Substance Abuse Articles, Blogs and Resources

Man on mountain thinking about Substance Abuse Addiction 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.

How Malnutrition Can Effect Mental Health in Addiction Recovery

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, alcohol is “very rich in energy, packing 7 calories per gram. But unlike pure sugar, or fat, the calories are void of nutrients. The more calories an individual consumes in alcohol, the less likely it is that they will eat enough food to obtain adequate [...]
Read More

The Powers of Gratitude in Addiction Recovery

Gratitude can be defined as an acknowledgement of a benefit that an individual has received. People can be grateful for something that has happened or is about to happen. They can also have a general attitude of gratefulness because of fulfillment or happiness with one’s own life. Gratitude is also positive thinking. This can improve [...]
Read More

Co-Occurring Seasonal Depression and Substance Abuse and During the Holidays

Man climbing to recovery of sexual addiction

In 2007, the National Institute on Drug Use (NIDA) reported that approximately 60% of substance abusers have a co-occurring mental health disorder. Fall and winter can be a stressful time environmentally and situationally for sufferers. With darker months, individuals with seasonal depression are increased risks, some of which are boredom due to limited outside activity [...]
Read More

Debate on Raising the Legal Drinking Age: Pros and Cons

In the United States all 50 states have the minimum drinking age set at 21, the highest in the world. Many European countries have the minimum set at 18. Over the past several years, many studies have been conducted to study whether the drinking age should be lowered or raised. Many in support of raising [...]
Read More

The Effectiveness of Drug Treatments for Alcoholism

The FDA has approved three drugs for the treatment of alcoholism and a fourth has been showing significant promise in clinical trials. The three drugs are Antabuse, Naltrexone, Campral, and Topamax. Use of Drugs for Alcoholism Antabuse was approved over 50 years ago for the treatment of alcoholism. It works by interfering with the body’s [...]
Read More