Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that focuses on solving immediate concerns and helping people with substance use disorders develop the skills they need to stay sober. It’s much less intensive than other forms of psychotherapy, which means it can typically be completed as part of a 30-, 45-, or 90-day [...]
My name is Kris and I am an alcoholic. I started drinking on a daily basis 22 years ago. At the time, I used alcohol as a crutch to get over a difficult event in my life. What that event was is not important. What IS important is that I continued to drink even after [...]
Staying sober often seems like an impossible task in the first days of recovery. However, journaling is one self-care strategy that can help keep you accountable and on the right track. Understanding the Benefits of Journaling in Recovery There's no "quick fix" for drug or alcohol addiction, but journaling can offer a number of benefits [...]
Cravings Are Normal Experiencing cravings for drugs or alcohol is a normal part of the addiction recovery process. It's nothing to be ashamed of, although the experience can be uncomfortable. In most cases, cravings pass on their own within 10 to 15 minutes. However, you can help limit your cravings by tweaking your diet to [...]
It's difficult to say with certainty what causes some individuals to develop a drug or alcohol addiction. Substance use disorders are chronic biologically based illnesses with complex environmental triggers. However, exposure to trauma—especially during the childhood years—is strongly linked to an increased risk of developing an addiction. Defining Trauma Trauma can affect many aspects of [...]
Legal doesn't mean safe. Since alcohol is legal for adults over the age of 21 and opioid painkillers are legal with a prescription, people often mistakenly assume that mixing the two is no big deal. This couldn't be further from the truth. How Addiction Develops Typically, people who are abusing both alcohol and opioids developed [...]
Unfortunately, graduating from residential treatment doesn't mean your substance use disorder has been cured. Addiction is considered a chronic disease, which means the condition must be continually managed to reduce the risk of relapse. The Chronic Nature of Addiction Chronic diseases are much more common than you might expect. According to the Centers for Disease [...]
When it comes to managing depression and anxiety, there's no right answer. For some people, medication is a vital part of keeping their condition under control. For others, lifestyle changes let them work towards naturally improving their mental health. This article outlines several ways to manage depression and anxiety without the use of prescription drugs, [...]
The opioid epidemic is a public health emergency, but many people don't think about the potential consequences of opioid abuse until it's too late. If a loved one is taking opioids, even if they've been prescribed by a doctor, it's vital that you educate yourself about signs of a potential overdose. What Causes an Opioid [...]
True recovery involves more than mere abstinence. Someone who has quit drinking, but has yet to embrace the characteristics associated with a wellness-focused sober lifestyle, is sometimes referred to by others in recovery as a dry drunk. The term dry drunk is an oxymoron, meaning that a person is behaving in ways that are associated [...]
