Once you have made a change, how do you maintain it? What is the difference between a lapse and a relapse? How can you recognize when a relapse is likely? A lifestyle change is not easy ...

What does it mean to be addicted? How do you get "clean" and sober? Is it possible to reduce cravings? Addiction and Habituation You are physically dependent upon alcohol or drugs when: you need the substance to reduce ...

Researchers estimate that substance abuse in the United States costs business and industry over $100 billion each year and that governments will soon be spending over $100 million every day to incarcerate individuals arrested for ...

In early 2000, Darryl Strawberry once again pleaded “no contest” to charges of cocaine possession and that, this time, he was suspended from baseball for one full year came as a surprise and disappointment to ...

While alcohol use is accepted in our society, it is critical for each of us to achieve a responsible approach to social drinking. This approach can best be achieved through several methods. These include: Thinking about ...

What is alcoholism? According to the American Medical Association, "alcoholism is an illness characterized by significant impairment that is directly associated with persistent and excessive use of alcohol. Impairment may involve physiological, psychological or social ...

To understand treatment and make the right treatment choices, it helps to have an overview. Treatment is often seen as having four general phases: Getting started (assessment and evaluation of disease symptoms and accompanying life problems, ...

DSM-IV Criteria for Alcohol Dependence A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period: ...

Almost 20 years ago, two well-known alcoholism researchers, Carlo C. DiClemente and J. O. Prochaska, introduced a five-stage model of change to help professionals understand their clients with addiction problems and motivate them to change. ...

If you are the child of an alcoholic, you are suffering from this disease as well. More than likely you have lived with the pain of a broken family that is full of secrets and ...

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about alcoholism, and their answers. How can I have a drinking problem if I can hold my liquor? Anyone who drinks too much liquor in too short ...

Denial is a characteristic distortion in thinking experienced by people with alcoholism. For decades, people who treat alcoholics, and recovering alcoholics themselves, have puzzled over why alcoholics continue to drink when the link between alcohol ...

More than 28 million Americans have seen at least one parent suffer alcohol's serious adverse effects, leading to serious family problems. More than 78 million Americans, or 43 percent of the adult population, has been ...

Children see drinking all around them—at home, in restaurants, at family celebrations and on television—and they are naturally curious about alcohol and the way it affects people. You should always answer your child's questions honestly, ...

If you’re single and dating, you may find yourself spending a lot of time in restaurants or bars where alcohol is available. Drinking on dates can quickly become a habit, but the National Institute of ...