It is easy to fall into the trap of enabling an addict. It feels like love, but enabling only harms the addict and your relationship with him. If you love an addict, you can be supportive, loving and caring without enabling the addiction and the addictive behaviors. The first step is to recognize whether you…
There has been a sharp rise in the number of heroin addicts since 2012, and the effects are being felt at rehab centers nationwide. Since 2012, heroin deaths have risen by 39 percent. Where are the new heroin addicts coming from? Surprisingly, they are suburban parents, teens, and young professionals. Many become addicted to prescription…
It seems as though almost every day a familiar face flashes across the screen with an announcement that so-and-so has passed away. When that famous person has a history of drug or alcohol abuse, many commentators immediately mention it, as if the person’s death is always attributable to drugs or alcohol. With social media making…
Did you know that about 3,000 Pennsylvanians have died over the past five years because of opioid abuse, or that an astonishing 80 percent of people using heroin first became addicted to a prescription painkiller? With heroin in Pennsylvania costing less than beer, heroin abuse is an epidemic that crosses every social boundary. Here is…
If you have ever been addicted to alcohol or drugs, you know how scary it can be to return to the “real” world after rehab ends. Aftercare bridges the gap between the sanctuary of rehab and the chaos of normal life and is the difference-maker in many recovery stories. Here is why you need to…
If you’re like many people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, then you know how frustrating it is to hear people who haven’t been addicted talk about quitting and staying sober. After all, how could anyone possibly understand what it’s like if they haven’t been through it themselves? That’s why getting a sponsor is…
Chances are you know all about secondhand smoke. You may not have heard about the dangers of secondhand alcohol, however, yet you may already be a victim. Learn more about secondhand alcohol, and find out why your loved one’s drinking problem may be costing you more than you think. Problems Associated with Secondhand Alcohol Unlike…
The science of addiction treatment constantly undergoes scrutiny because there is no “cure” for substance abuse, and the causes of it vary from person to person. The question of whether addiction is a disease or a choice causes significant debate. Although some clinicians accept the disease model of addiction, many others believe strongly that addiction…
Many young people do not even share the mundane details of their life with their parents, such as what they studied in math that day or who they sat with at lunch. Therefore, it can feel incredibly daunting when a teen or young adult needs to tell their parents about something extremely important: their addiction.…
For most people, there is a certain amount of mystery surrounding alcohol detox. What does it mean? What does it feel like? Should you be worried if you or your loved one is going to alcohol detox? The answer to that last question is no. While it is not easy, medically supervised alcohol detox is…