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A closet alcoholic is a person who conceals their struggles with alcohol addiction by engaging in patterns of alcohol abuse behind closed doors. Some signs of a closet drinker are more obvious than others. But engaging in risky drinking behaviors out in the open or behind the scenes is dangerous either way.

We’ve all heard of being blackout drunk, an occasion where a person consumes enough alcohol to cause memory loss. But have you ever heard of brownout drinking? It is a term that refers to a state of intoxication from alcohol consumption that causes lapses in memory from long-term memory storage. 

Clonidine is a prescription medication often used in the treatment of opioid withdrawal. It works by minimizing the effects of opioid withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, muscle and joint pain, sweating and abdominal cramps. ‘How long does clonidine last in your system?’ is what many are often curious to know before taking on the medication for their opioid use disorder. On average, it can take about 3 days for clonidine to be completely removed from the system.

Dopamine is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter involved in feelings of reward, motivation, learning and pleasure. Our bodies can naturally make dopamine when we do things such as eating and sleeping. Our bodies can also produce dopamine with the help of medications that raise dopamine levels in the brain. But what happens when we stop taking those drugs that artificially raise our dopamine levels? Our system can go into what is known as dopamine withdrawal.

Honesty in recovery is essential for healing and personal growth. Being honest is more than just telling the truth. Being honest is about being real and genuine with yourself and others around you. It can be challenging, but it is an important characteristic in addiction recovery.

Antipsychotic medications are used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders where people experience symptoms like hallucinations, delusions and losing some contact with reality. They are commonly used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression. When it comes time to reduce or stop medication, patients should be aware of antipsychotic withdrawal symptoms that can occur.

Rapid medical detox is a method of detoxification that uses varying levels of sedation to help diminish uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms while using an opioid antagonist. This type of procedure is only used in cases of opioid detox and is not known to be useful for any other type of substance. The goal of rapid medical detox is to initiate detox and remove opioids from the body as quickly as possible.

Stimulants can range from everyday substances like caffeine in coffee, to prescription ADHD medications and illegal street drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. Are stimulants addictive substances? Yes. Stimulants can range in potency and availability. Some of the effects of stimulant addition can be as mild as minor insomnia, to as dangerous as a life-threatening overdose.

Alcohol use disorder is a mental health disease that can be severely damaging to the brain. But once alcohol use has stopped, can the brain recover? The brain recovery from alcohol timeline varies and is dependent on many factors. According to the National Institutes of Health, the majority of brain recovery occurs within the first year of abstinence and can continue for 5 to 7 years after.

Native Americans, Alaskan Indians and other indigenous peoples only represent about 2% of the United States population. Yet they continue to have the highest rate of alcohol and drug use disorders. Native Americans and alcoholism have a long and tumultuous history.