Substance Use Therapy

If you have ever seen a truly terrible play, then you understand the difference between two people talking and two people communicating.  So much is happening beyond words when people communicate.  Frequently, when conversations don’t go well it isn’t just because of the words we use, it is the way we use them.  We can say the ‘right’ thing all day long, but if we accompany it with an eye roll, or say it while sending a text, then we probably weren’t really heard.

Nitrous oxide is a gas and belongs to a class of drugs called dissociative anesthetics, the same drug class as ketamine. A drug that “dissociates” is one that makes people feel separate from themselves and/or their environment. While not considered a psychedelic, like mushrooms, dissociative anesthetics can cause people to experience hallucinations. Nitrous oxide comes in pressurized canisters of assorted sizes depending on the intended application.

People often use the word mania to describe their increased energy or why they cleaned their kitchen so thoroughly. It has become a bit of buzzword that gets used casually. However, mania is both more severe and more serious than a bout of increased energy. Mania comprises signs and symptoms that characterize a mood disorder, not a mood.

In media, it is opioid withdrawal that gets all the attention. Countless movies and TV shows have depicted someone addicted to heroin and the harrowing experience of coming off it. Yes, opioid withdrawal sucks, but it is not likely to kill you. Withdrawing from alcohol might.