The natural high cannot be compared to the drug rush Any time you do something fun, exciting, or meaningful, your brain produces dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel a rush of reward and pleasure. Dopamine has to do with motivation; the first time you experience...
Why do mothers misuse or abuse drugs? The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that women generally use drugs to manage their weight, fight exhaustion, cope with pain, and self-medicate to address mental health problems such as postpartum depression and anxiety. Environmental factors may also include...
The next state to legalize recreational marijuana may be New York in 2019, according to NBC News. So far, Vox reports that 13 states have decriminalized recreational cannabis and 10 states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use, according to...
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without _________ (fill in the blank). Many would insert the word “family” as they imagine images of intergenerational family members cooking, eating and laughing together over stupid funny stories at the dinner table. For single men and women, the idea of...
Individuals in recovery face a special challenge when they feel ready to re-enter the workforce. In Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce, a 2006 report prepared by Abt Associates, Inc., based on stakeholder meetings convened by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment...
Origin of the Disease Model of Addiction The term “Disease Model of Addiction” was coined more than 50 years after the American Medical Association (AMA) first deemed alcoholism as an illness in 1956. No longer considered as just a behavioral problem, addiction is now defined as...
Are you too young to be forgetful about certain things that only older adults worry about? You walk into a room and immediately forget what you were looking for. You’re out with friends or at the grocery store, only to realize that you forgot your...
More so than St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving is the holiday when most arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) are made. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 40% of traffic-related deaths between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are attributed to drunk driving, compared...
The emergence of the opioid epidemic has made it challenging for patients who legitimately struggle with chronic pain stemming from nerve damage, unhealed injuries, multiple surgeries, weight problems and other health ailments. As doctors prescribe less opioids, patients who need pain killers are left in...
Handle Fentanyl with Care: Fatal upon Contact Even the slightest physical contact with fentanyl can send people to the hospital for unintentional overdoses. When first responders and law enforcement officials engage in emergency and life-saving activities, they may accidentally inhale fentanyl and other fentanyl-related substances, or...