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Nurses work hard and often know more about their patients than any other medical care provider. Nurses in long-term care settings, such as those in drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics, like Hickory Treatment Centers, help their patients not just with physical...

How do I know Im an addict? Many drug and alcohol treatment programs start with the individual acknowledging that they are an addict. This isn't unusual – most people don't seek professional treatment for substance abuse disorder (SAD) unless they are actually...

Intensive outpatient treatment is a type of addiction care where the patient continues living off-premises. While months of residential rehab are the typical cultural image of drug addiction, it's not always necessary. In fact, studies show that most people who...

While drug abuse can lead to devastating consequences in situations of addiction, our culture currently normalizes high levels of casual and medicinal drug use. It's important to never use highly addictive substances without a prescription and to apply strict...

Heroin has an infamous reputation as one of the hardest drugs, and it's well-earned. However, this reputation can isolate people in your life who are quietly struggling with addiction. Many people manage to hide their addiction, at least temporarily. However, there...

While addiction is a serious problem, there's one major question that people have when they realize that drug abuse is much more common than drug addiction. For instance, it's likely that as many as 40 million American adults have tried cocaine at one point or another...

Methadone is a drug used to treat opiod addiction. It is a long-acting opiod agonist that reduces opiod cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It also blocks the effects of opiods in someone currently using. Methadone is safe when it is used in a clinical setting and also...

Many addicts and their families know intuitively that drugs have a profound effect on the brain. But just exactly how do drugs and drug addiction damage the brain? Drugs can make profound, and sometimes irreversible, changes to the brain chemistry and neural pathways....

Some of the most popular – and successful – addiction recovery programs are 12-Step programs. Based on the original Alcoholics Anonymous program, these support groups help people remain sober by working through underlying issues that may have caused them to drink or...

Addiction is an extremely complex phenomenon that stands at the intersection of physical and mental health. Over the centuries, we've known very little about it and there was a prevailing notion that it was simply a failure of willpower. However, we now understand...

Many people may recognize the short-term effects of alcohol abuse – hangovers, erratic behavior, or a dependence on the substance. And while liver failure is a fairly well-known effect of long-term alcohol abuse, there are other serious health implications that are...

Millions of people across the US suffer from some sort of substance use disorder, and these addictions have derailed countless lives. While the addiction epidemic has only grown more serious in recent decades, treatment methods have grown to meet the challenge. Far...

America had some 6,100 tragic opioid overdoses in 1980, but this has skyrocketed to more than 56,516 in 2020. In 2015, opioid overdoses reached a point of severity that has caused American life expectancy to begin dropping year after year. How did it happen that the...

Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. For a typical adult female that would mean four drinks or more in a two hour...

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a complex disease that results in functional changes to the brain circuits. In the beginning drug use is voluntary, whether it's the result of experimenting with recreational drugs and alcohol or taking...

Many studies show the impact of addiction not only on those with substance use disorders but on their family members as well. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of drug abuse includes the development of manipulative behaviors that help the person with an addiction...

Some people may have a problem with alcohol abuse and not realize it. While the perception of an alcoholic is someone who drinks every day or even takes a drink when they get out of bed in the morning, there's another equally damaging form of alcohol abuse – binge...

You've had a rough week — or even a rough day. That glass of wine is calling to you, and, sure, it'll help you unwind. But it's not your only option when you need to relax. Whether you setting aside the booze for Dry January or Sober October, or you just want alcohol...

When a parent is using alcohol, it can be very difficult for a child to know what to do. As adults, you may recognize just how worrisome alcohol use disorder is. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that in 2019, 14.5 million people over the...

The effects of drugs and alcohol harm every aspect of a user's life, from damaged relationships to exacerbated mental health concerns and debilitating physical effects. While every drug, including alcohol, affects the body differently, substance abuse overall can have...

Drug and alcohol abuse is bad for anyone, but the effects can be even worse for teenagers and young adults. The brain develops until about age 25. Drinking or using drugs while the brain is still developing can leave irreversible damage. If you're concerned about your...

Mixing uppers and downers is dangerous. So why do people do it? If you're driving your car too fast, you pump your brakes to slow down. If your bathwater is too cold, you add hot water to warm it to the right temperature. Even Goldilocks wanted to mix something to...

