Category Archives: Addiction Research

The Effects of Drug Abuse on Brain Function

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

Unfortunately the effects of drug abuse on brain function can be long lasting and severe. For some people the effects can be devastating. It is unknown how frequently or how severely you must abuse drugs in order to start suffering the consequences. What is know is that the sooner you stop and seek treatment, the less vulnerable you are to its damaging effects. Continue reading →

How Strategies That Support Recovery From Addiction Help Non-Addicts

Monday, April 8th, 2013

Recovery from addiction teaches life lessons that can benefit anyone, not just people who struggle with addiction. People who are successfully recovering from addiction may identify with the old adage of “what does not kill you only makes you stronger.” This quote from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche effectively describes the post-treatment situation that many patients experience. Such increased fortitude can be achieved through a change in lifestyle, dietary and psychosocial practices, restoring fulfilling elements to the life of someone who is recovering from addiction. People who face the challenge of recovery will hopefully be able to build from their experience and live a fuller, richer life without drug abuse or addiction. Continue reading →

The Latest About Drug Abuse and Addiction: Bath Salts May Be as Addictive As Cocaine

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Drug abuse and addiction professionals are constantly combating the public’s misinformation. Rumors and “facts” on the street about specific drugs and drug use may not only be false, but may also be dangerous. Some people may believe certain drugs are less addictive, less harmful or even not addictive at all based on street information. Individuals suffering from substance abuse or even trying drugs for the first time may make harmful choices and suffer the consequences because of bad information. Continue reading →

The Role of Genetics in Alcohol Addiction

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Alcohol addiction and an individual’s propensity towards addiction has several contributing factors. One of the most controversial of them has been genetics. Is there an addiction gene? Can the disease of addiction be passed down genetically from one generation to the next? Can it skip a generation like other diseases? If you do have the so called addiction gene, is that pretty much a life sentence that you are going to develop a chemical dependency at some point in your life? These are all normal questions that we’re asked fairly regularly and it’s completely understandable. Drug and alcohol addiction is a terrible disease that seems to always leave us with tons of questions, and not always very many answers. Because this is an issue with a lot of interest and misinformation surrounding it, we wanted to take the time to shed some light on it. Continue reading →

Drug and Alcohol Rehab is Getting More Respect in the Medical Community

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Drug and alcohol rehab treatment has long been considered a mostly psychology driven science compared to medical, despite addiction having long been widely accepted by many as a disease. Parts of this approach or at least the way drug and alcohol rehab treatment is viewed may be changing, however. Recently 10 medical institutions have, for the first time, introduced addiction medicine as an accredited residency program. Continue reading →

Crime and Drug Abuse

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a mental disease first and foremost and while most drug abusers and addicts start to take their drug of choice voluntarily, the drugs begin to alter the brain’s function over the medium- to long-term. … Continue reading →

The Effects Prenatal Drug Abuse

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Prenatal drug abuse, where a mother carrying an unborn child in her womb is using drugs, is a topic often speculated upon, yet still in need of more research. The effects of substance abuse on an unborn fetus are not … Continue reading →