One of the defining characteristics of alcohol use disorder (AUD), commonly referred to alcoholism, is having an often-insatiable urge to consume alcohol despite the negative consequences being intoxicated causes. Persistent cravings to drink are one of the single largest barriers standing between active drinking and recovery from AUD. Acamprosate, sold commercially as Campral in pharmaceutical markets outside of the…
Maryland Announces $10 Million in Grants to Fight Addiction Throughout the United States, opioid addiction continues to kill hundreds of people each day. In the state of Maryland alone, 1,985 people died last year from opioid overdose. We are in a state of emergency, and officials have continued to scramble when it comes to real…
How to get the most out of treatment When entering drug and alcohol treatment, we are faced with many different emotions, such as worry, nervousness, anger, hopelessness, to name a few. Many of us enter treatment wondering if it will even work, will we even get better? These thoughts are completely normal for someone trying…
Drug Overdose Deaths have Declined in Maryland In the last two years, officials locally and across the country have been allocating any and all extra resources to combat the opioid epidemic since drug overdoses were declared a public health emergency. Recently, we have seen a small amount of progress in the state of Maryland. There…
Montgomery Counties Underage Drinking Problem A Quince Orchard High School staff member was recently accused of attending a private graduation party where high school aged students openly consumed alcohol, according to Montgomery County Public Schools. A staff member drinking with students is obviously shocking and wrong, but then why is it okay for parents to…
Is addiction a disease or a choice? Everyone has an opinion: is addiction a disease or a choice? Many people will argue that addiction is a string of bad choices, some will shame you for comparing addiction to a “real disease” such as cancer, and a few will ask “why can’t they just stop?” On…
Inpatient Vs Outpatient When deciding to get help with your addiction to drugs or alcohol, many people assume they need to go to inpatient or residential treatment directly after detox. Outpatient treatment, for some reason, continually gets labeled as “not enough,” even when in some cases, it mimics higher levels of care as far as…
“The last twenty-four hours before I got help were such a blur. I was tired of getting high and ruining my life, but I wanted to use one last time. A part of me just wanted to go to detox and get it over with, but at the same time I was so afraid of…
Drug dealers have taken on a new role as a chef, creating concoctions of multiple deadly drugs. Drug dealers have been marketing what they sell on the street as pills, heroin or cocaine, when in reality it is a mix of different drugs, they created to make more money while spending less. The drugs they…
College Students and Substance Abuse: Deadly Combinations College is often a time of exploration and learning, but did you know it is also a time of binge drinking and substance abuse? Studies show that college students are more likely to partake in binge-drinking, marijuana use, and prescription drug use, which often leads to substance abuse.…