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.

Self-Soothing with Alcohol: What Children See

Underage drinking among our nation’s youth is becoming increasingly problematic, with many experts noting this issue as a public health crisis.  Alcohol abuse among adolescents and teens not only poses danger to the users but also impacts our families, communities, and nation as a whole. While immediate consequences of under-aged drinking are apparent, such as [...]
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Extreme-Strength Alcohol: The Effect of New Legislation

Blog post contributed by Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Director @ Addiction Hope, and Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, President at Addiction Hope As we read in our blog last week, Lawmakers are delving more into the arena of drugs, alcohol, and substance abuse. This can be seen as an attempt to create legislation [...]
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Drugs During Pregnancy: What Will The Law Have To Do With It?

Blog Post Contributed by Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Director @ Addiction Hope, and Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, President at Addiction Hope If you have been tuned in to the news this week, you have certainly heard of the controversial measure recently passed in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In an effort to decrease the number [...]
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Working Under the Influence: When Substance Abuse Affects the Workplace

Guy with head on desk Blog Post Contributed by Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Director @ Addiction Hope, and Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, President @ Addiction Hope Abuse of prescription medications has reached epidemic levels across America, affecting individuals of all age groups. Many people have become reliant on their prescription medications to function outside of what the [...]
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Legalizing Marijuana: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

lady doing research Blog post contributed by Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, President @ Addiction Hope, and Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Director @ Addiction Hope The topic of legalizing marijuana has sparked enormous controversy across the country, with many states examining and debating legislation supporting this issue.  The recreational and medical use of marijuana have been [...]
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