DR. MONA VAND – THE MODERN PHARMACIST

TURNS TO ADDICTION RECOVERY EXPERT

ASHER GOTTESMAN TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE AND ADDICTION

ON HER LATEST ‘MONA MINUTES’ VIDEO

LOS ANGELES – Committed to education and the imparting of potentially life-saving information as part of her dynamic multi-media platform connecting pharmaceutical science and overall wellness, Dr. Mona Vand – The Modern Pharmacist (www.DrMonaVand.com) invites an outside expert in her latest“Mona Minutes” video to explain the difference between physical dependence on drugs and addictions.

Dr. Vand starts the clip (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb2I_CGskLY) by saying, “A lot of people don’t understand the difference…both of these can occur from taking a drug that has high abuse potential.” To help illuminate the differences, she turns to Asher Gottesman, CEO and Founder of theTranscend Recovery Community (www.transcendrecoverycommunity.com).

Gottesman explains: “Dependence is when somebody starts to take a medication and becomes physically dependent on it. They actually need it. When their doctor tells them to get off, they may need to go to a facility to detox. However, it’s not feeding any other symptom, whether that be emotional…it’s feeding a physical symptom.          

He adds, “The addict is told by his or her doctor to get off, but they look for every other possible way to get the medication, to feed the problem or provide a short term solution. Without access to their pain medication, they turn to the street to get heroin. That’s why we unfortunately have an opiate epidemic.”

Mona says, “I’ve seen drug addiction occur after patients become dependent on a medication they’ve been taking for years. It starts with needing higher doses to treat the physical pain, then turns into a mental addiction.”

The key points Dr. Mona and her guest make are:

* Everyday, over 100 people die from drug overdose

* In 2014, narcotics were listed in the 20 most prescribed drugs

* Drug addiction is a brain disease

* Drug dependence and addiction are often involuntary

* Withdrawal symptoms are very painful and often harmful to the body

Dr. Mona Vand, The Modern Pharmacist, is putting a fresh face on the traditional world of pharmacy. Her Modern Pharmacist Movement combines her years of experience in pharmacy with her passion and expertise in nutrition, beauty, fitness and overall wellness.