Fight Addiction by Keeping Your Mind in the Moment

The better your focus on the task at hand, the less space will be left in your mind for stress—and the more productive you’ll be. The ideal is a “flow” state of consciousness, keeping your mind in the moment, where you become completely absorbed in your work and are fully enjoying it. Sound impossible? To…

Read More

Pain Prevention and Stress Management

A substantial portion of drug abuse now starts as legitimate painkiller prescriptions. Time Magazine even gave the problem front-cover status. In light of that, addiction treatment and non-chemical pain relief are practically conjoined twins when it comes to pain prevention. We’ve talked before about painkiller addiction, about mindfulness-based pain prevention, and about Dr. Flowers’s expertise…

Read More

Addiction Tip: Remember Your Past, But Move Forward

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…

Read More

Coping with a Dual Diagnosis

Woman against wall in dark coping with dual diagnosis

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…

Read More

Substance Abuse and Mental Health: The Question of Psychiatric Medication

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…

Read More

Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

a couple discussing treatment options for a mental illness and substance abuse program

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…

Read More

Setting Goals in Addiction Recovery

a person hiking while thinking about setting goals

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,…

Read More

The Perils of Replacement Addictions

a man thinking about his friend finding replacement addictions

If nicotine is among your old chemical indulgences, you’ve probably heard the line “quit smoking, get fat.” While many former smokers do gain a few pounds, that’s not always a bad thing. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant and also speeds up metabolism, which can lead to chain smokers becoming underweight. Unhealthy weight loss is even…

Read More

Understanding Common Relapse Triggers

a man talking to a doctor about relapse triggers

Last week, we discussed overconfidence and entitlement as factors in relapse. Today, we’ll explore other things that commonly function as “triggers” in tempting someone to return to the familiar bottle, needle, or other sources of chemical comfort. First, though, a couple of facts about relapse triggers that everyone should remember: Relapsers are in particular danger…

Read More

You’re Not Invincible from Relapse

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” -Holy Bible, New International Version, 1 Corinthians 10:12 Initial detox from chemical dependence is exhilarating. You feel better—physically, mentally, and emotionally—than you have in years. Anything seems possible. You believe wholeheartedly that “I’ll never go back to that old misery!” You believe you’re immune to relapse.…

Read More