Stress exists in your mind but it's also evident in your stomach, heart, muscles and even your toes. "In fact, stress may affect every cell in your body," says M. Ronald Glaser, PhD, a professor at Ohio State University Medical School. During stressful times, your body produces various chemicals, including cortisol, an immune-suppressing hormone. The [...]
Job stress can drain you. You may start to feel you’re getting nowhere. You grow detached. There’s a word for this: burnout. And it’s bad news for you, those around you, and your employer. Ignoring burnout could raise your risk for stress-related illnesses, derail your enjoyment of life, and impair your job performance. So take [...]
Substance abuse exacts a heavy toll on the American workplace, a new analysis shows. Employees who struggle with drinking and drug addiction miss many more days of work, have higher health care costs and are less productive than those without these disorders, researchers report. An analysis revealed that employees with substance use disorders miss nearly [...]
Addiction is a disease that affects both the brain and behavior. The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines it as “a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.” The following answers to common questions about addiction can help you understand the impact of this disease. Since [...]
Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a chronic disease. It is progressive, continuous, and long-term. Alcohol or drug abuse means that a person has control over whether he or she drinks or uses. Alcohol or drug dependence means that a person has lost all control over his or her drinking or using behavior. Addictive [...]
The biggest myth about drug and alcohol rehabilitation is that treatment doesn’t work. And believing that myth may be one reason that finding the right rehabilitation program seems so hard. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, of the 23.2 million people who need alcohol or drug treatment, only 3.9 million make it into [...]
When a friend shows signs of abusing alcohol or other drugs, it is hard to know what to do or say. Drug abuse refers to a deliberate decision to use alcohol, an illegal drug, or a medication in an unsafe way. Drug abuse can lead to addiction. Addiction means losing control over whether you are [...]
The longer patients receive treatment for addiction, the greater their chances of success, a new study finds. The study included 72 people, with an average age of 30 years. The participants were being treated for a variety of addictions, including alcohol and drugs such as opioids, amphetamines and benzodiazepines. The only significant factor in treatment [...]
Jobs that make good use of your intellect might have another benefit down the line—a sharper mind long after retirement. People with jobs that require problem solving, planning and information analysis appear more likely to retain a clear memory and keen reasoning as they grow older, said lead author Gwen Fisher, an assistant professor of [...]
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, retirement is defined as “the withdrawal from one’s position or occupation or from active working life”. Retirement however, does not happen all in one day. Retirement is a complex process which involves a sea of emotions like any other major life transition. It starts with… Fantasy… This is a vision [...]