If you were to look back on memories of high school and college, you can probably remember where you fit into the social order. Maybe you were in the glee or debate club, perhaps you hung with the intellectuals or played team sports. Or maybe you were not interested in any of that, choosing to...Read More

When you were growing up, there is a good chance that your parents rewarded you for good behaviors. Such rewards would reinforce your desire to continue the same pattern in the future. Completed chores were probably rewarded with an allowance and following directions were likely rewarded with your parents exhibiting greater trust in your ability...Read More

Abstaining from all mind-altering substances during pregnancy is generally considered to be the safest course of action for any expectant mother. The warnings are pasted on bottles of alcohol and printed on cigarette packs. Taverns typically post disclaimers about the potential harmful effects that alcohol can have on a fetus. And now, in the wake...Read More

People who make a living in the music industry are no strangers to drugs and alcohol. One could even argue that mind-altering substances go hand-in-hand with being in a band. Playing concerts in different cities around the world can put a lot of stress on individuals, not to mention the anxiety that often arises from...Read More

If you were to ask a recovering alcoholic or addict if they wished that they made different associations in their brain when they thought about a drink or a drug, they would probably say “yes.” Those in recovery from addiction have unhealthy relationships with certain substances. And even after drugs or alcohol negatively impact their...Read More

The majority of addiction recovery modalities utilized around that world advocate for complete abstinence. Simply put, no matter what substance you became addicted to, it is best that you refrain from the use of any mind-altering substance. Not only do people who meet the criteria for addiction have a propensity to become dependent on another...Read More

The fight to provide access to substance use disorder treatment centers continues across the country. The need to expand such access has been driven in large part by the American opioid epidemic. Without addiction treatment, the chances of long-term recovery are significantly diminished. Treatment centers provide a safe environment, closed from the realms of influences...Read More

In the field of addiction medicine, preventing relapse is a top priority. It is often said that putting down the bottle or a drug is the easiest part of recovery, the rub is not picking them back up. Which is where a program of recovery comes into the picture. Through daily spiritual maintenance, and working...Read More

“I haven’t lost my mind, it lost me.” The sobering words of late sci-fi fantasy icon Carrie Fisher, better known around the world as Princess Leia, are chilling to say the least. While Fisher is best known for her cinnamon bun hairdos and brandishing laser blasters, she was also an advocate for mental health and...Read More

Today is Christmas Eve and hopefully the stress of shopping and traveling has come to an end. Now, you are probably thinking you can breathe a sigh of relief, relaxing for the remainder of the holiday. But if you are working a program of recovery, that might not be the best course of action. Surely,...Read More