Getting High is A Many Splendoured Thing: The Dangers of Polysubstance Abuse There is a hospital in Brooklyn, New York City, where history was made in taking better care of addicted patients. This is Maimonides Medical Center. Their intensive care unit (ICU) used to have a largely geriatric patient population, but in just two years, they were overtaken by younger patients in withdrawal from alcohol and polysubstance abuse. The majority of the withdrawal patients came from the emergency department. Most of the [...] — Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Polysubstance Abuse, Substance Abuse Read More

Addiction During Pregnancy: What It Means For Mother And Baby Addiction During Pregnancy: An Overview People with substance use disorders suffer from the stigma of being addicts. Because of societal stereotypes, woman are stigmatized far more than are men. With pregnancy added to the mix, the pressure can be immeasurable. It intensifies the effects of the stigmatization on the physical and mental health of the mother, and this affects the well-being of the fetus. It can also mean that the [...] — Addiction Problem, Addiction Treatment, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Pregnancy, Prescription Drug Addiction, Substance Abuse Read More

The Opioid Crisis In Canada Every few months or so, there is a news report about the number of deaths caused by opioid overdose. Opioids have been in our society for hundreds of years, stemming from opium which was derived from the poppy plant. The common forms of these drugs- such as morphine, codeine, oxycodone and fentanyl- are strong pain killers that have addictive properties due to their ability to create a euphoric state of [...] — Addiction Problem, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Opioid Addiction, Prescription Drug Addiction, Substance Abuse 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

Life After Rehab: Preventing A Relapse No matter how someone gets here, early recovery for any addict can be a scary place. Life for the addict is changing and there is no clear path to take. For people exiting a rehabilitation program, the fear of relapse is high, because while in the program they were safe from coming face to face with their substance. Rates of relapse are high for all addicts, but a few things [...] — Addiction Problem, Addiction Recovery, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Rehab and Recovery, Sobriety, Substance Abuse Read More

Addiction and Mental Illness: A Molotov Cocktail of Immense Proportions Have you drunk alcohol in the past 24 hours? Are you addicted to drugs? Do you want to kill yourself?” These were the questions asked of Eric Walton by the officer who booked him at the local police station for violently attacking his father. Eric was 11 years old. His parents viewed jail as the last resort for dealing with him. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Eric spent most [...] — Addiction Problem, Drug Abuse & Drug Addiction, Mental Illness, Substance Abuse Read More

Surviving Alcohol Withdrawal & Detox Although alcohol is the most widely abused substance worldwide, many people underestimate how devastating alcoholism can be. What may start as “social drinking” or the occasional glass of wine can spiral into obsessive consumption that destroys families, causes financial ruin and puts the health and safety of the addict at serious risk. While there are factors that can make a person more susceptible to alcohol addiction, such as family history [...] — Addiction Problem, Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment, Alcohol Abuse, Substance Abuse Read More