Nutrition and Exercise: Your Defense Against Addiction It took 80 friends and acquaintances to die from addiction for athlete and polydrug addict Dominic Scalzo to change his life. His substance use disorder began innocently enough. His alcohol indoctrination started in college, before a foot injury got him hooked on prescription painkillers. He then progressed to crack and cocaine while joining a rough New York crowd. He got arrested and thrown out of school. Despite going to inpatient [...] — Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment, For Loved One, For Self, Rehab and Recovery, Sobriety Read More

Talking To Children About Addiction And Mental Illness Overview The relationship between mental illness and addiction to drugs and alcohol is a complex one that has received a great deal of attention in recent years as a public health issue. Research consistently finds a correlation between substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental illness, with drug and alcohol abuse being more prevalent among individuals with mental health conditions. Determining whether a mental health condition leads directly to substance abuse [...] — Addiction Problem, Children, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Family, For Loved One, Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, Teenage Addiction, Youth Read More

Helping Those Who Resist Help: Do Interventions Work? I still remember two different times when people point blankly asked me about my drinking. One was my Mom many many years before I became sober. And one was my sister, after walking in on me and my ex in mid violent fight. There were also a few other times in my life where people reached out, thinking things might be wrong, but not wanting to bring it up. By [...] — Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment, For Loved One, Intervention, Rehab and Recovery Read More

When Youthful Dreams Become Nightmares: The Tragedy Of Teenage Addiction They say aging and death are the great equalizers. They don’t discriminate. Drug addiction should join the list. It is present in all walks of life. It doesn’t care about race, creed, gender, status, or age. Or if you’re the son of a mega-rich hotelier. Gary Mendell lost his son Brian to opioid abuse disorder in 2011, when Brian died by suicide. Mendell admitted that he hadn't [...] — Addiction Problem, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, For Loved One, Prescription Drug Addiction, Recreational Drug Addiction, Substance Abuse Read More

Marijuana Addiction Quiz The dangers of cannabis use disorder are frequently underestimated, especially in places where possession and use of the drug has been legalized. After all, if it’s legal, it can’t be that bad, right? The increasing use of marijuana as medication adds further to the perception of weed being both harmless and non-addictive. The reality, of course, is that misuse of almost every legal substance can cause problems. Even [...] — Addiction Problem, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, For Loved One, For Self, Marijuana Addiction, Substance Abuse, Weed Addiction Read More

How To Support An Addicted Loved One Without Enabling Them Watching her spouse battle his substance abuse disorder, including both drug and alcohol addiction, was extremely painful for Margaret, especially when he suffered through his failed treatment programs. Every time he entered a rehab centre, Margaret and her family members believed this would be the time that it stuck. The family members all thought they had effective ways of helping him, that if they loved him enough, helped him as [...] — Addiction Problem, Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Drug Use, For Loved One, Substance Abuse Read More

Doorway to the Unknown: How To Tell If A Loved One Might Be Addicted Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees. A Family Consumed By Addiction Simone stared at the curious fresh welts on Peter’s arms and legs. These were not the marks she was used to. They looked like lots of tiny spikes. The bruises she viewed as “normal” were from automotive fan belts. She wondered what could have caused these new ones, so she asked her older [...] — Addiction Problem, Addiction Signs and Symptoms, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, For Loved One, Substance Abuse Read More

How to Stage an Intervention That Works What's your worst nightmare? If you're reading this article, you're probably living it. Having your child, who you've loved and cared for, become addicted to drugs is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. You feel powerless. They're not listening to love or reason - and you've tried every combination of the two. Now you need help staging an intervention because it feels like the only thing left [...] — Addiction Problem, Addiction Treatment, For Loved One Read More

Family, I Have a Problem: What Can I Say to My Loved Ones About My Addiction? What Can I Say to My Loved Ones About My Addiction?Are you ready to take on your problem first hand? If you have the clarity to bring up your addiction to your family, you absolutely need to. But what can I say?A large part of the human condition is craving interaction with others. Without communication, we become isolated, introverted and depressed. As an addict, communication with loved ones [...] — Addiction Problem, For Loved One Read More

Educator’s Guide To Substance Abuse Education Drug education in the classroom can be a very important protective factor when it comes to helping youth make healthy decisions when it comes to substance related decisions.  For teachers, this requires honest and factual dialogue for this education to be effective.  The environment that the teachers create must be supportive.  Having an environment that youth can feel comfortable expressing themselves in can increase information preservation.In the classroom setting, [...] — Addiction Problem, Addiction Research, For Loved One, Substance Abuse Read More