Individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction create destruction in our own lives, but we also wreak havoc in the lives of our family and friends. When addicts first find recovery, looking at the lives we’ve hurt can feel overwhelming and insurmountable. The good news is that we are resilient and so are our families.…
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The Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey has measured drug, alcohol and cigarette use among adolescent students nationwide since 1975. Over 40,000 students from almost 400 public and private schools participated in the 2014 MTF survey. Many of the results are promising with a few notable exceptions. The use of cigarettes, alcohol, and abuse of prescription pain…
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In times of great stress, we shut down our awareness emotionally, sometimes intellectually and occasionally physically. Denial is a built-in mechanism operated to screen out devastating information and to prevent us from becoming overloaded. Denial is a conscious or unconscious defense that all of us use to avoid, reduce, or prevent anxiety when we are…
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According to a recent government report, nearly one in ten full-time workers in the U.S. has a problem with drugs or alcohol. Of the 14.8 million people using illicit drugs in the U.S., an estimated 70% have jobs. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCAAD) reports that employee alcohol and drug abuse costs…
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Men are more likely than women to drink too much alcohol and they’re three times more likely to develop problems with alcohol than women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 17% of men and about 8% of women will meet criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.…
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Here are some classic examples of negative self-talk that foster depression, hopelessness, low self esteem, suspiciousness of others and anxiety. Who needs it?! Black and White Thinking: This is the tendency to see things in an all-or-nothing fashion. Beware of words like “never,” “always,” “nothing” and “everyone.” If you think there are only two choices…
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39% of adolescents in the US are current drinkers, and about 22% are current binge drinkers. The average U.S. adolescent is also exposed to about 2.5 hours of popular music per day, and 8 mentions of alcohol brands every day. A study published in the online…
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From 2006-2013, the rate of marijuana exposure among children younger than six rose by 147.5%, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. In states that legalized medical marijuana use, the rate of exposure increased by almost 610%. The research was comprised from the National Poison Data System data, which compiles…
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A recent study from the Boston University School of Public Health has found that teens drink less in states that have more stringent alcohol policies, even if those policies are targeted at adults. Researchers created a scoring system to assess the strength of alcohol-related policies in the US. The policies include alcohol taxing, restricting sales to…
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Despite the hype around drugs like Molly and Oxycodone, marijuana continues to be the most commonly used illicit drug in the US, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Numerous studies have documented the potential health implications of marijuana use. Studies have found that teens who used pot daily for 3 years had an increased risk of…
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