HOW INHALANT USE DISORDER IS DIAGNOSED
What, you may be asking, is “inhalant use disorder?” Simply put, this is a sickness that develops when people begin to abuse drugs called inhalants, e.g. the gaseous materials or fumes inside chemical products. Anything, from spray paint to glue, from nitrous oxide to lighter fluid, is fair game for people who are seeking a […]
WHAT DO PEOPLE EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY TAKE HALLUCINOGENS?
According to scientific reports throughout the years, people who take hallucinogens experience a wide variety of visions and perceptions called hallucinations (which can border on traumatic). As doctors have pointed out, this reaction is due to the drugs’ ability to stimulate neural circuits in our brains (specifically the frontal cortex, which governs aspects like mood […]
THE TOXIC BLEND OF CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL
How many times have you reached for a cup of coffee in the morning or an energy drink in the afternoon? From a quick kick to a daily routine, each of us is somehow connected to caffeine and its glorious ability to make us explode with boundless energy. Nevertheless, daily activities take a different turn […]
CAN YOU DEVELOP AN ADDICTION TO ENERGY DRINKS?
At some point throughout the day, we like to get an extra kick that can only be granted by caffeine, one of the most widely dispersed legal stimulants on the planet. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a cup of coffee or a sparkling glass of iced black tea? Perhaps you would prefer a slice of […]
WHAT IS AN ADDICTION STIGMA?
Why do we always put alcoholics and drug addicts in a tight spot? For centuries, we humans have tended to cast a negative light on poor people who are suffering from this severe, uncurable mental illness and have even deemed some of their behavior (even the mildest type) sinful. In the meantime, society has also […]
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MEDICARE PROGRAMS AND THE OPIOID CRISIS
As we enter another year, it appears that the dreaded Opioid Crisis is gaining momentum as opposed to losing it. For example, from 2002 to 2014, about 500,000 people died as a direct result of opioid-related overdoses (with 165,000 of these deaths stemming from prescription narcotics). Later, in 2016, officials reported that an estimated 78 […]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE “SHAKE AND BAKE” METH LABS
Part of what makes methamphetamine such a dangerous drug (outside the obvious biochemical and physiological changes to the mind and body) is the fact that it is 100% illegal, meaning that the methods to create it are far from safe. In fact, some of the cooking processes for crystal meth are as equally life-threatening (if […]
HOW TO SET UP BOUNDARIES FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL USERS
At some point in your life, you have probably had the misfortunate of dealing some who had problems with “boundaries.” This person may be a family member who licked a spoon before sticking it back in a bowl or a friend who continuously fights with another one of your friends at every party. At some […]
THE IMPACT OF DEXEDRINE ON THE HUMAN BODY
Commonly, doctors prescribe the stimulant Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) to help people who are suffering of psychological problems, notably attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, but (as with any other prescription stimulant) this drug does have a high potential for abuse. On that note, have you ever wondered how long these potentially dangerous substances remain in […]
CONFIRMATION OF RISK FACTORS FOR NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME
Perhaps one of the most tragic aspects of the opioid epidemic is the fact that adults and teens are not the only subgroup that is falling victim to these addictive drugs. In a cruel twist of fate, babies are being exposed to opioid painkillers in the womb as their mothers continue to consume these substances. […]