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Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant drug that is highly potent and extremely habit-forming. Cocaine is a Schedule II Controlled Substance and is a popular recreational drug. Dependence and addiction to cocaine can occur rather quickly due to the effects of the drug. Cocaine increases levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical associated with movement and reward. When large amounts of dopamine build up in the brain, it reinforces the cocaine drug-taking behavior. This can lead to tolerance and dependence in which a user will need to increase their dose along with frequency of dose in order to achieve the same effects. Increased drug dose and drug frequency will ultimately lead to addiction.

Ethyl alcohol, ethanol or ETOH, is one of the most commonly abused substances worldwide. Ethanol is the primary ingredient in alcoholic drinks and is a powerful central nervous system depressant. Ethanol abuse is most commonly referred to as alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder (AUD). Most consider, ethanol abuse to be a milder form of alcohol use disorder. It is a mental health condition in which a person continues to drink excessively despite repeated harmful effects on their social, mental, physical and emotional health. Ethanol abuse and addiction occur when a person consumes alcohol over a long period of time.

Adderall, a popular psychostimulant, is used as a long-term treatment for symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is a safe and effective treatment when taken as prescribed by a medical provider. However, some populations have begun using the drug recreationally for purposes outside of treating ADHD. Adderall contains some of the same chemical compounds as weight loss aids and pre-workout supplements. Because of this, some people have begun using Adderall to help them work out. Adderall and working out have a very complicated relationship that can cause adverse side effects and can be dangerous.

The popularity of psychedelic drugs is making a comeback in more ways than one. LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is a potent hallucinogenic synthetic substance that can temporarily alter a person’s mood, thoughts and perceptions of reality. It is a Schedule I Controlled Substance with a high potential for abuse and currently no medical use or acceptance in the U.S. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 1 in 10 people in the U.S. have taken LSD at one point in their lives.

For so many people who suffer from a substance use disorder or alcohol addiction, the cost of treatment and financial burdens are the single biggest barrier to entering treatment. The stress of how to pay for treatment becomes an added challenge on top of living with a substance addiction. One way to combat this issue is to find financial options through medical health insurance. Does insurance pay for drug and alcohol rehab? Many of the major insurance providers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare all offer healthcare plans that will help pay for all or most of your substance use disorder treatment.

Over the past decades psychedelic and psychoactive substances have become increasingly popular. Not only is it used recreationally, but some have found medical benefits for the drugs to help with symptoms of debilitating mental health conditions. With the rise in use of these mind-altering substances, brands have created products containing substances such as magic mushrooms, THC and CBD with the intent of creating proportioned microdose gummies and other sweet treats. These products and brands are most often advertised on social media and can be purchased online or in dispensaries and vape shops. One company has recently been in the news for product contamination, sending out a recall notice for all products due to several consumers falling ill from their products.

Vaping has become increasingly popular over the past years. Vaping is the act of smoking and inhaling through an electronic cigarette or e-cigarette. Not only are people vaping traditional nicotine, but they are also using e-cigarettes to vape CBD and THC. Both CBD vape pens and THC vape pens are very popular among teens and young people. In recent studies, an estimated 82% of users vaped products that contained THC, while 33% exclusively vaped marijuana cannabinoids.

Kratom. Kratom is a substance derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, that can produce both sedative and stimulant effects. Kratom contains two major ingredients: mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine. Kratom often comes in a powder form. For recreational users, powder substances are often snorted. Can you snort Kratom? Yes, you can snort Kratom. Although, snorting Kratom is not a common practice. Similar to snorting other mind-altering substances, It can also increase the risk of dependency, overdose, addiction and death.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant substance used by an estimated 14-53 million people worldwide. It is an illegal drug that produces significant mind-altering and psychological effects, especially when dependence and addiction have developed. One of the most dangerous symptoms of meth abuse is meth psychosis. Meth psychosis has become a major public health consequence with research from a 2014 study in the journal CNS Drugs, showing that over 40% of people who use meth, experience psychotic symptoms related to meth psychosis. Meth psychosis is a mental health condition that alters the way a person thinks, feels, and experiences the world.

Like many mind-altering substances, you can overdose on prescription medications such as Xanax. In fact, Xanax has been linked to a significant amount of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. According to a review by the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Data Collection System, alprazolam, or Xanax, was involved in nearly 34 fatal self-poisonings over a ten-year span between 1992-2001. Xanax, which also goes by its generic name alprazolam, is a prescription benzodiazepine used to treat symptoms of anxiety disorder and panic disorder.