According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), almost 20 million American adults battled a substance use disorder in 2017. There is every indication that this number has continued to rise over the past 5 years. These numbers are staggering and suggest that millions of families in this country have one or more loved ones who may be struggling...[ read more ]
Watching a loved-one self-destruct and feeling helpless to stop them can feel devastating, particularly when that person is in complete denial about their unhealthy life patterns. While you may feel hopeless, there is something you can do to try and help your loved one get the help they need to change their life.What is an Intervention?An intervention is a carefully...[ read more ]
Addiction can take many forms—for example, people can become addicted to smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, gambling, and shopping. But regardless of the type of addiction in question, many members of the mental health community use the “four Cs” to determine whether someone is an addict: compulsion, craving, control, and consequences.1. CompulsionAs someone becomes addicted to something—whether it be...[ read more ]
August 1st is International Overdose Awareness Day; a day to raise awareness and commemorate loved ones who have died from a drug overdose. According to the CDC, over 70,000 Americans died from a drug-involved overdose in 2019 alone. That number reflects the fact our nation is currently suffering from a serious opioid epidemic.Losing a loved one to a drug overdose...[ read more ]
There are times when a person is diagnosed with a mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety. Other times, someone might be diagnosed as having a substance abuse issue. When someone has both a mental health issue and a substance abuse issue, we call it a dual diagnosis.How Does Dual Diagnosis Develop?Often, addictive behaviors are a result of someone...[ read more ]
Not many of us remember our teenage years as walks in the park. That’s because this time in our life is punctuated by uncertainties, social pressure, and a surge of hormones. Because of this perfect storm, many teens act out, which can cause a lot of chaos and disruption in the home and family.Here are 3 reasons why teens can...[ read more ]
Addiction doesn’t just affect those who are abusing drugs or alcohol, it affects everyone around them as well. When a family member becomes an addict, it is often hard to know the right thing to say or how to act around them.But there are things you can do to help your loved one and yourself during this critical time.Take Care...[ read more ]
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs in the world – if not the toughest. After all, children do not come with manuals or operating instructions. Looking for guidance, many parents turn to their own childhoods to pick up clues on how to raise children the right way, or at the very least, how not to raise them the wrong way.But times change. Childhoods of...[ read more ]
The decision to quit smoking is not an easy one – but it is one that will help you live longer. The toxic chemicals in cigarettes, including nicotine and carbon monoxide, are not only responsible for causing high blood pressure and heart disease but they’re also the number one cause for lung cancer, as well as cancer of the larynx,...[ read more ]
When your child was small, they most likely couldn’t go to bed at night unless they had their favorite blanky or stuffed animal. Well, just because they’re “all grown up” doesn’t mean they still don’t have dependencies. Teens today can’t seem to go to bed, or anywhere else for that matter, without their beloved smartphone by their side.When I was...[ read more ]