heroin addiction

Why Is Heroin so Infamous?

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…

man surfboarding alongside sea lions at Laguna Beach

You Don’t See It, but Drug Use is Changing You

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…

Signs Your Habit is Spiraling out of Control

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…

Is it possible to be addicted to more than one substance?

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…

Why Your High May No Longer Be Enough

It’s no secret: millions of Americans fight the chronic struggle of drug dependency every day. While addiction recovery centers nationwide are working effortlessly to provide resources for these victims, the simple fact of the matter is that while some are getting better, many others are regressing rapidly. In fact, studies indicate that the volume of…

How Drug Use is Affecting Your Quality of Life

According to the National Institute of Health, addiction recovery centers are starting to embrace models of service that closely resemble service models used to address chronic conditions. Researchers indicate that this change is due in part to the fact that drug use, recently characterized as a chronic condition as well, has been found to drastically…

It Takes a Village: Why You NEED a Support System

Have you ever heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”? Well, it takes that same village to help you through your recovery phase. As social creatures, humans thrive on interaction. It’s the reason why friendships are so sacred, relationships are so common, and family members are so close. When dealing with…

How do I convince myself to stick with treatment?

The hardest part of any addiction recovery effort is often not the treatment itself. Rather, it is the mindset of the individual receiving the treatment. Because addiction is essentially a hijacking of the mind, individuals will often face their biggest battles in recovery when their will comes to a crossroads with the disease and what…