Staff Articles and Drug Treatment News

Administering Heroin to Treat Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to treat. The relapse rate is very high and the cravings can be unbearable. We are paying close attention to medical trials in other countries that are using progressive means to treat addiction to opiates.

Foundation for Fun in Sobriety by Chris Swanberg

Chris Swanberg brings some of his experience, strength, and hope with an article about finding fun and satisfaction in recovery.

Alcoholism Does Not Respond to Price Increases

A Response from a staff member to a study conducted at a U.K. University that states price increases will reduce problem drinking.

Smoking Among Occupational Categories

Smoking is more likely among certain demographics in the workplace. The study that was conducted by SAMHSA has some surprising results.

Teens Are Still Abusing Prescription Drugs and Marijuana in High Numbers

Teens continue to abuse dangerous prescription drugs in high numbers, and a multi-year downward trend in teen marijuana use has flat-lined. Teen alcohol use, however, continues to decline and fewer teens than ever are smoking cigarettes.

The Latest News on Medical Marijuana in California

Our news analyst takes a look on the progressing legalization of a drug which is harmless for many but can become addictive and have a huge negative impacts on the lives of others.

The Latest News on Medical Marijuana in California Part II

Here is the continuation of a look into the latest news about the legalization of a marijuana.

A Day in the Life of a Methamphetamine User

One of our recovering staff members shares what it's like to binge on meth. He has since found recovery from meth addiction. He is free and he can help you become free as well.

Can You Trust Your Own Brain? by Steven East

Steven East is a staff member who is becoming quite an expert in the process of treating addicted people. Steven gets philosophical in this entry about "trusting your own brain."

Fathers Who Drink Heavily Teach Teens to Do Likewise

‘Do as I say and not as I do’ doesn’t make for terribly effective parenting.

New Cocaine Vaccine Blocks the Effects of the Drug

Yale University researchers, with support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have tested a cocaine vaccine that they say significantly reduces cocaine use in an addicted population.

Questionable Parenting Practices and Their Potential Negative Effects

Steven East has been dedicating himself to the study of addiction and how it relates to families. In this essay, he identifies a couple of links between poor parental practices and behavioral issues in children.

Study Links Memory Problems and Drugs Like Ecstasy

Ecstasy kills and damages the brain causing memory loss. Are you sure it's worth it for a 4 hour high?

Practicing the Principles in All Our Affairs

Kelly K. is a staffer at Sober Living by the Sea who brings a great flair and enthusiasm to the team. In this blog entry he explains what "practicing the principles" can mean while on the job and also how having faith in the process can overcome fear.

Should Pharmacies be Held Accountable for Prescription Drug Abuse?

Should pharmacies be held liable for prescription drug abuse by their patients when it causes harm to the public and they have the information readily available that the patient may be abusing the drugs?

Why Suboxone Is a ‘Safer’ Opiate Medication

If Suboxone is a drug that gives a feeling of well being and makes quitting opiates much more bearable, then is it a potential drug of abuse as well? Suboxone is not nearly as addictive or easy to abuse as opiates. Here's why...

Suboxone or Methadone - Which is Right for You?

There are some fundamental differences between Suboxone and Methadone which make them appropriate for different types of people. This article discusses some of those differences.

California to Implement Tougher Rules for Health Care Workers

If you are a dentist, nurse, or any other health professional working in the state of California and are abusing drugs, you will soon be subject to stricter rules, including more drug tests, information concerning restrictions of your license listed on public websites, and license revocation for anyone who relapses.

Adderall Abuse Growing Among College Students

The effects of abusing Adderall can be attractive to the student who is under a lot of pressure to exceed in the classroom and meet deadlines. Unfortunately, the price for Adderall abuse can be very very high...

Older Alcoholics Need to Drink More than Younger Ones

Wrinkles and gray hairs are not the only thing you have to worry about now as you age. If you have a drinking problem, the older you are, the more you are going to drink to get the same effects as when you were younger.

Ecstasy Use Increases Risk of Sleep Apnea

Today, ecstasy users have more to worry about than having to drink enough water or rest from dancing long enough while on the drug to prevent heatstroke.

Afghanistan Heroin + Russia's Addicted Populace = U.S. Help?

