September is soon coming to a close and with it draws near the end of National Recovery Month. Over the course of this month I have attended conferences, concerts, parties, rallies, and dances all in the effort to promote awareness of, and de-stigmatize, recovery from addiction.While experiencing all of this, I often found myself needing to take a step back and…
Researchers from the University of Sydney, in Australia, have published a new study revealing how the methamphetamine-induced sensitization of the brain looks a lot like that of schizophrenia patients; i.e. both meth users and schizophrenics have the same structural damage to their grey matter.When examining their findings, researchers discovered that neurological changes induced by methamphetamine use are very similar to the…
As the use and abuse of opioids continue to rise, you may have questions about this complicated situation. While a variety of different drugs have contributed to the opioid epidemic, addiction to opioids usually begins with prescription drugs like Oxycontin and oxycodone. However, what is the difference between OxyContin and oxycodone? Difference Between OxyContin and Oxycodone Both products are used for…
How long cocaine can be detected in your system depends on a variety of factors, including how long you’ve been using, how you ingest the drug, and what kind of detection test is done. On average, cocaine is detectable for a range of two to four days (casual use, tested with urine), with the majority of it being metabolized in about…
The short answer is yes, anything is possible.The longer, responsible answer is: quitting cocaine cold turkey, especially on your own, is never advisable.It’s true that with repeated use, cocaine addiction, and eventually dependence, do get worse. However, it only takes one dose to feel the full effects of a crash, and usually that crash is bad enough that the urge to…
The reasons that lead us to addiction can be as varied as how an individual reacts to different drugs or circumstances. Outpatient rehabilitation treatment is something that can be beneficial for most people, but it’s not guaranteed rehab will be the solution that works. In more extreme cases of addiction, where the addict is a danger to themselves and others, inpatient…
Feeling down on occasion is all part of being human. What turns a bout of sadness into full blown clinical depression? How do you know the difference, and when to get help? When that feeling persists, and then magnifies until it seems there is no escape . . . then there’s a problem. So, you’re wondering, am I depressed?Here are some…
When a person falls down the rabbit hole into addictive addiction, the consequences are anything but individual.Everyone you come in contact with, from close family members to strangers on the street, will be affected by your addiction. To strangers, your incoherent mumblings or angry rantings will be fleeting; however, those closest to you have to live with your mood swings, unreliability,…
A problem that is becoming a greater issue with each passing year, and is causing concern in many countries where public health situations matter, is gambling. Gambling can create problems not only in one’s social life, but can also affect their physical and psychological well-being.As the highs from wins are forgotten under stockpiling losses, stress levels skyrocket. It doesn’t take long…
When a person gets drunk, what’s basically happening is that they’ve taken in more alcohol than their body can metabolize. The excess gets stored in the bloodstream which gets circulated throughout the entire body thanks to the heart pumping away. Changes in normal body function begin happening as a result of internal chemical changes.Alcohol is a drug, and like with most…
It’s an unfortunate reality and sometimes impossible to avoid. Relapse is the big demon on the road as we head out of addiction on the road of recovery. There are many reasons for relapse and it really depends on the person in question, but there are some common factors to bear in mind so you can confront your own temptations head…
Coming out of recovery with your health intact and a body empty of drugs is a great feeling. You’ve got a fresh start ahead of you. While most of us are conscious of the health and sobriety battle ahead, few of us are thinking about how we can better manage our money so we don’t end up sober and broke (the…
So much of who we become as adults finds its roots in childhood. For that reason, professors from Florida State University and University of Miami put together a study to see if collected data could support the idea that low self-esteem in childhood led to higher instances of substance abuse as adults. The results aren’t surprising.Professors John Taylor and Donald Lloyd…
Even those of us who are recovering addicts continue to have other areas of our lives where addiction continues to reign. This is pretty natural, it turns out. All people are pre-programmed with certain traits and qualities that predispose us to addictive behavior. The severity of these vices varies from person to person and between cultures but these few points of…
An addiction to methamphetamine is by far one of the most destructive of all chemical dependencies and can be one of the most grueling battles of your life when trying to quit. There is certainly no managing a meth addiction. It either consumes you entirely, putting you through some of the most disturbing physical deteriorations, or you kick the habit for…
Almost everyone who has ever dealt with any form of addiction or substance dependence will familiar with the overwhelming feeling of anxiety. It’s one of those staples to the condition, and one that every addiction treatment program can relate to. Addiction comes with a whole line of confusing emotions and conflicting feelings but the tidal wave of anxiety hits you like…
Vicodin is the most commonly prescribed brand name of the opiate pain reliever hydrocodone, mixed with acetaminophen. It’s strong pain relieving effects have been a favorite for recreational drug abuse since the mid 1980s, however it’s also responsible for some pretty damaging long term effects.So How Does Vicodin Affect Your Body Long Term?One of the more serious of these long term…
It gets mentioned a lot when talking about addiction because it’s the main ingredient in heroin and most painkillers. Opiates are some of the most notorious drugs in the realm of addiction and cause nearly 30,000 deaths per year. Street names for opium include Buddha, Chillum, Easing Powder, Emerald City, Chinese Molasses, Aunti Emma, Midnight Oil, and others. It has a…
So you’ve used again. After all the hard work you put into your detox, recovery, and sobriety, you’ve hit a snag and relapsed back into substance abuse. It seems like the worst thing in the world. All that work just wasted. Right?Wrong.The work you put in to get clean and sober was and never will be a waste. That’s a valuable…
As a spiritually-centered recovery center, we understand that the most crucial component of long term success in addiction recovery is faith. This does not necessarily mean religion, though the many religions of the world are centered on faith. Faith by itself, however, means believing in yourself and in something larger than yourself. As the many prophets and saints have come to…
After finally admitting to your addiction, you’re ready to find a place that can help. This is not something to delay, since your health and sometimes your life hang in the balance. When looking for a drug recovery and addiction treatment facility, keep in mind these key factors to make sure you attend the recovery program that’s right for you.Comfort and…