If your goal is to remain sober this Christmas, you aren’t alone. The holidays provide ample opportunities to reflect on past experiences, failures, and traumas that can make people want to drink or use drugs. If you know that using drugs causes problems in your life, using substances during the holidays is likely to lead…
Self-medicating is often a precursor to addiction, especially for a person struggling with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder and addiction can lead to a mental and physical dependency that makes life unmanageable. It’s essential to understand why you started to self-medicate with alcohol and learn a new way of living. Through addiction treatment, you’ll see that…
For someone who doesn’t suffer from an addiction, it’s easy to think, “Anyone can quit with the right willpower.” The reality is that it’s not that simple. Physical and psychological dependence make it nearly impossible to quit without help. Sure, ending physical dependence is possible with an intensive detoxification process. However, the main reason people…
Addiction can refer to physical or mental dependence on an activity that hampers a healthy lifestyle. When you have a physical addiction to a substance, chemical changes in your body make you feel like you need the drug. Psychological addiction can cause you to turn to drugs in response to environmental cues or stress.…
Alcoholism causes a variety of psychological and physical symptoms. While some are easier to spot than others, alcohol effects take a physical and mental toll. It’s vital to receive help from an alcohol addiction rehab center before the addiction causes further problems and damage. The Psychological Effects of Alcoholism Alcohol addiction can lead to…
The desire to be sober for the holidays will not prevent a person in active addiction from seeking refuge in drugs or alcohol. Once a person develops physical or psychological dependence, an extended period of sobriety is required before the brain starts releasing feel-good chemicals in response to feel-good situations. Active addiction prevents people from…
Alcohol is one of the most popular recreational substances in the world, second only to caffeine. This sedative-hypnotic drug has been used throughout human history to treat various ailments. Alcohol suppresses the central nervous system causing relaxation, euphoria, and lowered inhibitions in small doses. Some people drink alcohol to avoid feeling the symptoms of depression.…
When it seems like the world is too difficult to manage, you might reach for a drug that numbs you. Depressants suppress the central nervous system and cause pain relief, drowsiness, and clouded thinking. Whether this drug has been prescribed by a doctor, purchased in a restaurant, or unregulated by the FDA, depressants provide a…
Addiction is a vast and complex condition. Becoming dependant on addictive drugs causes people to lose their sex drive and rely only on drugs for a dopamine release. Using harmful amounts of psychoactive chemicals causes the brain to release a powerful and overwhelming rush of pleasurable neurotransmitters that are responsible for the positive effects of…
What happens when the chemicals that allow relief from symptoms of mental health concerns cause impairments that prevent people from functioning? People with mental health issues are especially vulnerable to developing unhealthy chemical dependencies. Drug interactions are complicated. And it’s hard to know who to trust. At Crestview, we view medication management as an essential part of…