The opioid epidemic is a social, cultural and economic crisis that has ravaged communities, upended lives and changed the public’s perception of addiction. Here’s how we got here and how The Raleigh House pledges to help. By the end of 2019, fatal opioid misuse was already rising in Colorado. In 2018, there were 543 reported opioid deaths involving either prescription or illicit narcotics. In 2019, the number had climbed to 612. The influx of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drugs from Mexico was particularly devastating; nearly half of all opioid-related deaths in 2019 involved the ..read more

Learn about this opioid drug. It’s a story that pretty much begins and ends with pain. Fentanyl is a medicine originally used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery, or those who have taken painkillers for chronic pain and developed a tolerance to opioid medications. But unlike the version prescribed by doctors, synthetic fentanyl is illegally produced in labs working with chemical reactions that require specialized skills and access to restricted chemicals. Today, illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the primary drivers in the rise of overdose ..read more

It’s a story that pretty much begins and ends with pain. Fentanyl is a medicine originally used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery, or those who have taken painkillers for chronic pain and developed a tolerance to opioid medications. But unlike the version prescribed by doctors, synthetic fentanyl is illegally produced in labs working with chemical reactions that require specialized skills and access to restricted chemicals. Today, illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the primary drivers in the rise of overdose deaths in the United States an ..read more

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can make it seem impossible to beat addiction, but there is still hope. Learn about the signs and symptoms of withdrawal. If someone is experiencing periods of physical pain, as they might after having surgery or suffering a serious injury like a broken bone, it’s not unusual to be prescribed some form of pain medication by their doctor as part of a treatment plan. In the recent past, it’s been especially common for doctors to prescribe a class of drugs called opioids for their effectiveness in reducing pain. Though opioids are effective pain killers, they are also ..read more

Learn about what fentanyl withdrawal is like to help inform your addiction recovery. Your head starts to slowly feel an overwhelming sense of pleasure, as a warmth starts to radiate from the center of your body. This is how many people describe what taking fentanyl is like. It’s an opioid that is more potent than heroin and morphine, but that unfortunately comes with a high cost. Many people who try fentanyl find themselves dependent on it very quickly, and the fear of withdrawal is a powerful motivator to keep using the substance. While it’s natural to be weary of withdrawal symptoms, knowing ..read more

Trends suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to increased rates of relapse and overdose. What happens when an unthinkable COVID-19 pandemic collides with a raging opioid epidemic? No, this isn’t the start of a joke. Rather, it’s a serious question that addiction experts have been asking since COVID-19 took the country by storm earlier this year. Those struggling with opioid addiction are certainly at a higher risk of contracting the virus due to weakened immune systems. But has COVID-19 increased the rates of relapse and overdose? Could the pandemic trigger opioid addiction in previousl ..read more

CBD products like oil and gummies are being promoted as safer pain relief solutions than opioid painkillers. CBD is the hot new health and wellness product lining store shelves and being advertised all over the internet. From relaxing oils and tasty gummies to even supplements for aging dogs, brands are working extra hard to jump on this trend and incorporate CDB into their products. This is great news if you’re struggling with chronic pain from an injury or surgery, since CBD products are marketed as a natural way to relieve pain. But do products like CBD gummies actually work? And are they r ..read more

Learn about the differences between morphine and heroin today.Opioid addiction isn’t a new phenomenon in America, despite all the news of the recent opioid epidemic. If you wind back the clocks to the Civil War, morphine addiction had become a national crisis. Soldiers on both sides who were wounded or sick were treated with morphine at field hospitals. It wasn’t their intention, but after the war, many of them became addicted to morphine. Fast forward to the present day and we’re faced with a new war. The opioid epidemic continues to grow in the country. And if you or a loved one is strugglin ..read more

Dating someone in recovery from heroin addiction means you’re in a relationship with someone who has spent time in treatment working on themselves and improving their life.Let’s face it, dating is a mess. From creating attractive online dating profiles to attempting to decipher all the different signals someone is sending your way, dating is a dizzying experience. But then, you meet someone you connect with almost instantly. Maybe you both swiped right on each other’s profiles or you met through a mutual friend. You like the same hobbies, have similar senses of humor and talk for hours at a ti ..read more

Detoxification can be dangerous and uncomfortable, especially if you’re trying to detox on your own.Short for detoxification, “detox” is a period of time where you aim to rid yourself of toxic, unhealthy substances like alcohol, opioids and heroin. Depending on your drug (or drugs) of choice, detox may be accompanied by withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms during detox range in severity from mild discomfort to severe pain and potentially fatal medical problems. Unfortunately, detox is usually unpleasant because your body and mind are reacting to no longer have alcohol or drugs in your syst ..read more