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Category: Alcohol

  • Teens and drugs: Drug use statistics and treatment that works

    Here are some drug use statistics: Over 80% of teens engage in some form of deviant behavior (1). Over 50% of high-school seniors admit to having used drugs (2). Only 10%-15% of the population develop drug addiction problems related to their drug use (1). The question is: If the majority of teens experiment with drug…

  • Treating alcohol withdrawal with benzodiazepines – Safe if mindful

    Contributing co-author: Andrew Chen Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant (see here for an overview). Symptoms vary from person to person, but most people will experience some negative symptoms of alcohol withdrawal if they try to stop drinking after long term use. Mild to moderate symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, rapid heart rate, abnormal…

  • Heavy alcohol users Vs. Addicts – Stress response

    I can’t even count how many times I’ve talked about the difference between alcohol or drug users and alcoholics or addicts (see here, here, and here for some examples and keep reading). The quick summary: Many people use drugs and many abuse them at times, a small percentage meet criteria for addiction at some point…

  • Are violent drunks giving the rest of us a bad name? Alcohol consumption and violence

    We all know that drinking alcohol changes the way people think and can make them act strangely right? We also know that alcohol is involved in more than 50% of violent crimes and about 75% of partner violence. The question is, why the connection? A recent paper I published suggests that drugs and alcohol can…

  • Influential factors in college drinking

    Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer What influences students’ college drinking decisions? Do friends peer pressure them? Do they do it because they are bored? Do they drink to relieve depression or anxiety? Researchers recently tried to answer these questions by surveying college students… 65% of the participants reported having at least one drink in the past…

  • Addiction stories: How I recovered from my addiction to crystal meth

    By the time I was done with my addiction to crystal meth, I had racked up 4 arrests, 9 felonies, a $750,000 bail, a year in jail, and an eight year suspended sentence to go along with my 5 year probation period. Though I think education is important to keep getting the message out about…

  • More money more problems? Rich teens and drugs

    Teens raised in affluent homes display the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and drug abuse according to a recent article in Monitor on Psychology, the APA‘s monthly magazine. One of our recent posts dealt with some of the issues unique to teens and drugs. In addition to the issues we’d already mentioned, the article named…

  • Higher drug abuse among gay youth likely tied to rejection

    For a lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth, “coming out” is an extremely stressful, though important event that can result in improved self-esteem, social-support, and psychological adjustment. However, a recent study found that the reactions to such a disclosure have a lot to do with the risk of those youths abusing alcohol and drugs. Social rejection…

  • Alcohol, sleep, and school work: College drinking and GPA

    Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer We all know that college students often party and sleep more than they actually study.  But do heavy alcohol use and poor sleep patterns cause poor grades? A recently published study found that just altering bed times by 2 hours can throw off your sleepiness during the day.  Most students in…

  • College drinking and frats – A match made in alcohol heaven?

    contributing author: Gacia Tachejian If you asked college students in America what goes on at a Fraternity or Sorority party they would tell you that drinking alcohol is a major component. The movie Animal House made heavy college drinking a well known fact decades ago, and research backs it up. Studies have consistently shown that…