Substance Abuse

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...

Prescribed to treat panic attacks, anxiety disorders, and stress, the prescription drug Xanax produces a calming, soothing effect and can often be addictive. When the individual is unable to...

Getting help for an alcoholic in your life is one of the best ways to help her overcome that disease. A proven technique to getting an alcoholic to face her issues is through an intervention. An...

Learn the first steps towards quitting your addiction to alcohol and drugs.

When someone has a drinking problem, there are two types of mental health diagnoses that the person can receive: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Both alcohol abuse and dependence can lead to...

It seems like every smoker has used the old adage, "I can quit anytime I want to." This implies that the smoker thinks he is not addicted to cigarettes and it will be easy to quit. Nicotine,...

You must first acknowledge and accept the reality of your addiction before you can begin the work of releasing the addiction. Do not let pride, fear or negative thinking prevent you from taking...

Suboxone is a drug used to treat opiate addiction. It is an opioid receptor antagonist that works by blocking the positive effects of opiates in the brain. According to Drugs.com, 12 percent of...

Ever wondered how to stop using drugs (or anything else making your life unmanageable)? I can help. I know how to get Clean; more importantly, I know how to STAY Clean (next article).

Many people believe that alcoholism is a moral problem, and the word alcoholic brings up an image of a homeless person, or someone living in poverty. Although many homeless people do have...

Interventions, or the process of confronting an addict with the facts of their addiction, is a difficult, heart-wrenching process. While frustrating, certain methods have been devised that seem to...

Understanding and preventing the abuse of drugs or alcohol is an essential skill. Its basic components include understanding basic risk factors, as well as factors that inhibit drug experimenting....

Electronic cigarettes found popularity in Europe in 2004, and were finally introduced to the American market in 2009. Dubbed "the smoke-less cigarette," electronic cigarettes offer a healthier...

Heroin interferes with an individual's ability to live a normal life and places his or her physical health in danger. Heroin also has a devastating effect on family members who must cope with...

Drug rehabilitation centers treat individuals wanting to break their addiction to drugs or alcohol. Just as no two people are the same, no two drug addicts or addictions are the same. Because of...

Dealing with the emotions involved with teen drug abuse and alcohol abuse can be devastating. More than just devastating, the situation can be immobilizing. It is common for people to get lost in...

Opiate detoxification is the process by which opiates exit the body. It causes physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms that can sometimes be severe. While there is no way to completely avoid...

The first piece of research on internet addiction was introduced by Dr. Kimberly Young in 1996. According to her and Stanford University's School of Medicine, this is a growing problem that is...

Drinking too much can wreak havoc on a person's life and the lives of everyone in their family. Alcoholism is destructive, will become progressively worse over time and will continue to negatively...