There's an old saying in the treatment field: A drug is a drug is a drug. The first thing you need to know if alcohol is your drug of choice is that alcohol rehab centers, typically called treatment centers, address addiction in general, not just...
The earlier someone with a drinking problem enters treatment, the more likely he will be successful. Over the long-term, heavy drinking leads to stronger addiction and more extensive health problems. If you think you might have a drinking...
The first step to breaking with alcoholism is for the alcoholic to admit there is an addiction, and that it has to be stopped. That leads to the long road to recovery. The recovery process usually begins by dealing with the withdrawal effects that...
Addicts have an uncontrollable need for drugs or alcohol. HelpGuide.org states that repeated use of mind-altering substances interferes with your ability to think clearly, exercise good judgment and behave responsibly. Drugs also cause cravings...
Alcoholics Anonymous has been the quintessential source of help for alcohol addicts since the 1930s and has helped tens of thousands of people stop drinking. The group uses a 12-step program that teaches problem drinkers to release their reliance...
Drug and alcohol treatment centers also are referred to as rehab centers, therapeutic communities and sober living homes, report counselors at the nonprofit Drug and Alcohol Rehab Services, a treatment consulting firm. The programs are designed to...
Before entering an alcohol rehabilitation center, people with a drinking problem must make a commitment to stop drinking. No matter how good a treatment program claims to be, little can done to help the alcoholic if she has not decided to stop,...
Women suffering from mental illnesses may cope differently than men with the same issues. Eating disorders, substance abuse problems, anxiety--women face these and other disorders. While there are numerous facilities helping individuals with these...
Alcoholism is considered to be a family disease. According to Al-Anon Family Groups, each alcoholic person affects the lives and well-being of at least four other people. If your brother is suffering from alcoholism, you will not only be helping...
Addictive drugs can be legal or illegal. They may cause serious health problems over a period of time. Some drugs are considered harmless, but can still be abused. The more dangerous drugs can bring on severe damage and even death sooner than...
The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that cocaine is a central nervous stimulant that increases the brain chemical dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reward. Repeated use of cocaine alters the way the reward system functions...
There are a number of recovery programs that are available to help substance abusers address the problem of addiction, and also assist them in maintaining an alcohol or drug-free life. They provide the tools for them to relate to family and...
American adults who are alcoholics or dependent on alcohol climbed from 13.8 million in 1992 to 17.6 million in 2002, growing from 7.41 percent of the population to 8.46 percent, according to a 2004 report by the federal National Institute on...
Drug and alcohol abuse and addiction are serious problems that affect the victim as well as friends, family and loved ones. Every situation is different, and everyone facing a drug or alcohol--or both--dependency requires the right method of...
When dealing with a teenager that is using drugs, you may want to send him to a drug rehab program. Unfortunately, if your teen is over the age of 18, he is legally an adult and you cannot send him to the rehab facility without his consent. Doing...
According to consultants at Drug Rehab & Alcohol Treatment Center Referral, only 10 percent of those people who need drug and alcohol treatment receive it. As a friend or family member of an alcoholic, you may become frustrated and worried as...
Alcoholism and alcohol dependency are the same thing. The difference between the two terms is that alcoholism is a term commonly used among the public and the media, while alcohol dependency is the clinical term used in the diagnosis of an alcohol...
When a loved one is in a rehab center because of alcoholism, it can sometimes be confusing as to what to write to her in a letter. You want to keep in touch, but you may be wary of writing anything that will cause her to feel the pain of...
MayoClinic.com describes alcoholism as a chronic disease that makes people physically dependent on alcohol. The inability to control consumption and when the drinking occurs are also dependency markers. There is a difference between alcoholism and...
Depressants are substances that slow down normal function of the central nervous system. They include barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Alcohol and marijuana are also described as depressants. Barbiturates are prescribed as sedatives under the...
People who beat drug addiction or alcoholism have a period when relapse can destroy everything they have accomplished in overcoming their addiction. Some people have to make attempts at quitting drugs or alcohol several times because of relapse...
Children who grow up in an alcoholic home continue to suffer deep emotional and behavioral damage into adulthood. Children often find themselves blamed by an alcoholic parent. Their home is filled with conflict, confusion and embarrassment. They...
In Wisconsin in 2001, 10,892 people commenced alcohol treatment. There are several treatments for alcohol abuse and alcoholism, including inpatient treatment, where the patient spends at least one overnight stay in the facility. In 1991, Dr. Diana...
Drinking excess alcohol may cause a sore throat. Consuming an alcoholic drink when you already have a sore throat may worsen symptoms. Sore throats often result from a viral infection that affects the throat, tonsils or nasal passages. A dry cough...
Addiction is a hard thing to beat; however, many sufferers may have a personality disorder to blame. Addiction personality disorder has several factors that can contribute to addiction, and make it harder for a person to quit. People who suffer...
Drug and alcohol abuse effects more than eight percent of the U.S. population with 20.1 million reporting they had used an illegal drug use in the past month according to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Only 3.7 percent of those...
Drug interventions are a way to help addicts realize the full extent of their addiction and how it affects not only their lives, but the lives of those closest to them. As Narconon--a drug rehab and addiction treatment center--explains, alcoholics...
The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that addiction is characterized by complex and intense cravings along with compulsive behaviors to satisfy the substance cravings despite the negative consequences. Millions of people per year in the...
