Addiction or Substance Use Disorder: Is There a Difference?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5), has replaced the term “addiction” with “substance use disorder.” Their experts agree that the term addiction implies negative connotations. The DSM...
Holidays and Relapse: Why It’s Hard to Stay Sober
The connection between holidays and relapse is clearly an issue for anyone who is trying to remain sober. Let’s look at a few of the reasons why this is true....
What Addiction Feels Like: You Might Be Surprised
Someone who doesn’t use drugs or alcohol regularly may have difficulty understanding what addiction feels like. Most people have the misconception that addicts are dangerous, scary people who lack self-discipline. ...
5 Ways to Help Someone Overcome a Relapse
If there’s one certainty about addiction recovery, it is that many people will relapse at least once. In fact, according to the National Institute on Health (NIH), about 40% to...
How Coronavirus is Affecting Opioid Addiction in Our Country
Long before we ever heard of coronavirus, opioid addiction has been an ever-growing problem in our country. “Opioid overdoses accounted for more than 42,000 deaths in 2016.” This is according...
Why is Addiction Referred to as a Brain Disorder?
Extensive studies show that addictive chemicals cause long-lasting changes in the reward centers of the brain. This discovery raises the question, “Is addiction a brain disorder?” The stigma surrounding drug...
Recognizing Opioid Abuse Symptoms Amidst the Opioid Crisis
Pharmaceutical companies reassured physicians and doctors that opioid pain relievers were safe and non-addictive. Now a nationwide substance abuse problem in the United States. Even when a patient follows their...
Things That Would Improve Dramatically in a Drug-Free Society
When we think about drug abuse and addiction, our first thought is about the vast number of addicted individuals. Some of us may even consider the effects of drug-related crime...
Signs That Someone Has an Addiction to Painkillers
Unlike the use of many illegal drugs, an addiction to painkillers can go unnoticed for years on end. Many of those that develop an addiction to painkillers feel as if...
What Can Trigger a Relapse and When is Relapse Possible?
If relapse weren’t a problem, drug treatment centers would have a far easier job. Many years of research into what can trigger a relapse and when is relapse possible has...