There is a common saying in AA: We’re only as sick as our secrets. It’s strange that keeping a secret could have a big impact on your life. After all, what is keeping a secret besides neglecting to mention something? It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Unfortunately, keeping secrets is a big… Continue Reading What’s the Cost of Keeping Secrets?
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Addiction doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Addiction often has roots in the family dynamic. Poor communication and dysfunctional patterns can lead to distress and trauma and people often use drugs or alcohol to cope. People who struggle with addiction often have parents who struggle with addiction. About half of addiction is genetic, but learned behavior… Continue Reading Why Family Therapy is So Important for Addiction Recovery
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One of the biggest challenges of recovering from addiction is dealing with cravings. When you experience a craving, you feel like you really need to drink or use again, that you are being pulled toward it and you can’t escape. Cravings feel like they will never end. In reality, they typically last only a short… Continue Reading How Mindfulness Can Help You Manage Cravings
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Many people who find themselves in treatment or at 12-step meetings are there because they have no choice. They may have pleaded guilty or been convicted of DUI or drug-related charges and been sent to treatment as part of sentencing. It certainly seems like a better sentence than prison, but does sending someone to treatment… Continue Reading Does Court-ordered Treatment Work?
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Most people are familiar with 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, but fewer people know about SMART Recovery. SMART stands for Self-Management And Recovery Training and was founded in 1994. SMART is a non-profit created to help people struggling with addiction by teaching them strategies shown by research to help control addictive… Continue Reading What is SMART Recovery?
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The FDA recently approved a new drug to treat the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Lucemyra, or lofexidine hydrochloride, is the first drug to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms that’s not derived from opioids. Most importantly, Lucemyra is believed to be non-addictive. There are currently three ways to minimize opioid withdrawal for people trying to quit. One… Continue Reading There’s a New Non-addictive Drug to Treat Opioid Addiction
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Many people who struggle with addiction to drugs or alcohol also smoke. Not only that, they tend to keep smoking after they get sober. Studies have found that AA members smoke more heavily and at a much higher rate than the general population. Other studies have found that smoking correlates with a much higher risk… Continue Reading What Happens to Your Lungs When You Stop Smoking?
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Stimulant psychosis is a mental disturbance caused by an overdose of stimulants, typically meth, cocaine, or methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin. It can even be caused by caffeine, but not in the concentrations found in coffee. Stimulant psychosis is usually temporary. About 80 percent of people with stimulant psychosis recover within 30 days. About five… Continue Reading 6 Signs of Stimulant Psychosis
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Fighting cravings is one of the hardest parts of fighting any addiction. It’s a pull that defies logic or reason and feels inescapable. Learning to tolerate cravings is one of the most important skills to learn during recovery. One thing that might help is simply taking some deep breaths. Smokers who have quit often find… Continue Reading Can Deep Breathing Help You Fight Cravings?
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Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, and dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT are both common models of psychotherapy used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, and addiction. Each has its uses and they may be used together or separately. In fact, DBT is a specific form of DBT, so in a sense, they… Continue Reading What’s the Difference between CBT and DBT?
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