When a recovering addict is asked to make lifestyle changes, the reaction can be instinctive and negative. It can sound as if the cure is more complicated than the disease, as if the rehabilitative step was asking too much of someone in recovery. Does this mean you should give up the music you like or […]
It is commonly understood at this point that addictions now comprise a broader set of addictive issues than compulsive and self-destructive use of drugs and alcohol. Beyond the addiction to various chemical substances, including tobacco, alcohol, opiates, cocaine, met amphetamines, barbiturates and others, the public is increasingly aware of several behavioral addictions that can be […]
Teenage boys and girls are still in the stage of developing important life skills and their identity. They are highly impressionable and some of them begin teens begin to experiment with drugs to fit in or gain friends. This is unfortunate because they may end up with a life-threatening habit. Therefore, it is critical to […]
The main goal of counseling and therapy for substance abuse is to address the underlying causes of the disease and to prevent them from causing a relapse. And while detox is a vital component of treatment because it helps patients handle withdrawal and ease cravings, but counseling/therapy addresses the factors that led to drug abuse […]
The process of withdrawal is generally defined as a series of symptoms that accompany cessation of use of a particular substance. In effect, an addict’s body and mental state are affected by any addiction and become dependent on it. That dependency shows up when using the substance stops, and the body reacts to the lack […]
There are two basic types of opioid medications, although both, as you will see, have many similarities as chemically they are close to the same. The first type is natural opioids, which are derived from the opium poppy plant. These include drugs such as heroin, morphine, opium, and codeine. There are also synthetic opioids. These […]
There are many types of addiction, and while we tend to think of substance abuse with a component of physical dependence characterized by withdrawal symptoms, but the fact is that behavioral addiction can occur in a number of activities and processes with no physical dependence.
What makes these behavioral patterns addictions instead of a habit? It […]
Patient adherence is a pressing issue in the management of substance use disorders and other addictions. Overall, nonadherence (to all treatments) causes approximately 125,000 deaths annually in the US alone. Moreover, the forms of nonadherence extend beyond medication and include lapses in keeping appointments, to follow the recommended dietary or other lifestyle changes, and to […]