When you’re sober from drugs or alcohol, your goal is to avoid a relapse. However, the reality is that relapse can be part of the recovery process. That doesn’t mean it is inevitable, but it’s something you always have to be mindful of. There may be relapse warning signs to...
Learning how to help someone with depression often comes down to educating yourself. Depression is complex and can be debilitating. When you’re a support system for someone with depression, it’s easy to feel helpless or out of control. The reality is, you aren’t in control. The best you can do...
One of the things that people all too often see as a barrier to getting drug or alcohol treatment is cost. Many people worry that going to rehab is too expensive, or that they won’t have the ability to pay. Then, when they don’t get treatment, unfortunately, their addiction worsens...
When you’re a parent, you may worry about your teen using illicit drugs, and yes, that is a genuine threat. Sometimes, however, the most significant danger isn’t from illegal drugs. The legal ways teens get high can be more accessible and often more harmful. Unfortunately, from household substances to prescription...
The impact and effects of addiction to alcohol or an illicit drug won’t leave any area of your life untouched. At first, when you’re struggling with alcohol or drug abuse, you may be able to hide the effects. You may be able to section off your life so that your...
If you regularly drink large amounts of alcohol, especially if you’ve done that for an extended period, you may go through withdrawal when you stop. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms result from your body and brain trying to rebalance and learn to function again after you suddenly stop drinking. In this case,...
Chronic insomnia is a widespread sleep disorder. At least 25% of people in the U.S. experience insomnia symptoms every year. There are so many reasons that we’re a country deprived of sleep and struggling to get enough. We prioritize working long hours, being connected to devices, and consuming large amounts...
A drug intervention specialist is someone who can work with your family to help diagnose a substance abuse disorder. Then, as a mental health specialist, an interventionist can help create a strategy to address the substance use disorder in your teen. A professional interventionist has a deep understanding of family...
Addiction affects relationships insignificant and highly damaging ways. For example, alcohol destroys relationships in many cases because drinking is a person’s number one priority when they have an addiction. The same is true of other drugs. Often, many of the early days of your alcohol recovery process focus on rebuilding...
Teen substance abuse and the risk of addiction in teens is a genuine and growing problem. The teen years are when there’s often experimentation with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Many teens will try these substances without ultimately developing an addiction. Unfortunately, for other teens who experiment, it can become a...
