The Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine Blog
13
Oct 16
Naltrexone Therapy Might Be The Right Choice
I've been a nurse practitioner for about 16 years, almost nine of those at The Coleman Institute. When I interviewed with Dr. Coleman, I understood he needed a family nurse practitioner.
It was a nice setting--close enough that I could walk or bike if I chose--and he seemed like a cool, laid-back Kiwi and a reasonable boss. I was strongly considering the position when he informed me that he actually ran two businesses under one roof: in addition to the family practice he also had a substance abuse program where he did outpatient rapid opiate detoxes.
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Oct 16
Escaping Pain With Opiates
What would you have to give up if you stopped blaming yourself?
I heard this question asked during a podcast by Tara Brach, who teaches topics on meditation. She was making the point that so often the voice that appears and reappears in our head has the tone of Aversive Judgment. This voice is not like the Wise Discrimination voice that cleanly processes problems to arrive at solutions; this is the voice that is telling - if not shouting - the story of What's Wrong With Me.
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Sep 16
Help for Chronic Pain Patients
A lot of the patients who come to us to be detoxed off opiates have never used street drugs. They are chronic pain patients who have become dependent on opiate pain medicine prescribed to them in a doctor’s office.
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Sep 16
Post-Opioid Detox Peace
Patients who come to The Coleman Institute for a rapid opioid detox return every two months for their follow up naltrexone implants. I must admit it sometimes takes me a few minutes before I completely remember them.
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11
Apr 16
Expecting Miracles
I’m not saying that miracles can’t and don’t happen anytime and anywhere, but seeing miracles is a daily occurrence in my job.
For instance…this week James* came in to get his second naltrexone implant. April did the implant, but she grabbed me on his way out and said, “I knew you’d want to say hello to James.”
Now I’m getting older and a lot of times it takes me a minute to remember who I’m looking at. That’s what was going on as I looked at this handsome, smiling young man in front of me. He grinned kind of sheepishly and said, “ Sorry I gave you guys such a hard time during my detox.”
And then I remembered. James was terrified of the Accelerated Opiate Detox process. He had heard some horror stories about the ultra rapid detox done under anesthesia, but even more than that, he was terrified to give up his dope. It had become a very reliable friend to him. He had a three-week old son at home, and he knew he wanted to be the kind of dad this little one deserved. So he took a deep breath and went through with it.
Checking on him the first couple weeks after he was done, James was struggling with anxiety and sleeping issues. We encouraged him, gave him some tips, urged him to continue with the therapist we’d helped him find and assured him what he was feeling was normal.
And now, here he was, two months later. The 145 pound, 6 foot, acne-ridden guy that was with us in January was transformed. James has put on 15 pounds. His skin is clear, his smile is huge. He proudly flashed us a picture of his son.
That’s a miracle.
Look for another miracle story in the next couple days.
Joan R. Shepherd, FNP
*I don’t use anyone’s real name, and I change details that might identify a patient.
