Retraining the Brain in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinNovember 11, 2014Much of the new research into addiction talks about how drugs change the brain. What does this mean? We know that whatever those changes are, they make a person dependent on the drug, but how does it work? It turns out that our brains have an amazing degree of plasticity, which means the brain can… Details
Overcoming Mental Illness Stigmas Mental HealthBy Promises AustinNovember 8, 2014Mental illness affects many of our family members, neighbors and co-workers, yet attitudes remain negative. In the U.S. 11.4 million adults and 2 million adolescents, around 20 percent of the general population, suffer with some form of mental illness. In Canada 6.5 million live with mental illness or substance abuse. Too often people don’t search… Details
Overcoming Common Rehab Fears Addiction TreatmentBy Promises AustinNovember 7, 2014No one, it seems, wants to go to rehab. It is a necessity for many addicts, but not a choice that is easy to make. And it isn’t easy to follow through with that choice and go. One of the most important factors holding many people back from going to rehab is fear. Not all… Details
Long-Term Cannabis Use Makes Cocaine Withdrawal Worse, Study Finds CocaineBy Promises AustinNovember 3, 2014Cannabis abuse is the term for a non-addicted pattern of marijuana/cannabis consumption that nevertheless interferes with the ability to maintain stable, productive daily routines. The condition forms part of a larger health problem called cannabis use disorder. In a study published in September 2014 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a team of Brazilian… Details
Horrible Trends Offer New Ways to Hate Your Body Eating DisordersBy Promises AustinOctober 29, 2014Chances are, the first time you heard the term “thigh gap” it was from someone warning you not to worry about having one. In this world of lightening-fast information dissemination, it can be nearly impossible to trace the course of a term, idea, image, etc., that has gone “viral.” But all to often, it seems… Details
Alcohol Addiction’s Impact on the Frontal Lobe Alcohol AbuseBy Promises AustinOctober 23, 2014It’s discouraging watching a loved one struggle with alcohol dependence as the addict is compelled to make decisions that are self-destructive and damaging to their relationships, career and families. The individual may be fully aware of the problems they’re creating and yet be unable to make healthy choices. A new study provides clues to unhealthy… Details
How Does Delay Discounting Affect the Behavior of Cocaine Addicts? CocaineBy Promises AustinOctober 23, 2014Delay discounting is a term psychologists and psychiatrists use to describe the human tendency to favor tangible short-term rewards over potentially greater long-term rewards. The same term applies to the human tendency to weigh obvious short-term losses against potential long-term losses. In a study slated for publication in 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers… Details
The Difficulties of Bipolar Mothers BipolarBy Promises AustinOctober 22, 2014Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder affecting literally millions of Americans. Some of those struggling to overcome intense mood swings are brand new mothers. A study of women with various kinds of mental health disorders found that pregnant and post-partum moms with bipolar may have the toughest time of all. Researchers from Brown University conducted… Details
What Influences Quality of Life for Long-Term Recovering Alcoholics? Alcohol AbuseBy Promises AustinOctober 20, 2014Alcoholism (known more formally as alcohol dependence) is the well-known addiction characterized by such things as a physical/mental reliance on alcohol consumption and a destructive pattern of alcohol-fueled behavior. After going through the initial stages of alcoholism recovery, people affected by this addiction have a common goal of maintaining their sobriety for the remainder of… Details
Inhalant Use Can Impair Nervous System for 15 Years Other AddictionsBy Promises AustinOctober 19, 2014Inhalants are a broad range of common, commercially available chemicals that get grouped together because they can function as makeshift drugs when inhaled through the nose or mouth. Use of these chemicals can trigger a number of serious or potentially fatal short- and long-term health problems. In a study published in 2013 in the journal… Details
