How to come down from a Cocaine High Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that prompts the brain to artificially elevate dopamine levels in the body. The Schedule II controlled substance is derived from the coca plant native to South America and holds a high risk for abuse and addiction. Cocaine produces brief but intense initial feelings of euphoria, pleasure and increased energy. Once these effects begin to wear off, the body reacts to the sharp decline in dopamine, which can result in the development of uncomfortable negative symptoms. This is often referred to as a cocain ..read more

Codependency and Alcohol Addiction Codependency and alcohol addiction are intersecting occurrences. They occur simultaneously, they become a catalyst for each other and they occur quite often in situations of substance use disorder. Especially when it comes to alcohol use disorder. Psychology Today defines codependency as a relationship in which a caring, highly functional and helpful person, supports, enables or perpetuates a loved one’s irresponsibility and destructive behaviors. Codependency is not recognized as an official mental health disorder. It is a significant trigger to alcoholism a ..read more

How long does it take to break an Addiction? According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a “treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment and an individual’s life experiences.” Addiction is a difficult disease to overcome. Addiction is a disease in which people continue to engage in harmful behaviors despite the negative consequences. This is because addiction has changed the brain’s reward system and increases the desire for dangerous substances and chemicals. There are four main phases of addiction ..read more

PHP vs IOP Substance abuse addiction is a disease that can affect every part of the brain chemistry, physical health, mental health, behavior, mood, sleep and appetite. Overcoming an addiction is not easy. Behavioral health programs such as outpatient substance use disorder treatment can help people address their addiction and develop healthy coping mechanisms to overcome this disease. Two of the most popular outpatient treatments are partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). Both PHP and IOP are levels of care in the continuum of addiction treatment servi ..read more

How long does DMT last? Psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs are increasingly popular for recreational use. Some popular ones include magic mushrooms and DMT. N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a strong psychedelic chemical compound naturally occurring in some animals and plants. It has a similar chemical structure to magic mushrooms and is known to produce intense short-term visual hallucinations. DMT is also the main psychoactive ingredient in the controversial practice of ingesting Ayahuasca. For centuries, DMT and Ayahuasca have been a part of many South American cultures and used in religi ..read more

Does Adderall Expire?  Like food and drinks, medications also have an expiration date. In 1973, the FDA began requiring all manufacturers of medication to provide an expiration of the expected shelf life date. In general, medications have two different expiration dates. The first expiration date is set by the drug maker, which is about 2-3 years from the date of manufacture. The second date is one set by pharmaceuticals, which is one year from which the medication has been prescribed to the patient. Pharmacists are usually limited to the expiration of one year because of the unpredictable ..read more

What is Fentanyl Rehab? Synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl is a prescription drug used to treat chronic pain, severe cancer pain, nerve damage, back injury pain, and any type of major trauma surgery pain. It is about 50-100 times more potent than morphine and is considered the strongest opioid substance with a high risk of dependence, tolerance, addiction and overdose. In 2022, an estimated 205 Americans died from an overdose caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl every day. From 2020 to 2021, overdose deaths associate ..read more

What is SMART Recovery?  SMART Recovery is just one of many peer-led support groups available for those who are struggling with a substance addiction. SMART is an evidenced-informed recovery method whose goal is to recognize self-empowerment when it comes to recovery from substance and alcohol addiction. It helps people learn to change maladaptive behaviors through scientific research, which is constantly evolving and changing as new research and studies are discovered and adapted into the program. It was created as an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous and other types of 12-step progra ..read more

Signs of a Functioning Alcoholic ​​ According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 15 million American adults have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). About 20% of Americans with an alcohol use disorder are also high-functioning alcoholics. Functioning alcoholism is not an official medical diagnosis. It is an informal term used to describe a person suffering from alcohol abuse and dependency but is still able to function in their daily life. Functioning alcoholics may drink too much and may drink too often, but they keep up an appearance of being under control without an ..read more

Is Cocaine a Depressant Drug?  Cocaine is an additive stimulant substance that is derived from the cocoa plant and affects the brain’s dopamine system by stimulating the varying types of stimuli such as sex, food and drugs. The drug works by blocking the dopamine transporter protein, which leads to increased dopamine levels in the brain where the “feel good” sensation is amplified. By increasing the level of dopamine in the brain, it results in producing an intense “high” and euphoria. The brain can easily adapt to this change, which prompts the user to continue rewarding these drug-seek ..read more