opiates >> addiction >> recovery

Drug users who are infected with HIV are 74 percent more likely to experience drug overdose, a recent study suggests.

Researcher Traci Green, Ph.D. says factors contributing to the increased risk may include poorer physical health, poverty and poor access to medication-assisted therapy to treat opioid dependence.

Green points out that drug treatment with methadone or buprenorphine (Suboxone) has been shown to protect against fatal drug overdose, and she suggests that improved access to these therapies would be one important way to reduce high overdose risk in this population.

The study was conducted by Rhode Island Hospital and the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research.

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New research suggests that Vivitrol is an effective long-term treatment for addiction to heroin or prescription pain killers.

Half of all Vivitrol patients in a recent drug treatment study remained opiate-free for the entire one-year study.

Vivitrol is a medication used to treat addiction to heroin and prescription pain killers.  The non-narcotic medication blocks the effects of heroin or other opiates.

Vivitrol is an injectable, extended-release form of the medication naltrexone.  Patients visit their medical provider once per month to receive a shot.

Study participants were taking part in a one-year extension of an earlier 6-month study.  Treatment included psychosocial support.

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Methadone moderates emotional responses including elation and depression says a new study reported in the science journal Addiction.

“Easy Does It” is a common recovery mantra.  Emotional stability is especially important for people in early recovery.  Both emotional highs and lows can contribute to relapse.

For people who are addicted to heroin or other opiates, methadone treatment may support recovery by taking the edge off of mood shifts.

Of course, methadone also supports recovery by limiting cravings, preventing withdrawal symptoms and blocking the effects of other opiates.

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You may have heard about the benefits of committing random acts of kindness.  The benefits are very real and very concrete.

This works for people who are currently using, people who are in early recovery, people who are in long term recovery, and family members.  So try it yourself and suggest it to those who are close to you.

Helping others releases endorphins into the brain (a natural good feeling) and reduces stress.  Benefits include improvements in physical health and mental health.  And the benefits have been documented by scientific research.

But did you know that for best results you should commit these acts of kindness on a schedule?

You can get good results by commiting about 5 acts of kindness all during the same day about one day per week.

Acts of kindess can be just about any nice thing you can think of to do for another person.  The idea is to go beyond what is expected and reach out to another person in a way that demonstrates empathy for them by an actual act.  It’s not just about feeling empathy for another person, but going beyond feeling and actually acting on empathy so your empahty is made concrete and visible between you and the other person.

Watching for opportunities to be kind in and of itself can make a powerful change in the way we feel and look at the world.  Actually acting in kind ways has even greater power to change our emotional state and create conditions of happiness.

It’s ok to plan your act of kindness in advance (the idea of random acts of kindess was in response to the often heard phrase “random acts of violence”).

Acting out of the goodness within us benefits us and creates a ripple effect well beyond the person we reach out to with kindness.

I’m going to do 5 random acts of kindness on Mondays.  Pick a Random Act of Kindess Day for yourself and leave a comment on your experience.

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