Substance Abuse and Addiction Medical Reference
- Drug Addiction, Genes, and Your Environment
How do your genes and your environment interact to influence your likelihood of drug addiction? Here’s what researchers are learning.
- How to Find and Use Fentanyl Test Strips
Street drugs are often laced with fentanyl. Learn how test strips can help you prevent an overdose.
- Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and Opioids
Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) happens when you stop using opioids. Here’s what to expect and how to best handle it.
- Tips to Curb Your Opioid Cravings
When you stop using opioid, it’s common to have cravings. Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your recovery.
- How Does Screening for Substance Use Disorders Work?
Health care providers have many tools to help assess whether your use of alcohol or drugs is risky or has crossed the line into harm. Here’s what to expect.
- Dealing With the Stigma of Opioid Misuse
People who have used or still use opioids, and even those in treatment, often feel judged. Learn more about stigma and how to decrease it.
- Methadone Addiction: What to Know
Doctors use methadone to treat opioid use disorders and pain. But it can be misused. Learn more about the risks of addiction.
- Alcohol-Related Deaths: What to Know
Alcohol-related deaths are a leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. Here’s why.
- HHC (Hexahydrocannabinol): Uses, Side Effects, and More
Hexahydrocannabinol, or HHC, is a cannabinoid that creates heady effects. Find out more about the research and the risks.
- What to Know About Substance Misuse and Eye Changes
Substance misuse has adverse effects on our overall health, especially on the eyes. Learn about this condition today.
- What to Know About Alcoholic Myopathy
Find out what you need to know about alcoholic myopathy, and discover the symptoms and treatments, and how it may affect health.
- What to Know About Congeners in Alcohol
Find out what you need to know about congeners in alcohol, their role in hangovers, and discover how they may affect health.
- What's the Difference Between Methadone and Suboxone?
Find out the differences between methadone and Suboxone, and discover the pros, cons, risks, and benefits, and how it may affect health.
- What Are Harm Reduction Treatments?
Get the facts on what harm reduction is and how it could help people with substance abuse disorders.
- Fentanyl: What You Need to Know
Fentanyl is a painkiller that's 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Find out how doctors prescribe it, how it can be abused, and what to do if you suspect an overdose.
- Mind-Body Techniques for Sobriety
There are many ways to manage your addiction recovery. These methods bring the power of your mind and body together to help you on your journey to sobriety.
- Delta-8 THC: What You Need to Know About This Cannabinoid
Delta-8 is the latest craze in the cannabinoid world. It’s made from hemp and is claimed to give you a milder high than delta-9 THC. It’s easily available and considered legal. But is safe? WebMD finds out.
- What to Know About Dry Drunk Syndrome
Find out what you need to know about dry drunk syndrome, and discover what causes it, how it's treated, and how it may affect health.
- Alcohol Laws: An Overview
Alcohol laws set legal limits on who can drink, buy, or sell alcohol, and even how much alcohol in your blood means you’re drunk. Some alcohol laws are national, but states and counties have their own laws too. Find out when it’s legal for people under 21 to drink in some situations.
- What to Know About Gabapentin for Alcohol Use Disorder
Find out what you need to know about gabapentin for alcohol withdrawal and discover the pros, cons, risks, and benefits, and how it may affect health.
- What to Know About Alcoholic Ketoacidosis
Find out what you need to know about alcoholic ketoacidosis, and discover the risks it poses to health.
- What to know about support groups for alcoholics
Find out what you need to know about support groups for people with alcoholism including how it can help you manage alcoholism.
- What’s the CAGE Assessment?
The CAGE Assessment is a questionnaire for substance abuse. Learn about the types of questions, how to recognize substance abuse, treatment options, and more.
- What to Know About Sniffing Glue
Find out what you need to know about sniffing glue, including the risks, why some people do it, and how it may affect your health.
- Ketamine for Addiction: What to Know
Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects. Researchers are looking at whether it may help people with addiction.
- Addicted to Opioids: First Steps to Getting Help
You’ve realized you have a problem with opioid addiction. Here’s how to get help.
