Over the past few decades, we have begun to better understand behavioral addictions. These are addictions to behaviors rather than substances. While initially not considered to be equivalent to substance use, due to the lack of physical dependence, behavioral addictions finally became diagnosable as such. In the years since, gambling addiction, sex addiction, and other […]
Read More »Many people are under the mistaken impression that rehab is never a once-off experience. They believe that most addicts relapse not long after leaving rehab and have to re-enter a program over and over again. This is a perception that was created by traditional rehabs and perpetuated by the media. The good news is that […]
Read More »Recovering addicts understand that one addiction can be replaced by another. They are wary of behaviors that may become substitutes that are just as harmful as their addiction. As such, many people leaving rehab ask themselves if they are addicted to coffee. This is not a simple question to answer. After all, if you do […]
Read More »Not all people addicted to substances self-harm and not all people who self-harm become addicted to substances. However, there is a correlation between the two. While self-harm is not a symptom of addiction, there is a connection between the two. Why is there a connection between addiction and self-harm? There are a number of potential […]
Read More »When you are addicted to a substance, there is no surefire way of getting rid of cravings completely. Even once you have detoxed from the substance and are no longer physically dependent on it, you may feel cravings. They may mostly be minor cravings that do not have the power to divert you from your […]
Read More »Sex addiction is something that comes up fairly often in media these days. Many films and TV series have portrayed characters with sex addiction. Celebrities like Kendrick Lamar and Jada Pinkett Smith have opened up about struggling with it. But many people are skeptical about whether sex addiction is a real condition. While it is […]
Read More »The concept of codependency comes up a lot when discussing addiction. However, many people misunderstand its meaning. Beyond a poor interpretation of the term, there is a lot of misinformation about what you are supposed to do about codependency. What does it really mean to be codependent and why is it connected to addiction? Do […]
Read More »Addiction is a complex illness, but that has not prevented simplistic portrayals of it in books and on the screen. While there are many myths about addiction that are propagated in fiction, there is one particular myth that sometimes even makes it into otherwise accurate portrayals of substance abuse. Unfortunately, it is a myth that […]
Read More »Did you know that not all addictions are substance based? In fact, there are a number of addictions to different types of behaviors. These addictions are not always taken seriously by friends and family because they equate addiction with substances, but they can nonetheless destroy lives and require treatment. One of the reasons people do […]
Read More »Motherhood can be quite intimidating for women who are recovering addicts. While rehab may have been extremely successful, becoming a mother is a whole new challenge. It was probably not something you prepared for in rehab. There are many reasons recovering addicts may find the prospect of motherhood frightening. The pain you feel after childbirth […]
Read More »My mother went to rehab at the age of sixty-nine. She successfully stopped using alcohol and her life changed dramatically. She is now healthier than ever before, both physically and mentally, and she is extremely excited about this. However, along with that excitement comes a lot of regrets. She wishes she had stopped using alcohol […]
Read More »It has taken a long time for people to start recognizing that addiction is an illness. The good news is that people are coming around to the idea. However, there are still many people who consider rehab to be some kind of punishment. This can apply even to the most enlightened addict or ally. It […]
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