Healing Your Relationship to Yourself in Recovery
In recovery, you can repair relationships that may have been damaged during active addiction. As I’ve found in my own recovery, one of the most important is with yourself. Repairing Damage from Active Addiction Low self-esteem and shame are often factors (of many others) that lead people to drink or use drugs—but addiction exacerbates them. […]
What is Rock Bottom?
“Hitting rock bottom” is when a person feels like they’ve reached the lowest possible point in addiction. This is often discussed as the point in which a person gets sober. However, you don’t have to hit rock bottom in order to get sober. Addiction is a progressive disease; negative effects tend to build as you […]
Characteristics of the Best Drug Rehab Centers
Choosing a drug addiction treatment program for yourself or a loved one can be overwhelming. Over the last year, due to the increase in substance abuse during the pandemic, new drug rehab centers have popped up to meet demand. But how do you decide which ones are legitimate and reputable and which ones aren’t? We […]
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 […]
5 Signs My Spouse Needs a Heroin Rehab
Worrying about a loved one is painful. However, remember that heroin addiction is a disease. As with any disease, there are signs and symptoms. If you realize that your spouse has many, most, or all of the symptoms of this disease, it will be important to look into heroin addiction treatment programs. At TruHealing Centers, […]
A Conversation About Criminal Justice and Addiction With Dr. Wiley of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
Can you tell me about your work with The National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA]? I’ve been at NIDA almost 10 years, and I’ve worked on justice issues pretty much the whole time. A few years ago, Congress made a big appropriation to the National Institutes of Health[1]—which included NIDA—to address the pain and opioid […]
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 […]
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 […]
