Many couples enjoy going out together and drinking, whatever that might mean for you. Some couples like to blackout and not remember it. Others prefer a single glass of wine over dinner, and then to go home afterward. Some couples drink at home and watch movies, or maybe it’s only one person in the relationship…
Cocaine is a stimulant drug that increases dopamine production in the brain for short periods of time, creating a sense of euphoria and a burst in energy. This can be an extreme high, but the side effects can be exponentially worse, and permanently detrimental to your happiness. Depression is a mental illness frequently co-occurring with…
Most people who use drugs don’t become addicted. For those that do, it doesn’t happen overnight. It might take weeks, months, or years depending on the person and the drugs of choice. Heredity, gender, access to drugs, and socioeconomic status all play a part. It’s different for everyone. I started out as a binge drinker…
Addiction is destructive and anyone who has an actively addicted loved one knows the pain and devastation that it causes. With opioid addiction specifically, more than 115 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids every day. With statistics like these, chances are that almost everyone within the US knows someone who has…
Alcoholism and drug addiction are the same disease. Alcohol is a drug just like every other substance under that broad umbrella. So why do drugs and alcohol always seem to be classified differently? Why do opiates, pills, stimulants, and marijuana get lumped together as drugs but alcohol does not? People that I meet in recovery…
Steroids are a category of drugs that seem to fall into a gray area in the minds of some recovering addicts. They can be addicting but are not considered intoxicating in the same way that most drugs of abuse are. They don’t act directly on the brain’s reward center or trigger massive short-term floods of…
I volunteer my writing services to a local San Diego non-profit dedicated to music therapy. This organization works to enhance the quality of life for people suffering from various ailments or situations. Improving the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of children with serious and chronic illnesses. Working with seniors (some with dementia or other cognitive…
Marijuana is a complex drug and affects users in a variety of ways. Marijuana at times can act as both a depressant and a stimulant depending on the strain and the chemical reaction it has in a user’s body. In general, however, marijuana affects the user’s attention span, long-term memory storage, and psychomotor skills involved…
Anyone can become addicted to drugs or alcohol and like the complex nature of the disease itself, there are many different aspects that put people at risk. Many of these factors are out of our control. Genetic predisposition, preexisting mental disorders, anxiety, and depression are all common among addicts. There are also environmental risk factors.…