While deciding to seek treatment for your mental health or substance use disorder is excellent, you may feel stuck as you narrow down a treatment facility and program. With so many different facilities and programs to choose from, how do you know which will be the best fit? There are two main categories of treatment … Read more
Substance use and addiction often make people feel ashamed, guilty and distraught over their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Many people avoid seeking treatment and recovery because they think they are not yet ready to face the distressing emotions and consequences that their substance use has caused. However, many people neglect to realize that not all … Read more
Content Reviewed by Jennifer Wheeler, Clinical & Community Outreach Over the last several years, the term “depressed” has been used much more frequently. Some people may use it to label emotional numbness, while others may describe a period of loss. However, it is important to understand that depression is not a term to use loosely, … Read more
Content Reviewed by Jennifer Wheeler, Clinical & Community Outreach What is the purpose of existence? What happens after death? We live in a world with an abundance of unknowns. Nearly everyone will begin to question these unknowns at some point in life. Humans are meaning-makers. Finding meaning in life helps people relate better to others, … Read more
One of the largest misconceptions about addiction is that it is a choice. While addiction may develop from the initial decision to use substances, it takes over vital brain regions responsible for motivating individuals to carry out specific tasks and responsibilities. Nearly all brain areas are affected by addiction, especially the brain’s reward center. The … Read more
Content Reviewed by Jennifer Wheeler, Clinical & Community Outreach To effectively treat substance use conditions such as addiction, treatment must begin with detoxification. Detoxification, more commonly referred to as detox, is the experience of being medically supervised and guided when weaning or withdrawing from alcohol or other drugs. Detox programs often utilize medications to help … Read more
Depression is often a crippling condition. It is a severe but common mood disorder that can affect how a person thinks and feels and especially an individual’s ability to carry out everyday responsibilities. Depression often co-occurs with substance use disorders (SUDs), such as addiction, as people attempt to self-medicate their numbness with drugs, alcohol and … Read more
Faith is often deemed a key component in the treatment and recovery process. Nearly 73% of treatment centers across the United States offer some sort of spirituality-based element in their programs. They recognize the contribution of faith in helping people overcome their substance use and preventing them from future relapse. Renowned 12-step programs such as … Read more
Content Reviewed by Jennifer Wheeler, Clinical & Community Outreach Substance use and addiction can result in intense consequences such as interpersonal relationship problems, financial instability, career issues and legal problems, among other things. After these consequences become clear, you may find yourself pulling your life together with the help of addiction treatment. However, treatment can … Read more
Since recovery is a lifelong journey, there will inevitably be bumps in the road. These bumps are not only exclusive to the initial phases of recovery as they can pop out of seemingly nowhere years down the road. Unexpected adversity can put your sobriety in jeopardy. As you evolve in your healing, you must also … Read more