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

In Silver Springs, Maryland, there is a community of halfway homes called The Oxford House. Since 1975, the self-supporting drug-free home has hosted between six and 15 residents at a time, each. From the outside, these 1,900 houses appear to be typical community sober homes. But the business has drawn attention from researchers like psychologist…

Most individuals have developed their own personalized coping mechanisms to deal with stressful situations. Some people count to ten, and others take a few deep breaths. Individuals who have fallen prey to drug or alcohol addiction often rely on their substance of choice to get them through a stressful time or to cope with or…

Drug addiction and alcoholism are family diseases. An individual who is addicted to drugs or alcohol might protest that he is only hurting himself and that he should be left alone, but all families that have dealt with an addicted family member know that the truth is exactly the opposite. An alcoholic or drug addict…

Although his research methods have been criticized, Alfred Kinsey’s reports on human sexuality opened the door for honest discourse on the sexual practices of men and women. More than fifty years have passed since publication of the Kinsey Reports, in which time science, medicine, and psychotherapy have made great strides in understanding human sexuality. The…

Anyone who has seen a friend or loved one struggle with crack dependency knows of the toll it takes on everyone around them. It can destroy careers, relationships, lives, and entire families. That is why it is imperative to get the help you need before it is too late. Quitting crack is entirely possible, but…

When it comes crack cocaine and its dangers, there’s no shortage of awareness among the American public. Just the term crack has become common slang for addictive. The drug is famous for ravaging urban America in the 1980s. The “crack epidemic” led to some of the stiffest law enforcement efforts and policies the country had…

I was smoking crack by myself in a Motel 6 bathroom in St. Louis, my hometown. I laughed to myself as I hit the pipe thinking of Whitney Houston saying, “Crack is whack!” Crack was whack. This was the first time I tried it. But crystal meth was my drug of no choice and I’d…

Physically and emotionally, recovery takes its toll. Having a way to express one’s thoughts, feelings and emotions throughout the journey can be helpful and also very therapeutic. Addiction leaves a trail of trauma and suffering in its wake not only for the individual in recovery but others including family, friends, and colleagues as well. People…

A crystal meth drug test does not always give a black-and-white answer. Meth residue remains in your blood and saliva for approximately twelve hours, in your urine for three to five days, and in your hair follicles for up to ninety days. You can have a positive test under one of these methodologies and a…

” Before enlightenment, carry the water, till the soul. After enlightenment, carry the water, till the soil. “ – Zen Proverb We who have experienced awakenings of the body, mind, and spirit have come out of the darkness. We see ourselves, God, people, and this world with new eyes. Those of us in recovery have…

Happy 4th of July everyone! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time flies by in the realm of the spirit. We are half way through the year already!To trail off of last weeks cup of Joe…Just as the man must till the soil and carry the water, he must continue this way of…

What can I do if I’m struggling with addiction in Dallas or Fort Worth? Right now, Dallas and Fort Worth are becoming the epicenter of the illegal drug trade in all of Texas. Not only that, but they’re also becoming the distribution center for abused prescription medications – usually painkillers like Percocet, Vicodin, or OxyContin….

Dan’s life started off in a pretty typical fashion. He was born in the Bay Area of California and grew up as an only child in a loving household. However, around age 14 he was introduced to alcohol and drugs, and though he didn’t know it at the time, those drugs would send his life…

Unfortunately, mixing alcohol and opiates isn’t an uncommon practice. Alcohol is a drug that is commonly mixed with others, because, well, it’s a lot easier to make poor decisions–like mixing in another drug–while drunk. In 2010, nearly 19 thousand people who entered alcohol rehab also abused opiates, according to a report from the Substance Abuse…

Please welcome David Tejeda as our newest licensed therapist. David is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC), and certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). We are excited to bring David’s experience and passion for recovery to our Clinical Team. David will be working with clients individually as well…

Defense mechanisms are a deep part of the human psyche. Man has an intuitive sense of self-preservation that relies on defense mechanisms to excuse mistakes, shift blame for problems, and avoid responsibility for difficult situations. These defense mechanisms play an important role in man’s ability to cope with the world around him, but they devolve…

Understanding the emotional pathways of the brain—where they criss-cross and where they clash—is key to identifying and developing more effective treatments for mental health. Depression and anxiety, two of the most prevalent emotional disorders in the world, often manifest alongside one another. For some, that’s surprising: the former, we associate with a lethargic energy; the…

What can I do if I’m a college student and I’m struggling with an addiction to designer drugs? Right now, designer drugs are one of the most impressive and wide-ranging forms of substance abuse. People can do amazing things with designer drugs. For example, if you wanted the high of marijuana with the energy boost…

Why do I need detox if I’m trying to overcome drug addiction or alcoholism? When your goal is recovery from addiction or alcoholism, sometimes it can be hard to know what steps you need to take. After all, it can be a complicated process, with many steps. But one of the most important steps to…

Ambien is a sedative in the benzodiazepine family. Although it is less habit-forming than other sedatives in that pharmaceutical family, Ambien in nonetheless addictive and individuals who stop using Ambien after a long period of continued use will experience withdrawal symptoms that are typical of withdrawal from other abused drugs. Those symptoms can include agitation,…

Internet gamers, FaceBook or Twitter users, and Reddit aficionados have all reported losing track of time and space as they dive deeper down the rabbit holes of their preferred digital channels. Internet addiction is not currently recognized as a disorder in the latest DSM, but if you have experienced any psychoactive loss of time and…