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Addiction

DEA’s National Take Back Day 2023

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By Ashley Barnes, M.S. What is DEA’s National Take Back Day? The drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a national security threat to public health and safety.  The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) holds a “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” every year as a reflection of the DEA’s “commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting” (DEA, 2023).  Last year, there were a total of 4,902 collection sites and 647,163 pounds (324 tons) of unneeded medications collected (DEA, 2023). This year, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is on October 28, 2023. Find a collection site near you using the Collection Site Locator. Statistics According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people who died from a …

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Substance Abuse and the Brain

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By Ashley Barnes, M.S. Substance Abuse According to the American Psychological Association (APA), substance abuse is defined as “a pattern of compulsive substance use marked by recurrent significant social, occupational, legal, or interpersonal adverse consequences, such as repeated absences from work or school, arrests, and marital difficulties” (2022). Addiction describes the “state of psychological or physical dependence (or both) on the use of alcohol or other drugs” (APA, 2022). Substance abuse goes hand in hand with addiction, as substance abuse can lead to addiction.  Substance Use Disorder Symptoms The following are symptoms of substance use disorders as outlined by The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine: Using/drinking larger amounts or over longer periods of time than planned. Continually wanting or unsuccessfully trying to cut down or control use of drugs or alcohol. Spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from use of drugs or alcohol. Craving, or a strong …

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The Danger of Self-Medicating to Deal with Stress

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Medically reviewed by Dr. Mark Hrymoc, M.D.
woman self medicating to deal with stress

Self-medicating to deal with stress is a nationwide problem. Stress in America 2022 revealed more than one in 10 adults said they have been using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax. This coping mechanism, known as self-medicating, carries severe potential consequences. The dangers of self-medicating to deal with stress extend far beyond the immediate hazards, with individuals risking not only physical health complications but also a potential downward spiral into addiction. If you use drugs, alcohol, or other substances to deal with stress, it is crucial to understand the risks to your physical and mental health. In this article, we’re exploring the danger of self-medicating to deal with stress. Mental Health Challenges of Self-Medicating to Deal with Stress Misusing any substance may lead to dependence on the substance, thinking it must have it to survive. Dependence may lead to addiction.  These effects on the brain can worsen pre-existing mental health …

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Helping Someone with a Process Addiction

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By Ashley Barnes, M.S. What is a process addiction? When thinking of the word “addiction,” one may picture alcohol, illegal drugs like cocaine, or addictive prescription drugs  – all substances of abuse. However, addictions come in many forms and are not limited to substances. Addiction can look like repeated behaviors that have harmful effects on a person’s life. Behavioral addiction, also called process addiction, refers to “the compulsion to continually engage in an activity or behavior despite the negative impact on the person’s ability to remain mentally and/or physically healthy and functional in the home and community” (American Addiction Centers, 2022).  Common for all who struggle with addiction, those who have process addictions may find the behavior they engage in psychologically rewarding, perhaps even feeling elated or “high” while engaging, only to later feel remorse, guilt, and experience consequences for said behavior. Dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for human pleasure, satisfaction, …

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Dry Drunk Syndrome

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By Ashley Barnes, M.S. What is Dry Drunk Syndrome? Alcoholism, much like other addictions, can be viewed as a symptom of coexisting mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression, or trauma. Many people turn to substances like alcohol as a way of coping with existing psychological pain and uncomfortable emotions. Drinking, however, does not eradicate this psychological pain; it merely temporarily numbs it. Recovery doesn’t just entail staying sober; it includes addressing the psychological pain that brought the individual to alcoholism in the first place. Alcoholics Anonymous, the creators of the 12-step program, first coined the term dry drunk syndrome. R.J. Solberg defined the term in his book, The Dry Drunk Syndrome, as “the presence of actions and attitudes that characterized the alcoholic prior to recovery” (1993). What does it look like? People who experience dry drunk syndrome often quit alcohol on their own without the support of clinicians or …

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