Prescription medications are used daily by millions of Americans to treat conditions that range from anxiety to pain management. There are numerous classifications of prescription medications, many of which have a high risk for abuse and addiction. Opioids, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants are the most commonly abused. Prescription drug addiction has been on…
Substance use disorders impact tens of millions of Americans from all walks of life. The current opioid epidemic started in the early 1990s when the pharmaceutical industry began a massive marketing campaign promoting prescription opioids like Oxycontin as being minimally addictive. In addition to opioids prescribed for pain, there has been a significant increase in…
The impacts of drug and alcohol addiction are far-reaching, affecting not only the person suffering from addiction but their friends, family, and even society as a whole. People suffering from addiction are more likely to encounter legal problems than the general public because they are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors. Finding yourself involved…
The opioid epidemic has swept through our nation at an alarming rate. Opioids are drugs that impact the nervous system by blocking pain and creating feelings of euphoria. There are many drugs involved in the opioid epidemic, but because it is inexpensive to purchase and very easy to find, heroin is the most commonly abused…
A partial hospitalization program (PHP), sometimes referred to as a “day program,” is a mental health and addiction treatment option that falls in between residential and outpatient programs. A PHP provides the structure and intensive approach of an inpatient program but affords patients the ability to return home or a sober living environment for nights…
Though the stigmas surrounding it would have you think differently, addiction is a chronic disease that affects your brain. Substance use disorder can happen to anyone, but you’re more susceptible if you have certain risk factors. You can work as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and still have a heroin addiction. Likewise, you…
Does the use of marijuana or alcohol actually lead to more high-risk problems down the road? It’s a misconception that “experimenting” with these seemingly less harmful drugs is okay. There is no level of drug abuse that is safe. Understanding what entry-level drugs to avoid, however, can help you to make better decisions. Along the…
A friend of mine recently posted on social media that he was looking for support. He had taken someone in who was struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol, as well as untreated trauma from past physical abuse. This person was living with him temporarily, sleeping on his couch, and was “surviving on morphine, nicotine,…
In the United States, drug addiction has reached the levels of an epidemic. According to the Center on Addiction, 40 million Americans struggle with substance abuse. Some factors that contribute to an addiction to drugs or alcohol include mental health issues, past trauma, and peer pressure. Anyone with an addiction to drugs or alcohol should…
Addiction affects people of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. No one plans to develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol, but unfortunately, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 20 million people in the U.S. had a substance use disorder in 2018. Of that group, many will never seek…