So much happened this week on Recovery Road and I am very excited to talk about the theme from episode two, which was really centered around the shame and stigma that is synonymous with the disease of addiction. Since so much happened, I’ve decided to break it down by scene so we can really get...
Even if New Year’s resolutions are not your thing, a big part of drug addiction recovery is discovering ways in which to better oneself and there is no time like the present to cultivate positive change in your life. Here are five ways to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle that is free from alcohol or drug...
On September 11th, 2001, the world was shaken by the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. If you were old enough to remember 9/11, it is one of those days that will be forever engrained in your memory. It was heavily televised – live for the most part – so whether...
If you’ve made the decision to get help for drug or alcohol abuse, you’ve conquered one of the toughest challenges on the road to recovery. Before you begin your journey of learning how to live a sober lifestyle, you need to have a clean, substance-free system. Most addiction treatment programs begin with a medically-supervised detox to...
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...
Growing up as the famous son of George Hamilton and Alana Stewart wasn’t easy for Ashley Hamilton. The 40-year-old has survived his two failed marriages, a heroin addiction and struggles with anorexia and bulimia. Today, Ashley is eight years sober, an addiction coach, and living a different life, as seen on the new E! reality...
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...
Many individuals experience trauma during their lifetimes. Although many people exposed to traumatic situations demonstrate few or no lingering symptoms, those who have experienced repeated, chronic or multiple traumas are more likely to exhibit pronounced symptoms and consequences, including substance abuse, mental illness, and health problems. People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and...
The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This dysfunction is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors. But what if...
