Fear and Addiction
Addiction is often driven in part by fear—fear of facing pain or trauma, for instance—and fear can also be a barrier to sobriety. When you are afraid, you can’t be as intentional; the feeling is overwhelming, and you want to do anything to get out of it. Addiction, Fear, and Anxiety The prelimbic cortex drives […]
Danny Trejo

The actor Danny Trejo has been sober since August 23rd, 1968. He started attending AA meetings in prison, where he landed after trying to sell heroin to an undercover cop. Trejo first smoked weed at 8 years old, had his first drink by 12, and started shooting heroin at 14. He was in and out […]
How Can Residential Alcohol Treatment Centers Help Me With Addiction Recovery?

If you are looking for information about treatment options for an alcohol use disorder, it sounds like you have made some huge strides towards self-awareness and recovery readiness. One of the most important decisions you will want to make is enrolling in an inpatient or outpatient alcohol treatment center. Both have qualities and benefits that […]
Intermittent Reinforcement and Addiction
Intermittent reinforcement is when a person gets inconsistent rewards for engaging in a certain behavior. This is often discussed in the context of abusive or toxic relationships where there is a lot of back and forth. People can feel “addicted” to a person who is unpredictable or abusive; they get a rush of dopamine when […]
International Self-Care Day

Today is International Self-Care Day! Self-care is a big part of recovery; it’s about doing things that support healing. What is Self-Care? Self-care is often portrayed as bubble baths or spa days, and while there is nothing wrong with those things, that’s a misrepresentation. Self-care is taking an active role in your own well-being. It […]
What Role Does Trauma Play in Addiction?
The links between trauma and addiction are well-documented. While not everyone who has an addiction has experienced trauma, and not everyone who has had a traumatic experience will develop a substance use disorder, trauma is a common factor in addiction. One study found that 70% of adolescents in treatment for addiction had a history of […]
The Importance of Alcohol Treatment Centers

Why is it important to consider an alcohol treatment center? If you or someone you love is gripped by dependence on alcohol, professional alcohol treatment centers may be the best route for the start of the recovery journey. Alcohol addiction can be overwhelming. Alcohol is legal, readily available, served at family dinner tables, and marketed […]
On Labels for Addiction

In recent years, there seems to be more public discourse about the usefulness of labels. I’ve noticed this in terms of sexuality and gender, but also around addiction and mental health. There is more room for people to decide whether or not labels suit them. Naming an experience or identity can feel useful for some […]
French Montana
The rapper French Montana has been sober since November 2019. He got sober following a hospitalization a little over a week after his 35th birthday, when he collapsed from mixing Adderall, Percocet, and alcohol. Montana says his life was out of control, but he was the only one in his orbit who didn’t notice. “It’s […]
Sober Stories: Tommy
What led you to get sober? I own my own business, and when I was drinking, I had severe anxiety about why I wasn’t getting more work. I blamed everything else and didn’t really look at my behavior. It occurred to me how frequently I was coming into my shop very hungover. I’d have brain […]