Research/Trends/Statistics

What is binge drinking? Binge drinking is a popular form of excessive alcohol use, which the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above.” For a typical American adult male, this translates to drinking 5+ servings…

Are you or a loved one struggling with substance abuse and you’re not sure why? Gaining insight into the motivation behind the drug use is a great first step towards recovery. There is no one answer to the question “why do people use drugs?” but we have provided the following list of potential reasons as…

For the first time in 20 years, experts are reporting a decrease in the number of written opioid prescriptions. The hope is that this reduction signals a turning point in the opioid epidemic, that perhaps prescription guidelines and warnings about the dangers of addiction are resonating in the medical community. This decrease has not been…

Fatal drug overdose rates are on the rise, and synthetic opioid “fentanyl” is partially to blame.   What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid analgesic and anesthetic, known commercially as Sublimaze, Durogesic, Duragesic, Fentanyl citrate, PriCara, Lazanda, Nasalfent, Subsys, or Actavis. It is a full, mu-opioid receptor agonist, which means that the drug…

Has your loved one been acting “off” lately? Do you have reason to suspect that drug use may be the cause of their behavior? The following list of signs and symptoms of drug use can be used as a guideline when trying to determine whether or not you should ask them about their substance use.…

After an extensive literature review, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) concluded that deaths occur during methadone induction primarily because of high or rapidly increasing dosing and/or adverse drug interactions. The Methadone Action Group has since developed treatment recommendations to minimize risk through clinical caution and awareness, along with general patient education. Download the…

The CDC’s new pain guidelines are changing the lives of millions of people struggling with chronic pain. If you need help getting off of opioids please call 504-510-2331 Read More Here (NY Times)

The CDC recently released their guidelines regarding opioid prescriptions for individuals with chronic pain. The opioid endemic is, of course, concerning and requires immediate attention, but not in the form of restricting access to treatment. Individuals with chronic pain need and deserve appropriate care; they should not be forced to jump through hoops for their…

The DSM-5, the most current manual detailing diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders, includes a controversial section on Internet Gaming Disorder. It is described as “a condition warranting more clinical research and experience before it might be considered for inclusion in the main book as a formal disorder.” Current research indicates that, like substance use…

Urine Drug Testing Around 21.5 million Americans suffer from substance use disorders, and approximately 90% of them go untreated. On average 43,982 people die every year due to drug overdoses, amounting to a shocking 120 deaths per day. Overdose deaths, especially from prescription drugs and heroin, have reached alarming levels and addiction professionals are concerned…