girl with her head in stacked books

What is Evidence Based Practice?

Evidence based practice is a buzz phrase in the healthcare world, but what does it mean and – more importantly – how does it relate to you as a consumer of addiction treatment and mental healthcare services? According to the Oregon Addiction and Mental Health Division (AMH),  evidence based practice is defined as “programs or…

girl with black hair looking up with her hand inront of camera

How to Prevent Drug Addiction

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared a “war on drugs” (a term previously used by President Richard Nixon in 1971). From that moment on, the peddlers of illicit drugs were vilified and so, too, were the human beings who used them. In the 1970s and 1980s, the government presumably did not have a thorough understanding…

hooded man looking into a sunset at the beach

How to Achieve Long-Term Recovery

When someone shares that they have ten, twenty, thirty, or more years of recovery, it’s hard to conceive of such a lengthy amount of time without a drink or a drug. In early recovery, the question of how to get sober can overshadow the question of how to sustain long-term recovery. Unfortunately, this oversight often…

vivitrol molecule

Is Vivitrol as Effective as Buprenorphine?

Is Vivitrol as Effective as Buprenorphine? Vivitrol – or extended release Naltrexone – is a non-narcotic medication indicated for the prevention of relapse to opioid use following opioid detoxification. Vivitrol is the only medication assisted treatment on the market that can describe itself as  “relapse preventative”. How does it work? Vivitrol is an opioid antagonist,…

letters floating around

The Power of Words: Changing the Language of Addiction

On January 9th, 2017, the White House released a “Memorandum to Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies”. The subject of the memorandum was “Changing Federal Terminology Regarding Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders”. Enclosed was a document entitled Changing the Language of Addiction. The memorandum was designed to guide federal agencies in the proper terminology…

mom and daughter crying on the couch

Family Support and Addiction Recovery

Since the inception of the modern liquor store, society has fabricated an inaccurate image of alcoholism. The stereotypical depiction often features a male figure: he wears a trench coat, sports a long, unkempt beard, and lives underneath a bridge. In one hand, he holds a bottle which is not-so-secretly nestled in a brown paper bag.…

man reaching out for help

Suicide Prevention and Substance Use Disorder

Unless you avoid the news, you are probably aware that celebrity designer Kate Spade, and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, both died by suicide in the space of one tragic week. In the days since the respective announcements, the subject of suicide prevention has been trending across social media. “Why,” some people muse, “do people with…