Addiction | Substance Use Disorders | Treatment
The Need for Addiction Treatment Outcomes Measurements
Addiction Treatment Outcomes Measurements – one of the most difficult aspects about trying to find a treatment center and/or program that is “right” for you and/or your loved one is the frustration over the inability to actually “measure” how one program works vs. another. Why is this critical? Because the typical treatment model does not…
Read MoreNutrition and Addiction | Secondhand Drinking | Drugging Recovery
Nutrition and Addiction | Secondhand Drinking | Drugging Recovery – yes, there is a definite connection between nutrition and brain health. Brain health is one of the keys to re-wiring the brain, to healing the brain that has been affected by addiction and/or secondhand drinking | drugging. This NPR news piece, “Food For Thought: Meat-Based…
Read MoreFinding Effective Addiction Treatment Can Be Tough!
Finding effective addiction treatment can be overwhelmingly difficult. Guest post authors, Eileen and Alisa, share their own experience. The following is a guest post from Eileen and Alisa, mother and daughter, working together to fight the family disease of addiction. Appropriate addiction treatment is hard to find. Recently I did a web search (google) for…
Read MoreSpirituality for the Recovering Alcoholic in a Nutshell
The idea of spirituality for the recovering alcoholic can be off-putting to some. It’s often the idea of a Higher Power or “God as we understand him” or simply the talk of spirituality that keeps people from getting the recovery help they need. The Discovering Alcoholic, who writes a top rated recovery blog, www.discoveringalcoholic.com, covering…
Read MoreRecovering in Anonymity – Does it Continue the Secrecy and Shame
Recovering in Anonymity – “Does it continue the secrecy and shame?” I ask. “And does that secrecy and shame thwart recovery?” While anonymity is the cornerstone of recovery for millions, for millions more and often for the public at large, in my opinion, it also continues the secrecy and shame that shrouds this disease, and…
Read MoreFirst Three Steps of NA | AA From a Science Perspective
Sometimes re-framing the first three steps of NA | AA from a science perspective can help those in early sobriety who are seeking recovery through a 12 step program. It can help because they can better understand and appreciate why all of the dogged willpower and determination they’d exerted to control how much they drank…
Read MoreThe Brain Can Change
The brain can change – truly! One of the most encouraging things about all of the new brain and addiction-related research is learning we can actually change and heal neural networks and thereby change and repair our brains. This can be especially helpful to addicts/alcoholics and their families and friends because addiction is a brain…
Read MoreRaising the Bottom – Helping a Loved One Seek Recovery
Raising the bottom – it’s true – we don’t have to let a person “hit bottom.” There are healthy ways we can intervene to help a loved one raise their bottom. Why is this important? Addiction is a developmental disease and the earlier its progression is interrupted, the better. Raising the Bottom – Helping a…
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