People don't start using drugs with the intent to become addicted.  Drug addiction can be a sneaky foe sneaking up on a user before he or she knows it.  Addicts didn't set out to destroy their lives intentionally.  All they wanted to do was have a little fun, escape a little stress, feel a little bit more normal.

But drug addiction is a very real consequence of drug use.  For many, drugs seem to be a means of averting emotional and/or physical pain by...

People use drugs for a variety of reasons - mostly, though, to numb the pain of everyday life so they don't have to face it.  Eventually drug use turns to drug abuse and finally to drug addiction.  Most people use the two terms interchangeably, but the truth is there is a difference between drug abuse and drug addiction.

Drug abuse is the use of illegal drugs or the inappropriate use of legal drugs.  People who abuse drugs are using them to obtain a specific...

When a woman is struggling with drug addiction during her pregnancy, that drug use affects more than just her - it affects her fetus as well.  The drugs can also have devastating effects on the child one he or she is born.  Drug addiction and pregnancy should be treated as a very serious issue.

A mother taking illegal drugs during pregnancy increases her risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. She also...

A drug addiction center is more commonly known as a rehabilitation clinic or a drug clinic.  These centers specialize in the treatment of drug addiction and help people with addictions cope with the mental and physical aspects of their disease.  They offer medical care as well as counseling to help addicts become clean and sober again.

There are many different types of drug addiction centers today.  All are based on essentially the same premise - to heal the...

Drug addiction counseling is an essential part of any recovery program.  Addiction is a complex disease that damages the addict physically, mentally, and spiritually. Because of the holistic nature of the illness, the optimal treatment addresses the needs of the addict in many areas. Physical, emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal needs must all be addressed to support recovery.

When you are trying to overcome a demon as huge as a drug problem, drug addiction...

Drug addiction is a disease.  There's no doubt about that.  In fact experts say that drug addiction is more of a brain disease than anything else.  Scientific advances have offered amazing insights into how the brain works and what drugs do to the way the brain functions.  Luckily, however, this disease is treatable and curable.  

Although drug use initially is voluntary once an addiction develops, that control is markedly changed.  Imaging...

With much of the focus on drug use in the United States, many people probably don't pay much attention to drug addiction in the Philippines.  Why should we?  Because it is an ever-increasing problem for the people of that country and they shouldn't be ignored.  Drug addiction in the Philippines has increased at alarming rates since World War II. Sadly, the reasons why aren't clear cut.

Most of the drug users in the Philippines are young people.  Illicit...

Drug addiction programs vary greatly when it comes to treatment and options.  Generally when people speak of drug addiction programs, they are talking about rehabilitation facilities that treat people as residents of their program.  These in-patient programs are a very good way to deal with a drug addiction and will have the largest success rate.

When choosing a drug addiction program, there are certain aspects you should look for before you enroll.  Do they...

Many people struggling with drug addiction think that recovery is nearly impossible for them.  They've heard the horror stories of painful withdrawal symptoms, they can't imagine life without drugs, and they can't fathom actually being able to get through a recovery effort.  But people do recover from drug addiction - every day in fact.  But they don't usually do it alone.  They have lots of help.

Help with drug addiction recovery can come from many...

Have you ever thought about what drug addiction rehab really means?  The words are thrown around in the media, in government, and in our schools, but what exactly is rehab for drug addiction?

In its simplest form, drug addiction rehab means quitting drugs and learning how to live a drug-free life.  However, it's much, much more than just quitting drugs.  Various drugs have different effects on the body and mind just as certain people are prone to addiction to...