Many states have recently enacted laws to crack down on mothers who expose their unborn children to illicit substances, but the consumption of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy remains relatively common. As recently as 2012, nearly six percent of expectant mothers reported using illegal drugs during their pregnancy, along with another eight and a half percent who used alcohol. However, this same study...
All Posts By William Smith
Codependency in a drug abusing relationship is characterized by the sober partner fixated on helping the addict meet their needs, to the detriment of their own. It's a family issue that is very common, fueled by the emotional fact that is difficult for anyone to watch a loved one spiral out of control. As the codependent partner focuses on helping the...
A heartbreaking trend of more infants and toddlers being thrust into foster care has child welfare professionals on high alert. Many experts are drawing links to the opioid and methamphetamine addiction crisis that has devastated families across the country. With the nation’s welfare system already strained, rampant drug addiction continues to force more young children into foster care and pushing...
What is A Dual Diagnosis? The term "dual diagnosis" is used to describe a person who struggles with both a mental health issue and substance abuse. When an addiction co-occurs with a psychological disorder, the patient may not realize the existence of the mental issues due to the overwhelming dominance of the substance abuse and its specific behaviors. The reality...
It is no secret that opioid use is on the rise in communities across the country. Illegal substance abuse in rural, urban, and suburban homes that may have begun with a prescribed pain killer is now being affected by a national tightening of opioid-based pharmaceuticals. The unfortunate collateral damage has resulted in an epidemic of "pill to needle" drug users. According to...
Throughout the country, in areas both urban and rural, waiting lists for addiction recovery centers are long—and growing. But for those in rural areas, the potential obstacles that lie between a person struggling with addiction and a treatment program targeted to their needs and budget can seem nearly insurmountable. Fewer Providers Many newly-minted psychologists and psychiatrists find themselves drawn to...
According to a study conducted by the British Medical Journal, the number of deaths caused by liver diseases in the United States has risen sharply in the past two decades. Researchers found that cirrhosis-related deaths went up 65 percent between 1999 and 2016; the same period saw the number of deaths resulting from liver cancer double. Significantly, the report attributes this...
The nationwide opioid crisis continues to batter the Lone Star State, with both rural and urban parts of Texas experiencing record numbers of opioid-related overdoses. In 2016, nearly 3,000 Texans died of drug overdoses, with 1,375 of these deaths directly attributable to opioids. As part of a multifaceted response to this problem, Texas public health officials have recently launched a...
Since the earliest days of Alcoholics Anonymous, with coffee flowing and cigarette smoke pooling in the rafters, tobacco use and addiction recovery have seemed indelibly interlinked. A daily cigarette (or pack) can provide those who are struggling with addiction a much-needed physical and mental refuge, a single vice to be retained after giving up all other addictive substances. Is Smoking Popular with...
If you are one of the 100 million Americans who are afflicted with chronic pain, you may struggle every day to perform basic tasks--and this obstacle to living a full and active life is even greater if you are also in recovery for addiction to alcohol or drugs. When faced with chronic, ongoing pain, it can be very tempting to...