It’s not always easy to tell if substance abuse or addiction has taken control of your life. Addiction can take on many forms. Some users spiral quickly into dangerous habits, and it becomes obvious to everyone around them that they need help. Other people can function for years, treading water successfully for a long time…
If you’re a casual drug user, you may be wondering where to draw the line between recreational use and addiction. Scientists are continually learning more about what causes addiction, and while they don’t have it completely figured out, it’s clear that there are physiological, social, and environmental influences. In this article, we’re going to define…
Is the answer as simple as meditation for addiction recovery? Substance abuse and addiction disorders are complex diseases that require a detailed and varied treatment plan, as well as a deep lifelong commitment to sobriety. One of the most important steps in addiction treatment and recovery is to determine the root cause of the problem.…
Drug or alcohol abuse always carries the risk of overdose. When using illegal drugs or abusing alcohol or legal drugs, a tolerance builds, so an addict needs more and more of the substance to get the desired effect. Overdoses can be intentional or unintentional and can happen at any time. Unfortunately, drug overdose deaths more…
The suffering of a loved one can sometimes be so painful to endure, that we forget to remember it’s not our own affliction. When we care for someone deeply, their pain becomes our own. Without realizing it, we align their successes with our happiness and their failures with our sadness. This interdependent relationship…
Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely challenging. After quitting drinking, a person with mild withdrawal symptoms can include headaches and nausea. More serious effects include seizures and hallucinations. One of the more common and most difficult symptoms and one that causes many alcoholics to relapse is insomnia. Insomnia is characterized by poor sleep quality, prolonged wakefulness,…
Often times, we talk about substance abuse as it relates to other illnesses. Not uncommon is a co-occurring disorder, where a person suffers from an illness that, more or less, drives substance abuse. We have to take a step back and examine the coalescence of two illnesses. Which is driving which? And what is the…
The road to recovery is often considered in terms of the individual who must travel it. After all, it is up to each addict to stay true to their mission and to engage in healthy practices. If we stop to consider what an incredible feat that must be, we might be inclined to ask ourselves…
When seeking help for substance abuse or addiction, there are several different methods of counseling and treatment. Counseling seeks to identify the root causes and triggers for addiction while helping develop tools for coping in stressful situations. Addiction is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. If addiction runs in your family, you have a…
What exactly does it mean to blackout? It seems that definition takes on a different connotation depending on who we are talking about. For the deadbeat dad or homeless man on the corner, blacking out is understood in negative terms, wherein a person consumes too much alcohol in a bout of binge drinking, and as…
