Close to 10% of the United States population has experienced some form of a substance abuse problem. Alcohol and drugs are common in communities across the country. Knowing the most commonly abused drugs can help you identify substance abuse issues in yourself or a loved one. In turn, this can help you find appropriate treatment […]
People often wonder what is a panic attack vs anxiety attack. The terms are very similar, and symptoms can often look like each other. However, both often indicate the presence of an underlying mental health disorder. Left untreated, symptoms from these disorders can quickly become debilitating and affect your daily life. Treating underlying emotions with […]
Once you’re detoxed, self-evaluated, and feeling hopeful for a substance-free future, it’s time to clarify your vision for that future. Few things are as universally advocated as setting goals during substance abuse treatment. Yet, even the healthiest people struggle to define what those concepts mean for them. As the saying goes, “If it were easy, […]
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Over a third of substance addicts are estimated to also have some level of mental illness, according to 2014 statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The commonality of mental illness and substance abuse gives those concerned about addiction more of a reason to bring awareness […]
Independence Day may be over for another year, but celebrating freedom is something worth doing daily. More valuable even than political freedom is freedom of the soul: Celebrating Freedom to Know What’s Right and Do It Just about everyone who makes it into substance-abuse recovery has sworn many times, “I’ll never do that again.” Then they […]
The quote “With great power must come great responsibility” may have originated as recently as the twentieth century, though many attribute it to the eighteenth-century philosopher Voltaire. Long before that, Jesus said, “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask […]
Anyone coming out of substance abuse has extensive experience with disagreement. You disagreed with friends who told you you were overdoing it. You disagreed with authorities who said recreational drugs were bad for everyone. You disagreed with your own conscience when you “borrowed” to finance your habit. You disagreed with your better judgment and insisted […]
After months of dealing with substance abuse and recovery, you may be up to your ears in sobriety advice. When you still didn’t want to hear it, everyone advised you to cut down or quit. When you began to seriously consider quitting, everyone recommended a different approach. And still, everywhere you turn, people air their […]
A key element of recovery is being open about your struggles, temptations, and doubts. Another key element is mixing that openness with a level of discretion. You can share yourself, but be careful how you do that. You’ve probably met people who seem addicted to bragging about their faults: within ten minutes of meeting them, […]
A major key to finding freedom from chemical dependency is to avoid emphasizing “freedom from” at the expense of “freedom to.” Many people fail to stay clean because, on the subconscious level at least, they think that giving up drugs also means giving up stress relief, enjoyment, or other good-in-themselves things that they’ve come to […]
Houston had enough flooding last spring to give anyone chronic ombrophobia (fear of rain). While the high waters have long since receded, periodic “flash flood watches” continue—as do nervous glances at the afternoon sky. Will we relapse into fear of rain? The Storms of Life Are Out to Get Me “At least Houston doesn’t have […]
Labor Day Weekend is here—and though few school districts now save their “first days” for the week after, we still see this as the opening of the fall season. Traditionally, Labor Day was the last day for sporting ladies’ white shoes before closeting them until the following summer. Now, we anticipate an imminent sales surge […]