When family and friends try to help those with alcoholism, they might be making it easier for them to continue in progression of the disease and disorder that is alcoholism. Enabling takes many forms, but generally allows the person with alcoholism to avoid consequences. Learn more about enabling behaviors and how to heal. What is…
Hedonic adaptation is known as ‘the hedonic treadmill,’ a concept studied by researchers who focus on happiness and well-being that refers to people’s general tendency to return to a set level of happiness in spite of life’s ups and downs. It is known as a treadmill because of the experience where people always end up…
Making the decision to get help for your addiction is one of the best decisions you will ever make. The road may not always be smooth and easy, but sticking it out and really applying yourself to the concept of addiction recovery and all it entails is the key to really turning your life around.…
Drug and alcohol abuse destroys the brain. By sending mixed signals to your brain’s neurotransmitters, drugs effectively trick your brain into craving more and more of them, as they wreak havoc on organs and bodily functions. This craving turns into full scale dependency– a term that indicates that the body has transitioned from simply enjoying…
The biggest step in your fight against addiction is making the decision to seek professional help from a recovery center. Once you have decided that help, at the present moment, is beyond your control, you will find that your attitude towards your addiction will change to one that is more action-based and goal-oriented. Acknowledging your…
Yes. Known usually as “polysubstance dependence,” addiction to more than one drug is possible, and it is unfortunately becoming more common as access to illegal substances becomes more and more open. There are typically two instances in which an addiction to more than one drug occurs. The first typically happens when an individual suffers from…
Drug use is an unfortunate epidemic that affects millions of Americans. Ranging from casual use to severe addiction, individuals from all walks of life suffer the dangerous effects of consuming toxic substances on a daily basis. There are some, however, who very much believe that their drug habit is completely under control, and that there…
As with many illnesses, it is hard to self-diagnose addiction, particularly because of the disease’s wide variety of symptoms. While addiction is always associated with physical dependence on a substance, some addicts go years without ever noticing they are dependent at all. As substance abuse becomes more and more habitual, it is quite common for…
People say it often, but it is often a lot harder to avoid common triggers of your addiction when going through your everyday life. If you are not careful, you can find yourself in situations where you feel powerless to stop yourself from engaging in activities that you could put you at risk of falling…
When an individual regularly consumes toxic substances like drugs and alcohol, he or she may consume with the impression that quitting will be as easy as starting was. In fact, several surveys indicate that individuals in these situations often deem themselves perfectly capable of quitting anytime they’d like. Their strategy is typically one that includes…