Blog Archive
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
More days than not, you’re pouring or opening a drink to relax and unwind. Sometimes that one drink turns into two or more, and you’re wondering whether you should be concerned about an alcohol use disorder. There are nearly 30 million people in the United States who have an alcohol use disorder,...
Let’s kick this discussion off with an eye-opener — 35% of people who take benzodiazepines (benzos) for more than 4 weeks will become dependent. Benzos are a class of depressants that includes some well-known names, such as Xanax®, Valium®, Klonopin®, and Ativan®. While the opioid crisis continues to make headlines, substance use disorders...
Given that more than 40 million people over the age of 11 in the United States have a substance use disorder in any given year, it makes sense that a lot of research has gone into the issue. An area that garners a good deal of attention is how to ease the...
You suspect that your (or a loved one’s) casual drug or alcohol use has turned into something far more serious, and you’re concerned. One of the first things the team here at Northshore Health wants you to know is that you’re not alone. In 2017, nearly 20 million people in...
“You’re not alone.” These words are often found on signs posted at support group meetings, and the message is an important one. A substance use disorder can bring even the strongest among us to their knees, and getting support is the best way to fight back against addiction and get...
The last time our country conducted a survey on drug and alcohol use disorders was in 2017, and researchers found that nearly 20 million people over the age of 12 qualified. We suspect this number has grown higher in recent years, fueled by the global pandemic. However you came to a substance...
About 7.7 million adults in the United States have a co-occuring mental health issue and substance use disorder, and the connection is far more than coincidence. The team here at Northshore Health understands all too well the relationship between mental health and substance use disorders, and our goal is to...
A substance use disorder is a chronic disease, along the same lines as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. What all of these conditions have in common is that they require constant vigilance and proper management to avoid a relapse. While relapse may not be the right word, we’re referring to an...
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducted a survey in 2019 that estimates there are nearly 15 million people with an alcohol use disorder in the United States. The odds are fairly good that this number is low, especially after the isolation of the recent pandemic. Whether your alcohol use...
There were many things that came out of the recent global COVID-19 pandemic — bad and good. Squarely in the bad news category was the significant increase in people who misused drugs and alcohol. During the first year of the pandemic, there were 99,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States, which...
Just because something is legal certainly doesn’t mean it’s harmless — alcohol, cigarettes, and even marijuana can all be quite dangerous. In fact, 30% of people who use marijuana may have some degree of a use disorder. To give you an idea of the potential dangers of misusing marijuana, our team at Northshore Health...
The opioid crisis in the United States is showing no signs of relenting, as 90 lives are claimed each day in this country due to opioid overdose. While overdose is the most extreme outcome of an opioid use disorder, these numbers don’t reflect the millions of lives that are ruined...
Nearly 21 million people in the United States have a substance use disorder and, for most of these people, there are loved ones who have also been affected by the problem. If you’ve watched your partner fall down into the hole of a substance use disorder, you’re thrilled to learn...
Early recovery from a substance use disorder is an incredibly tricky time as your brain and body revolt against your efforts to break free. To ease this journey, we offer several different types of medications that can help bridge the gap toward a life free from substance use. Our team at Northshore...
You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired because of a substance use disorder, and you want to break free. While there’s no single magic bullet when it comes to battling addiction, there are some incredibly effective tools that, when combined, can help you reclaim your life. At Northshore...
Benzodiazepines (benzos) are very good at their job — they quickly calm and sedate you, allowing you to overcome anxiety or sleep better. Just like opioid-based painkillers, these quick fixes were routinely prescribed, oftentimes without patients fully understanding the considerable risks for misuse and addiction. Today, we know better, and...
The numbers surrounding opioid misuse, opioid use disorders, and opioid overdose deaths are staggering: There were more than 75,000 deaths due to opioid overdose in the United States during the 12 months ending in April 2021 alone. Our goal here isn’t to alarm you unnecessarily, but it’s important to first understand the...
You meet up with an old friend and drink long into the evening. While this type of drinking can be problematic the next day as you nurse a hangover, it doesn’t necessarily signal an overall problem. Conversely, every time you go out with friends, you tend to be the one...
Whether you’re taking opioids as a part of a pain management program or you’re using street drugs that contain opioids, a clear warning sign that you might be in trouble are withdrawal symptoms that develop when you stop. To give you an idea about what we’re talking about, the our addiction...
Between March 2020 and March 2021, there were nearly 97,000 overdose (OD) deaths in the United States, and nearly 68% of these deaths were due to opioids. To provide perspective, the number of deaths by OD during this time period was four times higher than deaths by homicide. Now, combine...
To say that we’ve been put through the ringer in recent years thanks to the COVID-19 global pandemic would be an understatement. For people who are struggling with a substance use disorder, these times have been a little more difficult, which is represented in this frightening statistic: The CDC reports...
If you are trying to break free of an alcohol or opioid use disorder, there are certain medications that can greatly ease your recovery journey, including naltrexone. While a good recovery plan entails a wide range of therapies, the team at Northshore Health understands how valuable certain medication-assisted treatments can...
If you’re reading this, either you or a loved one is trying to figure out the best way to break free from an opioid use disorder. This road is not an easy one, and you’re taking the right step by learning about our outpatient detox services. At Northshore Family Practice,...
