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The four stages of alcoholism represent a natural progression from casual drinking to full-blown addiction. Stage One: Infrequent Binge Drinking The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. For men, this level is usually reached by drinking five or more drinks within two hours; for women, it’s usually four. Although the Read More

Addiction is a toxic and destructive force that destroys the sufferer’s life and rips through their family and circle of friends. While it can be a slow and excruciating decline, the most painful part of dealing with addiction is when your loved one has finally crossed the point of no return and suffered a fatal overdose. Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that over 72,000 Americans died from drug Read More

Detoxification, or “detox,” is a fundamental part of the drug and alcohol addiction treatment process. It is the means by which recovering addicts expel the toxins that have built up in their systems through a prolonged and untreated course of substance use. Along with behavioral rehab, it is one of the two primary pillars of modern addiction treatment and Is vital to long-term recovery. The unfortunate reality is, however, that many people suffering addiction are Read More

A quick search on the internet regarding the state of the Philippine drug war reveals a shocking reality. Bystanders describe the bloodied bodies of victims lying callously in the street after encounters with police force; families recall husbands and fathers being taken from their homes by masked vigilantes. If the tales of the widows and children left behind aren’t enough to paint a horrifying picture, the devastating photos that emerge certainly do. In a country currently experiencing our own Read More

  Addiction is a life-shattering illness. It rips families apart and destroys lives. It is historically defined as a physical and/or psychological dependency on a mood-altering chemical (e.g. alcohol, heroin, prescription drugs, etc.) or behavior (sex addiction, gambling addiction, internet addiction), although it can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it. It often starts with experimentation and social use coupled with the thought Read More

Long-term abstinence may resolve many of the neurocognitive deficits associated with alcoholism Alcoholism can cause neuropsychological deficits.   A new study looks at alcoholics who have been sober for six months to 13 years. Results indicate that long-term abstinent alcoholics can recover many of their neurocognitive deficits, except for spatial-processing abilities. Alcoholism can cause neuropsychological deficits, that much is clear. There is much less clarity, however, concerning to what degree recovery may occur with abstinence Read More

Gene-on-gene interactions may influence risk for developing alcoholism One variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene can influence alcohol response among some Caucasians Not only do both genes and environment have an impact on the development of alcohol-use disorders, but now researchers have found that certain genes may influence scientists’ ability to interpret other genes’ effects. One variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene – the ADH1B genotype – appears to be able to influence level Read More

Alcoholism treatment medication Acamprosate may help abstinent alcoholics sleep better New findings suggest that Acamprosate shows promise as a treatment method for alleviating sleep disturbances experienced by alcoholics during abstinence Alcoholics generally don’t sleep well. Nor does abstinence improve the situation much. In fact, sleep difficulties during alcohol abstinence may be responsible for a relapse to alcoholism as individuals attempt to self medicate their sleeping problems. New findings show that an alcoholism – treatment drug Read More

Anesthesia Drug Rapidly Lifts Depression, Researchers Say MONDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) — A single dose of an anesthesia drug produced relief from depression in as little as two hours in a small group of patients for whom several other treatments had failed, U.S. government researchers report.The researchers said, however, that the drug, ketamine, is unlikely to be used in the treatment of depression because of possible side effects, including psychosis. But the new finding Read More

Heroin Addicts Clamor for Scarce Medicine By MICHAEL RUBINKAM The Associated Press Source: Washington Post Date: 28 April 2005 WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Krystal began using heroin when she was 14, and soon hit bottom. But at 18, she says she is drug-free, holds down a job, attends beauty school and cares for her toddler son. She credits a relatively new medication called buprenorphine with freeing her from heroin’s grip. “Amazing,” “incredible” and “lifesaving” are a Read More