Is Your Doctor a Problem Prescriber?BlogBy The Ranch PAApril 9, 2014When it comes to renewing your prescription for an addictive medication, does your provider automatically send in the script without digging deeper to find out the true state of your health? If so, your physician may be what’s known as a problem prescriber, and you may be at a much higher risk of fatal overdose.… Details
The Link Between Alcoholism and PTSDBlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 27, 2014Which came first: the chicken or the egg? When it comes to alcoholism and post traumatic stress disorder, one might ask the same question, as increasing bodies of research are demonstrating a clear link between the two conditions. Unfortunately, both can lead to either — making recovery tricky, but essential. What is Post Traumatic Stress… Details
Does Alcohol Need Warning Labels?Help BlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 25, 2014If you are among the people who roll their eyes when reading a warning label that a coffee cup’s contents are hot, then you will likely wonder why some are reviving the suggestion that adding labels to alcohol bottles warning of addiction may prevent some drinkers from developing substance abuse problems. Does this need exist,… Details
Macklemore’s Past Drug AddictionBlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 20, 2014There’s no way to glorify this pavement Syrup, Percocet, and an eighth a day will leave you broke, depressed, and emotionally vacant. Those are the words to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s Otherside, a lyrical tale of the days Macklemore spent living with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. His inspiring comeback from substance abuse, capped… Details
5 Ways Addiction Drains Communities’ ResourcesHelp BlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 18, 2014If you believe that substance abuse is a personal problem that only affects the individual, it’s time to examine the facts. The federal government estimates that the problems caused by addiction cost the U.S. billions of dollars every year in lost productivity, healthcare expenses, crime, and more. Crime “Every dollar spent on treatment leads to… Details
How to Recognize the 10 Early Warning Signs of Dual DiagnosisBlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 14, 2014Dual diagnosis, also known as co-occurring disorder, is exactly what it sounds like. It is when a person is diagnosed with a drug or alcohol problem and one or more mental illness(es). The problem is more common than most realize. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 50 percent of those who are mentally… Details
Is Society’s Perception of Addiction Changing?BlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 13, 2014Drew Barrymore. Eric Clapton. Robert Downey Jr. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They are all former substance abusers who beat addiction and earned professional respect after building successful careers. As more people come forward to acknowledge their addictions, the stigma of substance abuse — as well as the public’s perception of… Details
Does Your Son or Daughter Drink Too Much?Help BlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 11, 2014Discovering that your son or daughter is experimenting with drugs and alcohol is one of the scariest parts of parenting. For many kids, this phase passes by with no harm done. For others, unfortunately, it is the beginning of a steep descent into addiction that can cause years of personal harm. Here is a brief… Details
Prescription Painkillers: The Gateway to Heroin AbuseBlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 6, 2014Did you know there are more deaths every year from prescription opioid overdose than from either traffic accidents or homicides? All too often people struggling with opioid dependency begin their descent into addiction with a single prescription for Vicodin, OxyContin, or another legitimate painkiller. Then, as dependency grows, the user increases the dose and eventually… Details
Vermont Leads the Nation in Libraries, Peace Corps Volunteers and Drug AbuseHelp BlogBy The Ranch PAMarch 4, 2014When it comes to the percentage of people who admit to using illicit drugs, Vermont leads them all. Although a recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey indicates that most Green Mountain staters choose marijuana as their drug of choice, the latest anecdotal evidence suggests that heroin use is developing into an epidemic,… Details
