23 million Americans struggle with substance abuse disorders and addiction every year, with as many as 10% of Americans developing a substance abuse disorder in their lifetime. With so many people battling addiction, it’s easy to wonder is drug addiction a choice? Addiction is considered a mental health disease that is progressive, chronic, and incurable.…
During substance abuse treatment, programs like individual counseling and choice theory can help you learn how to manage triggers and cravings. How does choice theory aid addiction recovery? By improving your decision-making process and helping you learn how to cope with triggers. More than 24 million Americans used illicit drugs in the past month, while…
Addiction can cause fatal consequences. In fact, drug overdoses have recently become the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50. Between 2015 and 2016 alone, there was a 22% increase in the number of fatal overdoses, while fatal heroin overdoses have increased by more than 400% since 2010. During treatment, rehabs…
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 10% of adults experience some kind of substance use disorder during their lives. To make matters worse, nearly 75% of them never seek professional help. Most experts say that people don’t seek help because they’re afraid that they can’t pay for outpatient rehab center. Instead, they should…
It’s hard to hear about addiction without people tossing around the term “addictive personality.” However, how many people actually know the meaning of this term? Better yet, how do they know if they have this type of personality? Gaining some understanding can help you determine if you’re at risk of developing addiction. We provide some…
Life brings many changes — some good and some bad. How you tackle the issues of life determines your happiness and ultimately your growth as a person. Some people struggle to deal with life’s problems and turn to drugs or alcohol instead. This amounts to pushing the problem away and not dealing it with it.…
Drug addiction is not something to take lightly. It’s also not something that happens to any particular “type” of person. In fact, studies show that drug addiction can strike any person. It matters not what your background is to become affected by the drug epidemic. People of all ages, socioeconomic statuses, and job titles have…
When drug addiction strikes a family, it can bring more than heartbreak. Some families struggle to stay together. With the stress, anxiety, and pressure that come when a family member experiences addiction to drugs, it’s critical to be proactive. By implementing intervention strategies for drug addiction, you take the first critical step towards the healing…
Chemical dependency is defined as “the body’s physical and/or psychological addiction to a psychoactive (mind-altering) substance, such as narcotics, alcohol, or nicotine.” People become physically dependent over time because they give their body the substance repeatedly and over time, they become tolerant of it. Therefore, they need to increase their dose in order to get…
Struggling with alcoholism can be damaging to not just the alcoholic, but also to their family, friends and loved ones. Witnessing someone you care about battle alcoholism can be frustrating and painful. It can be especially hard to understand how to help an alcoholic when you have never experienced addiction. Luckily, we have a recover-safe…