Usually substance use begins for a simple reason. It might be because of stress or emotional pain or just plain old experimentation. However, there is well-worn path that most people move through from initial substance use all the way through addiction. Usually substance use begins for a simple reason. It might be because of stress …

Developing a prescription drug addiction can be easy to fall into. If you’ve ever been prescribed painkillers, you know that they help alleviate pain. However, their attraction is that they can also help alleviate emotional and psychological pain. If you appreciate that benefit and get hooked on this, before you know it, you might be …

It’s hard to kick a habit you’ve been doing most of your life. Many people begin smoking as a teen, and if you’re in your 60’s or older now, you might remember how glamorous smoking was believed to be. In fact, some believed that nicotine helped to clean out toxins in your body. Of course, …

Just like people might pass through typical stages when an addiction is developing, the same is true when individuals are trying to make their way out of the grip of addiction. For instance, in 1983, clinician James Prochaska developed a model that outlined five stages of change. It is known in the mental health field …