Derived from a southeast Asian evergreen tree, and used as a traditional medicine in that region since the 1800s, kratom’s popularity in North America has grown considerably over the past decade.
In recent years the opioid epidemic has grown so much that it’s overshadowed the more lethal scourge of alcoholism, which claims its victims through a wider range of methods.
It’s the holiday season and festivities abound. Many of those festivities include alcohol or sometimes other substances that can make relapse easy.
Apart from his popular songs, the singer Eddie Money was well known for his outspoken candor about his struggles with substance abuse
Human nature makes us want to postpone what we know might be uncomfortable, or something that we are a little afraid of. It always seems that it will be easier in the future, but the truth is that the best time isn’t in the future, it’s right now.
Addiction recovery is achieved via many pathways. Some are easier than others. Mike unintentionally chose one of the most difficult paths.
Opioid deaths have increased steadily over the past several years. Reports of the opioid crisis or the opioid epidemic appear in the media on an almost daily basis. Overdose deaths from another source have been steadily rising as well but have received very little media attention. Benzodiazepines, once considered an extremely safe medication, are resulting in higher rates of drug addiction and are being implicated in overdose deaths, especially when used in conjunction with opioids.
His addictive behaviors started early. As a kid he remembers playing video games addictively, experimenting with tobacco when he was only 10 years old, and with alcohol by age 13.
When Mitzi and Brad met and started dating, Brad was sober, but he shared with Mitzi that although he had a history of addiction, he had been sober for quite a while.
Celebrity deaths due to drugs or alcohol, or a mixture of substances often make shocking headlines and happen all too frequently. The list is long: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Heath Ledger, Lil Peep, Mac Miller, Tom Petty, Prince, and Chyna, to name just a few. People who seemed to have it all have died, proving that they are fighting their own battles with addiction – and sometimes losing the battle.