Common Issues Faced by Adult Children of Someone with an Addiction
Substance abuse affects everyone that loves someone with an addiction. It can be difficult, painful, and frustrating to watch a friend, sibling, or partner fall into the cycle of addiction, knowing that they must make the choice for themselves to seek treatment. For the children of people with addictions, however, the damaging effects of substance […]
Finding Purpose May Be the Key to Happiness
We all dedicate a large majority of our lives striving towards happiness. We may try to find it through money and material wealth, service to others, love and companionship, or professional success and power. We sometimes turn to artificial means to generate something close to the experience of happiness by using drugs and alcohol, risking […]
Working Out Your Mind
Experts are beginning to postulate that the concept of working out your mind may soon be considered as important and commonplace as working out your body. Most people already know the benefits of physical exercise for health and wellbeing, and there are entire industries built around physical fitness. While the results of mental exercise may […]
Incarceration vs. Treatment: Criminalizing Addiction
America imprisons its citizens at a startling rate and often for non-violent crimes. With the most incarcerated individuals per capita of any country in the world, and an epidemic of prison over-crowding, there is a growing call for the release of non-violent drug offenders. Prisons are not equipped to provide adequate treatment for addiction, and […]
Improving Self-Esteem During Recovery
Self-esteem refers to an individual’s confidence in their own abilities as well as their sense of self-worth. Low self-esteem can affect every aspect of a person’s life, from their relationships to their professional success. Research has proven a connection between low self-esteem and substance abuse, which may be better described as a cycle. Those who […]
Willpower and the Brain
If you have ever tried to quit a behavior that was negatively impacting your life, or create a positive new behavior that changes your routine, only to slip back into old habits within weeks, days, or even hours, you may have blamed your failure on a lack of willpower. Willpower refers to the ability to […]
The Neuroscience of Spirituality
If there comes a time in your life when you are facing mental illness or addiction, you may be prompted by loved ones, as well as professionals, to seek solace in spirituality. The definition of a spiritual experience varies greatly for different individuals and may include spending time in nature, learning to meditate, or committing […]
What to Do When You Are Feeling Hopeless
Everyone has bad days, as well as moments when it feels like no matter what you do, things will never change. While the occasional loss of motivation is normal, dwelling in a dark place where it seems like nothing good will ever happen to you again, or that you don’t deserve good things, is hopelessness. […]
Why Willpower is Not Enough to Conquer Addiction
Willpower is a bit of a farce when it comes to addiction. There is a cultural misconception that if an addict truly wanted to quit, they would. Failure to recover from addiction is often seen as a lack of willpower or a form of weakness. There is a great deal of research, however, proving that […]
5 Tips for Balancing Work and Addiction Recovery
Getting back to “normal” after completing a long-term inpatient addiction recovery program can be a challenge. Normal might mean something entirely different now that you have committed yourself to a sober lifestyle. You may have to find new friends, new hobbies, and even a new job. Whether you had the luxury of taking time off […]
