Parents are natural caregivers, supporters, and helpers in times of need. Most often, parents want to help their children succeed in school, purchase the things they want to buy (but maybe can’t afford), and go the places they want to go. Parents are advocates and aides for their children inherently. When a child develops a […]

Our bodies and brains are wired to repeat activities that we find pleasurable. After years of repeating a behavior over and over again – a behavior that triggers the “feel food” signals in our brain – it is very likely for us to fall back into that pattern at some point. This happens with drug […]

Most of us know that drugs and alcohol are bad. They are bad for our bodies, and bad for our emotional and mental health. However, are these negative effects magnified for teenagers and young adults? Right now, you may have a teenager who is experimenting with drugs, or staying out late at parties with alcohol. […]

There is a clear, yet very complex, relationship between trauma and substance abuse. Up to two-thirds of people who battle post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also battle a substance addiction. More than 70 percent of adolescents in substance abuse treatment today have a history of trauma exposure. About 3 in every 4 substance-addicted women have experienced […]

It wasn’t long ago that we wrote about – and that the world found out about – artist Mac Miller’s tragic death by drugs. The profound and poetic musician had just released his fifth studio album in early August 2018, and near one month later, was found dead in his home following an alleged drug […]

Historically, drug abuse and addiction research has been very male-focused. Men, in general, are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs. Men have also shown consistently higher rates of substance use than women nationwide. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, however, women are just as likely as men […]

In the United States, about 75 to 80 percent of youth in need of mental health services do not receive them. About 90 percent of teens battling a substance use disorder do not get the treatment they need. And yet, these numbers are in the millions. Too often, children battling mental, behavioral, conduct, mood, and […]

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Every day, more than 190 Americans die from a drug overdose, with more than two-thirds involving an opioid. What, exactly, is causing this record number of fatal overdoses in America? What are the deadliest, most dangerous drugs leading this national crisis? […]

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 to Sunday, January 27, 2019 This year marks the tenth annual recognition of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) – a national observance linking teenagers and youth to evidence-based facts about substance abuse. This yearly initiative is put forth by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National […]

With 2019 now here, many of us are making resolutions for the months ahead – resolutions that might involve becoming better, healthier, stronger, smarter, more stable versions of ourselves. For those in addiction recovery, the start of the new year can be a great opportunity to create (or to re-adjust focus on) personal goals for […]