Most researchers and theoreticians consider the family as a fundamental unit of society and the building block of our communities. The home is the primary place where a child learns what normal and healthy behavior looks like. However, it can also be the first place where a growing child may learn detrimental behaviors from a mom…
For those suffering from a substance use disorder, the threat of relapse can feel omnipresent. Family and friends may worry that one wrong move will spell the end of their loved one’s sobriety. Relapse can hurt everyone involved and cause meaningful, long-term relationships to fall by the wayside. The tug of alcohol or drugs on…
Substance abuse and subsequent addiction can have short- and long-term effects on the mind and body. Addiction is now seen as a brain disease that is caused by excessive drug or alcohol use. Addiction alters the biochemistry and anatomy of neurons within the brain, causing these essential cells to become less responsive to toxic substances.…
Heroin is a highly addictive drug with a long and rich history of narcotic and pain-relieving effects. Heroin is produced from morphine, which is an organic compound itself derived from opium, a latex substance that leaks from the poppy seedpod when damaged. Opium has been used in its original state for thousands of years. Evidence dates…
Everyone feels sad or down from time to time, but depression is an entirely different ballgame. Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, can be dark and lonesome for people who experience the disorder. It can feel like endless sadness, discontentedness, and hopelessness. Like a slug, hauling its sticky and slow body…
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “one day at a time,” you may have wondered exactly what that means in recovery. At face value, it seems quite simple—we don’t drink or use drugs during our day, without considering whether we will or will not tomorrow. However, “one day at a time” is more complex and…
The terms “substance abuse: and “addiction” are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same. Substance abuse is the act of abusing a drug (prescription, over-the-counter, or illegal) or substances like alcohol for the wrong reasons, in incorrect amounts, and without proper medical approval. When substance abuse becomes a clinical health concern, it…
Coke. Coca. Snow. Flake. Blow. These are all slang or street names for cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance due to its medicinal properties and the high likelihood for abuse. Cocaine is derived from the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca) native to South America, which has traditionally – for over 4,000 years – been used as a…
Benzodiazepines (aka “Benzos” and “Downers”) are a class of psychoactive drugs that enhance the effect of a chemical in the brain called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This neurotransmitter suppresses neuron activity, slowing the brain and nervous system. There are over a dozen benzodiazepines on the market, and they differ in absorption rate, duration of effects, and…
In the year 2017, it was estimated that approximately 18 million people misused prescription medications at least once in the past year. Opioid overdoses from prescriptions were five times higher in 2016 than in 1999. A final shocking statistic is that the number of prescription drugs being prescribed by doctors since the ’90s has increased. You…