If you follow media coverage of addiction at all, you may have noticed a change in language over the past several years. Terms like “junkie,” “clean,” “drug abuser,” and others have gradually fallen out of use. You may still see “addict” from time to time, but even the use of that word is discouraged in…
Anxiety, depression, and addiction have all become increasingly common in recent decades. Mental health and addiction are closely linked as well. Mental illness can lead to addiction and vice versa. For people recovering from addiction, stress and anxiety are common relapse triggers. Staying mentally healthy requires a holistic approach that involves positive social connection, healthy…
Most of us are familiar with anti-drug ads on TV. From the “brain on drugs” commercials of the 1980s to more recent commercials like the “above the influence” campaign, the federal government and nonprofits have spent millions of dollars on ads trying to convince kids to stay away from drugs. Last year, when President Trump…
Identity plays a complicated role in addiction. Studies have found that younger people with no clear sense of identity, especially social identity, are at greater risk of associating with people who use drugs and alcohol. These groups are an easy way to find social acceptance and form a social identity. Being part of such a…
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts and rituals meant to relieve the anxiety created by those thoughts. Typical obsessive thoughts include fear of germs or contamination; unwanted taboo thought, often about sex, religion, or harming oneself or others; or having things perfectly symmetrical or in some specific order. To…
It’s normal to be disappointed if you relapse, especially if you’ve been sober for a while. You may feel like you’ve wasted all your hard work and disappointed the people who care about you. You may feel an impulse to punish yourself, either by beating yourself up emotionally, or engaging in some other self-destructive behavior.…
A substance use disorder can have many negative effects on your life, damaging your relationships, finances, career, and health. Perhaps most disturbing is the way substance use changes your brain. Your neurotransmitter levels change to adjust to the presence of the substance and brain imaging studies suggest the structure of your brain actually changes with…
Substance use disorders are complex and unpredictable. If two people have similar risk factors for addiction, one may have a serious problem while the other doesn’t and the reason for the difference may not be apparent. While there probably isn’t anyone with zero risk for developing a substance use disorder, there are certain people with…
Recovery Ways is excited to announce we are going in-network with Tricare. This means that our intensive outpatient program, or IOP, as well as our partial hospitalization program, or PHP, will be covered as in-network for patients with Tricare. Tricare is a program that covers the civilian healthcare component of the US Department of Defense…
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of staying positive in addiction recovery. A positive, optimistic attitude promotes happiness and persistence, while a negative, pessimistic attitude promotes depression and resignation. There will always be challenges in recovery and a positive attitude will help you stick with it even when you feel like you’re struggling. Pessimism and…
We are a Platinum Provider with Optum/United Healthcare and in-network with BCBS & AETNA!