Anxiety is a common side effect of sobriety, and many people feel anxious, agitated, or even have panic attacks in the first days and months after quitting alcohol. Others originally turn to alcohol or drugs as a means of combating their anxiety, and this can make returning to it even more difficult. But once you…
Addiction is a disease, and just like many other diseases, relapse is possible. Relapse usually isn’t something that occurs suddenly, however. There are several triggers that precede relapse, which are events or issues that make you want to use. Recognizing what these triggers allow us to do our best to avoid them. Life’s Stressors While…
Most of us think of alcoholics as a stereotype, a person who can’t keep a job, who prioritizes alcohol over everything else, and who is actively and visibly drunk much or most of the time. While this stereotype can and does apply, as much as 19.5% of the 17.6 million people who qualify as alcohol…
Today, addiction affects some 23.5 million Americans who are held captive by their dependence on drugs, alcohol, and prescription pills. These numbers coincide with our increasingly stressful and busy lives, as more and more Americans turn to substances for relief from stress, poverty, home life, and even boredom. Despite our increasing reliance on substances, abuse…
Recovering from an addiction is a journey that stretches over months and then years, and even though the possibility of relapse will never truly go away, embracing spirituality can help you to stay clean or sober. Spirituality in recovery can be an incredibly powerful tool to help you get in touch with yourself or your…
Addiction is an uphill battle, and no matter where you are on the path to remaining substance-free`, it is not one that ends. Getting clean might involve seeking professional and even medical help to ensure that you can go through withdrawal safely, but after the immediacy of your physical addiction has passed, you will have…
What is Problem Drinking? Sometimes it’s difficult to know when you have crossed the line from moderate or social alcohol use to problem drinking. If your drinking is causing difficulties in any area of your life, especially in work or relationships, it’s possible you may have a problem with drinking. Recognition and acceptance of the…
Dementia is typically a mental disorder that causes a person’s memory to deteriorate over time. While this is more commonly a genetic disorder that is passed down from one generation to the next (if your parents or grandparents suffered from dementia you are at greater risk), there are external factors that can bring about dementia.…
Creating a healthier body, mind, and soul is hard when it feels like you just waged war against all parts of yourself going through rehab. Addiction recovery is challenging for the body because the entire body, mind, and soul have been through a lot. A healthier rhythm means looking at how to move through your…
With diabetes, drinking alcohol can cause a rise in blood sugar. It may also fall, depending on the person’s metabolism and other factors. Alcohol has a lot of calories. If a person is following a calorie-controlled meal plan, one drink of alcohol should be counted as two exchanges of fat. Drinking alcohol may not be…