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.…
Once found primarily in large metropolitan areas, rave parties are making their way into more rural settings. Increasingly, parents need to understand what is meant by the term and what happens at the parties once kids get there. A rave is a techno party where the music, strobe lighting and partying last into the wee…
Primary care practitioners seldom encounter medical conditions they can’t identify. Backed by precise diagnostic tools such as X-ray machines, MRI scanners, computerized tomography and DNA testing, 21st century doctors, nurses and physician’s assistants are able to uncover a broad range of diseases, injuries, syndromes and conditions. But despite modern medicine’s many advances, detecting substance abuse…
We all drink a little too much from time to time, don’t we? Is there anything wrong with enjoying ourselves? Plenty of people have a little to drink each day. How is a person supposed to know if he is really an addict? How do we know if we need help? Are these the questions…
Being the target of bullying is a serious problem for many of today’s teens. It can lead to significant emotional pain and trauma, and isn’t something that a teen merely needs to “get over.” The emotional impact of bullying can leave lasting scars. Sadly, some teens turn to alcohol and drugs as a way to…
For some, the burden of caregiving can seem unbearable – whether you’re caring for an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s or parenting a child with cerebral palsy. It is, without question, a challenging way to live: attending to your loved one’s personal hygiene, going back and forth to doctor’s appointments, preparing meals and ensuring he or…
Last week, 30-year-old rapper Lil Wayne was hospitalized after suffering seizures. While details are still unconfirmed, it is suspected that his condition resulted from an overdose of a drug called “sizzurp.” Addiction psychiatrist and CEO of Promises Treatment Centers Dr. David Sack recently appeared on Fox News to discuss sizzurp. “It’s a combination of codeine…
Do you dread going to a loved one’s home because you can’t set foot in the door without tripping over piles of stuff? Is there garbage strewn about the house of your elderly parent or other family member who perhaps has a mental health disorder but otherwise generally functions normally? Maybe your loved one is…
When you come across the term ‘drug abuser,’ chances are that you immediately think of people who use drugs as a matter of circumstance. As recently as 2008, epidemiological studies have shown that the rate of drug abuse is higher among certain groups, which includes people with lower socioeconomic status. Other risk factors in the…
Today many treatments for alcohol addiction are available and recovery is possible. The bad news is that in order to become well, the person affected must admit that a problem exisits. Denial presents the greatest obstacle to recovery. By it, a person insulates themselves from any need to change. The first form of denial is…
