Drug addiction and substance abuse have many associated myths and false claims. Many of which give treatment and recovery negative connotations. These myths perpetuate attitudes that addiction treatment is simply a matter of will power, or that it’s a disease that no-one can do anything about. The only way we can correct these false allegations…
Not Everyone Looks Like an “Addict” David was in his 50’s and didn’t look the part. He had a great job, a loving wife and a happy family. But like an estimated six million Americans nationwide, he abused his prescription medication. As a successful college football player, David was exposed to a stock supply of…
A substance use disorder can have many negative effects on your life, damaging your relationships, finances, career, and health. Perhaps most disturbing is the way substance use changes your brain. Your neurotransmitter levels change to adjust to the presence of the substance and brain imaging studies suggest the structure of your brain actually changes with…
Depression and addiction often go together. While about 10 percent of the general population will develop a substance use disorder, in people diagnosed with depression that number is around 30 percent. The connection between substance use and depression is complicated. Depression can lead to addiction as a form of self-medicating and addiction can also lead…
Addiction is a family disease in several ways. First, there is a strong genetic component. Experts believe about half of your addiction risk is genetic because of various genes and gene expressions that affect how you respond to drugs and alcohol or make you more vulnerable to certain mental health issues associated with addiction. Second,…
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has three main characteristics: Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. People with ADHD have difficulty focusing for very long, often bouncing from one train of thought to another or becoming distracted by something in the environment. They are often restless, with excessive energy that can make it hard to sit still or sleep. They…
Prescription opioids have been a major driver of the opioid epidemic that claimed nearly 60,000 American lives in 2017. Many people who would not otherwise have been exposed to opioid drugs were prescribed excessive amounts of painkillers following surgeries or other medical procedures, developed a physical dependence, then became addicted. Some of these people turned…
Congress recently passed the Substance Use-disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities, or SUPPORT, Act as a multifaceted way of addressing the opioid crisis. The bill passed both houses with overwhelming bipartisan support, an alarming indication of how bad the opioid crisis has become in recent years. In fact, the…
While the opioid epidemic has been getting all the attention in recent years, the rapidly growing problem of stimulant addiction has gone mostly unnoticed. While opioids are certainly a bigger problem at the moment, having caused nearly 50,000 deaths in the US in 2017, at the current rate of growth, stimulants will soon catch up.…
A breakup, or worse, a divorce is one of the most stressful challenges you can face in addiction recovery. A breakup might entail feelings of rejection, disappointment, bitterness, resentment, animosity, and grief. You may have to make significant changes in your life, such as finding somewhere else to live or reorganizing your social life. The…
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