Search Results for: blog when substance abuse become substance dependence1

Gender Differences in Mental Health

For some time it has been known that women suffer more from depression than men do, or at the very least are more likely to be diagnosed with it. It is likely that there are a variety of contributing factors to this, not the least of which is the difference in how men and women express themselves. A new study tackles the question of which diagnoses seem to impact men versus women, and why. The study came out of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida and appears in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. It discusses how … Continue reading →

The chicken or the egg?

Posted on by

A classic question that is applied to a variety of situations – which came first? Sometimes the question can be answered with science, sometimes not. Some research that came out this week was able to shed some light on one of these questions – do those with anxiety self-medicate because they are substance abusers, or do those with anxiety become substance abusers because they self-medicate? At first this might seem a weird question to ask – does it really matter which came first when you are talking about people with anxiety that have substance abuse problems? The simple answer is … Continue reading →

Addiction and Depression

Posted on by

Those of us who work in the mental health field are not surprised when research articles are published “proving” things we already believe are true. Sometimes I read through articles and think, ‘Duh, that’s obvious”. I realized today, though, that it may not be obvious to everyone. Sometimes I forget that my knowledge base came from 8 years of school and 10 years of practice – something my husband likes to remind me of when I am spouting off numbers. It hit home when I was speaking to my daughter about the research on marriage happiness – what seemed obvious … Continue reading →

Is Addiction In Your Genes?

Addiction is a very serious condition that affects about ten percent of the population. It affects people of all ethnicities, and all socioeconomic backgrounds. The consequences of addiction are diverse; it affects both physical and mental health and economic, social, and emotional well being. Our understanding of the workings of addiction has grown tremendously in recent years, as more and more research on addiction has been done. Research has shown that genetic predisposition to addiction, along with poor coping skills, are the two factors that determine whether an individual will struggle with addiction. Studies that were conducted by observing twins, … Continue reading →

Natural Disaster and the Impact on Mental Health

With the recent events in Japan, between the earthquake and then the devastation on the tsunami, and now the risk of a nuclear meltdown, it will be interesting to see the impact of these events on the mental health of the Japanese nation. Right now, I imagine most are running on survival mode, adrenaline levels are high, panic is setting in, reality is finding enough food and water to survive. The impact on mental health will be more long term, setting in once the initial chaos is over. It will probably be years before the whole impact on mental health … Continue reading →