Sharing Emotions Emotions can be a scary thing to experience. Feelings are not always enjoyable or easy.  More often than not, being able to speak about your emotions is a difficult task. Typically, what makes it easier is having a group of people (friends or family) that you can confide in. At that point, you are comfortable around your person and enjoy spending …

Old School Thought Most people who have been to a treatment center are familiar with the disease model of addiction. Many interventions are based on the evidence that it is a disease. Belief that addiction is a disease is based on findings that it begins early and advances gradually. A person is vulnerable to becoming addicted if they begin using …

If you or your loved one are experiencing a substance use disorder and are looking into treatment options, you may be confused about the terms “stepping up” and “stepping down.” Addiction treatment occurs on a continuum, so stepping down in addiction treatment means going from a more intense treatment setting or program to a less intense one. When and Why …

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time for gratitude – for family, friends, health, and wellness. While we also give thanks for the green bean casserole, turkey, and stuffing, Thanksgiving is also a time for reflection and observance. It’s a holiday that encourages us to be thankful for our lives, regardless of any trying times, and to observe all of life’s …

by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD   Addiction is characterized by a narrowing of behavior patterns.  As a particular behavior begins to dominate others, problems are likely to arise.  Expanding and diversifying behavior patterns is vital to overcoming addictive problems.  Identifying and participating in activities that capture and sustain our engaged interest is essential to well-being, and improved well-being is an excellent …

Getting The Right Diagnosis In the practice of medicine, physicians will come across patients who present with unofficial self-diagnosis at some point in their careers. Patients who have basically identified themselves as having a certain condition. Well, who knows their own bodies better than a patient themselves, right? Well yes, and no. Not as it relates to diagnosis. Additionally, many …

For as long as fruit has rotted on trees, human beings and their ancestors have had alcohol to drink; the history of rehab stretches back longer than we might think. Opium poppies have flowered for thousands of years, Cannabis may have been featured in the rituals of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and the use of tobacco may be more than 7,000 years old. Addiction isn’t new. Addiction treatment isn’t new, either. …

You don’t have to have a genetic predisposition to suffer with substance use disorder. More and more, we are seeing scientific studies that show stress can alter the brain, making it susceptible to addiction. Yet, we live in a society with ever increasing stressors—like work, family, and money. Perhaps this is why leading substance abuse experts suggest dealing with the …

When it comes to living a sober life, it isn’t your memory that reminds you of your past. It’s not as if it taps you on the shoulder out of the blue and causes you to ponder the days gone by, good or bad. Our memories are always attached to something else altogether. In recovery, these things are called triggers. Recovery sounds …

Even though it is 2022, the concern of stigma is alive and well when it comes to addiction. Stigmas, or misconceptions or negative thoughts that affect the way a person is viewed, can be harmful because they perpetuate the commonly held and inaccurate ideas about people who have struggled with addiction. Though society has come a long way in the …