Opiate Addiction: Is It a Mental Illness?BlogBy The Ranch PANovember 28, 2013Opiates are addictive narcotic painkillers that come in legally prescribed and illicit forms. They are also dangerous, and opiate addicts currently suffer from the highest rates of relapse and overdose, according to National Institutes of Health. In the past, addiction professionals regarded substance abuse as a weakness of character rather than a mental health disorder;…
Internet Fuels Global Designer Drug UseHelp BlogBy The Ranch PANovember 26, 2013The Internet is steadily increasing the rates at which we consume news, goods, information, and now, illicit drugs. “Detailed instructions for how to make designer drugs” are not only available online, but they are also available for purchase, forcing an already-bad problem into epidemic proportions. From spice to bath salts to meow meow, substance abusers…
Addiction: The Biggest Preventable KillerBlogBy The Ranch PANovember 19, 2013For the first time, drug overdose surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Drug addiction rehabs exist to prevent death — not only to send the message that doing drugs is bad for your health. Although the compulsive, chronic abuse of dangerous drugs and alcohol leads to a…
Can a Drug Curb Marijuana Addiction?Help BlogBy The Ranch PANovember 14, 2013Addiction scientists have long searched for a safe chemical means to turn off the brain’s desire to use illicit drugs. Recent research reported by Smithsonian magazine indicates that kynurenic acid treatment blocks the desire to use marijuana in rats and monkeys, and although FDA approval is likely years away, this chemical has the potential to…
5 Ways a Spa Rehab Center Can Help You Recover From AddictionBlogBy The Ranch PANovember 12, 2013For many people, alcohol and drugs provide a means of escape from the pressures of everyday life. Unfortunately, the choices that seem like no big deal have a way of turning into a life-changing addiction. Although recovering from alcohol and drug addiction is challenging, the good news is that by enrolling in a spa or…
But He Didn’t Look Like an Addict — Glee Cast Members Spread AwarenessHelp BlogBy The Ranch PANovember 7, 2013The death of popular Glee cast member Cory Monteith to an accidental heroin and alcohol overdose in July 2013 shocked the entertainment world. “Our friend Cory didn’t look or act like an addict,” fellow cast member Jane Lynch said. “He was happy, successful, and seemingly had it all.” The fact is that drug and alcohol…
Brainwave Imbalance Contributes to AlcoholismBlogBy The Ranch PANovember 5, 2013People who suffer from alcoholism do so for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, there is a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Other times, a person addicted to alcohol self-medicates depression with the false confidence alcohol provides. Often, people who struggle with alcoholism have a difficult time relaxing and turning off anxious thoughts or worries. Recent research…
Number of Babies Born Addicted to Prescription Drugs RisingHelp BlogBy The Ranch PAOctober 31, 2013Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing addiction problem in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Of particular concern is the rise of the unmistakable signs of maternal prescription drug abuse in infants; in fact, some hospitals are overwhelmed with the complex task of weaning babies off dangerous prescription drugs.…
Bath Salts Zombie Video InfographicInfographicsBy The Ranch PAOctober 30, 2013Years ago, when we heard the term “bath salts” we’d think of the stuff you added to the water in your tub for a more relaxing bubble bath. Nowadays, the term takes on a new meaning as an increasingly popular street drug. The term “bath salts” doesn’t refer to any one drug, but rather a…
Flesh-Eating Drug “Krokodil” Damaging LivesBlogBy The Ranch PAOctober 29, 2013Imagine a drug so toxic that following injection, gangrene and scaly, green flesh grows on users, often resulting in amputation and death. Krokodil —the Russian word for “crocodile” — is causing enormous damage overseas as well as the U.S. and produces a heroin-like high. It is a newer drug that combines the narcotic painkiller codeine…
