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Feb. 8, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications

Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank
Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate
Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights?
Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype
Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too
Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license
The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics
Feb. 6, 2013

Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem

Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA
Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran
Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner
Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll
Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker
Feb. 4, 2013

Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel?

David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders
Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted
Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble
David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA
Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do
Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert
Feb. 1, 2013

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption

Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home
Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow
Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years
Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid?
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't
Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO)
The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish
January 30, 2013

Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day'

America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans!
Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown!
Germany remembers Hitler rise to power
Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats
Ballot riles Guinness World Records
The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin
January 28, 2013

Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos

Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback'
Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer
Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating?
David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied
Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends
David Clark Scott Lego Racism?
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south


Jewish World Review Feb. 8, 2013/ 28 Shevat, 5773

For the 'almost addicted,' drug dependence is possible

By Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | DEAR DOCTOR K: I think I may have a drug problem. But how can I tell if I'm truly addicted?

DEAR READER: The world is not divided neatly into those who are "addicts" and those who are not. More and more, doctors are viewing substance use as a spectrum.

Imagine that spectrum as a straight, horizontal line. At the left end are people who have do not use potentially addicting substances. Just in from the left end is a group that uses a potentially addicting substance regularly but only in small amounts -- and never feels pressure to use that substance.

At the extreme right end are people who need to use a potentially addicting substance every day, and do. They do whatever it takes to get that substance. They are addicted to it, and they:


  • need ever-increasing amounts of the drug in order to get high.

  • experience unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms when the drug is leaving the body.

  • use more of a drug or use it for a longer period of time than intended.

  • are unable to stop using the drug, having repeated, failed attempts to stop or cut down.

  • spend a lot of time obtaining, thinking about or using the drug.

Just in from the right end are those with substance abuse. This is milder than addiction; it describes those who have experienced significant impairment or distress because of their need to use a potentially addicting substance. One or more of the following is also true:


  • They are failing to fulfill major obligations at home, school or work.

  • They have repeatedly used substances when doing so may be physically dangerous.

  • They have recurrent legal problems as a result of substance use.

  • They just can't stop using the substance despite the problems it is causing them.


Colleagues of mine at Harvard Medical School think there is yet another group: the "almost addicted." On the spectrum, this group lies right in the middle. They're to the right of those who regularly use addicting substances without a problem. And they're to the left of those with substance abuse. For the almost addicted, substance use:


  • falls outside normal behavior, but is short of meeting the criteria for addiction or abuse.

  • causes problems for the person using drugs or for loved ones or other bystanders.

  • has the potential to progress to a diagnosis of drug abuse or drug dependence ... but even if it doesn't, it can still cause substantial problems.


If you think you may have a problem, try to begin the journey away from drug use. One place to start is with your doctor. He or she can help you find the resources you need to help you quit.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

To comment or ask a question, please click here.

Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School.

© 2011, The president and fellows of Harvard College DIstributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

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