In many cases, teens try prescription drugs and get hooked on the addictive medication. Soon, however, they are unable to afford the high cost of a drug like OxyContin and begin looking for alternatives to reach a similar high. All too often, that alternative is heroin. Compared to prescription drugs, it is cheap and easy …
Forty percent of pilots killed in plane crashes had taken over-the-counter or illegal drugs prior to takeoff in recent years, a marked climb over the last two decades, a new safety report has found. The share of pilots using at least one drug rose from 9.9 percent to 39 percent over the study period, which …
Schizophrenia can severely affect quality of life for those afflicted, as well as family and friends. Successful treatment relies on a robust support system, but support can often center on around-the-clock care. A study provides insight into additional health problems that can complicate treatment.
In the form of marijuana, cannabis ranks as the most widely used illicit/illegal substance in America. Researchers and public health officials have long debated the question of how many cannabis/marijuana users ultimately end up getting involved in other forms of illicit drug use. In a study published in August 2014 in the International Journal of …
How Many Cannabis Users Start Taking Other Drugs? Read More »
Substance/medication induced obsessive-compulsive and related disorder is the lengthy, somewhat complicated name for a newly defined mental health condition that appears in DSM 5, the recently released fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. People with this condition have symptoms that closely resemble the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or any …
Understanding Substance/Medication-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder Read More »
Addiction to alcohol usually has one of two starting points. Either the person gets involved with alcohol because he or she thinks it makes life more fun, or the person starts drinking in order to dull unpleasant thoughts and feelings. The person who overdrinks in an effort to intensify life usually won’t benefit from the …
No One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Overcoming Alcohol Addiction Read More »
In honor of Recovery Month, The Promises Foundation will host its 9th Annual Polo in the Palisades Charity Event to benefit Miriam’s House.
Starting next month, it will be easier to rid your home of unwanted narcotic painkillers. Calling prescription drug abuse “an urgent and growing threat to our nation and its citizens,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced this week that the Drug Enforcement Agency is loosening its rules to allow neighborhood pharmacies, hospitals and drug treatment …
New Law Lets Pharmacies Take Back Unused Prescription Drugs Read More »
There are many assumptions we make about addiction and the sorts of people who suffer from it, and in many cases we’re wrong. We may think that young people and adults suffer the most from addiction, but healthcare professionals are growing increasingly concerned about addiction among the elderly. The problem is that our assumptions lead …
In the U.S., hundreds of thousands of people use the illegal stimulant drug methamphetamine every month. In addition, tens of millions of people consume alcohol. There is a considerable degree of overlap between the methamphetamine-using population and the alcohol-using population. In a study scheduled for publication in 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, …
Drinking Alcohol Increases Meth Use, Study Finds Read More »