- Opioid Addiction Resource Directory
Whether or not you are ready to start treatment for opioid addiction, many resources are available to offer support and rehabilitation and to keep you safe.
- Addiction: What to Know About Detox
Detox clears drugs and alcohol from your system so you can start recovery from addiction. It’s not an easy process. Learn about the support you’ll need.
- Urine Drug Tests for Illicit Drug Use
What is a urine drug test? Learn how these tests work, when you might take one, and what to expect.
- What to Know About Alcohol and Mental Health
Find out what you need to know about alcohol dependence, and discover the pros, cons, risks, and benefits, and how it may affect mental health.
- Nutritional Therapy for Alcohol Addiction
Learn about nutrition therapy for alcohol use disorder. What is it, why do you need it, and how can it help?
- Can You Be Addicted to Nasal Spray?
If you use a nasal spray for more than a few days, you might notice that you need more and more of the medicine to ease your congestion. Does that mean you’re addicted to nasal spray?
- How to Hold an Intervention About Someone’s Drinking
Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering staging an intervention about someone’s alcohol use. Find out what helps and what doesn’t.
- Connection Between Sleep and Substance Misuse
Substance misuse or withdrawal from drugs can cause sleep problems or make them worse. Learn how.
- Delirium Tremens: What Does It Mean?
What happens when someone dependent on alcohol suddenly stops drinking? Delirium tremens is a severe, life-threatening form of alcohol withdrawal. Find out what you should do if someone shows signs of DTs, like shaking, confusion, or hallucinations.
- What Is Intervention for Substance Misuse?
If your loved one has a problem with substance misuse, a key first step is to help him agree to the treatment he needs. That's where an intervention can help.
- Opioid and Opiate Withdrawal
If you take or use opioids for more than a few weeks, you may start to need them to feel OK. Your body can be affected in many ways if you stop them suddenly. That's known as withdrawal. Learn more about the symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, and causes of opioid withdrawal.
- How Does Alcohol Affect Your Poop?
Alcohol affects your brain, your mood, and your digestive tract. How much, and even the type, of alcohol you drink can change your bowel movements.
- What Is Kratom?
Find out more about this plant that’s traditionally been used as medicine but is now being used as a recreational drug as well.
- Is Video Game Addiction Real?
It can be hard to tell when a love of gaming has crossed into the danger zone. Learn the warning signs that can alert you to a problem.
- Health Risks of Chronic Heavy Drinking
Drinking too much alcohol regularly can damage your body and your brain. Find out what can happen, and how to get help.
- Binge Drinking
Binge drinking is defined as excessive alcohol use in a short amount of time, usually more than five drinks. Learn about the signs, prevention, and adverse health effects of binge drinking.
- Alcohol Poisoning: How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?
Find out the symptoms, complications, and treatment of alcohol poisoning, also known as an alcohol overdose, and learn what to do in an emergency if you think it's happening to someone you're with.
- The Stages of Alcoholism
Alcohol use disorder is a progressive disease. Recognizing the symptoms and the stages of the disease can help you, or someone you know, start on the road to recovery.
- Opioid Use Disorder: What to Eat as You Recover
The things you eat and drink can be a key part of recovery from an opioid use disorder. Check this list to see what your diet should include.
- What to Know About Potomania
Read about potomania, the role of alcohol and poor nutrition, and how your doctor can help.
- When to See a Doctor About Your Drinking
If you think you have a drinking problem, telling your doctor can be the first step toward recovery.
- Alcohol Use Disorder: Nutrition During Recovery
WebMD explores the best foods to eat during recovery, what to avoid, and healthy habits to set.
- Alcohol Use Disorder: What to Know About Relapse
Recovery from alcohol use disorder is a process that often includes relapses. If you know the warning signs, you may be able to avoid these setbacks.
- Alcohol Use Disorder: Myths and Facts
Alcohol use disorder, also known as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, is a common condition. But it's often misunderstood. Get the facts about alcohol use disorder.