Substance Abuse Articles, Blogs and Resources

Man on mountain thinking about Substance AbuseAddiction Hope is dedicated to providing timely and helpful information on the dangers of Substance Abuse as well as alcohol abuse.

Drugs are a chemical substance that can be used in the prevention, cure and treatment of an ailment or disease. Often, medications can be used to help an individual’s emotional and psychological well being, and they can enhance one’s physical abilities or well being.

Medicines can help heal a person or destroy a life. They can be naturally derived from plants or synthesized in some type of laboratory. A drug addiction can ruin a man or woman’s existence. It is disappointing that many of the medications that were originally developed to help heal people will be abused and devastate the life of someone with a substance abuse addiction.

Substance abuse is when a person begins using a drug in a way other than its intended use as prescribed by a doctor. A drug addiction can be created when a man or woman continually abuses drugs in order to get high (an intense euphoric feeling). Some drugs are so addictive that someone using for the first time can become instantly addicted.

When someone has developed a drug addiction, they can build up a tolerance to the drug and need more and more of the substance to have the same effect. The person will sometimes begin smoking, snorting, or injecting the drugs so as to reach a quicker and more intense high. This leads to constant repeated use and, thus, the creation of a drug addiction.

Substance abuse addiction is outstandingly difficult to quit. Often one substance is abused with other drugs or alcohol. Sadly and frequently, substance abuse co-occurs with other mental disorders such as mood disorders, mental disorders and eating disorders.

This adds to the complexities of stopping the drug abuse. However, it is imperative that the drug addiction is ended because constant substance abuse can be deadly. Heart attacks and strokes often occur. Some of the more common drug types include opioids (heroin, morphine, hydrocodone), hallucinogens (LSD, DXM, PCP), stimulants (cocaine, Ecstasy, meth), and depressants (alcohol, Quaaludes).

Please continue reading below to see our latest blog posts on substance abuse. Under the “Substance Abuse Navigation” menu, you can click on the drop-down arrow to see evergreen, general information on dozens of individual drugs, including prescription substances.

Substance Use Disorders Among Female Entrepreneurs

Woman at work struggling with addiction and other Substance Use Disorders Contributor: Melissa O’Neill, LCSW, Director of Clinical Operations at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center The face of business owners and entrepreneurs is a rapidly changing landscape, with more women venturing into the field of business and enterprise today than ever before. So, why are female entrepreneurs experiencing more addiction and substance use disorders? According to [...]
Read More

Bands & Drugs: Talented Musicians Falling Into Addiction

Band Concert Drugs and rock and roll seem to have gone together throughout the generations of music lovers. In an interview with Q Magazine, Damon Albarn reported, “Once I’d tried [heroin], I found it initially very agreeable, and very creative” [1]. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 105 individuals die [...]
Read More

Unique Issues Teenagers Face When Entering Drug Rehab

Teenager struggling with opiates Over the past years, drug abuse and overdose has emerged as one of the leading causes of fatalities in young adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recovering from addiction is strenuous and time-consuming for every patient. Teens recovering from addiction, however, face a unique set of [...]
Read More

No Family is Immune to Today’s Opioid Crisis

Mom Preparing Her Child For Her Addiction Recovery Contributor: Rogers Behavioral Health, with Michael M. Miller, MD, DFASAM, DLFAPA, Medical Director of the Herrington Recovery Center at Rogers Memorial Hospital. Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 1999 to 2015, prescription opioids contributed to more than 183,000 deaths. What’s behind [...]
Read More

How Do I Know if I Have a Problem with Alcohol?

Man struggling with Alcohol The 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) revealed some alarming facts depicting a wide prevalence of alcoholism amongst the masses. It was revealed that: 6.9 percent of people, aged 18 or older, reportedly indulged in binge drinking in the past month 6.2 percent of adults, aged 18 and older, roughly 15 million [...]
Read More