Bath Salts not LSD are Probably Responsible for Face Eating Zombie

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The story of the man eating another man’s face in Miama last Saturday has gone viral.  Rudy Eugene, the perpetrator, was most likely on bath salts according to this report from NPR. 

This makes much more sense than the initial response of officer Armando Aguilar who said: “I don’t know if there’s any such a thing as good LSD out there but apparently this is really bad LSD.” LSD taken in excess can be scary for the user but typically causes them to shut down into a helpless and non threatening state.…

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Psychiatrists Expand Definition of Addiction for DSM-5

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Psychiatrists and mental health specialists who are revising the manual used to diagnose mental disorders have just agreed to revise the definition of addiction. According to The New York Times, this decision could mean that millions more people will be diagnosed as addicted. The impact will affect health insurers, taxpayers and families of patients across the nation.

The manual, known as the DSM (for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), is currently undergoing its fifth revision and is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year and released in May 2013. The manual is used to by insurance companies to determine coverage, by courts to determine the mental fitness of defendants and by a host of other government agencies and private organizations. The American Psychiatric Association is responsible for the content of the DSM-5.…

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Oxycontin: Manufacturing a Harder to Abuse Pill

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Oxycontin is a powerful narcotic prescribed for pain control in patients with cancer or other medical condition that is accompanied by excruciating pain, it releases the active ingredient oxycodone gradually over 12 hours after taking the drug.

This formulation was designed in 1996. Soon opiate addicts found that crushing the pill, the resulting powder could be used for either snorting or injecting, achieving effects as powerful as those achieved with the heroin. This practice has resulted in several deaths from overdose.…

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Government Considers Distribution of Overdose Antidote Naloxone or Narcan

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To help stem the tide of overdose deaths from prescription drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin, the U.S. FDA for the first time is considering widespread distribution of a drug that is an antidote for drug overdoses.

Naloxone, which has been available by prescription for nearly two decades, may soon be available as an over-the-counter medication. Sold under the brand name Narcan, naloxone is non-addictive, nontoxic and able to reverse the effects of potentially fatal drug overdoses. In addition to counteracting an overdose from prescription drugs including oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, codeine and fentanyl, naloxone is effective when used with heroin overdoses.…

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Nearly 6 Million Seniors in need of Substance Abuse Treatment by 2020

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A government report released earlier this year predicts that by 2020 the number of adults over age 50 in need of substance abuse treatment will double from the current annual average of 2.8 million to an estimated 5.7 million per year. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also reports that treatment admissions doubled in adults age 50 and over between 1992 and 2008.

Unlike teenagers and young adults who may abuse drugs and alcohol because they are seeking adventure, one of the leading causes of substance abuse for older adults is depression. According to the Administration on Aging, many of the changes that are associated with growing older in America can lead to depression. These changes involve a combination of physical, social, psychological and vocational issues.…

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Alcohol in the High Tech Workplace

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In the past two decades, most corporations have established a culture that discourages the use of alcohol on the job.

According to Bloomberg News, many high tech companies are bucking this trend by relaxing the no-alcohol rule and providing employees with free booze during working hours.…

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Black Tar Heroin “Falling out of the Sky” in Ohio

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New data released by the state of Ohio indicates that heroin use is so prevalent that the drug seems to be “falling out of the sky.” The drug, which many drug abusers are turning to as a cheap substitute for prescription painkillers like OxyContin, is being used by children as young as 13. Since prescription drug abuse is a nationwide problem, the heroin situation in Ohio could be just the tip of the iceberg. …

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Newport Beach Doctor Prescribed His Own Amphetamines To His Girlfriends Names

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According to an article in the Orange County Register, a Newport Beach doctor named Brian Swan prescribed amphetamines to his girlfriend (and ex girlfriend) in order to fuel his own addiction.

This is a sad story of the impaired healer.  It is not an uncommon one whatsoever.…

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