The Most Common Substances Linked to Co-Occurring Disorders
Mental health and addiction have long been connected. Pre-existing mental health conditions are known to be one of the leading causes of why individuals turn to substances. On the flip side, substance use disorders are known to severely affect and cause an imbalance in the mental health of an individual. It’s a vicious cycle. When a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder exist simultaneously in an individual, this is described as having a co-occurring disorder. The severity of each condition can be on different levels, and this severity can increase or decrease over time due to a variety [...]
The Value of Taking Time for Kindness
The concept of kindness isn’t one many are unfamiliar with; for the most part, we grow up hearing the phrase, “Treat people with kindness” and are in other ways encouraged to practice kindness in our daily life. In our adult lives, however, how often does kindness get pushed to the wayside? How often do we actually go out of our way to use words of kindness or practice truly kind acts? Kindness and its benefits Kindness isn’t just something you do or say to make yourself feel good; kindness, at its core, is “the quality of being friendly, generous and [...]
7 Ways to Maintain a Positive Outlook in Recovery
Going through recovery from addiction can take a toll on your body and your mind, and sometimes it can be difficult to find the energy to take care of your mental health. Falling into a “funk” is common while going through the recovery process. It’s not a bad sign in and of itself, but if left unaddressed, it can lead to the exacerbation of mental health conditions or disorders, and sometimes lead to relapse. Taking care of your mental health matters. That’s why today we’re going to share with you the top seven ways to take care of your mental [...]
What Causes Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse?
Both substance use and domestic violence begin as single incidents that cause harm and can quickly devolve into patterns of behavior. According to the Addiction Center, there is a high correlation between substance use and abuse and being under the influence of any substance greatly increases the risk of abusive behavior. If you’re wondering what the relationship between abuse and addiction is, you’ve come to the right place. This article will explore the effects of substance use on violence and whether one behavior causes the other. Is there a connection between the effects of substance abuse and domestic violence? Yes. [...]
A Personal Guide for Dealing with Death and Grief in Addiction Recovery
Going through addiction recovery is challenging enough on its own, so much so that having to handle grieving the loss of a loved one on top of it may feel all but impossible. In many instances, the very substance you’re recovering from might have been the exact crutch you once used to get through difficult times like this. Something that invokes such intense emotions and can trigger Today we’re going to be discussing the different ways that grief can affect your recovery process, as well as give you some of our most helpful tips for managing grief during this time. [...]
Dual-Diagnosis: PTSD and Substance Use Disorders
Facing a mental health disorder is a struggle. Dealing with two conditions at once can be an even tougher battle. If you think you or a loved one might be facing a dual diagnosis of PTSD and a substance use disorder, here’s what you want to know. What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that occurs when an individual has trouble processing and coping with a terrifying event. PTSD can develop in response to a single or repeated instance. Some event that may provoke PTSD are sexual assault, violence, experience in combat, living through [...]
The Connection Between PTSD and Addiction
Research has long demonstrated an undeniably strong correlation between trauma and substance abuse. In recent decades, the connection between trauma-related disorders and addiction has become even more prevalent. When someone has witnessed or personally suffered from a traumatic event, they may experience a barrage of unwanted thoughts and feelings. Thus leading them to turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to manage the pain of their trauma. Rather than genuinely help them process and recover from the trauma, however, their substance use often spirals into abuse and then addiction, causing further and greater pain. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is [...]
How to Stay Sober After Detox
Just as undergoing addiction detox and attending treatment is one step in the recovery journey, so, too, is life after treatment. Recovery is an ongoing process — one might go so far as to call it a lifestyle — so it follows that recovery doesn’t reach completion after you get sober. Staying sober after detox is just as, if not more, important than getting sober in the first place. And while none of this is an easy undertaking, it is possible. How to get sober and stay sober Of course, getting sober requires a mental shift that views addiction and [...]
Managing Employees with Mental Health Issues
Managing employees with mental health issues can be challenging, especially when balancing their privacy, their wellbeing, their role within the company and your company’s compliance with regulations that protect employees. Your employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical health. Just as an employee might request a day off following a concussion or a broken bone, some employees suffering from depression, anxiety or other mental disorders may need time off to seek treatment or cope with and recover from their symptoms. American Disabilities Act and reasonable accommodations The American Disabilities Act (ADA) affords rights and protections to employees [...]
Strategies for Changing Negative Core Beliefs for a Life of Positivity
Beginning in childhood, we form core beliefs about ourselves and how we perceive the world. They are formed through experiences and by accepting what others tell us as truth. The relationships we form and experiences we have as teens and young adults can significantly impact our belief system as it is an age when much time is spent building our identity and exploring socially. Friendships and intimate partners hold a significant place in our lives. Because we value our peers very highly at this age, we feel negative interactions and moments intensely, which can lead to the formation of negative [...]
Addiction and the Presence of a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder
Have you ever wondered why some people continually go in and out of rehab or repeatedly break sobriety despite their best efforts and a good support system? Perhaps you find yourself seeking the answer to this question after your own struggle with an addiction relapse. Achieving and maintaining sobriety is challenging for many reasons, including one in particular that is often overlooked: a co-occurring mental disorder. What are co-occurring disorders? As the name suggests, co-occurring disorders (also known as dual diagnosis), occur when multiple conditions present themselves at the same time. These conditions entail mental illnesses in addition to substance [...]
Understanding the Relationship between Mental Health and Substance Abuse
There is a growing awareness of the connection between mental illnesses and substance abuse. A person suffering both is known to be experiencing a co-occurring disorder, or dual diagnosis. It can be difficult to deal with a single disorder, let alone both. It is crucial that someone experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues be treated for both — not just an addiction or a mental illness— in order to experience successful recovery. Does mental illness cause substance abuse? According to the National Institute on Mental Health, about 50 percent of people suffering from severe mental illness also struggle with [...]
