Addiction Blog. Insight and Advice
from Our Austin Area Addiction Recovery Experts.

How to Practice the Fine Art of Chivalry in a Shifting Culture Relationships often evolve from the immediate family of origin. Understanding how they work, communication, and conflict resolution are key elements of family life. Social media is now leading the charge in how people pursue relationships in a romantic sense with traditional ways of…

When people think about how to recover from alcoholism, they often imagine the 12 step program. Traditional 12-step programs and non-traditional recovery programs alike will usually include something that resembles the Fourth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is known as the “inventory” step. It has a nasty reputation for exposing the worst part of ourselves…

Spirituality means different things to different people. To feel a connection to a higher power takes some thought and intentional action. Spirituality can help us derive a sense of meaning and purpose from our experiences. Maintaining a practice takes some work. Find some tips for remaining spiritual in recovery to boost your mental and physical…

Many people have formed their impressions of group alcohol interventions from movies and television programs that inevitably end with an alcoholic’s tearful admission of his problem and his agreement to seek treatment. Alcohol interventions, however, are rarely as tidy as depicted in popular culture. As with many substance addictions, denial is a symptom of alcoholism….

Ambien is an effective prescription pharmaceutical product that can help people get to sleep. In large doses, it can depress respiratory functioning and lead to a near-comatose state. The greater risk of Ambien use is its tendency to generate dependency when it is used over an extended period of time. Individuals who fall into the…

How do I choose between inpatient rehab or outpatient rehab? There are many different kinds of rehab. They can all be customized to fit your situation, whether it’s your age group, gender, or position in life. But the tow main categories for rehab are inpatient and outpatient rehab. And they can both be very good…

Your decision or your agreement to receive rehab treatment for a drug or alcohol problem is the best first step that you can take toward rectifying your drug or alcohol addiction. That decision, however, involves additional steps that can have a direct effect on the success or failure of your treatment. One of those steps…

For friends and loved ones of a struggling addict, understanding the disease can be confusing. Many people think that their friend or loved one can just quit. Sadly, this isn’t the truth. If you want to understand the mind of an addict, you first have to know what addiction is like. Check out what it’s…

Intensive psychotherapy for addiction treatment is a supercharged form of regular therapy. With intensive inpatient therapy, a patient might spend six to seven hours per day in therapy sessions. Group sessions can mix in with individual therapy, as can specific workshops and medical therapy.Inpatient therapy sessions will continue for four to five consecutive days. During…

A recent Time Magazine cover story addressed the subject of pornography with a subheading explaining that men who have grown up with porn are becoming advocates for turning it off. The article explains that many men who had ample access to free pornography over the internet have found that pornography has stunted their abilities to…

How can I hold an intervention to help my loved one who’s struggling with addiction? When your loved one or close friend is struggling with a substance abuse problem such as drug addiction or alcoholism, it puts you in a difficult position. How can you help them.? How can you show that you are on…

Ecstasy is an amphetamine derivative that stimulates a user’s central nervous system while causing mild hallucinatory effects. The Food and Drug Administration and law enforcement authorities classify Ecstasy as a Schedule I controlled substance. From its first formulations in the early part of the twentieth century and at least through the seventies, Ecstasy had been…

The family of a drug addict or alcoholic typically suffers more than the addict or alcoholic himself. Addicts become so consumed by their addiction that they do not see the financial and emotional devastation they are causing their families. Families, in turn, often vacillate between enabling the addiction and getting angry over it. When families…

Statistics of Nicotine Addiction Nicotine addiction is the most common form of chemical dependence in the US. People smoke for different reasons, but most have something in common: when they started, they didn’t think they’d end up hooked. 80 percent of those who smoke during adolescence end up smoking for life. Of the 35 million…

Before we answer this question, let’s clarify exactly what we’re asking. The question is whether or not THC is addictive—not whether marijuana should be legalized. That’s an important distinction to make, so as not to deter readers from learning, understanding, and accepting the answer: Yes, THC is addictive. Marijuana is addictive. What Is THC? THC—or…

People who drink to the point of being intoxicated usually have some hangover issues. The best cure for this is to prevent it but if that does not happen, there may be ways to mitigate symptoms. There are other steps in hangover prevention. Once symptoms begin, fewer options actually provide relief. Traditional ‘cures’ do little…

The question has been asked over and over again: is work taking over your life? Many men have answered in the affirmative but have continued to work long hours, morning noon and night. As they became over-burdened and overwhelmed by a range of work-related issues that caused them to stay on late rather than make…

Drug addiction and alcoholism stand at an odd intersection of a disease that overwhelms a person’s metabolism and brain chemistry, and a psychological disorder that requires an afflicted individual to muster all of his resources to defeat that disorder. Unlike bacterial infections that can be treated with antibiotics or viral infections that can be attacked…

Methamphetamine Often times referred to as Crystal Meth, Ice, Speed, and other street names, is a powerful man-made stimulant that has adverse effects on a user’s physical and psychological well-being. People who have a dependence to methamphetamine typically find it difficult to achieve sobriety without the use of treatment and support groups. This is due…

The holidays are a challenging time for people in recovery. Family obligations and stress arise, resentments and disappointments might feel heavier during this season and some people wait until after the holidays to seek treatment or help. It is always a good time to ask for help. Seeking Treatment November and December are perfect months…