Adolescent Cannabis Use and Long-term Effects on Brain

Razi Berry About one in five Canadian adolescents uses cannabis (19% of Canadians aged 15-19), and its recent legalization across the country warrants investigation into the consequence of this use on the developing brain. Recent cannabis legalization in Canada warrants investigation into the consequence of use on the developing brain Adolescence is associated with the […]
CBD Helps Anxiety in Those Suffering with Substance Addiction

Razi Berry Cannabidiol (CBD) reduced cue-induced craving and anxiety in individuals with a history of heroin abuse, suggesting a potential role for it in helping to break the cycle of addiction, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published May 21 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The […]
DNA Changes from Heavy Drinking May Increase Cravings for Alcohol

Razi Berry From Rutgers University Binge and heavy drinking may trigger a long-lasting genetic change, resulting in an even greater craving for alcohol, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Heavy drinkers may be altering their DNA to crave even more alcohol “We found that people who drink heavily […]
Abstinence Shouldn’t be the Only Outcome Measure for Addiction Recovery

Razi Berry From the University of Wollongong Australia Successful recovery from drug and alcohol addiction through attending a residential treatment program means more to the person than just staying clean and sober, an Australian-first study has found. Successful recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is multi pronged and multi faceted While a significant body of […]
5 Tips to Prevent Social Media Addiction (it Could be Damaging Our Brains)!

Razi Berry There is growing concern surrounding social media addiction, especially in children. This concern is reasonable, and more and more researchers are beginning to study the similarities between technological addiction and drug addiction. The variable-reward of ‘Likes’ The feeling that people get when they see a ton of likes on an Instagram or Facebook […]
Regulate Brain’s Dopamine System with Exercise to Treat Addiction

Node Smith, ND A recent study looks at how exercise may regulate neural pathways that are altered and dysfunctional in addiction. Specifically, the research has identified a mechanism in which aerobic exercise can impact treatment and prevention strategies. Exercise proven to be a vital tool in the treatment of many mental illnesses Exercise has shown […]
Love Is The Drug

Razi Berry I’d been in relationships continuously since I fell hard for my first love at age 14. Four beautiful years of tenderness, and angst. Coming of age. Then, a series of long-term missing the mark, hanging on too long, and giving up too soon relationships. When I faced divorce, I first thought… When I […]
Overeating Changes How We Think and Behave

Node Smith, ND Obesity is major concern in many countries worldwide. The easy access to caloric-dense food that triggers pleasure centers in the brain creates a “obesogenic environment” that promotes eating in manners that are not conducive to a healthy life. But more than merely weight gain, overeating may be supporting cognitive and behavioral changes […]
The Complexity of Alcoholism

Do You Know What Drives Alcoholics to Drink? A recent article by researchers from The Mayo Clinic considered the question: “What drives alcoholics to drink?”1 The answer was perhaps intuitive to some, “a lot of things.” The complexity and varied reasons for drinking behavior complicates long-standing theories on alcohol (and addiction in general) treatment protocols, […]
Sugar Addiction: Are you Addicted?

Refined Crystalline Substance with Coarse Consequences Whether or not it influences our individual food choices, there is a growing cultural understanding that sugar is an unhealthy part of the diet. We’re talking about the refined crystalline substance that comes in soda, cookies and other refined, packaged products. Not the natural sugar that comes in fruit, […]