In 2016, alcohol was the seventh leading risk factor for premature death, according to a review of 700 studies published in The Lancet. The researchers determined that any amount of drinking is harmful to you. Naturally, men and women living with an alcohol use disorder...
If someone you love – a close friend or family member – is in the grips of the progressive disease of addiction, then please do not despair. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for men and women battling alcohol or substance...
Behavioral and mental health intervention and treatment services save lives. Those who find the courage to seek help and have access to it can turn their lives around. People do not recover from addiction and mental health disorders on their own; when left untreated, the...
Each day, countless spouses or parents have one of the most challenging conversations a person can have with a loved one: a discussion regarding alcohol or substance use. Sometimes these dialogues or informal interventions have promising results: their loved one opts to seek the assistance...
For many people, the word “alcoholic” conjures up a stereotypical image of someone whose life is in shambles and who starts drinking soon after they wake up. They have probably lost their job or maybe even spent time in jail because of the extent of their drinking habits....
If you have someone in your life with a substance misuse disorder, you may have heard that the best way to avoid codependency and enabling is to use a “tough-love” approach. However, various personality types respond in different ways, and no two people with addiction are the same. Perhaps...
If there’s a single mom or dad in your family or close group of friends, you probably already understand the unique challenges that come with being a single parent. These same obstacles can make single parents more vulnerable to developing mental health and substance misuse...
If someone you love is living with a substance use disorder, you are probably all too familiar with the manipulative tactics their addiction causes as its hold on them deepens. These behaviors can be heartbreaking, and they even have the power to end the strongest relationships. Amid the emotional wreckage...
It can be heartbreaking to watch a loved one struggle with a cycle of substance abuse. Time after time, you’ve heard them promise to quit drinking or using drugs, only to resume their self-destructive behavior when they have a stressful day at work, or when their cravings and...
If someone you know relies on prescription painkillers or has been misusing another opioid like heroin or morphine, an overdose is one of the most frightening concepts to consider. Opioid overdoses happen with alarming frequency across the U.S., and numbers have been rising steadily over the past two decades. Every...