Holiday Drinking and Your Health

What Are Opioids? Opioids are a class of drugs that relieve pain but also carry a high risk of addiction. They include prescription painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone, as well as illegal drugs like heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines them this… Read More

What Is Alcohol Addiction? Alcohol addiction, sometimes called alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that causes people to consume alcohol despite its negative consequences. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol addiction includes: Compulsive drinking Dependence Withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use… Read More

Behavioral addictions are similar to substance use addictions, except with behavioral addictions a person compulsively engages in a behavior or activity, rather than using a substance problematically. Like substance use disorder, the compulsion for behavioral addiction is driven by a dysfunction of the brain’s reward networks, especially the dopamine system. Read More