Addiction can take many forms—for example, people can become addicted to smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, gambling, and shopping. But regardless of the type of addiction in question, many members of the mental health community use the “four Cs” to determine whether someone is an addict: compulsion, craving, control, and consequences. 1. Compulsion As […]

When we speak about addiction, we tend to think of drugs and alcohol. But there are many seemingly benign activities that can become an addiction for some people. For some, watching porn is an activity done once in a while for fun, while others watch for hours every day alone. Some people shop only when […]

Instances of gambling addictions have risen sharply over the last few years. In fact, in the United States alone, over 5 million people reported having a gambling addiction that required treatment. Gambling addictions are classified as impulse-control disorders, types of progressive addictions that can negatively impact a person’s life physically, psychologically and socially. People who […]

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others.” When a person becomes addicted to opioids, their brain experiences a rush of dopamine. These […]

Watching your local news or checking your social media feed, you’ve probably heard about the opioid epidemic, the nation’s current public health crisis. As death tolls from the crisis continue to rise dramatically every year, this is not an issue to be taken lightly or ignored. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 42,000 […]

The nation’s opioid epidemic is a topic that’s frequently addressed on television and in social media, and for good reason. According to 2018 data gathered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people in the United States die every day after overdosing on opioids. Opiates are a highly addictive type of drug, […]

For many people, drinking alcohol is something that is done on occasion and in moderation. Having a glass or two of champagne on New Year’s Eve or a cocktail out with friends is nothing to be concerned about. For others, however, alcohol is not something one marks a special occasion with; it is the main event. There […]