By Amy Reichelt, RMIT University Some of us can definitely say we have a sweet tooth. Whether it’s cakes, chocolates, cookies, lollies or soft drinks, our world is filled with intensely pleasurable sweet treats. Sometimes eating these foods is just too hard to resist. As…
By Amy Reichelt, UNSW The mere sight of a slice of gooey chocolate cake, a cheesy pizza, or a sizzling burger can drive us to eat these foods. In terms of evolution we show preference for high calorie foods as they are an important source…
Eric Bowman, University of St Andrews Most researchers agree that the key difference between human brains and those of other animals is the size and complexity of our cerebral cortex, the brain’s outer layer of neural tissue. We therefore tend to focus our attention on…
By Francesco Leri, University of Guelph Could a diet high in refined sugars make children and adults more susceptible to opioid addiction and overdose? New research, from our laboratory of behavioral neuroscience at the University of Guelph, suggests it could. Approximately 20,000 people died of…
As a class of pharmaceuticals, benzodiazepines are among the most widely prescribed medications in the world. There are just under 30 different drugs on the market in this category, and the chances are that you have taken one of them in the past, are currently…
By Heather Callaghan, Editor “We are abusing a useful and necessary [reward] system. We shouldn’t do it, even though we can.” -Dr. Schultz In the modern world, you are the commodity and your attention is a form of currency. What we give our attention to is what…
Due to the huge popularity of Kratom, more and more people want to try this amazing herb. However, it is very important to research and understand this herb before trying. Effects of Kratom leaves vary from person to person. Person’s body weight, the strain, dosage…
By Dawn Luger Is the next attempt to treat opioid addiction a vaccination? Well, some researchers certainly think so. Score another point for the pharmaceutical companies. Researchers are coming up with a new vaccine that would render the effects of opioids null and void in…
When you live a high-stress lifestyle it will eventually take its toll on your body. It can be a high-pressure job, raising children or going through financial difficulties. Any of the above or all of the above can put you at a greater risk of…
When we are mindful, we are fully aware, and present, in the moment. We can acknowledge, process and accept, all of our thoughts, feelings and emotions fully, calmly and rationally when we are in a state of mindfulness. According to an article published in the…
There are times when we’re sluggish and have trouble keeping concentration. Some of the time these are out of our control, due to such things as boredom or problems caused by genetics. However, a lot of times it’s our lifestyle and activities. We tend to…
By Ariana Marisol Are iPads, smartphones and Xboxes a form of digital drug? Recent brain imaging research is showing that they affect the brain’s frontal cortex exactly like cocaine. The frontal cortex controls executive functioning, including impulse control. Technology is so hyper-arousing that it raises…
Op-Ed by Alex Pietrowski As the U.S. largely ignores an epidemic opioid crisis fueled by the pharmaceutical industry and a rush of available heroin resulting from the war on drugs, Iceland is receiving international acclaim for its approaches in helping to keep teens off drugs. Primarily…
People generally throw a lot of energy into their recovery process and they do so from many different angles. As they try to build up their physical, emotional and mental strength, they begin to realize that it takes a multi-faceted approach to stay clean and…
By Heather Callaghan, Editor What if your official occupation was a “baby cuddler?” As a volunteer, you would cuddle babies into sweet comfort during the time of their most crucial need for bonding. According to one of the biggest addiction experts, you may have broken the…
It is important to know that there are a lot of people with mental illness that find themselves turning to drugs and alcohol in order to find some sort of peace within themselves. Of course, peace is not what they end up finding in the…
One of the most difficult things in life is to see a loved one succumb to an addiction. Drugs and alcohol abuse can rob a person of their life. A person can get so consumed by their addiction that they completely disappear. Addiction also destroys…
By Paul A. Philips Many people would naturally associate drug addiction with illegal street drugs. However, there’s a different type of drug addiction. Growing exponentially and out of control Big Pharma has created an opioid painkiller addiction epidemic that’s causing more suffering and death than…
Humans have grappled with addiction for centuries, with written descriptions of addiction dating back as early as the 17th century. As the implications and negative consequences of addiction became more clear, treatments were developed to help addicts regain control of their lives. Historically, these treatments…
Heroin is an addictive opioid that attracts users from all age groups. Many experts believe that this rising trend of drug abuse stems in part from prescriptions prescribed by doctors for injuries. Recent findings uncovered that an alarming 45% of people who became addicted to…
