America’s love affair with prescription opioid painkillers is now plain. In the last few years, we have scrambled to put into place strategies to combat the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history. If we are going to fight the opioid epidemic effectively, there are 3 hard-earned lessons we need to pay attention to.
How to Fight the Opioid Epidemic with 3 Hard-Learned Lessons Read More »
It is easy to fall into the trap of enabling an addict. It feels like love, but enabling only harms the addict and your relationship with him. If you love an addict, you can be supportive, loving and caring without enabling the addiction and the addictive behaviors. The first step is to recognize whether you
Alcohol is a widely-available, legal, and dangerously addictive drug that acts as a depressant and negatively affects every organ in the body. Although some people can consume alcohol safely and in small amounts, many become trapped in a devastating spiral of addiction before they even know they are the victims of substance abuse. Those who
The tragedy surrounding Amy Winehouse’s death has had a somber effect on the entire world, and as the questions and hope for answers begins, the conversation swiftly turns to her tumultuous history with drug and alcohol abuse and the part it played in her death. Winehouse’s substance use has always been a large part of
At least seven people staying at a District of Columbia homeless shelter had to be hospitalized after overdosing on synthetic marijuana re-igniting concerns about the risks of “fake pot.” The story underlines the problem of synthetic marijuana—often labeled “not for human consumption”—and shows, yet again, that its “natural” appearance and apparent similarity to marijuana are
Washington, D.C., Sees Spike in Overdoses on Synthetic Marijuana Read More »
If you have been using or abusing drugs or alcohol for any length of time, you have been in the habit of distorting reality. Through addiction to mind-altering chemicals, you have found a way to avoid facing painful or uncomfortable feelings, and most of the time you have been completely numb on an emotional level.
Researchers believe a complex mixture of genetics, family history, social history, and environment combine to influence each person’s propensity for addiction. You are not a product of your genes, but your genes can influence how quickly you become addicted to substances. Looking for the Addiction Gene Researchers already know that addiction tends to run in
There has been a sharp rise in the number of heroin addicts since 2012, and the effects are being felt at rehab centers nationwide. Since 2012, heroin deaths have risen by 39 percent. Where are the new heroin addicts coming from? Surprisingly, they are suburban parents, teens, and young professionals. Many become addicted to prescription
How the Heroin Epidemic is Affecting Rehab Centers Read More »
These days, it seems that alcohol is everywhere. From billboards to television to online ads, we’re constantly bombarded with imagery depicting alcohol and its use as a fun and occasionally glamorous pastime—but this is far from the truth. Unfortunately, college students are taking these advertisements to heart in worrying numbers:4 out of 5 college students
The Deadly Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in College Read More »
Did you know that about 3,000 Pennsylvanians have died over the past five years because of opioid abuse, or that an astonishing 80 percent of people using heroin first became addicted to a prescription painkiller? With heroin in Pennsylvania costing less than beer, heroin abuse is an epidemic that crosses every social boundary. Here is
