People who gamble can develop patterns of behavior that closely mimic those found in people addicted to substances such as stimulants, opioid narcotics or sedatives. According to guidelines set forth in 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), doctors can diagnose this addictive relationship to gambling as a condition called gambling disorder. In a study …
Male, Female Gamblers Develop Different Vices, Study Finds Read More »
Betel quids, also commonly referred to as betel nuts, are the fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. Only tobacco, alcohol and caffeinated beverages are more commonly consumed.
Right Step becomes the nation’s first residential addiction treatment center for teens to implement collaborative problem-solving, a skills-based approach to improve problem-solving among struggling teens.
Self-medication and prescription drug abuse are problems that almost all doctors have to deal with in some form or another. Self-medication is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as “the selection and use of medications by individuals to treat self-recognized or self-diagnosed conditions.” The practice of self-medication is risky for a variety of …
The war on drugs seems to be grinding to a halt across the U.S., thanks to legislation enacted in Colorado and Washington allowing the legal sale of marijuana and an apparent nationwide shift in opinion on the subject. Now, as the first legal, retail store purchases of marijuana are getting underway in Colorado, New York …
Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone are two of the primary medication options for treatment of people affected by opioid addiction. Both medications belong to a treatment approach called opioid substitution therapy. In a study published in January 2014 in the journal Addiction, researchers from six U.S. institutions compared the effectiveness of methadone to the effectiveness of buprenorphine/naloxone. …
People affected by depression-related mental disorders have increased chances of attempting and committing suicide. Examples of these disorders include major depression, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) and various forms of bipolar disorder. In a study published in September 2013 in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, a team of Swedish and German researchers examined the usefulness of …
In the context of substance use, craving means a strong urge to drink more alcohol or take more drugs or medications. People affected by substance cravings are significantly at-risk for developing substance use disorder. In a study published in January 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers from three U.S. institutions sought to determine whether …
E-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, are designed to provide doses of vaporized nicotine to users when activated. Some current research indicates that these devices may prove useful as nicotine replacement products for people trying to quit smoking. However, other research indicates that the devices may serve as gateways for further nicotine use among teenagers and younger …
Adults Fear E-Cigarettes Will Encourage Kids to Start Smoking Tobacco Read More »
Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, is the collective medical term for diseases that significantly degrade the health of the heart or the vessels that carry blood back and forth from the heart to the body. Roughly one-third of U.S. adults have a heart or blood vessel ailment, and cardiovascular problems often prove deadly. People affected by …
PTSD Creates Unique Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Read More »