When a mother-to-be drinks, her baby drinks. Alcohol in the mother’s blood is passed directly to the fetus through the umbilical cord. At present, physicians cannot determine the precise moment when a specific biological system such as the nervous system is most affected by alcohol consumption. That’s why the medical profession recommends no alcohol consumption […]
Substance abuse disorders are quiet, careful killers. They are disorders that force our way of living to center solely around the addictive substance and nothing else. In the United States, 20.2 million adults aged 18 or older suffered from a substance abuse disorder in 2014, accounting for billions of dollars exacted from health care, loss […]
When Is it Too Early or Too Late to Have the Drug Talk? Children are sponges. They absorb information better than any of us. If you think your problem is going over their head, think again. Although your child doesn’t understand the gravity of a chronic substance use disorder, the disease’s effects will long remain: […]
The holidays: a time for family, cheer, and giving. For many it’s also among the most stressful, emotionally difficult times of the year. Strained family connections, grief for lost loved ones, feelings of isolation, and other physical and emotional triggers can make it a struggle to get through to the...
I grew up with a mother who had a prescription drug addiction. This disorder started when my mother broke her ankle when I was just four years old. Her life went downhill after that, and it affected my life in ways that still haunt me. The Early Years It didn’t...
What You Need to Know About Addiction, Your Immune System, & Lung Cancer Drug Abuse’s Suppression of the Immune System It’s lung cancer awareness month! Drugs are bad, m’kay? But, did you know addictive substances are detrimental to your immune system? Opioid use depresses the respiratory system and inhibits one’s...
With the prevalence of prescription drug abuse and corresponding fatal overdose rates, it’s time to challenge the way we view and respond to the substance abuse epidemic sweeping the U.S. By correcting misconceptions, banishing stigmas, educating the public, and creating greater access to recovery services, we can work together to...
Happy Pride Month! Each June we recognize and celebrate love in all its shades, encourage living in one’s truth, and fight back against intolerance and harmful stigmas. Established in 2000 then amended in 2009, Pride Month is intended to be a month long celebration of inclusivity in love. Unfortunately for...
The following poem is a submission written by Alicia Mason and published with permission from the author. A hopeless dope fiend, broken down and beat A needle junkie with nothing left in me But guilt, shame, remorse, obsession, self-defeat No longer seeing light in this empty hollow me No longer...
May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time designated to raising awareness and challenging the stigmas that stand in the way of meaningful treatment and recovery. Because mental health disorders and addiction are often co-current, understanding how your mental health impacts substance abuse recovery is essential to maintaining long-term clean...
I desperately wish I didn’t know what it was like to love someone with an active drug addiction. But the fact of the matter is that I do. I know what it’s like to be overwrought with fear and hopelessness, to fall asleep terrified of their future, to wake up...
St. Patrick’s Day 2018 falls on Saturday, March 17th, bringing a celebration of Irish culture to communities across the country in the form of parades, music and dance performances, food festivals, and gallons upon gallons of alcoholic beverages. In fact, St. Patrick’s Day is the fourth most popular holiday for...
Most people seeking an addiction recovery program do their research in a very specific, restricted area: within about 10 miles of their home. Sometimes that radius can be expanded to include the entirety of the state, but rarely does one consider the broader horizons that out-of-state treatment can provide. This...
