“If you’re going to do it, you might as well get the most out of it.” While that’s true of many things in life, it’s particularly true of the recovery process. Because of the investment required — time, energy, money, and the break from daily life and work — it’s crucial to make sure treatment pays off and that you experience the full benefits of drug and alcohol recovery. So, how does one get the most out of recovery? Here are four ways that will help you maximize your treatment and recovery experience.
While most of us don’t hesitate to check in with our doctors for physical health, emotional checkups are harder to integrate into our regular healthcare routine — maybe because we don’t know we need them. The insidious nature of negative mental health effects like depression and anxiety makes them harder to identify before they start wreaking havoc on our well-being.
I’ve often noticed in my patients that their most prized organ can be the first one to forget. They come to me for glowing skin, prevention of heart disease or general weight loss but few come and ask for a “brain health” plan. In fact — the brain is the first organ we should cater to if our goal is a better and longer life.
Entering a recovery program raises a number of practical challenges, like how to deal with work, family, pets, and other commitments that must be temporarily placed on hold during treatment.
In the past couple of years, thousands upon thousands of Californians—northern, southern and nestled in between—have contemplated the question that many of us have only considered hypothetically: What would you take if evacuating a fire?
The opioid epidemic continues to plague the United States at a rapid pace with no end in sight. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an average of 130 Americans die from opioid overdose every day, and approximately 2 million people admitted to having an opioid problem in 2018. While opioid addiction can affect all age groups and all social classes, there’s one particular group that’s been hit especially hard: athletes.
Since its inception in the early 20th century, Alcoholics Anonymous (simply called “AA” by many) has grown exponentially. The peer recovery and self-help program has endured the test of time, growing in popularity, with current membership estimated to be more than 2 million members worldwide, according to AA.org. But while the program and its terminology have become part of modern culture, how much do you really know about the 12 Steps?
Summer is over, and that means back to school. It’s an exciting time of new school supplies, haircuts, and Instagram feeds full of perfectly posed children holding chalkboards announcing the new grade they’re entering.
When substance addiction appears in relationships, the elements that once made things click begin to deteriorate. Those battling addiction begin focusing on getting the drugs to maintain their habit — and their high — at whatever the cost.