According to the National Institute of Health’s 2019 Monitoring the Future survey, 11.7% of 12th graders reported vaping nicotine on a daily basis, and 25.5% reported vaping nicotine in the past month.[1] As vaping continues to become a widespread issue in middle and high schools across the nation, parents, communities, and schools alike are looking […]
Steps Schools Can Take to Prevent and Reduce Teen Vaping Read More »
Co-Occurring Disorders Have you ever heard of rheumatic fever? Chances are, you haven’t. Rheumatic fever results from improperly treated scarlet fever, which is now considered a very rare condition in the medical field. Travel back to 1970 when the conditions were more common and you’ll find a physician named A.R. Feinstein who worked closely with
Co-Occurring Disorders Read More »
When people think of addictive substances, they often think of “hard” drugs like heroin, cocaine, or meth. However, nicotine, a substance found in tobacco products, is highly addictive – both physically and mentally. It changes the way the brain functions and feels. Once your body adapts to having nicotine in its system, withdrawal symptoms occur,
Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal and How to Cope Read More »
In my first week out of rehab, I met my first AA sponsor at a local meeting. I did not know who she was, and I had never heard her speak before. She approached me after a meeting, started a conversation, and offered to be my sponsor. Although I did not know anything about this
Is it Okay to Break up With My AA Sponsor? Read More »
Before the rise of discrete e-cigarette devices, students had to sneak out of class and slip outside to smoke cigarettes without getting caught. Still, the pungent smell of cigarettes made smoking difficult to hide. Today, teen vaping has replaced teen smoking, and teens have moved from using nicotine in the bathroom or outdoors into their
How Teen Vaping is Affecting Teachers and The Classroom Read More »
“Everything in moderation, including moderation.” The above message is a simple directive: find a balance somewhere in between abstaining and bingeing. Practicing moderation, on the other hand, is a difficult process that is often not clearly-defined. As I look through the lens of addiction and compare moderation with abstinence, I see mostly gray area. For
Marijuana is one of the most abused substances in the United States. In 2018 alone, more than 11.8 million young adults reported using marijuana within the last year.[1] While many states have legalized marijuana for medical and even recreational use, it is still illegal on the federal level. Cannabis products contain two psychoactive compounds: tetrahydrocannabinol
Delta-8 THC Use is on The Rise, But What is Delta-8 and is it Safe? Read More »
Singer Demi Lovato has had a long struggle with addiction, mental health, and an eating disorder. Demi has also been very vocal about showing support for those in recovery and advocating for those affected by mental health. After facing a near-fatal heroin/fentanyl overdose in 2018, Demi Lovato eventually turned to an approach that involves drinking
California Sober: The Latest Recovery Trend or a Dangerous Path to Follow Read More »
In February 2021, Dr. Laura Berman, relationship expert and TV host, began speaking out and publicly grieving her 16-year-old son’s tragic, overdose death. Sammy, Dr. Berman’s deceased son, overdosed in his bedroom after purchasing Fentanyl-laced Xanax from a dealer via Snapchat.[1] Unfortunately, Sammy is not the only teenager this has happened to. In the past,
More Teens Are Buying Drugs on Social Media – Here’s What You Need to Know Read More »
Have you ever struggled with how to communicate with people you suspect may be abusing substances? Wondering about someone’s involvement with substance abuse is one thing; confronting them about it presents an entirely different conundrum. Red Flags There are certain signs that are observable in someone who is abusing substances. Let’s take a moment to
The Beast of Confrontation Read More »
