Opiates have been used for many years as a form of pain management and are still prescribed today. In the early 1900s, heroin was used as a cough suppressant. This was before anyone was aware of its addictive nature. OxyContin,…
Many people use drugs as an escape from reality. Drug addiction can heighten underlying mental health disorders. Certain drugs can cause paranoia, depression, and anxiety. A person with depression, anxiety, PTSD, paranoia, or other mental health problems will experience elevated…
Long-term drug and alcohol use causes harmful and serious problems, physically, mentally, and financially. Excessive drug and alcohol use damages major body organs, such as the liver, heart, stomach, brain, and kidneys. The damage from drug and alcohol use can…
A loved one’s drug or alcohol addiction affects his or her life physically, emotionally, and mentally, and heavily impacts relationships with family and loved ones. Watching a loved one struggle with addiction can make you feel helpless, hopeless, and broken.…
When your loved one has a drug and alcohol addiction, you could become full of anxiety and fear. The constant worrying can be detrimental to your physical and emotional health. The anxiety and fear can disrupt your normal daily routines…
The first step to recovery according to AA is to admit you are powerless over alcohol, and that your life has become unmanageable. People who have an alcohol addiction will usually be in denial of their problem. Alcohol abuse can…
When a person is in recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction, they may be encouraged to keep a journal on a regular basis. Writing has many benefits for a person in recovery. Journaling is a helpful tool for the…
After treatment for alcohol addiction, you need to develop strategies to cope with cravings for alcohol. Now that you started recovery, you are at risk of relapse at any time. The possibility of relapse increases when you are around people,…
A person’s mental health condition can influence his or her drug or alcohol abuse. Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety can contribute to a person’s substance abuse because he or she can temporarily escape reality. Post-traumatic stress disorder…
Social drinking is a term used for people who like to drink alcohol on occasion. A person who drinks socially knows their limit with alcohol. His or her day is not consumed with thoughts about drinking and when they will…
