Addiction

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Founded in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA), the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the mental wellness of all, its purpose is to raise awareness, educate the public, and dispel the harmful myths surrounding mental illness. In that spirit, it’s a good time to reach out to someone…

When we look back at the past hundred years, it’s easy to see how far we’ve come in regards to mental illness. Advances in psychiatry have given us a deeper understanding of the mind, so we now recognize mental health and substance use disorders as real, treatable conditions that can be managed with the right…

Substance abuse often results in legal trouble. According to the Bureau of Justice, 21% of prisoners are incarcerated for crimes related to drugs or alcohol, and over half meet the criteria for addiction or dependency. Because of this, you might assume that an attorney’s exposure to substance abuse comes from their clientele, but this isn’t…

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month. That means it’s a good time to reflect on our drinking habits and how it affects our daily lives, but alcohol use is so common that it can be difficult to know if you or a loved one has a problem. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse…

Last year was fraught with change. In January, many of us were hoping that the pandemic was over and things could get back to normal, but we realized that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Even with the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, the world was introduced to new variants, new challenges and new…

Alcoholism is a crippling disease. While many people drink to lower their inhibitions or alleviate stress, others use alcohol in more problematic ways, becoming dependent on it to function or get through the day. Unfortunately, drinking is widely accepted and found in most social settings, including parties, family gatherings and even work-related events. This often…

We’ve all read headlines of high-powered executives, entertainers and politicians going to rehab for a drug or alcohol problem. While it’s often surprising, the fact is that addiction affects people from all walks of life, regardless of age, gender or occupation. It doesn’t matter how impressive your resume is — substance abuse can turn your…

If you need help overcoming addiction but are worried that going to rehab will get you fired, you’re not alone. Lots of people spend years building a career and don’t want to jeopardize their hard work by admitting they have a drug or alcohol problem. But hiding your addiction from your boss isn’t practical and…

Most people think of addiction as a personal issue, one that only affects individuals and their families. But substance abuse also greatly impacts society at large, costing us between $400 to $600 billion each year. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), our employers shoulder much of this expense and lose up to $120…