choice house blog

Years ago, those who had completed drug or alcohol inpatient rehabilitation were considered “cured” once they were discharged and sent back to their lives. Today, however, we know better. First, there’s really no “cure” for addiction. And second, recovery is a lifelong pursuit, one in which the individual is best served by a treatment approach…

“If we help heal the animals, Mother Earth will begin to heal, and when this occurs, the people will remember many things they have forgotten; those sacred spaces and places we once called home. This can only bring good into our lives and the lives of others” Mary Ann McCain Co-Founder Song of the Wolf…

Healthcare continues to make significant advances each year, and thankfully, treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) and alcohol addiction is keeping pace. Thankfully, there’s been a shift away from the oversimplified goal of abstinence alone to a more holistic perspective. Today, recommended treatment for substance use disorders and alcoholism validates the need to not only…

  Although the opioid crisis is currently getting more press coverage, there’s another insidious disease that’s quietly wreaking havoc on personal goals and aspirations, families, career plans, financial health, and untold other instances of unrealized potential. It’s the same condition that claims around 88,000 lives each year (roughly twice as many as opiate overdoses). Those…

If you know someone who’s struggling with substance abuse, and you’ve ever thought, Hmmm, I feel like he/she might also have depression/ADHD/generalized anxiety [insert any mental health disorder], you’re observing something known as “dual diagnosis.” Also sometimes referred to as “co-occurring disorders,” the condition describes a situation in which an individual has both a mental…

Building a Case for Connection For a long time, “abstinence” was considered the opposite of addiction. Just put systems in place to ensure the person doesn’t have access to his or her substance of choice… and – ding! – addiction solved. Fortunately, the research and understanding around psychological and physiological addictions continue to evolve, and…

When you care about someone who’s struggling with addiction, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the minutiae of their issues: Are they safe? When did they eat last? Are they feeling lonely? What else could I be doing to help? But just like the flight safety demonstration that tells you to put…

Although frequently considered a disorder associated with mental health challenges, addiction has its roots in a range of complex mitigating factors, among them physiological, environmental, and even genetic components. And while the path to addiction can be as unique as the individuals involved, there are some undeniable facts regarding the condition itself. Addiction has reached…

It’s only natural to want your friends and family members to be happy, successful, and financially stable. But sometimes, even our best intentions overstep the line of support and venture into the realm of enabling, a situation that ultimately benefits no one and one that frequently creeps into formerly healthy relationships when substance abuse is…