Get help:

​SAMHSA

What is
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​Addiction Disorder?
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See the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. What is SAMHSA’s National Helpline?SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.
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Ryan Bode Moriarty. 2018. "Could You Be Love?" 8"x10"
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What is the definition of addiction? ​According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine:
"Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.  Prevention efforts and treatment approaches for addiction are generally as successful as those for other chronic diseases."   - See full article on ASAM website.
         Another definition, according to the American Psychiatry Association states:  "Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence. People with addiction (severe substance use disorder) have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s), such as alcohol or drugs, to the point that it takes over their life. They keep using alcohol or a drug even when they know it will cause problems. Yet a number of effective treatments are available and people can recover from addiction and lead normal, productive lives."    - See full article on APA website.
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Research on art and music therapy in treatment programs published  by National Institutes of Health. (2014). Click here.

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Research on art therapy and recovery
​Literature review on art therapy and the recovery process. Unpublished graduate paper at Lesley University. (2018). Click here.​

Get accurate information about drug overdose deaths. 
​71,999 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2019.

"Monitoring deaths from drug overdose helps us understand the epidemic’s impact on the U.S. population and tell us how the crisis is evolving – for better or worse. The National Vital Statistics System collects and shares critical information on deaths from drug overdoses, such as what substances were used and where deaths are happening in America." See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  National Center for Health Statistics