Filling out surveys seems to be one of the most common ways to determine one’s identity these days. What do you want to major in? What if you choose the wrong major? Are you trying to change career paths? How do you know which one...
September is time for celebrating the re-emergence of pumpkin spice everything, cooler weather and recovery. The Mental Health Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, designated September as National Recovery Month to bring awareness to the issue of substance abuse...
It’s easy to be in denial about your addiction or alcoholism if you know how to hide it with exercise, professionalism, and a good work ethic. You have the public face when interacting with other professionals in your industry, and then you have the other...
In view of the recent horrific events of the Woolsey and Paradise fires in northern and southern California, experts are saying that climate change is making California’s wildfires worse. The devastation of losing one’s home, loved ones and/or livelihood to natural disasters is becoming an...
The natural high cannot be compared to the drug rush Any time you do something fun, exciting, or meaningful, your brain produces dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel a rush of reward and pleasure. Dopamine has to do with motivation; the first time you experience...
Why do mothers misuse or abuse drugs? The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that women generally use drugs to manage their weight, fight exhaustion, cope with pain, and self-medicate to address mental health problems such as postpartum depression and anxiety. Environmental factors may also include...
The next state to legalize recreational marijuana may be New York in 2019, according to NBC News. So far, Vox reports that 13 states have decriminalized recreational cannabis and 10 states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use, according to...
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without _________ (fill in the blank). Many would insert the word “family” as they imagine images of intergenerational family members cooking, eating and laughing together over stupid funny stories at the dinner table. For single men and women, the idea of...
Individuals in recovery face a special challenge when they feel ready to re-enter the workforce. In Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce, a 2006 report prepared by Abt Associates, Inc., based on stakeholder meetings convened by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment...
Origin of the Disease Model of Addiction The term “Disease Model of Addiction” was coined more than 50 years after the American Medical Association (AMA) first deemed alcoholism as an illness in 1956. No longer considered as just a behavioral problem, addiction is now defined as...