Substance Abuse

If you are physically dependent upon hydrocodone and would like to stop taking the drug, your doctor will recommend that you taper off your dose until you are no longer using the substance at all. This is a simple process that does not require any further support or treatment – as long as you are not psychologically … Read more

It’s one of the most commonly debated topics in the political arena as more and more states put legislation on the ballot that would legalize marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational use. One of the greatest myths perpetrated by proponents of legal use of the drug is that its use is not only safe but that … Read more

Not all drugs are created equal. Some nudge open the door to addiction, and others break that door down. Some have innocuous origins, and others were crafted for no other reason than to poison and corrupt. Similarly, the attitudes and stereotypes towards different types of drugs are not all equal. Some drugs are welcomed and celebrated; … Read more

More than 16 million American adults over the age of 17 were classified with an alcohol use disorder in 2013, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports. When you think of an alcoholic, or someone who regularly engages in unhealthy and heavy drinking episodes, you might picture someone with broken relationships, financial trouble, difficulties … Read more

The way you see the world is caused, in part, by the way your eyes react to the light. The solid objects around you also play a role. But the cells of your brain do a great deal of work. They take in the information from your senses, interpret that data, and tell your consciousness what … Read more

Anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing drugs are becoming increasingly common in the world of athletics. Their use has become so commonplace that some athletes may fear that they won’t be competitive without using them. However, use of steroids poses serious health risks, including the risk of contracting a chronic and potentially fatal case of hepatitis. … Read more

While about 10-18 percent of the overall American population deals with sleep disorders, 50-80 percent of those with psychiatric disorders struggle with sleep each night, according to Harvard Medical School. While those with sleep disorders might feel physically exhausted, they might be unable to drift off to dreamland when their heads hit their pillows. They might … Read more

Rehab gives people a break from pressures and responsibilities so they can focus solely on sobriety. The next step in recovery is leaving treatment and learning to live in the real world. For some people making that leap feels too daunting. Recovery experts recommend that those individuals consider transitional living environments also called halfway houses or … Read more

It’s often easy to look at life as though it has always been the way it is now, but addiction wasn’t as well-understood as it is today. Over the years, overdose-related deaths and the negative effect addiction has had on society have brought awareness to an otherwise shrouded issue. Today, the number of people abusing drugs and … Read more

Alcohol is readily available, as well as legal and socially acceptable. The 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NDUH) reported that 87.6 percent of adults had consumed alcohol at some point in their lives. Drinking alcohol in moderation does not generally constitute a problem. The issue occurs, however, when someone’s drinking leads to a physical … Read more

Kratom is an old drug that’s now being put to new use. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that Kratom has been used as a drug in Thailand and Southeast Asia for decades. Kratom trees were prevalent in this area, until they were banned in 1943, so it was relatively easy for people who live there to … Read more

Although you might not be aware of what research chemicals are, we are currently experiencing a rising risk of abuse of these chemicals in the US. Research chemicals are psychoactive drugs that are discovered through the research of and experimentation on existing drugs. Existing drugs are researched and experimented with so scientists can better understand … Read more

When a person shows up at the emergency room with symptoms that show their blood sugar is through the roof, the doctor gets them going on insulin immediately after making a diagnosis of diabetes. It’s a no brainer, right? Yet, why aren’t people who show up at the ER with an opioid use disorder – … Read more

Ambien, also known as zolpidem, entered the drug market in 1992 as a sleep aid with promising results. NPR states around 60 million Americans struggle with sleep disorders. For many of these people, Ambien came as a lifesaver and finally provided relief from sleepless nights. When used as prescribed, the traditional form of the drug is taken at bedtime … Read more

“Wet brain” is a term used to describe Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome – a type of brain damage that is caused by alcohol abuse. Wet brain is linked to excessive alcohol abuse and an incredibly serious condition. Alcohol Abuse and Its Connection to Wet Brain The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) published in 2013 that 86.8 … Read more

Seroquel is a prescription atypical antipsychotic medication used in the treatment of disorders like depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Over a one-year period of time, American doctors wrote more than 54 million prescriptions for antipsychotics like Seroquel, IMS Health states. The base chemical in this drug is fumaric acid salt. It is intended to treat these disorders … Read more

