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.

Can You Cure Yourself of a Drug Addiction

Walking on the beach Self help is defined as the act of helping or improving without relying on the assistance of others [6]. This can mean joining a fellowship of others who struggle with similar issues, who support and rely on each other for recovery. This includes a 12-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine [...]
Read More

Drug Withdrawal Stages in Addiction Recovery

Man in deep thought on the impact of drug withdrawal. In Drug Withdrawal Stages In Addiction Recovery there are two phases that an individual goes through. The first phase, Acute Withdrawal Phase, the withdrawal syndrome lasts anywhere from 5 to 28 days with a peak in severity of symptoms at approximately 2 weeks [4, 6]. The severity of symptoms during this phase are dependant on [...]
Read More

How Family Therapy Can Help Families in Addiction Recovery

Family holding hand During a sunset There is no one definition of family. Different cultures and family systems influence what people define as a family. Belief systems can change over time and therefore family definement varies over time. Families are also emotional, both interacting with each other and on a connective level. With this in mind when treating substance abuse disorders [...]
Read More

Effectiveness of CBT in Recovery From Alcoholism

Young Man Receiving Evidence-Based Practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was developed as a way to implement cognitive and behavioral changes to identify and correct problematic behaviors. Typical goals of CBT are to be able to anticipate, and identify, behavioral and cognitive problems, increasing clients self control by developing effective coping strategies, and educate the client on maladaptive thinking and behaviors [...]
Read More

Treatments for Substance Use Disorders Among College Students

Remember by change in perspective Treatment for Substance Use Disorders Among College Students is available on most campuses and within the surrounding community. According to the NSDUH 2013 study, full-time college students, aged 18-22 reported that 59.4% were currently drinking and 39% reported binge drinking [3, 5]. According to a 2014 USA Today study, surveyed campus and local security directors [...]
Read More