For many years, alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism, has been known as a threefold disease that affects the mind, body, and spirit. Within the disease, three parts are referred to as the spiritual malady, the physical allergy, and the mental obsession. These components, in conjunction, make up the disease of alcohol addiction, as defined by…
While you may get what alcoholism is and what it does to your body, many people don’t always show the signs or know the risk factors. Alcoholism or what is now called alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction, like any disease, can affect anyone at any time. However, there are some common risk factors to…
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has become essential to millions of Americans battling an addiction to alcohol. It provides support and a sense of community to those looking to continue their path of recovery and sobriety. However, not everyone finds themselves comfortable with the more spiritual approach taken by AA. For them, there are some quality AA alternatives…
It’s the question that plagues many struggling with their dependency on alcohol, “How can I stop drinking?” It’s easy to feel like a failure when you see others seeming to have more success overcoming their addiction. What’s important is that you don’t give up and make the conscious choice to help yourself and not give…
Alcohol use disorder is a challenge for many Americans. Going to rehab is the start of a long journey the people with addiction travel. With medical needs and co-occurring mental health conditions, there are typically some things that have to be done after rehab to support a person’s recovery. Instead of returning home, they may…
Women are using drugs and alcohol at faster rates than men in present times. Alcoholism is growing for women, leading to health complications like heart disease, liver damage, and mental health complications. Women are also at risk of violence, sexual assault, and other crimes against themselves when they drink excessively. Rehab programs are the safest…
Making the decision to get help for your addiction is one of the best decisions you will ever make. The road may not always be smooth and easy, but sticking it out and really applying yourself to the concept of addiction recovery and all it entails is the key to really turning your life around.…
As with many illnesses, it is hard to self-diagnose addiction, particularly because of the disease’s wide variety of symptoms. While addiction is always associated with physical dependence on a substance, some addicts go years without ever noticing they are dependent at all. As substance abuse becomes more and more habitual, it is quite common for…
When an individual regularly consumes toxic substances like drugs and alcohol, he or she may consume with the impression that quitting will be as easy as starting was. In fact, several surveys indicate that individuals in these situations often deem themselves perfectly capable of quitting anytime they’d like. Their strategy is typically one that includes…
Just as drug and alcohol use harms your body and brain, it can also have a devastating impact on unborn children. In pregnancy, your baby receives all of its nutrients from you. As both food and oxygen travel through the umbilical cord and to the placenta without dilution or filtration, it’s important to remember that…