Getting someone you love to enter addiction treatment is often difficult. You may experience several stages of resistance. First, they don’t acknowledge the problem. Then, they may acknowledge they have a problem but they can take care of it on their own. After these two hurdles have been cleared, they may resort to practical objections.…
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a condition in which people suffer from unwanted, intrusive thoughts. Often, these thoughts have to do with fear of contamination, fear of hurting themselves or others, thoughts of sexual acts, or preoccupation with certain numbers. To assuage these fears, people with OCD develop compulsive behaviors such as hand washing, affinity…
Methadone and Suboxone are drugs commonly used in opioid replacement therapy, a form of medication assisted therapy, or MAT. Methadone and Suboxone both work by mimicking the effects of opioids, only they don’t cause the same euphoria. Therefore, they can reduce the intense cravings that so often derail recovery from opioid addiction while allowing the…
There’s a saying in AA that goes, “Your best thinking is what got you here.” Studies have shown that intelligence is no protection against substance use disorders. In fact, the opposite may be true. People with above average IQs are more prone to substance use and addiction. Clearly, intelligence can’t do much for you when…
There are several factors that can increase your risk of addiction. Genetics is a big one. If you have a close relative who has struggled with addiction, you are more likely to struggle with addiction too. Mental illness is another major risk factor. Depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health…
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…
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…
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…
Substance use issues in employees can be a tricky problem to deal with. You may have noticed some problems with an employee’s performance or changes in her behavior. Maybe she has always been punctual but lately she’s coming in late or leaving early. Maybe her work isn’t the same quality it used to be. Or…
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