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

Divorce, layoffs, a diagnosis, a car accident—significant life events can strike anyone, anytime. For most of us, the emotional tidal wave passes, we heal and bounce back. For someone in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse, the destruction can be devastating, pushing the addict toward relapse and back into addiction.Recovering addicts must learn to cope…

What can I do if my son is using bath salts? If your son is into using bath salts, or other synthetic drugs, you should know that you’re not alone. Millions of young people all over America are experiencing the addiction to bath salts. And new studies show that they may even be more potent…

Another day, another flight, another city, and another opportunity to spread the message of how The Last Resort is helping men struggling with addiction. Without a doubt, I am forever grateful to TLR for the opportunity to become the man I am today. From starting as a tech covering the 3pm-11pm shift, to Director of…

In our active addiction many of us were constantly looking for an easy way to relieve pain or stress. In active recovery, we can choose to alleviate that stress with a much healthier alternative. Studies have found that exercise can curb cravings and reduce the appeal to use again, preventing a possible slip. Not only…

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs designed to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. Introduced in the mid-1950s, “benzos” were originally intended to take the place of highly addictive barbiturates. However, decades of research have revealed that benzodiazepines can be just as habit-forming as the drugs they were meant to replace. The addictive potential of benzos lies…

You might be doing yourself a disservice when you ask the specific question “how do I find the best alcohol rehab program”. You will find any number of answers to that question as well as multiple recommendations for rehab centers that someone else has judged to offer “the best rehab program”. If you are seeking…

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system. Valium, Xanax, and Rohypnol (a/k/a “roofies”) are all forms of benzodiazepines. They are commonly prescribed to treat severe anxiety and other psychological disorders. Certain forms of benzodiazepines create an amnesiac effect, in which the user will have no memories of…

Almost since he was old enough to pick up a bat, Joby Riggs was being groomed for athletic greatness. By the age of 16 Joby was well on his way to fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing in the Major Leagues. In fact, his pitching instructor told him that the only question left was whether…

How can you help with the massive drug problem in Texas? More people than ever are using illicit drugs in TX and are admitting to themselves that they need to seek rehab. Some people struggle with marijuana, others with harder drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and stimulants, and still others with prescription drugs. Some people…

Most people are familiar with the concept of “comfort foods”. We reach for chicken soup when we are sick, or we crave chocolate or other sugary and fatty foods in times of stress. Some recent research suggests that comfort foods can actually decrease a person’s ability to handle stress. Even more problematically, seeking and eating…

I turn 30 years old today. I vaguely remember my birthday 2 years ago. If I recall, that birthday consisted of drinking vodka and popping Vicodin in bed at my parent’s house. I could not muster the courage or strength to leave my room, let alone leave the house. I was full of fear, afraid…

Researchers from the University of Sydney, in Australia, have published a new study revealing how the methamphetamine-induced sensitization of the brain looks a lot like that of schizophrenia patients; i.e. both meth users and schizophrenics have the same structural damage to their grey matter.When examining their findings, researchers discovered that neurological changes induced by methamphetamine…

Recovery begins with a decision to stop destructive behaviors and begin a new life, one without drugs or alcohol. The holiday rush is here and with that come parties, social events and gatherings which may trigger a desire to relapse. Giving back to others while coping with personal challenges in recovery might feel difficult but…

Business executives and other individuals who are in high-stress employment situations are not immune to drug addiction problems. In fact, they may be more prone to drug abuse if they use drugs to alleviate the stress that is common to their employment situations. This situation makes an executive drug addiction rehab program essential to long-lasting…

BuSpar, also known as buspirone, is an anti-anxiety medication. Many consider this a low-risk medication, but other people are struggling with addiction. Prescription medications can be abused by people, which makes it important to be educated. Knowing how the drug works can lower the chance of addiction. Why Was BuSpar Taken Off The Market? While…

There are four main medications for methamphetamine withdrawal that clinics offer and can be available through prescription from a medical doctor. These medications are Paxil, Bupropion, Modafinil, and Mirtazapine. When a person undergoes meth withdrawal, they experience severe detox symptoms that require medication to alleviate. The First Step of Recovery The first phase of an…

What can I do about my son’s drinking? Alcoholism, underage drinking, and binge drinking are all very common among young men—in fact, young men represent the largest sub-group of alcoholics, according to new research. And this widespread alcoholism can have disastrous consequences. Alcoholism is linked with abuse, violence, sexual assault, addiction, overdose and drug interactions,…

What can I do if I’m struggling with alcoholism after college? College is a great time in a person’s life. It’s a time when they get to try new things and expand their horizons. But, unfortunately, it’s also time in which many people find themselves experimenting with new drugs such as cocaine, meth, or heroin,…

Drinking and smoking cigarettes can go hand-in-hand for many people. On days a person drinks heavily, they may also smoke a lot. The nicotine may actually contribute to the intensity of a hangover for people who drink too much. Smoking heavily on the same day as drinking creates more of a hangover experience than for…

LSD, which is the shorthand name for lysergic acid diethylamide, is an hallucinogen that can cause a broad range of effects on different users. It can also affect a regular user in different ways each time that user takes the drug.LSD is not considered to be an addictive substance in that LSD users do not…

Xanax is often abused as a recreational drug and a Xanax user can develop a tolerance and become addicted to it, but as with many drugs that affect a user’s central nervous system, the full answer is much more complicated than simply stating that Xanax is addictive. Xanax is the commercial name for alprazolam, which…