Is there a difference between dependence vs. addiction? It’s hard for most people to see how these two components impact their lives and their ability to stop using drugs and alcohol. Yet, this concept is an important one. Understanding when you have a physical dependence and when you have an addiction can help you to…
Detox is an integral part of substance abuse treatment programs for meth addiction. Individuals going through detox and withdrawal are expected to experience mild to severe meth withdrawal symptoms. As much as the thought of symptoms such as panic attacks or hallucinations can be daunting, the process is necessary to help you overcome meth addiction. If…
You’ve heard the term, and the name sounds safe. But exactly what is synthetic marijuana? The answer may surprise you. Synthetic marijuana, which attempts to be natural, isn’t. Rather, the only natural part of this product is the plant base on which synthetic chemicals have been sprayed. There’s little-to-no regulation regarding synthetic marijuana, except to say…
There are many factors that can contribute to our addictions – our family’s experience with substance abuse, our genetic makeup, our mental illnesses and our lack of healthy emotional coping skills. One factor we often ignore but that can be particularly problematic is boredom. When we think of boredom, we think of it as being…
Forgiveness can be hard to do when you have so much anger inside of you. When you know someone struggling with addiction, all you can think about when you look at that person is all the hurt they caused you. Practicing forgiveness is an important step in maintaining a relationship with a recovering addict to…
One element of our addiction recovery that we don’t always take the time to address is the prevalence of our unhealthy boundaries. We often are so eager to return to our regular routines, to see our family and friends, and to get on with our lives, that we don’t even think of our boundaries as…
We use our addictions in different ways in our lives, one of the most common being that we’re attempting to fill the emptiness we feel within us. We use drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships, gambling, and any substance or behavior that makes us feel good, to compensate for the voids we feel in our lives and…
A huge contributor to our addictions and mental health issues is our lack of self-worth. We feel insecure about who we are, about our illnesses, about where we are in our lives. We feel ashamed of ourselves. Our shame and lack of self-worth make us think we don’t deserve to be happy or experience the…
As parents, our children’s well-being is of the utmost importance to us and is usually our highest priority. We are responsible for their upbringing and their health, and we take our responsibility very seriously. We feel honored to be their parents. When we’re struggling with addiction, our priorities can become totally skewed. The toxic substances…
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). When we’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, we’re overcome with an intense need for relief from our emotional pain. We’re often depressed and battling other mental health issues, and often addiction as well. We become convinced that the thoughts…