Scienceblogtwo

Through active participation in online forums, people with opioid use disorder may experience social benefits and wellness that have a profoundly positive impact on their lives. Participating in online forums, particularly those that are general in nature and unrelated to drug and addiction themes, might help patients develop invaluable "social capital" that dramatically reduces the risk that they would experience a use episode while in remission. On the other hand, if someone spends too much time on forums for therapy and support, their chance of reporting a use episode while in remission may rise. These recent findings from a University of Exeter study may have a big influence on public health, especially for those who are less able or willing to take part in traditional on-site recovery and rehabilitation programs. The study, which was released in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, highlights the continuous advantages that online forums may offer years into a person...

A recent study that appeared in the academic journal Addiction suggests that the legalization of cannabis for recreational use in some U.S. states has resulted in an average 20% rise in the frequency of cannabis use in those states. An extensive sample of adult identical twins was used in the study to evaluate the consequences of legalizing cannabis for recreational use. Particularly intriguing were the 111 identical twin pairings where one twin resided in a state with a different legalization of recreational marijuana than the other. Twin studies offer remarkably well-matched controls for one another in comparison to research on unrelated individuals, allowing for more accurate evaluation of the causal effect of legalizing recreational activities. Participants in the study comprised 1,425 people from states where marijuana use for recreational purposes is permitted and 1,997 people from places where it is outlawed. The study indicated that across all of them, legalization led to an in...

Recent studies suggest that your parents' drinking patterns may have an impact on your risk of developing a food addiction. A recent University of Michigan study found that people with an alcoholic parent are more likely to show symptoms of food addiction. These foods, which include ice cream, chocolate, pizza, and fries, have excessively high concentrations of refined carbohydrates and lipids that may lead to addiction in some people. Researchers at the University of Michigan wanted to know if having an alcoholic parent, who is a major risk factor for addiction, increased the likelihood of developing an addiction to highly processed foods. This clinically serious addiction to highly processed foods, characterized by a loss of control over consumption, strong cravings, and an unwillingness to cut back despite unpleasant effects, appears to affect as many as 1 in 5 persons. According to Lindzey Hoover, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Michigan and the study'...