Substance Abuse Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/tag/substance-abuse/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:03:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://heatherhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-HH_logo-32x32.png Substance Abuse Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/tag/substance-abuse/ 32 32 From Silos to Synergy: Building Trauma Responsive Ecosystems in the Age of AI https://heatherhayes.com/from-silos-to-synergy-building-trauma-responsive-ecosystems-in-the-age-of-ai/ Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:03:07 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7772 Behavioral health clinicians are practicing in a moment of extraordinary complexity. Severe mental illness is rising, and substance use disorders continue to evolve in potency and presentation. Families are overwhelmed. Providers are burned out, and social determinants of health widen disparities. Artificial intelligence is entering care faster than ethical frameworks are solidifying. Yet our systems […]

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]]> Nitrous Oxide Abuse in America: Rising Deaths, Neurological Damage, and the Danger of Large Tanks https://heatherhayes.com/nitrous-oxide-abuse-in-america-rising-deaths-neurological-damage-and-the-danger-of-large-tanks/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:29:11 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7465 Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, has long been used safely in medical and dental settings. In recent years, however, recreational nitrous oxide use in the United States has increased, particularly outside of clinical supervision. What was once associated primarily with small canisters known as whippits has evolved into a more concerning trend: the […]

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]]> Connection as Medicine: Reclaiming Relationships after Trauma and Substance Use Disorder https://heatherhayes.com/connection-as-medicine-reclaiming-relationships-after-trauma-and-substance-use-disorder/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7180 “Every person I’ve ever met in the throes of addiction has been searching for the same thing: connection.” – Johann Hari Addiction, at its core, is not about moral failure, weakness, or lack of willpower. It is about separation or disconnection from self, from others, and often from any sense of safety in the world. […]

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]]> What Is Kratom? https://heatherhayes.com/what-is-kratom/ Sun, 26 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=5572 Kratom is marketed and sold as an energy booster, mood enhancer, pain reliever, and herbal remedy for opioid withdrawal. Kratom and kratom-based products are currently legal and widely accessible in the US, although the FDA has not approved the substance for any medical use.[1] Rare but serious effects of kratom use have been reported, including […]

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]]> What Is Chemsex? https://heatherhayes.com/what-is-chemsex/ Sun, 11 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=5386 Chemsex is a term that refers to the voluntary use of recreational drugs during sexual activities. It is a practice that is most commonly associated with gay and bisexual men who do this in order to enhance the pleasure and general experience of sex. However, there are a number of dangers attached to the practice. […]

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]]> Grief While Your Loved One with a SUD is Still Alive https://heatherhayes.com/grief-while-your-loved-one-is-still-alive/ Sun, 09 Oct 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=5232 “Grief is the price we pay for love.” ~ Queen Elizabeth II Family members of those suffering with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) may not be aware of the pivotal role that grief plays in their experience. We tend to consider grief as a natural reaction to a particular set of conditions. For example, it […]

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]]> Growing Up At Risk: Part One https://heatherhayes.com/growing-up-at-risk-part-one/ Fri, 29 Jul 2022 16:30:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4992 Children of Parents with Substance Use Disorder Substance use disorder (SUD) is a widespread problem in the United States. This condition affects individuals from every walk of life, as well as from every social or cultural background. Furthermore, as I have written about in the past, the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to increased substance […]

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]]> The Changing Landscape of Drug Use: Part Two https://heatherhayes.com/changing-landscape-of-drug-use-part-two/ Fri, 01 Jul 2022 16:30:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4959 Understanding how social change and technological development have shifted the way substance use disorders (SUD) affect individuals and families [This is part two of a two-part blog on the topic of the changing culture of drug use in the United States and beyond. If you haven’t read part one, I recommend doing so first.] In […]

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]]> Substance Abuse at Work https://heatherhayes.com/substance-abuse-at-work/ Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4880 Understanding substance use disorder in the workplace In the modern world, many of us will spend an enormous percentage of our lives at our workplaces. Whether you are employed as the worker on the floor of a car manufacturing plant or run your own clothing store in the neighborhood, your work will likely consume a […]

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]]> Women and Substance Use Disorder Treatment https://heatherhayes.com/women-substance-use-disorder-treatment/ Sun, 27 Mar 2022 04:30:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4828 This month is Women’s History Month, dedicated to uplifting women’s voices throughout history. Something that is infrequently discussed is women with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and their recovery treatment options. Substance Use Disorders have historically been considered a male problem, something that women did not struggle with. This was not the case, however, as women […]

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]]> Overdose Myths https://heatherhayes.com/overdose-myths/ Sun, 03 Oct 2021 04:05:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4631 Around 841,000 Americans have died from a drug overdose in the last 20 years.[1] Synthetic opioids are the primary driver of overdose fatalities and account for 70.6% of all overdose deaths. As I have previously written, the opioid crisis we face in the United States stems from a  lack of education, unfounded stigma, and misinformation, […]

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]]> Overdose – The Deadly Epidemic Reaching Record Highs https://heatherhayes.com/overdose-the-deadly-epidemic-reaching-record-highs/ Sun, 25 Jul 2021 04:05:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4495 “This has been an incredibly uncertain and stressful time for many people, and we are seeing an increase in consumption, difficulty in accessing lifesaving treatments for substance use disorders and a tragic rise in overdose deaths.” ~ Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute of Health Over the last year, we have seen the Covid-19 pandemic […]

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