Prevention | Intervention
Prescription Drugs – What’s the Big Deal?
Prescription drugs – they’re medicine – so what if a person takes them differently than prescribed? This is a common question. Not only that, but many people believe abusing prescription drugs is “safer” than abusing illegal drugs, such as heroin, for example. There is a presumption that because the medication is prescribed, it is somehow…
Read MoreAddiction Impacts Lives of Millions and Costs Billions
Addiction is so deeply shrouded in secrecy, discrimination and shame in America [and I cite America for the sake of the statistics used, however similar realities exist around the world] that the lives of over one-half the population are affected and the economic costs exceed one-half trillion dollars. It was for this reason that I…
Read MoreThe War on Drugs – Rethinking the Approach
The War on Drugs – is it time to rethink our approach? The following is a guest post by Kalen Smith, who writes on behalf of drug-rehab.org, a nonprofit substance abuse referral and resource center. Kalen has been writing about drug abuse and addiction for the past five years and can be reached at kalens9112@gmail.com.…
Read MoreDrugged Driving
Drugged driving is not drunk driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was founded in 1980 by Candy Lightner after her daughter, Cari, was killed by a repeat drunk driving offender. She was soon joined by Cindy Lamb—whose daughter, Laura, became the nation’s youngest quadriplegic at the hands of a drunk driver. Together they launched what’s become a massive grassroots movement…
Read MoreIt’s Just Marijuana – It’s Still a Drug; It Still Affects the Brain
“It’s just marijuana!” I can’t tell you how many times I hear this in my work with individuals and families. Many go on to defend using marijuana as safer, less harmful to self and others than drinking alcohol. Of course the legalization of prescription marijuana confuses the issue because people think that makes it “safe.”…
Read MoreSuicide, Mental Illness, Drugs and Alcohol
Suicide. More than 34,000 suicides occurred in the U.S. This is the equivalent of 94 suicides per day; one suicide every 15 minutes or 11.26 suicides per 100,000 population. [CDC, Suicide: At a Glance, PDF in The Spotlight box] Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds and the third leading…
Read MoreHow Much Alcohol is in Your Favorite Drink? Standard Drinks Explained
Standard drinks – alcohol by volume. What do these terms mean and why do they matter? “I only had a couple of drinks,” or “We each had a drink and then split a bottle of wine.” These kinds of statements are common when someone gets into trouble as a result of how much they’ve had to…
Read MoreEnabler. Codependent. What Do These Terms Really Mean?
Enabler, Codependent, Enabling. What are you talking about? When I was first “assigned” these labels in 2003 while attending family therapy group sessions at the residential treatment center my loved one had entered for alcoholism, I more than flinched. I downright declared, “Are you kidding? Not me! I’m just trying to help and keep it…
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