We’re in the final stretch of 2019, and for many people, now is the time to reflect on the year and begin making plans for the next. Each year, we all make a list of New Year’s Resolutions for how we will improve our lives in the coming year, listing everything from hitting the gym […]
When a mother-to-be drinks, her baby drinks. Alcohol in the mother’s blood is passed directly to the fetus through the umbilical cord. At present, physicians cannot determine the precise moment when a specific biological system such as the nervous system is most affected by alcohol consumption. That’s why the medical profession recommends no alcohol consumption […]
Substance abuse disorders are quiet, careful killers. They are disorders that force our way of living to center solely around the addictive substance and nothing else. In the United States, 20.2 million adults aged 18 or older suffered from a substance abuse disorder in 2014, accounting for billions of dollars exacted from health care, loss […]
When Is it Too Early or Too Late to Have the Drug Talk? Children are sponges. They absorb information better than any of us. If you think your problem is going over their head, think again. Although your child doesn’t understand the gravity of a chronic substance use disorder, the...
The 5th Leading Cause of American Deaths Did you know that stroke is a leading cause of death in America? 795,000 people suffer from strokes yearly. Further, strokes account for 1 in every 20 deaths that occur in America. This means that 140,000 people die of strokes every year. This...
A baby on the way is a cause for great joy and excitement, whether it’s the firstborn or another welcome addition to the family. Unfortunately, addiction does not take holidays, and many women are still engage in substance abuse after becoming pregnant. The CDC reported that 1 in 9 women...
In the first successful prosecution of its kind, a jury found Insys Therapeutics founder John Kapoor and four co-defendants guilty of racketeering conspiracy. The verdict came Wednesday after 15 days of deliberation in a Boston court. The federal government brought charges against Kapoor and his co-defendants for allegedly operating a...
What Exactly is Functional Alcoholism? Functional alcoholism can be difficult to spot. By definition, functional alcoholism is when someone appears as any non-alcoholic would, despite having a habit of abusing alcohol. They are called “functional” or “high-functioning” alcoholics because they appear to have normally proceeding lives that may even contain...
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to examine the effects alcohol may be having on your life and the myriad options of treatment at your disposal. In 2016, an estimated 81.6 million people in the US were binge or heavy alcohol users according to the National Survey on Drug Use...
April is Stress Awareness Month, designated in 1992 to educate the public about the effects of stress on one’s mental and physical health as well as remedies for daily stress. Because addiction often has roots in one’s mental health, understanding and learning to identify stress and stress triggers is important...
Recognizing the roots of addiction in the brain is key to understanding and addressing the substance abuse crisis affecting the United States. A recent study by scientists at Scripps Research may have located the source of alcohol cravings in the brain, further supporting addiction as a disease. But where does...
Two weeks after returning to her nationally syndicated talk show, Wendy Williams is finally sharing her truth. Teary eyed and emotional, the 54 year old talk show host admitted that her extended hiatus from ‘The Wendy Williams Show’ was due to her battle with addiction. “For some time now, and...
March is Women’s History Month! Each year we celebrate the women who have put their mark on history. Trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and civil leaders, the women we honor during Women’s History Month helped to shatter boundaries and shape the world as it is today. To celebrate, we’re honoring amazing women in...
