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.

Bromadol – Use of the Drug, Signs and Symptoms of Abuse

Man looking at a lake Bromadol is a potent narcotic analgesic with the systematic name of 4-(4-bromophenyl)-4-(dimethylamino)-1-(2-phenylethyl)cyclohexanol). This drug and research chemical with a structure very similar to that of an opioid. Developed by scientist Daniel Lednicer in the 1970s, initial studies on this chemical have demonstrated that the strength of this drug is approximately 10,000 times the strength of [...]
Read More

Effective Detoxification from Over-the-Counter Stimulant Medication

College course book The use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications for the purpose of getting high has increased substantially over the last two decades, particularly amongst high school and college students. [1, 2] While many perceive these drugs to be safer than illegal stimulant drugs like cocaine or amphetamines, misuse of OTC stimulant medications can result in adverse side [...]
Read More

Pseudoephedrine Abuse: The Signs and Symptoms

Woman researching Substance Abuse Among Students on her laptop Contributor: Sierra Tucson clinical team member Kathryn Taylor, MA, LPC/MHSP Pseudoephedrine is a mainstream decongestant drug that is often used to self-treat allergy and cold symptoms. Pseudoephedrine abuse, addiction, and dependence are becoming more common in teenagers and adults. This is probably due in part to the fact that it is such a widely available [...]
Read More

Abuse of Dextromethorphan: Signs and Symptoms

Millenial too stressed Contributor: Greenleaf Hospital clinical team member Kathryn Taylor, MA, LPC/MHSP Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a common ingredient in many (approximately 70) over-the-counter medications that are designed to relieve symptoms of flu, colds, allergies, and associated ailments. It is also found on some websites in a stand-alone powder form. The many symptoms treated by this drug include [...]
Read More

Mixing Cold Medications with Prescription Drugs: What Are the Dangers?

Woman in hat struggling with Mixing Cold Medications with Prescription Drugs Pharmacological treatment of mental and physical illness reigns within the Western medical industry, increasing the rates of use and dependence on prescription medication. With the rise in pharmaceutical treatment of illness comes the added problems of misuse, addiction, and adverse side effects possibly related to concurrent use of multiple medications. In addition to prescription medication, [...]
Read More