I want to remind you folks that it is the behavior of the addict, not the drugs or alcohol, per se, that is intolerable. When Uncle Tim raises a glass of champagne at his niece’s wedding and toasts to the couple, we do not find this in the least disturbing. When Uncle...
In the addiction field, we refer to substance abuse as a “family disease.” While there may be only one addict in the family, the disease has a trickle-down effect, impacting not only the addict’s life, but also the lives of his or her family, friends and loved ones....
True, every addict I have known had his (her) plate full. I can't even imagine the anxiety and distress felt when in the throngs of addiction, but let us not forget that family members daily live in worry of what will happen to them or their addicted loved one. When...
The Stages of Relapse Relapse is a process, it's not an event. In order to understand prevention you have to understand the stages of relapse. Relapse starts weeks or even months before the event of physical relapse. In this page you will learn how to use specific...
Incorporating any combination of these techniques, therapies, and natural medicines, can reduce the ill effects of recovering from opiate use. Body Techniques Yoga Yoga is an ancient art form that combines meditation and body movement to create strength and peace. In...
Intensity of Cravings When people begin to develop cravings for alcohol or drugs it usually means that they have developed an addiction. These cravings can be hard to resist. Even when the individual has made promises to curb their alcohol or drug intake they will...
Interesting and right on People talk about having an "addictive personality," but are there really certain personality traits of addiction? Addictive personality isn't a real psychological diagnosis, but some personality traits do seem to be more common in people with...
Planning and staging an intervention is a delicate process. If a drug abuse intervention is not done properly, it can be a complete failure and even make the situation worse. The following list of 7 principles of successful drug interventions, however, can be used to...
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step groups are the leading U.S. approach to addiction recovery. Millions have attended these meetings and "worked the steps." Popular media include countless references to AA-oriented recovery. Many scientific studies show that...