Author Archives: Alta Loma

What Role Does the Hippocampus Play in Addiction?

What Role Does the Hippocampus Play in Addiction?

For over 4 centuries now, humans have studied the brain and the hippocampus; sources state that the name comes from the Greek word hippo, which means “horse” and kampo, which means “monster” – as the hippocampus is shaped similar to a seahorse. A part of the limbic system, the hippocampus is symmetrical and comes in […]

Rebuilding Self Identity While Recovering from Substance Use Disorders

Rebuilding Self Identity While Recovering from Substance Use Disorders

When we’re actively abusing substances, we surround ourselves with people that perpetuate the lifestyle we’re leading. We begin spending more time with other people who like to drink or use drugs, and it becomes harder to spend time with our loved ones who perhaps don’t partake in these activities. Over time, we become distant from […]

What Is It Like to Have a Flashback?

What Is It Like to Have a Flashback?

You’re walking through the grocery store, not paying attention to much else besides the list that’s in your hand. Your browsing through the aisle, trying to find a specific ingredient for a recipe that you planned to make – and then suddenly you were overcome with feelings of panic. Your mind starts racing, and for […]

Emotional Wellbeing in Dual Diagnosis Recovery: What Helps Us Grow

Emotional Wellbeing in Dual Diagnosis Recovery: What Helps Us Grow

We often talk about mental health and the importance of maintaining a healthy psychological state of mind, but there’s another important side to the story: emotional wellbeing. It plays a part in the bigger picture of mental health, but it’s still a crucial aspect of healing that deserves special attention. Selfgrowth.com, a website that publishes […]

Are Electronic Cigarettes A Better Option?

Are Electronic Cigarettes A Better Option?

Traditional cigarettes are used by more than 34 million Americans – and tobacco continues to remain a staple addiction amongst those recovering from other substances. The rise of e-cigarettes, a battery powered device that converts liquid nicotine into a mist or vapor to be inhaled], has been deemed as a healthy alternative to smoking traditional […]

Where Self-Care Meets Healing and Restoration in Addiction Recovery

Where Self-Care Meets Healing and Restoration in Addiction Recovery

A common buzzword in mental health, lifestyle and addiction recovery platforms, “self-care” has become increasingly popular over the past year – but what exactly does it mean? While everyone could technically define self-care in their own way, Habits for Wellbeing, a website that publishes content related to mental, physical and spiritual wellness, highlights what self-care […]

How Common is Driving While Intoxicated?

How Common is Driving While Intoxicated?

We hear of unfortunate cases all of the time; in the news, on social media, through friends and family – it’s devastating, and it happens more than we’d like to admit. Substances have a way of affecting a region in the brain that’s responsible for executive functioning (such as critical thinking skills, assessing consequences of […]

Building Support in Treatment: Why It’s Important and Tips for Success

Building Support in Treatment: Why It’s Important and Tips for Success

In 2016, researchers published a study in the journal Addiction Recovery & Theory that explored individuals’ recovery journeys. The outcomes of their study revealed that those in addiction recovery go through some incredibly changes, especially when it comes to their social identity – and it makes sense, because the people and groups we associate ourselves […]

What is the Difference Between Dependence and Addiction?

What is the Difference Between Dependence and Addiction?

In the world of addiction recovery, it becomes an intense, complex dialogue when people begin discussing what constitutes as dependence versus addiction. It’s a rather highly debated topic – because some would say that they’re one in the same. If we turn to highly qualified resources, such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), […]

Defining Mental Health Recovery and What People Need to Thrive

Defining Mental Health Recovery and What People Need to Thrive

Mental health is an incredibly important part of our holistic wellbeing, yet many of us neglect this aspect of healing because we can’t physically see it. The way we think, feel and behave all provide incredibly telling signs as to the state of our mental health, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Health […]