Millions of Americans know how painful it is to watch a loved one struggle with alcohol or drug abuse. Research shows that more than 40% of adults in the United States have at least one addicted person in their immediate family. It is even more painful feeling powerless to help. Should you have a heart-to-heart …
Compulsive shopping, also known as shopping addiction, is an unofficial mental health disorder characterized by shopping or spending behaviors that function in roughly the same ways that alcohol or drug use function in substance addiction. It belongs to a larger of group of unofficial disorders known as behavioral addictions or process addictions. These addictions occur …
A number of scientific studies have revealed the complex workings of our brain’s motivation and reward center and how neurotransmitters, often referred to as the brain’s “feel-good chemicals,” are released when we desire something or experience pleasure. Our brains produce numerous natural neurotransmitters that play critical roles in our health and how we feel. The …
Addiction and Dopamine Neurotransmitters: How Addiction Works Read More »
Substance abuse disorders are common in the United States, impacting 19.3 million Americans annually. The stages of addiction can progress rapidly from your first use to physical dependence. Since addiction is a chronic mental health disease, symptoms gradually worsen over time. Occasional and recreational use can transition into abuse and physical dependence, sometimes in as …
Although addiction is an incurable condition, treatment makes a recovery possible, no matter what stage of addiction you are trapped in. While treatment is essential to recovery, less than half of those who have a substance abuse disorder ultimately receive help. If you are searching “rehab centers near me,” chances are you’re ready to take …
Drugs, alcohol, and even behaviors can cause psychological dependence. Psychological dependence requires treatment because of the way your brain’s pleasure and reward center changes during addiction. It is very difficult to recover from psychological dependence without help. If you are struggling with a substance abuse disorder, addiction, or drinking problem, you are far from alone. …
Addiction is a chronic and progressive disease, with the stages of addiction occurring as soon as within weeks of your first use. Because addiction is a progressive disease, your symptoms will continue to worsen until you get help. Since abusing drugs and alcohol puts you at such a high risk of dying from an overdose, …
Addiction is a deadly disease, as fatal overdoses have quickly become the number one cause of death among Americans under the age of 50. Since addiction is a progressive condition, symptoms continue to become more disabling, the longer you put off treatment. When you are ready to find help for a substance abuse disorder or …
Sometimes people use a substance for a while yet remain unsure if they are addicted. Occasionally, when a doctor prescribes narcotic medication, you may worry about becoming addicted. Further, you may even be taking a prescription that isn’t yours. Other people may be doing recreational drugs, yet they’re not sure if they are addicted either. …
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that almost 25 million Americans by the age of 12 have used illicit drugs within the last month. Drugs and alcohol can change the way that the brain processes emotions and regulates someone’s mood. Continued abuse of drugs and alcohol leads to dependence. Once you have formed …