The Relationship Between PTSD and Addiction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most often associated with military veterans, but this serious mental health condition can develop in any person who has experienced a traumatic event. Many people with PTSD turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate their [...]
Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse Are Often Connected
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 2.8% of U.S. adults suffered from bipolar disorder in the past year. An estimated 82.9% of these individuals were considered to be seriously impaired, which is the highest impairment percentage [...]
What Should I Do if My Loved One Refuses to Acknowledge Their Addiction?
Watching a parent, child, friend, or other loved one struggle with a drug or alcohol addiction is like standing at the edge of a turbulent ocean. The ebb and flow of their battles mirrors the relentless push and pull of [...]
Celebrate National Recovery Month by Taking the First Steps Toward a Brighter Future
National Recovery Month is an annual observance held in the United States every September. First celebrated in 1989, its purpose is to increase understanding of substance use disorders, celebrate individuals who are in recovery, and promote the benefits of treatment. [...]
5 Common Co-occurring Mental Illnesses
Addiction doesn't exist in isolation. It frequently shares a close bond with other mental health disorders, leading to what professionals refer to as co-occurring disorders or dual diagnoses. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 37.9% of people with [...]
Sober Dating: Finding Love Without Drugs or Alcohol
f you're used to relying on drugs or alcohol as a social lubricant, the thought of dating while sober might seem a bit overwhelming. There's no need to resign yourself to spending the rest of your life alone, however. Sober [...]
Mental Health and Creativity in Addiction Recovery
"Creativity is the ability to look at the ordinary and see the extraordinary." ~ Dewitt Jones Recovery is a time of new beginnings. As you break free from the burden of substance abuse, the world around you will start to [...]
From Rock Bottom to a New Beginning
Residential Addiction Treatment Can Help You Get Your Life Back Sarah, an aspiring social worker with dreams of helping at-risk children, found herself living in a makeshift tent under a highway overpass. Newly divorced due to her drug addiction, she [...]
Tips and Techniques for Calmer Mind in Recovery
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 19.1% of U.S. adults suffer from diagnosed anxiety disorders, including women 23.4% of women and 14.3% of men. Many of these people are self-medicating the symptoms of anxiety with drugs and alcohol, [...]
Using Affirmations to Support Your Recovery
Success in recovery requires replacing unhelpful, inaccurate, and self-destructive thoughts with ones supporting your long-term wellness goals. One way to do this is to incorporate affirmations into your daily self-care routine. What Are Affirmations? Affirmations are statements or declarations created [...]