Posted by Mandy Donnison
on
29 Mar 2023
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Are you dependent on alcohol or do you just like a drink? Have you been taking more painkillers than you need because it’s a habit or are you addicted? Is taking cocaine every weekend just a bit of fun or a compulsive disorder? Dependence and addiction take many forms and it’s not always glaringly obvious if you have a problem.
This report also takes into account such topics as legal drinking ages around the world, if cannabis has been legalised and to what extent, how drastically alcohol guidelines according to gender, the penalties for ignoring drink and drug-related guidelines, and much more. This has subsequently allowed us to create our Drug and Alcohol Guidance Around the World Report.
Addiction is a brain disease. That’s what the NDA’s former director, Dr. Alan Leshner, proclaimed in his 1997 pivotal paper and countless others have supported this theory over the past quarter of a century. More recently, advancements in neuroscience and addiction research have continued to show that drug and alcohol addiction is less about how we behave and more about what’s going on deep inside our brains.
We all enjoy a little flutter every now and then. From the lure of penny slot machines on a seaside pier to the annual office sweepstakes, the temptation to gamble follows us throughout our lives. We’re a nation of armchair gamblers, too. Despite changing shopping habits, The National Lottery has just announced another bumper year with 1.8million new online registrations recorded at the end of 2022.
Seeing a loved one fall into alcohol or drug addiction can be a hugely painful experience. While you care deeply for the person affected, their behaviour can leave you feeling angry, helpless, guilty, frightened, lonely, exhausted and disappointed. Often the person suffering with addiction is blind to the destruction they’re causing, which can make accessing help extremely challenging.
Being told to ‘cheer up’ or ‘snap out of it’ isn’t helpful for someone with depression. If only they knew how to escape the relentless feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Depression can make it hard for people to find any joy in life. They withdraw. Become shadows of their former selves. Feel sad, empty and worthless. They may not even realise they have a recognised clinical disorder. So, how do you help someone with depression?
We keep our values simple and the one that perhaps serves us best is ‘we get better every-day’. When an amazing team of people get behind that notion of constant improvement, great things happen and great things become greater.
Breathing comes naturally. So why are some of the world’s most influential brands and wealthiest stars investing so heavily in breathwork? Celebrity endorsements from the likes of Gweneth Paltrow, Justin Bieber and Beyoncé have turned this ancient practice into a wellness trend, fuelling the need for people to explore types of breathwork in the pursuit of health and happiness.
The New Year is notorious for encouraging big parties, excessive drinking, and trying to cram as much fun and hedonism as possible into one night. Yet as the party ends and the 1st of January looms, things begin to get very different. ‘New Year, new me!’ resolutions are everywhere, with people vowing to get physically and mentally healthier as they wave goodbye to the previous year.
We’ve seen it portrayed in the media. Angry outbursts, smashed bottles, dramatic exits. But what is it really like living with an alcoholic? The truth is that alcoholism affects people from all walks of life.
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