility that make you personally comfortable. You should visit if possible so that you can get a feel for a location, the staff, and the other residents before you make your final choice.

Choosing Between Outpatient and Inpatient Zolvit Rehab

As you search for rehab, understand that you have the option to get treatment in a residential rehab or through an outpatient program. There are pros and cons to each, but keep in mind that if your addiction is severe and you are at a big risk of relapsing, you should strongly consider inpatient treatment.

Inpatient care gives you several benefits. For instance, it can keep you safe when cravings hit with 24-hour supervision. Rehab also provides a focused way to really put your energy into treatment and recovery. There will be fewer distractions than at home and less stress over responsibilities. Inpatient rehab is usually staffed by a number of professionals with various areas of expertise so you get more options for therapy and support.

On the other hand, inpatient living can be stressful for some people. Being away from family, living with strangers, and being under constant supervision may be more stressful for some, which can be a detriment to treatment. If you prefer to stay home, just be sure home will be safe and that your family is supportive of your recovery.

Choosing treatment for Zolvit addiction is a big deal. It means you have recognized that you need help and is the first step to recovery. Make your choice as quickly as possible while still taking care to select the treatment program and facility that will provide you with the best care.

View the original article at thefix.com
29 May 2019
7 Things I Wish I Could Tell My Parents About My Addiction

Here, on this motel floor, I need to know that you still love me. If it isn’t too painful for you, please visit me in rehab. When I tell you that I’m finally ready to get clean, please believe me even if it’s the 100th time.

I constantly find myself in conversations with both of my parents about that dark time in my life. In the beginning of my sobriety, I tried to explain to them about opioid receptors and dopamine levels but it never seemed to make a difference. Many parents have a “You did this because you are weak!” mindset. They think that you can just quit. Well, Mom…

1. I Can’t Just Quit

I’ve been tired of this life for a long time and I have the desire to be the person you once trusted. But every time I quit, I get sick and believe that life just isn’t worth living. I’ve tried to get clean but once the fog clears I realize how much I’ve damaged my life and I go back. I wish I could snap my fingers and be normal with a job and home, but my brain has changed. I want to be the child who you loved unconditionally but I’m not, I’m sick. I don’t like sleeping outside and going to rehab every few months, but that’s what this drug has done to me. It’s a part of me now and unless I have it I can’t even get out of bed. I hate myself and what I’m putting you through, but my mind and body are broken right now.

2. This Isn’t Your Fault

This didn’t happen because you left me to cry it out in the crib for too long or because you weren’t strict enough. There isn’t a recipe that you followed to make me a drug addict. This happened because I tried something out of curiosity and my brain and body responded in a way that made it impossible to stop. Ever since that first time, my brain hasn’t worked the same. I am not lazy, stupid, or weak. I wish that I could sleep this off with a hot shower and an iron-rich diet but it doesn’t work like that. It started off as fun, but now I’m trapped.

3. My Addiction Shouldn’t Be the Topic of Gossip

I wish you could tell all your coworkers that I graduated from that expensive university we planned on me attending. I know you aren’t proud of me right now, but I’m still a person. I want you to heal and be able to talk about how much I’ve hurt you, but please don’t use me and my addiction as entertainment. I am still your child.

You might not know much about how addiction works but I need for you to keep my most embarrassing secret close to you. Your coworkers and distant relatives don’t need to know that I’m in jail yet again. My great grandmother that lives a thousand miles away doesn’t want to hear about how I am living in a dirty motel. Unless I’m a threat to them or their belongings, I ask that you protect my dignity. People assume the absolute worst about people like me and I’m not proud of anything I’ve done to feed my addiction. Along with getting high, I have engaged in degrading behaviors and even exposed myself to disease and violence.

When people hear, “My child is a drug addict,” they think about every negative thing they’ve ever seen in a movie or heard on the news and they will apply it to me. Why would you even want to share these awful things? Talk about the president or what movie you just saw instead. When I get better, I will have to face what I have done and accept the mistakes that I have made. I will have to face the people that you shared my humiliation with. Please don’t think that I am asking you to suffer in silence. There are support groups and therapists who have the knowledge and skills to help you get through this, too.

4. Try to Learn About My Addiction

Did you know that the American Medical Association classifies my addiction as a disease? I didn’t make this up to make you feel sorry for me, it really is. I made the initial choice to start using drugs but when I wanted to stop, my brain said no. It made everything else in the world unenjoyable. Could you imagine not being able to enjoy your favorite piece of cake from the best bakery in town? This is my life right now. The chemicals in my brain have been reprogrammed to want one thing only.

If you don’t believe me, and you probably won’t, take ten minutes and do a little research on addiction. While you are clicking on different links and learning about what I’m going through, please look at all of the different treatment options too. Did you know that there is a medication you can give me in an emergency that will reverse an opioid overdose at home? It’s called naloxone and you can get it from the pharmacy and it could possibly save my life.

I know that you want me to get better. I do, too, but it’s much harder than just saying no. It’s important that you know that there are some medications available that can help my cravings and others that will completely block the effects of opioids. Whether or not these are what’s best for me is something I will have to decide on my own but you should know about them. As long as I am seeking treatment or have even talked about how I want to get better, I am still here fighting.

5. I Have Suffered Through Incredible Trauma

I have seen death and loss. I have lost my dignity and self-respect. Some of my friends have died because of these drugs and I have been close to death myself.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk about the terrible things that have happened in my addiction because I know how much it will hurt you. You might say that this is my fault and that I’m weak, but I’m not. I’m in here fighting with these memories and still waking up in the morning. When I get clean, I will need time to heal. I will need counseling and even a little bit of space.

