Antisocial Personality Disorder and Addiction
While only a small percentage of people with substance use issues have antisocial personality disorder, the vast majority of people with antisocial personality disorder have substance use issues, primarily alcohol. It’s estimated that nine in 10 people with antisocial personality disorder are addicted to something, a far greater percentage than any other mental health issue. Antisocial personality disorder is characterized [...]
Are You at Risk for Smartphone Addiction?
Smartphones are useful for sharing pictures, texting, getting directions, checking email, listening to music, checking Facebook, and, occasionally, having a conversation with someone in another place. The downside is that most of us spend far too much time on our smartphones. Apps and games are designed to be addictive and drive engagement so the platforms can sell more ads. As [...]
Treatment Is Possible For Marijuana Addiction
Marijuana is the third most commonly used drug worldwide, behind tobacco and alcohol. People often don’t take marijuana addiction seriously because it is so familiar, it’s grown rather than synthesized or refined, and its effects are relatively mild compared to other drugs. However, marijuana is a serious problem if you’re addicted to it. It may even require treatment. Just because [...]
Is it Safe to Use Cannabis Oil in Recovery?
Cannabis, especially extracts like CBD oil, are increasingly attracting attention for their therapeutic potential. 20 years ago, assertions like, “I need marijuana for my glaucoma” were typically met with a wink and a nod, but now more and more research supports medical uses for cannabis. Marijuana contains more than 80 psychoactive compounds. The most important of these are THC and [...]
5 Roles Family Members Assume to Cope with Addiction
Addiction doesn’t only affect you. It affects everyone in your life, especially your family. Family members take on surprisingly predictable roles to cope with living with someone who struggles with addiction. These roles may help them get by in the short term, but they often cause problems later on. The enabler. This is usually the spouse or partner. The enabler [...]
Does Narcan Enable Opioid Addiction?
Narcan, or naloxone, is an antidote to opioid overdose. It binds strongly to opioid receptors in the brain, dislodging the opioid drugs. Someone in the midst of an opioid overdose usually comes around within minutes of receiving a dose--or sometimes two--of naloxone. There were an estimated 60,000 deaths from opioid related fatal overdoses in the US in 2017. In an [...]
Addiction and Suicide are Closely Related
This blog will discuss suicide. If you are having troubling thoughts of suicide, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. There are many ways addiction can kill you. We typically think of overdose, accidents, and diseases like liver cirrhosis, HIV, and heart disease. Suicide gets less attention but is a major cause of deaths linked to [...]
Rachel Getting Married Shows Addiction as Family Disease
You may think that when one person becomes an addict, it is only their problem. The truth is that when you have a close-knit family, your problems become their problems. The movie “Rachel’s Getting Married” shows just what a struggle it is to have a recovering addict in the family and the toll it can bring. The character of Kym [...]
Musicians and Drug Use
Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse are just a few examples of musicians who were celebrated for their art but succumbed to their drug use. Some musicians are able to get treatment while others die at a young age. It is important for musicians to take drug use seriously in the business instead of believing [...]
Binge Drinking Vs. High Functioning Alcoholism
Binge drinking is when you drink a large amount of drinks all at once, normally at parties with a group of people cheering you on. High functioning alcoholism is an uncontrollable craving to alcohol and you do not need a crowd to drink. They may be similar in the risk of accidents, violence, injury, damage to relationships, serious health conditions, [...]