Whether socializing or celebrating, alcohol is often present—and it can have a strong effect, especially when it is consumed excessively. People have struggled to understand and manage alcohol’s power: to understand how much is too much, or why some people become addicted while others do not. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the effects of alcohol use can vary from person to person, and depends on a number of factors like your age, your health and family history, how much you drink and how often you drink. If you or a loved one is experiencing issues in your personal life, your work life or your health because of your alcohol use, you may have a problem.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and others.
All opioids are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription). Regular use—even as prescribed by a doctor—can lead to dependence and, when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to addiction, overdose incidents and deaths.
It can be difficult to tell when a loved one is struggling with addiction. Learn more about some of the common warning signs here, or call us at 800-832-1022 and select option 1 for a no-cost, confidential screening.
Information provided by The National Institute on Drug Abuse and The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Stonington Institute’s professional staff are here to help. Call 800-832-1022 or 860-535-1010 and select option 1 for a no-cost screening that gathers demographic, insurance and clinical information needed by the assessment team. If you need immediate medical assistance, contact 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.