Opioids are a class of drugs that work to relieve pain in the body. Prescription medications make up a good chunk of opioids that are legally circulating in the population. These addictive chemicals are so effective at easing pain that people frequently abuse them to achieve a state of euphoria and relaxation. Prescription medications have…
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…
Many people in the United States have been directly affected by the ongoing opioid crisis. Many of these drugs come from prescriptions given to treat a variety of physical and mental issues. Prescription drug addiction claim the lives of countless people every year. But what is prescription drug addiction?There is prescription drug addiction and prescription…
Opiates are extremely addictive and come from opium, which is derived from the poppy plant. Opiates cover a variety of drugs. Some are natural, synthetic, legal, illegal, recreational, or medicinal. Natural opiate drugs have been used to treat nervous disorders, cancers, and other conditions. Most painkillers are opiates and are prescribed for pain relief, but…
Benzodiazepines (benzos) are a type of medication known as tranquilizers that are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal, seizures, and muscle tension. Benzos such as Xanax, Ativan, Valium and other anti-anxiety medication are designed for short-term use, usually a few weeks or months, since they are highly addictive.Benzos are commonly abused, although death…
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.One…
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…
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 is…
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…