A woman smiles as she thinks about the question, can OCD be cured?

Can OCD Be Cured?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts and rituals meant to relieve the anxiety created by those thoughts. Typical obsessive thoughts include fear of germs or contamination; unwanted taboo thought, often about sex, religion, or harming oneself or others; or having things perfectly symmetrical or in some specific order. To… Continue Reading Can OCD Be Cured?

A man walks by a lake and thinks about why you shouldn't punish yourself after a relapse

Why You Shouldn’t Punish Yourself After a Relapse

It’s normal to be disappointed if you relapse, especially if you’ve been sober for a while. You may feel like you’ve wasted all your hard work and disappointed the people who care about you. You may feel an impulse to punish yourself, either by beating yourself up emotionally, or engaging in some other self-destructive behavior.… Continue Reading Why You Shouldn’t Punish Yourself After a Relapse

A man stands outside and thinks about how addiction can change your personality

7 Ways Addiction Can Change Your Personality

A substance use disorder can have many negative effects on your life, damaging your relationships, finances, career, and health. Perhaps most disturbing is the way substance use changes your brain. Your neurotransmitter levels change to adjust to the presence of the substance and brain imaging studies suggest the structure of your brain actually changes with… Continue Reading 7 Ways Addiction Can Change Your Personality

Thoughtful man looking out the window and wonders if you're ever safe from developing a substance use disorder

Are You Ever Safe from Developing a Substance Use Disorder?

Substance use disorders are complex and unpredictable. If two people have similar risk factors for addiction, one may have a serious problem while the other doesn’t and the reason for the difference may not be apparent. While there probably isn’t anyone with zero risk for developing a substance use disorder, there are certain people with… Continue Reading Are You Ever Safe from Developing a Substance Use Disorder?

A group of men and women sit close together to talk about how recovery ways will soon be in the tricare network

Recovery Ways Will Soon Be in the Tricare Network

Recovery Ways is excited to announce we are going in-network with Tricare. This means that our intensive outpatient program, or IOP, as well as our partial hospitalization program, or PHP, will be covered as in-network for patients with Tricare. Tricare is a program that covers the civilian healthcare component of the US Department of Defense… Continue Reading Recovery Ways Will Soon Be in the Tricare Network

A man in business suit sitting in studio with palms touching while resting his leg on chair as he thinks about 4 tips for staying positive in addiction recovery

4 Tips for Staying Positive in Addiction Recovery

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of staying positive in addiction recovery. A positive, optimistic attitude promotes happiness and persistence, while a negative, pessimistic attitude promotes depression and resignation. There will always be challenges in recovery and a positive attitude will help you stick with it even when you feel like you’re struggling. Pessimism and… Continue Reading 4 Tips for Staying Positive in Addiction Recovery

A rainbow image of the brain reminds viewers about how addiction and depression may share brain circuitry

Addiction and Depression May Share Brain Circuitry

Depression and addiction often go together. While about 10 percent of the general population will develop a substance use disorder, in people diagnosed with depression that number is around 30 percent. The connection between substance use and depression is complicated. Depression can lead to addiction as a form of self-medicating and addiction can also lead… Continue Reading Addiction and Depression May Share Brain Circuitry

A woman hugs a pillow to her face as she thinks about how deep brain stimulation may relieve depression symptoms

Deep Brain Stimulation May Relieve Depression Symptoms

Depression affects about 16 million Americans every year and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. While many people with depression can be treated effectively with medication and psychotherapy, as many as 30 percent of people don’t respond well to conventional treatment. A new study shows promise for treating severe depression with deep brain electrical… Continue Reading Deep Brain Stimulation May Relieve Depression Symptoms