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 »
Adult children of alcoholics are people who grew up in a household with at least one parent affected by alcoholism. A significant minority of all U.S. adults come from such a background. In a study published in January 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, a team of American researchers assessed the chances that young adult …
Children of Alcoholics Choose Alcohol Abusers as Partners Read More »
From changing diapers to zipping zippers and wiping noses, there probably isn’t much that you haven’t done for your child. The role of “parent” has certainly changed throughout history, but caretaking and guiding a child from birth through adolescence and into adulthood is a fairly universal process that involves doing quite a bit for our …
A propensity for interest in pornography among men is well known and documented. When most people think of the people who view porn, they think of men flipping through issues of Penthouse or clicking through online pornographic websites. But women and porn? Aren’t men thought to be the more visual creatures and the ones who …
The old one-armed bandit style slot machines live on in our collective memories. But it is the electronic versions of these sly heist-meisters that have been taking the gambling industry to new and unprecedented heights. These modern contraptions are really more video game than mechanical device, and they can eat away bank accounts at a …
Researchers have found that about half of the variation in how likely we are to become addicted is based on our genetics. For those who have never experienced addiction first hand, it can be easy to blame it on a lack of willpower. If addicts can see the damage they are doing to themselves and …
Prescription drug abuse always has the potential to cause physical and emotional harm to an addict and his or her loved ones. This type of substance abuse is serious enough that it often requires professional addiction treatment in order to recover. However, when the addict is a pregnant woman, the risk of harm extends to …