6. I’m Sorry

I’m sorry I stole from you and constantly lied to you. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to Thanksgiving last year, and I’m sorry you found me unconscious. I’m sorry that I made you cry. If I had a penny for every regret, I could pay you back for everything you’ve done for me. Right now, however, I would probably spend that money on drugs because I’m sick. One day I hope that you will forgive me. I don’t expect you to forgive me soon, but hopefully you realize that your child is still in here.

7. Please Don’t Give Up on Me

I’m not asking you to give me money, that ship has long sailed. I’m not asking you to let me come home or even to trust me right now. Here, on this motel floor, I need to know that you still love me. I need you to call me and tell me how you are. Please be a constant in my life, even if it’s just through text messages. If it isn’t too painful for you, please visit me in rehab. When I tell you that I’m finally ready to get clean, please believe me even if it’s the 100th time. If I tell you that I’m going to start taking medication to help with my sobriety, be proud of me! Don’t tell me that I’m trading one drug for another, because I’m trying.

Just please, don’t give up on me.

View the original article at thefix.com

29 May 2019
How to Find the Best Palladone Rehab
If you believe you’re dependent upon the drug Palladone, you should waste no time in seeking treatment and consider entering rehab.

Table of Contents
Do you believe you’re dependent upon the drug Palladone? Perhaps you have a loved one who you believe might be suffering from an addiction to the drug. This is a serious matter and one that affects a large number of people around the world.

Even though you might know that you aren’t alone in this battle, it does not make taking those first steps any easier. Those who are committed to dealing with their addiction and getting into recovery will find that the best option is to go through a professional medical detox and then enter a quality Palladone rehab facility. This way, they will stand a better chance of not relapsing.

What is Palladone and What is it Used For?

Palladone is a brand name for hydromorphone, and interestingly, it has been discontinued in the United States. However, this does not mean that the drug or generic equivalents are not still available for those who seek them out illicitly. Some of the other brand names for hydromorphone that are used in the U.S. include Dilaudid and Exalgo.

With hydromorphone, there are three available forms. These include the solution, tablet, and extended-release tablet. All of them have the capacity to be dangerous and addictive, because they contain opioids as the active ingredient.

Hydromorphone is used as a means to regulate moderate to severe pain. It is often used to help with migraines, bone pain, and dental pain. With the extended-release tablets, it can provide treatment for the pain around the clock, rather than only when it is needed. This works like other opioids when it comes to providing relief from pain. It alters the way the brain and the central nervous system interpret the nerve signals that the body is giving them.

What Effects Does Palladone Have?

As with other types of opioids, the use of Palladone will provide not only pain relief but also a feeling of euphoria and peace. The perception of pleasure tends to be increased, as well. These feelings that those who use the drug experience are some of the reasons they continue to use it. Before long, they find that they are dependent on the drug, even if they aren’t in pain. The addiction to opioids can set in quickly, and it can be extremely difficult to break without proper help.

For some people, there are other dangers associated with the use of Palladone and similar drugs. If it is taken with certain other drugs, it can cause major problems. Those who have used an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of taking hydromorphone could suffer a serious interaction that could include severe breathing problems. Additionally, Palladone should never be used with alcohol, as it can cause the drug to enter the bloodstream more rapidly, increasing the risk of an overdose.

Palladone Street Names

Hydromorphone has several different brands, but most people who are looking for the drug do not call it by any of the brand names, or even the generic names. Instead, they have developed their own street names for the drug. The slang can vary based on location and the individual, but below are some of the most common.
- Ds
- Dillies
- Heidies
- Hydro
- Laudies
These are just some of the alternative names that are used for hydromorphone and Palladone.

Signs of Addiction to Palladone

How does a person know they are addicted to Palladone? If you are constantly thinking about the drug and how to make sure you have enough of it, it is a sign of addiction. Some of the other signs include not enjoying activities that you previously enjoyed, and not caring about obligations to work, school, and family as much as you care about the drug.

Signs of Overdosing on Palladone

Those who abuse Palladone or other forms of hydromorphone are at risk of overdosing. With these types of drugs, more and more will be needed as a way to provide the user with the same effects. This can put too much of the drug into the system, and an overdose may occur. Some of the signs and symptoms of overdose include:
- Cold, clammy skin
- Constricted pupils
- Decreased consciousness
- Respiratory depression
When someone suffers an overdose, or you believe they even might have had an overdose, it is essential to contact emergency services as soon as possible. Often, the medical professionals will administer naloxone to help reverse the effects of the hydromorphone.

Palladone Withdrawal and Detox

When someone stops taking hydromorphone, and even if they simply reduce their doses, they will find that it can cause serious withdrawal symptoms, which can be quite painful. It is a drug that shouldn’t be quit cold turkey. Instead, the best option tends to be a medical detox. With these types of detoxifications, medical professionals will gradually reduce the amount of the drug the patient is taking. This will allow their body to get accustomed to life without the drug.

However, that does not mean there will not be a withdrawal. There are a number of symptoms they may still face. These include:
- Abdominal pain
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Goosebumps
- Nausea
- Muscle and joint pain
- Sweating
- Vomiting
Those who are going through withdrawal will often have a difficult time trying to enjoy their normal daily activities, as well.

Getting Treatment and Rehabilitation for Addiction to Palladone

There are various types of rehab programs available that can help those who are addicted to hydromorphone. Typically, you will be able to choose between inpatient and outpatient treatment options for Palladone. Those who choose an inpatient setting will find that it can provide them with around-the-clock attention and care, and it will eliminate any temptations that could cause someone to relapse. It also means that if there are any emergencies, the medical professionals will be right there to help.

