Prescription Addiction Therapy

Prescription Opiate & Oxy Addiction

Welcome to America’s new killer; prescription opiates. Prescription opioid pain medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin can have effects similar to heroin when taken in doses or in ways other than prescribed, and they are currently among the most commonly abused drugs in the United States. Research now suggests that abuse of these drugs may open the door to heroin abuse.

Along with that risk, Prescription Overdose deaths have soared to devastating totals. More Americans now die from painkillers than from heroin and cocaine combined, and since 2008, prescription drug-induced deaths have outstripped those from automobile accidents, according to the CDC. The CDC’s latest figures show that 16,500 people died from overdoses tied to common narcotic pain relievers such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Opana and methadone in 2010. Of those, 40% were women. In the past 11 years, deaths from overdose increased more than 400% among women, compared with a 265% rise among men.

Nearly half of young people who inject heroin surveyed in three recent studies reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to use heroin. Some individuals reported taking up heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription opioids. Many of these young people also report that crushing prescription opioid pills to snort or inject the powder provided their initiation into these methods of drug administration.

Prescription opiate addiction treatment has become a cornerstone at Matthew Bruhin & Associates. We offer the best in San Diego prescription addiction therapy. We have very specific therapy programs, counseling, and addiction treatment for those who have become dependent on prescriptions such as Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin. We offer special addiction groups and our 90 day program that focuses on sobriety. We also have immediate referral for Suboxone detox if needed and drug testing to give structure to our program.

There are many reasons people get hooked on prescription opiates. Not all are due to addiction. Some times individuals were given prescriptions for good purpose from physicians wanting to help stop legitimate pain. Once used, opiate tolerance can begin to snowball, leading to pharmacological dependence. Once this occurs, what looks like addiction (pseudo-addiction) can completely alter one’s life; creating a vicious cycle of relapse and use.

The treatment used at Matthew Bruhin & associates, coupled with a cutting edge, modern knowledge base and years of clinical experience, makes us extremely successful in dealing with opiate addiction. We welcome you to get beyond the ups and downs of opiate prescription addiction and allow us to help you. Your life is worth saving and we can get that done.

Adderall & Stimulant Addiction

According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, also called NSDUH, approximately 6.4 percent of fulltime college students between the ages of 18 and 22 used Adderall in a recreational way in the past year. On top of this, 89.5 percent of students who reported Adderall abuse also participated in binge drinking in the past month, and over half of those students were heavy abusers of alcohol.

In 2006 and 2007, the NSDUH reported that students going to school fulltime between the ages of 18 and 22 were two times as likely to have used Adderall recreationally, opposed to those in the same age who do not go to school full time. Students who were in college fulltime using Adderall for recreational purposes were also recognized as being three times as likely to have used marijuana, and they were eight times more likely to have used prescription tranquilizers recreationally as well.

There is increasing statistical evidence, coupled with our increasing evaluations for people who are abusing or addicted to Adderall. What starts with the premise of increased performance, easier work or school function, quickly gets twisted into a dependence that is nearly impossible to stop without formal treatment. We recently were able to help a young man who had battled addiction to prescription stimulants for years. His life is now manageable and he is beginning to find happiness in life. Our therapy and counseling as well as additional services offered were able to repair broken aspects of his life that had been left by Adderall addiction.

Adderall is a difficult drug to stop. If you or someone you know needs help with Adderall addiction, allow us to evaluate and plan out help with therapy, counseling, and psychological supportive services for you or your loved one. We have helped dozens of patients abusing prescription Adderall. We can help.

Xanax & Benzodiazepine Addiction

Anxiety: We all have it, and most of us could do without it. Whether social anxiety or generalized anxiety, a common tool people use is Xanax. Now, occasional use of Xanax can be beneficial under the direction of a properly trained physician. The problem begins when tolerance to benzos or black-market use of Xanax “bars” occurs. Many young people now use Xanax recreationally. Many adults use Xanax to manage their stressful lives or get a good night’s rest. When light Xanax use becomes heavy, tolerance occurs. Once this happens, it becomes almost impossible to stop using. Sleep and normal activity become almost unbearable and a person literally begins to become paranoid and feel “crazy.”

Along with other prescription medication addiction, Xanax overuse can become exceedingly dangerous. Risk of seizures, poor decisions such as black outs, risky sex, and driving under the influence are all common with Xanax addiction. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes, that Xanax it is rarely the sole drug of abuse when obtained outside of a physician’s care. They estimated that 80% of chronic Xanax abuse was part of a poly-drug addiction, with 73% of heroin addicts also using alprazolam at least once a week (usually as a sleep aid). They also estimate that as many as 40% of alcoholics have also abused Xanax, sometimes to self-treat for alcohol withdrawal symptoms. If you feel you have a problem or if you notice your teenager acting strange and exhibiting prolonged dazed and confused states, please call us for an evaluation, therapy, and treatment. Our San Diego prescription addiction therapy directly targets Xanax use, the decision making process around benzodiazepine abuse, and the proper treatment of Xanax addiction. We can help.