Are you a regular user of social media? Do you wonder if social media will interfere with your recovery? Recovering individuals should watch out for media immersion which tends to have negative effects on your emotions. More and more research shows that social media has aggravating effects on mental health. For this reason, many treatment … Read more
Are you familiar with the stigma that accompanies addiction? Do you know ways to combat that stigma? Stigma is a familiar experience for people with health conditions such as HIV, cancer, depression, anxiety, other mental illnesses, and especially addiction. Researchers have found that, compared to intervention on removing the stigma surrounding other forms of the … Read more
Achieving sobriety, successfully finishing a residential detox or treatment program, or having months or years in recovery are all milestones to celebrate. After a time, though, complacency and over-confidence may set in. Although many suggest that you should avoid triggers in mid-to-long-term recovery, part of you may doubt this kind of strict “abstinence.” It is … Read more
For people in detox treatment and early sobriety, relapse is the number one thing to avoid. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse rates among recovering individuals range from 40 to 60 percent. This shows how common relapses happen and how difficult maintaining sobriety is on the journey to recovery. Understanding how relapses happen … Read more
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters a second winter, and with case numbers and death tolls still high, depression is bound to set in for many recovering individuals. It is important to be prepared for what the combination of COVID-19 isolation and winter months brings in terms of mental health. Mental Health Challenges in the Winter … Read more
Many people struggle with quitting drugs and alcohol largely because they are stuck in denial. For some, it is hard to admit that their addiction is a problem. Even if their finances and family relationships suffer due to addiction, many choose self-deception instead of honesty. For others, personal freedom and choice are barriers to accountability. … Read more
Are you a parent who is in recovery from addiction? Parenting, even without the addition of substance abuse recovery, can be challenging. You must attend to your child’s basic needs and routines; you must make sure that they are meeting developmental milestones; you also want to see them growing academically and thriving socially. It takes … Read more
Is your spouse in recovery from substance abuse? Have you dreamed about life together after your spouse achieves sobriety? Your expectations might be high but, likely, life will not be as rosy as you imagine it will be post-recovery. In most cases, living with a recovering spouse is still challenging. Researchers find that over 48% of … Read more
Are you hesitating to enter an inpatient detox program? Do you prefer to use telemedicine to cope with recovery from addiction? The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an expansion of the demand for telemedicine and telehealth. Now, many innovative treatment centers offer telehealth events or e-counseling courses. People can get the care and treatment they … Read more
Addiction affects not only the people who use substances but their family and close friends around them. There can be a lot of challenges for the people who want to be as supportive as possible towards a loved one’s recovery. If you are supporting someone through treatment and recovery, educating yourself on addiction’s causes and … Read more
