At the age of fourteen I did not know much about addiction or gambling. All I knew was that my dad was out of work and somehow still never home. My family worried about him when he failed to come back until late hours, but when asked he brushed us off, saying he was “out
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Over the past couple of decades, it has become increasingly clear that alcohol and substance abuse is high among military veterans. Addiction and veterans are even associated in many TV series and movies these days. But why is this the case? It seems strange to many civilians that veterans would struggle with addiction. After all,
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Are you concerned that you may be addicted to substances? Very few people are self-aware enough that it becomes immediately obvious that something is wrong. This is why most of us take a long time to realize that we may be addicted to alcohol and drugs. However, there are red flags that are excellent indicators
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Parents who go to rehab often face an uphill battle in reconnecting with their adolescent children. In their teen and young adult years, children stop seeing their parents as infallible. Typically, they become more suspect of their parents and attuned to any mistakes or lies. For addicts, this becomes a particularly tough problem to solve.
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When I entered rehab, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of LGBT addicts present. Don’t get me wrong, I did not want other LGBT people to be struggling, but all my life I had been in the minority. Now I found myself in an environment which was at least fifty-percent out-and-proud people. This really
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Every person understands their lives through a series of narratives. As humans, that is what we do. We see patterns and tell stories to try and make sense of where we came from and where we’re going. However, in recovery, addiction narratives can become a significant obstacle. Addiction narratives are the stories people suffering from
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“The doctor who prescribed me opioids started me on the road to addiction” “I was so stupid to think I had to get drunk at every college party” “My mom left bottles of alcohol lying around when I was still a kid” “I did terrible things and needed to numb the guilt” “I need to
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If you or a loved one suffer from addiction, you are certainly aware that lies and manipulation are part of the illness. Addicts will do what it takes to keep using drugs or alcohol, even when that means losing the trust of the people they love. In recovery, many addicts grapple with the same problem:
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