Help, Not Handcuffs: Finding an Ally in Blue
They’re some of the first to arrive at the scene when there is a critical overdose, a person in need, or a troublesome situation. While some find comfort with the men and women on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, it can be a contentious relationship for others. For ...
Fatherhood and Addiction
There has long been a stigma surrounding women struggling with addiction, and mothers in particular. Mothers are more apt to shy away from recovery treatment, in part because they are not aware of the problem they may have with substance abuse, but also because they feel guilty for leaving their ...
Support Us When You Shop for Father’s Day
This one is for or all of the amazing dads out there. The dads who rock us to sleep. The dads who stay up late until we get home. The dads who help us buy our first car… And fix it. The dads who make us laugh and make us ...
Shane’s Story: From Shame to Sobriety in Three Months
Shane’s first encounter with the law was at the young age of fourteen, when he was caught stealing a vehicle with his friends. This wouldn’t be the last time he would run into such trouble. By this point, he had already experienced a lifetime of ups and downs, including past ...
The Next Big Thing: “Grey Death” Heroin
The latest fatal heroin mix, “grey death,” is taking the streets by storm and its users in mere minutes. And it’s as ominous as the name suggests - the end result of using “grey death” is typically overdose or even death. According to a Georgia Bureau of Investigations lab analysis, ...
Make Mom’s Smile This Mother’s Day
I love that we set aside a whole day to honor and celebrate the women who brought us into this world. Mother’s Day helps us remember to celebrate the big and small triumphs of motherhood. And if you ask moms the age-old question “What do you want for Mother’s Day” ...
The Opioid Epidemic is Affecting the Nation’s Youngest and Most Innocent
The nation’s opioid epidemic is affecting everyone, and we mean everyone – even those not yet born. An increasing number of children today are born into families and environments that revolve around an addiction to opioids. These children often grow up in horrible living conditions while being raised by opioid ...
How to Recognize “Sticks and Stones” in Your Home
While many of our blog posts revolve around addiction and recovery, today’s post focuses on another serious problem that takes place in many homes – and that problem is domestic violence. Spectrum Health Systems is well known for its addiction treatment programs, but many don’t realize that we also offer ...
The Next Big Thing: Imodium and Anti-Diarrhea Drugs
Substance abusers who can’t get their hands on opioids are reaching for a drug many people would not expect - diarrhea medicines. Imodium and other anti-diarrhea drugs, which they call the poor man’s methadone, are being abused by those looking for their next high, as well as those in recovery ...
In Recovery? Refrain from Celebrating 4/20
April 20th has long been a day dedicated to marijuana enthusiasts who come together to indulge in the substance. Given the popularity of the day, the celebrations that take place around the city, and the recent legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, we wanted to remind those on their road to ...
The Next Big Thing: The “New” Drug On The Streets
People in the throes of an addiction are continually seeking their next high, and when the opportunity presents itself, they try something stronger – something that will elevate their high and take them to the next level. And the street market has now supplied them with something new – Carfentanil. ...
It Helps, and It Hurts: Social Media and Addiction Recovery
Alongside many other areas of our lives that have been complexly affected by social media, addiction recovery has been wading through its muddy waters in recent years. Social media has become a huge part of our day-to-day lives: it is where we hear our news, find our information, remain connected ...
Is Addiction a Choice?
It may be valid to say that we always have a choice. We have a choice in what time we wake up in the morning, what we have for breakfast, or whether to take the bus or train to work. Life is full of choices. But when it comes to ...
Airing Addiction: The Many Ways Drugs and Alcohol Can Stop A Promising Career In Its Tracks
Addiction affects everybody. Never is that more apparent than when we hear about the downfall of a talented, well-liked public figure – like your favorite MLB player, for instance. The sports world can be challenging in many ways, and the culture of drugs and alcohol often becomes a slippery slope ...
This Valentine’s Day Say, ‘I Love … Me’
It's Valentine's Day, and love is in the air. Yet February 14th can be tough for a lot of people, especially those in recovery who face a unique set of challenges on this day of celebrating romance. This may come as a surprise beyond the recovery-care community, but addiction experts ...