For those who have moderate to severe levels of Palladone addiction, doctors will typically recommend inpatient treatment. This is also common right after someone comes out of detox. They might spend a few days with inpatient care before they go home. However, those who have milder symptoms of addiction might be able to benefit from an outpatient Palladone rehab center right away.

The outpatient treatment options can be quite beneficial, because they will allow the patient to continue with their normal routines with as little interruption as possible. They will still have access to all of the available treatments and therapies, but they will live at home during treatment. They can go to work and be with their family and friends. For some, this will be the more agreeable option. However, the one that is chosen should always be what is best for your recovery, not just what you want.

The types of treatment and therapies that are offered can vary based on the patient. In some cases, the use of other, lesser opioids might be used by the doctors as a means to help patients better deal with their cravings. They can often make the withdrawal symptoms easier to bear, as well. The other medications will then be gradually reduced.

Behavioral therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can often be valuable as well. Other therapy types might include contingency management and motivational interviewing. Some Palladone rehab facilities will also offer holistic types of treatment, such as meditation, to help the patients better deal with their recovery and their stress levels. This can help patients later who might be in danger of relapsing.

Choose the Best Rehabilitation Center for Palladone

The goal of a Palladone rehab is to make sure you get the help that you need to recover properly. This means that you need to find a program that can provide you with what you need for your particular treatment. You want to work with a facility that provides evidence-based treatments. Of course, you will also want to make sure they treat you or your loved one properly and with respect.

Rather than choosing a Palladone rehab treatment center using only what you learn about the facility online, it is important to call and get in touch with them directly. You will want to ask questions about the various types of programs they offer, how they work with patients, and what credentials the therapists have. You need to know what it is about the rehab facility that will make it right for you, and you need to go deeper than just looking at a nice website.

Ideally, you will also be able to visit the facility before making a decision. This can give you a better idea of what you can expect when you or your loved one is admitted to the rehab.

It is very important to remember that recovery is about more than just the detox and the few weeks or months that are spent in treatment. It must also include aftercare options. What type of follow-up treatment and help options will be available through the hydromorphone rehab?

The only way to recover is by taking the first step. Admitting there is a problem, committing to detoxing and then making your way through the recovery program might be difficult, but it will be well worth it.

View the original article at thefix.com
29 May 2019
HIV Prevention Pill Offered to Opioid Users in Philadelphia

A recent op-ed makes the case that Philly doctors should evaluate all medication-assisted treatment patients for PrEP.

An increase in the number of IV drug users infected with HIV in Philadelphia has spurred the city’s health department to train medical providers in the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a pill that can prevent HIV infection.

An op-ed piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer suggested that making PrEP and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) available to this demographic could not only provide much-needed assistance to an at-risk population, but as the story’s author noted, would also place Philadelphia at the forefront of helping to prevent the spread of HIV among that demographic.

The Inquirer noted that while the overall number of new HIV cases has been on the decline since the mid-2000s, with current statistics showing that 19,199 Philadelphia residents live with HIV, the number of individuals who acquired HIV through IV drugs rose from 45 cases in 2017 to 61 in 2018.

The newspaper also cited a study by the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, which linked the rise in new infections to a high number of sex workers in Philadelphia. According to the study’s findings, 51% of women with new infections and 30% of male subjects had traded sex for money, drugs or other goods.

Coverage of the rise in cases by the Philadelphia Tribune found that city health agencies have increased education efforts regarding the use of PrEP among HIV patients. These include the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, which trained doctors in areas with high rates of HIV about talking to their patients about the medication.

The non-profit syringe exchange program Prevention Point worked directly with IV drug users to let them know about how to get PrEP. The Tribune piece noted that the emergency departments of Temple University Hospital and Episcopal Hospital offered screenings for HIV and STDs.

The city’s Federally Qualified Health Centers and many primary care physicians offer PrEP as well. If the patient is found to be HIV-positive, doctors at these hospitals, centers and practices work with the individual to begin immediate treatment with PrEP. The medication is fully covered by most health plans, and when taken under the supervision of a medical provider, has reportedly few to no side effects.

Despite this, the Inquirer op-ed noted that many local providers and treatment centers may not be aware of the availability of MAT with PrEP for HIV. The story advocated consistent referral of the medication to not only stem the tide of new cases, but to establish Philadelphia at the forefront of such treatment.

“These type of local emerging best practices offer a way bridging national policy, clinical guidelines, local contexts and patient choice,” wrote the op-ed’s author, Kevin Moore, who serves as director of care coordination at ARS Treatment Centers.

View the original article at thefix.com

28 May 2019
Ohio Bill To End Death Penalty For Those With "Serious Mental Illness"

The bill would also allow all prisoners on death row within the state to petition for resentencing.

A bipartisan bill would ban the death penalty in Ohio for anyone found to have “serious mental illness,” which the bill limits to diagnosed schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or delusional disorder.

It must also be determined that said mental illness “significantly impaired the person’s capacity to exercise rational judgment” during the moment of the crime.

The bill, which is currently making its way through the Ohio legislature, would also allow all inmates on death row within the state to petition for resentencing under this new policy. Prosecutors are opposing the bill based on the concern that death row inmates will use this as an opportunity to delay their sentence. Allen County Prosecutor Juergen Waldick testified that it’s “likely that every single person on death row would file such a motion,” which could overwhelm the courts.