Russia's proximity to Afghanistan has put its men and women at high risk of becoming exposed to heroin and this highly addictive drug is destroying lives to the point where the U.S. has been asked to intervene.

There are No Miracle Solutions to Alcoholism

Imagine a magic pill you could take or an activity you could perform that would reverse the damaging effects of excessive alcohol consumption on your body or sober you up instantly. You would have increased control and a lot of your worries and guilt would go away. Unfortunately, no such easy solution or cure exists. Recently, a couple of them have been debunked.

Marijuana in the News Part III

We now continue our exploration of Medical Marijuana in the news by looking at two more hot issues. The first is one we probably all thought would never be seriously considered anywhere in the United States. It has to do with the possible potential legalization of marijuana in the state of California. The second has to do with the question of whether the cost of the drug could be covered in health plans.

United States Troops Abusing Prescription Drugs

In our professional opinion, prescription medications are clearly the most notable development of the past decade and that is saying a lot considering the explosion of methamphetamine and continued use of crack cocaine by the men we treat. In this article, our staff writer uncovers a disturbing trend amongst U.S. troops...

Celebrity Drug Deaths Highlight Prescription Drug Problem

Prescription drugs are commonly found to be involved in the deaths of celebrities. These drugs are also deadly for the average person, and many people underestimate the deadliness of these drugs which are seemingly less dangerous because they are prescribed by a doctor.

Online Intervention May Be a Gateway to Alcoholism Treatment

Men who have trouble controlling their drinking are flirting with one of the leading preventable causes of death. It can be difficult to seek treatment, but there are online resources that may be useful in initiating the process. Of course, everything gets easier once you pick up the phone and place a call to a treatment center like Sunrise Recovery where a counselor will answer your questions and give you insight into what options are available.

Labeling Drug Users Certain Ways Can Inhibit Their Recovery

For those recovering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, word choices can make a big difference and either help or hurt their chance of recovery.

Drinking by Teenagers Could Cause Long Term Irreversible Brain Damage

Kissing, eating sushi, and listening to new types of music are among some of the things teenagers may try for the first time as they grow into adolescence. Some may experiment with drugs and alcohol and may indulge in it a few times a month at parties. This could be very dangerous for their physiological maturation. A recent study has shown that binge drinking among teens could be harmful to the developing brain and may cause long-term damage.

Inhalant Abuse Awareness Raised by Public Service Announcment

We are just getting the hang of learning to lock our prescription drugs away and talk to our teens about marijuana and liquor when a PSA reminds us that some teens chase possibly the most damaging high of all: inhalants.

Mexican Drug Cartels Recruiting From Drug Rehab Centers

In a surreal development that sounds like the plot to a very unrealistic conspiracy movie, Mexico's drug cartels are running drug rehab centers.

Energy Drinks and Alcohol: A Deadly Mix

Alcoholic energy drinks are a step in the WRONG direction in our ongoing struggle against alcohol and drug dependency.

Legal, but still Deadly - Salvia, Inhalants, Mephedrone

A lot of focus in the world of drug abuse prevention has been on the rampant taking of prescription medications by teenagers. So much so, that when we hear the term “legal highs” that may be our first thought. However, many teenagers think of a different kind of legal high that drug lawmakers aren't even aware of.

Web RX: The Dangers of Online Pharmacies

It's not just the obvious risk that people who shouldn't be using prescription drugs will be obtaining them on the internet. There's also a lack of education about the dangers of the drugs being sold (ie mixing with alcohol). Don't forget about the lack of quality control of the drugs...

Indoor Tanning Addiction Linked to Substance Abuse, Mood Disorders

Sure, there’s drug addiction, alcohol addiction and gambling addiction. But tanning addiction? Yes, it does exist and is often associated with cross addictions to substances.

Study: Gender Differences in Substance Abuse Among Mexican-Americans

New research shows that patterns of addictive behaviors differ between Mexican-American men and women.

B Vitamins May Reduce Risk of Depression

If you want to keep depression at bay, it may be time for you to start taking your vitamins. Our treatment center has long noticed the co-occurrence of depression and other mental health issues with addiction or alcoholism.