Opioid painkillers were never intended for long-term use. They work very well for people who have been badly injured, people who have just undergone a medical procedure, such as a surgery, or people with terminal illnesses. Unfortunately, many people believe they are the only way to treat chronic pain, such as back pain. Others just… Continue Reading What Are the Long-term Effects of Opioid Painkillers?
More than 16 million American adults had a major episode of depression in the last year, and that figure appears to be growing. Symptoms of depression include sadness or depressed mood, fatigue, sleep disturbances, such as sleeping too much or too little, changes in weight, slow movements, aches, inability to focus, feelings of hopelessness, and… Continue Reading 8 Risk Factors for Depression
TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It is a relatively new way of treating major depression. In TMS, a doctor or technician uses a powerful electromagnet to stimulate a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, or DLPFC. The DLPFC is responsible for many executive functions, such as helping yourself and others, making… Continue Reading Can TMS Relieve Depression?
An intervention is essentially a last-ditch effort to convince a loved one to enter treatment for addiction. By this point, you’ve already discussed your concerns with your loved one and given her a chance to change. Despite your support and encouragement, you haven’t seen any improvement and so you feel like you have to try… Continue Reading 4 Things You Need to Stage a Successful Intervention
Occasional anxiety is a useful emotion. It alerts you to danger, it encourages you to prepare for important events, and it gives you energy and focus to perform at your best. However, if you always feel anxious, or you get too anxious, anxiety can be debilitating. Too much anxiety can interfere with your life and… Continue Reading Do You Know the Signs of an Anxiety Disorder?
Different parts of recovery are difficult in different ways. Detox is difficult because it can be extremely unpleasant and sometimes dangerous. However, it’s also necessary to go through withdrawal to begin treatment and recovery. If you are serious about getting sober and staying sober, here are some reasons you should consider medical detox. You’re more… Continue Reading Why Should You Consider Medical Detox?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD is a condition characterized by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and behaviors. The popular conception of someone with OCD is that she keeps a meticulously clean house, arranges everything by color, size, or place in the alphabet, and simply must straighten an unlevel picture. In reality, OCD can take many different forms. The… Continue Reading OCD May Not Be What You Think It Is
Addiction often makes people do things they would never otherwise do. One of the biggest regrets of people in recovery is that they did things to hurt the people they care about. Addiction often leaves many broken relationships in its wake. People early in recovery sometimes feel anxious and frustrated that their loved ones still… Continue Reading How Do You Get Your Family to Forgive You in Recovery?
Life skills training is an important part of addiction recovery. Life skills training comprises skills like finding jobs, finding a place to live, paying bills on time, and building relationships. These don’t seem directly related to addiction recovery, but they are fundamental, and lacking these skills might endanger your recovery. Here’s why. Life skills build… Continue Reading Why Life Skills Training Matters in Addiction Recovery
Keystone habits are essentially good habits that bring their friends along. Everything we do is related to something else. When we identify and cultivate keystone habits, we get several benefits for the price of one. For example, exercise is one of the most potent keystone habits. It’s hard for some people to get in the… Continue Reading What Are Keystone Habits and How Can They Help You Stay Sober?