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.

Detox Process from Street Drugs

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope An addiction to street drugs typically destroys a person from the inside out. Because of the illusive nature of drug addiction as well as the contamination often involved with street drugs themselves, the physical and mental consequences of addiction are often [...]
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MDMA and Sleep Disturbances

guy sleeping on truck steering wheel Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope MDMA, an illegal psychedelic drug, is more commonly known by its street name of Molly or Ecstasy. MDMA is an acronym for the chemical name of the drug (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and is often taken orally through a tablet or capsule or ingested [...]
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The Effectiveness of Interventions for a Heroin Addict

empty dinner table Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope Watching someone you care for struggle with an addiction to heroin can be an excruciating experience. Heroin can single-handedly destroy everything you knew to be true about a person you love and care for, including the very relationship that you may [...]
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Depression and Heroin

Adult daughter and aged mother after quarrel at home. Focus on young Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope Substance abuse and mental illness often go hand in hand, as addiction often serves as a means of coping with a mental health disorder that is often overwhelming and difficult to cope with. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health [...]
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Coping with Social Anxiety without Crutch of LSD

Boy With Head In His Arms Suffering From Asthma - Addiction Hope Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope While drug addictions are the result of many factors, including both biological and environmental, an addiction to drugs or alcohol often serve a purpose for the person consuming the substance of choice. Even in the face of harsh and destructive consequences, [...]
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