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Helping the people we love with life’s challenges is one way to show how much we care. It’s only natural that if you see a spouse, a family member or
For the friends and family members of someone struggle with addiction, life can become exasperating. Husbands and spouses return home from work to find their partner intoxicated, or watch as
Methadone is a synthetic, pain-relieving narcotic medication that, in addition to treating severe pain, has been used to treat heroin and opiate cravings since the 1960’s and 1970’s. When
Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate analgesic considered 50-100 times more potent than morphine. The drug was first synthesized in the early 1960s by Belgian chemist Paul Janssen, later exploding on
The ever-evolving science of addiction treatment has produced a wide variety of recovery techniques suited to a diversity of clients. Although no two substance abuse treatment facilities offer exactly the
“Alcoholic” is a term used to describe someone suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD)— a medical and psychiatric condition defined by a compulsion and inability to control excessive drinking. In
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has become a leading cause of overdose deaths across the United States. Its potency is staggering, with even tiny amounts capable of causing fatal respiratory depression.
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease defined by dangerous irresponsibility and impulsivity. Convincing a substance-dependent individual to voluntarily seek treatment is difficult at best. Many live in chronic denial about
In the U.S., alcohol poisoning is responsible for 2,200 deaths a year, or six a day. (The majority of victims are men between the ages of 35 and 65, and
Alcohol is America’s ever-present recreational drug of choice. With the backing of a powerful, billion-dollar advertising industry that ensures that alcoholic beverages are available almost everywhere, alcohol is an integral
Alcohol addiction is often hidden behind a veil of secrecy and denial. Loved ones may notice subtle changes in behavior but fail to recognize these as signs of a drinking
Starting higher education is stressful for both the new student and the family left at home. Parents, especially, worry about the influences their child might encounter. All those horror stories
Most chemical addictions begin with attempts to “self-medicate” negative feelings—feelings that life is less than it was meant to be. With or without accompanying addictions, that problem is extremely common.
Whether they are active duty or retired, returning military personnel experience significantly higher rates of alcohol abuse than the general U.S. population. Men and women in the military also have
Despite the decline in fixed ideas of “man’s job” and “women’s work,” despite increasing acceptance of gender-atypical and even gender-neutral individuals, most experts agree that, as a rule, there really
When it comes to addiction, pride makes you your own worst enemy. Pride leads people to numb emotional and physical pains with drugs rather than heed their bodies’ “You aren’t
If problems with drug and alcohol abuse have begun to wreak havoc with your life and you’ve decided that treatment is your best option, it’s not as simple as walking
If you or a loved one are experiencing difficulties due to drug and alcohol abuse, you may be eligible for addiction treatment. In fact, millions of Americans are eligible for
Initially, it may seem like a stretch to consider how treatment for a drug or alcohol problem could actually benefit your future career. After all, deliberations about how 30-plus days
As a firefighter, you have an extraordinarily demanding, dangerous and stress-filled occupation. Not only do you put yourself in harm’s way every time you respond to an emergency call, you
Families considering treatment for a loved one with addiction can benefit from knowing that the gold standard for treating substance use disorders (SUDs) involving alcohol or drugs is dual diagnosis
You or your loved one has taken the all-important first step to recovery by making the initial call to a drug or alcohol treatment center. Maybe it was to begin
In the 1970s and 1980s, drug-addiction concerns focused primarily on teenagers who got high for fun because “all my friends were doing it.” Even where it was acknowledged that many
The cost burden of a drug or alcohol addiction is often measured in societal terms. Thanks to statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, we know, for example, that
Things might have begun to change in the way your parents, older spouse or other loved one go about their daily lives. With advancing age often comes the onset of
Intervention—a formally arranged group confrontation to convince someone to get addiction treatment—can be the spur needed to stop chemical dependence before it does irreversible damage. Or it can be the
It can be agonizingly painful to watch a loved one or family member struggle with addiction to illicit drugs or prescription drugs used nonmedically. The fact that chronic pain is
Nine out of 10 Americans who get addicted to drinking, smoking or using drugs started experimenting with drugs and/or alcohol in their teens. That data makes substance abuse “our nation’s
When you were a kid, you probably engaged in a lot of experimentation. In fact, youth is the time when the human species indulges curiosity to boldly check out unfamiliar
If you dread celebrating the holidays when one of your family members is addicted, there are ways to reduce the risk of a major incident. For many people, winter holiday
It’s slang for an eating disorder involving alcohol, and college campuses are its prime breeding ground. Do you know what it is—and how to spot it in a college-aged friend
