Addiction can take many forms—for example, people can become addicted to smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, gambling, and shopping. But regardless of the type of addiction in question, many members of the mental health community use the “four Cs” to determine whether someone is an addict: compulsion, craving, control, and consequences. 1. Compulsion As […]
Addressing Addiction Alongside Your Loved Ones Through Family Counseling
Substance use doesn’t just impact the person struggling with addiction—it affects everyone in their immediate circle. This is why families in cities across the country are turning to therapy to rebuild trust, communicate openly, and support recovery together. Family counseling creates a structured environment where each member can express their experiences, understand the nature of […]
How Codependency Fuels Addiction
Codependency is when someone depends too much on another person to feel okay. It often grows from fear of being alone or not feeling good enough. People focus on someone else’s problems to avoid their pain. This can turn caring into control without them noticing. People with an addiction keep using because the consequences are […]
How Unresolved Trauma Can Fuel Addiction
Many people don’t realize how deeply trauma can fuel addiction, often in quiet, invisible ways. It starts small. A drink to take the edge off. A pill to sleep. A little something to forget for a while. That’s how it creeps in. Not all at once, but slowly. Often, no one notices the connection until […]
Effective Communication Strategies for Families Facing Addiction
It’s important to help family members with their problems — after all, that’s what families are for, right? Undoubtedly, yes — but some burdens can be difficult to bear, even when helping someone you love the most. And no one knows this better than families facing addiction by one of its members. Even when you […]
When is it Time for an Intervention?
Watching a loved-one self-destruct and feeling helpless to stop them can feel devastating, particularly when that person is in complete denial about their unhealthy life patterns. While you may feel hopeless, there is something you can do to try and help your loved one get the help they need to change their life. What is […]
International Overdose Awareness Day
August 1st is International Overdose Awareness Day; a day to raise awareness and commemorate loved ones who have died from a drug overdose. According to the CDC, over 70,000 Americans died from a drug-involved overdose in 2019 alone. That number reflects the fact our nation is currently suffering from a serious opioid epidemic. Losing a […]
What is a Dual Diagnosis?
There are times when a person is diagnosed with a mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety. Other times, someone might be diagnosed as having a substance abuse issue. When someone has both a mental health issue and a substance abuse issue, we call it a dual diagnosis. How Does Dual Diagnosis Develop? […]