Parents want their children to thrive in school. While teachers remain primarily responsible for lessons and training, your contribution as a parent proves equally important to your child's academic success. In his book "The Power of Positive...
Substance abuse involves the misuse of mind- and mood-altering drugs to achieve a change in consciousness or "high." Despite its legality and widespread use, tobacco is a drug with the ability to cause addiction and disease. Understanding the...
Abusing prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can have serious consequences, according to doctors at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Abuse occurs when someone takes prescription drugs that were not prescribed for them or when...
Everyone knows instinctively that family dinners benefit children emotionally as well as physically. In fact, as The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University points out, teen substance abuse decreases when families...
Communication not only creates meaningful interactions among family members, but also helps parents, children and siblings build trust, self-confidence and a strong bond, according to human development specialist Mary Gosche. If your loved ones...
As you spend your days working and caring for your home, and your children attend school and soccer practices, it's not uncommon to feel like ships passing in the night. Making an effort to spend time together pays off, however. Even dedicating 20...
Abandonment and substance abuse are complex issues when considered separately but when both problems exist simultaneously, the impact is devastating to emotional health. Abandonment is a contributing factor in many instances of substance abuse....
According to Connecticut Clearinghouse, there is a strong relationship between parental substance abuse and child maltreatment. Children with parents who abuse substances often suffer from a higher rate of physical and emotional health issues than...
Alcohol abuse is a condition characterized by irresponsible or excessive use of alcohol. The causes, symptoms and outcomes of alcohol abuse are different for everyone. For this reason, each individual may require a different treatment plan to...
Unprotected sex, unwanted sexual advances, physical altercations and HIV and other STD infections are just some of the issues involved with drug use at our college campuses, according to the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at...
"Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing" defines drug abuse as the use of drugs in spite of recurring and significant harmful consequences. Often, drug abuse occurs as the result of physical or psychological addiction to the substance. The reasons for...
People with addictive personalities are more likely to become smokers. For example, heavy smokers are more likely to become heavy drinkers, according to a 2007 report, "Alcohol and Tobacco," published by the federal National Institute on Alcohol...
Family dynamics is a complex and fascinating study. There are many factors at work in a family, which rapidly becomes apparent when you start peeling back the elements. Culture, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, childhood experiences and...
Children of alcoholics and other substance abusers are those who have a parent or other primary caregiver whose alcohol or drug abuse causes problems in the child's life, as defined by the Phoenix House Center on Addiction and the Family. The...
When a family member abuses drugs or is dependent on drugs, it affects each family member in different ways. When parents know that their child, no matter the child's age, is abusing drugs, it can lead to many feelings, arguments in the home,...
Addiction is defined as dependence and chronic craving. In 2006, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 23.6 million Americans ages 12 and over needed treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Approximately two million U.S. adults meet...
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) has a Division of Inpatient Services (DIS) that oversees the state's several mental health facilities that house permanent residents. Several outpatient mental health facilities are also...
Chemical dependency---also known as drug addiction---is a condition in which a person is dependent on a substance to function and feel well. The effects of chemical dependency vary depending on which drugs are used, though basic similarities in...
According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, alcohol is the top substance abused by teens, with potentially devastating long-term results. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports in its 2007 "Alcohol...
Psychological tests are designed to assess information based on answers you provide on a standardized test. The outcome generally isn't conclusive, but it gives the evaluator some information to include in an overall psychological assessment....
Substance abuse includes smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and abusing prescription or nonprescription drugs. Peer pressure to use the latest drug or to abuse alcohol is high for teenagers. Genetics could also play a role in substance abuse. In...
According to Dual Recovery Anonymous, a 12-step recovery organization, the term chemical dependency is interchangeable with drug addiction, substance abuse and alcoholism. Chemical dependency refers to an addiction to a mood-altering substance....
Addiction and substance abuse can have lasting effects on the family unit and can even break families apart. Families marked by substance abuse often have a pattern of unpredictability and a lack of communication, making growing up hard for some...
The 2008 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration states that 20 million Americans, age 12 and older, use illegal drugs. This represents 8 percent of the population age 12 and older using drugs such as marijuana,...
Kids have a lot of energy, but many kids aren't given enough opportunities to be active. If your family doctor has determined that your kids should lose a few pounds, chances are he won't recommend a calorie-busting diet that you've read about in...
Teenagers experience pressures everyday. Not only are they undergoing unnerving biological changes, but they also are transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Dating teenagers experience even more pressure as they focus on building a...
When you have a family member who is abusing alcohol and/or drugs, has a gambling problem, an eating disorder or any other addiction that is ruining his life, a family intervention may be needed. The addicted person may or may not want to seek...
Ambien, also known as zolpidem, is a prescription sedative-hypnotic sleeping pill, designed to help treat insomnia. It is only intended to be used for a short period of time, and not recommended for long-term use. Ambien can be very effective for...
People with an addictive personality are emotionally insecure, says Craig Nakken, a certified drug counselor and the author of "The Addictive Personality." They don't trust themselves or other people as a source of security, support and positive...
Many people have family members who suffer from substance abuse. Learn how to get started supporting a relative through substance abuse from a licensed professional psychotherapist in this video.
