The 1970s saw the rise in the use of PCP (Phencyclidine), or “angel dust,’’ as well as its eventual decline. While the drug provided the desirable high, the paranoia, frightening hallucinations and violent side effects kept it from becoming a mainstream high. Years later, cocaine and crack took over as the drugs of choice among …
Almost 50 percent of U.S. women capable of bearing children weigh enough to meet the standard definitions for being overweight or obese. Without doubt, one the main contributors to excess weight in these women (and all other people) is consumption of a diet high in sugar and fat. In a study presented in August 2013 …
Diet During Pregnancy May Affect Child’s Risk for Alcohol, Drug Abuse Read More »
If you have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction, going through treatment and rehabilitation can be the beginning of a whole new life. But, not necessarily. In reality the relapse rate following rehab is disturbingly high for recovering addicts and alcoholics, proving that treatment is by no means a panacea or a miracle cure for …
One Alum’s Story of Learning to Live a Healthy Life Suzanne started using substances at the age of 12. That’s not the saddest chapter of her story. By the time she had reached her 20’s, she was drinking alcohol and abusing cocaine and had been in and out of several drug treatment facilities. Again, it …
How Promises P.A.T.H Changed the Way I Make Choices Read More »
New designer drugs seem to be hitting the United States market and the media with a frequency that is unsurpassed in other countries. President Barack Obama signed the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act in 2012, effectively banning a number of compounds commonly used to create synthetic marijuana and other designer drugs. Before …
Designer Drugs: What They Are and Why Their Use Is Growing: Part I Read More »
Back in 1998, the satirical newspaper The Onion featured the following front-page headline: “Drugs Win Drug War” This introduction and the story that followed were obviously intended as a spoof, but humor is frequently used as a subtle way to reveal the truth and that was undoubtedly the intent in this case. Fifteen years later, …
When Drugs Win the War on Drugs, It’s Time to Focus on Treatment Read More »
As an addict’s use spins out of control, what happens to the rest of the family? In families where one or both parents develop an addiction, certain “rules” about how to behave and how to survive develop alongside the addiction. In addition to these rules, family members take on roles that shore up the rules …
Family Rules: Don’t Talk, Don’t Feel, Don’t Trust Read More »
It behooves society and parents to do anything possible to keep kids off drugs. Preventing teens from trying drugs or from drinking means saving many of them from the disease of addiction, avoiding astronomical costs in health care and legal issues, and saving lives. Educational programs are not uncommon in schools, but their benefits seem …
‘Scared Straight’ Programs Are Harmful, Studies Find Read More »
Getting over addiction is never easy. That means rehab isn’t easy either. The structure, emotional vulnerability and lack of substances to mute feelings can clash with the lifestyle of addiction you’ve been leading. If you are struggling to get into a groove with your treatment program, you may be wondering if you can get kicked …
Acknowledge your role as an enabler. Staying on the path you are on now will only perpetuate the problem and reduce the likeliness that your loved one will ever get the help he or she needs. Find help. Living with an addicted spouse causes tremendous stress. You may be dealing with a loved one who …