The third week in January is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, or NDAFW. It was started by scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, to push back against the misinformation about drugs and alcohol that teens learn from TV, movies, music, friends, and random people on the internet. During NDAFW, people…
Upon entering addiction recovery treatment, group therapy may be a new experience for many of us. We’re more used to traditional therapy, where we work one-on-one with a psychologist. Group therapy allows us to explore topics in a group setting that we all have experience with. When it comes to addiction recovery, there are some…
Those of us living with addiction who are also parents face specific challenges. Our addiction affects not only us but the people around us, and our children are uniquely affected. Our role as their parents makes us responsible for our children’s well-being, but when we’re struggling with addiction at the same time, we are impacted…
While it may feel like addiction is one person’s problem, it is really a problem for everyone around her too. Not only do the consequences of addiction radiate outward to your friends and family, but dysfunctional relationships may also contribute to the development of addiction. Treatment for addiction can’t just focus on one thing. It…
After leaving treatment, attending mutual aid meetings are a great way to continue your recovery. You meet other people who are also in recovery, which helps you build your sober network. Attending meetings also gives you a chance to review what you learned in treatment. At the very least, attending regular meetings is a good…
As we’re doing the important work of recovery, one thing we come to learn is that our relationships have a lot to do with our mental and emotional health. When we are in stressful relationships, our well-being suffers. Similarly, when we are not at peace within ourselves, this is reflected in our relationships and the…
For many of us struggling with addiction, our fears that our children are being affected by our addiction can be a major catalyst for us to finally get the help we need. We worry that our issues are adversely affecting our children, even when we try as hard as we can to keep them separate…
After completing addiction treatment, joining a mutual support program is a good way to start building a strong sober network and to keep the lessons you learned in treatment fresh in your mind. 12-step programs like AA are the best known of these groups, but they may not work for everyone. Some people prefer a…
Addiction relapse rates vary considerably, depending on the person and the drug. A commonly cited statistic from The Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that relapse rates are between 40 and 60 percent, while other estimates put the rate of alcohol and opioid relapse at closer to 90 percent in the first year. The…
Social media addiction has been much in the news lately. While experts agree that calling obsessive social media use an addiction is hyperbolic, especially considering the damage that substance addictions can do to your life, excessive social media use is still a cause for concern. Many studies have now found associations between social media use…
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