Drug and alcohol abuse occurs when a person has an overwhelming need or desire to consume the substance of choice. The person may begin to feel the substance is more important than anything else in her life. According to HelpGuide.org, drug and...
Casual use of drugs or alcohol can develop into abuse for many people, increasing difficulty to stop use of the drug and causing problems that may become dangerous. Life-changing consequences destroy families, relationships, friendships or the...
Juvenile alcohol and drug abuse is a major health concern, because both can eventually lead to accidents, diseases, mental problems, overdoses and physical disabilities. In fact, young people who abuse substances have a higher risk of dying due to...
Alcohol and drug use in adolescence can lead to development delays in addition to creating a host of other problems for teenagers. According to the University of Minnesota, teenage alcohol and drug abuse is a major social ill that, when caught...
Drug and alcohol abuse is a problem facing all ages, leading to serious physical and mental health problems. There is a fine line between abuse and addiction, and it is important to recognize the symptoms of abuse, in order to ask for help or...
The abuse of alcohol and drugs can cause many serious medical conditions. Drug abuse can include the use of street drugs, as well as prescription drugs when they are not used in a manner prescribed by a physician. Drugs can be found as liquid,...
Dianne Hales says in the textbook "An Invitation to Health" that, while drug abuse among teenagers has declined, it continues to be a major problem. Teen alcohol abuse has also declined because the average age of first use has increased and teen...
Drug and alcohol abuse are serious behaviors that, if left untreated, can develop into drug dependence or alcoholism. Abusing drugs that are addictive, such as heroin, can quickly lead to a drug addiction, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is...
After noticing unexplainable behavior changes, mood swings and other signs of drug or alcohol addiction, you may be able to help someone with drug and alcohol abuse problems. There are resources available to assist you. While you may fear what...
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), prenatal alcohol exposure is one of the leading causes of birth defects, mental retardation and neurodevelopmental disorders. The March of Dimes says identifying which substances are related...
The effect of drug and alcohol abuse on a family is evident whether a child is abusing drugs or a parent is abusing. Family structures have become more complex and the effects of drug abuse on families will also be impacted by different...
Abuse among couples and in families is often related to drug addiction and alcoholism. Women and children are often the most vulnerable to the impact of drug and alcohol abuse. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) refers to...
Alcohol use can affect a fetus in many ways. According to the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Center for Excellence, it is estimated that over 40,000 babies are born in the United States each year with some type of disorder that is attributed to...
"I have a whole new set of problems to think about now because of a choice I made in one stupid second...," reads an excerpt from "Incredibly Disgusting Drugs: Hallucinogens and Your Neurons." Having abused alcohol before trying a drug for the...
Alcohol and drug abuse occurs when a person uses mind-altering substances in a reckless or irresponsible manner. Many factors may play a role in substance abuse, such as genetic influences, childhood trauma and underlying mental disorders....
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, "Children raised in families with high rates of conflict appear at risk for both delinquency and illicit drug use." Adding...
The effects of drug abuse not only affect the person's heath, but also the people who love and live with the abuser as well. Chemical dependency affects the entire family and other relationships because it causes everyday problems through negative...
No one who is part of a family where a member abuses alcohol or drugs remains unaffected. Potential consequences of alcohol or drug abuse on the family include both immediate and long-term effects. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA,...
Alcohol and drug abuse, also known as substance abuse, is a challenging problem. An affected person typically becomes dependent on these substances and will take whatever steps necessary to obtain them. With a commitment to becoming sober and...
Many drug and alcohol prevention programs are developed for children between kindergarten and college age. The reasons are clear. Twenty-nine percent of teens in treatment, according to an Above the Influence report, are dependent on prescription...
Substance abuse rehabilitation programs are increasingly resorting to traditional forms of healing to treat alcohol and drug abuse. Research on the effects of these approaches illustrates the utility of the often less expensive means for...
Alcohol and drug abuse refers to the misuse of alcohol and prescription or illicit drugs. Substance abuse shares many characteristics with addiction and often leads to long-term addiction and other health problems. Learning to recognize the signs...
When people abuse drugs, it can destroy their lives and end in serious illness or death. It's a serious mental health issue that impacts all involved family members and friends.
Alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs vary from intensive inpatient programs that last from 30 days to more than a year and outpatient programs that offer counseling and education to self-help groups and private psychiatric services. The...
Alcohol and drug abuse are costly---not only for the users, but for America in general. In fact, half a trillion dollars are lost annually due to health, crime-related expenses and productivity losses, according to the National Institute on Drug...
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), people over the age of 18 cannot be forced into an alcohol or drug treatment center unless they are ordered by the court system as part of a sentence. Voluntary...
Teens are curious individuals who feel that they are invincible. Teenagers are constantly trying to become their own person and test the boundaries that authority figures have set in place for them. Sometimes, these types of behaviors lead to...
Addiction to alcohol and other drugs occurs in nearly every demographic group. The effects of addiction on an individual can be devastating, or even deadly. Careers, family relationships and self-esteem have all been destroyed by the ravages of...
Chronic alcohol abuse, commonly known as alcoholism, refers to a disease in which the body becomes very dependent upon alcohol. The Mayo Clinic says that symptoms of chronic alcohol abuse include drinking in secret or alone, feeling a strong need...
Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an psychiatric disorder most often associated with any serious psychological trauma. Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatments for PTSD in this medical video.
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.
