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.

Living on the Streets: When Addiction Leads to Homelessness for Families

Contributed by: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC for Addiction Hope The consequences of substance abuse and drug or alcohol addiction are detrimental. Many individuals may not fully be aware of how their addiction problem will impact them or their loved ones. In other situations, a family member with an addiction problem may attempt to maintain [...]
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How to Educate Yourself about Your Child’s Addiction

Contributor: Liza Piekarsky, LMHC, CAP and Diana Sullivan, LMHC, CAP Recovery is a "Family Process.” Families are an extremely important component of their child’s recovery, therefore, their roles are complex. Learning how to meaningfully participate in recovery and gain acceptance will positively impact how a loved one responds. If you are a parent or caregiver [...]
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Finding Balance in Family Life with an Addicted Child

Contributor: Candace Sindoris, LCSW, LSATP, CACIII, Private Practice in Fort Collins, CO, email [email protected] First of all, let me state that finding balance in family life with an addicted child is very difficult. It takes a lot of self-discovery and addiction knowledge on the part of all family members to begin the process of finding [...]
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The Value of Making Amends in Your Family

Contributor: Dr. Kenneth Chance, D.Div., CEO, Arrowhead Lodge, LLC An important milestone in recovery is making amends to people who were harmed by one’s self-centered behavior. In twelve-step programs it’s step nine: “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” The process of making amends [...]
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What It is Like to Grow Up with an Addicted Sibling (Family Member)

Contributor: Carla Mack, guest contributor for Addiction Hope Sharing my personal experience with an addicted family member is difficult. So many memories flood in when you are thinking over events of one’s life; some sweet memories and some painful. My nephew and I are only two years apart. I was born later in life for [...]
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