What are the advantages to intervening early when you spot a potential substance abuse problem, and what might “early intervention” look like? Get the life-saving answers that everybody needs to
“High-functioning alcoholism” is a bit of an oxymoron. Discover why, including tips for spotting it in a friend or loved one. Problem drinking or functional alcoholism and binge drinking is
As it is, connecting with a teenaged child can be challenging for even the most seasoned of parents … but how do you connect with a teen who’s just home
When a loved one has a drug or alcohol problem, it can be hard to empathize—or to know the difference between empathy that can help heal an addiction and enabling
Leaving drug or alcohol treatment prematurely is a common temptation in early recovery. So is the allure of relapse. Learn how to encourage your loved one not to give up
Getting help for a loved one or family member who’s struggling with addiction can seem overwhelming, confusing and difficult. Not only are there myriad treatment options in terms of treatment
Although the majority of recovering addicts experience at least one relapse, the person who does give in is usually left struggling with thoughts of “I always screw up things others
Drug overdose is the fastest-growing cause of death in the United States. The majority of fatalities—as many as 125 a day—are from prescription or illegal opioids, with one in three
Relapse, or the recurrence of drug or alcohol addiction following a period of remission or recovery, is common among those with diagnosed substance use disorders (SUDs). Rates of relapse for
It is not uncommon for those receiving inpatient treatment for drugs and alcohol to have questions and concerns about life after rehab. Moreover, transitioning back to the real world from
Christmas and the holidays can be a stressful time of year for anybody, but for those in recovery from drugs or alcohol (especially in early recovery), this reality can be
Confronting a loved one about their substance abuse is a complex but necessary step toward seeking help. An intervention can be a powerful tool for initiating change. In this blog
Alternative therapies include various natural and holistic treatments that have been scientifically proven to support recovery from drugs and alcohol, as part of an integrated plan of substance abuse care.
Addiction support groups, also known as self-help groups (SHGs), mutual help groups, and recovery fellowships, are an important component of substance abuse care—so much so that they are a go-to
Suicide and addiction are two escalating public health problems in this country that are also inseparably related to one another—it’s hard to talk about the risks of substance abuse without
Drug and alcohol addiction is startlingly common in this country. So is the pervasive and persistent stigma of substance abuse, which assigns negative, often false stereotypes to people who suffer
The broad consensus, in both the drug treatment and treatment research communities, is that drug abuse treatment works, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy in a study
For adult children of drug or alcohol addicts who may be wondering what they can do about a parent’s substance abuse problem, there can be solace knowing you are not
Summer is high season for family vacations, but for those in early recovery and/or just out of rehab, the prospect of vacationing with other family members while newly sober can
Codependency has become a common catch-all phrase in addiction recovery circles. It’s a way to sum up the dysfunctional family dynamics of addiction, including many (if not all) of the
A big challenge in early sobriety is learning how to become comfortable with discomfort. The misconception is that if it’s not comfortable, there must be something wrong—but this is not
“Addiction is a family disease.” That’s a common refrain heard in recovery circles and bandied about in the drug and alcohol treatment world. But what does it mean? This article
Studies suggest that those with untreated substance abuse problems are less likely to hold down a stable job. Those who pursue treatment, in contrast, “may fare better at work, earn
Family therapy is a well-established treatment intervention for drugs and alcohol. Unlike other forms of psychotherapy that focus on the individual, the family-based approach addresses substance abuse and its causes
Motivating someone to seek help for a drug or alcohol problem is no small feat, as friends and families of those in need of substance abuse treatment will attest. This
“No man is an island,” the author Ernest Hemingway once observed. The same might be said of those who struggle with addiction: one person’s substance abuse problem affects those around
Interventions can often be effective at persuading someone to enter rehab for a drug or alcohol addiction. An intervention is a formally staged process by which close (usually immediate) family
“How do you help an addict?” That’s a critical question for those who care about someone with a drug or alcohol problem. Concerned friends and family members often wonder from
“Men are from Mars, women are from Venus,” goes the well-known saying from a book by that name. The same saying may help to describe how men and women can
For those in the throes of substance abuse, and for their family and loved ones, here is the good news: Just because addiction is a chronic disease does not mean
The link between addiction and trauma is probably nowhere clearer than among returning veterans of war, for whom the horrors of active-duty combat can often surface years later in
Binge drinking almost killed Hanna Lottritz. The 20-year-old University of Nevada student reportedly drank so much alcohol that the doctors thought she was brain dead. But Lottritz was fortunate. She
