Posts tagged with ‘alcohol abuse’

When Impulsive Teen Behaviors Become Self-Destructive

Transitioning from one period of life to another is always tough. Consider the emotional unsteadiness of an empty nest or retirement for older people. For teens, transitioning from childhood into adulthood can be especially challenging. Teens are not re-adjusting their identity, they are forming one. And in the midst of figuring out who they are as an individual their bodies are also undergoing all kinds of physiological changes.

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Teens at Risk of Extreme Binge Drinking

Drinking alcohol has always been a part of American life but unfortunately it’s also become a teen pastime. Having that first drink is a rite of passage for far too many young people. Research shows that the younger a person begins to drink, the more issues they’ll have with alcohol use disorders.

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Using Alcohol to Combat Stress

Stress is a part of everyday life. For many, responses to stress include irritability and a sense of being overwhelmed. Healthy ways to deal with stress include a balanced diet, exercise and adequate sleep. In some cases people self-medicate when either specific events or ongoing circumstances become too much to bear. During the holidays as family tensions and financial concerns tend to rear their heads this self-destructive behavior can become harmful. And what begins as an attempt at celebration can end with too much alcohol.

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Mental Health Checklist for Parents With Teens

Hormonal children are no more stable than a hormonal adult, perhaps worse. They’re on an emotional roller coaster that can change at a moment’s notice. But at what point should watchful parents take action?

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Does Drug Testing Affect How Teens Look at Drug Abuse?

After several years of decline in the rates of teen drug and alcohol use, there appears to be a slight increase in abuse by teens. Finding the most effective and cost-friendly way to prevent drug and alcohol use is an ongoing concern, and one that takes on heightened importance as the substances kids are using become ever more potent and dangerous.
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Having a Half-Sibling May Increase Likelihood of Teen Drug Use

A study by researchers at Bowling Green State University and Iowa State University shows that half-siblings with a different father are significantly more likely to try drugs and sex before the age of 15 when compared with other teens that have only full siblings.
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Teens’ Desire to Belong May Lead to Alcohol Abuse

Adolescence is a confusing period of emotional highs and lows. These are years when kids are, for the first time, experiencing an identity separate from that of their parents and home. Whether it is the freedom of driving a car or having their own job or even their first romantic relationship, teens are figuring out how to be their own person.

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Cory Monteith’s Drug Addiction and Death to be Acknowledged on Third Episode of Glee

People across the globe were shocked and saddened by the untimely death of Canadian-born Glee actor Cory Monteith. On July 13, staff at a Vancouver hotel found his body after he failed to check out on time. Monteith was only 31 when he died, and his death was determined to be the result of a deadly mix of alcohol and heroin.

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Study Explores Potential of Modafinil for Treatment of Alcohol Dependence

As humans, our ability to fight addiction is tied to our ability to control impulses. When this control is in place, we also control the consumption of those substances that generate rewards, including alcohol, food and drugs. Full Story

Five Minutes of Screening Could Help Patients Who Misuse Alcohol

Government statistics tell us that around 30 percent of American adults misuse alcohol. Alcohol misuse takes a toll on physical health, family finances, inter-personal relationships and work productivity. Misuse of alcohol makes it one of the foremost causes of unnecessary and preventable deaths in this country. A national task force on alcohol abuse prevention suggests that doctors could help lower those statistics by taking a few extra minutes to screen patients for alcohol misuse during regular visits. Full Story