Tags

Americans take a lot of painkillers. We actually consume the majority of the world’s supply. To be exact, we take 80% of the opioids globally, even though we only make up 5% of the world population. We take pills for actual pain, we take them when we think we have pain but don’t, we take […]

I read an interesting piece this week on the Pacific Standard stating that most people just grow out of their addictions. Maia Szalavitz argues that once the prefrontal cortex reaches maturity, usually in the mid 20’s, many people simply stop using drugs and alcohol. This part of the brain is responsible for self-restraint and good […]

Legal marijuana, both medical and recreational, have been in the news a lot lately. Most news media and web outlets refer to it as “Weed”, do you ever wonder why that became the go-to slang for marijuana? If so, you’re in luck, because Slate Magazine just did an entire expose on the vernacular history of […]

I spend a lot of time here talking about the bigger picture of addiction. Not just the addict, but the great environment. I talk about the emotions, the feelings, signs, symptoms, how addiction effects not just the addict, but the entire family and friend circle. One important step in the recovery process is understanding some […]

One element of addiction that keeps many people from seeking treatment is the secretive nature of drug and alcohol abuse and the inherent secrecy of a users behavior and emotions. To help get to the bottom of some basic questions and concerns that many families and loved ones have about addiction, from time to time […]