How Keeping a Journal Can Help You Stay Sober
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 [...]
Tweaking Your Diet to Control Drug and Alcohol Cravings
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 [...]
Trauma and Addiction: What’s the Connection?
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 [...]
Alcohol and Opioids Are a Deadly Combo
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 [...]
Understanding Addiction as a Chronic Disease
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 [...]
Managing Depression and Anxiety Without Medication
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 [...]
Everything You Need to Know About Opioid Overdoses
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 [...]
What Is Dry Drunk Syndrome?
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 [...]
Enabling vs. Helping: How to Handle a Loved One’s Substance Abuse
What's the best way to handle a friend or family member's substance abuse? Your first impulse may be to try to "save" your loved one, but there's a fine line between helping and enabling. Understanding how to avoid enabling will [...]
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
Throughout the United States, May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month to bring attention to the role mental health care plays in a person's overall sense of wellbeing. Started in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA), the observance encourages [...]
