Category Archives: Opiate Addiction

Opioid Addiction Spiking in Guilford County North Carolina

Posted on July 26, 2014 | Comments Off on Opioid Addiction Spiking in Guilford County North Carolina

policeGuilford County is the third most populated county in the state of North Carolina. Located within Guilford County are the cities of Greensboro and High Point – both of which are experiencing a surprising increase in opioid addiction and related overdoses.

The High Point Enterprise news reported that the High Point Vice and Narcotics unit has begun to make a favorable impact on the problem with multiple arrests of those trafficking heroin locally. The article documents that 70 reported High Point opioid overdoses have occurred thus far in 2014 with 9 of those ending in death. Six people were arrested the week of July 14 and are being held on multi-million dollar bonds for their roles in selling or trafficking heroin. To emphasize the local impact, the HP Enterprise reported that 7 overdoses occurred within a 24 hour period on May 16, 2014.

Just 15 miles away in the neighboring city of Greensboro, Rhino Times covered the local explosion in heroin addiction much of which has been driven by individuals turning to heroin when they could no longer obtain prescription opioids like oxycodone. Rhino Times interviewed the Director of Guilford County Emergency Services, Jim Albright, who stated that a particularly strong strain of heroin hit the streets of Greensboro in late April, 2014.

Over the weekend of April 25, the Guilford County EMS responded to an avalanche of calls in response to people overdosing on the new potent version of heroin. Mr. Albright is reported to have identified that 21 overdoses and 5 deaths occurred just in that one weekend. Due to the potency of the drugs, some victims were found with a needle still in their arm.

Highlighted in the article was the life saving properties of Narcan, a drug that quickly reverses the dangerous overdose effects of opiates. Narcan can be administered by injection or squirted into the nasal cavity. As it is absorbed into the body, it restores breathing to those that have overdosed. Narcan is now kept in first responder vehicles, firetrucks, and ambulances. Visit Alcohol & Drug Services for more on Narcan and opioid overdose prevention kits.

For information on methadone as a treatment for opioid addiction, click here.

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Posted in Buprenorphine, Drug Treatment, Heroin, Methadone, Methadone Blog, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Treatment, Naloxone, Naltrexone, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Treatment, Opiate Withdrawal, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone, Suboxone Physicians

Behavioral Health Group (BHG) Specialize in Opioid Addiction Treatment

Posted on July 8, 2014 | Comments Off on Behavioral Health Group (BHG) Specialize in Opioid Addiction Treatment

bhg-logoBehavioral Health Group (BHG) is a leading provider of opioid addiction treatment services with programs presently covering eight U.S. states. BHG provide both maintenance and detox services in an outpatient setting and utilize a variety of FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid addiction such as methadone and buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is the active ingredient in Suboxone.

The company currently has 37 treatment center locations in Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. BHG operate in accordance with a number of core values that define their services, to include: character, enthusiasm, compassion, teamwork, and perseverance.

The organization’s website states that they incorporate best practices into their treatment approaches and use outcome-based metrics to consistently improve their service delivery. BHG has achieved full accreditation among their various facilities which means that they meet or exceed quality standards of care as determined by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Facilities.

Medication-assisted treatment is the industry standard for helping those with moderate to severe opioid addictions who have not responded well to traditional forms of therapy. BHG treat both the medical and behavioral aspects of addiction to opioids via medication to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms and team-based behavioral counseling used to address a patient’s psychological dependency on opioids.

If you are interested in opioid treatment with BHG, they provide an online inquiry form that you can quickly complete and submit through their website at www.BHGRecovery.com.

For prospective patients living in the San Antonio, Texas community, you can obtain more information on BHG services by visiting the Methadone.US page for San Antonio.

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Posted in Buprenorphine, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Treatment, Opiate Withdrawal, Suboxone, Suboxone Clinics

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CRC Health Group to Receive $495,000

Posted on June 3, 2014 | Comments Off on CRC Health Group to Receive $495,000

feature4bAn article in Maine’s Bangor Daily News outlines a case recently decided in which the Town of Warren, Maine was found to have adopted an ordinance that was ruled discriminatory and in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

CRC Health Group had been fighting to open a methadone clinic in Warren to provide treatment services to those struggling with the disease of opioid addiction. However, the town of Warren had opposed this initiative for several years. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge John Nivison approved an agreement in which the town of Warren will pay $495,000 to CRC Health Group to drop its lawsuit.

CRC offers a variety of behavioral health treatment programs around the country and has a special focus in opioid addiction services utilizing medication-assisted treatment like methadone and buprenorphine.

Maine has a substantial opiate addiction problem and is in need of more resources for those individuals stuck in the vicious cycle of opiate addiction and withdrawal.

Historically, there have been other similar cases in which town planning boards attempted to oppose the construction of a local methadone clinic. This is commonly referred to as NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). However, denying people ready access to a needed medical service appears to come with serious financial repercussions.

