Substance addiction is a chronic disease that – much like diabetes or asthma – requires continuous, active care and management. It is for this reason that clinicians and addiction treatment experts around the world often recommend long-term, residential drug rehab. Residential rehab, also called inpatient drug treatment, means that those battling addiction live in or […]

One of the biggest misconceptions in the realm of addiction is, a person must “hit rock bottom” before getting help. We hear this phrase all the time, from families of addicts, from addicts themselves, and in the most general of conversations. But what exactly does it mean? What does it mean to hit rock bottom, […]

For most people, prescription medications are considered to be safe. When taken responsibly and as prescribed, these drugs can be very effective in helping to treat various symptoms and disease. The problem is, prescription drugs are not always taken as prescribed. An estimated 18 million people have misused prescription medications in the last year – […]

One of the key principles of addiction treatment is that it is fully tailored to a person’s unique, individual needs. A rehab program, for example, should consider a person’s age, level of psychological development, and gender (among other physical, behavioral, social or mental health needs) before determining the appropriate treatment plan. You may be asking, […]

Parents are natural caregivers, supporters, and helpers in times of need. Most often, parents want to help their children succeed in school, purchase the things they want to buy (but maybe can’t afford), and go the places they want to go. Parents are advocates and aides for their children inherently. When a child develops a […]

Our bodies and brains are wired to repeat activities that we find pleasurable. After years of repeating a behavior over and over again – a behavior that triggers the “feel food” signals in our brain – it is very likely for us to fall back into that pattern at some point. This happens with drug […]

Most of us know that drugs and alcohol are bad. They are bad for our bodies, and bad for our emotional and mental health. However, are these negative effects magnified for teenagers and young adults? Right now, you may have a teenager who is experimenting with drugs, or staying out late at parties with alcohol. […]

There is a clear, yet very complex, relationship between trauma and substance abuse. Up to two-thirds of people who battle post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also battle a substance addiction. More than 70 percent of adolescents in substance abuse treatment today have a history of trauma exposure. About 3 in every 4 substance-addicted women have experienced […]

It wasn’t long ago that we wrote about – and that the world found out about – artist Mac Miller’s tragic death by drugs. The profound and poetic musician had just released his fifth studio album in early August 2018, and near one month later, was found dead in his home following an alleged drug […]

Historically, drug abuse and addiction research has been very male-focused. Men, in general, are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs. Men have also shown consistently higher rates of substance use than women nationwide. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, however, women are just as likely as men […]