Addictions, it could be said, are all about finding something pleasurable and seeking to continue with that sense of pleasure even when it becomes self-destructive physically, financially, emotionally, mentally, socially, even spiritually.
In years past, when little was known about brain chemistry and genetics, it was thought that people with addictions were simply making bad choices […]
The first person or people who described addiction as a disease, more than likely, never heard the end of it.
Thanks, But No Thanks
I imagine people for the rest of their lives ran up to them and confronted them with profound thanks for the life-saving explanation of addiction and for its forgiving stance on what it […]
There is no question that addiction recovery is hard work and that most of the relapses back into addictions occurs during the first year or recovery. What, then, can a recovering addict expect in the early stages of breaking free from their old lives? What can they expect in the first year and what can […]
An intervention is a term used by professionals in the field of addiction recovery that refers to an organized, specialized meeting in which family members, friends and concerned acquaintances (such as employers or family physicians) confront an addict with problems the addiction is causing.
Confronting the Addict
The standard concept for an intervention is to confront an […]
Addiction is a social term that is medically called Substance use disorder, which is considered to be a mental health condition. Alcohol dependence is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the world and seen as a major public health hazard. It is a serious condition with far-reaching personal, societal and public health […]
Substance use is a serious public and personal health issue. It becomes even more serious if adolescents are the patients as it contributes to major medical, psychological, and legal consequences later in life. There are a number of approaches to effectively handle this high-risk population.
Statistics from 2015 show that nearly half of U.S. high school […]
Substance abuse is a prevalent public health issue in rural areas. Rural adults are reported to have higher rates of substance abuse, which includes tobacco, methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription drugs.
It is an especially difficult problem to treat in rural areas due to limited healthcare resources available for prevention, treatment, and recovery. There are many factors […]
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is an approach that allows individuals to achieve a deeper awareness of themselves, their unconscious desires, motivations, and conflicts. This insight provides the individual with a choice to disrupt negative behavior (such as substance abuse) and change his/her lifestyle into a healthy one. Of course, one might choose not to put the gained […]
Contingency management therapy (CMT) is an approach that involves giving patients tangible rewards to reinforce positive behaviors such as abstinence. Studies have shown that incentive-based interventions are very effective in driving success in rehabilitation and recovery programs.
Voucher-based reinforcement (VBR) is a type of CMT that also motivates substance abusers to get vacated and more functional […]