7 Dangers of Detoxing Alone

death. Every effective treatment plan includes a process called detoxification. Drug detox and alcohol detox rid the body of the toxic substances in which it has become dependent. Detox is among the first steps toward recovery. If you’ve asked yourself, Can I detox alone? The short answer is no. Drug detox and alcohol detox should be attempted only under the direct supervision of a trained medical professional. Here are seven reasons why: Read More

Prescription vs. Illicit Drug Addiction

When we think of “drug abuse,” most of our minds probably go straight to illicit drug use. But prescription drug abuse has grown into a national problem over the past few decades, with sad and shocking statistics to show for it. Read More

Why Are Co-Occurring Disorders So Common?

“Co-occurring disorders,” sometimes referred to as “dual diagnosis,” or “comorbidity,” is a term used to identify when a person has both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition. The incidence of co-occurring disorders is fairly common because of the way that a person’s physical condition and their mental and emotional state affect each other. Addiction and mental health disorders often perpetuate each other; people may seek out substances to self-medicate mental health symptoms, or they may develop a mental health condition due to the effect of substances on the body. Both conditions need to be treated so that a person can live a fulfilling life in recovery. Read More

Introducing Recovery Replay

The fact that everyone seems to have a podcast these days is not lost on Dominic Lawson. As the host and producer of Beyond Theory podcast for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare (MBH), the recovery podcast vet has discovered something extraordinary about the decidedly old-school medium: the ability to tell a complete, three-dimensional narrative. This approach has helped MBH’s newest addiction recovery podcast, Recovery Replay, stand out in a crowd. Read More

The New Workaholism

By Anna McKenzie The nature of work has changed in recent years, but workaholism is still as prevalent as ever. Why is this the case? Advances in technology promised us the ability to work less; but now that we can work from anywhere — and more people are working… Read More

The Growing Trend of Sports Betting

By Melissa Riddle Chalos When the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, it was as if Pandora’s box opened, giving millions of American sports fans instant and legal access to gambling. By 2021, 25 states would give it the green light. No wonder… Read More

Can Life Transitions Lead to Addiction or Mental Health Issues?

By Anna McKenzie Young adulthood may seem like the peak time for addiction and mental health struggles, but statistics show that older adults are becoming increasingly more susceptible to these conditions. In fact, according to The New England Journal of Medicine, up to 8 million… Read More

9/11 20 Years Later: Dealing with Grief

By Melissa Riddle Chalos Every year since the tragic events of 9/11, we pause to remember and mourn the unfathomable loss of life that we as a country sustained in those terrible days. An entire generation has been born in the 20 years that have passed, but grief does not… Read More

Addiction’s Impact on You

By Beau Black How does addiction affect you? Substance use disorder impacts all of us, directly or indirectly; the effects of addiction may be physical, relational, financial, societal. The effects of addiction on those around us like family, friends, and co-workers are wide-ranging, but what about its… Read More

Family Roles in Addiction and Impact on Recovery

By Wesley Gallagher In addition to establishing healthy habits as an individual, every person in recovery needs to learn how to have healthy relationships with family members and other loved ones.  If addiction thrives in isolation, recovery thrives in community, and whether it’s our family of origin or the… Read More