As awareness about the depredations of substance abuse grows, we might expect that the rates of drug addiction and alcoholism would be falling concordantly. But while this has been happening with a few illegal drugs, it has not been happening with alcohol, which is by far the most frequently abused mind-altering intoxicant.
Recent research findings are showing promising results for people who have damaged their brains by drinking too much. The research was inspired by other studies that found aerobic exercise could have a positive impact on the brains of people as they age. Some of the damage caused by drinking is similar to the damage that …
Exercise May Reverse Brain Damage in Heavy Drinkers, Study Finds Read More »
The fact that some people are able to take substances without becoming addicted has long been a hot topic of research. This difference between individuals could suggest a biological or genetic marker for the development of addiction, which could therefore lead to a much more effective approach to treatment. A new study has looked at …
Why Do Only Some People Become Addicted to Alcohol? Read More »
For alcoholics, drug addicts, and their families, treatment, and rehabilitation offer the hope of redemption and healing. But substance abusers and the people who love them are often unsure what exactly to expect from the treatment, and their tentative sense of optimism is often tempered by uncertainty and trepidation. Complicating things further, misconceptions about the …
Essentially all adults in the modern world are intimately familiar with stress, a reaction in the mind and body that produces effects such as increases in normal blood pressure and heart rate, as well as an increased susceptibility to the distorting influence of anxiety and fear. For several reasons, alcoholics typically have unusually elevated stress …
Men suffer from alcoholism at much higher rates than women, by a ratio of more than two to one. However, women are more likely than men to experience negative physiological consequences from alcoholism or high levels of alcohol consumption without addiction. At least some of this higher degree of risk is due to differences in …
Heavy use of alcohol is known to cause such ailments as liver damage and heart problems, but now researchers have found that it can damage the very system that keeps bodies safe from illness and disease. Each time an individual drinks enough to get drunk, they are lowering their body’s defenses against illness, preventing nutrients …
Today many treatments for alcohol addiction are available and recovery is possible. The bad news is that in order to become well, the person affected must admit that a problem exisits. Denial presents the greatest obstacle to recovery. By it, a person insulates themselves from any need to change. The first form of denial is …
Though alcohol addiction is a behavioral illness, many experts agree that environmental factors figure largely in how a person thinks about and interacts with alcohol. Environmental factors such as product availability, social attitude and advertising can all play a part in whether or not a person will abuse alcohol. Socio-economic factors may also contribute, but …
Environmental Factors That Can Increase Risk for Alcohol Abuse Read More »
Long hidden due to shame and stigma, the issue of women who drink to dangerous levels is finally brought to light in a documentary film that goes into great detail about who these women are and why they started on the path of self-destructive drinking. Lipstick & Liquor, which debuted at the Reel Recovery Film …
Lipstick & Liquor: Powerful Documentary About Women Who Drink Read More »