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Alcohol is one of the world’s most abused substances. Alcohol abuse can affect multiple systems in the body including the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. We often hear of those with alcohol use disorder suffering from brain changes, cardiovascular disease and liver damage. However, alcohol abuse can also profoundly impact the kidneys. In fact, a 2018 study found that alcohol use disorder has been linked to increasing the likelihood of a person developing a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric mental illness often associated with morbidity and a high suicide rate. It affects an estimated 3% of adults in the United States. Compared to other psychiatric disorders, bipolar disorder has the highest lifetime risk of suicide with the majority of patients experiencing symptoms of depression for a significant part of their lives. Bipolar disease causes people to experience extreme changes in mood, energy and behavior. The most common and notable characteristics of bipolar disorder include manic episodes, heightened emotions, erratic behavior and risk for harmful actions. According to a new 2022 review, studies and evidence are showing the beneficial use of ketamine treatment therapy to help treat some aspects of bipolar disorder. Can ketamine therapy help treat this condition?

Marijuana. Weed. Cannabis. The substance goes by many different names. It is a popular mind-altering substance that is most commonly used recreationally and illegally among people of all age groups. Today the perception of weed among many people is that the drug is not as harmful or dangerous in comparison to other mind-altering substances. This sentiment is especially shared among the younger generation. So what type of drug is marijuana? In many cases, marijuana is put into its own classification of cannabis.

Cocaine is one of the most addictive substances often used recreationally to produce feelings of short-term euphoria, hyperactivity, and increased energy levels. The addictive stimulant is derived from the leaves of plants native to the South American region. Misusing or abusing cocaine can lead to dangerous side effects such as cardiac damage, increased blood pressure, and chronic nasal damage if the drug is administered intranasally.

Benzodiazepines are some of the most frequently used and frequently prescribed prescription medications in the U.S. Each year millions of prescriptions are written by clinical providers for benzos such as Xanax and Klonopin. Benzos are also one of the only prescription medications that when abused or misused, can cause both physical dependency and the experience of withdrawal symptoms. These highly potent and highly habit-forming medications are designed for various levels of efficacy and potency. However, even at the lowest potency, they can become addictive and lead to a substance use disorder.

Ketamine therapy and the use of ketamine to help treat various mental health disorders has been on the rise over the past decade. The controversy over the unconventional treatment was brought to the spotlight after the death of American actor Matthew Perry. Perry was found with a significant amount of ketamine in his system equivalent to what doctors would use during general anesthesia and not the typical dose given during medical therapy sessions. The amount of ketamine found in his body is what likely caused him to lose consciousness, which led to his ultimate death.

Alcohol detox and withdrawal can be a very difficult and uncomfortable process to experience. One symptom that many people in treatment experience is insomnia-related alcohol detox. In fact, insomnia and other sleep disturbance disorders are highly linked to alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal during the early stages of recovery. It is a very common symptom and occurs in about half of those who experience alcohol detox and withdrawal. According to a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, insomnia is five times higher in those in early alcohol recovery compared to the general population.

Methamphetamines are one of the most commonly abused drugs in the U.S. It is especially prevalent in the American Midwest. Meth abuse and addiction has become a growing problem. Research has found that an estimated 16 million people have tried meth at least once. One of the most common and most noticeable side effects of meth abuse is the visible deterioration of a person’s physical appearance, especially in the face. In serious cases, it can leave a person completely unrecognizable. This is where the term meth face comes from.

What happens when a person goes through a repeating pattern of binge drinking, detox and withdrawal? Every time a person repeats this pattern, the amount of stimuli needed to engage in withdrawal decreases, while the intensity of withdrawal symptoms increases. This is known as the kindling effect. Each time a person attempts to quit drinking alcohol and relapses and starts drinking again, the brain and body become more sensitive to the drastic changes that occur. Symptoms of withdrawal become more pronounced and intensified due to the chemical reactions occurring in different body systems. Kindling alcohol describes when a person goes through repeated alcohol withdrawals where the symptoms become more and more severe with each relapse.

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful opioid drug. The synthetic substance has been long associated with the decades-long drug overdose epidemic in the United States. According to the California Department of Public Health, fentanyl-related deaths for young people aged 18-39 skyrocketed from 36 in 2018 to 261 in 2020. And according to data from the California Department of Justice, in 2020, an estimated 4000 deaths were attributed to fentanyl overdoses. Fentanyl is largely responsible for more than 70,000 overdose deaths in 2021 alone.