Updated May 13, 2019 The heroin and opiate epidemic has caused hepatitis C cases to more than triple in this country in recent years, according to a May 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control; but many drug users don’t know how vulnerable they are to this serious, blood-borne virus and how easy it can be to… Read More
Humans have a relationship with addictive substances at least as old as recorded history. Alcohol consumption is well documented in ancient cultures. Chinese texts refer often to the opium poppy, and it’s a known fact that the “wisest” members of societies in India, Southeast Asia, and the early Americas used hallucinogenic substances to have spiritual visions. The basic… Read More
Asking for help is scary. It forces us to show our vulnerability and give up control over the situation facing us. It also makes us feel like we’re burdening the person we’re asking to help us. This is hard for a lot of people to do because of these mindsets, but it is necessary in most cases. An… Read More
One of the main things lost when a person develops a substance addiction is the desire to maintain their health. When struggling with the addiction, the individual’s mental and physical health is not a priority because they are all consumed by using. Before the addict knows it, their health has completely deteriorated. Being physically out of shape and… Read More
You may have heard that some people are more ‘addiction prone’ than others. Is it possible that identifying an individual at risk of becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol could be done earlier by noticing addictive personality traits? Is the ‘addictive personality’ a real thing, or is it just a casual expression? What is an Addictive Personality? “Addictive… Read More
When trying to break an addiction to a substance, it very often involves having to experience strong cravings and withdrawal. In order to get through the short-term effects of withdrawal and to maintain long-term recovery, practicing self-control helps. This isn’t to say that addiction or relapse is a moral failing of the individual. Addiction is an insidious disease… Read More
Human beings all make mistakes. Individuals trying to quit an addiction can sometimes feel bad and begin abusing again. This return to their old habits is called relapse, and while there are techniques for relapse prevention, sobriety can still be achieved even after relapse with the right support and proper treatment. What Is Relapse? Rehabilitation is not always… Read More
Relapse is typically a natural component of the journey through sobriety. This means that having a proper relapse prevention plan and corresponding skills for making it through if it happens are necessary to getting back on the right track. Relapse Happens, Don’t Give Up The process of getting sober is a simple one, but by no means easy…. Read More
Addiction is a disease, and as with many other diseases like diabetes and cancer, the severity of addiction varies widely depending on a number of factors that substance abuse experts can measure using the addiction severity index, or ASI. Just like how some people with diabetes can manage their condition by making minor lifestyle changes (such as improving… Read More
When you’re searching for help with a substance abuse problem, mental health issue, or both, the last thing you want to worry about is being scammed by deceptive drug addiction ads. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what was happening to countless addicts who clicked on Google rehab ads up until September 2017 – that’s when Google finally cracked down on… Read More