However, the bill is supported by multiple mental health professional and advocacy groups, including the Ohio Psychological Association, the Ohio Psychiatric Physician’s Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio (NAMI Ohio).

“People with these mental illnesses don’t always know what they’re doing,” said NAMI Ohio Executive Director Terry Russell. “We don’t think it’s ethically or morally right to take their life because of it.”

Bill sponsor, Republican Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer, argued that most Ohioans “will concede executing an individual found to be suffering from a serious mental illness at the time of the crime is neither fair nor just, and this punishment should be reserved for those who have intentionally done.”

A report by the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard University found that 75% of executions in 2015 involved defendants and situations of “crippling disabilities and uncertain guilt.”

Seven of the 28 cases examined surrounded individuals who were found to have serious mental illnesses. Additionally, five executed prisoners had experienced “extreme” childhood trauma or abuse.

One individual had been classified by the Veterans Administration as being 100% disabled due to severe PTSD resulting from his service in the Vietnam War.

Defendants found guilty of capital offenses who are found to have severe mental illnesses will still be given harsh sentences such as life in prison without parole or life in prison with parole eligibility after 25 or 30 years.

Proponents of the bill have stressed that people who commit crimes while being mentally ill will still be held responsible for their actions. However, they argue that treatment is a better option for these individuals than execution.

“The stigma of these illnesses is so misunderstood in the community,” Russell said. “When the law is broken, we’re not going to use mental health as an excuse. We send them to treatment facilities instead of prisons.”

View the original article at thefix.com

28 May 2019
Loopholes May Lead FDA to Block New Buprenorphine Alternatives

Despite an ongoing epidemic, alternatives to Sublocade are not allowed to enter the market.

Thanks to so-called “orphan drug” legal loopholes, Sublocade might be the only buprenorphine product on the market until 2024.

For any medical issue, patients have to try different avenues of treatment to find the most effective one. This need for alternatives is especially important for finding treatments for opioid addiction considering the crisis is taking around 130 lives in the U.S. each day.

“It’s important to have multiple different treatment options for different patients, different circumstances,” says Carolyn Bogdon, a South Carolina-based family nurse practitioner.

Several methods for opioid addiction treatment exist. For example, there is the daily dosing of methadone or the once-monthly Vivitrol injection. Another alternative is buprenorphine, an opiate that blocks the same receptors that opioid painkillers would without providing the high. It can be taken as a film or tablet once or twice a day.

One buprenorphine product, called Sublocade, only needs to be taken once a month. Currently, there aren’t any comparable alternatives, but that’s not for lack of competition. A company called Braeburn has produced at least one long-lasting buprenorphine alternative, called Brixadi, but it just can’t be sold right now.

“It’s ready for market now,” said Mike Derkacz, CEO of Braeburn. “We are deemed safe and effective by FDA, but we are unable to make the product available to patients during this crisis.”

When Sublocade was released in 2017, it enjoyed three years of exclusivity as part of the standard allowance for any new drug. However, Sublocade seems to be in line to get seven years of exclusivity as the FDA may consider it an orphan drug.

Typically, an orphan drug is defined by the FDA as a medication that treats ailments that affect less than 200,000 people a year. Technically speaking, the opioid crisis does not qualify, with 2.3 million people addicted and 47,000 who died in 2017 alone.

The decision to consider Sublocade an orphan drug is made even more perplexing to Derkacz by the fact that the Trump administration declared the opioid crisis a national emergency.

“There have been studies that show a reduction in mortality by 40% with buprenorphine,” claimed Derkacz. “That keeps people alive. That gives people a chance to get back to their lives and recover fully.”

Drugs like Sublocade and Brixadi are especially useful for people who can’t or don’t want to take daily doses of methadone.

“It provides a little bit more anonymity for patients that don’t want to disclose that they have an opiate use disorder,” said Michelle Lofwall, a Kentucky-based psychiatrist.

“Some patients have felt stigmatized when going to the pharmacy, like they don’t feel like they’re necessarily treated all that well once they show their prescription.”

View the original article at thefix.com

28 May 2019
Slipknot Drummer’s Daughter Dies Days After Posting Sobriety Chip

Her family asks that people not pry and speculate during their time of mourning.

Gabrielle Crahan, the youngest daughter of Slipknot drummer Shawn Crahan, has died at 22 years old. Her sudden passing came just days after she shared a photo of her five month sobriety chip on Instagram.

“FIVE MONTHS,” Gabrielle wrote in the caption of her photo of the red Alcoholics Anonymous chip.

Shawn, who is known as “clown” in Slipknot, shared the news on the band’s official Instagram account.

“It is with a broken heart, and from a place of the deepest pain, that I have to inform all of you that my youngest daughter, Gabrielle, passed away yesterday – Saturday May 18th, 2019. She was 22 years old,” he wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of Gabrielle. “Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming. My family and I ask that our privacy be respected moving forward. Thank you. Much love, clown.”

Gabrielle’s older sister, Alexandria, also shared words of mourning. Posting a childhood photo of herself and Gabrielle, she lamented the loss.

“Yesterday my little sister Gabrielle passed away. I am in shock and have no idea how to process the wave of emotions I am experiencing. The comforts I have in these moments are my family, friends, and cats,” she wrote. “Please put good energy out for my parents and my brothers. This loss leaves the biggest hole and our lives will never be the same. 22 is too young to die.”

Alexandria also took it upon herself to combat the prying questions around whether Gabrielle died of an overdose or suicide.

“She died yesterday. Stop speculating stop with the assumptions if you’re going to be negative, leave my family alone,” Alexandria wrote.

Gabrielle’s actual cause of death has not yet been made public knowledge.

