Blogs
Double or Nothing: The Two Diseases That Want Me Dead
I have two diseases that want me dead.One is addiction, a progressive, incurable and potentially fatal disease that presents as a physical compulsion and mental …
No Map or Compass
There is nothing unique about my beginnings with alcoholism. The first time I got drunk it was exactly what every other alcoholic says, something inside …
Writers In Treatment: Melding Recovery, the Arts, and Information
When people in the addiction treatment industry consider the most innovative recovery figures, their thoughts often turn to Leonard Buschel. As the founder of the …
Practical Strategies for Families Struggling with Addiction
Today I write from my heart based on my clinical knowledge and research in the behavioral health field and my own years of field experience. My …
A Temporary Suicide
“Men intoxicated are sometimes stunned into sobriety.”- Lord Mansfield (1769)Today marks five years since I had my last drink. Or maybe yesterday marks that anniversary; I’m …
The Top 10 Worst Meth Transformations
Methamphetamine abuse or meth addiction is a dangerous problem in the United States. More than 14.7 million people have tried it, and almost 100,000 are …
Construction Of The Addiction Process: The Building Blocks
Why is it that addiction affects some individuals and not others? Is it because of personal weakness or lack of will? No, it is not. …
Breaking Free from Codependence
Do you find that you’re always the one giving — to friends, strangers or loved ones? If you’re always giving but getting little back in …
Understanding Dependence Versus Addiction
Opioids are powerful substances, whether they’re being used in a medically-sanctioned way or abused. Any opioid is likely to have an impact on your health …
The Role of Psychedelic Plant Medicines in Addiction Treatment
Psychedelic plant medicines have the potential to help many people who are in recovery from substance use disorder dig deep into the roots of their …
Positive And Negative Reinforcement: The Pursuit Of Pleasure And The Escape From Pain
Defining Positive And Negative Reinforcement Addiction is a complex process. What drives people to use illicit substances or alcohol in destructive ways? What makes someone …
For Pregnant Women, Stigma Complicates Opioid Misuse Treatment
New and expectant mothers face unique challenges when seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. On top of preparing for motherhood, expectant mothers often face …
How (Not) To Date in Sobriety: My Dinner with Steve, the Movie
I thought, “I’m building intimacy!” He called it stalking. I said I was sharing. He said oversharing. Through ten years of sober dating in New …
Chemical Communicators: How Drugs Speak To The Brain
Chemicals And The Brain The brain is a complex network of neurons that communicate through the use of chemicals. These chemical compounds are referred to …
The Role of Trauma in Treating Addiction
The word trauma is used today more than it ever was ten years ago. While some people might feel like the word is overused, many …
Definitions Of Addiction: Historical Views Versus Today’s Views
The definition of addiction that was adopted by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Board of Directors in September 2019 is, “Addiction is a …
Confronted with Multiple Crises, Latinos Draw Upon Culture and Community (Enfrentando múltiples crisis, los latinos recurren a la cultura y a la comunidad)
By: Roxana Hernandez, MPH; Shayla Anderson, MPH, CHES; Victoria Chau, Ph.D., MPH; Larke Huang, Ph.D., SAMHSA Office of Behavioral Health Equity National Hispanic Heritage Month …
Help Without Hurting
When problems from drug use begin to mount, such as relapses, lost jobs, school suspensions, neglect of responsibilities, DUIs, etc., friends and family members sometimes …
Opinion: The Opioid Crisis + COVID-19 = The Perfect Storm
Addiction – a chronic relapsing brain disorder, and a disease that gets deeply personal. It gets low-down and dirty, too.If you’re not an addict yourself, …
The Five Pillars of Recovery from Trauma and Addiction
In my forty-five years, I enjoyed twelve years of quasi-normal childhood, which ended abruptly when I was raped. I spent the next ten years in …
Failing
We’re together for the first time in five years, the three of us. Three sisters. Terry, the oldest, pastes us together with persistence and illusion. …
Zion Recovery
Zion Recovery makes it clear from the get-go that its approach to recovery is rooted in spirituality and that they are not like other treatment …
How You Can Deal With Loneliness Without Alcohol
Have you ever felt lonely? That feeling you get at a party when you don’t know anyone? Maybe after a long week without hearing from …
How to Quit Drinking: The Princess Is in Another Castle
The first thing I did when I started to think that I probably absolutely had to stop drinking was finally reach out to a close …