Addictions

Smokers Can Have Stroke A Decade Earlier Than Others
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Canadian scientists found yet another reason for smokers to quit the bad habit. According to the new evidence, people who smoke are three times more likely to suffer strokes or mini-strokes than their non-smoking counterparts.

The Small Book; Rational Recovery Systems
by Jack Trimpey
For decades, the field of chemical dependency has been dominated by "The Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous. Because of the organizational success of Alcoholics Anonymous and its 12-step spiritual healing program, it has become a universal

Addictions
The 12 Steps to Happiness
by Joe Klaas, Jennifer Schneider, M.D., Gayle Rossellini, Mark Worden
We admitted we were powerless, and that our lives had become unmanageable. It may or may not be easy to say I admit I am powerless. But even if we can say it, we may not believe it. And if we do not believe we are powerless, merely saying / admit I am

Becoming Naturally Therapeutic: A Return To The True Essence of Helping
by Jacquelyn Small
You may never have thought of yourself as a therapist, having reserved that title for people who have professional counselor roles. Yet research has made clear that the most therapeutic responses to people in trouble often come from "ordinary

The Four Rules of the Alcoholic Family
by Wayne Kritsberg
The alcoholic family is inflexible. It cannot adapt to change easily, nor does it willingly allow family members to change. This rigid behavior manifests itself in all aspects of family life and has its roots in the way the family attempts to deal with ha

Nicotine Reaches The Brain Slowly
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Nicotine takes much longer than it was previously thought to build up and reach peak levels in the brain of a smoking person, claims a new research by experts at Duke University Medical Center, U.S.

Teen Marijuana Use Linked To Psychoses
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Teenagers who are longtime marijuana smokers are at an increased risk of developing psychoses, such as schizophrenia, hallucinations and delusions, compared to short-term smokers or those who have never smoked pot, a new research suggests.

Danger Of Third-Hand Smoke
by Margarita Nahapetyan
After finding a link between second-hand smoke and chronic illnesses, the experts now say that there is a possible danger of 'third-hand smoke' as well. According to a new study, nicotine stains on skin, clothing, furniture and wallpaper can react

Cocaine - No Level Is Safe
by Margarita Nahapetyan
More than 3 per cent of sudden deaths in a region of south-west Spain, and probably across much of Europe, are associated with cocaine use, according to a new study released on Wednesday. The study found that cocaine use has risen sharply in recent years

New Vaccine For Cocaine Dependence Shows Some Success
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Scientists from the United States who have completed early trials on an experimental vaccine for cocaine dependence have announced recently that the vaccine has shown some success in decreasing use in cocaine addicts and even helped some users kick

Alcohol Related To One In 25 Deaths Worldwide
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Alcohol consumption is attributed to one in every 25 deaths all across the world, according to a study from the Toronto-based Center for Addiction and Mental Health. The scientists came to the conclusion that effects of drinking are as harmful as those

Online Programs Effectively Help Smokers To Quit
by Margarita Nahapetyan
It is not a secret to anyone how hard it is to quit smoking. However, not everyone might know that the best solution for the problem might be as close as a keyboard of the computer. A new analysis by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley

The Body-Image Therapy Helps Women Quit Smoking
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Scientists at Temple University have found that body-image therapy can be more effective than an exercise plan to help women not only keep their pounds at bay, but also to stay smoke-free.

Antidepressant Drug Helps Pregnant Smookers To Quit
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Pregnant women who are substance-dependent and also smoke cigarettes may be successfully treated with certain anti-depressant drugs, suggest preliminary results of a new study by U.S. researchers. In particular

Marijuana Affects Perception Of The Driver
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Marijuana smokers are more likely to get involved in automobile crashes than people who do not drive under the influence of cannabis, report scientists from Canada. Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a psychoactive drug, the mind-altering substance

Students Drink Booze More Than They Study
by Margarita Nahapetyan
It has never been a secret or a surprise, that college students, and particularly freshmen, like to party and have fun. However, according to the survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, college students spend

On-Screen Alcohol Urges People To Grab A Bottle
by Margarita Nahapetyan
For the first time ever, the experts are showing that there is a strong connection between watching movies and advertisements with lots of drinking scenes and an immediate desire in young people to reach for the bottle of beer or wine.

Secondhand Smoking Causes Major Depression
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Non-smokers who are being exposed to cigarette smoke, not only experience its harm physically, but are twice more likely to suffer from major depression, compared to people who are not exposed to black clouds, a large federal study reports.

Overcoming Gambling Addiction
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Gambling is an urge of playing a game in which money is normally at stake. There are many forms of such games including casinos, horse races, different kinds of lotteries, card rooms, and stock market betting.

Problem of Alcoholism
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Men in developed countries have a 20 per cent increased risk of developing a problem of alcohol dependence during their lifetimes, according to American researchers from the University of California, San Diego.

Teen Marijuana Use Linked To Evenings Spent Out With Friends
by Margarita Nahapetyan
A new study published this week in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, showed worrying statistics about use of marijuana among teenagers. Research found that smoking pot among teens has dramatically increased in many

Cash Reward Helps Smokers Quit Bad Habit
by Margarita Nahapetyan
Smokers who are paid to quit are about three times more likely to give up a bad habit and not have another cigarette than those who get no cash reward, a new study reports. Smoking is one of the nation's biggest causes of premature death

Shopping Addiction
by Margarita Nahapetyan
For many people shopping is considered to be one of the favorite pastimes. For most of them it is just buying some new clothes or presents for close people. But there is another category for whom shopping is much more than just enjoyable pastime

Why Is It So Hard To Quit Smoking?
by Margarita Nahapetyan
"It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it a hundred times," said Mark Twain when he tried to quit smoking his cigar back in 1800s. But as it turns out - it is always easier to say than to do it in reality.

Addictions: 12-Step Programs
by Christopher Cavanaugh
Throughout the world today, over two million alcoholics and hundreds of thousands of drug addicts, compulsive overeaters, sex addicts, compulsive gamblers, codependents, and other addicts abstain from their addiction, having found a new life by practicing

Am I an Alcoholic?
Beyond the Influence : Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism
by Katherine Ketcham
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. — Schopenhauer Don't remember where I was flying to, but was taken off the plane in Twin Cities, ambulanced

How the Brain Makes Sense of the Senseless
by Debra Jay
The brain confabulates. It associates diverse sensations, defies contradictions, and creates coherence. It even seeks explanations for its own unfathomable behavior.' Those are the words of Dr. Gerald M. Edelman, Nobel laureate in physiology and medic

Addiction and Groups of European Origin
by Jo-Ann Krestan
This chapter explores the connection between a family's ethnic background and its relationship to addiction. While no one factor has been found to cause the disease of addiction, research has revealed that attitudes toward drinking and socially sanctioned

Alcoholism Patterns and Symptoms
by James E. Royce, S.J., Ph.D., David Scratchley, Ph.D.
Any of us could suffer the effects depicted so far of alcohol and other drug misuse on our health, driving, social relations, and pocketbook, whether addicted or not. This chapter will address the development of addiction, using alcoholism as a model. The

Addiction: The Real 13th Step
by Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D.
A number of things have changed in the ten years since The REAL Thirteenth Step was originally published. In that time I've worked with many more clients who are recovering with the aid of Twelve Step programs. In that time, sponsors have referred