Abusing drugs or alcohol does not necessarily cause domestic violence, but there is a strong correlation. For households with an addict, episodes of violence are far more likely. Every day can be a fearful game of waiting for the drug abuser or alcoholic to explode or lash out at a child or a spouse. Substance …
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Charlotte Kasl, psychologist and author of Women, Sex and Addiction: A Search for Love and Power, has been interested throughout her career in issues such as sexism, classism, racism and homophobia and has written of the connection between sexual assault and addiction, particularly in the lives of women. She has consulted on and contributed as …
Substance Abuse and Sexual Violence: Charlotte Kasl’s 16 Steps for Healing Read More »
Decriminalizing pot is an action that many municipal governments have taken, but the term is confusing. Despite how it sounds, decriminalization is not the same as legalization. Attitudes toward marijuana are constantly shifting, as well as the laws that parallel them, and it becomes more and more important to understand what it all means. Decriminalization …
In recent years, the terms “addict” and “alcoholic” have been gradually falling out of favor as ways to refer to people with substance use disorders. Many people have begun to publicly advocate against these terms, including the current acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli. Those who want …
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 …
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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 …
Over the years, researchers have identified many of the brain mechanisms that contribute to the onset and continuation of substance addiction. However, as investigations on this subject continue, more and more information comes to light and adds to basic understanding and the potential options for treatment. In a study published in June 2014 in the …
Newly Discovered Brain Mechanism Helps Explain Addiction Read More »
Addiction specialists and researchers have long known that the process of substance addiction begins when the brain’s pleasure center repeatedly experiences an abnormal buildup of a chemical called dopamine. However, they have not understood why a chronic dopamine buildup produces such dramatic changes in brain function. In a study published in June 2014 in The …
For 20 years, I battled with a cycle of depression that went from manageable low moods to periods of isolation and despair. Yet it wasn’t until I had a complete breakdown that I started to challenge my mental health status. When I did, it turned out to be the first step to overcoming depression and …
5 Key Elements of Recovery from Depression and Substance Abuse Read More »
The first daughter of New York City continues to go public with her depression and addiction story, and this week she was recognized for inspiring hope in other young people facing mental health problems. Chiara de Blasio, the 19-year-old daughter of Mayor Bill de Blasio, had startled the public with a Christmas Eve video revealing …
Chiara de Blasio Honored for Sharing Story of Addiction, Depression Read More »