Substance Abuse Articles, Blogs and Resources

Man on mountain thinking about Substance AbuseAddiction Hope is dedicated to providing timely and helpful information on the dangers of Substance Abuse as well as alcohol abuse.

Drugs are a chemical substance that can be used in the prevention, cure and treatment of an ailment or disease. Often, medications can be used to help an individual’s emotional and psychological well being, and they can enhance one’s physical abilities or well being.

Medicines can help heal a person or destroy a life. They can be naturally derived from plants or synthesized in some type of laboratory. A drug addiction can ruin a man or woman’s existence. It is disappointing that many of the medications that were originally developed to help heal people will be abused and devastate the life of someone with a substance abuse addiction.

Substance abuse is when a person begins using a drug in a way other than its intended use as prescribed by a doctor. A drug addiction can be created when a man or woman continually abuses drugs in order to get high (an intense euphoric feeling). Some drugs are so addictive that someone using for the first time can become instantly addicted.

When someone has developed a drug addiction, they can build up a tolerance to the drug and need more and more of the substance to have the same effect. The person will sometimes begin smoking, snorting, or injecting the drugs so as to reach a quicker and more intense high. This leads to constant repeated use and, thus, the creation of a drug addiction.

Substance abuse addiction is outstandingly difficult to quit. Often one substance is abused with other drugs or alcohol. Sadly and frequently, substance abuse co-occurs with other mental disorders such as mood disorders, mental disorders and eating disorders.

This adds to the complexities of stopping the drug abuse. However, it is imperative that the drug addiction is ended because constant substance abuse can be deadly. Heart attacks and strokes often occur. Some of the more common drug types include opioids (heroin, morphine, hydrocodone), hallucinogens (LSD, DXM, PCP), stimulants (cocaine, Ecstasy, meth), and depressants (alcohol, Quaaludes).

Please continue reading below to see our latest blog posts on substance abuse. Under the “Substance Abuse Navigation” menu, you can click on the drop-down arrow to see evergreen, general information on dozens of individual drugs, including prescription substances.

Dealing With Financial Debts From a Drug Addiction

Man Standing Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Director of Content and Social Media at Addiction Hope Drug addiction results in many challenging and overwhelming consequences, some of them are incredibly difficult to recover from. While there are obvious physical and mental health issues that result from drug addiction, there are also other consequences with serious implications, such [...]
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Supporting a Teenager Through Residential Treatment For Addiction

Teen struggling with addiction to marijuana Addiction can have long lasting and devastating affects on an adolescents health and life. It is important for parents and caregivers to support their teen who is in residential treatment for an addiction. Learning about the addiction, to asking questions, and becoming involved in your child’s treatment and recovery are all essential parts to being [...]
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Dangers of Combining Alcohol With Sleeping Pills

Alcohol addiction Sleeping is often something most adults go without. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get 7-8 hours per night to feel rested [9]. 48% of Americans have insomnia, and sleeping pills may often aid in a better night's sleep. If however, that sleeping pills are used chronically to continue to aid in falling asleep, it [...]
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Connection Between Eating Disorders and an Addiction to Diet Pills

Man struggling with depression Diet pill addiction and eating disorders are serious issues among those individuals struggling with an eating disorder and/or addiction. Many times people do not consider diet pills as a substance that can be addictive, but diet pills often contain chemicals, such as stimulants, that can build up tolerance [4]. Stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy. [...]
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The Cost of Neonatal Abstinence on Healthcare

Baby in hand The Journal of Addiction Medicine suggests that the cost of treatment for babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has increased dramatically [1]. NAS is when a baby is born with opioids in their system and they are suffering from complications due to withdrawal of opioids [1, 2]. In an analysis between 2008-2011, 160 opioid [...]
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