All addictions involve a relationship; one that holds out the promise of changing the way a person feels. This promise is temporarily fulfilled and reinforced by the mood-altering experience. Thus arises the urge to repeat it. Two complementary aims Addictive relationships may involve alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography or other potentially mood-altering behaviours but relationships with other people can fit […]
Learn morePeople smoke tobacco for the nicotine the plant contains. Due to its effects on the brain, nicotine has mood-altering properties. Unusually, it has both stimulant and sedative effects. It is highly addictive. No longer considered an aid to recovery from other substances Smoking tobacco is prevalent among people suffering from mental ill health and Substance Use Disorder. Until fairly recently, […]
Learn moreWhatever form an addiction takes (substance-related or behaviour-based, like gambling) and whatever the modality of treatment (rehab, inpatient clinic or outpatient treatment centre), one thing is certain: the involvement of the family, wherever safe and feasible, is highly recommended to aid the purpose of recovery, not only of the “identified patient” but also of the family […]
Learn moreThe epidemic of opioid/opiate misuse with which parts of the world are presently beset follows another epidemic of drug misuse triggered by the overprescription of medications with inherently addictive properties. Benzodiazepines In the late 1950’s, benzodiazepines, of which there are a myriad branded and generic variations, became available and were shown to have a variety […]
Learn moreTo abstain means quite simply to not dosomething; whether that is not to drink alcohol, take heroin or other drugs, consume pornography on the internet or gamble. For addicted people, abstinence does not happen naturally and spontaneously due to some in-built, health-restoring mechanism. It requires a conscious decision: “I am not going to do this any more.” The […]
Learn moreWhat is Crystal Meth? Crystal Meth is the name given to a crystalline form of the synthetic drug methamphetamine and is thought to resemble naturally occurring rock crystals, hence the “street” names it goes by such as ice or glass. It is injected, snorted as powder, smoked or ingested as pills. Given its properties and […]
Learn moreTeenage or adolescent years are ones of transition from childhood to adulthood. All sorts of changes occur over several years, including at hormonal, neurological, psychological and social levels. As is more generally true, change can prove stressful. For teenagers, development involves a degree of emotional sensitivity that makes them vulnerable to a variety of experiences […]
Learn moreWhere drug addiction treatment is concerned, the treatment method adopted for each individual will need to take several things into account. These include: the drug(s) currently or recently being consumed, the history of the addiction(s), any co-existing mental or physical illnesses, previous treatments for drug addiction or related conditions and their effect. The treatment method selected will […]
Learn moreAnyone who has the misfortune to develop a potentially life-threatening illness or condition or who is close to someone who has, will be keen to know what their chances of recovery are. It is certainly true in the case of addiction, especially where dependence on powerfully intoxicating substances such as alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, cocaine and amphetamines […]
Learn moreWe are dependent on food for survival. However, our relationship with food may go well beyond simple nutrition and the alleviation of hunger. It can be used to soothe, comfort or reward, provide consolation or uplift the spirits. In this respect food can act in ways similar to the mood-altering substances common to addiction. Neurotransmitters in the brain […]
Learn more