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.

Step 5 and The Effects of Carrying the Load Alone

Contributor: Sarah Dodson, Marketing Director at the River Source Twelve-Step programs provide a compilation of tools for getting and staying sober. It starts with admitting that a problem exists and ends with helping others in their personal journeys. Though the 12 Steps aren’t a requirement for getting sober, trying to recover from addiction without this [...]
Read More

Taking Your Moral Inventory and Moving Past Guilt – Step 4

Man Suffering From Guilt Staring At Himself In A Mirror - Addiction Hope Contributor: Mike Shea, President, Chapter Capistrano Overcoming addiction is a process. Just as a person does not become addicted to a substance overnight, they should not expect to recover that quickly either. It takes time to delve into the nature of the problem, its causes and effects, and how to remedy these issues. The twelve-step [...]
Read More

5 Tips to Rebuild After Rehab

Contributor: Shelby Hendrix, writer for Soberlink Those who are fighting to recover from alcoholism are not immune to the stigma that surrounds the disease. But stereotypes and stigmas stem from a lack of understanding and your best weapon against these things is honest communication. Showing others that you are doing your best to overcome addiction [...]
Read More

Famous Individuals Who Have Successfully Recovered From Addiction

Written by Red River Hospital clinical content team member, Hugh C. McBride, BA In addition to the signs of spring that slowly began to emerge after a long, cold, winter, April 2015 featured two other much-anticipated returns: Major League Baseball and “Mad Men.” But as legions of sports fans and TV aficionados eagerly prepared for [...]
Read More

All About Bio Feedback

Contributed By: Chris Gallant, BA, is the co-owner and developer of the concept in Biosound therapy, and Rick Froilan-Davila ACSW, Ph.D is a Full Professor at Springfield College, Tampa Bay Campus and a Behavioral Health consultant with Biosound Technologies. Not only is biofeedback extremely relaxing, it’s a practice that can be taught by a licensed [...]
Read More