Today in my morning news, I read of the death of a gunman after a 14-hour standoff with officials at a pharmacy in Alliance, Nebraska. Then I found out that in March of this year, there had been another police standoff at a pharmacy in Oakland, California. It might be slightly understandable that the city … Read More
Here’s one good reason you’re not an international pop star (besides the paparazzi of course)–being a musician could make you more vulnerable to alcohol addiction. Songwriters and artists often fall into a life-pattern of drugs and alcohol because they believe the substances get their creative juices flowing more easily. And recent theories argue that creative … Read More
Question: What is social drinking? Answer: Social drinking is very similar to moderate drinking. It could be defined as moderate drinking with friends or any other social setting such as parties, bars, or dates. Social drinking is not characterized by a loss of control. Generaly, social drinkers do not drink to chase after the “good feelings” that … Read More
This short, powerful essay explores our relationship with our addiction. I hate meetings. I hate your higher powers. I hate anyone who has a “program.” To all who come into contact with me, I wish you suffering and I wish you death. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the disease of addiction. I am cunning, … Read More
Think of the most recent movie you saw that did not have a happy ending. Could you think of one? I couldn’t. Some movies do leave you hanging, like Christopher Nolan’s film Inception. Other great movies may even end tragically. But overall, we tend to expect that happy ending. Imagine your life as a movie. Are … Read More
Answer: Yes. There is convincing evidence that alcoholism can be passed along through the generations by way of a biologic pathway called genetic predisposition. These “addiction genes” are biological differences that may make someone more or less vulnerable to addiction. These genes may also be the ones that make it harder for some to quit or easier to … Read More
Ten years ago, police found the disfigured body of Tynisha Ysais, a native Californian, with teeth marks on her face, and one of her organs removed in her Los Angeles apartment. That same morning, police found a man staggering through the streets of LA, naked and covered in blood. Police identified the man as Antron … Read More
I browsed the laundry detergent section at Wal-Mart yesterday. Honestly, it was kind of stressful. I needed a small bottle of detergent to clean my clothes for a few weeks, a simple task. But at least 30 different brands—each with creative labels, slogans and color schemes shouted at me to “make the best purchase!” It … Read More
In most households across America, stuff filling the kitchen cabinet is free for the taking. This homey, “up-for-the-grabs” mentality is seeping into the fabric of our drug culture—especially in the arena of painkillers and other prescription drugs. More than 70% of people experimenting with painkillers receive the drug from a friend or family member according to … Read More
Question: What does proof mean when referring to alcoholic beverages? Answer: Proof is defined as twice the alcohol (ethanol) content by volume. For example, a whisky with 50% alcohol is 100-proof whiskey. Anything 120-proof would contain 60% alcohol, and 80-proof means 40% of the liquid is alcohol. What’s the History of Proof in Alcohol? The word proof came about … Read More
