Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating loss. An insurer is a company selling the insurance; an insured is the person or entity buying the insurance. The insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage, called the premium. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and practice.

Methadone and Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine and methadone are not heroin/opioid substitutes. Doctors prescribed or administered these drugs under monitored, controlled conditions and are safe and effective for treating opioid addiction when used as directed. Doctors administer drugs orally or under the tongue in specified doses and pharmacological effects differ from those of heroin and other abused opioids. Users of heroin, for example, often inject, snort or smoke the drug, causing an almost immediate "rush," or brief period of euphoria, that wears off quickly and ends in a "crash." The individual then experiences an intense craving to use again in order to stop the crash and reinstate the euphoria. The cycle of euphoria, crash and craving sometimes occurs several times a day. The cycle is a hallmark of addiction and results in severe behavioral disruption. These characteristics result from the rapid onset of the effects of heroin and the short duration of action in the brain. As used in maintenance treatment, methadone and buprenorphine are not heroin or opioid substitutes. In contrast, methadone and buprenorphine have gradual onsets of action and produce stable levels of the drug in the brain. As a result, patients maintained on these medications do not experience a rush, while also markedly reducing desire to use opioids. When patient is on methadone or buprenorphine for treatment takes heroin, patient does not feel the full euphoric effects of the heroin. The methadone or buprenorphine dampen and suppress the effects of the heroin. Patients undergoing maintenance treatment do not experience the physiological or behavioral abnormalities from rapid fluctuations in drug levels associated with heroin use. Maintenance treatments save lives. Medicinal treatment helps stabilize individuals, allowing doctors to treat other medical and psychological problems a patient may have in order to reintegrate the patient into society.

Do You Think You Have a Sleep Disorder?

At various points in life, almost everyone suffers from a lack of sleep. People can easily repay these sleep debts by later on getting enough sleep. However, if a person spends enough time in bed and still wakes up tired or feel very sleepy during the day, this may be a sign of a sleep disorder.
One of the best ways to determine a good quality of sleep and the signs of a sleep disorder is keeping a sleep diary. Use the "Sample Sleep Diary" to record the quality and quantity of sleep; any use of medications, alcohol and caffeinated beverages; exercise patterns; and the levels of sleepiness felt during the day. After a week or so, look over this information to see how many hours of sleep or nighttime awak­enings relate to being tired the next day. This information will provide a sense of how much uninterrupted sleep needed in order to avoid daytime sleepiness.
If a sleep diary reveals any of the following, see a doctor:

• Consistently taking more than 30 minutes each night to fall asleep.
• Consistently waking up more than a few times or for long periods of time each night.
• Taking frequent naps.
• Feeling sleepy during the day, especially if falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day.