May 10th is set to be the first ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The aim is to raise awareness about illicit fentanyl in counterfeit pills and illicit drugs that has been the primary cause in recent increases in overdose deaths, particularly among 14-to-23-year-olds. The call-to-action is simple: spread the word on social media with the … Read more
May 8-14 is National Prevention Week (NPW) sponsored by SAMHSA. The purpose of NPW is to provide a national public education platform to bring together communities and organizations to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health. May 8th not only kicks off NPW but is also National Prevention Day. … Read more
April 4th-10th is National Public Health Week. The opioid epidemic is a priority for many public health institutions, such as the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of the Surgeon General, to name a few. One of RCORP’s objectives is to expand harm reduction programs in our rural communities. Harm … Read more
April is Stress Awareness Month. While observed mostly in the UK, recognizing stress as a potential stumbling-block to well-being is certainly a worldwide endeavor. When applying it to our RCORP community, untreated stress has long been recognized as a driving element to initial substance misuse and relapse. Learning stress management skills not only helps individuals … Read more
March 30 is World Bipolar Day. A 2016 SAMHSA Advisory reports that rates of SUD are high among people with bipolar disorder. Research suggests that from 30%-50% of people with bipolar disorder will develop a SUD. On March 30, the organizers of World Bipolar Day encourage those with social media accounts to share the hashtags … Read more
It has been estimated that nearly 2/3 of inmates in US jails and prisons have a substance use disorder. Historically, SUDs have not been addressed by the prison system while a person is incarcerated. This contributes to a cycle of recidivism that’s detrimental, not only to the individual and their loved ones, but also to … Read more
February is Black History Month. This presents an opportunity to shine a light on the toll that substance use and mental health disorders can have on Black/African American communities. While occurrence rates are similar in all populations, quality treatment options are less accessible for Black/African Americans. The rate of increase of Black/African American drug overdose … Read more
February 2nd is Groundhog Day – that momentous day when a furry woodland creature’s shadow (or lack of) supposedly predicts an early or late Spring. You may be wondering, “What does Groundhog Day have to do with substance use disorder?” That takes us to the 1993 movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray in which the … Read more
The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, is offering 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests to all U.S. households, including U.S territories and overseas military and diplomatic addresses. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Click here to order your free at-home tests. The … Read more
The New Year brings an opportunity to start fresh with new ways of thinking about addiction and recovery! Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) wrote an essay with recommendations for how to change traditional thinking about substance misuse and what it means to be in recovery. Characterizing drug addiction … Read more
