The Evolution of Addiction and Treatment Through the Ages
The consumption of alcohol, opioids, cannabis and cocaine have roots in ancient history. The Bible references Noah’s drinking habits and intoxication, and the use of opium in Syria in the 7th century B.C. is well-documented in ancient medical texts. Ancient Incas living in the Andes three thousand years before Christ chewed coca leaves to counter […]
When a Loved One Is Addicted: Helping vs. Enabling
Drug and alcohol abuse and addiction are serious issues facing over 23 million people across the United States alone. Of these millions of people, just a small percentage actively seek help to overcome their substance addictions. There are many reasons behind the resistance to get help. One of these reasons involves loved ones enabling […]
Is Suboxone Addictive?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a combination of medication and behavioral therapy is the most effective way to treat addiction, and this is particularly true with opioid addictions. The cravings and other withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate addiction can be excruciating, and the cravings, in particular, can linger long after the physical […]
Does Smoking Cause Depression?
New information released by the Centers for Disease Control indicates that cigarette smoking among U.S. adults—those 18 years and older—has dropped to approximately 14.9 percent. Even with this encouraging trend in the decline of smoking among adults, it is sobering to consider that these statistics still mean there are over forty million adult smokers in […]
Addiction and Sleep Deprivation: A Vicious Cycle
Insomnia and other sleep problems can be difficult for anyone to handle. When drug or alcohol abuse is added to the mix, the combination of conditions can create a vicious cycle that is hard to break on your own. Substance abuse and sleep deprivation make each other worse when they occur at the same time, […]
Does Our Culture Glamorize Addiction?
There’s no doubt that drug addiction is stigmatized today, despite ongoing attempts by numerous agencies—including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—to demystify and de-stigmatize it. At the same time, other cultural forces are pushing addiction farther into the realm of taboo. Reality […]
The Consequences of Addiction
The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a chronic brain disease that affects the circuitry of the brain and has social, psychological, biological, and spiritual consequences. But many addicted people are seemingly apathetic towards these consequences. This is largely due to the impaired executive functioning of the brain caused by addiction, which skews […]
Quitting Nicotine: What to Expect and How to Make it Easier
The World Health Organization defines withdrawal syndrome as a collection of symptoms of various types and with varying degrees of severity that occur when someone stops using a psychoactive substance that they’ve taken for a long period of time or in high doses. The WHO indicates that withdrawal syndrome for any given substance is the […]
How Addiction Affects Children
The amount of research available on addiction is staggering, so much so that we now know how addiction affects children. If you’re a parent who is struggling with addiction, one of the most difficult aspects of recovery may be facing the effects of your substance abuse on your children. Addiction impacts the whole family, and […]
Help for Workaholism – Signs, Symptoms and Treatment
You’re the first to arrive at the office, and you’re the last to leave. You’ll drop everything in an instant to attend to a work-related problem, and you rarely say no to a new project, even if your plate is already full. You’re the most dedicated worker you know, and although people often tell you […]