Aftercare

As noted last week’s blog on mental illness and substance abuse, many people with substance abuse and mental health greatly impact each other. This runs the spectrum from mild but chronic depression to complete lack of capacity for comprehending reality. Proper understanding and treatment of mental illness may keep many from turning to addictive substances…

Millions of Americans suffer from alcohol use disorder and the number seems to increase every day. Many people do not seek out the help that they need for their alcoholism. The ones that do often do not know where to start. you have been struggling with alcohol addiction, you probably have a lot of questions….

Anxiety Treatment During COVID-19 During coronavirus quarantine, many employers are either having employees work remotely or stay home until restrictions are lifted. This can make it difficult to continue enjoying hobbies and spending time with friends, especially if your social life involves going out. Staying at home for prolonged periods can also cause symptoms of…

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…

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…

Step Nine of the 12 Steps : We made direct amends to such persons [“all persons we had wronged,” Step Eight] whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. For many 12-Steppers, the subordinate clause in Step Nine of the 12 Steps (“except when …”) seems a welcome excuse for avoiding…

Any teen can be at risk of developing a substance use disorder. Parents of teens that are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse should take action immediately to this treat addiction as soon as possible. While teens begin abusing substances for multiple reasons, they often can’t see the destruction that they are causing in their…

Approximately 5.1 million young adults age 18-25 struggles with substance abuse. In addition, 3.4 million young adults have had a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. The number of heroin users in this age bracket has doubled in the last decade making drug and alcohol addiction a true crisis for young adults. Rehab programs for young…

Substance addiction does not happen overnight. There are stages of addiction that occur over time, from casual to recreational use and, finally, dependency. During this time, the addicted person may change behavior and become less responsible. His or her habits may lead to problems in their relationships, workplace, and finances. At worst, substance abuse leads…

As Memorial Day weekend begins, let’s all who fight the war against substance abuse and remember how far we’ve come. Remember the Fallen Sadly, we can’t pretend that everyone wins the personal war against substance abuse. In 2014, more than 28,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses, and over 75,000 from alcoholism-related issues (not counting the…

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…

If you are familiar with addiction, you may have heard addiction referred to as a disease. But why is addiction a disease? Addiction involves complex changes to your pleasure and reward center and interferes with your brain’s ability to produce and release the proper amounts of neurotransmitters. Like other mental health disorders, addiction results in changes…