Anyone who has had a loved one who struggles with substance use has probably been frustrated by that person’s evasiveness, stubbornness, and lying. Deception and secrecy are common characteristics of addiction, but people who struggle with addiction don’t just lie to others; they lie to themselves as well. Here are some common lies people with… Continue Reading 4 Lies People with Addictions Tell Themselves
This is the second of three posts based on the work of writer Johann Hari, whose search for answers about his own depression led to his book Lost Causes: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression–and the Unexpected Solution. In the first post in this series, we looked at some problems with the idea that depression… Continue Reading Depression Isn’t All in Your Head, Part 2: Meeting Psychological Needs
The new year is a time for taking stock of where you are and where you want to go. If you’re recovering from a substance use disorder, the new year might be a good time to renew your commitment to sobriety or challenge yourself to take the next step, whatever that is for you. When… Continue Reading 5 New Year’s Resolutions for People in Recovery
This is the first of three posts based on the work of writer Johann Hari, whose search for answers about his own depression led to his book Lost Causes: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression–and the Unexpected Solution. Most of us are familiar with the standard explanation for depression: depression is the result of a… Continue Reading Depression Isn’t All in Your Head, Part 1: Problems with the Standard Model
Every year, about 20 million Americans struggle with some kind of substance use issue. For every one of these, there are many more spouses, siblings, parents, children, and friends whose lives are affected by a loved one’s addiction. All of these people feel a sense of cautious optimism whenever their loved one agrees to treatment… Continue Reading What to Say to a Loved One Who has Relapsed?
Opioid withdrawal can be difficult and painful. It is often described as a terrible flu. Symptoms include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, goosebumps, yawning, runny nose, muscle and bone aches, tearing up, fever, sweating, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These symptoms typically peak after a few days then begin to decline. For most people, acute withdrawal… Continue Reading Can You Die from Opioid Withdrawal?
Perfectionism and substance use often go together. Perfectionists often have unrealistically high expectations for themselves and then are extremely hard on themselves when they don’t meet those expectations. Perfectionists are often harshly self-critical. Their unyielding attitude can lead to anxiety, depression, and addiction. Perfectionism can also make recovery much harder, since as with other things,… Continue Reading 4 Ways to Overcome Perfectionism
With the opioid epidemic growing every year, federal, state, and local governments are doing whatever they can to increase access to treatment. A big part of that is making sure addiction treatment is covered by insurance and funding programs to help get more people into treatment. Generally speaking, this is a good thing. Every year,… Continue Reading How Do You Know if an Addiction Treatment Center is Good?
When you think of someone struggling with a substance use disorder, “perfectionist” may not be the first word that comes to mind. We tend to think of perfectionists as people who have it together, who are organized, who pay attention to details. On the other hand, we may think of someone with a substance use… Continue Reading How Addiction and Perfectionism are Related
It’s often said that relapse is part of recovery, that, far from being a catastrophe, it’s a necessary step in overcoming addiction. Others say this message is unnecessarily pessimistic and creates an expectation of failure. Which way of thinking about relapse is most helpful for people trying to recover from a substance use disorder? First,… Continue Reading Is Relapse Part of Recovery?
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