How Does Mental Health Affect Addiction?
The Complex Relationship Between Mental Health and Substance Abuse Mental health and addiction are deeply intertwined, with each condition often exacerbating the other in a vicious cycle of suffering. Individuals struggling with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at a significantly higher risk of developing substance […]
How to Help Someone with Drug Addiction and Depression
If you intend to someone with addiction and depression, it’s important to approach the situation with compassion, understanding, and patience. It can be difficult to open up about addiction and depression, so it’s important to give them a safe space to talk without judgment. Try not to let your own anxiety or worry lead you […]
Childhood Trauma and Addiction
There are many different causes for addiction. One of the main reasons why someone may fall into an addictive lifestyle later in life is due to childhood trauma. Studies have shown that around 75% of people who experienced trauma as a child end up dealing with addiction later in life. If you or someone you […]
How to Tell if Someone Is on Cocaine
It’s crucially important to understand that identifying someone’s drug use is not always as apparent as it looks when dramatized in movies and on TV. But even when not apparent, many drugs manifest in their users similarly, and there are definite clues to determine if someone might be using them. Cocaine is one of those […]
Healthy Friends vs. Unhealthy Friends
You are who you surround yourself with. Although it may be a clichéd belief, for many, the saying holds true. If you’re in treatment, it is important to surround yourself with positive, healthy relationships that will be a source of support during and after the recovery process. For many people, this may mean avoiding friends […]
The Importance of Honesty in Recovery
Admitting that you are struggling with an addiction or mental health issue is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Once you admit to yourself, it also means that you will need to admit to others that you have these issues and need help to overcome them. Dishonesty is all too common among […]
How Can You Tell if Your Casual Drinking is Becoming a Problem?
It is Friday evening and you are on your way to meet friends for a few after-work drinks. The original plan was to stop by a bar and have one or two casual beers as you promised your mother you would have brunch with her the following day. However, when you arrive, everyone’s spirits are […]
Eating Disorders, Transfer Addiction, and Body Image
Whether it’s overcoming an eating disorder, conquering an addiction, or both, the general assumption is that once a person receives treatment, they will be “cured.” However, there is a danger of trading your addiction. Addiction replacement, or transfer addiction, occurs when an individual in recovery substitutes one addiction for another. The transfer occurs as a […]
How Societal Pressures Impact Addiction in Women
Several factors are involved when women develop addictions. Physical makeup and psychological reasons related to societal pressures both play a part in substance use and abuse in women. Physically, women are more markedly affected by drugs and alcohol compared to men, so when they use substances for relief from stress, they can become more easily […]