Types of Addiction
Types of addiction can range from addiction to specific substances such as alcohol, cocaine, oxycodone, or meth to process addictions such as shopping addiction, compulsive gambling, and sex addiction. Although the type of addiction may differ, these different compulsive behaviors often show similarities in underlying behavioral problems, history of trauma or abuse, escalation of the problem behavior, and some form of withdrawal if the drug or activity is not available.
Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction
Journalist Writes about Painkiller Addiction in “Pill Head”
Journalist Joshua Lyon, who was once addicted to prescription medications, tells his story and investigates the phenomenon of online pharmacies in his book, Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict. Featured on NPR, Lyon’s book chronicles his struggles with prescription painkiller addiction.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Study Examines Prevalence of Cigar Use Among Young Adults
By Susan J. Campbell
Cigar use is something that doesn’t often come up when tobacco prevention or cessation is discussed. Smoking cigars, however, can have significant adverse effects on the user’s health. Those who smoke cigars regularly have 4 to 10 times the risk of dying from oral, esophageal, or laryngeal cancer.
Because of these health risks, the National Drug Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) January 2009 report provides a summary of data collected on young adults aged 18 to 25. As this age group has the highest rates of past-month cigar use, it also represents the demographic at greatest risk.
Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction
Doctor Shopping
By Colin Gilbert
After surviving a severe car accident two years ago, Sharon underwent a series of surgeries to repair broken bones in her arms and torso. To reduce pain during her long recovery process, her doctor prescribed a moderate dose of the opioid painkiller oxycodone.
The medicine helped Sharon tremendously, but after the prescription expired, she noticed the pain returning. Medical tests showed no further need for surgery, and, because of oxycodone’s notoriety for being addictive, her doctor was hesitant to renew her prescription at the same dose. Instead, he wrote her a prescription for a reduced dose, planning on gradually weaning her off. Unfortunately, the pain did not subside. It seemed to Sharon like only the original dose would end her misery.
Posted under Addiction & Society
Wealth, Substance Abuse, and Addiction
By Colin Gilbert
Despite bountiful examples serving as evidence to the contrary, the American myth that wealth equals happiness lives on in the cultural mindset. Of course, financial security can contribute to a person’s sense of comfort and peace of mind.
Most would agree that being “comfortable,” in the sense of having all basic needs met without difficulty, can foster a deep sense of contentment. However, happiness soon becomes an unattainable ideal when it gets tied up with an insatiable desire for personal possessions and luxurious living. When you always want more, you’re never satisfied, and the dissatisfied are more likely to turn to drugs or alcohol.
Posted under Shopping
Shopping Addiction
By Leslie Thompson
“I had a rough week, so I deserve a little treat.” “I need to shop to help stimulate the economy. I’m just doing my part—right?” If this sounds familiar, you may be one of the millions of Americans suffering from a shopping addiction. Shopping addiction, like any other addiction, is a serious issue and one that needs to be addressed and treated.
Posted under Types of Addiction
Caffeine Addiction
By Colin Gilbert
We live in an increasingly fast-paced world where the multi-layered demands of everyday life require a sustained outpouring of energy and enthusiasm. In the office, at home, and even on the road, we need constant focus and alertness to survive. Sometimes it can be hard to keep up. As a result, many people rely on the stimulating powers of coffee to help them effectively manage the many responsibilities of modern life.
Ever since caffeine was discovered to naturally occur in coffee beans, people have welcomed the psychoactive stimulant into their lives with open arms. Caffeine is indeed a drug, and a rather powerful one at that. The drug stimulates the central nervous system by releasing stress hormones in the brain. It enhances people’s “fight or flight” response, elevating them to an unnatural state of sharpness and readiness.
Posted under Types of Addiction
Caffeine Addiction
Many people feel that they need a cup of coffee in the morning to wake up and start the day. But what they may not know is that they could be feeding a problematic addiction. Some heavy caffeine users become irritable, get headaches, or feel lethargic when they haven’t had enough caffeine, and many researchers believe that these effects of caffeine withdrawal should be classified as a psychological disorder.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Although Cigarette Use is Down, Nicotine Addiction is Up
Despite recent declines in cigarette smoking in the US, nicotine dependence has remained steady among adults and has actually increased in some groups. This finding suggests that public health initiatives have been more successful in preventing Americans from smoking than in persuading heavy smokers to stop.
Previous studies have found that since the 1964 US Surgeon General’s report, the number of people who smoke cigarettes has declined. Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health take this research a step further by distinguishing occasional smokers from heavy smokers.
Posted under Cigarette Addiction
Cigarette Smoking May Lead to Brain Damage
There may be a direct link between smoking cigarettes and brain damage, according to a new study from the Indian National Brain Research Center. Science Daily reports that researchers Debapriya Ghosh and Dr. Anirban Basu have found that a compound in tobacco provokes white blood cells in the central nervous system to attack healthy cells, leading to severe neurological damage.
Posted under Community Programs
Twelve-Step Programs and Recovery
By Leslie Thompson
When a drug addict or alcoholic decides to break their addictive habit and become sober, this decision is the first step in a long, uphill battle against their vice. Selecting an appropriate substance abuse program is critical for an addict because it can very well determine how successful that individual will be in reaching sobriety. One of the most popular forms of treatment is the twelve-step program.
The Addiction Primer
Everything you need to know to help a loved one struggling with addiction, from the writers and editors of Everything Addiction.
