NARCONON BLOG

DRUG INFORMATION

Rat Poison and Synthetic Marijuana—A Bloody Mess

Anyone using synthetic drugs is running an incredible risk because there’s no telling what chemicals—deadly or otherwise—those drugs will contain. In Illinois, dozens of unlucky people began bleeding from eyes, noses, mouths and other parts of the...

ADDICTION

14 Things to Do During Alcohol Awareness Month

Maybe you’re accustomed to kicking back with your friends and having a few beers over the weekend. But this month, how about participating in Alcohol Awareness Month sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Alcohol Dependence.

DRUG REHABILITATION

Bottom’s Up

Some people say an addict or alcoholic who is in denial hasn’t hit bottom, but this concept is very problematic when applied to real-life. First, there is no such place as “bottom.” It’s an abstract idea.

DRUG REHABILITATION

What Is an Intervention?

An intervention is any action or actions which result in an addict arriving at a well-chosen program. I include, “well-chosen,” because, without a program that has a good chance of success in place, an intervention is of little or no value.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

When Corporations Abandon Social Responsibility, Our Children Suffer

In an idle moment, I found a new television series featuring three young male housekeepers who encounter terrorist challenges to overcome. In minutes, the show made it look like a great idea to stop smoking pot and start smoking the hallucinogen salvia....

ADDICTION

Is It Even Worth Talking to Teens About Drugs?

Parents face a veritable plethora of challenges and scrutiny when it comes to raising their kids. This scrutiny comes from their kids, from other parents or peers, and from the parents themselves. Sometimes, it can seem like there is no right answer here,...

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Truth About Denial

Many believe that if an addict does not admit to having a problem, he does not know he has a problem. We are taught to see this as a lack of self-awareness on the part of the addict. I can assure you, it is not. It’s simpler than that.

DRUG REHABILITATION

How Do We Get Him to Admit He Needs Help?

When I began working as an interventionist, I found that many families believed they needed to get their addict to admit to needing help before treatment will work. This may sound logical but as an to me it’s always been puzzling.

DRUG INFORMATION

This is Your Brain on Alcohol and It’s Not Pretty

You may remember a drug prevention public service announcement from the 1980s, “This is Your Brain on Drugs.” A new study makes it clear that it’s not just drugs that can have a serious damaging effect on your brain. It’s also alcohol.

DRUG REHABILITATION

What Rehab Success Means

At what point has a drug addict in treatment achieved rehabilitation? How can you gauge real success with treatment? And what, really should be the outcome of any good drug rehab program?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Chris Herren’s Unique Way of Explaining the First Day of Addiction

Former NBA player Chris Herren has developed a unique and convincing way of showing high school students how easy it would be to get started on the road to addiction just like he did.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New Federal Restrictions for Prescription Painkillers

Until fairly recently, you couldn’t get a prescription for opiate painkillers unless you were on your deathbed or in the midst of cancer treatment.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

America’s Drug Addiction Epidemic and its Effect on Foster Care

Foster children are met with struggles and strife quite unlike anything else, their lives having been smitten with a struggle that none but foster kids have to face.

ADDICTION

Children—the Casualties of Drug Abuse

Cuddling with your children, watching them take their first steps, guiding them through life are the beautiful and cherished responsibilities of a loving parent. Holding a newborn in one’s arms, is a glorious feeling.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Can a Smart Phone App Aid in Addiction Recovery?

One of the newest wrinkles in recovery from addiction is an application called Reset. Anyone can download the app but only a person who’s working with a doctor on addiction recovery can open it and work with it. Does a digital app really have the potential...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

“Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities” — Realistic or Overly Optimistic?

When people talk about reducing the harm done by alcohol or drugs, there always seems to an assumption that some people are always going to use these substances harmfully. No matter what you do, some people will die in the driver’s seat after leaving...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Are We Doing Enough Yet to Halt the Opioid Overdose Epidemic?

This a vitally important question to ask. Just talk to any parent who has lost a child to an overdose. A recent report from the CDC indicates that as yet, we are seeing more wreckage resulting from drug addiction, not less, meaning we have much more work...

DRUG INFORMATION

Is There Really Such a Thing as a “Gateway Drug”?

Most people have some kind of understanding of the idea of a gateway drugs—drugs that that are likely to lead to the use of more dangerous, deadly and addictive drugs. But some people argue that the gateway concept does not exist. Is this true or is...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Teens’ Secret Use of Alcohol and Prescription Drugs Can Lead to Need for Rehab

Teenagers want their privacy and want to try new, exciting things with their friends. Unfortunately, this can lead to teen prescription drug use or abuse of illicit drugs or alcohol followed by their being trapped in addiction.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Opioid Overdose Antidote Naloxone: Curse or Blessing?

It’s not difficult to pick up on the controversy swirling around the use of the opioid antidote naloxone. Some people see value in saving the lives of those who overdose. Others think that these people who seem to be trying so hard to die should be left...