Treating Opioid Dependence

Ginari Gibb Price is a psychiatrist who lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia, where she specializes in Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry. She attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and has completed a general psychiatry residency and two fellowship programs.

Her areas of expertise include autism, developmental disorders, sleep medicine, substance dependence, depression, trauma, anxiety disorders, psychosis, and neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. “I am one of the few physicians in my area trained and certified to prescribe Suboxone for opiate detoxification and addiction,” she says.

Suboxone, says Ginari Gibb Price, is a highly effective treatment of opioid dependence. Opioids are medications used to treat pain, but that can be highly addictive if not used properly. Medications that are classified as opioids include morphine and hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin.

As Ginari Gibb Price knows, this class of drugs can be very dangerous when used recreationally. She says that by treating a patient who has become dependent on opioids with Suboxone, the effects of withdrawal symptoms and cravings can be reduced, thereby helping the patient begin to recover from the dependence. But it must be carefully prescribed and managed, because Suboxone itself can be addictive, and patients may feel withdrawal symptoms as they come off of it.

Opioid dependence is a complex condition, says Ginari Gibb Price, and recovery involves more than just the physical symptoms of craving and withdrawal. Counseling is an equally important part of the recovery process, and ideally goes to the root causes of the use and misuse of opioids. Even after kicking their habits, former addicts are at risk for relapse from numerous psychological and social factors. But with a personal commitment and with the kind of help she can provide, many addicts stand an excellent chance of recovery.

Teenagers Need More Sleep

Double board certified Dr. Ginari G. Price has been practicing medicine for over 10 years. Currently serving as the medical director at Psycare, LLC, in Fayetteville, Georgia, Dr. Ginari G. Price has also completed a fellowship in sleep medicine. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, most 13-18-year olds do not sleep enough each night.

Recent studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control show that up to 69 percent of teenagers do not sleep the recommended 8-10 hours per night. The lack of sleep not only hinders a teen’s ability to learn, but can also increase mood problems and patterns of bad decision-making.

Sleep is an important ingredient in promoting a teenager’s overall good health. In order to help teenagers receive the recommended amount of sleep, parents can set good examples and work to optimize good sleep habits.

First, a regular and consistent routine helps establish a teenager’s natural sleep rhythms. Additionally, parents can help their teen wake up more fully by exposing them to sunlight first thing in the morning. Finally, ridding a bedroom of electronic devices such as televisions, phones, and computers can help a teen rest more fully by eliminating the temptation to stay up late communicating with peers.

Since most junior and senior high schools begin classes at a very early hour, many parents have petitioned their school boards to delay school start times in an effort to help teens get the rest they need. These efforts have met varying results across the country. Currently, only 14 percent of schools begin at 8:30 or later.