A man does research on his computer about 5 tips to find a job after treatment

5 Tips for Finding a Job After Treatment

Finding a job after treatment can be challenging. In addition to the normal challenges of job hunting, people recovering from addiction may have to explain employment gaps, job loss, and possibly jail time. What’s more, since addiction typically begins at a young age, many people will have lost educational opportunities, perhaps dropping out of high… Continue Reading 5 Tips for Finding a Job After Treatment

A woman talks with her therapist about how 12 step alternatives can be just as effective

12-step Alternatives Can Be Just as Effective

AA is probably the best known way to quit drinking. It is 80 years old and has millions of members worldwide. Most people are familiar with the basic ideas behind 12-step programs, including the higher power, the moral inventory, making amends, sharing, and sponsorship. If you need help for addiction and aren’t sure what to… Continue Reading 12-step Alternatives Can Be Just as Effective

A woman hangs her head as she tries to fight the 4 lies people with addictions tell themselves

4 Lies People with Addictions Tell Themselves

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

A man talks to his wife about 4 common excuses for not getting treatment

4 Common Excuses for Not Getting Addiction Treatment

Getting someone you love to enter addiction treatment is often difficult. You may experience several stages of resistance. First, they don’t acknowledge the problem. Then, they may acknowledge they have a problem but they can take care of it on their own. After these two hurdles have been cleared, they may resort to practical objections.… Continue Reading 4 Common Excuses for Not Getting Addiction Treatment

A man sits on a low stone wall and wonders if you ever completely recover from addiction

Do You Ever Completely Recover from Addiction?

One popular belief about addiction is that once someone develops a substance use disorder, she will always have it, even though she might learn to control it. This idea, like many beliefs about addiction, owes much of its popularity to AA. In AA, members introduce themselves as alcoholics–never “former alcoholics,” even if they’ve not had… Continue Reading Do You Ever Completely Recover from Addiction?

A therapist talks to a young man about which is better: methadone or suboxone

Which is Better: Methadone or Suboxone?

Methadone and Suboxone are drugs commonly used in opioid replacement therapy, a form of medication assisted therapy, or MAT. Methadone and Suboxone both work by mimicking the effects of opioids, only they don’t cause the same euphoria. Therefore, they can reduce the intense cravings that so often derail recovery from opioid addiction while allowing the… Continue Reading Which is Better: Methadone or Suboxone?

A doctor talks to his patient about whether people on MAT need medication forever

Do People on MAT Need Medication Forever?

Medication assisted treatment, or MAT, means using FDA-approved medications in conjunction with counselling or treatment to recovery from addiction. The most common and controversial form of MAT is opioid replacement therapy, in which patients typically take methadone or buprenorphine to control drug cravings and prevent relapse. While opioid replacement therapy is controversial, it is not… Continue Reading Do People on MAT Need Medication Forever?