The Empty Room

Jean Randich / Truthdig Jun 6, 2014 Lauren B. Davis' novel dissects the patterns of fear, denial, lies and justification that propel an alcoholic further into an addiction that destroys everything she has and is. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

A Living Hell Beneath Romania’s Capital

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig May 25, 2014 In a video companion to a written report filed last week, Britain's Channel 4 News takes viewers beneath the streets of post-Communist Bucharest to a world inhabited by hundreds of men, women and children stricken by drug abuse, HIV and tuberculosis. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Grim Existence in the Sewers of Eastern Europe

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig May 22, 2014 Beneath Bucharest's ornate architecture, Baroque palaces and tree-lined boulevards lies a decades-old city of suffering made of filth, frigid temperatures, addiction and disease. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Remember That Time Craig Ferguson Stood Up for Britney Spears?

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig Apr 29, 2014 On Monday, the host of "The Late Late Show" announced he was "consciously uncoupling" from CBS. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Russell Brand: Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Death ‘Inevitable,’ Thanks to Our Drug Laws

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Feb 6, 2014 "Addiction is a mental illness around which there is a great deal of confusion," writes the British comedian Russell Brand in an analysis of the drug-induced death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Study Claims Existence of ‘Caffeine Use Disorder’

Staff / Truthdig Jan 31, 2014 A study out of American University is unleashing upon the unsuspecting public yet another type of disorder to acquire -- and this one seems pretty easy to get. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

New Rule Makes Mental Health Care Available to Millions of Americans

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig Nov 9, 2013 Acting on a law passed way back in 2008, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor made a final ruling that forces many health insurers to treat mental illnesses like physical ones. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Reformulated Drug Sends Users Elsewhere

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jul 14, 2012 A harder-to-abuse version of OxyContin released two years ago has pushed users to other drugs that mimic the effects of opiates, including heroin. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Addicted to the Afghan War

Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons Mar 7, 2011 Dig deeper

The Big Business of Sex Addiction

Staff / Truthdig Nov 16, 2010 Cast your mind back to a time before sex addiction qualified as a legitimate issue rather than a snarky euphemism (although for some that might still be the case) Hard to remember, what with the Bill Clintons and Tiger Woodses (continued). Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Jonesin’ for Their Net Fix

Staff / Truthdig Apr 25, 2010 Researchers at the University of Maryland have studied the consequences of 200 American college students unhooking from all media -- cell phones, social media, Internet -- for 24 hours, finding that many suffered symptoms of withdrawal similar to those in drug and alcohol addictions. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Is Tanning Addictive?

Staff / Truthdig Apr 20, 2010 By now, we all ought to be aware that making like Tater Tots and browning ourselves, whether the natural way or on tanning beds, isn't a recipe for optimal health. So why do some people still do it, sometimes to excess? Turns out aesthetics may not fully explain the tanning phenomenon. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )