Author Archives: Alta Loma

Does Your Job Put You at Risk for Addiction?

Does Your Job Put You at Risk for Addiction?

What you do for a living might have a significant impact on whether you develop a substance use issue or relapse after treatment. Common factors in jobs that increase your addiction risk include high stress, long or irregular hours, dangerous conditions, isolation, and easy access to drugs or alcohol. Sometimes the best thing you can […]

Why is Social Support So Important for Addiction Recovery?

Why is Social Support So Important for Addiction Recovery?

Social support is one of the best predictors of success in recovery. Creating that social support is a central element of good treatment programs, which emphasize both group therapy and family therapy during treatment. Quality aftercare emphasizes preserving that sense of connection and helping people make sober contacts while transitioning back to their normal lives. […]

4 Ways to Support a Loved One with Depression

4 Ways to Support a Loved One with Depression

According to the World Health Organization, depression is the number one cause of disability worldwide, affecting more than 300 million people. An estimated 20 percent of Americans will experience a depressive episode at some point. That means most of us will know someone who has struggled or will struggle with depression. It might even be […]

When Can You Start Dating in Addiction Recovery?

When Can You Start Dating in Addiction Recovery?

Most experts recommend  you have at least a year of solid recovery before entering a new relationship. Recovering from addiction is a big undertaking. You have to learn new, healthier coping mechanism, break old habits, make new friends, make healthy lifestyle changes, and address any co-occurring mental health issues. Then, after treatment, you have to […]

5 Signs Your Drinking has Become a Problem

5 Signs Your Drinking has Become a Problem

We live in a culture where alcohol is common. At least 60 percent of American adults drink at least occasionally and about one in six American adults binge-drinks four times a month or more. We drink with dinner, we drink watching sports, and we drink to celebrate. With drinking being common and socially accepted, it […]

Are the 12 Steps Enough to Beat Addiction?

Are the 12 Steps Enough to Beat Addiction?

Since AA began in 1935, 12-step programs have helped millions of people quit drugs and alcohol. AA was far better than the alternatives of the time, which were pretty much limited to jail or being committed to a psychiatric institution. Even now, when people decide drugs or alcohol are taking too great a toll on […]

When is it Too Late to Recover from Addiction?

When is it Too Late to Recover from Addiction?

Addiction affects people of all ages. Although substance use most often initially becomes a problem between the ages of 18 and 25, you can develop a substance use disorder at any age or a substance use disorder you developed at a young age may continue for decades. Since addiction is a chronic, progressive disease, it […]

How to Stop Ruminating

How to Stop Ruminating

Rumination is a negative thought pattern where you keep thinking about bad things that happened in the past or bad things that might happen in the future. You might keep thinking about past mistakes, perhaps a time you did something embarrassing that you wish you could undo. You may replay arguments, thinking of things you […]

Are Addiction and Dependence Different?

We often use “addiction” and “dependence” interchangeably to refer to a substance use disorder but they don’t quite mean the same thing. However, they are closely related and there is a large area of overlap. When we talk about “dependence,” “physical dependence,” or “chemical dependence,” it refers to the physiological ways your body adapts to […]

6 Signs You Might Have an Anxiety Disorder

6 Signs You Might Have an Anxiety Disorder

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 18 percent of American adults, or about 40 million people, struggle with an anxiety disorder every year. Anxiety disorders include many conditions, such as social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, and phobias. There’s a good chance you or someone you […]