Blog
Untangling the Web of Trauma and Addiction
Trauma is the word you give to a vast number of painful experiences that leave you emotionally wounded and scarred. Those wounds and scars are often the impetus for substance use, trying to escape or numb the pain, which often leads to addiction. During active...
What Do I Need to Know About Fentanyl?
Alongside other opioids, fentanyl has become notorious for its role in the opioid crisis in America. Thousands of people die each year from drug overdose, often as a result of using other drugs they didn't know were laced with fentanyl. This drug also packs a lot of...
Feeling Safe in Your Treatment Choices
Going into treatment for addiction can be frightening for some people. Having a substance use disorder (SUD) is challenging enough, and there are so many unknowns. This process can be even more difficult when those who have experienced trauma, discrimination, or...
Can I Learn to Cope With Anger?
Some people abuse substances to numb the anger they feel towards themselves, someone else, or an experience they had that causes them pain. This article will discuss ways to monitor and manage anger issues to avoid relapse and improve quality of life. What Causes...
The Importance of Emotional Regulation in Healing From Addiction
Much of the behaviors leading up to and involving addiction are due to unregulated emotions and your reactions to information from your environment. Learning to be aware of your emotions and act rather than react to your environment will give you the power to manage...
What Are 5 Reasons People Forgo Addiction Treatment?
There are many reasons a person will be resistant to seeking treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD). This article will highlight five common reasons and explain how to help them get treatment. Why They Might Reject the Idea of Treatment When you are really sick,...
Living in Survival vs. Thriving
When someone is in active addiction, their mindset is on survival. They live from moment to moment, simply trying to survive. Survival mode means constantly living in a state of distress. Part of the recovery process is learning to switch that mindset and not let...
Could Trauma Have Caused Me to Learn Helplessness?
Living with the belief that you cannot change the course of your life can feel like an oppressive weight on your chest that is paralyzing action. Such feelings of powerlessness can be so overwhelming that you simply resign all efforts to influence outcomes. You might...
How Addiction Affects Military Families
Military life is typically seen through the lens of the soldier. After all, they are the ones sacrificing for our country. However, behind every soldier are spouses, partners, children, parents, and siblings who are also making sacrifices for our country. Most of the...
Will Individual Therapy Help Me?
Therapy can be viewed negatively. Some individuals believe that if they go to therapy, they will be stigmatized by others as being weak or having a mental health disorder that they should be ashamed of. Unfortunately, these misguided perspectives lack understanding of...