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Category: Meth

Triggers and relapse, a craving connection for addicts

I’ve already written about one reason why cravings make quitting difficult (find it here). However, cravings and triggers are not just abstract concepts; they are well known, important players in addiction research and I think they deserve some more attention. What are triggers? A trigger can be thought of as anything that brings back thoughts,…

March 19, 2010
Smoking cigarettes just makes it better… The enhancement effect of nicotine

A recent study by a Kansas state researcher (find it here) reports that part of the power of nicotine may be in its enhancement of other experiences that go hand in hand with it. While the online source I included suggests that nicotine’s effect may be only in this indirect enhancement, my reading of the…

February 9, 2010
Meth + Viagra = HIV and STDs?? Sex marathons and their danger

Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer Sex marathons…what does that sound like to you? Lots of sex, with multiple partners, for an extended period of time? Bingo! Come on down and collect a prize!!! Why sex marathons can be dangerous Sex marathons are where people have sex for a prolonged period of time, and often do so…

January 19, 2010
Reduce HIV Transmission – Shooting up, clean needles, and addiction treatment

Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer We’ve talked often on this site about many of the negative things that often come along with heavy drug use. We’ve not yet talked about any of the factors that make injection drug use even worse. Users inject cocaine, crystal meth, and heroin, or any combination of these. Shooting up and…

November 9, 2009
Always stay mindful – My different experience with recovery, addiction, and crystal meth

One of the main features of addiction is, unfortunately, how insidious it is. Given everything I’ve been learning in the past 12 years about drugs, their abuse, and the people involved, I feel right in saying that most people don’t realize how far gone they are until it’s too late. I consider myself fortunate in…

September 2, 2009
California prison problems: Drug use policy gone awry

Originally posted on Takepart: I’ve been aware of the unjust nature of our prison system for a while, but a recent NPR story I heard in the car brought the issue front and center again. This piece is a combination summary and extension of that story. Did you know that the US makes up 5%…

August 19, 2009
Clubs, drugs, and dancing – Crystal meth, and club drug use

Anyone involved with the dance/rave/club culture knows that drugs often go hand in hand with music and dancing. Club drugs, as well as alcohol and drug abuse, are often rampant in the social groups full of excited club goers. Previous academic studies supported this notion but could not distinguish if the drug use took place…

July 5, 2009
More CPDD Addiction research: Addiction, exercise, recovery!

Okay, this is probably the last addiction research update I will give focusing on the Reno conference. The rest of the stuff I learned will be incorporated into future posts. I’ve written before about the relationship between exercise and recovery (see here) and I will surely write more since for me, it was a big…

June 30, 2009
The brain addiction connection : Crystal meth, and our friend dopamine

We’ve talked about the general way in which neurons in the brain communicate with one another and then reviewed the ways in which cocaine messes some of the basic processes that the brain depends on. It’s time to move on to another drug, and since the brain-addiction connection is similar for meth and cocaine, it…

June 27, 2009
Latest drug addiction research from CPDD: Drug use patterns among adults

I’m currently attending the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) in Reno, NV. Since there’s so much drug addiction research being presented here, I figured I would post a daily update with some of the things I found most interesting. There’s absolutely no way for me to see all the…

June 22, 2009