“Do I need drug rehab?” is not an easy question to ask yourself. If you are in the middle of an addiction to drugs or alcohol (or any addictive behavior), it is difficult to be able to step back and objectively evaluate the situation. And each person struggles with drugs or alcohol in his or her own way, so there is no clear cut answer. But here are some warning signs or questions you can ask yourself to see if you need drug rehab: Read more →
Employee substance abuse problems cost U.S. employers hundreds of billions of dollars each year in health care and lost productivity. The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 18.9 million adults suffer from drug or alcohol dependence or abuse. Of that number, 52 percent were employed. That means the odds of your business being effected are high. Read more →
Many people wonder, who becomes an addict? The truth is, addiction does not discriminate. It doesn’t matter someone’s age, race, gender, financial background or social status. As was the case for Christina Huffington, the 24-year-old daughter of the editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post and prominent spokesperson, Arianna Huffington. Christina Huffington has recently spoken out about her struggles with addiction (primarily cocaine), an eating disorder, and anxiety (It is not uncommon for someone to suffer with more than one addiction, secondary addictions such as an eating disorder, or other disorders). Read more →
Learning how to identify and manage stress is a key component in any addiction recovery program. This is the second post of the two-part blog entry about how to manage stress and reduce the risk of relapse. There are unhealthy ways to coping with stress. For example, smoking, drugs or alcohol, unhealthy eating patterns, withdrawing from friends or family, sleeping too much, procrastinating, lashing out at others or angry outbursts, are all negative coping mechanisms. These habits may temporarily relieve stress, but end up causing more damage. Read more →
Learning how to identify and manage stress is a key component in any successful addiction recovery program. This is a two-part blog entry with the first post about identifying stress and the second about coping mechanisms for stress. Clients who learn how to identify and address stressful situations instead of avoiding them or letting them build, are less likely to relapse while in recovery. (Addictive Behaviors) Read more →
What is the true relationship between smoking and anxiety? During the past several years, research has shown a strong correlation between lower risk for relapse and longer periods of abstinence, being directly related to smoking cessation during the detox phase of drug and alcohol recovery. I have found that clients often assume that smoking helps relieve their anxiety symptoms. When the truth is, the anxiety is usually a major symptom of nicotine withdrawal. So the anxiety they think they are relieving by smoking is actually being caused by the smoking in the first place. Read more →
