Crack: Cocaine’s Deadly Cousin

Cocaine can come in either powder or crystal form. Crack cocaine comes in solid blocks or crystals. The effects of using crack cocaine vary depending on the individual’s response to the drug and level of use. Short term effects result from immediate use of the drug but long term effects happen as a continued pattern

How Cocaine Wrecks the Body

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant. Made from the leaves of the coca plant in South America, the short term effects are euphoria, high energy and levels of talkativeness and elevated heart and blood pressure. There are different forms of cocaine which produce different results, depending on how it is taken. The drug is powerful

Life After Addiction

Men and women who struggle with addiction do not always realize they have hit rock bottom until their lives are spiraling out of control and relationships, work and personal lives are shattered. It can be hard to know how to pick up the pieces after such devastating losses but there are ways to recover after

Liver Damage from Alcohol Abuse

Excessive drinking creates havoc in the brain and the body, particularly the liver. It is important to understand the function of the liver, how it is impacted by alcohol abuse and available treatments for these conditions including fatty liver disease, cirrhosis (scarring), and hepatitis. Role of the Liver The liver is a vital organ in

Do I Need a Sponsor or Recovery Coach?

Today, there are a variety of options for people in recovery to find additional support outside of family, friends and loved ones. It may be difficult to discern what is most helpful in a given situation. Sponsors and recovery coaches are two well known means of support. Even though they both work with persons in

How Your Honesty Affects Your Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery and rehab is all about breaking old destructive habits and establishing new patterns and codes of conduct that allow you to stay clean and sober. When you live life as an addict, you erect structures around yourself that support your addiction and substance abuse. One of the more common structures is deceiving yourself

Goal Setting in Addiction Recovery

Marathon runners predict their finishing times and set their running pace to meet those times Companies write detailed business plans that include two- and five-year sales projection and then set up operations to achieve those sales goals. These and other long-term endeavors typically start with goals and work toward meeting those goals. Your addiction recovery

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Meth Abuse

You don’t have to look long or hard to find photo evidence of the physical effects of chronic meth abuse. After several years of meth abuse, an addict’s skin will be scarred and sallow. He may have lost several teeth and his remaining teeth will be discolored and cracked. He will be thin from malnutrition.

The Great Outdoors As An Addiction Recovery Tool

During a 2003 interview on 60 Minutes, NFL Hall-of-Famer, Lawrence “L.T.” Taylor talked about his drug and alcohol abuse problems and about how he used golf to help in his recover from those problems. L.T.’s life both during and after his NFL career has not been without controversy, but his discussion in 2003 about getting

Alcoholism Pulls Fathers from the Home

Fathers play an important role in a family’s life. Children especially benefit when a father is present to spend time encouraging and demonstrating things in a unique way only fathers can. However, the difficult reality for millions of people is that addiction to alcohol fractures and damages families, often separating fathers from the home emotionally