One of the most common reasons we hear people say they can’t quit drinking alcohol and/or using drugs is their difficulty dealing with the experience of (or fear of the impending) withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping their alcohol/drug consumption. Fortunately, medical science has developed effective ways to help smooth out the withdrawal process, making safe…
Those who have been sober and in recovery for some time are often drawn upon as resources by those relatively new to recovery – think 12 Steps sponsors and any experienced, dependable people in your recovery network. Some of the less talked-about phenomena in recovery circles are the stigmas commonly associated with alcohol. Two of…
Dr. Jeff Baldwin, an emeritus professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, knows a thing or two about pharmacists who develop substance use disorders (a.k.a., chemical dependency, addiction to drugs and/or alcohol). He co-authored two chapters of the 2018 ASHP (American Society of…
March is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. This is a great time to learn more about drug and alcohol addiction and how to get help if you or someone you know is struggling. BoardPrep Recovery Center® is a Tampa drug and alcohol rehab center that offers addiction treatment programs for adults. Our staff is…
Recently, I was in a recovery meeting during which an “old-timer” (this fellow had been living a program of recovery and was 30-plus years “clean and sober”) brought up the topic of being our authentic selves. Everyone in the room (including me) shared reflectively about what that means and how it has benefitted us. One…
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 9.7 million people misuse prescription pain relievers annually. And it’s estimated that in the nation’s over 14,000 substance abuse facilities, 1.27 million people a year are receiving medically-assisted treatment (MAT) for drug addiction, with a high percentage of those…
For those people who have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)—i.e., reliant on alcohol to “normally” function—stopping drinking is more demanding than simply saying “no” to the next drink. The withdrawal symptoms that can arise when one attempts to decrease one’s alcohol consumption or quit drinking entirely can quickly become intense, even so severe as to…
I just finished reading a recently published article titled, “I Was a Functional Alcoholic – Here’s What Happened Behind Closed Doors.”[1] In it, the author describes his ‘journey’ with alcohol, focusing on the not-all-that-uncommon arc of being a high-achieving, award-winning person, distinguished in his field and respected by friends and associates alike… until he wasn’t.…
When nurse practitioners (NPs) find themselves grappling with a substance use disorder (a.k.a., chemical dependency, addiction to alcohol and/or drugs), their problem is not solely an individual one. That is, the inevitably detrimental and health-damaging consequences of addiction do not simply affect them alone. Why? Because an NP being impaired at work can cause harm,…
Love I’m not sure how many of you reading this are in ongoing recovery from a chemical dependency; that is, addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. But if you’ve had experience in both addiction and successful recovery—you know what it’s like to have been enslaved by addiction and you also know what it’s like to be…