General
Staying Motivated When You Want to Throw in the Towel
The process of recovery requires a one-day at a time approach. Addiction is a chronic mental illness. There is no bandaid or straightforward fix-it approach, and unfortunately, there is no surgery or treatment that can cure you of it. The idea that there is no cure for addiction can be very disheartening. The fact of…
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Detoxing Safely in California
The path to recovery and freedom from addiction comes with many different stages. Each stage is an integral part of the recovery journey. Along the way, you learn more about yourself, your struggle with addiction, and become educated on how you can effectively handle your addiction to maintain recovery. One of the initial first stages…
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COVID in California and the Mental Health Crisis
Nearly two years into the reality of COVID-19, mental health across California, namely Southern California, has been tried and tried again. Unfortunately, several factors have joined forces to bring this to fruition. One of the biggest struggles people have faced is how isolation has triggered or heightened their mental illness. For some, this constant isolation…
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Handling Grief During Recovery
People are connected by many different things. Sometimes that includes a shared interest, hobby, activity, mutual relationship, and in many cases, shared tribulations. One thing that connects every person in the world to each other is death. While it may sound morbid, death is something that everyone has in common. Everyone eventually experiences it for…
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Setting and Achieving Realistic Goals
Chances are, you are your worst critic. Sometimes that is a learned behavior resulting from overbearing parents, being tormented by middle school bullies, or simply being a slightly more neurotic person than others. Of course, it is necessary to be self-critical at times. It is important for your growth and development to periodically go through…
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Addiction Transference and False Recovery
In some cases, it is possible to think you have dealt with your addiction. In reality, however, you may have just transferred your emotional baggage to a new negative coping mechanism. While it is not the only cause of addiction or substance use disorder (SUD), the inability to cope with pressures, stress, or trauma in…
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Addiction, Mental Illness, and Work Burnout
The inability to healthily cope with pressure and stress can often lead to addiction or substance use disorder (SUD). This inability can be due to stressors in one’s personal life or professional life. High-pressure careers that are demanding and stress-inducing can lead individuals to use alcohol excessively and potentially use dangerous drugs. For example, high-ranking…
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How Toxic Relationships Hinder Recovery
Often in recovery, people speak about the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong support system. This is because people tend to be influenced by those around them; it is simply human nature. When the people you surround yourself with have similar values or goals, they positively impact you. However, when the people you surround…
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Explaining Your Addiction to Your Children
When you struggle with addiction, substance use disorder (SUD), or even other co-occurring mental illnesses, your family members may suffer too. In some cases, your loved ones suffer from seeing you struggle with unintentional consequences of your life decisions revolving around your addiction. In many cases, your loved ones suffer from choices you have made…
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Big Pharma Complacency and the Drug Crisis
Factors influencing the ongoing drug crisis range from how accessible drugs have become over the years to how often they are prescribed in doctors’ offices across the county. Some may fail to consider the pharmaceutical company’s influence in today’s day and age. For years, there has been speculation that pharmaceutical policies neglect to properly serve…
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