The Coleman Institute Blog

This has become a very common scenario and patients from all around the country are calling the Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine for help. It’s important to understand the difference between addiction and physical dependence. Addiction, at its simplest, can be defined as continued use despite adverse consequences.

Recovery is a lifelong process, fraught with many twists and turns. A friend who has been sober from alcohol for two and a half years told me a story yesterday that brought this point home. She had just renewed her Costco membership and went there for the first time since she became sober.

Patients with Substance Use Disorder may struggle with relapse after surgery. In this article, we discuss how both Al and Paula needed to receive help from the Coleman Institute after having surgery and taking prescribed pain medication.

For a person struggling with opioid addiction, the freedom to wake up in the morning and not need to chase the drug to keep from being sick is nothing short of miraculous.

Although there are always some exceptions, most patients who use long-acting naltrexone are astonished at how quickly the cravings are absolutely gone. I have heard this over and over again from our patients. If you are wondering how long does naltrexone last, and how it can aid in your recovery, we have the answers below.

The use of naltrexone has been a cornerstone of the treatment for Substance Use Disorders at the Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine in Richmond, Virginia, since its inception over 20 years ago.

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist with no opioid agonist properties. It is, essentially, a blocker on the opioid receptors. While it sits on these receptors, it does not create euphoria or physical dependence or tolerance or addiction. Instead, it prevents opioids from landing on the receptors.