Drug abuse
Drug abuse is one of the leading health problems in the United States as well as many other developed countries. Drug abuse leads to increased health care costs as well as legal costs. The purchasing of illegal drugs encourages trafficking and the accompanying violence now commonplace in countries where drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and poppy are cultivated. Drug abuse can lead to drug addiction, reduced productivity and quality of life, and death.
Posted under Baby Boomers
Drug Use Increasing among Baby Boomers
A federal government report revealed that illicit drug use among Americans ages 50 to 59 has increased from 5.1 percent in 2002 to 9.4 percent in 2005. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said the increase occurred because some baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—continue to use drugs as they get older.
Posted under Exercise Addiction
Excessive Exercise Can Be Addicting; Moderate Exercise May Help Recovering Drug Addicts
Although exercise is essential for a healthy lifestyle, extreme exercise may be physically addicting. New research shows that rats given a drug that produces withdrawal in heroin addicts went into withdrawal after running excessively in exercise wheels. Rats that ran the hardest had the most severe withdrawal symptoms.
Posted under Drugs
15 Ways Drugs Destroy Your Self-Image
In the euphoria of a drug high, it may be next to impossible to see any downfall in your current lifestyle. But when you do come down, as you inevitably will, keep the following list handy and refer to it when the drug cloud lifts sufficiently for you to understand how badly drugs are destroying your self image.
Posted under Celebrity Addiction
Celebrity Families: Inheriting Addiction
Three generations of the Douglas family—Kirk, Michael, and Cameron—starred in 2003′s “It Runs in the Family,” a movie whose title suggests that acting, in this case at least, can be inherited. But the Douglas family also seems to pass along something else: addiction. ABC News discusses drug and alcohol addiction among celebrity families in the article “When Fame and Addiction Run in the Family.”
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 Celebrity Addiction
Jason Bateman: Childhood Stardom Led to Substance Abuse
Jason Bateman, former child star who regained notoriety in 2003 with his TV role as Michael Bluth on “Arrested Development” and will soon be gracing the big screen in Mike Judge’s new film “Extract,” recently gave an in-depth interview to Details magazine about his upbringing, struggles with substance abuse, and renewed rise to fame.
After he landing his first regular role on “Little House on the Prairie” in 1981 at age 11, he spent the next decade on the sets of “Silver Spoons,” “It’s Your Move,” “Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family,” and several TV movies in between.
“It was like ‘Risky Business’ for 10 years,” Bateman says of the 90s. “My parents were out of town, they left me a bunch of money, the car, and the house, and I didn’t know when they were coming home. I’d worked so hard that by the time I was 20, I wanted to play hard. And I did that really well.”
Posted under Celebrity Addiction
Sources Say Michael Jackson was Addicted to Painkillers
Since the King of Pop died unexpectedly last week, rumors have been circulating about the cause of death. When TMZ.com broke the news that Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50, many people assumed he had an unknown heart condition or that he had been wearing himself down while preparing for this summer’s string of concerts. However, medical experts speculate that Jackson died of an overdose of prescription medication as he was reportedly given an injection of Demerol, a strong painkiller, one hour before his death.
Now reports of Jackson’s prescription drug abuse are flooding the media. His former video producer said the pop star had been addicted to Demerol and other narcotic painkillers like OxyContin for more than 20 years. Marc Schaffel, who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial, said that close associates of Jackson tried to stage an intervention regarding his addiction in 2003, but that it was derailed due to a world tour.
Posted under Addiction & Society
More Moms Turning to Drugs and Alcohol to Cope with Recession
When times are tough, many people turn to the matriarch of the family to keep things together. But what happens when mom is turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress and depression brought on by the recent economic recession?
A survey conducted in May 2009 by Momlogic.com showed that one in three moms are using alcohol, drugs, gambling, and overeating to cope with the financial crises that many families are experiencing. The survey also showed that 64% of moms are feeling intense negative emotions, 50% are less satisfied with their lives now than before the economic crisis, and 80% of moms with partners who have lost their jobs feel overwhelmed.
Posted under Stimulants
Ritalin Abuse
Ritalin is a commonly prescribed Central Nervous System stimulant. The effects of Ritalin are similar to (but much stronger than) caffeine. As a stimulant, it is less powerful than amphetamines.
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The Addiction Primer
Everything you need to know to help a loved one struggling with addiction, from the writers and editors of Everything Addiction.
