For a long time, many addiction therapists and professionals have spoken about gateway drugs. Gateway drugs are substances that can lead to the use of more addictive and dangerous substances. Alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills are the most common substances defined as gateway drugs. What Is a Gateway Drug? What is a gateway drug, specifically? The…
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While the country focuses on opioid use, amphetamine — commonly known as meth — is being overshadowed even though it’s making a comeback in the United States. According to a recent study, hospitalizations due to amphetamine have risen about 245% from the last decade. This figure is absurdly high when compared to hospitalizations from opioids, which were…
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While alcoholism and addiction are struggles faced by many, some careers are more affected. A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report shows that blue-collar workers have the highest rates of substance abuse. Some affected industries include construction, mining and manufacturing. Employees in blue-collar jobs often struggle with alcohol, cocaine, heroin and prescription…
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When most of us think about people with addiction problems, few people imagine a white collar professional such as a well-groomed family lawyer or high-brow bank manager. Although it may come as a surprise to you and many others, addiction is widespread among white-collar professionals. These people make good money and tend to have surplus…
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The term “process addiction” refers to activities and behaviors that are addictive for certain individuals. A process addiction develops when the brain is activated to produce pleasant feelings whenever an action is engaged, making an individual more likely to repeat that activity in the future. The pleasurable sensations produced are the same as those produced…
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Watching a friend or loved one struggle with substance abuse and addiction is painful. You may feel helpless and wonder how you can be supportive to the person in a genuinely helpful manner. Sober friends and family are crucial in helping people maintain recovery, so learning to be a sober ally is the best way…
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Drug addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that must be managed over a lifetime. However, developing an addiction is a much quicker process than treating one. Most people know that drugs and even other substances or activities can be addictive, but they may not know how addiction develops. Understanding how quickly drugs become…
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A “speedball,” not to be confused with the speedball drink, is a combination of drugs that people use to achieve a specific, extremely intense type of high. In general, a speedball combines a stimulant and a depressant drug. The most common speedball composition includes cocaine and heroin, two incredibly powerful drugs on their own. Other…
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Every year, more than 1,760,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. This devastating disease comes with a host of debilitating symptoms including severe pain, which is often treated using powerfully addictive opioid painkillers. People with cancer are more vulnerable to opioid misuse than the general population, and it can quickly lead to addiction. Prevalence of Opioid Addiction in…
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If you’ve wanted to stop using drugs or alcohol but haven’t been able to, it’s never too late to seek help. Alcohol consumption among older adults in the U.S. has grown steadily over the past couple of decades. By 2020, roughly 5.7 million American adults over the age of 50 are projected to suffer from substance…
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