Drug and alcohol abuse is as old as human civilization. In the United States, addiction has been acknowledged as early as the 1600s. Although addiction is now understood and treated as a disease, society once viewed it as a character flaw of the individual. Early aversion therapy included prayer, adding bird dung or a…
Guilt and shame can create problems for anyone entering recovery. Guilt and shame are powerful emotions that are vital in the healing process. People who are new to recovery often struggle with issues of guilt and shame surrounding their addiction and the acts committed while intoxicated and addicted. Powerful emotions play an integral part in…
There are a lot of great books to read for addiction recovery. Those who join narcotics anonymous start with the basic text, Narcotics Anonymous 6th Edition. Narcotics Anonymous also publishes It Works How and Why – The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous along with an accompanying workbook. These three books provide a…
What are the different types of drugs is a common question for parents looking to educate and protect their children? The number of drugs and pharmaceuticals that are regularly monitored for employment and addiction can range from up to a three panel to a sixteen-panel test. The United States government categorizes drugs into five different…
Our society has reached a critical point in the fight against substance abuse. Drugs, which have historically permeated the societal niches of impoverished and crime-ridden communities, have now made their way into the everyday lives of adolescents. The ease of access is overwhelming, the peer pressure is suffocating, and the unchecked mental disorders of this…
Congratulations. Your loved one is finally seeking help for their addiction to drugs or alcohol. This has no doubt been a long road, so you can breathe a sigh of relief. Seeking help for an addiction is an important first step on the road to recovery. While millions of Americans struggle with substance abuse problems,…
Alcoholism affects the entire family. No matter how old you are, it is very difficult to deal with an alcoholic parent. It rarely gets easier, even as an adult. First, know you’re not alone. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the U.S. by far and plagues more than 17 million Americans each year.…
The difference between stimulants and depressants is equivalent to the difference between night and day. Stimulants are known as “uppers” and depressants are known as “downers” due to their effects. When someone wants to know what are the potential consequences of mixing stimulants and depressants, the answer is serious permanent physical or brain damage up…
Marijuana has never been more accessible than it is today. Restrictive laws are constantly revisited under the suspicion that cannabis has medicinal powers, and legal distributors are turning profits of incredible magnitude. And yet, drug testing is still considered a vital step in the hiring process for many companies. Employers want sober workers, and they…
The terms opiate, opioid, and narcotics frequently are used in the same group of terminology when in fact they are vastly different. In recent years, prescription medication has increased in use and abuse, so it is important to know and understand the difference in terminology. What the drugs have in common is in their use,…
