Opioid addiction plagues millions of lives in our modern society. Have you recently noticed a change in appearance that has caused you to suspect your loved one is suffering from an addiction? Maybe they have recently undergone a life event such as a job loss, legal trouble, or an injury that requires a pain medication like Oxycontin or Percocet.
Facing the realization that your friend or loved one has been abusing drugs or alcohol is a tough reality to face. You may have noticed signs that your friend or family member has been struggling with a private battle or recently discovered their problem. Opening a dialogue about their substance abuse is a process often plagued by feelings of guilt, self-blame, worry, and frustration, but providing your loved one with a safe and supportive foundation can help them recognize they need help and keep them committed to recovery.
Over the holidays parties, family gatherings, get-togethers with friends, and enormous Christmas dinners come hand in hand. It can be easy to forget that the festive season is about spending time with those we love, not just hopping around from gathering to gathering.
This can pose particular challenges for people in recovery. Being surrounded by triggers and temptation leads to relapse. How can you support your friend or family member trying to recover during this time?
Do you have a hard time during the holiday season? This is often a time of year when family and friends spend time together, and cities are bustling with life, shopping, and all the seasonal merriment.
The holidays also offer up a lot of tricky situations when we are at our most vulnerable. There may be triggers that come along with the end-of-the-year celebrations. The temptation to drink or use is heightened. With that in mind, here are four methods to help you start the new year sober or clean.
Once you give up drinking, it can seem like half the things you used to enjoy are off the table. But if half your social life revolves around alcohol, this is unhealthy and may have been a contributing factor that leads to addiction. Deciding to live without alcohol may seem challenging, but all you have to do is look for things you can substitute for drinking.
“Trauma-Informed Care” is the new kid on the block when it comes to addiction treatment. But what exactly does it mean?
Trauma-informed care recognizes that it is not only physical trauma that can have long-lasting neurological, emotional, social, biological, and psychological effects. It also involves five guiding principles that are adhered to by people’s physical and emotional safety.
Do your genes determine your fate? Why can one person drink normally, while another loses all control? Are some people destined to become addicts due to the quirks of their genetic makeup - factors beyond their control? Can nurture overcome nature? Today we tackle the debate - are substance abuse disorders genetic?
Managers and employers can feel helpless watching a formerly happy and valued employee become a severe blockage towards getting things done. You begin to suspect that they may have a substance addiction but are not quite sure. What happens next is highly delicate, and there are right and wrong ways to approach it. Here’s what to do.
