Social anxiety disorder affects nearly 10% of American youth and about 7% of adults. Education regarding the links between social anxiety and drug abuse can help prevent addiction before it begins. However, the most common reason people with social anxiety drink or take drugs is as a form of self-medication. Reducing symptoms through substance use…
Someone who seeks serious pain management or wants to get high often turns to an opioid. These substances may include heroin, prescription pain medication, or morphine. Opioids impact the brain, impairing its ability to function and produce specific chemicals, quickly leading to cravings and dependence. The only way to return to its original functioning is…
Street-level crystal meth is one of the most devastating illegal drugs available on the black market. It takes a tremendous toll on both body and mind. Though some methamphetamines are used medically for certain disorders, the illicit version of this drug, manufactured illegally in unlawful meth labs, wreaks havoc among nearly 2 million Americans every…
Heading into a residential addiction treatment program is a significant step. If you or someone you care about is about to take this step, congratulations are in order. Of the many questions that may be spiraling through your head, “What can I take with me?” might be one of them. Most rehab centers provide suggested…
Addiction does not always fit into neat categories. In fact, most people who suffer from a substance use disorder regularly take more than one substance. Polysubstance abuse refers to the misuse of two or more substances taken in combination. There are several underlying risk factors for polysubstance abuse, but one of them is the presence…
There is one thing that everyone in addiction recovery has in common. They all went through withdrawal. Whatever path someone takes en route to sobriety, whether it’s a 12-step program, a short-term inpatient program, or outpatient rehab, withdrawal must come first. As long as there remains any lingering drug or alcohol in the body, recovery…
Parents never want to learn that their child is using drugs. That desire to not know a painful truth is often powerful enough that we overlook certain red flags. It is relatively easy for the mind to make adjustments in what it thinks it sees, to rationalize behaviors and signs as evidence of something else,…
The power and effectiveness of prayer in addiction recovery are being reaffirmed across the country in numerous recovery settings. In fact, almost three-quarters of rehab options in the US include faith-based addiction treatment programs. Whether part of a 12-step program or used in a residential addiction recovery center, prayer can play an influential role in…
Although a drug habit begins due to behaviors triggered by life experience, addiction is not a habit. It is an illness of the brain that is chronic and incurable. However, with proper treatment, it is possible to manage your addiction. The cycle of addiction is a function of numerous elements that play out in a…
Sober companions are called recovery companions, sober friends, or sober accountability partners. These are people who have specialized training to help people coming out of residential rehab or shifting from partial hospitalization to outpatient treatment. They help those in recovery maintain their sobriety and become healthy, positive contributors within their families, jobs, and society as…