1 in 10 Americans, or roughly 23.5 million, are addicted to drugs or alcohol. With prescription medication like pain pills and valium, amphetamines including meth, and a range of dependence-inducing substances available over the counter, nearly everyone is constantly exposed to some form of substance – and many people are intensely vulnerable to addiction. While [...]
The most important thing my mother's drinking taught me was how not to act with others. Although, for many years, I wasn't really benefiting from that knowledge. I was allowing it to make me bitter instead. I resented people who grew up in sober homes, and went out of my way just to thumb my [...]
Most recovery programs are based on abstinence from alcohol and other substances. To support that goal they typically recommend avoidance of situations where alcohol may be around for the first few months of sobriety. But if you work around alcohol, that may not be possible. Instead, you'll likely go from rehab directly back to an [...]
Everybody lies at some point in their life. Whether "the dog ate my homework" or I boosted my dying friend's morale with a "you look beautiful" even though all her hair just fell out, I always felt that some lies need to be told. However, I was a long way from being a pathological liar. [...]
Traveling while in recovery can be intimidating, especially when going on vacation. While many may see vacation as a time to drink and often to excess, you need to maintain your sobriety for the sake of your mental and physical health. However, being sober doesn't mean you can't have fun. It just means you need [...]
Discussing an addiction and seeking rehab when you are caring for a child, especially a very young one, can be a challenging experience. On the one hand, it's important to discuss where and why you are going, on the other, it is difficult to explain a temporary absence, and what many parents see as a [...]
The only thing worse than being an alcoholic is being a failure in recovery, and I was an epic failure. Feeling like the only thing I was good at was relapsing was so depressing that I considered suicide. That's when I decided I was better off striving to be a functional alcoholic, but I wasn't [...]
LSD, or Lysergic acid diethylamide is a psychedelic drug popular for its mind-altering properties, causing increased sensations, hallucinations and delusions, and wakefulness. A 'trip' lasts 4-14 hours, and typically includes visual hallucinations and an altered sensory experience, where users experience euphoria, radiant colors, a feeling of slowed time, and geometric or colored patterns. Today, more [...]
While opioids are the standard go-to medication for pain in modern medicine, they simply are not safe for many of us to use. With millions of people recovering from substance use disorders and many millions more at risk for addiction, opioids can present a danger of relapse and addiction – and taking steps to protect [...]
I was always tired, and I didn't know why. Everyone else my age seemed perfectly capable of working full-time while taking care of their home and their families. I, on the other hand, always felt overwhelmed. Every day was a struggle, like running uphill against the wind. At 39, I was way too young too [...]