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 […]
You, or a family member, may be among the millions of people with “dual diagnosis”—simultaneous substance-abuse problems and mental illness. People with post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or schizophrenia are particularly vulnerable to falling into addiction via the attempted-self-medication route. What do treatment professionals and mental-health experts say that can help dual-diagnosis patients […]
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 […]
Louisville, Kentucky, Sees Spike in Heroin Overdoses Over the course of 32 hours, Louisville, Kentucky, authorities received 52 calls about heroin overdoses. The staggering numbers exhibit the epidemic in many areas of the U.S.[
Heroin is a very dangerous and addictive painkiller. It’s relatively cheap to buy, so people who develop an opiate addiction switch to it to save money. However, they can still spend hundreds of dollars a day to maintain their habit. Those with heroin addiction could save their lives and money if they enter a methadone […]
Mental health challenges can make an addiction problem worse. In some cases, they can cause one. In others, a drug can bring an underlying disorder to the forefront. What do you need to know about treating co-occurring disorders? Understanding the Breadth of the Co-Occurring Disorders Spectrum When dealing with addiction and mental health issues at […]
One of the most significant problems in the world of addiction treatment is getting people to begin a rehab program. Each year, countless people don’t get the help they need. All too often, this happens because prospective clients and their families are worried about the expense. Paying for rehab can seem complicated, but there are […]
An alcohol use disorder doesn’t develop overnight. But it can take many people by surprise. Would you know the signs of alcoholism? And if you suspect that you manifest them, do you know how to get help? Alcohol Use Disorders Have Stages It’s interesting to note that the term alcoholism isn’t entirely accurate. An alcohol […]