Finding out someone you love has been abusing alcohol or drugs can be heartbreaking. Your spouse may have already tried to stop drinking or using to no avail. It can leave you feeling scared and asking a lot of questions – does he or she even care? Are these substances more important to him or … Read More
Drug Abuse
What is Kratom?
There are hundreds of thousands of drugs out in the world. Some are very prevalent in culture, and others not so much. Some are made with chemicals in labs, and some are sourced naturally from different types of plants. Kratom is a lesser-known, “natural” drug, which has recently been on the rise thanks to some … Read More
How Do I Tell My Loved One They Need Help for Their Addiction?
It can be extremely tough watching someone you love suffer at the hands of drugs or alcohol. They may not believe they have a problem, or they may not want to get help. Having the support of you, someone who loves them, can make it easier for an addict to begin taking steps to get … Read More
What to Do if You’re Prescribed Narcotics While in Recovery
You probably already know that the United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis. In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, 58.7 opioid prescriptions were written for every 100 people. The knowledge of how addictive opioids are coupled with how easy they can be to get makes it a … Read More
What Does Methamphetamine Use Look Like?
During World War II, methamphetamine, or meth for short, was commonly used among soldiers to help keep them focused on the battlefield. In fact, meth was medically approved in the US, and often prescribed to treat depression until abuse rates began to rise and the drug was made illegal for most uses in 1971. Despite … Read More
Signs of Opiate Use
In 2014, nearly 2 million people abused or were dependent on opioids, and it’s become a nationwide crisis. You’ve probably heard the words opiate and opioid being thrown around in light of this epidemic. While these terms sound and look similar, there is a subtle yet significant distinction between the two. Both terms refer to … Read More
Types of Paraphernalia for 5 Common Drugs
If you’ve begun to suspect your loved one of using drugs, one of the most obvious tell-tale signs is whether they have any drug paraphernalia hiding anywhere. Some of these paraphernalia items, like tin foil, spoons, or straws may not jump out at you as items of concern right away, so it’s important to know … Read More
What Constitutes Abusing Drugs?
When it comes to drug or alcohol use, we hear a few common terms thrown around, like use, abuse, and addiction or dependency. For those unfamiliar with these terms, it may be hard to understand whether or not they’re interchangeable, or what the difference is between each. Maybe you or a loved one has been … Read More
Is Isolating an Indicator of Drug Abuse?
You’ve done your research and you know the signs. You notice your loved one is isolating himself or herself much more than usual, and you suspect it’s because they’re abusing drugs. Isolating is a common indicator of drug abuse, so if your loved one is exhibiting other physical or behavioral symptoms, you may be right … Read More
How to Get Help for A Loved One Struggling with Addiction
You’ve identified the signs and confronted your loved one. Your worst fears have been confirmed: your loved one is addicted to alcohol or drugs. Now what? It may feel like the end of the world at first, but don’t give up hope. Watching your loved one struggle with an addiction can be incredibly hard, but … Read More
3 Common Triggers of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
In the USA, drug use and abuse is on the rise across all demographics. In 2014, it was reported that heroin users had tripled since 2003, and the number of drug overdose deaths involving opioids had quadrupled since 1999. Alcohol abuse rates are also climbing. Between 2002 and 2013, high-risk drinking (more than three drinks … Read More
What Makes Addiction So Difficult to Overcome?
There’s no doubt that recovering from addiction is rarely easy. It’s also difficult to answer the question of why addiction is so hard to overcome. Addiction has many layers, and each addiction is as complex and unique as each person suffering. To best guess why addiction is so difficult to beat, let’s take a look … Read More
5 Signs Your Loved One is Abusing Drugs
You’ve noticed something about your loved one has been a bit off lately. Maybe it took you a while to realize it. Maybe you didn’t want to realize it, but there’s little doubt in your mind at this point. You think your loved one is abusing drugs. It’s a devastating thought, but how can you … Read More
How Do I Bounce Back from A Relapse?
Experiencing a relapse after completing treatment for addiction can be disheartening at best. It’s easy to allow negative, self-destructive thoughts into your head, and feel discouraged from trying again. It’s important to remember that a relapse is not a failure. Relapsing can be part of the recovery process for many people, and that it’s still … Read More
What is Legal Pot, or “Spice”?
“Spice”, also called “K2”, is a semisynthetic mixture of ground plant matter and chemicals often smoked by people looking to become intoxicated. It can also be referred to as legal weed because some of the chemicals found within it are similar to those found in marijuana, however the effects of using spice are often very … Read More
Most Common Street Drugs and Their Effects
Heroin Heroin is a common street drug made from morphine, which is extracted from the opium found in opium poppies. Heroin is known for its properties as a powerful sedative and painkiller, which together combine to create an intense feeling of intoxication and euphoria. Users generally inject heroin directly into the bloodstream, although it is … Read More
What is MDMA?
MDMA, commonly called “Ecstacy”, or “Molly”, is an illegal drug that falls into the classification of stimulant hallucinogens. Popularized in the 90’s by its use at all night dance parties, or “raves”, MDMA is most commonly used as a club drug, though its use has expanded in recent history. MDMA is characterized by its effects … Read More
What to do if I Found Drugs in my Son’s Room
It’s every parent’s nightmare. No one wants to believe that their little baby might be involved in anything so unsavory and dangerous as drug use. It could be anything; weed, pills, coke, meth, heroin, maybe even something you can’t identify. I doesn’t necessarily matter what you found. The problem is the same: your son is … Read More
What to do if My Son is Using Drugs
There may be many different ways that you can find out that your son is using drugs. Money and prescription medicine going missing, changes is your sons mood and behavior, and sickness are signs that your son may be using. Or maybe you just find drugs or paraphernalia outright, confirming suspicions that you may have … Read More
What are Dabs?
Dabbing refers to smoking butane hash oil, which is a form of cannabis that has extremely high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana. Compared to the relatively small amount of THC in regular marijuana, which can range from 3% to 25%, hash oil, or dabs, can have as much … Read More
Can Somas be Abused?
As we enter into the later part of 2019, some people, especially in the younger generation, have never even heard of carisoprodol, or “Soma”. It is a drug that was popular in the 80’s and 90’s for its sedative effects, but it has all but been replaced in terms of medical use and illegal abuse … Read More
What is Crack?
Crack is the most common name for crack cocaine, which is a highly potent illegal stimulant. Derived from powder cocaine, crack is made by mixing cocaine with ammonia or baking soda and heating the mixture until rocks form. Because of the high purity of crack in comparison to regular cocaine, it is extremely powerful, and … Read More
Can Klonopin Be Abused?
Klonopin is the brand name of the prescription drug clonazepam, which is prescribed by health care providers to treat seizures, panic disorder, and certain types of anxiety disorders. Klonopin is of the drug category benzodiazepines, which include the drugs alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan). Benzodiazepines create a feeling of calm by affecting neurotransmitters … Read More
What is GHB
GHB is a psychoactive sedating substance that is commonly referred to as a “club drug” or “date rape” drug. Though used occasionally in its prescription form, Xyrem, to treat narcolepsy, GHB is most often used illegally, and is sought after for its euphoric and intoxicating effects, as well as the effects of sedation and amnesia. … Read More
Is Tramadol Addicting?
Tramadol is an opioid analgesic that is used for the management of moderate to severe pain in a medical setting, and is generally considered safer than other opioids such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. It can also be abused as a drug that creates a sense of euphoria at high doses, going by the street name … Read More