Treating Addiction with DBT DBT is a form of therapy that helps individuals struggling with addiction and substance abuse develop skills that help them recover and move forward. Short for Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT is a modality used to treat various mental illnesses and disorders. This form of therapy has been particularly useful when treating addiction and substance abuse. Although it was originally intended to treat personality disorders and severe suicidal thoughts, DBT has expanded and can help just about anyone under intense stress. Treatment centers and addiction mental health professionals are increasingly using DBT more because its core tenets possess the [...]

The Addicted Brain The brain of someone addicted to drugs and alcohol differs from someone who is not. We know that those who struggle or struggled with addiction are different physiologically than those who can control their substance use. But what are those differences and what do they look like in the brain? There is a reason that some individuals can take substances and some cannot without becoming addicted immediately or shortly after. Some brains are just wired for addiction. Genetics plays a big role and those with other addicts in their families can pass along genes that make individuals respond differently [...]

What are Get Well Jobs in Addiction Recovery? Individuals in addiction recovery are usually advised to acquire get well jobs once they are ready to get back into the job force and society. But what does a wellness job even mean and what is the difference between a job and a wellness job?   Individuals in addiction and substance abuse treatment centers are removed from their daily stressors and put into a safe enwevironment where they can heal and learn skills that help them cope without the use of drugs and alcohol.   When someone in recovery is in the process [...]

Strange addictions are more common than you think. When people think of addiction, they usually imagine drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, or even sex. However, addictions can occur to the most unexpected things like the ingestion of nail polish or air freshener. People can become addicted to behaviors or people or even objects. Addiction to these strange things works similarly as addiction to drugs and alcohol. When individuals engage in their addictive behavior, such as eating cat food, they get a similar high from such acts like smoking cigarettes. In reality anyone can become addicted to anything for many reasons. Some of [...]

Substance Abuse during Divorce   Substance abuse during divorce is unfortunately a common and unhealthy way of coping with the devastation and stress that divorce can cause. Often times, substance abuse or addiction will push marriages to end. Some substance abuse and addiction is triggered just by the divorce alone.   Divorce is identified as one of the most stressful life events that someone can go through. If one of the spouses doesn’t have many coping skills to begin with, divorce can push them into a downward spiral of abusing drugs and alcohol. In fact, studies show that divorced individuals are [...]

Volunteer Work During Addiction Recovery Helping and serving others through volunteer work is often times some of the most humbling and rewarding experiences in addiction recovery, let alone in life. History shows that serving and caring for others is not only essential to living a fulfilled life but also what makes us human. Some of the most influential figures made history by serving others. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi During addiction, individuals lose themselves in their substance use. When someone is suffering from addiction, care and consideration for [...]

What is Smoked Out of a Glass Pipe?   People have been smoking out of pipes for many years, however, throughout the years pipes have changed into other materials like glass. Furthermore, what is being smoked in pipes has also evolved.   Pipe smoking goes back to at least the 16th century and was used in many different cultures. Many native cultures would smoke pipes during rituals or in tribal gatherings. After the discovery of tobacco, smoking out of pipes became even more popular. In fact, tobacco became the most popular substance to smoke out of pipes.   In the 19th [...]

Spirituality in Addiction and Substance Abuse Recovery   We often hear that connecting to some form of spirituality is imperative in addiction and substance abuse recovery. But what does that even mean and why is it so important?   People often mix up spirituality and religion, however, both of these terms differ in meaning. Spirituality is not the same thing as religion. Religion is a belief in a super controlling power like God and is derived from a specific system of faith and worship. Spirituality is different and is instead described as the quality of being connected to  something intangible like [...]

Self Harm and Addiction   Self harm and addiction have a cyclical relationship. Often times those who struggle with self harm can become solely addicted to the release that hurting oneself provides. Other times those struggling with self harm can also become addicted to drugs and alcohol. A study discovered that close to 10% of individuals struggling with self harm also abuse drugs and substances.   What is self harm?   Self harm is when someone purposely inflicts self injury or harm to their bodies through mutilation without the intent to kill oneself. Someone who inflicts self injury is usually secretive [...]

Vyvanse Addiction Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine) is a pharmaceutical drug that is prescribed to older children and adults with ADD, ADHD or binge eating disorder. It is a fairly recent drug and was only approved by the FDA in 2008. Vyvanse, Adderall and Ritalin are all central nervous system stimulants and treat both ADD and ADHD. However, Vyvanse differs from Adderall and Ritalin in some ways. Vyvanse contains lisdexamfetamine, which means that side effects are not as pronounced and one dosage lasts the whole day. Ritalin and Adderall contain amphetamine salts, which can strengthen side effects and increase spikes and drops. This means [...]