Addiction is a mental health disease where men and women use drugs, alcohol, or an activity like gambling or sex to relieve compulsive behaviors disrupting their lives. There are many signs of gambling addiction that you can look for if you suspect a friend or loved one is addicted to gambling. A gambling addiction treatment …
You may find that you want to close yourself off from seeing friends or meeting new people due to anxiety. That you feel the need to say “no” to invitations or have an escape plan in order to make it through the day lately. The more you try to alleviate the feelings of worry or …
Stopping your substance use is important, but it’s only one aspect of your recovery process. The foundation of your recovery is a life designed to help you avoid substance use. Living this way requires careful thought, emotional support and a range of healthy coping skills. So what are the coping skills for addiction that help …
With so much new and readily available content to choose from, why do we feel drawn to rewatching shows or reread beloved books dozens of times? What causes a yearning for the familiar in times of increased stress, anxiety and depression? Can rewatching old favorites help you heal? Many have asked similar questions, wondering if the …
How Books and Reading Can Help Your Mental Health Early in our childhood and in school, parents and teachers praise reading for its ability to lead us on adventures around the world (and in other worlds, too). Reading offers us an escape while also fostering empathy for people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, school …
While getting through the holiday season during a normal year is hard, doing it with a mental health condition like anxiety or depression can present an even greater challenge. Complicating things for the second year in a row, COVID-19 continues to affect our mental health as individuals and communities. The holiday season is supposed to …
Since the onset of COVID-19, the world has changed—we’re far from the old “normal”—and after these years apart, mentally preparing to see family again will also look different. It is important to acknowledge this and recognize that people, perspectives and everyday life will not look the same. As lockdowns have eased and everyday life has …
The idea of mental rest might seem straightforward. Yet, with exciting distractions at our fingertips, a relentless demand to be “on,” and a holiday season around the corner, it may be tougher to feel revitalized than you expect. Have you ever had one of those days where you wander off into space, staring blankly at …
Triggers, cravings, tolerance and physical dependence are all factors that get in the way of the recovery process, but there is another factor that deserves to be a part of this list: lack of motivation to overcome substance abuse. For those who struggle with finding the motivation to seek out addiction treatment and using that …
Some important truths, such as knowing that change is about the little things rather than monumental gestures, can be learned. Even in the midst of a challenging and arduous process like committing yourself to recovery from addiction. At first, when we set these goals for ourselves, we feel ready to take on every obstacle to …