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One of the fascinating things about addiction and the brain is that there is no single factor that causes addiction. As we have seen, it is not purely genetic, psychological, chemical, or behavioral.…

Tolerance is associated with various drugs and involves a number of different body systems; it is particularly noticeable where addictive substances are concerned. It is a phenomenon whereby the body develops an ability to…

The six large groups of mood-altering drugs are alcohol (beer, wine, distilled spirits), depressants (barbiturates, tranquilizers, sedatives, sleeping pills), stimulants (cocaine, amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine), opiates (heroin, opium, morphine, synthetic morphine compounds), hallucinogens (marijuana,…

Although a number of circuits with different neurotransmitters connect to and run through the ventral tegmentum, the main tracts use dopamine. Other important tracts use serotonin, norepinephrine, or endorphin. Let’s look further at what neurotransmitters are…

Only within the last several decades have we begun to understand why a person will use a substance compulsively, regardless of the consequences, even to the point of death.

The key to understanding…

Addiction is nothing new, as we can see from the above quotation, in which the biblical writer paints a hauntingly accurate picture of the devastation caused by alcohol addiction. Alcoholism, drug addiction, and addictive behaviors…

If genetics accounts for better than 50 percent of the risk, what accounts for the remaining percentage? A lot of things do. Going back to our infectious model, comparison of addiction and infectious…

Although we know that the risk for alcoholism runs in some families, it is not clear exactly what genes cause the increased risk. (There is good evidence that several genes are involved.)

Most…

Why would you decide to experiment with drugs and alcohol at all? This decision depends to a large extent on the type of family and community that you come from. If you are…

If you are struggling with addiction, you probably did not intend for it to happen. People who begin using moodaltering substances usually have a number of reasons for doing so.

Most of…

Most of us have grown up valuing self-control, sober judgment, and self-reliance. We look at addiction as a disgrace - something to be ashamed of. It represents lack of…

Identifying the exact point at which the use of a substance constitutes an addiction ought to be easy, but it is not.

Confu- sion arises because we are limited to observing…

How do you know if you have a problem with addiction? How do you know if a loved one does? How much is too much? At what point does social drinking become problem drinking,…

The United States has made various social and legislative attempts to deal with addiction, especially in the twentieth century. But history reflects our society’s ambivalence about whether to outlaw addictive substances…

Working the night shift may have different effects on male and female police officers’ mental health, new research shows.

While policewomen with depressive symptoms were more likely to have suicidal…

Self-guided treatment for depression could soon be only a mouse click away.

Scientists with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) are developing an interactive, multi-media program that will assist astronauts in recognizing and…

More than 7,000 school pupils from across the UK will be taking part in the trial of a new positive thinking programme led by the University of Bath…

New Italian research adds to evidence that people with the immune condition called sarcoidosis often suffer from mental health problems, especially depression.

In the new study, researchers led by…

Society holds that when it comes to aggression, boys hit and punch, while girls spread rumors, gossip, and intentionally exclude others, a type of aggression that’s called…

Despite low overall unemployment, Canada’s manufacturing industry has cut 88,000 jobs this year, with nearly all the losses occurring in Ontario. Also, part-time employment has grown by 3.5 per…

Homosexual and bisexual men and women may face higher risks of depression, substance abuse and suicidal behavior than heterosexuals do, a new study suggests.

In an analysis of 25…

Researchers from Spain have found a strong and independent link between cannabis use and the onset of psychosis at a younger age. The association, they say, cannot be explained by…

Children born prematurely are four times more likely to have emotional problems or behavioural disorders, according to research led by the University of Warwick.

A team led…