You’re a highly paid, successful professional working in Silicon Valley’s legendary tech industry. You regularly work 80 + hour weeks because: Everyone in your firm does it. Your bosses expect it. Elon Musk does it, Jeff Bezos does it, and Steve Jobs did it. At this point, your mom would ask you this question:…
DetailsThe Rise of Collegiate Recovery Programs There is no easy time in life to start your recovery journey. When you’re struggling with any sort of Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD), whether the substance is alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription medication, you have a tough, life-changing, and possibly life-saving decision to make. Once the decision is made…
DetailsAs a therapist, sometimes you have to make a tough call and recommend your clients for residential treatment for their addiction or substance abuse disorder. You may be hesitant to do so for a variety of reasons: Residential treatment involves a total disruption of life-as-usual You believe your client will resist the idea You may…
DetailsPity the average citizen trying to figure out what’s going to happen with healthcare. During the week of July 9, proposed legislation changed in a day. Before July 13, this is where things stood: BCRA—the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, released on June 22—was still waiting to be approved by the Senate before being…
DetailsEvery person who commits to recovery from alcohol or substance abuse must face the fact they may relapse. That’s why all quality treatment programs design a re-entry plan for their clients meant to last past the first few days after discharge. Clinicians, counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists all understand one crucial thing about recovery: it’s a…
DetailsSummertime means different things for different college students. Some travel abroad, some take classes to catch up or get ahead, some stay busy with internships or jobs, and some take a well-deserved break from the school grind to chill, relax, and recharge their internal batteries. It’s a natural time to look back on the year,…
DetailsRecovery from substance abuse is all about change. A person trapped in the cycles of addiction must take action in order to free themselves from those cycles. The hard bottom line in recovery is a change in behavior: addictive behaviors must be identified and replaced with non-addictive behaviors. This basic fact implies changes in thoughts,…
DetailsThe Human-Opioid Connection The relationship between humans and opioids goes back thousands of years. From the time we first cultivated Papaver somniferum over 5,000 years ago to the present day, the properties of the opium poppy have been a blessing and a curse. Opioids contain the most powerful pain-relieving molecules known to medical science, but…
DetailsThe practice of mindfulness is no longer considered an experimental approach in the treatment of mental health and substance abuse disorders. Once a novelty without much data or evidence to verify its benefits, research into the mechanisms and efficacy of mindfulness practices on health and wellness began in the 1970s, gained momentum in the 1980s…
DetailsWhen to Stop Drinking The question of whether to quit drinking alcohol or not is a serious one. Fortunately, there’s a rule of thumb to follow if you think you need to take a break from alcohol or stop drinking altogether. It’s simple. If you’ve ever asked yourself either of these two questions: “Should I…
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