Acupuncturist Sees Benefits of Alternative Medicine For Addiction

Due to the national opioid crisis, health professionals are looking for new ways to treat pain in order to leave opioids as a last resort. Since the 1990s, opioids have been used as a first line of defense against all types of pain. This has manifested into the massive nationwide opioid addiction crisis. Doctors once believed that the potential for addiction with these drugs was low, but it is just now being revealed that many of the drug manufacturers manipulated doctors and understated the risk associated with these drugs. Now, one Connecticut health care provider wants to see alternative medicine for addiction used on a larger scale. Matt Maneggia is an acupuncturist but has also been personally affected by opioid addiction. His brother suffered from opioid addiction for most of his adult life, ultimately dying from a heart attack most likely associated with his drug use. He had no idea what drove his brother to use drugs but he did notice that acupuncture always seemed to have a significant effect on him. For the San Diego Union-Tribune, Matt talked about his brother, saying that "Growing up, he was classic ADHD, but this was before it was a thing. His experience was learning from his teachers that he wasn't good enough. From high school on, he was going down this path. It was a little different than people getting hooked on pain meds and then turning to heroin. With him, it was more about self-medication. He started with alcohol and eventually, he got into heroin, and that was what really did him in." Matt said that his experience with watching his...

Doctor Pleads Guilty to Taking Kickbacks for Prescribing Fentanyl Spray

Around the country, lawsuits and criminal charges are becoming more and more common for drug manufacturers and doctors relating to the opioid crisis. As the nation becomes more aware of the deadly epidemic that has been growing since the 90’s, people want answers and are looking for people to blame. Drug makers are being investigated for manipulative and even fraudulent marketing tactics and prescribers are being investigated for malpractice. With the astronomical rates of opioid addiction, there are clearly doctors prescribing opioids when they aren’t needed. One doctor in Rhode Island has just pleaded guilty in one of the largest opioid scams in the country involving highly addictive fentanyl spray. What is Fentanyl Spray? Fentanyl spray is a powerful opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin. It is used in terminally ill patients, like those dying from cancer. It is drug meant to be used as a last resort and ease the pain of death so patients can try to enjoy their final days. It comes in a spray to make ingestion easier than taking a pill since many of the patients needing the medication have difficulties swallowing. Fentanyl has recently gained national attention because it is being used to cut heroin. Fentanyl is easier and cheaper to make than heroin, making it a desirable alternative for drug dealers. The drug is the biggest reason for the spike in heroin overdose deaths in recent years. The drug is either manufactured in China or South America, then smuggled into the United States. Unlike fentanyl made by large corporations, black market fentanyl can’t be synthesized into more potent variations, similar to...

7 Common Excuses Addicts Will Give to Not Get Sober

When someone is completely addicted to a substance, nothing will get in the way. Not only is there an extremely overwhelming psychological urge to use, but there is often physical symptoms of withdrawal. Withdrawal can be so painful that many addicted individuals will go to any length to avoid getting sober. Withdrawal is scary and so is the idea of not having a substance to rely on. Addicts will give a whole array of excuses as to why they can’t get sober yet, or right now, or even ever. The excuses often build and build until a person simply cannot stand being addicted to drugs or alcohol any longer. If you or a loved one has struggled with addiction, then some of these will probably sound familiar. There seems to be some common excuses people will give to avoid going to rehab or becoming completely abstinent. Unfortunately, it will be hard to convince someone who is addicted that they are in fact an addict, so it is best to try to let them figure it out on their own. If you find that you have been giving these excuses, then perhaps try to seriously consider your true motives. I can quit any time I want This is one of the most common excuses among drug users. Sometimes it is true, but many times it is not. Addicts are masters at not only manipulating others, but also lying to themselves. When someone constantly reminds themselves that they can quit any time they want, then it becomes more and more difficult for them to realize when things have gotten out of hand....