Why Can’t Some People Stop Gambling? From the outside looking in, many people might think that gambling can be stopped at any time.  For the problem gambler, this is not the case.  Problem gamblers spend huge amounts of money, sell everything they own, and destroy their life simply to stay in the game.  It is...Read More

Sedatives and Stimulants A sedative-type drug includes alcohol, barbiturates, and non-barbiturate drugs known as benzodiazepines.  Sedatives depress the central nervous system and induce sleep.  A sedative can also provide relief from the symptoms of anxiety and tension.  Even with a regular dose, sedatives can cause slurring of speech and a staggered walk. Sedatives work by...Read More

What Are Refusal Skills? When working a program of recovery for alcohol-use disorders, there are situations when you might feel like you need some extra support.  Even those who are committed to not drinking can experience social pressure to drink.  Friends can make it somewhat difficult for you especially if they do not know you...Read More

How Do Phobias and Substance Abuse Relate? Phobias are irrational fears and can originate from a negative experience with an object, person, or event that is feared.  A phobia can lead to avoidance where the individual will go to great lengths to avoid the object, person, or event.  There are hundreds of phobias recognized by...Read More

  Addiction Downward Spiral When individuals first begin using alcohol or drugs, they may at first experience pleasure and relaxation. It can even seem to some of these individuals like they have found the perfect solution to all their problems. Alcohol and drugs can make life easier in the beginning. They give shy people the...Read More

  What If I Drink Alcohol and Abuse Cocaine? If you drink alcohol and abuse cocaine, you have what is referred to as concurrent addiction.This occurs when an individual is addicted to one or more substances at the same time. Alcohol and cocaine are often used together to counteract the effects of each. Cocaine provides...Read More

How Quickly Can a Person Become Addicted? The question of how quickly a person can become addicted to a drug is a difficult question to answer.  There are many factors that contribute to how quickly one becomes addicted including genetics, age, gender, environment, and how these factors might interact with one another.  Some people may...Read More

What Does it Mean to Let Go? There is a term used in substance abuse recovery and that term is letting go.  What does this term mean?  What specifically are you letting go of?  Letting go means different things for different people but overall it means letting go of old, worn out patterns of behavior...Read More

  Binge Eating Disorder and Marijuana   Many individuals overeat on occasion; Thanksgiving dinners or special occasions may have us eat more than we want.  If you overeat on occasion, this does not mean you have binge eating disorder.  When individuals with binge eating disorder overeat, they do so because of negative feelings of stress...Read More

Magical Thinking and Addiction Magical thinking is a belief that an event happens because of another without cause. It is superstitious thinking that you can prevent something from occurring only if you engage in a certain ritualized behavior. One popular example of magical thinking is the adage, step on a crack, break your mother’s back....Read More