Addiction

Marijuana use can have long-term effects on your physical, mental, and emotional health. You might use marijuana legally in your state, depending upon the laws. In Colorado, marijuana use has been legalized for years. Although marijuana may be legal to use, you might still experience adverse long-term effects due to marijuana use. The legality of…

When you have a son in recovery, you might experience difficulty understanding his struggles with addiction. Your son may not be willing to share with you or might fear judgment, especially if he feels like he has failed to live up to your expectations. Children, even emerging adults, might view parents or guardians as infallible…

It is painful watching someone you love go through an addiction that is possibly ruining their lives and affecting those around them. While you know that you have to confront them about their condition, it can be nerve-wracking to figure out how the subject should be approached. Confronting someone about their addiction is a delicate…

Recovery from addiction can affect your social life, as you find that some people may have been encouraging your addiction. As you take inventory of your friends, you may decide who to keep in your life and who to cut. Recovery can be challenging when you find that you need to cut people out of…

Recovery is hard work; ask anyone that has gone through it. However, you’ll find that those who have gone through it and have been sober for many years will tell you that it was the best thing they ever did for themselves despite the difficulty they faced. Recovery is a daunting process. It appears as…

When a person has been diagnosed with a substance use disorder in addition to another mental health disorder diagnosis, this is called a “dual diagnosis.” Dual diagnosis treatment can be a little more difficult because the addiction and mental illness are being treated simultaneously. However, this form of treatment will give you the best chance…

Trauma can change your life forever. Whether it be an event during childhood, your teenage years, or in your adult life, trauma has the ability to change your outlook on life and the world. This is why it is not uncommon for many individuals who have gone through a traumatic experience to develop a drug…

Addiction often does not occur on its own. Many addicts also suffer from co-occurring mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, etc. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 17.5 million Americans, 18 or older, have had a severe mental health disorder in the past year. Four million of those…

Unfortunately, the statistics concerning those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction in the United States are high. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, these statistics also show that men and women are equally likely to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. However, this does not mean that the experience of substance abuse is…