Completing drug rehab is the first step in beginning a recovery program. Many addicts, while recognizing the toll addiction has taken on their relationships, don’t realize the additional affects it has had on their physical health and wellbeing. Addiction often leads to malnourishment, which forces the body to work in less than optimal conditions. A […]

Addiction is complex. And because of this complexity, there tend to be a lot of opinions, and yes, even myths surrounding it. In my practice, I have spoken to many addicts and loved ones of addicts, and I have found the same questions come up over and over again. Unfortunately, I am also aware that these myths […]

When we speak about addiction, we tend to think of drugs and alcohol. But there are many seemingly benign activities that can become an addiction for some people. For some, watching porn is an activity done once in a while for fun, while others watch for hours every day alone. Some people shop only when […]

It can often be difficult knowing how to navigate a relationship that is tainted by addiction. Often, loved ones are told that helping an addict means creating codependency, and that the best thing to do is show some “tough love,” even if that means walking away. But is this really true? Is there a better […]

For decades, individuals suffering from addiction have traveled the same route toward recovery with some measure of success. That route entailed combining a recovery program, such as AA, with therapy. The problem with this traditional route is that therapists and program leaders had only marginal potential for influencing patients outside the office or treatment center. […]

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others.” When a person becomes addicted to opioids, their brain experiences a rush of dopamine. These […]

Watching your local news or checking your social media feed, you’ve probably heard about the opioid epidemic, the nation’s current public health crisis. As death tolls from the crisis continue to rise dramatically every year, this is not an issue to be taken lightly or ignored. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 42,000 […]