A vacation is a great time to relax and recharge. Everyone needs a break from time to time and traveling is a great way to have new experiences and come home with a fresh perspective. However, it’s important to remember that a vacation from your regular life is not also a vacation from your recovery. […]
Category Archives: Addiction
22
May
May
The opioid epidemic keeps getting worse every year. In 2107, more than 47,000 people died of opioid-related overdoses. With growing awareness of the problem, there are now more treatment options than ever. However, for many people, fear of withdrawal is a major obstacle to seeking treatment. Opioid withdrawal is almost never fatal but it is […]
20
May
May
Relapse is common in people recovering from addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 40 and 60 percent of people relapse within a year of receiving treatment for addiction. However, relapse doesn’t mean failure. Many people relapse several times before succeeding in recovery. What matters most is what you do after a […]
20
May
May
Cravings are one of the biggest challenges in addiction recovery. They are typically most frequent and intense early on and they get less frequent the longer you’re sober. However, they never go away completely. A craving makes you feel like you must use again, even if you know, rationally, that you don’t want to. Here […]
17
May
May
One of the main reasons people decide to finally get help for addiction is that they see how it has damaged their relationships. Addiction makes you prioritize substance use above everything else in your life, including friends and family. You may cancel plans, ignore family obligations, or spend the rent money on drugs or alcohol. […]
17
May
May
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 […]
16
May
May
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. […]
15
May
May
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 […]
15
May
May
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 […]
14
May
May
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 […]
