Doctors and researchers know that some people who consume alcohol have a tendency to develop facial flushing, a condition marked by skin redness and an unusual feeling of warmth or burning. These individuals typically have a lower level of tolerance for alcohol’s physical effects inside the body. In a study published in April 2014 in …
Red Face From Drinking a Sign of Alcohol Intolerance Read More »
For many in recovery, 12-step meetings provide stability and sanity in the face of the whirlwind of addiction that threatens to toss them into the air and dash them against rocky cliffs. Just like the adage, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” is used as an excuse to drink, so too is there a meeting happening somewhere …
Where Two or More Are Gathered: A First Person Look at Recovery Read More »
It’s been said that if you practice a behavior for 30 days you can develop a new habit, good or bad. In that case, a habit is an intentionally learned behavior. Is that what happens in drug addiction? Do users intentionally use repeatedly and for long enough to form a bad habit? An animal study …
What Actually Causes a Person to Develop a Drug Habit? Read More »
By Jeanene Swanson — The use and misuse of prescription opioids by pregnant women has increased from 1.2 per 1,000 hospital live births in 2000 to 5.6 in 2009 in the last 10 years. What’s even more unsettling is that even in light of these statistics, several recent studies have found that doctors are prescribing …
Study Finds Spike in Opioid Use During Pregnancy Read More »
Is marijuana addictive? As the movement to legalize pot gains traction in multiple states, so does the science suggesting that recreational use of marijuana, now legal in Colorado and Washington, may come at a cost. A growing number of researchers have concluded that the drug has addictive qualities. The National Institute on Drug Abuse puts a …
On May 7, former NBA star Chris Herren will share his personal story of substance abuse and recovery at “Chris Herren Unguarded – It’s Never too Late to Follow Your Dreams,” an educational and inspiring event organized by Child, Adolescent and Family Recovery Center, Promises Behavioral Health, local high school districts 125 and 128, and …
The term binge drinking is used to identify a pattern of alcohol consumption that results in the rapid appearance of a blood-alcohol content that meets the legal definition of intoxication. Doctors and public health officials already know that this rapid-onset drunkenness increases the likelihood of a range of serious harms for affected individuals. In a …
Why Binge Drinkers Are Slower to Heal From Wounds Read More »
People affected by opioid addiction sometimes receive one of two opioid-based medications, called methadone and buprenorphine, as part of their treatment. Current evidence indicates that significant numbers of people who abuse these medications also get involved in the abuse of common prescription substances called benzodiazepines. In a study published in May 2014 in the journal …
Methadone and Benzodiazepines Deadly Combination Read More »
New treatment techniques that can help those who struggle with substance abuse are always welcome news to those impacted by addiction. One of the most exciting developments in addiction treatment is neurofeeedback therapy. Based on biofeedback, which has been in use for decades, this therapy has been shown to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, …
Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant drug of abuse known for its ability to trigger addiction in repeated users. Current evidence suggests that a significant number of methamphetamine-using women continue to take the drug when they become pregnant. In a study published in March 2014 in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers from eight U.S. institutions used …
Children Exposed to Methamphetamine Before Birth Struggle in Classroom Read More »