Inside (28 articles)
Learn to relax with imagery in 7 easy steps; it’s a great skill that protects you from relapse.
Learn this simple distraction and breathing exercise that works well to get you through periods of intense cravings.
If you are new to 12 Step programs or are coming back to the program, this two part series takes a closer look at the 12 steps of AA.
A closer look at the 12 steps of AA, breaking things down and showing you how it can support you to live a clean and sober life.
To prevent early marijuana relapse, identify high risk situations and prepare specific coping strategies in advance.
Is it Vicodin addiction or just Vicodin dependence? Not sure? A self test here can help. Next, learn about effective treatment options.
Should you or shouldn’t you quit drinking or drugs? Ambivalence is normal, but you’ll feel better once you make a firm decision, one way or the other. Here are 4 easy exercises to help you.
Boredom can kill a marijuana quit attempt, so don’t get bored! Here are 50 easy and enjoyable activities that substitute for getting high and help keep you distracted from your marijuana cravings.
Once you decide it’s time to quit, improve your odds by picking a quit date, telling loved-ones about your plan, and getting prepared.
Want to stop smoking marijuana? Here are 7 common problems that can lead to relapse (insomnia, boredom, a need for relaxation, etc.), along with solutions for each problem.
When quitting marijuana, preparation and planning increase your odds of success. Here are ten easy exercises to complete in the week leading up to your quit date.
This article examines the different treatment options for Oxycontin addiction. It looks at who should go to rehab versus who should go to Medication Assisted Treatment like Suboxone or methadone treatment. An explanation is given for what each treatment is and what would be expected of the addict for each option.
With the DSM-5 the American Psychiatric Association has a new diagnostic manual. Substance abuse and dependence are now gone - replaced by mild, moderate and severe substance use disorders. Will the changes affect you? Check out the new diagnostic criteria to find out if you have a substance use disorder.
Don’t quit Ambien before you know what you’re up against and have a plan for success. Learn about 2 tapering methods and one method of rapid detoxification (with flumazenil) as well as about the brain changes associated with zolpidem addiction and the treatments you need to counteract these changes.
This article describes what to expect when you go to your first AA/NA meeting. Many alcoholics and addicts hear a lot of rumors about what happens at meetings. Some people are afraid to go to their first meeting because they don't know what to expect. This article clears up all the rumors and will let you know exactly what to expect.
Early recovery from addiction involves countless changes in perception, behavior, and self regulation. Diagnosing people who are less than six months sober is extremely problematic and should be avoided whenever possible. Diagnoses are labels that too often become prophecies.
There are certain things you do that keep you sober and certain things that you could do that bring you closer to relapse. To make sure you do more of the former and none of the latter, take 5 minutes and make up a relapse drift chart to put on your fridge and check with once a week.
Overcoming ambivalence: How does the ‘ideal you’ compare with the ‘current you’? Not sure? Well, take a few minutes to complete the following exercise and find out how far you’ve strayed from the life you’d love to have. If your lifestyle strays too far from your goals and values, you may want to consider serious action to get back on track.
Though it might seem odd to take new drugs as a way to quit old ones, addiction treatment medications, when combined with behavioral therapies, can help a great deal to keep you on the path of recovery. Learn more about what’s available and why they’re used.
If you’re trying to quit drugs or alcohol you need to re-learn how to say no. It sounds a bit childish, but it’s true and it’s very necessary, which is why most addiction treatment programs teach drug refusal skills as an essential recovery skill to master. Want to learn how to say no like you mean it…read on.
Learn more about this evidence based 16 week intensive outpatient treatment program, specifically: class frequency and program length, therapies used, degree of family involvement, evidence supporting its effectiveness and typical benefits.
Selective memories of drug or alcohol use - where you remember the fun and forget the pain - are common in recovery, and unless you’re careful…they can END your recovery. Learn what triggers selective memories, how to spot them and how to squash them.
Want to know why an addiction to one drug means you have to give up all the other ones? Here are 4 great reasons why clean and sober needs to mean clean and sober from everything.
Get research-proven behavioral couples therapy and learn how to create the kind of relationship that supports recovery instead of enabling abuse.
Know you have a problem but not sure how serious it is or if you need treatment? Take this 1 minute addiction severity self test and learn how your level of addiction ranks.
Quitting marijuana: What separates those who succeed from those who fail? Learn about the characteristics of successful quit attempts and learn coping strategies to help you succeed in your attempt to break free.
Having trouble finding or paying for quality addiction or mental health treatment? Well, if you’re lucky there’s a clinical trial recruiting subjects near you and if you’re eligible you may be up for free treatment from some of the nation’s top addiction specialists. Read on to learn about more of the benefits, and the legitimate risks, of clinical trials participation.
You can’t make a good choice about treatment until you can make an informed choice about the care you need. Read on to find a listing and explanation of the most common types of residential addiction treatment programs. Just knowing what’s available and starting to think about your needs and wants takes you a great first step forward to finding a treatment program that’s right for you.