We’re going to start with some statistics that are both upsetting and eye-opening: In 2019, more than 70,000 people died of drug overdoses as opposed to fewer than 20,000 just 20 years prior, in 1999. This is the extreme result of a substance use disorder and doesn’t tell the rest...
You’ve been told that marijuana isn’t addictive, so you continue using it without concern, especially here in the state of Washington where cannabis is legal. In point of fact, this isn’t the case as 30% of people who use marijuana may have a marijuana use disorder, at least to some...
Whether you’ve already tried to quit using opioids or you can’t even imagine trying to stop, you understand that early recovery can be a difficult time, to say the least. Unfortunately, between the withdrawal symptoms and the incessant cravings, people often wind up using again just to find some relief....
It is said that a substance use disorder is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit, which is why getting the right recovery support is paramount. As addiction medicine specialists, the team here at Northshore Family Practice understands what it takes to get (and stay) on the road to...
You’re tired of your life being ruled by your substance use disorder, and you want out. Time and again, you say this is the day you’re not going to pick up, only to have withdrawal symptoms send you back. Detoxing from your substance of choice is a formidable hurdle that...
During the 1990s, pharmaceutical companies assured medical providers that newer long acting opioid-based medications like Oxycontin didn’t pose any addiction risks. They were very wrong. Here at Northshore Family Practice, our team of addiction specialists has seen the devastating effects that opioid addiction has had, and we’ve been working diligently...
One of the questions we’re often asked is how long recovery takes. Our simple answer is that recovery is a lifelong process, though most of the work is done in the first year. It took years for you to develop your substance use disorder, so it makes sense that putting...
The effects of addiction are almost without limit, as they can hijack every aspect of your life, including the way in which you interact with the world around you. The team of addiction specialists here at Northshore Family Practice has helped scores of patients overcome addiction, allowing them to plug...
You wake each day, resolved not to pour a drink or pick up your drug of choice, but within hours you start to feel the effects of withdrawal. Instead of facing the discomfort, you reach for that drink or drug for relief. One of the greatest hurdles to sobriety is...
Each person’s journey through, and hopefully out of, addiction is different, but there are some general rules of thumb for providing help to a loved one. Addiction is an insidious disease that not only affects the person who has the substance use disorder, but those around them. To help guide...
Addiction takes control of your life, including your physical, mental, and emotional health. Since addiction is multi-faceted, it requires a multi-faceted approach to free yourself from its prison. At Northshore Family Practice, our experienced and dedicated team offers the tools you need to take charge of your life. Addiction can...
The opioid problem in the United States is a national health crisis. Since 1999, more than 760,000 people have died from a drug overdose and opioids account for two-thirds of these deaths. More alarmingly, more than 10 million people over the age of 12 misused opioids in 2018 alone. Our...
You’re in excruciating pain and your doctor prescribes painkillers, allowing you to find much-needed relief. Or, perhaps you’re suffering from debilitating anxiety, and a small pill can help you find some calm. While these medications are extremely effective at what they’re intended to do, they come with a dark side...
Every night you tumble into bed and vow that tomorrow will be the day that you finally take back control of your life. While you may successfully stay drug- or alcohol-free for a few hours, or a few days, the uncontrollable cravings and withdrawal symptoms drive you back, time and...
If you’ve been struggling with a substance use disorder, you long for the day when you can take back control of your life and your happiness. While everyone’s road to recovery is unique, the one tool that everyone can use is ongoing expert support, because recovery doesn’t happen overnight. At...
If you have seasonal allergies and head out on a spring day when the pollen is flying, you’re setting yourself up for a day filled with congestion, sneezing, and watery eyes. If, however, you understand that high-pollen days are surefire triggers, you can make alternative plans or take preventive steps...
As the opioid crisis continues to wreak havoc and claim lives, there’s hope in medications that help people get into Recovery and stay in Recovery, and we’re proud to offer them as part of our recovery programs. At Northshore Family Practice, our team specializes in addiction medicine. We understand the...
You wake up each morning and promise that this is the day that you’re going to take charge of your life and quit using drugs or alcohol. All too soon, your body and brain revolt, creating extremely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that send you back to your drug of choice for...
If you’ve had a front-row seat to a family member’s or friend’s struggle with a substance use disorder, your role in recovery will be different. And switching gears can be difficult, as you may be dealing with your own emotions and concerns. At Northshore Family Practice, Dr. Barbara Mendrey and...
More than 14 million adults in the United States have an alcohol use disorder, which is a prevalence rate of nearly 6%. What each of these sufferers share is the prison that addiction and dependency builds, making it extremely difficult to quit. Thankfully, there are tools that can give you...
The numbers surrounding opioid use in the United States are alarming — 2.1 million people have an opioid use disorder and 8-12% of this number started out innocently enough with prescription painkillers. Once an opioid use disorder takes hold, the disease is extraordinarily tough to beat as it hijacks your...
The numbers surrounding opioid addiction are mind-boggling. Take this one for instance: 130 Americans die because of an opioid overdose every day. Or this one: 80% of heroin users started by misusing prescription painkillers. Opioid addiction is an equal opportunity problem — it affects millions of people no matter their...