When it comes to our country’s opioid epidemic, much is resting in the hands of the nation’s family doctors. And at the American College of Physicians’ Annual Internal Medicine Meeting in April 2017 in San Diego, the painkiller addiction issue indeed took center stage. A freelance journalist for Foundations Recovery Network attended the conference this … Read more

Women abused as children are at increased risk of dying young, a new study in JAMA Psychiatry shows, and part of the reason may be trauma-induced drug and alcohol use.1 Edith Chen of Northwestern University in Chicago and colleagues analyzed data from 6,285 adults who participated in the national survey of Midlife Development in the United States … Read more

Have you always struggled with tasks that required reading? Do you have trouble pronouncing written words or interpreting numbers? Did you grow up hating school because your teachers criticized the quality of your handwriting? Did you excel in certain classes, but consistently do poorly in subjects like spelling or grammar? If you meet these criteria, … Read more

There are numerous different physical and psychiatric signs that can indicate the use of cocaine in someone you love. Because the drug is deadly and its use can contribute to the development of a number of acute medical emergencies and chronic deadly illnesses, it is recommended that no amount of cocaine abuse be ignored. Early intervention and … Read more

Depression is one of the most frequently detected mental health issues in the United States, and antidepressants are one of the most common prescriptions. There are a few different types of antidepressant medications, each one designed to improve the function of neurotransmitters in the brain and increase the accessibility of feel good chemicals. However, despite the fact … Read more

Opana is the brand name for oxymorphone, a highly potent and addictive opioid painkiller. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006, Opana slowly grew in popularity among drug abusers as a sufficient replacement for OxyContin. This was after OxyContin’s manufacturer announced plans to formulate a new and more tamper-resistant version of the drug. Soaring … Read more

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by drug-seeking behavior in spite of the negative consequences associated with substance abuse.1 People often associate drug abuse and addiction with teens and young adults, especially as they enter high school and college. Drug abuse is no respecter of … Read more

Benzodiazepine medications are often prescribed to people who have symptoms of mental illness. The drugs take hold quickly, and they can work from the moment they hit the user’s body. Rather than waiting for days or even weeks for the drugs to build up to therapeutic levels within the user’s body, practitioners can provide benzodiazepine … Read more

Tourism remains one of the world’s biggest industries. In 2011, international tourist receipts passed $1 trillion for the first time in history, signaling the revival of a robust and popular activity for hundreds of millions of people.[1] But there is another, more troubling side to these numbers: it’s how many people embark on drug tourism, a … Read more

Cocaine is a common drug of abuse and has been for decades. Popular with people who frequent late night clubs and those who need assistance managing at work the next morning, cocaine is referred to as an “upper” that provides users with both a high and a little boost of energy to keep going. Unfortunately, … Read more

In 2011, the number of people enrolling in treatment programs for an addiction to an opiate other than heroin was 348 percent higher than the rate seen in 2001, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Many people enrolled due to heroin, of course, but stats like this suggest that there’s a growing … Read more

Alcohol is a legal, inexpensive and social drug often ingested in excess. A typical drink is defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as one 12-ounce beer (at five percent alcohol), one five-ounce glass of wine (at 12 percent alcohol), or one shot (1.5 ounces) of 80 proof distilled spirits (at 40 percent alcohol). The Centers for Disease … Read more

You’ve heard of drugs like heroin and morphine. As narcotics, they are useful for, and infamous for, causing a brief burst of euphoria, followed by powerfully drowsy and lethargic feelings in their users. This can be very addictive, but simply discontinuing consumption of an addictive substance is much easier said than done. That’s why certain … Read more

It has become common knowledge that addiction runs rampant among the mentally ill population, with some 50 percent of those with severe mental illness being substance abusers, but what about those with physical ailments?[1] Are illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease, organic and merely a matter of happenstance or genetic lottery, or do they stem … Read more

Eating disorders and substance abuse can cover such a wide range of conditions, but it’s still impossible to categorize every single type of eating disorder, or every single type of substance abuse. There are so many factors to take into consideration when diagnosing a substance abuse problem or an eating disorder that it has become … Read more

As technology changes and advances, so does the world we live in. The prevalence of high-speed internet access and plentiful smart devices shrinks our environment and increases our access to just about everything you could imagine on a daily basis. Even substance abuse and addiction are affected by the rise of the Internet, social media … Read more

