Alcohol Addiction 3 min read
Signs of Alcohol Dependence
Alcohol dependence may involve craving, impaired control, tolerance, prioritising alcohol, and withdrawal symptoms when drinking falls. Physical dependence increases the danger of…
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Addiction Guides
Evidence-led guides about substances, behaviors, treatment, recovery and family support.
Cocaine & Stimulants 3 min read
Cocaine Overdose: Emergency Signs and What to Do
A cocaine emergency may involve chest pain, severe agitation, very high temperature, seizure, stroke symptoms, collapse, or abnormal heart rhythm. The amount…
Addiction 3 min read
Relapse Warning Signs and Prevention
Relapse is a process, not only the moment of use. Earlier warning signs may include isolation, sleep disruption, romanticising past use, missed…
Addiction 4 min read
Addiction Treatment: What Works and How Care Is Matched
Effective addiction treatment is individualised, evidence-based, long enough to address the person’s needs, and connected to continuing care. Detoxification alone is rarely…
Addiction 3 min read
How to Help Someone With an Addiction
The most useful approach combines concern, clear observations, practical treatment options, boundaries, and emergency planning. Confrontation, humiliation, or arguing while the person…
Addiction 3 min read
How Addiction Is Diagnosed and Assessed
A good addiction assessment examines what is used, how, why, and with what consequences, alongside withdrawal risk, physical health, mental health, medication,…
Addiction 3 min read
Why Addiction Happens: Risk Factors and Protective Factors
Addiction develops through an interaction of substance effects, genetics, development, mental health, trauma, environment, access, and learning. Risk is not destiny.
Addiction 3 min read
Signs and Symptoms of Substance Use Disorder
Substance use disorder can affect control, health, relationships, work, finances, and safety. No single sign proves a diagnosis, but clusters of change…
Addiction 3 min read
Addiction vs Dependence vs Tolerance: What Is the Difference?
Tolerance, physical dependence, and addiction overlap but are not interchangeable. A person can be physically dependent on a prescribed medicine without compulsive…
Addiction 3 min read
What Is Addiction? Signs, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment
Addiction is a treatable health condition characterised by impaired control, continued use despite harm, and changes in priorities or behaviour. It is…
Cannabis 3 min read
High-Potency Cannabis and Concentrates: What Changes the Risk?
High-potency cannabis products and concentrates can deliver more THC quickly, making dose control harder and increasing the likelihood of acute anxiety, impairment,…
Opioids 3 min read
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Buprenorphine and methadone are evidence-based treatments that reduce illicit opioid use and mortality; extended-release naltrexone may suit selected patients after an opioid-free…