Addiction Is a Brain Disease, Not Moral Failing AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 2, 2014Although addiction treatment is a relatively new field, a significant body of research shows that addiction is a chronic illness similar to asthma, hypertension and diabetes. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” Consistent differences in neurophysiology between addicts and non-addicts…
I Smoke, But I’m Not a Smoker Addiction, News and Research, Substance AbuseBy Promises Behavioral HealthFebruary 20, 2014Cigarette smoking is a highly addictive activity practiced by millions of U.S. adults and teenagers. Doctors and public health officials commonly try to identify smokers as part of an ongoing effort to prevent the severe health complications that often accompany cigarette use and nicotine addiction. However, according to the results of a study published in…
CVS Calls It Quits: No More Cigarettes AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthFebruary 6, 2014CVS/Caremark, the largest selling drugstore chain in the U.S., announced Wednesday that it will stop selling tobacco products by year’s end, a potential catalyst for more retailers to also consider withdrawing. Smoking-cessation advocates believe less access will help fight the addictive habit, while market analysts said it will likely shift sales to other venues. “CVS…
Betel Quids Threaten Asia With Oral Cancer AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 23, 2014Betel quids, also commonly referred to as betel nuts, are the fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. Only tobacco, alcohol and caffeinated beverages are more commonly consumed.
When the Doctor Is the Addict AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 22, 2014Self-medication and prescription drug abuse are problems that almost all doctors have to deal with in some form or another. Self-medication is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as “the selection and use of medications by individuals to treat self-recognized or self-diagnosed conditions.” The practice of self-medication is risky for a variety of…
Can We Predict Who Will Crave Alcohol? AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 20, 2014In the context of substance use, craving means a strong urge to drink more alcohol or take more drugs or medications. People affected by substance cravings are significantly at-risk for developing substance use disorder. In a study published in January 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers from three U.S. institutions sought to determine whether…
How to Stop Enabling Your Grown-Up Child Addiction, News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 15, 2014From changing diapers to zipping zippers and wiping noses, there probably isn’t much that you haven’t done for your child. The role of “parent” has certainly changed throughout history, but caretaking and guiding a child from birth through adolescence and into adulthood is a fairly universal process that involves doing quite a bit for our…
Genetics of Addiction: Wired for Drugs Addiction, News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 13, 2014Researchers have found that about half of the variation in how likely we are to become addicted is based on our genetics. For those who have never experienced addiction first hand, it can be easy to blame it on a lack of willpower. If addicts can see the damage they are doing to themselves and…
‘Affluenza’ Drunk-Driving Teen Ethan Couch May Still Face Jail AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthDecember 20, 2013Drunk-driving teen Ethan Couch plowed into a group of good Samaritans, killed four people, paralyzed a friend and injured at least 11 others, yet got no jail time. The judge who heard testimony that the 16-year-old suffers from an affluent-kid condition dubbed “affluenza” sentenced him to a decade of probation under court monitoring, and a…
Silk Road Returns to Bedevil Law Enforcement AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthDecember 13, 2013It’s baaaaack! Only a couple of months after being seized and shut down by FBI cyber-agents, the drug-peddling site Silk Road is up and running again on that hidden section of the Internet known as the Deep Web. The original founder of this infamous virtual trading post, Ross William Ulbricht, is still tucked safely behind…
