Marijuana Addiction Growing

A Pew Charitable Trust investigation found that marijuana addiction does exist and is growing. While hard numbers are hard to come by, data suggests about 9% of all users become addicted to marijuana (17% among those who start as adolescents). Some treatment centers report increases in those requesting help which may be due to higher concentrations of…

Bonus Benefits to Quitting Smoking

New research has found that smokers who quit may have greater success in addressing mental health or addiction issues. Based on surveys from 35,000 people, researchers found that people who quit smoking were 33% less likely to have mood disorders, 36% less likely to have alcohol problems and 69% less likely have drug problems than…

Caffeine Use Disorder – It’s For Real

People often joke about their daily dependence on coffee, but new research is finding caffeine dependence is no laughing matter. A recent literature review cites population-based studies in which over 50% of regular caffeine users have serious trouble reducing or quitting their consumption, even if they have conditions negatively impacted by caffeine (pregnancy, heart condition,…

Brain Changes Seen in Teens Addicted to Gaming

Korean researchers, using structural magnetic resonance imaging, found that teenagers addicted to online gaming have structural changes in their brain consistent with those found in other addictions. These changes were observed in a small, but rigorously controlled study of 15 otherwise healthy teens. The ubiquitous exposure of online activities beginning in childhood could interfere with normal adolescent…

Smoking During Pregnancy Associated with Tobacco Dependence Among Offspring

An interesting study recently reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry asks the critical question of whether smoking during pregnancy is linked with smoking behaviors among children born to smoking mothers. There is already an abundance of research highlighting the problems faced by the babies of smoking mothers; this is a new twist.

Early Drinking Influences Alcohol Addiction in Adulthood

It is fairly common to hear parents talk about the need to teach their children how to drink responsibly. Apparently, many people assume that responsible use of alcohol at home will be projected to youth as they get older. This is a dangerous assumption. Recent research has focused on the connection between the age when…

Alcohol Prolongs Psychological Anxiety of Stress

People often use alcohol as a way of coping with life's stress. New research indicates this may actually just bring more unpleasantness. Although alcohol reduces the cortisol secretion of the stress response, it also prolongs the negative psychological anxiety of stress and takes away the pleasurable effects of alcohol. So stress and alcohol feed the worst…

Internet Addiction Leads to Depression in Adolescents

Teens typically use the internet for education and for amusement. While many teens are normal internet users, for others the internet captures the focus of their mind in an abnormal way. They may not know it, but obsessive internet use can become an addiction. Internet addiction can be measured using Young's Internet Addiction Scale.

Marriage & the Internet

Have you considered how much you use the Internet and its potential impact on your marriage?A review of scientific literature suggests that having Internet at home can potentially cause serious marital discord. How much time are you spending online during the time of day when you should be interacting with your family? Are you overusing…