What is kratom? Kratom, also known as ketum, is a mind-altering substance derived from a tropical tree (Mitragyna speciosa) found in Southeast Asia. It is marketed as a regular supplement to ease anxiety, increase energy and relieve pain, and it is sold in the form of...
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines addiction as “a complex condition, a brain disease manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences.” By definition, addiction is a relationship formed between an individual and a substance rather than a human being with another human. When individuals...
The emergence of the opioid epidemic has made it challenging for patients who legitimately struggle with chronic pain stemming from nerve damage, unhealed injuries, multiple surgeries, weight problems and other health ailments. As doctors prescribe less opioids, patients who need pain killers are left in...
No one will be “found out” The passage of Proposition 47 in November 2014 provided relief for many who lived with substance abuse addiction, as this measure reduced the legal ramifications of drug use from a felony to a misdemeanor. However, the stigma associated with drug...
When you’ve got nothing left to lose, you are capable of anything – which can be good or bad. For risk-takers, this can be an opportunity to live like you’ve never lived before. It’s the beginning of a new life, a fresh start, to go...
The first non-opioid medication, Lucemyra (lofexidine hydrochloride) for opioid withdrawal symptoms, was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as...
