Opioid use disorder (OUD) includes dependence on natural opiates and synthetic opioids. It causes cravings, health and social harm, and carries overdose risk. Effective modern care combines medications, counseling, and harm-reduction measures.
Self-help audio - now delivered as apps, podcasts, and audiobooks - can teach CBT, relaxation, and exposure skills for mild-to-moderate social anxiety, but quality varies and severe cases need professional care.
Soft addictions are recurring mood-driven or compulsive behaviors - like excessive gaming, social media use, or nail-biting - that can sap time and wellbeing. They're not a formal clinical term, but many are treated as behavioral addictions; practical steps - limits, CBT, and family-focused change - can reduce harm.
Prescription medications for pain, anxiety, sleep and attention can lead to dependence or addiction when misused. This updated guide explains risks from opioids, CNS depressants (like benzodiazepines) and stimulants, withdrawal profiles, and when to seek help.
Crack is a smoked form of cocaine that produces a rapid, intense high and strong cravings. It carries serious physical, psychological, and social risks. Effective care relies on behavioral therapies, structured support, and, when necessary, inpatient treatment.
An updated overview of cocaine addiction: how the drug affects the brain and body, key health risks (including cardiovascular events and fentanyl contamination), evidence-based behavioral treatments, and harm-reduction strategies to reduce immediate dangers.
A personal account of growing up with an alcoholic parent, updated with modern understanding of addiction, current treatment options, and the ongoing impact on families.
Medications can help reduce craving or deter drinking, but they work best when combined with counseling, coordinated care, and ongoing aftercare for alcohol use disorder.
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder involving compulsive substance use or behaviors despite harm. Modern care combines medication, psychotherapy, and social support; recovery often requires long-term strategies.
Heroin addiction demands compassionate, evidence-based treatment - not stigma. Expand access to medications, naloxone and integrated support, shorten waitlists, and train clinicians and communities.