This is not the first time that members of Slipknot have been affected by addiction. The band’s lead sober singer, Corey Taylor, has long struggled with addiction, as he’s shared before. Paul Gray, Slipknot’s bassist, tragically died of an overdose in 2010. Gray’s doctor was eventually held accountable for enabling Gray’s Xanax addiction.

“I just knew it was his drug of choice, that he’d struggled with it,” said his widow, Brenna Gray. “So I just wasn’t really sure why he was on it, why he needed it along with the medication he was taking for addiction.”

View the original article at thefix.com

28 May 2019
Weezer, Pete Wentz Join #MyYoungerSelf Mental Health Campaign

Weezer, Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy and producer/songwriter Butch Walker are the latest to create videos for the campaign.

The Child’s Mind Institute’s annual #MyYoungerSelf campaign aims to raise mental health awareness by providing a platform where celebrities can get candid about overcoming their struggles, and share what they would tell their younger selves about their mental health journey today.

Members of the band Weezer, Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy, and producer/songwriter Butch Walker are the latest to create videos for #MyYoungerSelf, in the hopes that young people will find comfort in their advice.

As Rolling Stone reports, Weezer bassist Scott Shriner describes himself in his childhood years as “super sick, different and weird.” He was full of self-hatred and “scared of everything, [I] hid under the bed when it was time to go to school.”

In the video, Shriner encourages young people to “find something that you really enjoy and just work really hard at it and know that you’re not alone and that you’re not always going to feel that way. If I knew then how I would turn out now, I probably could’ve relaxed a little bit… Find some of the weirdos like you to talk to.”

Wentz also said, “It’s super normal to be unsure of yourself and feel lonely. One of the things I would have told myself 10 or 20 years ago is that it’s alright to feel that anxiety, it’s alright to feel down, but you’ve gotta know that tomorrow might have a different feeling.” He also said, “It’s important to know that you can reach out to people. Sometimes you start feeling like, ‘I’m feeling down, and I’ll just keep it to myself.’ I think it’s important to reach out to your friends.”

Walker, who has worked with Fall Out Boy and Weezer, among other bands, recalled coming from a small town “and feeling different… it was a lot of people who were scared out of the box of being ‘normal’ and scared to like things that other people didn’t necessarily like or weren’t into. I gravitated toward doing things and loving things that a lot of my friends did not. And because of that I got made fun of a lot—ridiculed, teased, mocked.”

Yet Walker today says, “I know I’m not alone,” and now his son also has to deal with being “different” at school.

“I guess the bottom line here is I want to tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.’ Just love what you love, and be yourself because everyone else is taken.”

View the original article at thefix.com

28 May 2019
Everybody Knows: 10 Lessons from 10 Years of Sobriety Without AA

In early sobriety, someone told me that since I’d gotten sober without AA, I wasn’t an alcoholic, and that since I didn’t go to meetings and ate the occasional mushroom, I wasn’t sober.

On May 26th, I celebrated ten years of sobriety. People have found my story noteworthy because I got sober without rehab and stayed sober without AA. I don’t understand my story to be a unique miracle; in my travels in the last ten years, I’ve encountered a lot of folks with similar experiences. But I struggled in early sobriety with no roadmap for recovery. Much of what “everybody knows” to be true about alcoholism, getting sober, and recovery simply did not apply to me.

Here’s what I learned as I forged my own path and created my recovery. Whether you’re deeply immersed in sobriety, newly sober, considering getting sober, or just feel like the structure of AA isn’t serving you, I hope this will help.

1. You Don’t Need to Be an Alcoholic in Order to Stop Drinking

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But when the monolithic sobriety support group that eclipses all others has “alcoholic” in the title, it’s a small logistical leap in the mind of someone reluctant to quit drinking.

“It says ‘Alcoholics Anonymous,’ and I’m not totally sure I’m an alcoholic, and everybody knows that AA is the only way to get sober so… let’s do shots!”

After 17 years of problem drinking, I still wasn’t certain I was an alcoholic. I’d filled out questionnaire after questionnaire — haven’t we all? Sure, there were a few warning signs: I’d blacked out repeatedly and I’d pissed the bed repeatedly and I drank alone and I sometimes drank in the morning and my life had become an uncontrollable mess… But there were still a lot of loopholes. Several times, I had been able to quit drinking for a week or a month or a couple months; once even a year. I didn’t drink at work or show up late or call in sick. Sometimes I was able to have one drink and go straight home (usually when I was already so hungover I felt like my heart was going to stop, but they didn’t ask for those specific details in the questionnaire).

For simplicity, I’ve winnowed all those questionnaires down to one question: Would your life be better, easier, more manageable if you stopped drinking? If the answer is yes, then stop drinking, just for a month. If you can’t do it, then yes, you’re an alcoholic and you need to stop drinking. And if you can, why not just go another month? And then another? Once you’ve been sober for nine months, then let’s tackle the scary question of whether you’re an alcoholic or not. I think I’d been sober for nearly a year before I could cop to that ugly word and by then I was so entrenched in sobriety that there was no turning back.

2. AA Does Not Define Alcoholism or Sobriety

In early sobriety, someone told me that since I’d gotten sober without AA, I wasn’t an alcoholic, and that since I didn’t go to meetings and ate the occasional mushroom, I wasn’t sober. This neatly dismissed my life-defining problem, my hard-won solution, and the humiliating, laborious hell I had endured in order to find a solution to my problem. I wish I’d had the confidence to respond with one word: bullshit.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines alcoholism as “addiction to the consumption of alcoholic drink; alcohol dependency.” It defines sober as “not affected by alcohol; not drunk.” Dependence upon AA is not specified as a requirement for alcoholism. Nor is there any mention of attendance at AA as a necessary qualifier for sobriety. Another secretive society that tries to own both the illness and the cure is Scientology, which is to say these tactics are the mark of a cult. If you have accepted that you’re sick and you recognize that you are getting better, do not let anything slow you down.

