You’re about to begin the journey through sobriety. You want to stop focusing on your need for the drugs or alcohol that took control of your life. However, you’re not sure where to start. Then, your counselor suggests trying adventure therapy. You wonder, what is adventure therapy, and what are the benefits of adventure therapy?…
Top 10 Famous Addiction Recovery Stories There are millions of addiction recovery stories, but not enough are covered in the media – except when it involves a celebrity. Here are some of our favorite famous addiction recovery stories. Celebrities are humans, just like us, and despite their fame, money and cool occupation, many celebrities…
Opioid Deaths Have Fallen – Or Have They? Preliminary data shows that opioid deaths have fallen (maybe) by 5 percent in 2018 — the first drop in overdose deaths since the country’s opioid epidemic began in the 1990s. The statistics about opioid abuse in general are shocking. The data, first reported by the New…
The Dangers of Fentanyl As the opioid crisis continues to grow across the nation, authorities in Orange County reported last week that they seized 18 pounds of fentanyl with a street value of $1.25 million in a single bust. The results of an Oct. 16, 2019, fentanyl bust in Orange County. (O.C. Sheriff’s Department) The…
Fixing Your Life After Rehab If you or a loved one has completed Rehab, congratulations! You’re on the road to recovery. If you’re serious about recovery, you’ve chosen to continue the recovery process by enrolling in outpatient treatment or maybe you’ve entered a sober living home. Once you’ve settled into some form of Aftercare program,…
Substance Abuse and Homelessness For years, scientists, government agencies and others have been studying the link between substance abuse and homelessness. The two are directly related and studies reaffirm this. For example: substance abuse can lead to homelessness and vice versa. That’s probably no surprise to anyone, especially if you’ve seen celebrities struggle with addiction.…
Addiction Relapse Rates Statistically speaking, addiction relapse rates range from 40% to 60% on average. The rates can be even higher if treatment protocols aren’t followed. Another factor is the support structure surrounding the recovering patient. Studies show that the stronger the support network, the greater the chance of success. A support network might include:…
When to Call Your AA Sponsor Knowing when to call your AA sponsor is sometimes difficult and confusing. We’ve put together the top 10 times you should call your sponsor. 1. If you find yourself stressed out by friends, family, work, school or in any situation (ex. during the holidays), you should pick up the…
Questions to Ask Your Treatment Provider If you’re thinking about going to or sending someone into treatment, you need to know what questions to ask your treatment provider. This is the minimum amount of due diligence that must be done to ensure any reasonable chance of success. There are many reasons that getting it right…
Treatment of Substance Use Disorders In a recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), substance use disorders (SUDs) were divided into two distinct categories–substance abuse and substance dependence. An individual could receive a current diagnosis of either abuse or dependence (not both) for a single drug class. A current SUD…