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About Addiction: Alcohol, Legalization, Internet-Addiction, the Drug war, and Teen Drug Use
a couple weeks away, A3 Link posts are back with a brand-new set of addiction article straight off the press! With election season gearing up we have some news regarding new laws on the ballot for legalization in some states, as well as internet-addiciton being deemed an official diagnosis in the new DSM, and everything…
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How I stopped drinking, again – Entry 1
Those of you not following All About Addiction on Facebook (you should) or paying attention to our updates on Twitter and such might not have known that I was recently informed that in order to become a psychologist in California (actually, to get registered as a Psychological Assistant, which allows someone to get experience towards…
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Brain and relaxation drinks – the new fad
You’ve seen them advertised an on store shelves – drinks with names like Neuro, IDrink, and Dreamwater promise that their combinations of hormones, neurotransmitters, and related amino-acids will keep you relaxed, focused, happy, and improve your sex life. We’ve seen these sorts of promises before from unregulated dietary supplements. The problem is that, since these…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Amy Winehouse dead at 27 – Drug/alcohol overdose?
Amy Winehouse, the soulful singer with the amazing voice and the troubled drug and alcohol use history is dead at 27, according to London Police. Sadly, Amy Winehouse’s celebrity has for the past few years been tied more to her drug and alcohol use than to her music. No one has reported on whether her…
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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…
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Parenting advice – What’s important when it comes to teens, alcohol, and drugs
Parents often ask us what they can do to prevent their children or teens from becoming alcoholics, drug addicts, criminals, and the likes. I’ve been all of these and more, and so I’d like to share my insight with you now that I’ve made it over to the other side: You can’t prevent anything –…