As with any endeavor, half of success in addiction recovery is just avoiding the pitfalls. You can do a lot of things right, but if you make a big enough mistake it could set you back pretty far. The good news is that most mistakes in recovery are easy to avoid if you know what… Continue Reading 7 Mistakes to Avoid in Addiction Recovery
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Lack of motivation can be a major impediment to getting sober. Only about 10 percent of Americans with substance use issues seek and receive treatment. The vast majority of those who don’t seek treatment are just not ready to quit. They might not believe they have a problem, they might fear change, they might fear… Continue Reading How Motivational Interviewing Can Help You Overcome Addiction
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Media coverage of the opioid epidemic in the US has often mentioned the link between addiction and unemployment. Many states that have seen a sharp rise in unemployment in recent years have also had the highest rate of overdose deaths, with West Virginia and Ohio leading the nation. Are addiction and unemployment actually related, or… Continue Reading What’s the Relationship Between Unemployment and Addiction?
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Addiction and borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a common dual diagnosis. BPD is characterized by unstable emotions, self-image, and behavior. This can lead to impulsive behavior and relationship problems. Not only do people with BPD have unstable moods and self-image, but they tend to think in extremes. They may think a friend is completely… Continue Reading How Addiction is Related to Borderline Personality Disorder
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There are some huge disparities among addiction rates in different states. For example, in West Virginia, about 52 out of every 100,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2016, the highest rate in the US, while in Virginia, the rate was just under 17 in 100,000. That’s still relatively high, but the disparity is… Continue Reading Why Are Addiction Rates so High in Some States?
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Depression is one of the most common mental health issues. In 2016, more than 16 million American adults suffered at least one episode of major depression and that number appears to be steadily rising. Symptoms of depression include depressed mood, inability to feel pleasure, loss of interest in activities, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much,… Continue Reading 9 Major Risk Factors for Depression
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LifeRing Secular Recovery is a network of support groups for people who want to overcome addiction. LifeRing is a relatively new mutual support organization, started in 2001. You can participate in LifeRing meetings in person or online. Meetings and materials are free and the organization runs on donations and sales from some materials. Although LifeRing… Continue Reading What is LifeRing?
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In recent years, we’ve come a long way in understanding addiction. People are becoming increasingly aware that addiction is a complex problem related to genes, trauma, upbringing, and mental illness, and not a sign of weakness or a character flaw. Most people know someone who has struggled with addiction, whether they know it or not.… Continue Reading 3 Ways to Fight the Stigma of Addiction
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The majority of people struggling with addiction have another mental health issue too. This is called a dual diagnosis. Often, the other issue is what leads to addiction in the first place. People often use drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with mental health issue, or to self-medicate. Sometimes they use drugs or… Continue Reading The 7 Most Common Dual Diagnoses
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There are many different kinds of mutual aid groups for addiction. There is SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, LifeRing, Celebrate Recovery, and others. Despite the growth of new options in recent decades, 12-step programs remain the most popular option by far. Someone struggling with addiction can find a 12-step meeting in almost any part of the… Continue Reading Do You Have to Be Religious for 12-step Programs to Work?
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