The yin and yang of addiction exists in recovery vs. active substance abuse — the lines between the two blur and intertwine and balance. One rarely exists without the other, and relapse along the lifetime road that is recovery is common. Most addicts with whom I’ve spoken have made attempts at getting clean — even [...]

This weekend, I received an email that made me pause, and Jake was kind enough to allow me to share his story. I’ll begin lending a greater voice to the issue of marijuana, which I haven’t yet done justice, beginning with this powerful personal narrative. Below is the note in its unaltered entirety. Subject: Marijuana [...]

Because I live in New York City I tend to write stories on urban addiction. In contrast, here are stories from localized news effort patch.com, wisdoms on the pervasive and devastating effects of addiction touching communities across the country — all stories from just this week. Concerns range, but strokes of consensus tint the voices. [...]

One thing I’ve learned through stories from addicts in the Bronx is just how deeply drugs infiltrate the prison system. Brought in through family members or by correctional officers themselves, addicts routinely tell me the same story: obtaining drugs and maintaining an addiction in prison is simple. As Jhonas notes, “You can get anything in [...]

Infographics are the internet’s current darling, which got me thinking if there are any good ones on drugs and addiction. Low and behold, they exist! Here are my favorite eye-openers, covering the gamut from prescription drugs to teen drug abuse: ++ Click to Enlarge Image ++Image Source: SpinaBifidaInfo.com ——————————————————————- Via Recovery Connection View More Addiction [...]

Instant gratification culture has now reached the seemingly endless pain that is the hangover. Hangover Heaven, a bus operated out of Las Vegas, feeds customers a drip IV concoction of a “vitamin mix” meant to fix or drastically lessen the head-wrenching, queasy, post-party problem. Hangover Heaven’s site says the basic service yields a hydration IV, [...]

For the past month, I’ve spent several late-nights exploring the South Bronx, in an area renowned in local circles for its prostitution and addiction, and in an overall sense, one forgotten and ignored by the surrounding NYC metropolitan area. Hunts Point is a peninsula, literally across the railroad tracks from passerby on the Bruckner Expressway, [...]

For the past few weeks, I’ve been going to Bronx, NY with photographer Chris Arnade, collecting and documenting stories of addicts in poverty-striken areas to be part of a larger series I’ll begin sharing here. This week, we met a young woman named Tatiana as a residential patient at a substance abuse clinic. Tatiana is [...]

I asked a dear friend if she would share her story on my blog, and I’m honored that she agreed. I’m amazed to know her and to be involved with sharing her message. Please read, watch and share it with parents you know: Robin and Zoe My name is Robin Kellner. I live in New [...]

It’s easy to zoom in on drug and alcohol use to America, nestling with home-grown problems, but where do we stand with the rest of the world? Are we, the culture of excess and over-consumption, “normal?” Alcohol The world drank the equivalent of 1.6 gallons of alcohol per person in 2005, according to the World [...]