Stimulant Drugs: How Much Do You Know?

Drugs have become everyday commodities that parents and teenagers must learn to deal with in effective and responsible ways. As a parent, it is natural to want to protect your child from the influence of drugs, but we can’t be there all the time to watch over our teenagers. And while we can adopt the “just say no!” attitude, it helps if we actually know what we are saying no to. Therefore, this is the first in a series of some of the most common street drugs readily available to our children and each one outlines the common immediate effects … Continue reading →

Street Drugs and Mental Health

Parents of teenagers often worry about their children becoming involved with drugs, and rightly so. Statistics show that, by the age of 20, the majority of young adults have either tried drugs on one or two occasions, take them on a regular basis, abuse drugs or are addicted to them. Knowledge is a valuable tool in a parent’s arsenal against drugs, as is knowing how to talk to your pre-teen and teenager about drugs. Just saying “no” to drugs isn’t always the best approach for a parent to take. Yet talking to your child about illegal drugs can be both … Continue reading →

Diagnostic Criteria for Substance Dependence

When we last visited the topic of Substance Abuse we looked at the diagnostic criteria for substance abuse. Today we look at substance dependence, which differs from abuse in that the component of addiction and addictive behavior is also present. So how do we know if a person has moved from substance abuse to substance dependence? The DSM-IV-TR lists the following guidelines for a diagnosis of substance dependence: A maladaptive pattern of substance abuse leading to significant impairment or distress as manifested by at least three of the following within a 12-month period: 1. Tolerance to the substance as defined … Continue reading →

Is It Really Substance Abuse?

In When Usage becomes Abusage (see below) we looked at the enormous emotional and financial cost of substance abuse. But how do you know when someone is really abusing rather than using a substance such as tobacco, alcohol or other recreational drugs? How do you know when the person you love is in trouble? Fortunately the American Psychiatric Association lists the criteria for substance abuse in an attempt to better distinguish those who are in control of the drugs in their life and those who have crossed the line. The guidelines are as follows: A. A maladaptive pattern of substance … Continue reading →

When Substance Abuse becomes Substance Dependence

Substance dependence is usually called addiction, and we customarily use the term to describe people who seem enslaved to the substance concerned. Yet there is much disagreement among experts as to just what constituents substance dependence. A person may be physiologically dependent when great and greater amounts of the drug are required to experience the same effect. This is referred to as tolerance. A person is addicted to a drug when the removal of the drug from the system results in physical symptoms (withdrawal). A common example of this occurs when you get to work and can’t function without your … Continue reading →

Smoking and Other Addictions Exposed

Most of us have met someone who smokes and despite considerable effort, just cannot manage to shake the habit. Perhaps you are one of them. Scientists have known for many years that some people are able to give up nicotine and other potentially addictive substances with relative ease. Others struggle, often giving up for a significant period of time, only to succumb to the call of their favorite poison. Others simply can’t give up at all. Recent research has come up with further interesting evidence about individual differences in brain structure which influence the likelihood of addiction occurring. Scientists have … Continue reading →

When Usage becomes Abusage: Recreational Drugs

Substance-Related Disorders form the one group of psychiatric conditions that cause the majority of self-harm, emotional turmoil, family hardship, and financial woes: much more so than other psychiatric disorders. The ongoing and outreaching effects on the individual and the greater community of substance abuse problems causes more stress and social breakdown than any of the higher profile mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. While the latter illnesses cause extreme distress to the sufferer as well as their immediate family and friends, the issue of substance abuse and the accompanying lifestyle is implicated in street crime, homelessness, family breakdown, … Continue reading →

The link between IQ, binge drinking, and hangovers

In What does IQ really mean? we looked at what an IQ test actually measures and how accurately the resultant score reflects the ultimate life success of the individual. While an IQ test certainly gives an indication of the gross level of intellectual ability of an individual, it cannot predict the life path of the person concerned. However, there are some things that an IQ test can predict and one of them is the likelihood of suffering hangovers. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have discovered that IQ scores do more than separate geniuses from the rest of … Continue reading →

Childhood behavioral problems and binge drinking

A comprehensive study involving more than 1600 participants has established a significant link between behavioral problems in childhood and subsequent adolescent binge drinking. Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia looked at the phenomenon of binge drinking, which was classified in the study as consuming at least five drinks in quick succession more than seven days a month by the time the individual was 17 years of age. Binge drinking is becoming particularly popular with incident rates soaring since the 1980s. About 60% of the participants were rated as moderate drinkers and 14% were listed as “heavy.” Among the … Continue reading →