3. If You’re Waiting to Hit Rock Bottom, You’ve Stumbled Into Something Worse

“Everybody knows” that an alcoholic has to hit bottom before they’re ready to quit drinking. A friend once marveled to me that I plowed through life-changing experience after life-changing experience without changing at all. Similarly, I endured low after low without making any corrections.

A staple of my childhood cartoon viewing was The Mighty Hercules, a low-budget animated series created in the 60s that played early mornings on public access TV in the sticks in Canada where I was born. Nearly every episode revolved around the evil wizard Daedalus nearly destroying Hercules before he put on his magic ring and… listen, it hasn’t aged well. But the show was my first introduction to the concept of a bottomless pit, this horrifying sensation of falling for all eternity.

That bottomless pit is where I found myself in early 2009. The Handsome Family neatly capture the alcoholic’s escapist conundrum in the final lines of their song “The Bottomless Hole”:

And still I am there falling, down in this evil pit / but until I hit the bottom, I won’t believe it’s bottomless.

I never found bottom. Mercifully, I had the realization one day that I never would, that I would just keep falling. In terror, I stopped immediately. I never went back.

4. There Is No Singular Epiphany, No Billboard From God Stating YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR LIFE

When I quit drinking, I had no inkling that I was quitting for good. I just knew that I couldn’t go on. I put a couple of days together, then a couple weeks, then a couple of months. After ten years, yes, I recognize now that I was quitting for good. But it wasn’t because I knew the next bender would kill me. It was an accumulation of small grievances that, in aggregate, made me want to die. I always had a headache, I never had any energy, I was always nauseous, I had exhausted all excuses and apologies beyond reason, I had no prospects, I knew my drinking life was unsustainable, and I couldn’t see a future. You can waste your entire life waiting for that crystalline, cataclysmic epiphany. Instead, I made a big change for small reasons and discovered a new life.

5. Cry As Much As You Can

Quitting is hard. Jesus, before you even get to quitting, life is hard, mornings are a hell both reliable and surprising, working for a living is a sustained slow-motion nightmare. Quitting drinking is admirable and you should not be expected to suffer in stoic silence. It’s okay to feel sad, it’s okay to get mad, it’s okay to mourn your old life and fear the future and hate yourself. Soak your pillow every chance you get. Eventually, you’ll run out of tears. You’ll cry yourself dry and you’ll have to get on with the living.

6. Quitting Drinking Immediately Makes You a Hero, But It Doesn’t Immediately Make You a Good Person

In early sobriety, I was lost. I was depressed, humorless, anxious, silent as a stone, exhausted and insomniac, quietly fuming and easily enraged. I imagine my friends hoped I wouldn’t relapse… and also prayed I would so they could bear to hang out with me again.

Be generous and forgiving with yourself as you ride out these extended unpleasant withdrawals. Be forthright with your peers if you can, and ask them to be generous and forgiving with you. Getting sober is to be admired and supported even in the ugliest phases. In the first few days, the first few weeks, even, let it be enough just to not drink. The rest will come, in time.

7. Emotions Are Temporary

The word “emotion” is comprised mostly of “motion,” which is to say emotions are always in flux, storming into us with no warning and often retreating as suddenly. I had poison ivy often as a kid and I learned that cold water temporarily lessened the itching, but if I could submit myself to a blazing hot shower and moments of torturous itching, the heat burned the itch receptors out and then I’d feel no itching at all, sometimes for hours.

In early sobriety, I was subject to unexpected attacks of fury or terror or paralyzing sadness. Fighting the feeling only prolonged it, sometimes for the entire day. Sitting in it, marinating in the negative emotion —actively trying to get as mad or scared or sad as possible for as long as possible — burned through it quickly and released me.

8. Every Illness Is a Physical Illness

Mental illness lives in the brain… but the brain lives in the body. If you deny a schizophrenic water, dehydration will end their life before mental illness can even damage it. I once made the mistake of posting a Bill Philips quote on my Facebook — “Food is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug in America, and exercise is the most potent yet underutilized antidepressant” — and watched my feed catch fire, my friends suffering from mental illness protesting that they didn’t need to go for a walk in the woods, damn it, they needed their pills, and how could I diminish their suffering?

Mental illness is real. But if you smoke cigarettes, pound coffee and soda and energy drinks, eat Burger King and Sour Patch Kids and lie on the couch in front of the TV all day, you won’t need mental illness in order to feel insane. I have clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression. When I got sober, I treated it with anti-depressants… and exercise and sunshine and tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and vitamins and lots of water. I’ve been off meds for years now, but I think getting a clinical diagnosis and a prescription for psychiatric medication were integral to my early success. If you need medication, by all means, take your meds and feel proud for practicing self-care. But caring for your body — exercise, sunshine, sleep, fresh fruits and vegetables, lots of water — helps everything.

9. Getting Sober Doesn’t Have to Mean Being Reborn; Reinventing Yourself Is Optional

I wanted to quit drinking for years but I feared AA and “inspirational” sobriety so much that I was willing to endure the worsening horrors of my alcoholism. When I finally stopped, I certainly didn’t feel like an image on Instagram of a sun peeking through clouds. I felt shell-shocked, with no idea who I was. Could I still laugh at dick jokes? Could I still resent America and fear capitalism and think the world was basically full of shit? Could I still play in fun, dumb, dead-end bands and listen to the Murder City Devils and flip off assholes who cut me off on the BQE? Yes, yes, yes.

