When you leave residential treatment, support groups will play an integral role in helping you build the foundation for lasting recovery. While in-person meetings are generally preferable, they're not always convenient. You may work erratic hours, have issues with transportation, or be unable to travel for other reasons. If face-to-face meetings aren't an option, online [...]
It is estimated that up to 20% of new mothers experience postpartum depression—a more severe form of the "baby blues" that are experienced by most mothers in the first two weeks after a child's birth. Women who are struggling with postpartum depression face an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder, but help is [...]
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the relapse rate for people with substance use disorders is similar to that of other chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. However, addressing mental health can be a critical factor in preventing relapse after you've completed a residential addiction treatment program. Why Relapse Is a Concern [...]
It's typically recommended that people in the early stages of recovery refrain from dating due to the temptation to focus on the "high" of a new relationship instead of the self-improvement that is necessary to sustain long-term sobriety. However, once you have a year of sobriety under your belt and are ready to begin dating [...]
In Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-Step programs, a sponsor is someone who serves as a voice of reason in your recovery journey. They are established with their own sobriety and have agreed to support your efforts to work the 12-Steps, but the sponsor/sponsee relationship is considered temporary. As such, either party is free to [...]
Do you feel as though your mood changes with the seasons? If you're finding it difficult to manage your day-to-day activities as the temperature drops and the days become shorter, you might be suffering from seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder, often referred to simply as SAD, is a type of depression where sufferers experience [...]
The journey toward sobriety requires significant effort, dedication, and determination to confront the challenges associated with substance abuse. Emotional challenges should not be overlooked, as they can often derail even the most well-intentioned recovery efforts. Understanding and addressing these emotional challenges is a crucial part of addiction recovery. Coming to Terms With the Impact of [...]
A substance use disorder isn't always easy to spot. An addiction to drugs or alcohol often develops slowly over an extended period. This makes it easy to brush off concerns by saying that you just enjoy the taste of a good drink or like to party with your friends. It's a common misconception that addiction [...]
TikTok initially rose to popularity as a social media platform that allowed users to create and share short-form dance and entertainment videos with others. Today, however, the app has become a go-to source of information for teens and young adults—who are being encouraged to like, comment, and react to videos that often contain dangerous misinformation. [...]
The term stigma is used to refer to unfairly negative attitudes or beliefs that result in prejudice and discrimination. With regard to mental health disorders, stigma involves the idea that such illnesses are shameful, embarrassing, and weak. This can cause people who are suffering from mental illness to feel judged or discriminated against by those [...]
