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Alcohol Awareness Month ​April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Established in 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, it’s a pivotal time dedicated to increasing public understanding of alcohol-related issues, promoting responsible drinking habits,...

​The Madness of March March Madness is a reference to the frenetic energy that surrounds the annual NCAA men's and women’s basketball tournaments, which captivates millions of fans across the United States. If you haven’t filled out a bracket, you might feel a little...

January 2025 marks the first national Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month – an inaugural observance dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges of addiction and the resources available for recovery. Launched by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...

As a father, your traditional role in the family is to be the protector and the provider. You're also often expected to provide both financial and emotional support, but knowing how to approach a child who's struggling with addiction can be difficult. It's hard to...

Being a mother is a tough job. Your children look to you for guidance and daily care. This can be tough to achieve if you're under stress and struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. In addition, when a parent struggles with addiction, it affects the family as a...

Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is a courageous journey filled with challenges . It's also one rife with profound opportunities for growth and transformation. Studies show that those in recovery who adopt a mindful, present-centered approach to life can...

Addiction rates are high among individuals with bipolar disorder (BPD), a personality disorder characterized by impulsive behavior and alternating episodes of depression and mania. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report the prevalence of substance abuse...

Developed by two psychologists to help people improve their understanding of themselves and others, the Johari Window is a type of heuristic tool that examines the biases and criticisms we may or may not be aware of that motivates our behavior. The Johari Window is...

It goes without saying that addiction recovery is no quick process. For most people, it requires a ton of time and emotional energy. That's because addiction is never really a superficial problem — the roots of this disorder often go really deep so untangling them can...

A form of therapeutic horticulture that has been shown to significantly increase a person's sense of mental well-being and satisfaction, gardening is one of the best activities recovering addicts can use to reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress. Research indicates...

Concentrating solely on your mental health during addiction recovery often leads to forgetting about the importance of staying hydrated during your recovery. While detox eliminates all traces of drugs or alcohol from the body, and residential treatment programs...

Addiction is complicated. It's a serious mental health condition that causes people to repeatedly engage in behaviors- even if it's harmful and they want to stop. Part of the reason that addiction is so challenging is that it operates in a cycle that is difficult to...

Graduating from a recovery program means you have stayed sober for three months or longer. You have received counseling, therapy, relapse prevention training, and many other beneficial services intended to help you avoid using again as you transition from inpatient or...

Do you know someone who is always optimistic and upbeat, no matter how dire the situation seems to be? Have you ever been told by a perpetually cheerful family member to "just smile and forget about it" after you have just been informed it will cost $2000 to repair...

A dual diagnosis is the diagnosis of two or more health problems existing at the same time. This term is most often used to refer to individuals with substance addiction and at least one mental illness. The clinical word for dual diagnosis is "comorbidity", which is...

Much has been written about the emotional difficulties of those suffering from addiction. There's also some information on the effect addiction can have on romantic relationships, friendships, and parent-child relationships. However, the siblings of those struggling...

When we talk about addiction, it's often taken as a given that overcoming it is a positive experience and our lives would be immeasurably better once we do so. However, it's not always obvious what our lives would look like once we quit substance use. For instance,...

Delta-8 THC, or Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol, is a psychoactive substance that can be extracted from the cannabis plant. Its structure is similar to that of Delta-9 THC, which is the chemical that produces a chemical high when using marijuana. Although those two...

It goes without saying that addiction recovery is a time of great emotional turmoil. People often find that they've been using alcohol and/or other substances as a way to suppress difficult feelings. Thus, once they no longer have substance use to utilize as a coping...

Substance abuse and addiction are often mistaken as the same thing, but the two are very different. Both can have negative effects on your health, work, relationships and well-being, however, understanding the difference can help you determine whether you need...

Addiction recovery is a challenging journey for anybody who enters it and unfortunately, it's a journey that has to be repeated for many. An estimated 40-60% of those who finish recovery relapse. As such, it's important to take time to relax and recharge. Relaxation...

For anyone who's ever made their own mood playlist, it's no secret that music can make you calm, can help improve your mood and can speak to you in ways nothing else can. Seventh century playwright William Congreve once wrote, "Music has charms to soothe the savage...