When you love an addict, the disease of addiction has a big impact on your life. It may happen quickly or it may happen slowly, but you ultimately develop a problem of your own. It’s called codependence. When you have this problem, your life revolves around someone else’s decisions. Life has become unpredictable and upsetting. …
She stood on a podium in the middle of a stage in a suburban Philadelphia mega-church building, this musical legend with cloud-like hair billowing above her beautiful, life-etched face and beaming signature blue eyes. Enwrapped in a jewel-tone purple skirt, among her first words that greeted the anticipatory audience were, “OK, let’s get this out …
Overcoming Addiction and Suicide: An Evening of ‘Sanity & Grace’ Read More »
Psychologists and psychiatrists use the term personality to describe the core characteristics of outlook and behavior that distinguish each human being. An individual’s personality traits can have a major influence on whether he or she gets involved in substance use or develops serious substance problems. In a study published in October 2014 in the journal …
Which Personality Types Are More Prone to Addiction? Read More »
The chronic, excessive pattern of alcohol consumption associated with alcoholism is known for its ability to damage several key aspects of brain function. One of the most common indicators of alcohol-related brain damage is a loss in the volume of tissue contained in the brain’s main structures. In a study scheduled for publication in 2014 …
Staying sober requires constant vigilance and awareness of the many things that could trigger a relapse. Some relapse triggers are obvious, such as hanging around bars or wandering around neighborhoods known for high drug trafficking activity. Even continuing to hang around with friends or acquaintances who habitually use alcohol or drugs can be dangerous and …
Mood disorders are a group of mental health conditions that involve dysfunctional changes in the everyday stability of mood or psychological/emotional state of mind. Well-known conditions within this group include major depression and the classic manic-depressive illness called bipolar I disorder. One of the widely used treatments for bipolar I disorder is the mood-stabilizing medication lithium.
With Richard Nixon’s declaration that drug abuse was “America’s public enemy No. 1” in 1971, the aim of the federal government and police departments across the country for the following decades was to lock up drug offenders. The idea was simply that punishment would make people realize they shouldn’t use drugs and that they would …
Follow Our LEAD: How Seattle Cops Are Changing the Rules Read More »
Food has a powerful effect on both our bodies and our minds. Just how much food impacts our brains and our moods is coming to light with research. This information is important for addicts in recovery because a downswing in mood can lead right to a relapse. There are many reasons to eat well in …
The RAVE Act is a piece of federal legislation enacted in 2003 as part of an attempt to reduce the use of MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly), a stimulant/hallucinogen known for its ability to produce severe or fatal health problems in some users. In a report presented in August 2014 to the Annual Meeting of the American …
RAVE Act Backfires, Increases Risks for MDMA Harm Read More »
Women with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are more likely to meet certain criteria for food addiction, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The results of the study were published Sept. 17 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.