Family gatherings can be difficult. All the emotional baggage and hurt feelings of the past can simmer beneath the surface. If allowed, these feelings can erupt in ugly ways. Here are a few tips to keep calm and help all family members enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner. Do not discuss politics. No one’s mind is […]
As an addiction treatment professional, it goes with the territory that we lose people, good people who maybe needed a little more help or time or who simply made a regrettable choice. Veterans are often among those lost to substance abuse and suicide. My first and most devastating loss was of a young Marine, […]
Unhealthy Items at the Health Store: Four Reasons to Be Wary of Supplements Who doesn’t want an extra boost to their health that’s as easy as taking one little pill? Although herbal supplements are often touted as a relatively easy way to support your body’s healthy functioning, in reality many of the products that are […]
Six Ways to Maintain Your Sobriety at a Thanksgiving Celebration I first tried to quit drinking on November 11, 1995. By Thanksgiving of that year, I was clean, but I was scared to death of facing a holiday dinner without a drink. I remember standing by the bar in my grandmother’s house, downing Diet Coke […]
Resilience is defined as the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt well to change, and keep going in the face of adversity. Learning to become more resilient can offer individuals the opportunity to improve their life, maximizing potential and success. As Diane Coutu so eloquently explains in How Resilience Works: “Resilient people possess thee characteristics […]
Why has heroin abuse skyrocketed, who is using it, and what can be done about the problem? Prescription opioids abuse data suggests the reason for a resurgence of heroin use in America. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): “Today’s typical heroin addict starts using at 23, is more likely to live […]
Is memory loss interfering with your daily life? Most people are familiar with some of the things that can impair memory, including alcohol and drug abuse, head injuries, stroke, sleep deprivation, severe stress, aging or a symptom of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. What many do not know is that episodes of forgetfulness can also be […]
Binge drinking is defined as consuming at least four drinks for women and five drinks for men in a single drinking session, at least once every 14 days on average. New research suggests that binge drinking at college is associated with high status and these drinkers are happier with their college social experience than their […]
South Africa, a giant in the global drug trade, is at breaking point with the number of child addicts reaching an all-time high. Research has found that substance abuse in South Africa is double that of the global average and ranked in the top 10 countries concerning the amount of alcohol being consumed each year. […]
Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are valuable tools in mitigating the abuse and diversion of prescription controlled substances from legitimate medical use to illicit use. Drug monitoring programs, the procedures and powers of which can vary significantly from state to state, all share a similar strategy: to require doctors, pharmacists or both to enter all […]