Dual Diagnosis Defined
Dual diagnosis refers to a person who has developed an addiction alongside a mental health issue. These issues can differ from person to person. Someone may be depressed or anxious and struggle with alcohol consumption. Others might habitually use marijuana while suffering from schizophrenia. No matter the substance or mental illness, dual diagnosis is a…
Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse
The use of a prescription drug is only meant to be administered by a licensed practitioner. Prescription drug abuse or inappropriate usage is when a person starts to use a prescribed medication outside of a doctor’s instructions. This could be someone continuing medication use after it is no longer needed or using more of the…
Videogame Addiction is Real
It’s fun to get a hobby you enjoy doing. But can you push an interest too far? And when does it transform into an addiction? This is the problem that video games analysts are trying to answer. Video games, with the advent of very basic gameplay, have caught American interest since the 1970s. Although the…
How Trauma Causes Addiction
Childhood trauma and other traumatic events are usually the main cause of daily struggles for some people. The act of keeping trauma-related memories hidden and out of mind can be exhausting and over time, a person can develop their own skills to cope with it. However, even after years of keeping these memories, one bad…
Different Schedules of Drugs
The Controlled Substances Act places every drug in a schedule based on its medical value and its potential for abuse. The Federal Government has generally delegated this enforcement to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA inquires first if a medication can be abused to start a schedule. If it is valid, it is put…
How Being Outdoors During Recovery is Beneficial
Being with nature is healing and this is something we have all personally experienced. You may not realize it, but being outside, in the sun, around nature is actually healing. There’s something about breathing fresh air and feeling the breeze blowing on your face that makes you feel at ease. Nature relaxes you which is…
Homelessness and Substance Abuse
There are numerous challenges every day, such as unemployment, housing, and food, that homeless people encounter. For many, drug abuse is a single issue in an increasing list of issues that exacerbate their situation, leading to imprisonment, mental disorders, and even suicide. The broader meaning of homelessness The origins of homelessness and drug use have…
Is Addiction A Choice?
The long-debated question: Is addiction a choice? Or is it a disease? Short answer, it’s a disease, but more on that later. Unfortunately, there is still a massive stigma around addiction, making it out to be a choice rather than a disease that can be treated. People often think will-power is enough to beat addiction,…
What Comes After Recovery?
Have you recently made the decision to live a sober life or are thinking about living one? Have you ever thought about what comes after recovery? Well then, this article is for you! These are the kind of things addicts think about when they are debating whether or not to kick their bad habits. “What…
Substance Abuse Among The LGBT Community
It is fantastic to see that our country, and other countries around the world, have made steps towards the acceptance of people in the LGBT community. This is a relatively new movement of acceptance, even though people in the LGBT community have been fighting for acceptance and equal rights throughout many decades. Up until June…