In the form of marijuana, cannabis ranks as the most widely used illicit/illegal substance in America. Researchers and public health officials have long debated the question of how many cannabis/marijuana users ultimately end up getting involved in other forms of illicit drug use. In a study published in August 2014 in the International Journal of …
How Many Cannabis Users Start Taking Other Drugs? Read More »
Substance/medication induced obsessive-compulsive and related disorder is the lengthy, somewhat complicated name for a newly defined mental health condition that appears in DSM 5, the recently released fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. People with this condition have symptoms that closely resemble the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or any …
Understanding Substance/Medication-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder Read More »
Addiction to alcohol usually has one of two starting points. Either the person gets involved with alcohol because he or she thinks it makes life more fun, or the person starts drinking in order to dull unpleasant thoughts and feelings. The person who overdrinks in an effort to intensify life usually won’t benefit from the …
No One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Overcoming Alcohol Addiction Read More »
In honor of Recovery Month, The Promises Foundation will host its 9th Annual Polo in the Palisades Charity Event to benefit Miriam’s House.
Starting next month, it will be easier to rid your home of unwanted narcotic painkillers. Calling prescription drug abuse “an urgent and growing threat to our nation and its citizens,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced this week that the Drug Enforcement Agency is loosening its rules to allow neighborhood pharmacies, hospitals and drug treatment …
New Law Lets Pharmacies Take Back Unused Prescription Drugs Read More »
There are many assumptions we make about addiction and the sorts of people who suffer from it, and in many cases we’re wrong. We may think that young people and adults suffer the most from addiction, but healthcare professionals are growing increasingly concerned about addiction among the elderly. The problem is that our assumptions lead …
In the U.S., hundreds of thousands of people use the illegal stimulant drug methamphetamine every month. In addition, tens of millions of people consume alcohol. There is a considerable degree of overlap between the methamphetamine-using population and the alcohol-using population. In a study scheduled for publication in 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, …
Drinking Alcohol Increases Meth Use, Study Finds Read More »
For those struggling to recognize and understand drug addiction, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) provides a basic introduction. It explains what addiction is, the changes that occur in the brain that lead to addiction, and reasons why some people are particularly vulnerable to addiction. Drug addiction is like many other compulsive behaviors. For …
Questions About Drug Addiction? Government Website Has Answers Read More »
The American Psychiatric Association’s latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which was published in May 2013, includes several disorders and syndromes that were not recognized as real mental illnesses in the past. One of these newly recognized conditions is avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder —which is more commonly known as …
Selective Eating Disorder: You Are What You Don’t Eat Read More »
Addiction is a harmful disease, and not just for the addict. Drug addicts and alcoholics impact everyone in their lives, but those they love are often hurt the most. If you have been living with an addict you might be at the end of your rope. You see the problem. You have been patient and …