In addiction recovery, it’s common to feel anxious and stressed. Even the most optimistic person would find it challenging to maintain a positive outlook 24/7. However, there are ways to reduce that stress and build a stronger, more solid foundation for your recovery. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a habit plan in your daily life to reduce relapse risk. Creating a habit plan includes identifying specific activities or tasks you can engage in more often throughout your day to help you maintain abstinence outside of treatment and keep yourself drug-free. Engaging in these activities on a regular basis will become almost second nature over time, making them easier to continue outside of treatment as well as when you return for one-on-one therapy sessions with your mental health professional.
Tag: addiction
What is the Best Form of Treatment for Addiction?
There is no single best treatment for substance abuse or addiction. Treatment programs have different mechanisms of action, and each is proven to help people in specific ways.
Addiction affects brain circuits that are essential for normal emotion processing, motivation, reward sensitivity, self-control, and cognitive functioning. Certain types of treatments address these underlying causes by helping the individual heal from the trauma that created an attachment disorder and other stressors that led to an addiction. Others help with cravings, relapse prevention, and other symptoms common to substance abuse or addiction. The primary thing that all effective treatment has in common is engagement from the client — they must be committed to their recovery if it’s going to last. Let’s look at some of the most effective forms of treatment available today for your loved one’s substance use or addictive behavior.
Tips for A Successful Thanksgiving When You’ve Got a Newly Sober Family Member at the Table
If you’ve ever invited a recovering addict to your home for the holidays, you know that it can be a risky proposition. One moment of weakness could lead your loved one right back to active addiction. What makes Thanksgiving especially risky? It’s the perfect storm of stressors — travel, extended family, toasting with alcohol, and the pressure of perfection. But there are ways to mitigate risk and make it a positive experience for everyone. Here are some ways that you can support your loved one in recovery while helping them feel included at Thanksgiving dinner.
PCP (Angel Dust) Facts: Dangers and Signs of Abuse
In the early 1990s, PCP became popular among high school and college students as a party drug. It’s also known as angel dust, hog, ozone, and rocket fuel. PCP is a dissociative drug that induces hallucinations, distorted sensory experiences, and an altered state of consciousness. Because it’s so unpredictable and unsafe, PCP is illegal to buy, sell or possess. If you suspect someone you love is using PCP, read on to learn more about the dangers of using this drug so you can take action to help them get treatment sooner rather than later.
Detox Admissions Process Walkthrough
Addiction treatment specialists at Briarwood are ready to guide and assist you through a simple admissions procedure and individualized detox treatment as soon as you are ready to begin. The following is a step-by-step guide on Briarwood’s tailored admissions process, so you can be prepared and know what to expect from the experience.
A Closer Look at Fentanyl Addiction
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are now responsible for fifty-nine percent of overdoses as of 2017. Fentanyl is surging in news reports lately and the reason why is clear.
How to Identify Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
How can you tell if someone is exhibiting signs of Substance Use Disorder (SUD)? Many people aren’t aware that addiction and substance use is a clinically diagnosable disease. However, the criteria may not fit perfectly into an individual’s unique and personal experience. Symptoms vary on a case-by-case basis, and an individual need not experience all symptoms to receive a diagnosis. In fact, the severity of Substance Use Disorder is scaled based on the number of symptoms an individual experiences. Let’s discuss this scale, symptoms, and the contributing factors of this serious disorder.
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: What to Know Before Detox
Withdrawal by itself is scary, but some severe cases develop into Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS). This condition can be life-threatening if not monitored and treated properly by medical professionals. Below is everything you need to know before entering detox for alcohol dependency.
The 3 Stages of Relapse and Preventative Steps You Can Take
Relapse has a lot of misconceptions and stigma. The truth is relapse isn’t the end and it isn’t a mark of failure. More importantly, it isn’t set in stone and it’s entirely preventable if you know what to look for. Relapse happens in three stages with clear characteristics and methods of prevention. Let’s discuss them.
What to Know About Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) can happen to anyone transitioning into recovery. One of the most dangerous things about this syndrome is that individuals affected by it have an inclination to relapse. This is because a fair amount of symptoms tend to be difficult for people to overcome, especially in high-stress situations. And people in high-stress situations generally fall back to previously reliable coping mechanisms like substance use. But what exactly is PAWS and what are these relapse-inducing symptoms? Let’s explore the term.