There was once a time in the United States when doctors tried treating alcoholics with morphine, believing that addiction to morphine would make them more functional than their addiction to alcohol. Today, we see how misguided it was, to a laughable degree. But there's nothing laughable about the idea of using a ... Read More
Lessons Learned from Margot Kidder’s Lifelong Battle with Bipolar Disorder: The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment
Formative Years Actress Margot Kidder suffered from mental health problems throughout her short life, specifically bipolar disorder, which doctors failed to diagnose until she was in her early 40s. When she was 14, Kidder tried to commit suicide by overdosing on codeine capsules following a sudden break-up with her ... Read More
How Staying Sober Can Get Easier – SOS Tips for People in Early Recovery
Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction isn’t easy. That’s because it’s as much about successfully staying sober as it is about getting sober— and just the concept of staying sober can seem incredibly daunting for anyone fresh out of rehab. It’s no surprise, then, that many people in early recovery ask the question, ... Read More
Drug Profile: Concerta
Concerta is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Once-a-day-Concerta is often prescribed to treat ADHD. The drug helps control the chemicals in the brain that are associated with hyperactivity and impulse control. Concerta is a relatively new drug; it’s been on the market since 2000 and is prescribed to ... Read More
How to Help an Employee with a Mental Health Problem – Expert Opinion
Whether you’re a manager or colleague, your prospects of encountering an employee with a mental health problem may be higher than you think, on the basis of statistics like these from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): One in five Americans experiences a mental illness in any given year. One in 25 ... Read More
Organ Transplants and Addiction: Finding a Second Chance
Transplants involving those with a past of substance abuse has led to new opportunities but also new questions. One of the tragic outcomes of the opioid overdose crisis is the availability of more organs for those waiting for life-saving transplants. Though a very sad consequence of this crisis, many younger people ... Read More
Drinking to Death: The Close Relationship Between Alcohol and Suicide
What happens when someone struggling with anxiety, depression or another mental health condition takes part in problem drinking behaviors as a way to escape? According to the evidence, their risk of suicide is never higher than it is in this case. Let's examine some of the stats: Reported by the New York Times, a ... Read More
Drug Profile: Librium
Librium, also known as "chlordiazepoxide," is a hypnotic benzodiazepine medication used for treating issues like insomnia, anxiety, and withdrawal symptoms from drug and alcohol abuse. The drug has anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnesic and sedative properties. Patented in 1958 and approved for use in the medical industry ... Read More