Opiates and opioids — we’ve used and heard these terms used interchangeably, but are they the same? If not, what is the difference between opiate and opioid drugs? With all the many news reports about the opioid crisis, you may have wondered which drugs or medicines these were. It’s important to have an understanding of…
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Since alcohol is lawful to purchase and consume in the United States, it is more accessible than other substances like cocaine, opiates, and benzodiazepines. Even though alcohol is legal, it poses the risk of physical dependency, making many of those struggling with a drinking problem wonder how to stop drinking. Alcohol is the most commonly…
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In 2017, 19.7 million Americans ages 12 and older met the criteria for a substance abuse disorder. Long term effects of meth can lead to not only addiction and physical dependency, but also an untimely death. Taking too much meth at once, which is more likely to occur if you are an intravenous user, can…
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Roughly 46% of all Americans will struggle with a mental health disorder in their lifetime, while another 5% of adults struggle with a mental health disorder each year. Mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety, can cause disabling symptoms when left untreated. Depression and anxiety can make it difficult to work or further your education,…
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Even if you take benzodiazepines exactly as prescribed, you can still develop a physical dependence. When you develop a physical addiction to benzodiazepines, the benzo withdrawal timeline can become much more difficult, and a longer process. Benzodiazepines are prescription medications that are commonly utilized to treat anxiety-related symptoms. While benzodiazepines are highly effective in treating…
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In 2017, President Trump declared a national public health emergency in response to the growing opioid crisis in America. While addiction rates among all psychoactive substances have not increased much in the past ten years, opioid use and fatal overdoses have skyrocketed. Deaths from prescription opioids quadrupled between 2014 and 2017, demonstrating the severity of…
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Mental illness statistics show that tens of millions of Americans struggle with a mental health condition each year. In 2018, 19.1% of Americans struggled with mental health problems, while another 11.4 million Americans battled a serious illness. Mental health disorders can be difficult to live with, especially if you don’t receive treatment. While mental health…
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What is the difference between opiate and opioid? The simple explanation for what the difference is that one is derived directly from opium, while the other is synthetic. The opioid epidemic has led to a record-breaking number of fatal overdoses and a heightened concentration on how to treat these addictions. Overall, 2.1 million Americans suffered…
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If you have been prescribed pain medication, then it may be an opiate or opioid medication. The difference between the two is subtle, and often doctors use the terms synonymously. Yet, there are some important differences. Let’s take a look at the definition of opiate. What is the Opiates Definition? We define opiates as a…
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The opiates’ definition is any naturally occurring or lab-produced medication made from opium. Opiates can include both prescription medications, like oxycodone and OxyContin, and illicit narcotics, like heroin. The opiate epidemic has led to fatal heroin overdoses quadrupling since 2010, with two-thirds of all fatal overdoses in 2016 alone involving opiates. In 2017, a record-setting…
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