Can I afford treatment?

While pursuing professional treatment for an addiction is almost always the best option for an individual suffering from even a mild drug or alcohol addiction, the very real question that usually accompanies a decision to pursue treatment is what costs are associated with it, and how expensive the final bill may be. In fact, some…

Can Drugs Cause Mental Illness?

Mental illness and drug use seem to go hand-in-hand. Usually, mental illness leads to drug abuse as an attempt to self-medicate symptoms. However, using drugs also can lead to mental disorders by causing drastic changes in the chemistry of the brain. These brain changes can either cause mental disorders later in life, or cause latent…

What are the Consequences of Cannabis?

People rarely consider cannabis, or marijuana, to be a drug that requires treatment. However, the disease of addiction is indiscriminate. Although physical dependence does not develop, people can become just as psychologically addicted to cannabis as any other substance. A man or woman who has the disease of addiction can face major consequences and lose…

Striving for Serenity

We strive for feelings of peace and serenity in our recovery. When we are at ease with ourselves and the outside world, we don’t feel the familiar compulsion to use alcohol and drugs because we no longer need to “fix” anything in our lives. Meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, a 12-Step recovery fellowship, open each meeting…

What are the Long-Term Effects of Alcoholism?

Alcohol’s status as a legal intoxicant makes it no less dangerous than most illicit substances. Chronic consumption of alcohol can be devastating to the brain and body, leading to serious health complications or early death. Excessive alcohol consumption is the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The effects of acute alcohol…