The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains a drug scheduling system that classifies drugs based on their potential for abuse. The DEA also considers how a drug affects the human body and whether it poses an addiction risk. Practitioners, researchers, manufacturers, and distributors must adhere to strict regulations in order to sell, buy or handle these substances.
If you’re unfamiliar with the DEA’s Controlled Substances Act (CSA), you may have heard about controlled substances such as “scheduled” drugs or drugs with a high potential for addiction. But what do these terms mean? How are drugs classified under the CSA? What do these restrictions mean for individuals who use medications responsibly and those who seek recovery from substance use disorders? Let’s look at the DEA’s drug scheduling system and its implications.
Rhiannon McKinnon
Dangers of “Huffing” Compressed Air in the Wake of Aaron Carter’s Death
What exactly is “Huffing” and what can we learn from Aaron Carter’s untimely death? The singer was tragically lost after a concerning resurgence in huffing and apparent substance use. Here we would like to discuss Carter’s struggle with addiction and the dangers of “Huffing” compressed air canisters.
Drug Tolerance: What it is and Why it’s Dangerous
Tolerance, dependence, and addiction often get used interchangeably. But they’re all different words with very distinctive meanings. If you’re considering rehabilitation in your recovery journey, understanding these words and their varying meanings is crucial. Today we’ll focus on the term Drug Tolerance, its definition, and its dangerous implications.
Understanding the Difference Between Addiction and Dependence
It’s easy to think of dependence and addiction as synonymous terms. After all, they are both used to describe someone who struggles with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). But the truth of the matter is that these terms are distinctive and it’s important to know the difference. Let’s review these terms and go over some quick self-assessments to gauge where you stand.
Generational Addiction and Epigenetics—How Family History Affects Substance Use
Genealogy and epigenetics both play a substantial role in a person’s relationship with addiction. Researchers are discovering that the age-old saying “nature versus nurture” is more accurately “nature and nurture.” The two concepts work simultaneously to create who we are as people both consciously and on a molecular level. Generational addiction and epigenetics not only account for proclivities people are born with but proclivities towards substance use that people develop in their upbringing. An individual may be predisposed to addiction at birth or it may be ingrained in them through their environment or how they were raised. Let’s discuss how these two concepts relate to addiction—sometimes in tandem.
5 Signs You’re Enabling a Loved One and Their Addiction
An enabler is someone who encourages or otherwise supports negative behavior. Some may do this willingly or unknowingly with good intentions. After all, enabling someone can look a lot like empowering them, and it can even start off that way. But empowering someone without giving them the room to build the skills for independence can quickly become a situation of enablement. Let’s discuss some of the ways unyielding support can become a problem of unhealthy enablement.
Interventions: How to Confront Someone About Their Substance Use
Being confrontational with someone you care about is never easy. But when someone you care about is risking their safety with substance use, intervention becomes necessary. But how do you approach someone about seeking help for their addiction? Where do you even start? Start here with our step-by-step guide on how to structure and conduct a successful intervention.
6 Health Risks of Prolonged Substance Use Disorder
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is characterized by addiction or the uncontrolled use of a substance despite its negative effects. Prolonged Substance Use Disorder can result in a host of complications ranging from behavioral issues to serious diseases. Entire books have been written about the harmful effects and damage that result from severe addiction. The list could truly be endless.
So we’ve selected a few conditions that arise from long-term substance abuse to discuss. Health risks like cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, respiratory/lung disease, and mental disorders are the most common and/or dangerous conditions that contribute to chronic addiction. In most cases, these health risks are permanent, life-long struggles that individuals must be treated for alongside addiction recovery.
Why We Need to Remove “Clean” From Our Addiction Vocabulary
It’s time for a vocabulary lesson on the word “clean” in reference to addiction. This word and many others like it often impress a negative connotation on individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders. It’s our responsibility as a community to strive to support addicted individuals. One of the ways we can accomplish this is by acknowledging harmful language in reference to addiction and work to reform the vocabulary. Let’s discuss why words like “clean” are insensitive and identify some alternative phrasing with neutral or positive connotations.
What is Dry Drunk Syndrome?
People often think that if they could just stop drinking, it would solve all their problems. But more often than not, there is an underlying deeper issue that the individual is using alcohol to cope with. Situations like this can very easily develop into what’s commonly referred to as Dry Drunk Syndrome.