For More: A Message To The Community

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Posted in Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, NIMBY, Opiate Addiction, Suboxone, Suboxone Clinics

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Heroin Addiction In College Life

Posted on May 5, 2014 | Comments Off on Heroin Addiction In College Life

addiction-in-collegeWithin the last year, Methadone.US wrote about the resurgence of heroin addiction in corporate America and in particular areas of the Northeast United States. However, opioid addiction is not exclusive to the Northeast and is surfacing across the entire country. This emerging epidemic has gained the attention of numerous government personnel as well as local community leaders.

There are thousands of colleges and universities in America. While substance abuse on college campuses is nothing new, the growing heroin problem is. Alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine have been ever-present throughout colleges for decades, but opiates historically have been a second tier drug of abuse … until now.

A recent article on DrugFree.org has highlighted efforts being made at the University of Rochester and the University of Vermont to more actively screen for opioid abuse among the students enrolled there. It is anticipated that the number of college students using heroin will rise in correlation with the general heroin epidemic which has already infiltrated the state of Vermont and other parts of the country. Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin is on record as having recognized that the state is experiencing a genuine crisis with heroin addiction and associated overdose deaths.

According to the DrugFree article, Yale University officials have also reached out to students to share the school’s caution and concern that some students may not fully understand the danger and potency of the drugs being secretly distributed on college campuses. University representatives are trying their best to get ahead of the problem before things spiral out of control.

Heroin has become the new “cheaper” substitute for those who have developed a dependency on prescription opiates but who no longer have access to them. Unfortunately, it has become a practice among many colleges to keep drug problems out of the news for fear that it will tarnish the school’s reputation.

This tendency to keep things “quiet” often works against connecting addicted people with the professional help that they may need. Every college should be working hand-in-hand with local addiction treatment organizations and professional addiction counseling centers since most colleges and universities are not sufficiently staffed to deal directly and effectively with complex addiction treatment issues. Credit should be given to those schools that are being proactive in their desire to educate students before tragedy strikes.

Information For Families on Opioid Addiction Treatment

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Heroin, Methadone, Methadone Clinic Transportation, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Withdrawal, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone, Suboxone Clinics

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Advocating For Addiction Treatment

Posted on April 30, 2014 | Comments Off on Advocating For Addiction Treatment

recovery-journeyTreatment for addiction is one path which may be taken to help rebuild a person’s life when alcohol or drugs have become a problem. There is a compelling documentary recovery film recently out entitled The Anonymous People. The film is an interesting retrospective on the recovery movement in the United States and how it evolved, beginning with AA in the 1930’s, until present day.

A special focus in the film is highlighting the message that people do recover from addiction, that there is a solution to this disease – and that solution is the decision to choose recovery. Recovery is a process that changes lives and takes individuals to a new destination in their life. Recovery is the journey that saves & enhances lives. To that end, recovery from addiction is of incomparable value.

In life, bad choices are made every day. As human beings, we learn to make better choices – often through the mistakes we endure as we travel through life one day at a time.

In reviewing the variety of recovery “paths”, there exist several routes by which an addicted person can find hope and direction in learning to live a drug free life. Some find their answers in church-based recovery programs. Churches recognize the reality of substance addictions and many have developed their own spiritual programs for dealing with drug addiction and offering hope for a better future.

12 Step Programs have been in widespread use for a long time and many lost in addiction have found the support, fellowship, and help needed in the rooms of AA, NA and other 12 step based programs. Some people in recovery from opioid addiction may find that their decision to take methadone or buprenorphine (suboxone) is not well-received in 12 step programs. This can make it difficult to feel accepted or supported there. However, not all NA or AA meetings are the same. NA and AA have themselves evolved over time, and some NA and AA members welcome all people suffering from addiction regardless of their drug of choice.

Addiction treatment is yet another path that leads toward recovery and the possibility of positive change. Treatment, like 12 step meetings, can vary considerably from one program to the next. Opioid treatment in particular often uses medication assistance as an additional tool to help people in their recovery journey. While medication assistance is scientifically proven to be beneficial to opioid addicted persons, it has endured some controversy through the years as those on the outside looking in chose judgment & criticism over compassion and understanding. Methadone and suboxone are proven, effective tools for alleviating the suffering that comes from opioid withdrawal.

In The Anonymous People documentary, there is a strong message that addicted people deserve love & support. Addicted people are from all walks of life. If treatment works, then advocating and supporting treatment is just and worthwhile. The film makes a persuasive argument that better advocacy is needed for the funding of addiction treatment services across the country. Addiction treatment advocacy has not been as effective as advocacy for other critical health conditions like HIV/AIDS or cancer.

As more families struggle with addiction and more voices are ultimately heard in their plea for treatment funding & support, we will hopefully see a shift in society whereby recovery is embraced as the answer to addiction.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Buprenorphine, Drug Treatment, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Benefits, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Opiate Addiction, Suboxone

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