Emotional & Mental Health Articles

Contact with animals can, research has shown, boost autistic people's overall wellbeing as well as increasing social and language skills. What do you need to know?

The signs of autism are often apparent in early childhood, but many children are not diagnosed until they have celebrated their fourth birthday. What role can screening play in a timely diagnosis?

Growing numbers of senior citizens are addicted to alcohol and drugs. Why, what are the signs, and what help is available?

You can't stop a loved one's addiction in its tracks or even help an addict into treatment unless they, too, are ready, but you can stop engaging in behaviors that perpetuate the addiction or make it worse. What do you need to know?

Alcoholism is plenty dangerous on its own, but abusing alcohol as well as other drugs can lead to some especially dangerous side effects. What do you need to know?

While committing to an alcohol-free life offers numerous physical and mental benefits, the initial withdrawal process can be medically risky. Medications can be prescribed to help addicts through withdrawal, in outpatient as well as inpatient settings.

Stopping drinking has countless mental and physical benefits — but if you are an extremely heavy drinker, or you have been drinking daily for a long time, detoxing on your own may not be safe.

The diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder apply across the board, but research has recently identified five radically different subtypes of alcohol addicts. What do you need to know?

Opioid painkillers can offer relief from severe pain where nothing else will do the trick. They're also, however, highly addictive. What should patients be aware of before they start taking an opioid painkiller?

OxyContin is an effective opioid painkiller that can help people manage moderate to severe pain. It can also, however, be highly addictive. What do you need to know?