The opioid epidemic gets a lot of media attention, and deservedly so. The rate of fatal overdoses involving opioids has been climbing for nearly 20 years and in 2017 reached nearly 50,000. However, there may be another problem looming the shadow of the opioid epidemic. The rate of fatal overdoses involving benzodiazepines has been climbing…
For most people, the early days of recovery are an exciting time. In treatment, you often confront old issues, make new friends, and find hope for perhaps the first time in years. After treatment, you have to adjust to the challenges of living on your own again and applying what you learned to real life.…
In some ways, addiction is all about comfort. Using a substance you’re addicted to relieves pain temporarily and staves off withdrawal. It’s a safe little refuge from uncomfortable feelings. Having your habits and rituals built around addiction is predictable. Unfortunately, comfort is not the same as happiness. In fact, comfort can make you miserable. What’s…
Finding a job after treatment can be challenging. In addition to the normal challenges of job hunting, people recovering from addiction may have to explain employment gaps, job loss, and possibly jail time. What’s more, since addiction typically begins at a young age, many people will have lost educational opportunities, perhaps dropping out of high…
Addiction is complicated and only a small part is about the substance itself. A more complete picture of addiction emerges when you consider the biology and psychology of the user. For example, someone with severe anxiety might easily become addicted to Xanax because it relieves her anxiety. Another person might be genetically disposed to get…
Partying has become a standard part of the college experience. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than one third of college students report binge drinking within the past month and about 20 percent of college students used an illicit drug at least once in the past month. While these statistics…
“Drunkorexia” is a colloquial term combining an eating disorder and binge drinking. It is the practice of offsetting calories from binge drinking by skipping meals or purging so that the binge drinking doesn’t lead to weight gain. While the practice is particularly common among college aged women, men do it as well. A study by…
Addiction is a family disease in several ways. First, there is a strong genetic component. Experts believe about half of your addiction risk is genetic because of various genes and gene expressions that affect how you respond to drugs and alcohol or make you more vulnerable to certain mental health issues associated with addiction. Second,…
Self-care is extremely important in recovery. It includes the activities you specifically do to maintain your recovery and the things you do just to stay healthy and happy. In reality, there’s no separation between things you do for yourself and things you do for recovery. This might include going to therapy, exercising, eating, getting enough…
It can be hard to be in a relationship with someone with depression. For one thing, it’s hard to see someone you love suffer. Also, depression can make someone more irritable, angry, or withdrawn. The symptoms of depression may lead to more arguments, frustration, or feelings of alienation. It can be frustrating when you want…
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