In the midst of the opioid crisis in the United States, employers have been cracking down on drug use in and out of the work place.

In this episode of Straight Talk, James P. Randisi, a drug testing expert, joins Mike to discuss the different kinds of drug tests employers can use, their reliability, and why there has been such an increase in positive test results.

Members of the LGBTQIA community face many forms of social stigma and discrimination that heterosexuals do not face, including in substance use treatment.

Although as much as 30 percent of the LGBTQIA community has a history with substance use disorder (a rate almost three times that of heterosexuals) there is a profound lack of resources, treatment centers and programs that serve the specific needs of the LGBTQIA community.

In this episode of Straight Talk with Mike Gimbel, Tyler Howard, a therapist with Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, shares about his own experiences facing discrimination in health and substance use treatment, and about the identity affirming work he does for the LGBTQIA community as a therapist.

In this episode of Straight Talk, Mike sits down with members of Lucas County Police Department to discuss the D.A.R.T. program, which places those with substance use disorder into treatment rather than getting arrested.

David Allen Roesner used to drink to cope with the shame he felt for being gay, and very quickly it took over his entire life, leaving him with many unfulfilled ambitions. Now three years sober (as of 2016), David has embarked on painting and a career in architecture.

In this episode of Straight Talk, David and Mike chat about the healing power that the arts can have for someone in recovery, and how addiction and alcoholism disproportionately impact the LGBTQIA community. Addiction therapist Rachel Markus joins the two to discuss methods to prevent recurring substance use.

When a parent has a substance use disorder, it often causes children to have behavioral problems, anything from isolation to hyperactivity. Research suggests that children of parents with SUD will develop their own addiction in adolescence or adulthood.

In this episode of Straight Talk, addictions therapist Corinne Burnett, LCSW, joins Mike to discuss how when a person recovers from substance use disorder, their entire family needs to recover.

In 2014, Tammy Lofink lost her son Robert to a drug overdose. He was 18 years old.

On the episode of Straight Talk with Mike Gimbel, Tammy tells her son Robert's story and offers hope for families who have also lost a loved one to overdose. Drug treatment expert, Zach Snitzer also joins Mike to advocate for better long-term treatment options and more plentiful resources to combat drug use.

Colleen Waterfield grew up in Arbutus, Maryland and got into partying at a pretty young age. Rather quickly, her drinking turned to drug use, and although she got kicked out of a Catholic school, she did graduate high school, as she says, by the skin of her teeth. By the age of 20, she developed an addiction to Percocets.

In this episode of Straight Talk, Waterfield joins Mike to discuss her own path to recovery, and the barriers that women face before seeking help for their addiction.

Although drug addiction and alcoholism are quite prevalent throughout the United States, many people with a substance use disorder and their families are unaware of how many addiction treatment programs are available and how to access these resources.

Brandon Novak is not a stranger to success. By age 15, he was a professional skateboarder and rubbing elbows with sports industry legends like Tony Hawk and Michael Jordan. After being a member of Hawk's skateboard team, Novak fell into the fast life of partying, drinking and using drugs. When things got out of hand, Hawk gave him an ultimatum: go to treatment, or leave the team. Novak quit.

Substance use disorder is an all encompassing condition, effecting a person's physical, mental, and some say, spiritual health. In order to fully recover, many try to actively address each of these facets.