Couples yoga to treat addiction
Alcohol and drug addiction can be described as checking out of the moment or escaping from the present. Recovery, on the other hand, focuses on tuning in to the present or living in the moment. Although many recovery centers, therapy groups and individual programs exist across the globe to aid struggling alcoholics in their journey to recovery, multiple studies have shown that yoga has helped many addicts through recovery. One such study is “A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction,” published in a June 2013 Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Yoga and other meditation practices help alcoholics focus their attention on one thing at a time and allow them to practice mindfulness. Continue reading
Dangers of intravenous drug use
As is commonly known, most substance abuse does not begin with intravenous drug use. This is because smoking and ingestion of the substance may provide an opportunity to use the drug for those that are wary of using a needle. However, as dependence develops, using drugs that eventually cause tolerance may lead to seeking out a stronger alternative. Though needle use is perhaps most commonly associated with heroin, there are a number of illegal drugs that may be injected for their effects. Injecting in and of itself proves a number of dangerous occurrences within the body. Continue reading
The street drug phenomenon wreaks havoc on health, lives and society
In 2012, an estimated 23.9 million Americans aged 12 years or older had used an illicit drug or abused a psychotherapeutic medication (such as a pain reliever, stimulant or tranquilizer) in the past month, according to statistics by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This is an increase from past years, mainly because of the recent rise in the use of marijuana, the most commonly used illicit drug. However, opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines, bath salts, inhalants and even antipsychotics are now sold on the street. People who wish to get high have learned to snort, crush, inject, inhale and even consume rectally these illicit drugs. Continue reading