Colorado’s Battle With Deadly Fentanyl

Fentanyl deaths are soaring in Colorado and many overdoses are occurring as users unknowingly ingest other drugs (such as heroin) laced with the powerful synthetic opioid. In April, for example, Shanna Lewis reported on Colorado Public Radio (CPR) that deaths involving fentanyl have been doubling annually over the last five years in El Paso County: […]

Alcohol Use Shrinks Your Brain

Alcohol consumption is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions around the world, with harmful effects on physical, cognitive, and social functioning. Chronic excessive alcohol use is associated with a multitude of adverse effects, including (but not […]

US Employers are Facing Increasing Positive Results on Drug Tests

Drug and alcohol problems can be a tricky issue for human resource managers. Many Americans who misuse illegal drugs and alcohol are employed. For many decades, employers have been trying to detect job seekers and workers who misuse substances by requiring drug tests. Last year, the percentage of US employees testing positive for a drug […]

Unexpected Companions at Innovative Valiant Living Detox and Assessment

Detoxification is not an easy time for patients in early recovery. Many are still seriously struggling with their addiction while experiencing withdrawal symptoms. At Valiant Living Detox and Assessment, the team likes to start the healing process for patients in a slightly different way—not just with medicine. “We have always been interested in redefining detoxification […]

Alcohol Misuse Linked to Lower Connectivity in Brain Areas Processing Emotions

“Addictions, including substance use disorders (SUDs), are multistep conditions that, by definition, require exposure to an addictive agent. The wide variety of addictive agents encompasses drugs, foods, sex, video gaming, and gambling. Any of these agents may lead to an ‘addicted state’ through neurobiological pathways partially overlapping with those involved in addiction to psychoactive substances,” […]

Why Relapse is No Reason to Despair

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) still defines addiction as “a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.” Although Harvard Professor of Psychiatry in the Field of Addiction Medicine John Kelly et al. were skeptical of the “chronic, relapsing” characterization of addiction in their 2019 study, they still […]

The Importance of Secondary Intervention Following Detox

Some people with a substance use disorder (SUD) who consider medical detoxification for the first time tend to focus on the short term: control the physical withdrawal symptoms for a short period of time after which they think they will be fine. They erroneously believe that purging the addictive substance(s) from their body is the […]

Innovative Transitional Residential Option at Valiant Living Detox and Assessment

For many people with addiction, the recovery journey begins with detoxification. However, after completing this important first step, there are sometimes questions as to what to do next. A detox may be an essential part of the recovery process, but it’s not a cure. It’s only the start of a potentially much longer process that […]

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