For many people, starting the new year off with a hefty list of New Year’s resolutions just makes sense, but for someone in recovery from a substance use disorder, things like weight loss or saving more money can seem pretty trivial. About 40% of the population participates in forming resolutions these days, but a mere...
How many times have you thought about starting a diet or quitting nicotine or caffeine without doing anything about it? Or lapsed back into bad habits after hitting a speed bump on the road to lifelong addiction recovery? Understanding the stages of change can help you in achieving your goals, particularly when overcoming your destructive...
When a person reaches the point in their addiction when they are finally ready to say, “no more,” they might be tempted to quit “cold turkey” without considering the dangers of addiction withdrawal. While quitting drugs and alcohol is a healthy pursuit – and one that must be sought in order to safeguard health, happiness,...
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of substance overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of...
Any time disease strikes someone, that person’s family and friends are profoundly affected as well. Addiction is a disease that wreaks havoc on a person’s own life as well as the lives of their family members and friends. The addict, of course, does not mean for their loved ones to experience pain or worry, but...
Addiction isn’t the only problem that addicts may be wrestling with when they enter rehab. Many also battle the mental disorder of depression. Some people may be clinically depressed and suffer from concurrent disorders upon entering a drug treatment center. “Mental health disorders and substance abuse commonly go hand in hand. Either disorder can occur...
Your loved one is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and you are an emotional wreck. You feel a mix of guilt and shame and anger about their addiction, but at the same time, you are terrified that they will hurt themselves or someone else or even die. You notice jewelry or money is missing. The...
If someone you love is suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction, you may wonder if they’ll ever be completely cured of the disease. While addiction can be effectively managed with treatment, it’s a chronic condition, and recovery is a lifelong process. Understanding the chronic nature of addiction can help you support your loved one’s ongoing...
Four Californians aged 18 to 24 have died at music festivals in the last 15 months. The latest victims were two young women attending the two-day Hard Summer Music Festival held this past weekend at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA. The two girls, Tracy Nguyen, 18, and Katie Dix, 19, died from...
Addicts are all too aware of the difficulty involved in overcoming a serious substance abuse problem. There are withdrawal symptoms, detox, intensive therapies, triggers to manage and stress to cope with. It can be quite overwhelming. Yet there is profound joy throughout the addiction recovery process, and even its darkest moments, it can be illuminated...
