One of the hallmarks of addiction is denial. Even when a drinking or drug problem is obvious to everyone else, the struggling individual is usually the last to know. If you think you need to be homeless or broke to develop a life-threatening addiction to drugs or alcohol, think again. There are various behaviors and…
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Synthetic drugs are often terrifying proof that using a legal substance has the potential to end in fatal overdose. Although many states ban the chemicals used in the creation of synthetic drugs such as fake LSD or K2, also called “spice” or synthetic marijuana, others have not. Illicit manufacturers make new compounds so quickly that…
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Health-related apps do everything from helping people lose weight to training for a marathon. Did you know there are mobile apps that can help you stay sober, too? One new app under development, called A-CHESS, keeps users on the path to sobriety with regular texts, phone calls, and alerts. Today’s best technology may one day…
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If you imagine your loved one standing on a lonely street corner waiting for a drug dealer, your perception may be dangerously wrong. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report discovered that most people who abuse painkillers get the drugs for free from the people they trust most: friends and family. > Sharing…
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Dependence and addiction are serious health problems that often develop quietly over the course of several months or years. Occasional substance abuse can often grow in frequency and intensity until it becomes a weekly, and sometimes daily, habit. If you suspect your drinking or drug habit has become a problem you can’t control, explore these signs…
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When it comes to renewing your prescription for an addictive medication, does your provider automatically send in the script without digging deeper to find out the true state of your health? If so, your physician may be what’s known as a problem prescriber, and you may be at a much higher risk of fatal overdose.…
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Which came first: the chicken or the egg? When it comes to alcoholism and post traumatic stress disorder, one might ask the same question, as increasing bodies of research are demonstrating a clear link between the two conditions. Unfortunately, both can lead to either — making recovery tricky, but essential. What is Post Traumatic Stress…
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If you are among the people who roll their eyes when reading a warning label that a coffee cup’s contents are hot, then you will likely wonder why some are reviving the suggestion that adding labels to alcohol bottles warning of addiction may prevent some drinkers from developing substance abuse problems. Does this need exist,…
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There’s no way to glorify this pavement Syrup, Percocet, and an eighth a day will leave you broke, depressed, and emotionally vacant. Those are the words to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s Otherside, a lyrical tale of the days Macklemore spent living with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. His inspiring comeback from substance abuse, capped…
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If you believe that substance abuse is a personal problem that only affects the individual, it’s time to examine the facts. The federal government estimates that the problems caused by addiction cost the U.S. billions of dollars every year in lost productivity, healthcare expenses, crime, and more. Crime “Every dollar spent on treatment leads to…
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