One of the worst feelings in the world is watching someone you love hurt themselves. It’s one of abject helplessness because you can’t force someone to decide to get sober—they have to do it on their own. Here are some of the things you can do to support your loved ones and yourself until they’re …
As a person in recovery, you likely have many friends who are working hard to lead a sober life. What happens in your social circle when someone is headed for relapse or has already done so? Not only are you dealing with trying to get the person back into recovery but you may find yourself …
How Do I Deal With the Relapse of Someone I Care About? Read More »
When most people think of addiction or substance abuse, they may think of illicit substances like cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. Although not illegal, alcohol may also come to mind due to its widespread popularity. However, substance abuse comes in many forms, and most people do not set out to become addicted. It often happens that …
I Can’t Be Addicted if I Have a Prescription, Can I? Read More »
If you’re in recovery, you probably already know it’s a process that never ends–you’re in recovery for life. But did you know that there are six stages of recovery? The transtheoretical model, developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente, developed stages that show a pattern of how a person moves through recovery. Understanding how recovery …
Treatment for substance use and addiction begins the moment you decide that you’ve had enough. The moment you step through the doors of a rehabilitation center a new life begins. That new life requires undertaking one of the most trying processes you can imagine, but it’s all worth it once you get to the end. …
What Are the Four Phases of Treatment for Addiction? Read More »
Science often grapples with the “nature versus nurture” theory about various disorders and diseases. Alcoholism is no exception. Is it a hereditary disease or learned behavior? Or both? While we’re always the masters of our fate and make our own choices, certain genes are passed down that determine the propensity to abuse alcohol. What Is …
When you stop drinking, everyone tells you how much healthier you’ll be. Well, yes, but what else happens? Let’s get down to all the benefits (besides the generic “get healthier” argument) that getting and staying sober can mean in your life and how much happier you can be once you kick that nasty habit. This …
You may have already noticed that you experience a certain rejuvenating effect when you go outside or go to a big park. Whether you do some hiking or camping and spend time in the quiet of the great outdoors, it can have a soothing and therapeutic effect on your state of well-being. Others have noticed …
You were doing so well. You had hit rock-bottom and got help. You got clean and started your life over. Then you ran into an old friend who is still using or a new friend invited you out to one drink after work. Perhaps you’ve been falling further into depression and feeling more isolated. However …
In the U.S., we often talk about drug overdoses, substance abuse, and alcohol problems, but we seldom understand the seriousness of another kind of overdose–alcohol poisoning. It doesn’t happen often because your body has a process to protect itself when you are drinking and you drink too much. Normally you go to sleep or lose …