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.

How Much Is Too Much Before I Develop A Dependence On OxyContin?

OxyContin For Pain - Addiction Hope OxyContin first emerged on the market in 1995 as an extremely powerful prescription pain medication. Because of its chemical structure, OxyContin's mechanism of action is very similar to other opioid drugs such as codeine, morphine, hydrocodone and heroin. The opioid chemical in OxyContin is oxycodone, which is also the active ingredient in the pharmaceutical drugs [...]
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Using Heroin And Raising A Child

Close Up Of Child-Using Heroin And Raising A Child Shocking But Increasingly Common Earlier this year, the world heard of a tragic story that took place at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. While a seven-year-old girl was undergoing reconstructive surgery on her windpipe, her parents, Wesley and Mary Ann Landers, were busy shooting heroin in the hospital’s bathroom. In the end, the little girl’s mother died [...]
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Resources for Employees for Drug and Alcohol Addiction Prevention

Business people waiting to see HR Director about benefits Contributor: Libby Lyons, MSW, LCSW, CEDS writer for Addiction Hope and Eating Disorder Hope. Substance abuse is common, and the costs of substance abuse are high for employers. Of the 20 million adults classified as having problems with substance dependence or abuse in 2007, approximately 12 million (60%) were employed full time (retrieved 3/18/16). In addition [...]
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Physical/Emotional Complications from LSD

Man showing range of emotions from LSD. Contributor: Jennifer Tokar CCAC, writer for Addiction Hope Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD, also known as such names as blotter, mica, tripping, windowpane, tab, acid, California sunshine and many more...It’s all the same to your brain and is a powerful hallucinogen that is very unpredictable. You never know how you will react to this substance [...]
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Insurance Coverage for Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment

Insurance paperwork used to Find Treatment Contributor: Libby Lyons, MSW, LCSW, CEDS writer for Addiction Hope and Eating Disorder Hope. Prescription drug addiction is a serious concern. Because of the addiction's complexity and pervasive consequences, drug addiction treatment typically must involve many components. Some of those components focus directly on the individual's drug use; others, like employment training, focus on restoring [...]
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