As incredible as it may seem, almost 400,000 Texans that will struggle with the disease of addiction this year and there are thousands more — family and friends — that will be directly affected. Here at The Right Step, we see first hand the devastating effects and the remarkable healings that come from providing compassionate [...]
How much money would you say you spend on something like coffee? My boyfriend used to be an ardent coffee drinker. One day, we were talking about ways in which to save money and I brought up the fact that he consumed so much coffee. Whether or not it was the direct result of our [...]
When you or a loved one has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse or drug and alcohol addiction, it is important to remember that recovery isn’t just something that takes place while you’re at the treatment center. You can’t expect to check into a drug treatment center and check out automatically cured. Rather, the recovery [...]
How much worse off would the world be if drugs like Marijuana and Cocaine were legalized? Some economists (such as Milton Friedman) have pointed out the link between unnecessary government involvement and the unforseen impact on the drug market. Because the government gets involved with drug control, punishing those who use drugs by throwing them [...]
Addiction to alcohol and drugs is a disease that can affect anyone, regardless of their race, age, socioeconomic status, or religious affiliation. The problem of substance addiction is so prevalent in our society, yet some people still have a slight reluctance to call such addiction a “disease.” Substance addiction and abuse has been officially recognized [...]
“Of all the substances of abuse, including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.” -Institute of Medicine 1996 Report to Congress Fetal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of mental retardation in the Western World. The prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the U.S. is [...]
Prescription stimulants used to treat ADHD, most commonly Ritalin, are the new drug of choice on college campuses and in high school hallways. Though legal and helpful when prescribed to people who actually have ADHD, these pills are more and more commonly being abused by students who don’t have the disorder. Ritalin stimulates the central [...]
The power of positive thinking. Some people addicted to drugs and alcohol swear by it, and new science reaffirms the power of its effectiveness. Mauricio Delgado, a cognitive neuroscientist at Rutgers, led a study where participants were either flashed a blue or yellow card. Half the volunteers were told to associate the blue card with [...]
Soldiers returning from deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to have developed serious drinking problems, a recent study finds. Isabel Jacobsen, who has a Masters of Public Health and works for the Naval Health Research Center, led the study that surveyed over 48,000 servicemen and servicewomen both before and after their deployment over a [...]
Substance abuse and bipolar disorder, a mental illness which affects about 3-5% of the population, are closely correlated according to a recent study that is based on years of research. The study leader, who’s the director of substance abuse services as Massachusetts General Hospital, analyzed data on 105 teenagers with bipolar disorder who were enrolled [...]
