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When a family member is struggling with a substance use disorder, it affects the entire family. Their substance use may make others in the family feel like they are dealing with a stranger. It’s not uncommon for the person experiencing addiction to act completely out of character, making the entire family feel out of sync.

If your loved one is in this situation and your family feels upside down, things may start to improve after they begin rehab.

There are two ways to think about college, both equally prevalent in our cultural knowledge of the subject. The first is about doors opening: doors to opportunity for economic advancement and financial security, and doors to a deeper understanding of one’s own true self. The second conceptualization of college is also about discovery, but of a different kind: the discovery of substances, usually alcohol, sometimes drugs.

More than two million Americans suffer from substance abuse issues related to prescription painkillers and this epidemic takes the lives of more than 90 Americans every single day.

These alarming statistics led researchers to ask: How do we make pain management safe? Specifically, how can we balance opioid prescription length and the risk of dependence?

As a parent, it’s important to give your child privacy, but it’s also important to keep an eye out to make sure he or she isn’t taking part in any potentially damaging behaviors. If you’re worried that your teenage daughter or son might be drinking too much on top of taking part in underage drinking, another behavior you don’t approve of, you’ve come to the right place for help.

“Instead of getting your teen to admit to his or her alcohol use or accusing him or her of it, there are some preventative steps you can take to addressing the issue.”

Regardless of the stage of recovery you’re in, certain situations can present some challenges – such as planning a vacation. While many greet the warm summer months with open arms, it can be a difficult time for those in recovery.

If you are wondering if it is possible to enjoy a vacation while avoiding triggers and maintaining your sobriety, the answer is yes you can! Recovery Centers of America is here to help. Read more to learn our healthy tips to keep you and you your recovery on track during your next summer vacation.

Interpersonal boundaries are part of the rules we establish about how we interact with other people. In this blog we focus on protecting ourselves from the outside. In a parallel blog we focused on keeping inside what needs to stay there. In both cases we can compare interpersonal boundaries to a house, which protects us from the outside, and keeps inside what needs to be there.

We prevent violations to ourselves by establishing and managing boundaries.

You live in a time where the world revolves around Facebook and Twitter. Nothing is official or newsworthy unless you have updated your status and shared with you 700 closest cyber friends. If you want to post about a promotion at work or how wonderful your significant other is, then take a minute to get on your phone, tablet or laptop and update. But how much do you share?  There are certain things you might want to think twice about, especially when you are in recovery.

The world of addiction is often misunderstood by those on the outside. From demonizing the addict to thinking they can just “get over it” or quit cold turkey, the range (and inaccuracy) of myths about addiction can be staggering.

If you have an addict in your life, it’s worth examining those addiction myths against the cold, hard light of day. Let’s take a look at the top nine:

The Role of Mental Health in Sobriety

In early recovery, many of us discovered we were suffering from an underlying mental health issue – or a co-existing disorder – that was masked by drugs and alcohol. In the process of my own recovery, I learned my mental health was just as important as my physical and spiritual health. I uncovered how mental illness manifests in my everyday life, how to deal with symptoms in a healthy way, and how to get professional help.

Hazardous love: Is this relationship toxic?

Love can seem addictive. That feeling can hook us fast, for some, maybe even faster than a drink or drug. And when we’re no longer drinking or using, a relationship can be an alternative to that high or an unhealthy distraction from our pain.

In early recovery—or even later in recovery—we may enter relationships too quickly because the other person makes us feel good. Sometimes it works out. But it’s easy for loneliness to lead us to bad choices of partners.