If you or a loved one have been taking an opioid like heroin, morphine, oxycodone, or fentanyl, and have been trying to quit, it can be extremely difficult. If you’ve tried doing it on your own, and found you can’t, you may be looking into medication-assisted treatment (MAT). It’s important to know that you’re not […]
They never asked what kind of opioid it was. They didn’t stop to question the details. As parents, friends, and loved ones grieving a life lost to an opioid overdose, they can’t help but wonder – would knowing have made a difference? Now, all that remains is the aching void, the memory of laughter, and […]
The opioid epidemic has taken many lives too soon – loved ones who had goals, dreams, and life beyond opioids. When their light is gone, all it leaves is a trail of darkness heading nowhere. What if there was a way to give them a chance to heal, to be revived from an overdose, and […]
The brain typically controls our behaviors and makes them make sense, but what happens when things are off? You find yourself feeling down and empty, wondering if anything will bring you light again. The idea of trying a substance like opioids doesn’t seem like a logical path, but as the days of endless sorrow continue […]
The excitement of shaking hands as you land the job you have been wanting is shattered as your employer hands you a piece of paper. It lists locations approved for your pre-employment drug screen. Your heart sinks – you know you can’t pass the test because of Percocet, which you do not have a prescription […]
Opioids have taken too many lives from Appalachian residents each year, including our daughters, sons, friends, parents, and loved ones. In Tennessee, the rate of fatal drug overdoses per 100,000 in 2021 was 56.6, which was over 20 higher than the national average. While we can speculate that these overdoses were from opioids, how many […]
You have done it many times before and never been successful. Opioids have such a grip on you that every time you try to quit, it doesn’t seem to stick. You’ve even experienced an overdose before, but nothing has worked to help you stop. Even quitting opioids cold turkey didn’t work – it was actually […]
You want to stop, you know you can’t keep going on like this. But every time you try, the nausea is terrible, the sweat never seems to stop, and the pain in your joints is just too much. The only thing that makes it go away is taking another PercocetⓇ (oxycodone/acetaminophen), the very thing you […]
All substances – both legal and illicit – have some form of side effects. Even simple, over-the-counter cold medicine can cause adverse reactions. Though reactions to medications deemed as “safe” are rare, there can always be the chance of severe side effects. These can be as severe as resulting in life-threatening consequences. In 2022, over […]
The ache in your chest is that of grief, knowing your loved one has seemed to choose Percocet® (oxycodone/acetaminophen) over their family. You thought you saw the signs, but in the end, you were unaware of how serious the situation was. You are not alone. The prescription opioid dispensing rate in Scott County was 140.4 […]
