Sharecare to Host Twitter Chat on Drug and Alcohol

ATLANTA, April 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharecare , the digital health company helping people manage all their health in one place, will host a Twitter chat on drug and alcohol addiction awareness on Thursday, April 20, from 12 to 3 pm ET. Using the hashtag #AddictionChat, Sharecare will facilitate the real-time conversation on Twitter, enabling the general public to ask questions of addiction experts from organizations including the CDC and Facing Addiction.   

With nearly 21 million Americans suffering from a substance use disorder involving alcohol or drugs – and two million addicted to prescription opioids – Sharecare is committed to bringing awareness to the country’s addiction epidemic. In November 2016, Sharecare co-founder Dr. Mehmet Oz joined forces with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, the National Council for Behavioral Health and the American Nurses Association and penned an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump, urging him to make addiction a top priority in his administration. Thursday’s Twitter chat is Sharecare’s latest effort to provide people with the information they need to better understand and fight addiction.

Each hour of the chat will focus on a different aspect of addiction, from identifying signs and symptoms to treatment and recovery:

• 12-1 pm: Addiction 101 – Signs, symptoms and risk factors for drug and alcohol abuse, as well as causes of addiction and prevention tips.
• 1-2 pm: Treatment – This hour’s topics will focus on how to deal with withdrawals; what to expect from a treatment facility; and how to support a loved one in recovery.
• 2-3 pm: Recovery – Relevant topics this hour will address what you or a loved one can expect after leaving a treatment facility, tips for navigating social settings, and ways to prevent a relapse.

Hosted by @SharecareInc , #AddictionChat will feature experts from:

• American Chiropractic Association, @ACAtoday
• American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN), @ASPMNLearns
• Baptist Health South Florida, @BaptistHealthSF
• CDC Chronic, @CDCChronic
• CDC Injury Center, @CDCInjury
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), @CDCgov
• Facing Addition, @FacingAddiction
• HealthCorps, @HealthCorps
• HealthyWomen, @HealthyWomen
• International Bipolar Foundation, @IntlBipolar 
• Methodist Healthcare, @SAHealth210
• Members of  Sharecare’s Advisory Board
• National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association, @FibroAndPain
• Sigma Theta Tau International, @STTI  
• St. Mark’s Hospital, @StMarksHosp

To participate, submit your questions and comments on Twitter using the hashtag #AddictionChat any time before 3 pm ET on Thursday, April 20, 2017. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can post questions to Sharecare’s Facebook page , as well as follow the chat live on Sharecare .

About Sharecare Sharecare is the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place. The Sharecare platform provides each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – with a comprehensive and personalized health profile, where they can dynamically and easily connect to the information, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need to live their healthiest, happiest and most productive life. With award-winning and innovative frictionless technologies, scientifically validated clinical protocols and best-in-class coaching tools, Sharecare helps providers, employers and health plans effectively scale outcomes-based health and wellness solutions across their entire populations. To learn more, visit  www.sharecare.com .

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Media Contact: Kirsten McCrary kmccrary@sharecare.com 404.389.4033