I’m pleased today to introduce our newest blog, Epidemic of Addiction, with Dr. Jeffrey Junig. Addictions to substances — like alcohol, cocaine, opioids, prescription drugs and other kinds of drugs — remain a serious problem in modern society. It’s a telling sign that society pays little attention to drug addicts, believing that theirs is a self-made bed in which to lie upon.

But like any mental illness, addiction is not something a person ever asks for. Addiction often creeps up on a person as they’re living their everyday lives, starting out not so much as a problem at first. It can quickly snowball, though, and become a problem before a person ever realizes it.

As Dr. Junig says in his introduction, “This blog will explore the psychology of addictive disorders, with an emphasis on addiction to opioids. Addiction to heroin and to pain pills has become a significant problem, fueled by a confluence of factors including a sluggish economy, over-prescribing and inadequate control of high-potency pain medications, and an abundance of cheap heroin.”

I’m looking forward to reading this blog and learning more about our epidemic of addiction. You can learn more about the blog’s focus and Dr. Junig as well.

Please welcome Dr. Junig to Psych Central on the blog. Thanks!

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 31 Aug 2010
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