Sobriety doesn’t come with mandatory enrollment in some flowery cult of positivity. Making the decision to quit alcohol means that and only that, everything else is optional. Sobriety and long-distance running helped soften my dead-end nihilism and my contempt for humanity but that’s because it was a change I elected to make. After ten years of sobriety, I’m healthier and happier and less self-loathing but still largely the same cynical prick I was before, because that works for me.

10. There Are No Straight Lines in Nature, There Are No Straight Lines in Recovery

In my ten years of sobriety, I’ve infrequently used marijuana, mushrooms, DMT, MDMA, prescription painkillers, etc. Pot has always felt like a flawed way to unwind, usually just a waste of time. CBD, on the other hand, has been tremendously helpful for managing pain and getting to sleep at night. Mushrooms have been integral to my sobriety, and I honestly believe they’ve made me a better person. DMT was painfully intense and deeply transformative, too complex to describe as “good” or “bad” but I’m grateful to have done it. None of these substances have ever made me crave alcohol. Painkillers have gotten me through muscle spasms and surgery and MDMA has provided great connection with people I care about, but neither has felt particularly therapeutic and both have left me depressed and craving alcohol at times.

Though some of these experiences have not supported my sobriety, none of them have compromised my sobriety. I am a pure alcoholic and I know one drink would be my undoing. But as my sobriety is solely my creation, I own it. I define its parameters.

Two months after my “official” sobriety date in 2009, I flew out to Colorado for three days to play a music festival. I got drunk before my flight and stayed drunk the entire weekend. I blew an important show, I embarrassed myself in front of a woman I’d had a crush on since we were kids, and I threw up scotch out of my nose on the street. I drank on the flight home but when I woke up the next day, I went right back to sobriety and haven’t taken a drink since.

When I tried to write about this episode in The Long Run, my first narrative about getting sober, my editor took it out. When I wrote it into a book proposal, my agent took it out. When I wrote it into my memoir, I Swear I’ll Make It Up to You, my editor took it out. People love this bullshit Hollywood narrative of “hopeless alcoholic hits bottom, has a lightning bolt epiphany, and goes forth to never drink again.”

Fuck that. Getting sober is a messy process. Stick with it, it’s worth it.

View the original article at thefix.com

28 May 2019
Recovery of a Real-Life "Nurse Jackie"

Before I ever stole a pill from work, before I was ever a daily drinker and habitual pill-popper, I was just a burned-out nurse, exhausted and in pain.

Nurses are often referred to as “angels in scrubs.” It certainly fits.

Who else but an angelic being can provide unconditional comfort in the throes of tragedy, hold your hands through unspeakable heartbreak, and save your loved one’s life all while cleaning up an array of bodily fluids?

Nurses do it with a smile.

Florence Nightingale left her predecessors with big shoes to fill. Nurses must function as caregivers under extraordinary pressure, possess superhuman resilience, scrupulous morals, exceptional coping skills and be immune to afflictions that trouble the general population. Nurses need to be available to care, comfort and to cure. There’s no time to be ill or emotionally fragile.

By striving to live up to Nightingale’s standards, we’ve earned the #1 spot on Forbes list of trusted professionals, but we’re also the most susceptible to job burnout. We’re brimming with intelligence and compassion, but far from celestial beings. Nurses are 100% human and just as likely, if not more so, to employ unhealthy coping mechanisms.

A Registered Nurse for over 14 years, I can attest to this. I mismanaged work stress and job burnout in the worst way possible: by turning to drugs and alcohol.

It’s estimated that around one in 10 nurses struggle with substance use disorder. That’s no small statistic, considering there are around 3 million nurses in the US.

Alcohol, opiates and benzodiazepines are an all-too-accessible source of fuel to get through the work day. They’re also excellent numbing agents to sleep off the stress of a shift. It’s not uncommon to hear a nurse exclaim “This shift calls for wine!” or to joke about the necessity of drugs to wash away the day.

Nurses readily encourage drinking as a coping skill, use of anti-anxiety medicine is socially approved of and sleeping pills are shared between friends. But admitting one has lost control of one or more of these highly addictive substances is absolutely taboo.

It was eight years into my career at the hospital that I became physically and psychologically dependent on Vicodin. Migraines interfered with my ability to work and be a mother. My doctor prescribed an opiate, and I experienced blissful relief as the migraine melted away and euphoric energy filled the void.

The progression of my addiction was insidious but certain. Since graduation from nursing school, I could count on one hand how many hangovers I’d woken up with. Recreational drugs, including smoking pot, was out of the question. Yet when all the factors fell into place – a legit prescription, disengaged from my work, overwhelmed at home and sleep deprived working nights – my fate seemed inevitable.

Slowly and steadily I transformed from a Florence Nightingale prodigy – working overtime, volunteering, climbing the ladder to nursing success – into a real-life Nurse Jackie.

Eventually I became tolerant and my personal prescription wasn’t enough. I engaged in behavior I’d previously considered appalling and unthinkable. I stole from my employer. Compulsion to use and desperation to avoid withdrawal won over any rational thought process. Opiates had become a cure-all for the physical and emotional exhaustion that consumed me.

