Expert Columns

Experts often refer to addiction as a “family disease,” but what might that mean for someone with a family history of addiction? Are they doomed to inherit the disease just because it runs in the family? And what does the term “family disease” mean, anyway? These are high-stakes questions for the millions of ... Read More

Many things have changed in the U.S. since March 2020, when the first documented cases of coronavirus emerged. Two trends in particular may be directly related to rising rates of addiction and mental illness in this country: a dramatic increase in online sales of alcohol and what experts have referred to as the “second ... Read More

Life after rehab is both a critical and vulnerable time in recovery. Rates of drug and alcohol relapse are highest in the first year after detox but drop significantly after one year of sobriety. That makes a plan of aftercare imperative for anyone leaving rehab. A good aftercare plan should contain key recovery ... Read More

When experts say addiction is a “complex” disease, they mean it has multiple roots. In addition to the genetic and biological factors that may be at play, there can often be mental, emotional, even spiritual causes. In fact, quite a large body of research has found that spirituality can play an important role in ... Read More

Since addiction is a chronic disease, relapse can be common among those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. But that doesn’t make it easy to know what you should say to someone who has relapsed, especially if they’re a close loved one. Many family members wonder what to say or do and worry after the fact that ... Read More

The month of January is an opportune time to get help for a drug or alcohol addiction, especially on the heels of the deadliest year yet for Americans with substance use disorders. 81,000 overdose deaths occurred last year— a new record high for the United States, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease ... Read More

It’s not uncommon to feel some level of dread about going back to work after another Christmas and New Year. When the feel-good excitement of the holidays is over, the vacation has ended, and all that is left to do is box up the decorations, many people experience a letdown effect. Meanwhile, having to go back to work ... Read More

Deciding to go to rehab for a drug or alcohol problem is a commitment. The same is true for those who may have been struggling with their mental health and choose to enter inpatient treatment. The journey to that decisive moment can often look more like a squiggly line than a straight trajectory, because almost any ... Read More