By Jeanene Swanson When it comes to addiction recovery, maintaining sobriety is a balancing act of grit, perseverance and hope. While these things aren’t easy to come by, they can all be achieved through a process of retraining the brain. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to rewire itself. In addiction, more than one area of…
Exercise should be a part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise helps you to control your weight and reduce your risk of developing certain diseases and chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. It helps improve your mood, gives you energy, helps you sleep and just makes you feel good in general. One of…
Once found primarily in large metropolitan areas, rave parties are making their way into more rural settings. Increasingly, parents need to understand what is meant by the term and what happens at the parties once kids get there. A rave is a techno party where the music, strobe lighting and partying last into the wee…
Parents can pass along physical characteristics and even mannerisms to their offspring. Unfortunately, they can also pass along genes for illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Researchers recently investigated how family history impacts bipolar disorder. Through the STEP-BP (Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder) study researchers found that a family history of mania…
Synthetic marijuana is one of the best-known “designer drugs” on the market, and despite legal efforts to curb its use, it’s still a big public health problem. The dirty secret about synthetic marijuana (otherwise known as Spice, K2, Yucatan Fire, JWH-018 and other names) is that it’s nothing like marijuana. With symptoms ranging from agitation…
It’s a sad fact that many people in need of substance abuse treatment do not receive it. However, the Affordable Care Act is expected to lead to a significant increase in the number of people receiving treatment for substance abuse disorders, and a new piece of research has potentially found a useful tool for meeting…
Active drug addicts are compelled to continue to use drugs no matter what. That means they will sacrifice many things to their addiction, including hopes, dreams, career goals and loved ones. In most cases, anything that gets in the way of their next high has to go, and very often that includes being good parents…
Impulse control is one of core abilities of the fully developed human brain. Lack of this control in adulthood is linked to a range of mental health concerns, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), personality disorders, certain forms of bipolar disorder and diagnosable problems with substance abuse/substance addiction. In a study scheduled for publication in 2014…
In recent years, the terms “addict” and “alcoholic” have been gradually falling out of favor as ways to refer to people with substance use disorders. Many people have begun to publicly advocate against these terms, including the current acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli. Those who want…
By Edie Weinstein, MSW If you or someone you know is considering treatment for addiction, it may be because you or the person is faced with the undeniable evidence that, as a result of substance abuse or another behavioral addiction, your life or theirs has become unmanageable in one or more ways. Or you or…
