The stigma surrounding mental health issues has lost significant footing in recent years. Yet, with almost 44 million people experiencing some type of mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), there is more work to be done […]
Twenty-three states across the country have legalized medicinal marijuana. Four states, plus the District of Columbia, now permit the sale and consumption of the drug for recreational purposes. As citizens and their state governments continue to charge ahead of the federal government where pot is […]
If you haven’t heard of Kratom don’t feel like you’re out of the loop. In fact, you’re not that far behind the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency only issued an alert on the Kratom plant, known as Mitragyna speciosa, a member of […]
“Date Rape Drugs” are a class of odorless and tasteless drugs that can easily be slipped into a person’s drink, incapacitating them, and making them extremely vulnerable to sexual assault. Rohypnol, GHB and Ketamine are three drugs that come to mind in this category, though […]
Addiction is a painful disease, and also a confusing one. Family and friends of an addict wonder why their loved one continues to abuse drugs and alcohol when it’s clear they’re destroying their life. “Why don’t they just stop?” is a question constantly asked. In […]
It turns out the old adage “you are what you eat” is not just about our bodies but our minds. Diet, according to the latest research, is as important to mental health as is it is to physical health. Some psychiatrists have even started examining […]
America’s war on drugs has reached a tipping point. Fifty-one percent of all federal prisoners between 2011 and 2013 were serving time for drug-related offenses. The “war” has officially been raging since the ’70s when President Nixon declared drugs public enemy number one. However, strict […]
Less than a hundred years ago, treatment for depression might have simply been a doctor suggesting that the patient “Keep their chin up” or “develop a stiff upper lip.” Today, however, patients with severe depression could receive any number of prescribed medications with hopes of […]
Everyone of a certain age has heard about Methamphetamines. This incredibly addictive central nervous stimulant has even been the subject of the hit television show “Breaking Bad,” which aired for 6 seasons, from 2008 to 2013. Often going by names like “crystal meth,” “ice,” and […]
From Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium, sold in the 1830s, to the state of Colorado legalizing recreational marijuana, the U.S. has a long history of government drug regulation. Current federal law defines 5 separate categories or “schedules” for drugs. Substances are classified by their acceptable […]
