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…
After years of struggling with the painful effects of addiction, we’d like to think that our recovery will magically solve all of our problems and lift our depression right out of us. The recovery process, however, is not as simple as that. Recovering from our addictions means healing from the deep mental and emotional health…
A common question people have in addiction recovery is whether dreams about using again is a sign they are going to relapse. The dreamer may believe she has actually relapsed and wake up feeling relieved, or possibly distressed that it was all a dream. Dreaming of relapse is actually extremely common in addiction recovery. One…
Going home after treatment can be a strange experience. Not only have you been away for at least a month, you are sober, perhaps for the first time in years. You’ve spent a lot of time with a therapist and with other people in recovery. Life probably looks a lot different from when you started.…
For most people in addiction recovery, their instinct is to keep it to themselves. They may have become quite comfortable talking about their active addiction history with a therapist, group, and certain family members, but they are usually aware that addiction, especially to drugs like cocaine, meth, or heroin, is beyond the ken of 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…
Eating disorders include conditions such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. These can have serious health consequences and they are sometimes fatal. Eating disorders can damage the heart, digestive system, dental health, bones, and cause other medical problems. Eating disorders are often associated with other mental health issues, including substance use issues. While there is…
Generally speaking, extroverts are people who get energy from being around other people, while introverts are people who get energy from being alone. While few people are completely extroverted or introverted, generally falling somewhere in the middle, most people tip at least a little towards extraversion. This can be a major advantage in addiction recovery…
“Addiction” and “dependence” are often used interchangeably to mean someone can’t stop using a substance. Sometimes “dependence” is used when a term with a more clinical sound than “addiction” is needed, but now the preferred term is “substance use disorder.” While addiction and dependence are closely related, they are not quite the same. “Dependence” or…
While few people are extremely extraverted or introverted, a slight majority of people see themselves as extraverts. A simplified but reasonably accurate description of the difference between the two is that extraverts get energy from being around other people while introverts get energy from being alone. As a social species, it makes sense that we…
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