Your healthcare provider may suggest medication as part of your addiction treatment. These medicines can reduce your drug cravings and can help you avoid relapse. The genes people are born with contribute to about half of a person’s risk for addiction. Gender, ethnicity, and mental disorders may also influence the risk for drug addiction. Finding…

For example, long-term alcohol use in well-nourished diabetics can result in excessive blood sugar levels. Conversely, long-term alcohol ingestion in diabetics who are not adequately nourished can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels. Heavy drinking, particularly in diabetics, also can cause the accumulation of certain acids in the blood that may result in severe…

River Phoenix grew up in the infamous Children of God cult, and his parents encouraged him and his four siblings—including famous actors Joaquin and Summer Phoenix—to get into film. Though she continued making guest appearances on “Diff’rent Strokes,” things remained rocky for Plato, who struggled to find sustainable work, celebrities who died of alcoholism posing…

Members of the group with high social anxiety, who predominantly were female (71 percent), overall showed less treatment participation than did members of the comparison group. For example, they were less likely to speak up in group therapy, attend a 12-step meeting, or seek sponsorship within a 12-step group. In contrast, no differences in relapse…