Addictions Articles

Listed by most recent articles first.

• Treatment for Marijuana Abuse
  The question is what can be done to help people become and remain abstinent. For those who cannot remain abstinent, an initial goal is measurable improvement. The first step for clinicians is to help the ...
• Frequently Asked Questions About Ecstasy
  What Is Ecstasy? Ecstasy (also known as XTC, X, Adam and MDMA) is a dangerous, illegal drug that has effects similar to those of amphetamines and hallucinogens. How Is the Drug Used? MDMA is generally sold in ...
• Treatment for Cocaine Abuse
  An enormous increase has occurred in the number of people seeking treatment for cocaine addiction during the 1980s and 1990s. Treatment providers report that cocaine is the most commonly cited drug of abuse among their ...
• If Someone You Know Has a Problem with Cocaine
  There are few things in life that are more difficult to cope with than a loved one who is dealing with a serious substance abuse issue. You love the person and want to reach out ...
• Frequently Asked Questions about Marijuana Use
  Can I die from a marijuana overdose? No. A lethal overdose of marijuana is virtually impossible; however, deaths from accidents and multiple drug use are not uncommon. I smoked pot in the 1960s. I went to ...
• Facts about Marijuana Use
  After a decade of decline, marijuana use has steadily increased among American youth. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study, which assesses drug and alcohol use among American youth, reported substantial increases among eighth, ...
• Symptoms of Substance Dependence
  Here are some of the signs and symptoms that are typically associated with substance abuse. A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three or more of ...
• Symptoms of Substance Abuse
  Abuse of a substance is generally characterized by an unhealthy pattern of substance use leading to significant impairment or distress, as manifested by one or more of the following occurring within a one-year period: recurrent ...
• My Genes Made Me Do It
  Americans are increasingly likely to attribute their own — and others' — behavior to innate biological causes. At best that may relieve guilt about behavior we want to change but can't. The quest for genetic ...
• Mood Disorders and Alcohol/Drug Use
  The term mood describes a pervasive and sustained emotional state that may affect all aspects of an individual's life and perceptions. Mood disorders are pathologically elevated or depressed disturbances of mood, and include full or ...
• Mental Health And Addiction Treatment Theories and Approaches
  For people with dual disorders (also known as "dual diagnosis"), the attempt to obtain professional help can be bewildering and confusing. They may have problems arising within themselves as a result of their psychiatric and ...
• Dual Disorders: Concepts and Definitions
  The Relationships Between Alcohol and Other Drug Use and Psychiatric Symptoms and Disorders Establishing an accurate diagnosis for patients in addiction and mental health settings is an important and multifaceted aspect of the treatment process. Clinicians ...
• A Brief Overview of Alcoholism
  For many people, drinking alcohol is nothing more than a pleasant way to relax. However, people with alcohol use disorders drink to excess, endangering both themselves and others. This question-and-answer fact sheet explains alcohol problems ...
• Recovering from Addiction and Recovering Your Memory
  A chronic marijuana user has cut down his dosage dramatically, but now his supervisor complains that his job performance as a bricklayer was far better before he started treatment. A recovering alcoholic learned to play the ...
• Coping with Video Game Addiction
  While it has long been suspected that video games can cause problems in a person's life if they play them for too long, too often, more recent research confirms that video games do have ...
• Coping with Cell Phone Addiction
  As cellphones have become prevalent in modern society, some people have a significant issue with not being able to disengage from their cell phone. So-called "smart phones," which combine functionality of an organizer, browsing the ...
• Obesity and Mental Health
  The world population is becoming rounder, and each year the situation is worsening. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that we are in the grip of a global epidemic, and it is estimated by the ...
• Get Ready To Diet
  Being ready to lose weight involves many things. There is definite preparation to be done, and without the right kind of preparation, it is unlikely that you will be able to maintain your weight-loss effort. ...
• Smoking Linked to Dating among Pre-Teens
  New research strongly suggests that pre-teens who have a boyfriend or girlfriend are much more likely to take up smoking than those who don't. Dr. Jenny Fidler and her team at the Cancer Research UK Health ...
• The Vicious Cycle of Adult ADD, Shame and Compulsive Sexuality
  Brian is an investment banker in his early forties. In graduate school, he first began to visit prostitutes, spend money on phone sex, masturbate compulsively and spend as much as five to 10 hours a ...
• An Overview of Sex Addiction
  It is well known among people in the 12-step programs that of all the addictions, sex is the most difficult to master. Far from the notion that sex addiction is the “fun” one, the ...
• Treatment for Sexual Addiction
  If you are seeking help for sex addiction, there are a number of treatment programs available. The best-known programs in the United States include Sierra Tucson in Arizona, Tulane University's program in New Orleans and ...
• Self Quiz: Am I Addicted to Sex?
  Answering "yes" to any of the questions below indicates that you might have a problem with sex addiction. The questions are adapted from "Don't Call It Love: Recovery From Sexual Addiction" by P.J. Carnes (1991). ...
• Is Someone I Know Addicted to Sex?
  Sometimes, it's difficult to know whether someone close to you has an addiction. The addict might hide the addictive behavior or you might not know the warning signs or symptoms. The following behaviors are characteristic ...
• Is Sexual Addiction a Recognized Disorder?
  The American Psychiatric Association does not currently recognize sex addiction as a mental illness. Therefore, no official diagnostic criteria exist for sex addiction. The APA does, however, have classifications that are helpful for understanding sexual ...