From reading the headlines, it’s easy to get the impression that fatal overdoses are almost always caused by opioids, especially heroin and potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil. While opioids are responsible for a large share of opioid deaths, they are rarely the only drug involved and a significant number of fatal overdoses don’t…
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…
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…
Recovery from addiction is not a straight line. Nearly everyone has slip-ups, setbacks, and relapses. Everyone has bad days when they feel like they can’t possibly last much longer in recovery. When these setbacks happen, whether it’s something relatively small like losing your temper or something more serious like a relapse, the important thing is…
The many downsides to addiction are well known. Addiction can damage your health, stall your career, undermine your relationships, ruin your finances, lead to mental health issues, and even cause death. No one with even a vague awareness of the problems addiction typically causes would choose addiction. Millions of Americans struggle with addiction every year…
Living with addiction, we have not been committed to our own well-being for quite some time. For many of us, our own health has not been a priority for many years, even decades, of our lives. Our focus and energy have gone predominantly to maintaining our addictions, to covering our tracks so people aren’t suspicious,…
The third week in January is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, or NDAFW. It was started by scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, to push back against the misinformation about drugs and alcohol that teens learn from TV, movies, music, friends, and random people on the internet. During NDAFW, people…
For many of us struggling with addiction, our fears that our children are being affected by our addiction can be a major catalyst for us to finally get the help we need. We worry that our issues are adversely affecting our children, even when we try as hard as we can to keep them separate…
Social media addiction has been much in the news lately. While experts agree that calling obsessive social media use an addiction is hyperbolic, especially considering the damage that substance addictions can do to your life, excessive social media use is still a cause for concern. Many studies have now found associations between social media use…
Self-awareness is one of the most important skills to improve recovery from addiction or mental illness. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize your own emotional reactions, triggers, patterns, and effect on others. It’s a major factor in understanding why you do what you do and why others react the way they do. Having greater self-awareness…
We are in-network with University of Utah Health Plans, Select Health & PEHP!