Krokodil regularly tops the list of the world’s deadliest drugs. The major danger of krokodil is not necessarily the opioid compound present in the substance, rather it is the process of making the drug that can cause severe health problems.The use of krokodil has been associated with severe flesh-eating bacterial infections, and there have been…
Intravenous (IV) drug use carries a great amount of risk of overdose and severe health consequences. One major health problem linked with IV drug use is bacterial infection. Bacteria can enter into the body via a dirty needle and cause severe infections that require immediate medical attention. In some cases, bacteria can spread through the…
DXM, or dextromethorphan, is a common ingredients in many over-the-counter cough medicines. It is often abused in high doses because it has dissociative, sedative, and stimulant properties. Due to its availability, one in ten teenagers reported abusing DXM in 2008. When taken as directed, DXM-containing medications are effective cough suppressants, but when abused, they can…
Dissociative drugs are a class of drugs that cause feelings of detachment from reality and distort a person’s perceptions of the world. Common dissociative drugs include PCP (phencyclidine), ketamine, and DXM (dextromethorphan).While many of these drugs cause different effects on users, the health consequences of each can vary from uncomfortable to severe, and in some…
Before enter into treatment, we rarely have any conception about what recovery means aside from no longer drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Achieving and maintaining abstinence is of utmost importance. However, there is so much more to recovery than not drinking or using. We begin, often for the first time, to grow and develop physically…
Addiction is an extremely complex disease that affects the mind, body, and spirit. Due to its complexity, many people have difficulty understanding exactly how it affects a person. Misinformed people will often claim that it is not a disease, or that it is the result of a lack of willpower, a moral failure, or a…
Drugs like Spice and K2 are synthetic versions of marijuana known as “synthetic cannabinoids.” There have been a variety of recent reports of synthetic cannabinoids causing overdoses and major adverse health problems. Usually, the substance is composed of dried, shredded plants materials that are sprayed with the synthetic chemicals or they can be sold as…
Many people who use heroin began their addiction with prescription opioids. Often, an individual begins taking a prescription painkiller as prescribed, begins abusing their prescription, and eventually turns to illicit opioids because they are cheaper or they are no longer able to get their prescription. Addiction is a slippery slope and the progressions from prescription…
Some people choose to insufflate, or snort, psychoactive substances because it causes them to affect the person faster. When a drug is snorted, the drugs are absorbed through mucous membranes in the nose and enter into the bloodstream without being broken down by the stomach. The result is a stronger and faster high, albeit a…
Addiction already carries the risk of extreme life consequences, but when a person is both pregnant and addicted to drugs and alcohol, the potential risks increase dramatically. Pregnant women require treatment that addresses their specific needs if they are to be successful in overcoming addiction. Without treatment, the consequences of drug addiction and alcoholism will…