Alcohol Risks Rise with Long Work Hours
Alcohol Risks Rise with Long Work Hours Individuals whose working hours exceed standard recommendations are more likely to increase their alcohol use to levels that pose a health risk. This is the conclusion from a newly published report of the systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies and unpublished data. Risky alcohol consumption is more […]
Understanding How the Brain Reacts to Addictive Substances: It’s a Dopamine Thing
Understanding How the Brain Reacts to Addictive Substances: It’s a Dopamine Thing Brigham Young University professor Scott Steffensen and his collaborators have published three scientific papers that detail the brain mechanisms involved with addictive substances. One study found that the process of a brain becoming addicted is an overcorrecting reaction to an abused substance. When […]
The Health Risks of Binge Drinking
The Health Risks of Binge Drinking Drinkers generally understand how binge drinking alters behavior. However, more than behavior changes with intoxication. Binge drinking is a significant cause of accidents. It increases the risk of falls, burns, gunshot wounds, car accidents, arguments and poisoning. Consider these sobering facts about how we drink: About 90% of the […]
How Alcohol Affects Blood Chemistry and Diabetes
How Alcohol Affects Blood Chemistry and Diabetes Alcohol affects the body in many ways resulting in changes that can negatively impact some chronic conditions more than others. Not only can an alcoholic drink be a bad idea to mix with certain medications, but it can also change the blood chemistry. This can be life threatening […]
Proving the Benefits of Meditation
Proving the Benefits of Meditation Mindful meditation is a type of meditation (which is an exercise of deep, prolonged concentration) during which any feelings, emotions or thoughts are experienced as and when they arise during the exercise, opposed to after the meditation finishes. This practice teaches us about our unresolved issues that prick us when […]
“Magic Mushrooms” Might Be More Magic than We First Thought
“Magic Mushrooms” Might Be More Magic than We First Thought In 1960, two promising young psychologists at Harvard, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, began to explore the effects of psychotropic substances on the human mind. They believed that psilocybin, the active chemical in “magic” mushrooms, had the power to change people’s brains for the better. They […]
Grandparents in Need of Help: Addiction and the Elderly
Grandparents in Need of Help: Addiction and the Elderly We often ignore troubling behavior in older people, letting these behaviors slide as signs of aging. Forgetfulness, falls or an inability to live alone may come with age, but they don’t have to. They can also be symptoms of substance abuse. Many, many of our aging […]
Alcohol Causes Difficulty in Later Life
Alcohol Causes Difficulty in Later Life According to a new study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, people with a history of alcohol use disorder, which can include those drinking within recommended limits, are twice as likely to have severe memory problems in subsequent years. The study adds to the growing body of […]
Addiction and Mental Disorders: Are They Related?
Addiction and Mental Disorders: Are They Related? Scientists have linked mental disorders to addiction, noting that addicts often have one or more co-occurring mental disorders. Consider these facts: Research has shown babies exposed to legal and illegal drugs in the womb, suffer slow intellectual development and affected behavior later in life, and have a higher […]
Substance Abuse Is High In LGBTQ Communities
Substance Abuse Is High In LGBTQ Communities The mental health issues that impact lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals do not get the attention they deserve. Hot topics in recent years have been about marriage and work-place discrimination. While media focus is important in creating positive changes in equality and in the struggles […]