Major depression, not just periodic moments of feeling blue, is considered one of the most common mental disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The agency refers to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders definition of this level of depression, which is: “A period of two weeks or longer during...Read More

Although there are numerous techniques for meditation, many people are still uncertain about how to do it. However, the practice is often easy to incorporate into your recovery. One way to meditate is to pause in a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on your breath for a minute or two. The concept of...Read More

Stress is a dirty word for many people, and with good reason. We often don’t feel its full effects until it’s wreaked havoc on our emotions, thoughts, and physical well-being. But did you know that stress isn’t always a bad thing? Or that there are multiple types of negative stress? Understanding the various forms of...Read More

A primary aspect of a continuum of care plan involves techniques that enable you to not only maintain sobriety, but also uncover your best self. This isn’t simply social media affirmation. Through exposure to positive influences and new ways of thinking, you’re more likely to evolve—not because you were “bad” and need to be “good,”...Read More

One reason why women are so susceptible to chronic illness and death due to alcohol abuse is due to how their bodies metabolize it. Research provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) suggests it’s because women have less water in their bodies compared to men of similar weight, so alcohol concentrates...Read More

It’s easy to think we’ll simply bounce back after a lot of water and a good night’s sleep. But what’s the dividing line between having a little too much alcohol and actually binge drinking? The definition of binge drinking is consuming excessive quantities of alcohol in a short period of time—roughly two hours—at least one...Read More

One crucial component of recovering from addiction is to eliminate toxins from your body and enable its natural healing processes. It’s not always enough to simply stop abusing drugs or alcohol: the body has to be restored with proper hydration, nutrition, immunity, pH balance, regular exercise, and good sleep hygiene. Medical Detoxification Medical detoxification isn’t...Read More

As addiction science evolves, the medical community continues to find support for the claim that addiction is a chronic brain disease. In the past decade, numerous studies have reinforced direct causation of drugs and alcohol on the brain’s reward center, neural pathways, memory, cognitive function, and motivation. Further research by the American Society of Addiction...Read More

The statistics regarding America’s lack of nutrition are rather astounding. Consider the following: Dietary guidelines for 2015-2020 released by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion indicate that 117 million Americans—approximately half of all adults in the nation—have at least one preventable chronic condition related to inadequate diet and lack of exercise. The average...Read More

In 2015, Harvard Medical School reported that “four times as many prescription painkillers are provided each year now compared with the 1990s.” In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implemented a public health emergency, and developed a campaign to focus on specifically reducing opioid dependency. In its research, HHS cited the...Read More