For most people in addiction recovery, their instinct is to keep it to themselves. They may have become quite comfortable talking about their active addiction history with a therapist, group, and certain family members, but they are usually aware that addiction, especially to drugs like cocaine, meth, or heroin, is beyond the ken of most…
Recovery from opioid addiction must start with detox. Unfortunately, opioid withdrawal is perhaps the most unpleasant of any drug. It is often described as a terrible flu that you know would stop if you just start using again. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, sweating, fever, runny nose, yawning, and bone…
Most people who develop substance use disorders have some kind of dual diagnosis. They don’t just have an addiction; they have an addiction and something else. That ‘something else’ might be an anxiety disorder, a personality disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, or schizophrenia. A very common dual diagnosis is addiction and depression. For most…