Relapse is common in addiction recovery. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 40 and 60 percent of people relapse within a year of treatment. [https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery] The nature of addiction makes relapse common. It combines deeply ingrained habits, physical dependence, and neurological changes that all tend to keep you trapped in addictive behavior.…
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When someone accepts that her substance use has become a problem, often her first thought is to attend a 12-Step program like AA or NA. These programs have been around for decades and helped millions of people get sober. Twelve-step programs certainly have some advantages. A big one is that they’re free and open to…
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One of the most important things to remember about addiction recovery is that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. Enthusiasm and willpower will only get you so far. Everyone has good days and bad days in recovery, and the bad days can make it seem like the whole project is doomed to fail. While…
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If your substance use has become a problem or if you are recovering from a substance use disorder, your job may be part of the problem. People in some jobs have a much higher risk of developing substance use disorders than others. The most significant factors that contribute to substance use include stress, odd or…
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People recovering from addiction often want to know when they can start dating again. This is especially true of teens and young adults who would most likely be dating, had their substance use not intervened. Most experts recommend that you have at least a year of solid recovery before you start dating again. Here’s why.…
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As the opioid crisis in the US has continued to get worse in recent years, there has been a lot of media coverage of the causes of addiction. Many people have also been personally affected by the opioid crisis. Therefore, many people have had to reconsider what they thought they knew about addiction. Although there…
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Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. Research from Hootsuite shows that 88 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 use social media and the average internet user has more than seven social media accounts. [https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics-for-social-media-managers/] We use social media to keep up with friends and family, follow…
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The idea that someone has to hit rock bottom before they are willing to accept help or able to follow through with treatment is one of the most persistent and dangerous myths about addiction. There are a number of problems with this myth. “Rock bottom” is arbitrary. The first issue with the rock bottom idea…
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Most people who need help for addiction don’t get it. One study found that fewer than 25 percent of Americans with a substance use disorder get any sort of treatment. [https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/10-percent-us-adults-have-drug-use-disorder-some-point-their-lives] Some of those people lack access to care, either because they live in rural areas or they believe they can’t afford it. However, many…
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Bipolar disorder is a major risk factor for developing a substance use disorder. One study found that among people with bipolar disorder, 56 percent developed a substance use disorder at some point in their lives. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851027/] By comparison, just over eight percent of American adults have a drug or alcohol use disorder. [https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2790/ShortReport-2790.html] Bipolar disorder…
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