Author Archives: Alta Loma

The Correlation Between Mood Disorders and Substance Abuse

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When it comes to substance abuse, co-occurring disorders are common. The majority of the time, these co-occurring disorders are mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. While having a mood disorder does not necessarily mean you will develop a substance abuse disorder, it is essential to note the correlation between the two. Understanding […]

Why is it Important for Kids to Have a Mental Health Day in Today’s World?

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Recently, companies have been encouraging mental health days for their employees to be mentally fit. With the ongoing pandemic, kids have had to change their routine around distance learning, being isolated from their friends and family, not being able to participate in extracurriculars, and other changes while living in this uncertain world. Once kids start […]

How Codependency Can Enable Addiction

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Codependency is a type of relationship dynamic that can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms and enablement of risky behaviors. The characteristics of codependency are why addiction thrives in a codependent relationship. Many individuals may not want to admit they are involved in such a relationship, but denial can only exacerbate the situation. Understanding how codependency can […]

The Four Types of Borderline Personality Disorder

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Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often misunderstood and confused with bipolar disorder. However, this distinct disorder has its own symptoms and classifications. While there is no scientific agreement on the four subtypes of BPD, they are often classified based on symptoms and how they manifest in different people. Using these subtypes can help individuals better […]

How Can Urge Surfing Help You Overcome Addiction?

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Urge surfing is when you want to avoid acting on unhealthy behavior that you want to reduce or stop. If you keep thinking about your urges, such as your urge to abuse drugs, it will most likely grow. When you practice urge surfing, you will be able to ride your urges out until they decrease. […]

Overcoming Loneliness in Addiction Recovery

Many individuals who have gone through addiction will vouch for the fact that the disease thrives off of loneliness. To not allow the disease to feed off your feelings, it is critical to know how to cope with loneliness while in recovery. Of course, everyone feels lonely from time to time, but this can pose […]

Why Doesn’t Marijuana Maintenance Work?

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Recovery from alcoholism can be tough and requires a lot of effort into attending therapy, taking medication, going to meetings, and more. Some people feel like replacing alcohol with marijuana is a rational approach to addiction recovery since they feel like marijuana is harmless. The truth is that replacing one addiction with another through marijuana […]