Some conditions seem destined to come in pairs. Heart disease often follows a diagnosis of diabetes, for example, and allergies often come hand in hand with asthma. The same sort of joining effect sometimes takes hold when an addiction is in play. In fact, it’s quite common for certain drugs of abuse to be entangled … Read more

Benzodiazepines are arguably some of the most gripping and life-threatening addictive drugs on the market. Prescribed to treat panic disorders and anxiety, benzos may first seem like a saving grace but for patients who don’t use them as prescribed and for those who abuse the pills without a prescription, they can quickly create a deadly … Read more

Percocet is designed to deliver a one-two punch to pain. Each dose contains acetaminophen (a painkiller) and oxycodone (a narcotic), so people who take Percocet in response to pain should feel their discomfort ease and their sense of contentedness rise. That’s vital help for people dealing with pain. Typically, this medication is only provided in … Read more

R.* was in high school when, severely depressed, she was forced to withdraw from her classes. Rather than seek out counseling, R. says she “turned to drugs and alcohol. I nearly killed myself partying.” The reason for foregoing professional help goes back to the environment in which she was raised, she explains. “Growing up religious, … Read more

There’s no easy, one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how long detox will continue when a drinker attempts to stop drinking alcohol. A number of factors will play a part in determining the length of detox as well as the type and severity of withdrawal symptoms. How long has the person been drinking (e.g., months, … Read more

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress and anxiety condition that is caused by exposure to intensely stressful circumstances and experiences such as the following: Natural disasters Violent crimes Domestic Violence Battlefield or military violence Physical or sexual abuse The sudden loss of a loved one Intense economic hardship Proximity to explosions Long-term bullying Shocking or … Read more

What do you do if you or someone you love undergoes a big personality change? A sudden personality change in an adult may be a warning sign of a number of problems. If a loved one has been acting strangely or is suddenly concerning you with unusual behavior, it may be time to seek help. … Read more

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is very common, affecting nine percent of children in the United States between ages 13 and 19. It can carry on to adulthood, affecting 4.1 percent of adults over age 18, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Similarly, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that marijuana is the most … Read more

In 48 of the 50 states, a player can walk into a casino and plop down money on a game of chance. Dice, cards, wheels, machines and more are all put to good use here, creating the illusion that money can be easily won and that luck is right around the corner. And sometimes, it’s … Read more

Prescription drugs are one of the most highly abused categories of substances in the United States. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), about 16 million people in the US reported using a prescription drug without a prescription or for a nonmedical purpose in the past year; about seven million reported doing so in the … Read more

When one person in a family struggles with addiction, the likelihood that another family member will also struggle with drug or alcohol dependence increases. Though it has long been known that genetics can play a role in the development of a substance abuse problem, little attention has been paid to the fact that genetics and … Read more

From the moment of conception, the health of an unborn child and its mother are inextricably linked. Decades ago, scientists thought that the placenta protected the developing baby from any toxins in the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy. Today, they know that the placenta is highly permeable, with many drugs and their metabolites being able to cross … Read more

What Is Alcohol Cardiomyopathy? Alcohol cardiomyopathy, a form of dilated cardiomyopathy, is a condition that leads to heart failure as a result of chronic alcohol abuse. Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. People who suffer from heart failure often exhibit a shortness of breath, … Read more

The history of drug abuse extends much further back in time than many people think. For instance, alcoholic beverages were being produced as early as 7000 B.C., according to research published by the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, hallucinogens have been found in caves in Peru that date back between 8600 and 5600 B.C. One of the best ways … Read more

Drug addiction is defined by the existence of both psychological dependence and physical dependence on at least one illicit substance, according to PubMed Health. Marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, synthetic drugs and even prescription drugs that can be effective medically are highly addictive. There are a number of reasons why someone may develop an addiction, but recovery comes … Read more

More and more often, patients who seek treatment for substance abuse cite more than one drug as their substance of choice. In the past, alcohol was the primary drug of abuse among addicted patients, but today the combination of types of substances vary significantly by region. However, when multiple drugs of abuse are cited, alcohol … Read more

Cardwell C. Nuckols, Ph.D.Anger, aggression and addiction are intertwined in many ways, Anger has been implicated in relapse as stated in the language of Alcoholics Anonymous. For decades the self-help programs have warned those in recovery from addiction to avoid becoming hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. These emotions are also a confounding factor in situations … Read more