Addiction Treatment Blog by Addiction Experts » Conditions and Disorders
Can a Specific Gene Lead to Depression?
There are a number of possibilities for someone to become depressed. Some believe it is hereditary, some believe it was brought on by a traumatic event; others even believe they were born with it. Regardless of the cause, scientists have been searching for a possible cause of depression. Time Magazine posted an article reveling a new study has confirmed that evidence of a particular gene involved in transporting serotonin, a brain chemical critical to mod, may … Read entire article »
Filed under: Conditions and Disorders, Latest News, Life, Recovery, research, Treatment
Food Additives May Up the Possibility of an ADHD Diagnosis
We’ve heard that bad parenting may be to blame, that perhaps a little foul play during pregnancy contributed to the child’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Ambiguous claims that “diets lacking in balanced nutrition” may be partially responsible for the development of ADHD in some children. However, it is rare that we hear of specific correlations between foods (or food additives, in this case) and the increased possibility of ADHD. According to the Huffington Post, scientists have made progress in the analysis of food additives correlating to instances of ADHD. Researchers have speculated that food coloring and preservatives have existed as components that exacerbate a child’s ADHD symptoms. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did the ADHD stem from a genetic basis or did the excess of food coloring and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Conditions and Disorders, Latest News, research
Restless, Anxious, or Can’t Sleep? Herbal Tea Remedies Worth Trying
Drugs and alcohol can be the dictator of sleep patterns. Whether you are suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction, depression or anxiety rest is vital to maintain moods and healthy brain function. It is easy to depend on substances for a solution, but it is not healthy. Instead of reverting to sleeping pills there are some great herbal remedies to help initiate and regulate sleep patterns in recovery. Here is a compiled list of herbs that can be made into tea before bedtime. This is also just a great way to unwind after your day. Passionflower: Aromatic and flavorful, the leaves and stems are can be infused into a tea. Passionflower has similar sedative characteristics to benzodiazepines, like Valium. The calming benefits of this herb reduce anxiety, nervous tension, and muscle … Read entire article »
Filed under: Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Life, Recovery
Disney Star Enters Treatment Center
Disney star Demi Lovato recently left her tour with the Jonas Brothers to enter a treatment facility for “physical and emotional” issues. Demi’s rep has denied reports that the starlet is battling a substance abuse problem. He insists to the public that Demi is in rehab for emotional issues that she has struggled with her entire life. When Demi entered rehab last week, the press released reports about her history of self destructive behavior including an eating disorder and self mutilation. However, sources are now telling the magazine “Life & Style” that Demi’s drug use and heavy drinking contributed to her admittance into an addiction treatment center. The press release speaks about Demi’s use of cocaine and her downward spiral after breaking up with Jonas Brothers member, Joe Jonas. Being on a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Celebrity, Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Eating disorders, Latest News, Treatment
Celebrity Sex Addiction
Sex addiction is often just as debilitating as an addiction to drugs or alcohol; people become compulsively attached to sexual engagements as a route to shift their current feelings and take the focus off their problems. Many use their sex addiction and submit it to press in hopes of using the “sex addiction” as an excuse for infidelity or to plead innocence in having multiple sexual partners. Large scale celebrities such as Tiger Woods … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Celebrity, Conditions and Disorders, Latest News, Love and Relationships, Recovery, Treatment
Vivitrol Treats Addiction?
Vivitrol has already been approved as a possible treatment for alcohol addiction. It was recently passed on October 14th, 2010, by the Food & Drug Administration as a drug to treat addiction for opiates such as heroin, morphine, Oxycontin and Vicodin. It is said to be the first non-narcotic, non-addictive drug used to treat opiate dependence. Eligible patients can receive the treatment after undergoing detoxification. Vivitrol is given by way of injection, once a month and works as an opiate antagonist, which actually blocks the opioid receptors, leaving the patient unable to feel the effects of any opiates. The drug is said to leave patients with a significantly lower tolerance than normal to opiates if they were to miss their monthly dose. The one serious downside is that this could … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Latest News, Life, Recovery, Treatment
Virtual Drug Environment Helps Understand Meth Addiction
There’s a host of environmental cues that can trigger cravings in addicts. Videos of people using drugs and images of drug paraphernalia are two of the biggest triggers for many addicts. Understanding the nature of cravings is a very important phenomenon of the recovery process because it helps dictate proper treatment methods for an individual case. In a recent study conducted at UCLA, researchers used Second Life to find out if cues in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Latest News, Life, Treatment
Equal Rights – Mental Health Treatment Vs Medical Treatment
Limit 20 therapy sessions per person per year. This is the speech I received when I requested individualized counseling sessions last winter while in the grip of a crippling depression. My insurance company was not alone in its refusal to cover more than a predetermined number of visits over a specified period of time. I considered people far worse off than I was with a sense of empathetic disbelief. Bipolar disorder? Paranoid schizophrenia? Delusional disorder? … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Latest News, Life, Love and Relationships, Recovery, Treatment
Relapse Prevention
One main reason for 12 step relapse prevention techniques proving to be helpful is because they embody a wide-ranged plan that incorporates all aspects of a person from spiritual to physical to emotional. They work especially well when the addict takes massive action toward studying, practicing and understanding elements of a 12 step program. The 12 steps may seem daunting at first glance, but in all reality they are one sentence each, and most sponsors encourage their sponsee’s to go through the 12 steps at their own pace. No time is too long or too short, within reason. No one expects a person to work the 12 steps completely in solitude. This is why addicts and alcoholics go to as many meetings as we can, to surround themselves with friends … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Life, Recovery, Spirituality, Treatment
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Original AA Manuscript to Be Released to the Public
October 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment
For nearly 70 years the original manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) by co-founder Bill Wilson has been hidden away. However, next week the original manuscript is set to become public for the first time, complete with edits by Wilson-picked commentators. Since AA was originally founded in 1939, there has been much debate over whether or not AA is a religious-based group. The release of the original manuscript will release some interesting edits that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Conditions and Disorders, Drugs, Latest News, Life, Recovery, Spirituality, Treatment