Pipe and Cigar Smoke May Be More Harmful Than Once Thought AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthFebruary 16, 2010Pipe and cigar smoke may be more harmful than once thought. While some believe pipes and cigars are healthier than cigarettes, a major known cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study directly links pipe and cigar smoking to decreased lung function.
Substance Abuse Problems Can Masquerade As Other Psychiatric Disorders AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthFebruary 8, 2010Getting an accurate diagnosis can be complicated, and even elusive, when substance use is involved. The effects of substance use can masquerade as other mental health issues and psychiatric disorders. For this reason, many substance users who seek treatment will be misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed at some point. This is often a frustrating process. It’s not…
Cambodian Refugees and Gambling Disorders AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthFebruary 5, 2010The Cambodian refugees that have settled in the United States may suffer high rates of trauma (Marshall, Schell, Elliott, Berthold & Chun, 2005). In order to treat this trauma, it is also important to understand how the trauma manifests itself in behaviors, such as substance abuse, employment dysfunction or gambling disorders. Recent research examined the…
When You Can Ask Who Can Help Me Heal – The Time Is Right AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 13, 2010Thoughts about quitting your addiction can pop up at any time. Usually, however, they creep in slowly, gradually taking root until the desire to quit your drug of choice becomes almost unbearable. While it would be wonderful to be able to predict when such an intention to change begins to command more and more of…
Women Arrested for Drunk Driving Increases While Men Take More Care AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 6, 2010For those women who are striving for greater equality between the sexes, women are definitely gaining on men in one key area: arrests for drunken driving. According to a Chicago Tribune story, women are racing to catch up to men in DUI arrests, who still greatly outnumber women. With this gap still in place, how…
Social Perceptions: Biological vs. Behavioral Diseases AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 29, 2009Decades after behavioral disorders such as alcohol and drug addictions have been recognized by the medical community as diseases instead of simply a series of bad choices, social stigmas still play a role with these health issues. Negative associations cause people to fear, reject, and discriminate against a person with a behavior-related disease, according to…
Intervention Method May Help Curb Drunk Driving AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 26, 2009Driving while intoxicated is not only illegal, it also puts the life of the driver and everyone else on the road at risk. The biggest problem on the road today is DWI recidivists, or those who re-offend. Many of these individuals fail to participate in mandated alcohol-evaluation and intervention programs or continue to drink problematically…
Gambling Addiction Rapidly Growing Problem for Youth in Iowa AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 24, 2009Gambling has become practically a national pastime. Recent reports suggest that more money is spent on gambling than other entertainment venues combined. Along with this love affair for risk has come a growing addiction. In a recent Sioux City Journal article, gambling therapist Matt Cihak believes it is only a matter of time before his…
Tracing the Pattern of Drug Use to Drug Dependence AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 20, 2009What makes the difference between a casual drink and alcohol dependence? How do you know when someone goes from trying marijuana now and then to having a serious abuse problem? Scientists still do not know how all of the factors involved in substance abuse work together, but a series of studies provides insight into how…
How Sex Addiction Impacts Partners AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 16, 2009When one partner in a marriage or relationship is a sexual addict, both partners suffer as a result. The extent to which each partner is impacted by the sexual compulsivity or addiction varies, depending on the type of addiction, how long it has been present, whether it has progressed to more blatant and potentially serious…
