While it’s not talked about much, there are actually medications available that can aid patients in the treatment of alcoholism. What’s surprising is how few people, including medical professionals, know about them. The Journal of American Medicine Association (JAMA) previously released a paper, which analyzed more than a 120 research studies. All of these studies […]
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a federal agency affiliated with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and its mission is to use scientific research about drug and alcohol abuse to aid in prevention, treatment, and public policy. In 1999, NIDA issued 13 principles of effective treatment for drug addiction, and these principles […]
When it comes to addiction recovery, there are plenty of options to choose from, and the choice between inpatient and outpatient treatment is one of the first decisions to make. Each person is different and has a different set of challenges that can be more or less severe than the next person’s. The […]
Mention the word “detox” in conversation these days, and most everyone will assume you’re talking about a new fad diet, which likely involves some type of organic fruit and vegetable juices. However, for the 20 million people in the United States who struggle with addiction to drugs and alcohol, the word “detox” carries a much […]
Designer Drugs are a category of psychoactive narcotics created from synthetic chemicals to mirror the effects of other drugs. In some instances, a slight chemical modification can increase the potency of these illicit products, making them even more powerful, addictive and dangerous than they were previously. One reason for the rise of designer drugs is […]
This isn’t a riddle, so let’s be clear right from the start. There is no difference between a dual diagnosis and a co-occurring disorder (COD). They are two different terms for the same condition. Instead of comparing apples and oranges, it’s more like comparing apples and apples. Whatever term you prefer, this condition occurs when […]
So, here’s a complicated conundrum: many divisions of the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services, consider substance abuse and dependency a “public health problem.” After all, it’s widely advocated in the medical community and many U.S. government departments that addiction is a disease. So when there is a segment of the […]
Pot has come a long way in the last 30 years, and to coin a phrase, not all of it has been “totally chill, man.” For instance, as the science of growing marijuana has evolved, levels of THC, its primary psychoactive ingredient, have also dramatically increased. Some strains of these modern buds have as much […]
Though there’s been quite a bit of discussion about the issue, let’s take a moment and review the facts about addiction. Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease. Substance abuse actually alters the chemical structure of the brain. The result can be long term changes, resulting in self-destructive behavior even after an individual […]
First, let’s thank those ancient geniuses for coming up with an alphabet. While they might not have realized it at the time (it was only an experiment after all) writing can be a powerful therapeutic tool to help us examine our feelings, change our behavior and even heal our emotional wounds. Recent data is proving […]
