PTSD and Addiction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are often experienced at the same time. The link between PTSD and addiction can be strong, making it complicated to treat clients who are dealing with both disorders. However, our understanding of the best ways to help people experiencing the aftermath of trauma and struggling with […]
Dangers of Mixing Melatonin and Alcohol
Lots of people these days have difficulty getting to sleep. Everyday life is full of little stressors that can add up, leaving us to toss and turn when we should be peacefully dreaming. Some people choose to take a sleep supplement like melatonin, while others may choose to have a few drinks in the evening. […]
What Is DMT and Where Does It Come From?
DMT is a strong hallucinogenic drug that has been utilized in religious and shamanistic ways for millennia. Other related drugs like psilocybin and ayahuasca have recently been in the media for their recreational or spiritual uses. DMT, unlike other hallucinogenic drugs, has a fairly short window of effect, causing it to earn the name ‘the […]
Trazodone Side Effects
Trazodone is a medication that is often prescribed to treat major depression but can also be given to treat other conditions. It can often be used as part of an alcohol or substance abuse treatment program to help clients who are experiencing difficulties sleeping. Especially for those who are concerned about addiction, questions such as […]
How Cocaine Can Impact Mental Health
The mental health effects of cocaine use have been well-documented since it was discovered to be habit-forming during the Victorian era. In fact, the current understanding of addiction itself includes a component of mental health. Additionally, people who are dealing with underlying mental health conditions often self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to try and relieve […]
Stages of Addiction
There are stages of addiction. It doesn’t just all happen at once. No one becomes addicted after their first sip of wine. There have been many people who have claimed after the first hit of a certain drug that they knew that was it for them. But that was not the first time they tried […]
5 Signs of Painkiller Abuse
Since 1995, when the FDA approved Oxycontin (oxycodone) for medical use to treat chronic or acute pain, the abuse of prescription painkillers has risen steadily. Many believe the current opioid epidemic can be traced, at least in part, to the legitimizing of a powerful synthetic opioid by physicians, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies, without acknowledging its […]
Do I Have a Physiological Dependence?
Addiction constitutes reliance on the substance in the body and mind. Physiological dependence occurs when someone doesn’t feel normal unless they use a certain drug. Other signs of this type of reliance include withdrawal symptoms when quitting. Having a physiological dependence, however, rarely happens in isolation. The physical effects of the substance also impact the […]
Why Meth Addiction Could Destroy Your Relationships
Crystal methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth or just meth, is a highly addictive stimulant. While the legal ramifications of using meth can be severe and life-changing, the fact that meth destroys families is what might be strong enough to seek help in a meth addiction treatment program. You deserve healthy relationships, and the compassionate […]
Importance of Family Support in Recovery
One of the most prevalent challenges faced by people struggling with addiction is the sense that they are all alone in the world. The people they depended on and cared for before they became addicted seem far from them now. In fact, those people are usually still right there. They are simply at a loss […]