Longbranch Recovery Blog
Opioid Abuse Rise During Pandemic – Treatment Is The Answer For Addicts Now
The whole world watched many serious events during the 2020 pandemic. The news covered little else. But one event that didn’t make the headlines was the rise of an already serious epidemic – opioid addiction. As Covid-19 spread in the…
Effects of alcohol on the body
How does alcohol affect the body? It’s an all-too-familiar feeling: the effects of alcohol on the body. Waking up to a blindingly bright light, a throbbing headache, eyes that appear to be sealed shut and a serious feeling of regret…
Women now drink as much as men, why is that?
Newly published research suggests that women, probably for the first time in our history, consume as much alcohol as men. This revelation begs the question, “Why and how did this happen?” But more important than isolating the cause of the…
Wherever medical marijuana is advertised, youth consumption increases
While marijuana remains a hotly contested issue across the country, most parents would agree that they would not want their teenage children to use marijuana. Up to this point, a 2019 study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence…
The cruel health effects of meth addiction
Methamphetamines are extremely addicting and the withdrawal symptoms are severe, making it difficult to quit. And as if meth addiction wasn’t bad enough in itself, new research shows that most meth addicts also grapple with many health problems, behavior problems,…
Vaporizing damaged teenagers; Now Juul has to pay $ 40 million to settle a lawsuit
There is some compelling evidence to suggest that vaping from e-cigarettes often paves the way for cannabis use, especially among young people. And in recent news, major e-cigarette maker Juul recently lost a lawsuit over its role in the scary…
Would you like to sleep better? Avoid alcohol
Are you one of the millions of people who don’t get enough sleep? Or who falls asleep but then doesn’t feel rested in the morning? When looking for a better night’s sleep, one of the factors you might want to…
Supersized Alcopops – a dangerous alcoholic beverage marketed to minors
A study of drug and alcohol addiction shows that a significant percentage of alcohol intoxication from oversized alcopops occurs in underage drinkers (46%). This information is alarming, and begs the question of whether oversized alcopops are intentionally made and marketed…
Ban on advertising for alcohol, gambling and drugs on Youtube
Ban on advertising for alcohol, gambling and drugs on Youtube On June 14, 2021, Youtube announced a ban on advertising for alcohol, gambling or prescription drugs on its website. In particular, the platform forbade controversial advertisements to appear in their…
How to support a loved one in rehab
Going to rehab for an addiction is not an easy process. It can be an emotional roller coaster ride. While it is certainly something that can be very rewarding, it can also be something that can be very challenging. For…
What effects does drug addiction have on the environment?
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon as a representative of the South American deforestation for cocaine plantations. (Image courtesy Purdom and Nokes 2014) Substance abuse harms the ecosystem. This damage is a researched and documented fact – albeit perhaps little known…
Are Doctors Still Prescribing Too Much Opioids?
The United States is in an addiction epidemic. There are several contributing factors, but one reason is the increase in the prescription of pain relievers by doctors in the early 2000s. Although some of these prescribing trends have declined in…
Xylazine – Makes the opioid epidemic even more deadly
Photo from gevende / iStockPhoto.com There’s a new drug on the scene that, despite efforts by the DEA and other law enforcement agencies to prevent people from using it, continues to appear in reports of opioid overdoses. Xylazine overdose deaths…
Mother and son are getting their lives back
My son is alive and well thanks to the addiction recovery program. My son had been on drugs for two years before I discovered it. He was a teenager and went out with friends a lot, so it took me…
Cannabis and pregnancy do not go together
New information shows a direct link between negative health outcomes in newborns and mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy. But even as this information is making its way into the mainstream, other research suggests that more women use cannabis during…
Nine lessons from nine years of sobriety
Photo by GSPictures / iStockPhoto.com Every year around this time, I like to look back on my life and reflect on the lessons I learned during my sobriety. On May 22, 2012, I went to a recovery center because of…
Overdoses are on the rise and it’s not just opioids anymore
With the exception of 2018, the death toll from drug overdoses was higher each year than last year. This trend has continued since the turn of the century. Now the overdose crisis isn’t just being fueled by opioid drugs. Cocaine…
Alternative pain reliever or dangerous addictive drug?
There is a false narrative about kratom suggesting that it is a legitimate alternative to opioid pain relievers which are addictive. In practice, however, most people who consume kratom use it with other opioid medications. Kratom is addicting, although it’s…