Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a stimulant, depressant, chemical substance, herb (plant) or fungus leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical health or mental health, or the welfare of others.

The disorder is characterized by a pattern of continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug or toxin, that results in repeated adverse social consequences related to drug use, such as failure to meet work, family, or school obligations, interpersonal conflicts, or legal problems. There are on-going debates as to the exact distinctions between substance abuse and substance dependence, but current practice standard distinguishes between the two by defining substance dependence in terms of physiological and behavioral symptoms of substance use, and substance abuse in terms of the social consequences of substance use.

Substance abuse may lead to addiction or substance dependence. Medically, physiologic dependence requires the development of tolerance leading to withdrawal symptoms. Both abuse and dependence are distinct from addiction which involves a compulsion to continue using the substance despite the negative consequences, and may or may not involve chemical dependency. Dependence almost always implies abuse, but abuse frequently occurs without dependence, particularly when an individual first begins to abuse a substance. Dependence involves physiological processes while substance abuse reflects a complex interaction between the individual, the abused substance and society. ^*

More on [ Substance abuse ]

NYT > Home & Garden

Soil and the City
By FRED A. BERNSTEIN Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:18:04 -0000
New York City’s dirt level — a mix of soot and everything from ground-up car tires to sea salt — is high, and so homeowners who love white rugs and sofas pay a higher price. Call it the dirt tax.
The Lettered Set
By PENELOPE GREEN Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:08:20 -0000
For custom stationery fiends, “social papers” are thriving, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the prevailing digital culture.
On Location: A Second Home, a Starter Budget
By MARIANNE ROHRLICH Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:17:16 -0000
A Brooklyn couple made their first home purchase a weekend house in the Catskills, decorating it with pieces acquired through Craigslist, thrift shops and yard sales — even items found on the street.
A House in the Woods, After the Woods Are Gone
By JIM ROBBINS Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:18:56 -0000
When my wife and I bought land in Montana, the stands of timber were so dense you couldn’t walk through parts of the property. Then the beetles came, killing the stately old trees.
Times Topics: Those 3 Radishes Are Priceless
By MICHAEL TORTORELLO Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:28:31 -0000
When I started planting seeds in March, I promised to “unleash my inner bean counter” and keep track of what I invest in home food production. So is gardening worth the cost?
In the Garden: Grow Yourself a Six-Pack
By ANNE RAVER Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:44:26 -0000
Ben Granger, an owner of a Brooklyn shop that specializes in beers, planted hop vines so he could make his own home brew. But you don’t have to make beer to enjoy the beauty of those dramatic leaves.

L.A. Times - Home & Garden

Saving energy (and money) with pools
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Energy efficiency lowers costs and can turn pools into a 'responsible luxury.' For Southern Californians trying to save water and reduce their use of energy, a pool may seem like the biggest unnecessary luxury around.
Rancho Los Cerritos tours and more
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
JULY 5
Dream Street's Jesse McCartney seeks more square feet
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Also '10 Things' ' Davis in NoHo; composer Frederick Loewe's Palm Springs estate, and more. With a Grammy-nominated song, three TV series and multiple albums, it would seem that Jesse McCartney has been living on Dream Street, the name of the boy band that launched him to stardom in the early 2000s. But the singer-songwriter-actor actually resides at a Hollywood Hills home he recently listed at $1,199,000.
It's a watery work of art
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Two collectors have turned their Pasadena garden into a fizzy Champagne cocktail. When is a pool more than just a place to swim?
Hearst's Mount Vernon West
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
A big splash. That's what media mogul William Randolph Hearst made when he finished his Santa Monica beach house in 1931. Its gilded rooms and swimming pools impressed the neighbors, but Hearst had it built to impress the nation.
The many shades of summer
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
There's nothing like a little black magic and pillow talk There is something to be said for sitting shoeless in a lawn chair, at an outdoor concert as evening falls, the grass getting cooler and thicker by the minute. It's almost foreplay.

Christian Science Monitor | The Home Forum

The quest for freedom – empowered by Love
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500
A Christian Science perspective.
Language that is in good taste
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500
An English chef's experiments with synesthesia give new meaning to the promise 'I'll eat my words.'
Needed: more effective prayer
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 -0500
A Christian Science perspective.
In full swing
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500
A simple coil of rope slung over a tree provides hours of swaying solitude.
Superstars – and what stays with us
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500
A Christian Science perspective.
Pucker up!
Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500
Lemons get a bad squeeze. Here are two recipes to add their sparkle to your dinner.

Denver Post: Lifestyle

Small steps, big impact when kids hit the trails
jcox@denverpost.com (By Jack Cox / Special to The Denver Post) Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:54:24 -0600
On the east edge of Barr Lake one recent morning, two mothers on a nature hike with their four young sons were startled by a mysterious thrashing in the water about 50 feet off the boardwalk where they were walking.
Project: Make an Independence Day pinwheel
editor@denverpost.com () Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:48:37 -0600
Americans consumed 150 million hot dogs last year on the Fourth of July, according to Women's Day magazine.
Out and About this week
editor@denverpost.com () Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:46:41 -0600


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