Many, many factors contribute to an individual’s overall mental health. Issues from childhood can play a part. Heredity is often in play. Traumas experienced as an adult can reshape a person’s mental landscape. All in all, mental health is a quite complex topic that largely resists efforts to simplify it or explain it easily. That,...Read More

For many people, the last few months of the year are something to look forward to. Baseball fans get the playoffs and the World Series. Football fans can get their fill of professional and collegiate competition. Pumpkin spice is suddenly in everything imaginable. And a variety of holidays—Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more—give many people a...Read More

Many drug users are chasing a sense of euphoria and energy. Maybe they are hoping to find a way to overcome depression or grief in their life. Maybe they are just bored with their daily existence. Maybe they want to set their inhibitions aside so they can enjoy a party or talk to someone they...Read More

Your use of opioids or painkillers probably started in a completely innocent manner. Maybe you were suffering with chronic pain or had major surgery. To help you manage the pain, your doctor may have prescribed an opioid. Your physician (and probably your pharmacist as well) no doubt urged you in no uncertain terms to strictly...Read More

As the release of the long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick has amply demonstrated, many people have an appetite for exciting stories about the military. That’s understandable. After all, movies like Top Gun and its sequel are bursting with heroism and bravado and amazing feats of derring-do. Viewers get to imagine themselves as part of that group...Read More

Any person impacted by addiction faces a life-changing, complex situation. But there’s no need to face it alone. With the help of professionals and local support groups, it’s possible to get the help you need to make it through the active addiction phase and onto a healthy future. Why You Can’t Do It Alone Why...Read More

Codeine, Tramadol & Xanax There is a good chance you have heard of at least one (and possibly all three) of the following pharmaceutical drugs: Codeine: often used to treat coughs, this drug can also be helpful for pain management Tramadol: a painkiller that is generally considered less dangerous than other opioids Xanax (alprazolam): an...Read More

Your Child and Mental Health “It’s just a phase.” The phrase “It’s just a phase” must rank particularly high on the list of parental diagnoses of their children’s behavior. If you have children, the odds are pretty good that you’ve said it. If you were a child (and you were, weren’t you?), the odds are...Read More

What Is Vicodin? Vicodin is a commonly used pain medication. It’s made up of hydrocodone (a type of opioid) and acetaminophen (Tylenol). Most of the time, it is given to relieve acute pain, such as after surgery or a significant injury. It works well to reduce the function of the pain signals going to the...Read More

Abusing Drugs or Alcohol Generally speaking, very few people are fond of change. Our lives tend to acquire a certain shape, and we settle into that shape. We have our routines, our social circle, our ways of thinking about the world. Without a serious nudge, we are unlikely to make significant changes. After all, change...Read More