Articles
OxyContin abuse on the rise in Ontario
Publicly paid prescriptions for potent, often-abused painkiller skyrocket – and so does the death rate.
Public dollars are funding a dramatic rise in the use of narcotic pain pills that are killing more and more people in Ontario every year, a Star investigation shows.
Last year, doctors prescribed $54 million of OxyContin – called "hillbilly heroin" by street dealers – under a provincial program that provides free medications to people on social assistance, seniors and people with disabilities. That's nearly triple the $19 million handed out five years before.
... read the full story ...
Battling Addiction: Are 12 Steps Too Many?
By JOHN CLOUD Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009
January is a big month for winter sports and post-Christmas sales. It's also — as people who treat substance abuse know — a big month for drinkers who want to quit. The holidays are over and bank accounts are thin, but addicts can't stop partying. Many choose January to ask, at long last, for help. But what sort of help is the most useful?
... read the full story ...
The Signs of Addiction
They’re not going away so you must do something about it.
Sleeping all the time, missing work, taking no responsibility, unreliable, lies about everything, moodier than usual, argumentative, saying horrible things, disappearing for days, or even weeks on end, keeps asking for money.
I am sure there is more, but how many changes in behaviour and mood will it take before something is done? Don't get me wrong, it's not that we don't notice. But what is actually happening here? Why are all of their problems coming back to us? There has to be an end to all of this, right?
... read the full story ...
When you remove drug residues from your body, your physical cravings stop.
by Dr. David E. Root
A presentation by Dr. David E. Root, MD, MPH, Sacramento, California.
What is happening inside your body when you are going through detoxification process?
... read the full story ...
Pharmacotherapy: Millions Spent, Little Gained.
by Max Ben, Ph.D.
Drug abuse is a complex problem, and approaches to solving it have been as varied as the faces of addiction itself. In the wake of rehabilitation failures, law enforcement officials increasingly speak of the need for harsh punishment of drug offenders, including first-time users.
Ironically, national tension and confusion surrounding drug abuse are not unlike the tension and
confusion that may propel individuals to drug dependence. The irony of this is reflected in the fact that
current private and federal research priorities emphasize developing drugs to solve the riddle of
addiction.
... read the full story ...
Are we ignoring effective substance abuse treatment solutions?
Vitamin therapy as an essential treatment component.
An extensive search covering over 50 years of published literature provides consistent evidence
that vitamin, mineral and amino acid therapy in drug withdrawal and rehabilitation can reduce
withdrawal symptoms, increase treatment retention, improve psychological status, contribute to
higher abstinence rates and improve quality of life. The typical program that includes a nutrient
component has a social-educational focus and some are entirely drug free.
... read the full story ...
What is Detoxification?
by Forest Tennant, MD
It is very critical for everyone who deals with drug dependence to understand
that if, for example, you take Heroin long enough your natural body levels
of endorphin will deplete your body will make less of it because the Drug
provides it. If you take Drugs like Cocaine long enough at a high enough
dose, your body stores of dopamine will deplete. Once you get this depletion,
the body sets up what we call a "craving cycle," desiring more of the Drug
to make up for the chemical that you have depleted.
... read the full story ...
After-Care Program The transition from our 42-day detoxification program to normal day-to-day living can be difficult, despite continuing support that is provided through the Support Circle Program. Rather than allow those challenges to undercut the valuable life progress you have made, the Alumni reCONNECT Program gives you the full support of the Turning Point team to overcome whatever obstacles you are facing. Our area of service includes Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford, Cambridge, Oakville and Mississauga.
|
