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Tag: relapse

  • When you fall… Failing at rehab and trying again

    When my life started seriously veering off track, a few of my friends sat me down and told me that they want to help me. At the time, drugs were paying my rent, and they literally offered me their couch to help me lower my cost of living. They were good friends and they really…

  • One is too many, a thousand not enough: Does a slip or relapse mean the end?

    Breaking news: When alcoholics who have gone through treatment have a drink after a certain length of sobriety, most don’t go off the deep end. Slip scares and abstinence relapse The old AA adage: “One drink is too many, and a thousand not enough,” refers to the fact that alcoholics who are sober are assumed…

  • Drug use memories and relapse: Can medication provide addiction help?

    About a year ago, while sitting in a lecture on learning and memory, the idea that certain drugs can affect the emotional responses to memory long after the memory itself has been formed came up. As someone interested in addiction research, the implication for treatment immediately came up in my head: Could we reduce the…

  • Proteins and cocaine: Addiction is a disease, not a question of morality.

    While there are some people who still argue about whether drug addiction is a disease or a condition that results from the moral failing of an individual, most of the scientific community has long agreed that there are at least some influences on it that are far beyond a person’s control. I’ve mentioned the genetic…

  • Is abstinence the only answer? Quality of life in addiction recovery.

    Contributing author: Chelsea Crow Abstinence should not be the only standard by which we measure success in addiction recovery. There’s no doubt that for some addicts, full abstinence is necessary for recovery. Still, it would be hard to deny that even if they can’t stay completely clean, addicts who reduce their use substantially can see…

  • 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…

  • Addiction brain effects : Opiate addiction – Heroin, oxycontin and more

    Okay, we’ve talked about crystal meth and cocaine and how they affect the brain during drug use. As I mentioned, both cocaine and meth interfere with the way the brain stores and cleans up important neurotransmitters, including, most importantly, Dopamine and Norepinephrine. The class of drugs known as opiates, which includes morphine, heroin, codeine, and…

  • Links of the week

    Guess what? It’s that time again. Here are some posts by other writers that offer good help for addicts. I know I’ve been slacking on these, but I’ve simply had too many of my own cents to add. It happens often. Trudging the gentle path: Being an atheist in recovery Spiritual River: A new recovery…

  • 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…