Like so many other nurses, when I realized the line had been crossed from medical and occasional recreational use to abuse and dependence, I felt trapped. I couldn’t just tell my manager. I couldn’t even tell a friend. Too much was at stake. Drowning in opiate addiction, (and drinking heavily to boost the effects or stave off withdrawal) I saw no safe shore to swim to.

Washington State, along with most states in the US, offers an “alternative to discipline” program due to the high incidence of substance abuse in healthcare professionals. But since the problem isn’t talked about, the solution isn’t either. The organizations are spoken of in whispers, as are the nurses who “ended up in the program.”

I wasn’t ignorant to the existence of these resources, but I was completely misguided as to their intention and function.

I’d heard rumors of nurses who were caught “diverting” – the fancy term we use for stealing the leftover or extra amounts of drugs that are supposed to be “wasted” at work in the proper receptacle.

According to gossip, they were escorted off campus by security or police as the state program was notified. At worst they were forced to relinquish their license. At best, job opportunities were limited to grueling shifts at nursing homes earning half the pay they deserved.

It was a living nightmare. Imprisoned by addiction, paralyzed by fear. Terrified of being recognized, I refused to attend any type of peer-support group meeting. Finally, out of desperation I contacted a private counselor. She declined to treat me based on duty to report.

“Oh, you’re a nurse? I can’t treat you. Too much liability. But good luck I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

Fortunately, I found rock bottom. Not in the form of an overdose, which I was dangerously close to many times, but in being caught by my employer. Someone had informed them of my suspicious behavior. I was required to give a urine sample, and when it came back glowing dirty with the truth of my drug use, I was given a choice according to my state’s department of health policy: Enter into treatment or face criminal charges and potential loss of my license.

Both options felt like professional suicide. For the next two weeks as I contemplated the decision, I also contemplated actual suicide. With the support of one family member I felt I could confide in, I made my way to treatment; sick with shame and certain I’d destroyed my reputation, my dignity and life as I knew it.

Out of work as a nurse, but intentionally working on recovery, my outlook began to change. One month of sobriety turned into multiple, and the chemical fog began to clear. I made connections with nurses who had or were recovering. I began practicing mindfulness, cultivating resilience and digging deep to understand what had transpired.

As I researched, I discovered my story isn’t unique. Being an excellent nurse and having an addiction are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often go hand-in-hand. The highest functioning, hardest working, most in-depth critical thinkers end up stealing and ingesting drugs from work. Numerous factors play into this, the most basic of which is drugs and alcohol offer instant relief from a mind that won’t shut off, and they are physically addictive. Nurses in particular feel invincible as the caregivers – “it’s others who are sick.”

Our comprehensive knowledge of medications and how to ingest or inject “safely” gives us a false sense of security. And 75-80% of nurses are adult children of alcoholics, including me. We’re essentially predisposed and then enter into a pressure cooker of a career.

My research also uncovered that sober, recovering and/or “graduated” from an alternative to discipline program nurses still don’t disclose this part of their lives. This is a tragedy in itself. When nurses keep their recovery in their dark, still-suffering nurses keep their active addictions in the dark.

Healthcare as an occupation does a disservice to professionals who enter into it by neglecting to educate, advocate and adequately treat.

Nursing schools should provide courses in mindfulness and self-awareness, encouraging nurses to uncover the sometimes-hidden nature of addictive tendencies and teaching strategies to manage them. This should be done long before ever exposing them to the workforce and giving access to a plethora of pills and injectables.

Educational institutions and employers should offer free education, confidential counseling and allow time off work for treatment. Lunch breaks should be mandatory and enforced; employees should be trained in self-care.

Instead of shaming nurses who are under suspicion or undergoing treatment by posting names and license numbers on public lists, the department of health should be involved in the development of peer- support groups.

Trauma-informed rehabilitation programs need to be implemented for nurses and first responders who have been repeatedly subject to high stress and high stakes patient care.

Asking for help shouldn’t be a trauma itself. We need to change the narrative from “being reported” to being “given an opportunity to receive treatment and protect your license.” Treatment providers need to change the verbiage from “You can’t tell me anything, I have a duty to report.” To “This is an opportunity for honesty, to find you the best treatment possible so you can achieve health and well-being again.”

I never wanted to be known as a real-life Nurse Jackie. It would have been easier to quietly complete my time in treatment and live out my career with a well-kept secret. But I know that there are many more angels in scrubs still suffering. Neglecting themselves while striving to meet the needs of their patients, too afraid to ask for help and too sick to overcome addiction on their own.

Before I ever stole a pill from work, before I was ever a daily drinker and habitual pill-popper, I was just a burned-out nurse, exhausted and in pain. I needed a safe place to admit I was hurting and an outlet to vent the pressure. I needed somewhere to take off my scrubs, shed the angel wings, and become vulnerable without being made to feel inferior. I needed to know I wasn’t alone, and that treatment was not the end of my career; only the end of my addiction. My career would have a chance to flourish.

Stigma must be eradicated for recovery to be possible. Prevention, early intervention, and treatment must be advocated for fiercely in order for nursing to be filled with thriving, healthy individuals. I live sober out loud because I believe this change is possible.

Tiffany Swedeen, RN, BSN, CPC/CPRC is a certified life and recovery coach, She Recovers Designated Coach, and a registered nurse in recovery herself from opioids and alcohol. Tiffany lives “sober out loud,” proudly sharing her story through advocacy and blogging and is passionate about helping others do the same. Her goal is to eradicate shame and empower all to live a life of radical self-love.

You can contact Tiffany through her website Recover and Rise, read her blog www.scrubbedcleanrn.com and follow her @scrubbedcleanrn.

View the original article at thefix.com

27 May 2019