Drug abuse and addiction hit a broad spectrum of society, with no regard to age, race, or socioeconomic status. Addiction to drugs doesn’t mean a certain type of drug or substance, such as alcohol or opioids. So, what are the four types of drugs? According to the National Institutes of Health, there are four main…
The holidays can be difficult for everyone, especially for people struggling with addiction. This year, a sober Christmas may be on your list after years of addiction. Our intensive outpatient program at Sunstone Recovery can put you on that path, and you will be able to enjoy many non-drinking Christmases to come. You don’t have to…
Dual Diagnosis treatment is the treatment approach used to help people struggling with co-occurring disorders, which often involve addiction and a mental health issue such as PTSD or depression. The presence of both conditions makes successful treatment of one issue dependent on recovering from the other problem as well. In the case of co-occurring disorders,…
Portland, Oregon is Oregon State’s most populous city, running along the interstate-5 corridor. This highway makes it easier for drug traffickers to distribute drugs in and around Portland. While many people in Portland may think that substance abuse mostly affects the homeless population, use of meth and heroin is widespread. Especially in the colder months,…
With Thanksgiving coming soon, families may be thinking of gathering, and deadlines may be approaching. With the added stress of the pandemic along with the holiday season approaching, it is understandable that all of us might feel a bit frazzled. For those dealing with mental health symptoms and diagnoses, this time can feel especially chaotic…
The effects of heroin last longer than those of meth and cocaine but it has a short half-life, meaning 50% of the drug is flushed out of your system in 30 minutes. Some studies suggest that this half-life time is an even shorter 3-8 minutes. Heroin is metabolized so rapidly that the morphine and 6-acetyl…
There are four stages to alcohol rehab and recovery. But to get help for your addiction, you must first recognize that you have a problem with alcohol. You may have started as a social drinker. It is not unreasonable to think that since others can drink responsibly, so can you. But many young people when…
There are four main categories of drugs that can potentially lead those who use them to become addicted. They fall under the umbrella of what is known as psychoactive drugs, affecting the central nervous system and the brain. By acting on the central nervous system, they cause changes in perception, behavior, and mood. Communication between…
Mental illness is often the root cause of addiction problems. If the mental health issues are not treated, the chances of overcoming addiction are made that much harder. When you have a clearer outlook on life, there is less of a desire to self-medicate. By first tackling the one issue, you now have the tools…
Marijuana use disorder, in and of itself, is not a sign of addiction, just like having one or two alcoholic drinks a day is not alcoholism. But for those who do become dependent on marijuana, about 30% of users, the signs of addiction become apparent. Like with any other substance, dependency can lead to marijuana…