One of the hardest things about recovering from substance abuse disorders is the feeling that you are alone and/or misunderstood in your struggles. You may feel unable to articulate both your experiences with addiction and your experiences with recovery. As you start to analyze and think back to the onset of your addiction, you may…
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People struggle with substance use for a variety of reasons- for some, it’s trauma or inadequate coping mechanisms, for others, it’s how they deal with a psychiatric disorder. According to the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), 37 percent of people living with alcoholism and 53 percent of those addicted to other drugs also live…
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We’ve learned through experience things don’t improve simply because we hope they will- the Optimistic Addict is an oxymoron. Our addictions teach us tomorrow will simply be a repeat of today: a scramble to feed our addiction, to cover it up, to put on the face we think the world expects to see. When we…
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Addiction disorder is a complex condition that can affect anyone regardless of their individual personalities. While there is still much debate about why it is that some people develop addictions while others do not, the general consensus among experts is that addiction is a disorder stemming from the brain and not from character. Though there…
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You might think you have a problem but you might not know what to do or how to go about solving it. You may lack motivation or hope or even desire. You might not see yourself as worthy of recovery or are afraid of a life without your illness. You Are Not “Less Than” One…
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Opioid addiction is more than just a lifestyle- it’s a chemical change in the body, much like diabetes or hypertension. Understanding this can change the way you think about your illness. It’s not that you are a bad person or weak, it’s certainly not something you asked for. Judging yourself in this manner blocks effective…
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Everyone experiences loss, nothing in this world is permanent. Some things can be long-term but eventually, they too will fall away. As someone who struggles with substance use, you might experience more loss than others. Addiction can take away family and friends, steal dignity, honesty, and self-esteem. However, many of these things can be reclaimed,…
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Historically speaking, much of past research on substance use and addiction has been focused on male subjects. Over the past 15 years, however, there has been a significant growth in attention to gender differences in substance abuse. An extensive review of literature published between 1975 and 2005 on substance abuse treatment among women found that…
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Stress is a natural response to any kind of demand put on the body and mind. It comes from both positive and negative experiences. It is, however, more than a state of mind, it is also a physical reaction. Your body releases chemicals that give you more energy and strength which is helpful if you…
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Often, addiction changes the way people think- it creates false impressions and undermines confidence until the person living with addiction honestly believes they cannot live without their illness. It alters perception until you begin to think that the only way they can deal with life, either the good or the bad is through their addictions.…
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