That’s a question that anyone considering inpatient drug or alcohol treatment can benefit from asking (if they haven’t already). The answer will vary from one rehab facility to another, depending
“The Millennial generation,” also known as “Generation Y,” refers to a large and very influential demographic in America: 40 percent of all adults over the age of 21 (roughly two
No parent wants to ask the question, “Is my teen addicted to alcohol?” The only thing worse is getting the answer “yes”: that a teenaged child is indeed compulsively drinking
Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are as much a family disease as an individual struggle and coping with alcoholism in the family can be extremely difficult for everyone involved. Those who
Americans are hooked on opiates. The mushrooming rate of addiction to these doctor-prescribed painkilling drugs (also referred to as “narcotics” or by the more medical term “opioids”) now constitutes an
It’s not always obvious whether someone’s drug use constitutes mere dependence or an actual addiction. The differences between a genuine substance use disorder (addiction) and the body’s natural build-up of
Alcohol detox describes what happens when your body gradually tapers off of alcohol, after having become physically dependent on the drug. That may sound simple and straightforward enough, but in
Before she died from a heroin overdose, she was just another kid. Prescription pain medication on the heels of a sports injury changed all that. The ensuing drug addiction
When most people think of drug addiction, they think about illicit drugs—not the medication doctors give us for pain. But it can take just one prescription for someone to become
Heroin and heroin addiction are sweeping America pointing to an alarming surge in heroin-related overdoses and deaths. These numbers continue to rise along with the drug’s increasing popularity as a
What Are Benzodiazepines? Nicknamed “mother’s little helper” in the 1960s, benzodiazepines (or “benzos”) are in a class of prescription medications called tranquilizers. Currently, they are one of the most popularly
Alcohol is all around us. It’s at restaurants, holiday parties and outdoor barbeques with friends. When we turn on the TV, we see advertisements full of beautiful people with alcoholic
We all want to give our loved ones the benefit of the doubt. But if you suspect someone you know may be using drugs, there are certain signs you simply
If you’re holding back from considering drug or alcohol rehabilitation because of the price tag, consider this: The consequences of addiction are more costly than many people realize. Substance abuse
In our fast-paced society, we’re all conscious of time. When facing something like alcohol withdrawal, it’s only natural to be particularly concerned about how long the process will take. The
That television commercial from the 1980s put it bluntly. A man holds up an egg and says, “This is your brain.” He then points to a hot frying pan, saying,
Some drugs have been around for thousands of years. People abused opium from poppy flowers (the same substance used to make heroin) as early as 3400 BC. Other drugs have
You’ve made the important decision to seek treatment for your substance abuse problem. Congratulations—this is a critical first step in your recovery. As you prepare, you’re probably wondering, how long
Rehabilitation is one of the most important steps in the recovery process, but it’s only the first of many. Sobriety is something that needs to be worked on every day
The misuse of pain pills has been called an epidemic in the United States, affecting people of all ages and impacting families across the country. A 2014 survey found 1.9
Myths vs. Realities of Addiction and Behavior. Only a fraction of the people who need help for addiction actually get it. Sometimes, it’s because they and their families and friends
Substance abuse and mental illness are often entangled. If your loved one is suffering from depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety, he or she might have started self-medicating long ago to
Your loved one just made the courageous decision to enter rehabilitation for their addiction. While that’s ultimately an important step toward their new life free of substances, it can leave
As someone with an addict in your family, you feel pain. You feel helpless as you stand back and watch your loved one go through drastic shifts in mood and
You know your loved one has been using drugs or alcohol. But you may find yourself questioning whether or not the person has an “addiction” in the true sense of
Drug or alcohol dependence has devastating effects on both the individual and the family. Unfortunately, the negative impact is often very clear to everyone except the addicts themselves. You may
You did not picture things turning out this way. It is heartbreaking to watch your loved one continue to destroy themselves and their future. You’ve had it with the sleepless
Recovery treatment is expensive, and paying for it can be a major hurdle for addicts and their families. The good news is, if you or a loved one has an
When it comes to breaking free from the confines of addiction, you can’t put a price on treatment—health and recovery from addiction is priceless. You certainly don’t want to let
If you have an addicted person in your life, naturally you want to do whatever you can to help. But it’s important to remember that when it comes to addiction,
When faced with addiction, the treatment facility you choose may be one of the most important decisions you make. However, with so many options available today, it can be a
Few situations are more painful than watching a loved one struggle with a drug or alcohol problem. No doubt, you have seen the person you love slowly slip away. You
While the decision to begin treatment for addiction can be a long, painful struggle, the process of checking into Beach House Center for Recovery is simple and straightforward. We want
