Although they approach the challenge of addiction differently from scientists, 12-step programs still have a therapeutic role in helping human beings. Alcoholics Anonymous may have pioneered the concept of alcoholism as a disease, but will scientific research that proves the point eventually make AA obsolete? Studies that reveal brain and genetic links to addiction seem….
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It’s time for Seventh-day Adventists to do more in getting the word out about the dangers of alcohol use and binge drinking among young people, according to DeWitt Williams, health ministries director for the church in North America. Williams points out that the alcohol industry spends a staggering $11 million a day on advertising in….
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Treating heroin addicts by giving them heroin might seem counterintuitive. But for some of the most hardened addicts, administering heroin in supervised clinics may just do the trick where detox and methadone have failed. Following the lead of Switzerland and a handful of other countries, Britain recently concluded a four-year trial in which longtime addicts….
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Since addiction has become recognized as an illness, there has been a quest to have more traditional medication treatment alternatives. Two new medicines to help individuals with alcohol dependence, Campral and Vivitrol, have been introduced in the past five years. We’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks surrounding these two medications. Patients need to understand when….
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Alcohol disinhibits the parts of the brain that control thoughts, feelings and behaviour; that’s why adults drink. Of course, most of us view this less technically in terms of “relaxing” and “enjoying ourselves”. And in most cases, that’s what it lets us do. Yet alcohol’s extraordinary ability to disinhibit other adult impulses is well documented…..
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