Write your addiction recovery success story
We will open the book.
The pages are blank.
We are going to put
words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity,
and the first chapter begins
New Year’s Day.
-Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Record number of opioid overdose deaths on Long Island in 2017
Long Island officials are projecting a record number of opioid overdose deaths that could topple 600 individuals taken by drug addiction. Broken down by county, the total number of deaths in 2017 is expected to be over 400 in Suffolk County and almost 200 in Nassau County.
Early Warning Signs for Identifying Relapse Behavior
Throughout your early recovery, there will be challenges and cravings you’ll need to face and overcome. You’ve worked so hard to get clean and sober, but maybe there is a voice in the back of your head saying “you can use just one more time”. Perhaps you’re a concerned loved one after your child, spouse, or friend has come home from treatment but is not acting normally. There are early warning signs that should create pause and concern. Drug relapse behavior is often subtle but can be noticed by the addict or by his/her loved ones if you know what to look for.
New York Considers Supervised Drug Injection Sites
There is a growing movement to create supervised drug injection sites across New York. A coalition called End Overdose NY is pushing a campaign to sponsor legislation that would allow New York State to establish “supervised consumption spaces” for drug addicts. One of the bills co-sponsors, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, has an interesting take on the reasoning behind supervised injection sites.
Is Using Kratom a Relapse?
The FDA and DEA are pushing for kratom to become a scheduled substance but many people find the plant helpful in alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms and are lobbying to keep it accessible to everyone. In recent years, the kratom plant has become a controversial topic. It has both supporters and detractors, so it’s important to get to the truth of the matter without any bias. The active ingredient (mitragynine) in kratom is an opioid antagonist, meaning that it has the affinity to bind to opioid receptors in the brain.
FDA Says Kratom is a Dangerous Opioid
After careful consideration, the FDA declared kratom to be a dangerous opioid. This is a step closer to kratom being scheduled as an illegal substance and it’s generating a backlash from many proponents of the drug. In 2016, the DEA banned kratom by making it a controlled substance but the decision was reversed after a significant public outcry.
What to Eat During Heroin Detox
We see more and more people desperately struggling with heroin addiction across the country. Getting over a heroin detox is not easy because of the painful withdrawal symptoms. If you’ve decided to take this important step to get healthy, creating a “detox menu” for yourself will help speed the process along. If you’re wondering what to eat during a heroin detox, then you’re already on the right track in being successful with your detox. Some specific types of food are better options than others.
How to Find Out if You’re an Alcoholic
Many people joke about being alcoholics, but alcohol dependency is a serious problem in the United States. If you think you’re drinking too much, then you probably are. But is there a test for alcoholism? How do you know exactly when you’ve crossed the bridge from casual drinking to alcoholism? Chronic alcohol abuse is responsible for over 88,000 preventable deaths per year, according to the CDC. Many at-risk drinkers can avoid the consequences of alcoholism with the help of a treatment program.
Long Island: Ground Zero for the Opioid Addiction Epidemic
Last year 500 families had to bury their loved ones as a result of opioid-related overdoses. Health officials fear that number will continue to go up. Long Island is battling a vicious opioid addiction epidemic and things are not looking good. State-funded rehab facilities are short on beds and addicts are dying every day.