According to SAMHSA, nearly 15 million Americans suffer from alcohol use disorder, and millions more have drug use disorders. So, this isn't something you have to face alone or be ashamed of. It's more important to seek help. Perhaps you are looking for a residential...

While marijuana use has been seen as less of an issue compared to other drugs, it still has a heavy impact on its users. Frequent marijuana use can lead to the development of dependencies, one of the precursors to addiction. Both the mind and body can become dependent...

One of the most important parts of recovering from alcohol addiction is learning how to live a fulfilling life while maintaining sobriety. For many, this simply means being able to provide for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, addiction can put these...

Substance abuse impacts people of all ages and backgrounds — anyone can become an addict. In the United States, substance abuse is shockingly common, with 10% of adultsmeeting the clinical criteria for having a drug use disorder during their lifetime. Knowing the...

Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a complex situation involving both physical and psychological dependence on the substance. Addicts are often unable to quit on their own, and many of them have underlying mental health conditions or past trauma that they're...

Addiction is exceptionally common in the United States, and the National Institutes of Healthreports that American adults have a one in ten chance of developing a drug use disorder at some point during their lifetime. The high prevalence of substance abuse means that...

Alcohol is one of the most problematic addictive drugs in America and throughout the world, for many reasons. The substance is culturally important in many societies, and this helps create pressure to drink while also making addiction seem less serious. However, it's...

Hickory Treatment Center proudly serves Indiana by offering substance abuse and addiction treatment to those who need it. Making treatment as accessible as possible is extremely important as drug addiction becomes a worsening...

Looking forward to 2022 and all of the opportunities and challenges it holds can feel both invigorating and overwhelming. For many of us, 2021 meant seeking out and completing treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. In order to...

As addiction treatment becomes talked about more throughout the US, friends and families of individuals suffering from addiction are looking to learn more about the disease. The realm of substance abuse and addiction can seem overwhelming but at the end of the day...

Spending the holidays with friends and family is one of the best ways to make the most out of the fall and winter months. From family gatherings to workplace parties, there's almost always something going on to celebrate the loved ones we have. Unfortunately, these...

Seeking out addiction support with Hickory Treatment Centers means working with a team of compassionate medical specialists who put the success of each and every patient above all else. We understand that addiction is a lifelong...

The unknowns of addiction can make enjoying the holidays a challenge for both the individual suffering and their loved ones. When the time comes to start inviting guests over for festivities, it can be difficult to know how to make the experience as comfortable as...

Much of America is struggling with a surge in drug and alcohol abuse across the board, but Indiana faces some of the toughest challenges across the nation. Right now there are millions struggling with the state of the pandemic...

Like much of the country, Indiana has seen an increase in drug and alcohol use since the start of the pandemic. As such, more individuals are seeking out mental health and addiction recovery treatment than ever before. The stigma around getting help for drug or...

It doesn't matter if someone's addiction is newly formed or has complete control over their life, they deserve access to compassionate and professional treatment. Recovering from substance abuse takes an entire team and network of support, something not all treatment...

As substance abuse and addiction continues to rise in the United States, access to treatment programs is becoming a more urgent matter. To help address this problem, Hickory Treatment Centers has been working to expand the...

Fentanyl is an extremely strong opioid painkiller, 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Due to its strength, fentanyl can be highly beneficial to those experiencing severe pain such as during recovery after an operation. The drug blocks pain receptors in the brain...

Heroin addiction in the United States stems largely from the opioid epidemic that saw doctors heavily prescribing opioid painkillers under the assumption that they were not habit forming. Research shows that of those who abuse or are addicted to heroin, 80...

Fentanyl is an extremely addictive opioid that targets the section of the brain responsible for emotion, pain and reward. This powerful drug is up to 100 times stronger than heroin or morphine which leads to higher risk of overdosing and rapidly forming addiction. Due...

Chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism, defined as a dependence on alcohol, often mask underlying mental health issues. Many people start drinking to alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression, self-medicating to boost their mood, reduce worries, or feel more relaxed...

Addiction recovery services in Indiana are what Hickory Treatment Centers work to bring to anyone in need of assistance. One of the first questions that comes to mind when an individual seeks out addiction treatment is how much time and money will be needed to...

A slip or even a full-blown drug relapse is among the most common challenges patients face in their addiction recovery journey, with studies estimating that 85 percent of individuals relapse within a year of treatment. In your recovery, you will likely be faced with...