For people with social anxiety disorders, everyday social interactions may be a source of significant stress. This is often caused by heightened self-consciousness, nervousness, and embarrassment one feels when stepping into social events. To avoid the intense stress and emotions associated with social interactions, one might choose to self-isolate, which tends to worsen one’s mental … Read more
By the time you’ve reached long-term sobriety, perhaps your fear and thoughts of relapse have become infrequent. What do you do when one day, some familiar craving suddenly pops into your head? You might think to yourself, “How could this be happening?” Does long-term sobriety mean no cravings at all? Actually, it is not uncommon … Read more
Have you experienced burnout during your recovery from addiction? It can happen for those who come to the realization that recovery is not a short sprint but a grueling marathon. If you feel you have not achieved your desired progress after devoting much time, energy, and hope to your journey, you might experience burnout syndrome. … Read more
People with addictive disorders may suffer from both short-term and long-term effects. Usually, the longer an addiction continues, the more dependence you develop on drugs or alcohol and the more damage it does to your body, mind, and behaviors. The impact of chronic addiction also disrupts family relationships and friendships in very painful ways. These … Read more
The debate as to whether addiction is a genetic disease or acquired behavior has not been settled among scientists, but both can be true. Within the family, both genetic and relational factors impact one’s risk of addiction. More discussions have focused on how environmental factors increase the risk of addiction, but it is just as … Read more
If you are concerned about your own substance use issue or that of your loved one, understanding more about what causes it and what symptoms might co-occur can help you take steps forward. This is especially important for people who experience or observe compulsions that might accompany addiction. Compulsion and addiction have an intertwined relationship … Read more
Eating disorders often accompany an addictive lifestyle. Alcoholism, in particular, may disrupt your dietary habits. Chronic substance abuse tends to take a toll on your body’s nutrient intake, and diet plays a critical role in early and long-term recovery. This is why when entering into treatment and recovery, you should also expect to have a … Read more
Emotional vulnerability and loneliness are two major challenges people face in addiction treatment and recovery. Pets can alleviate some of the stress associated with these challenges. By the time you began detox treatment, you may have already distanced yourself from old contacts who also led an addictive lifestyle. You have entered a new recovering community … Read more
Do you ever feel depressed starting in autumn and experience these blue moods through the winter months? Maybe you find yourself in depressed moods that show up in predictable cyclical patterns. Seasonal changes or cyclical biological shifts can affect your mental health. For example, the less sunny months of a year tend to be related … Read more
If you have been using drugs and alcohol for a long time, you have forced your body into an unhealthy habit of depending on harmful substances while potentially forgoing nutrients from a healthy diet. Some people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol may even withhold from eating altogether. When you begin treatment, your physical … Read more
