Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer. Yet much of the public does not know about this danger or the full extent of it. In efforts to raise awareness, former Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, M.D., issued a public advisory in January 2025. It called for cancer warnings on all alcoholic beverages, much like labels on ... Read More
Search Results for: anxiety
The Consequences for Pets of Substance Abuse
Substance abuse rarely affects just the individual. It tends to become a challenge for everyone in the addict's life, including the silent companions. Pets need their owners for their health and safety, often mirroring their household's stress, anxiety and even trauma. From the risks of accidental poisoning to a lack ... Read More
Remote Therapy: Signs That It’s Working, from an Expert
More Americans than ever before are receiving therapy, and most of them — via a working Internet connection and online meeting platform. Remote therapy soared in popularity during the pandemic and has only continued to gain ground, thanks to its convenience and other advantages. Such benefits have helped many people ... Read More
Managing Stress Without Turning to Substances
One of the most challenging hurdles for an addict is learning how to deal with stress without alcohol. In fact, studies have shown that 50% of people relapse within the first 12 weeks after leaving treatment. A fight with their partner, a stressful day at work or a bad encounter with a stranger could send a person ... Read More
5 Key Benefits of Residential Treatment for Addiction
Addiction is a complex illness that most often requires professional treatment. Uncomfortable or dangerous withdrawal symptoms, environments with triggers or reminders of substance use, and friends and family in active addiction are just a few of the factors that make it difficult to maintain sobriety. By choosing ... Read More
2025 Graduate Hope for Healing Winner: The Power of “Feeling Seen and Heard”
Kim Koger doesn’t remember much from her early years in a foster home in South Korea — and the circumstances that brought her there are still hazy. Her birth parents had reportedly abandoned her at a police telephone booth. There was no birth certificate. Those first childhood memories are hard to access and faint ... Read More
Victoria Riancho, M.Ed., RMHCI, CRC
Victoria Riancho, M.Ed., RMHCI, CRC Clinical Therapist Victoria Riancho is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Her other treatment modalities are Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, ... Read More
Depression and Addiction
Depression and addiction often occur together, and people can be left wondering, does one cause the other? Which one happens first? The truth is, they're closely related and it's possible for substance abuse to exacerbate depression, while people with depression often turn to substances to self-medicate. It's a complex ... Read More
