Substance Abuse

Helping friends and family recognize they may have a bipolar disorder starts with knowing the symptoms you will see. It is easy to confuse bipolar disorders with depression, because they have...

Lunesta is a prescription sleep medication from the sedative-hypnotic family. Alcohol (ethanol) and Lunesta are central nervous system depressants that share many similar effects on the mind and...

A drug detox at home is a way to cleanse the entire body internally and also remove drugs from the system. Doing a drug detox at home helps with recovery from substance abuse. Detoxification from...

Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine), oxycodone and diazepam are medications from different chemical families with similar effects on the central nervous system. Taking these drugs together increases the...

The two challenges faced by those who want to quit smoking is: the struggle to break the habit and the battle to overcome the addiction to nicotine.

If you feel that alcohol may be a problem in your life then you may want to consider cutting back or even eliminating it all together. And if you do have a drinking problem it's also important...

Nicotine is an alkaloid that occurs naturally in tobacco. It is found in a variety of products, most of which include tobacco and tobacco-replacement products.

Nicotine is a stimulant that occurs naturally in tobacco products like snuff and cigarettes. While it can have beneficial effects on mood and concentration, nicotine's positive effects are...

Alcoholism is a disease involving alcohol abuse and physical dependence. There are many options for treating alcoholism, such as counseling and rehabilitation, outpatient group therapy and...

While they share some characteristics, narcotics (opiates) and depressants affect different parts of the brain, resulting in many dissimilar effects.

Nicotine is the addictive stimulant found in tobacco products. It causes physiological changes in the brain, resulting in altered concentration, memory and mood.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that slows breathing, heart rate and cognition. When mixed with other mind-altering substances, alcohol increases the risks for self harm, overdose...

Telling a partner you hate their smoking is not an easy task. Smokers are used to people reacting negatively to their smoking. They usually respond defensively, ignore or dismiss such reactions....

If you are able to identify drug abuse, you might able to get an person help before his addiction causes major health problems or kills him. All drugs have mental and physical effects when abused,...

helping a loved one find recovery from a severe alcohol or drug addiction will take time, understanding, patience, tough love love, trust and determination. Approach them when they are at their...

There are about 14 million alcoholics in the U.S. alone. Alcoholism is a disease that does not only affect the alcoholic but also affects the entire family.

Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person has obviously gone over their reasonable drinking limit. My article explains it.

The decision to enter drug treatment is usually made after an addict has damaged relationships with friends and loved ones, destroyed the trust others place in him and caused harm to his career....

A recreational drug called "Jenkem" has been receiving international attention over the past decade thanks to a report from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1999 and a bulletin from...

Group treatment is a great addition to individual and family therapy for teens and adults who use substances. It's a good way to get support from peers, and it helps people realize that they...

Quitting smoking is something that thousands of people attempt to do every day. Nicotine withdrawal plays a big role in people going back to smoking, but there is much more to it than that. After...

Smoking ranks as the No. 1 cause of premature death in the United States, killing Americans daily from cancer and heart and lung disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Despite...

Smoking narrows the blood vessels in your body and can increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. It can lead to high blood pressure and complications from diseases such as diabetes. Lung...

Smoking causes lung, kidney, bladder and mouth cancer, heart disease, cataracts, and pregnancy complications. The health effects of smoking are well known, yet nearly 20 percent of adults in the...

There are about 14 million alcoholics living the U.S. today. Alcoholism is a dreadful disease that affects the entire family. Without treatment, alcoholism can be deadly.

Alcoholic Anonymous, or AA, is a self-help group for alcoholics. Alcoholics come together to support each other in getting sober and staying sober.

There are many methods for detoxing from prescription drugs. Although it's possible to reduce withdrawal symptoms and speed detox using at-home remedies, only your doctor can recommend a safe...

Almost 17.6 million U.S. adults have the disease of alcoholism or alcohol abuse, according to the National Institutes of Health's Medline Plus. Living with an alcoholic can be difficult, and it...

An addiction to prescription drugs can happen to anyone. For those who are prescribed prescription drugs, such as pain killers or tranquilizers, it can be a slippery slope from its prescribed use...

According to wrongdiagnosis.com, around 60 million Americans are regular smokers. With a number like this, it should not be surprising to find out that someone in your home is smoking. Of course,...

It's not easy to plan a drug intervention for a family member or close friend who has a drug abuse problem. But when you've exhausted other options, sometimes an intervention is the best way to...

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem that often results in health, social and financial problems. Short-term effects often include distorted vision, hearing and coordination, altered emotions and...

Substance abusers who decide to get clean and sober typically go through a period of detoxification, which is the time spent allowing drugs or alcohol to leave the body. The effects of detoxing...

Prescription drug addiction occurs when a person develops a physical dependency on medication. The dependency becomes so strong that the person's need and desire to acquire more of the medication...

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated one in five deaths in the United States can be attributed to tobacco. Even with such risks, it can be difficult to find the strength to give...

Drug addiction is one of the most serious health problems in America today. Some studies put the number of individuals suffering from addiction in this country as equal to those suffering from...

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a group comprised of both men and women who meet to share experiences and support in an effort to stop drinking alcohol. AA may be beneficial to anyone who feels that...

Suboxone is a brand name for a combination of the prescription medications buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride. Doctors prescribe Suboxone to treat addictions to opioid drugs...

Quitting, cutting down or "curbing" a bad habit is never easy. When a habit turns into addiction, it can cause havoc on your personal, family and work life. Curbing the habit or addiction of drug...

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and injury rehabilitation centers are two of the primary types. There hundreds of these facilities across the nation, both inside hospitals and operating...

Substance abuse programs are thought of as ineffective by many people. This is often due to the difficulty in treating substance abuse. Substance abuse is a challenging disorder to treat because...

Adjustment disorders are temporary mental disorders that result from a stressful life change-a breakup or separation, losing a job, an illness, moving. Most people adjust within a short period of...

Whenever a person is faced with a difficult and stressful situation, like substance abuse, denial is a common response. Denial can range from a full-blown refusal to accept reality, to a partial...

Drinking alcohol is widely accepted in many cultures. The Centers for Disease Control reports that over 60 percent of adults drink alcohol. Because it is so socially acceptable to use alcohol, it...

According to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, more than 28 million Americans are children of alcoholics, and nearly 11 million of those are under the age of 18. Whether someone...

Chemical dependency, whether it be dependency to alcohol or drugs, destroys lives every day. According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2003 approximately 332,046 people went to the...

Cocaine use can be difficult to detect. If you suspect that a friend or family member is using, make it a point to spend time with that person, as the primary signs are behavioral and emotional....

The LDS Addiction Recovery Program is a faith-based program sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; however, anyone struggling with addiction is welcome to join a group.

If you have decided to begin living a healthier lifestyle, the most important thing you can do is to clean your body of any toxins which may be preventing that. One of the most important toxins to...

Alcoholism is a serious problem that can affect every part of your life. It can jeopardize your health, your relationships, your home life and your career. Alcohol addiction can be tough to...