A group of people talk about common fears about entering residential treatment

4 Common Fears About Entering Addiction Treatment

People often feel conflicted about entering treatment for addiction. Although they may know that addiction is making them miserable and they need to do something about it, they may also feel apprehensive about the challenges ahead. Here are some of the common fears people have about entering addiction treatment. Detox Perhaps the most concrete and… Continue Reading 4 Common Fears About Entering Addiction Treatment

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A woman talks with her friends about what it means to recover from addiction

What Does it Mean to Recover From Addiction?

The question seems like it has an obvious answer: Recovery means you no longer manifest addictive behavior. On closer inspection, though, the answer is not so obvious, and in fact, there are probably many valid answers. Everyone is different, with a different history, a different pattern of substance use, and different goals for recovery. If… Continue Reading What Does it Mean to Recover From Addiction?

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A woman does meditation as she remembers 5 ways to stop making the same mistakes in addiction recovery

5 Ways to Stop Making the Same Mistakes in Addiction Recovery

Recovery from addiction is not a straight line. Nearly everyone has slip-ups, setbacks, and relapses. Everyone has bad days when they feel like they can’t possibly last much longer in recovery. When these setbacks happen, whether it’s something relatively small like losing your temper or something more serious like a relapse, the important thing is… Continue Reading 5 Ways to Stop Making the Same Mistakes in Addiction Recovery

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4 friends talk about how to make your new year's resolutions for recovery work as they drive along a sunny road

How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions for Recovery Work

Many people make some new year’s resolutions every year. They start diets, join gyms, and throw away their cigarettes, promising themselves things will be different from now on. Unfortunately, new year’s resolutions rarely stick. Most people make it a couple of weeks and give up. It’s just too hard or there’s too much going on.… Continue Reading How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions for Recovery Work

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A woman steps on a scale and wonders how are depression and obesity related

How Are Depression and Obesity Related?

Depression and obesity often occur together and they are a terrible combination. Both are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and shorter life expectancy. There appears to be a chicken-and-egg relationship between the two conditions and each can make the other worse. Here’s how obesity is related to depression. How obesity leads to depression.… Continue Reading How Are Depression and Obesity Related?

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A woman covers her face with her hands as she remembers how OCD can lead to addiction

How OCD Can Lead to Addiction

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… Continue Reading How OCD Can Lead to Addiction

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A man sits on a low stone wall and wonders if you ever completely recover from addiction

Do You Ever Completely Recover from Addiction?

One popular belief about addiction is that once someone develops a substance use disorder, she will always have it, even though she might learn to control it. This idea, like many beliefs about addiction, owes much of its popularity to AA. In AA, members introduce themselves as alcoholics–never “former alcoholics,” even if they’ve not had… Continue Reading Do You Ever Completely Recover from Addiction?

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A man talks to his therapist and learns why some depression doesn't respond to medication

Why Some Depression Doesn’t Respond to Medication

Depression is the number one mental health issue in the US, with more than 16 million Americans suffering from a depressive episode each year. Symptoms typically include sadness, irritability, lack of energy and motivation, disturbed sleep, poor concentration, physical aches, slow movements, and thought of suicide or death. Depression is typically treated with a combination… Continue Reading Why Some Depression Doesn’t Respond to Medication

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A man talks to his doctor about whether antabuse or naltrexone is better for quitting addiction

Is Antabuse or Naltrexone Better for Quitting Alcohol?

Antabuse, or disulfiram, and naltrexone are common medications used to treat alcohol use disorders. Both have been shown to improve outcomes in people who want to stop drinking. As with many forms of treatment, what works best depends on your situation. Here are some considerations that can help you decide which is better for you.… Continue Reading Is Antabuse or Naltrexone Better for Quitting Alcohol?

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A therapist talks to a young man about which is better: methadone or suboxone

Which is Better: Methadone or Suboxone?

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… Continue Reading Which is Better: Methadone or Suboxone?

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