Tag Archive

What is Insomnia? When a person’s sleep is poor, they are at an increased risk for numerous health problems including diabetes, heart disease, depression, and obesity.1  Some people choose to unwind before bed with alcohol, which can act as a sedative that slows down brain activity.2 However, the research suggests that alcohol consumption generally has […]

I used to think people other than those directly affected by my drinking to excess were aware of what for me was an absolutely epic effort to give it up.   In my alcohol fueled haze, my mere presence on this earth was of great importance to everybody. I believed that my acquaintances actually took […]

Children of Alcoholics Week happens this month, and for many people in recovery, the struggles caused by growing up with a parent living with an active addiction continue to plague their abilities to live balanced and emotionally healthy lives. A child who grows up with a parent or caregiver who drinks heavily and/or uses drugs […]

Terms such as “alcoholic,” “substance abuse,” and “brain damage” are generally terms we avoid using in the articles we publish at American Addiction Centers (AAC). Words and phrases like these are stigmatizing statements, which can create a negative bias, perpetuate the view that addiction is a moral failing—and not a treatable medical disease that individuals […]

Although alcohol can make a person feel happy, pleasant, and sociable in short periods of time, excessive or chronic, long-term drinking can lead to alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction, officially referred to as an alcohol use disorder. Chronic alcohol use is also associated with other cognitive and mental health issues, including problems with learning or […]

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. Though the answers to some of these questions could be taken as an opportunity to speak more specifically with a doctor or other treatment professional about your drinking, they should not be used to make a definitive self-diagnosis. For official diagnoses, qualified healthcare professionals […]

What Is Binge Drinking? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that increases your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to roughly 0.08 grams per deciliter. While alcohol affects everyone differently, this 0.08 level is typically achieved with 5 standard drinks in 2 hours for men and […]

What is Naltrexone? The opioid antagonist Naltrexone (brand names: ReVia, Vivitrol, and Depade) is a medication that is FDA-approved to treat those who suffer from alcohol use disorders and opioid use disorders.1 The drug comes in a pill form (Depade and the more popular version ReVia) and as an extended-release injectable form (Vivitrol). Naltrexone is […]

You may be familiar with baclofen as its brand name Lioresal. This drug is a central nervous system depressant, most often used as a skeletal muscle relaxant to treat conditions like spasticity. This drug may seem like an odd choice for someone chasing a high, as research has shown that it produces no euphoric feeling, […]

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the most frequently occurring substance use disorder is alcohol use disorder. Long-term use or abuse of alcohol has been empirically demonstrated to be associated with many different types of negative health issues and damage to numerous organ systems in the body. Volumes of studies […]