addiction

Self-medicating depression or any other kind of mood disorder with a substance like alcohol will always be a failed practice. First, let’s look at the basics of the idea of “self-medication.” We take on the responsibility of doctors in deciding what our mental health does and does not look like, as well as what a… Read On »

Overdoses are largely unintentional. Suddenly losing someone to overdose is an overwhelming and confusing event- did they intend to end their lives, or was the overdose accidental? The large majority of drug overdoses are classified as accidental. According to the North Carolina Controlled Substance Reporting System, 12% of drug overdose deaths in 2014 were self-inflicted. Prescription… Read On »

Protracted withdrawal, more commonly known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome or PAWS, refers to the rollercoaster of withdrawal symptoms that occur after acute withdrawal has taken place. PAWS is not something we often learn about outside the walls of professional, clinical treatment. It is a frequent consequence of long-term addiction, and understanding PAWS’ role in the… Read On »

The need to control is not unique to those of us who have come to live in a chemical dependency upon drugs and alcohol. Our need to control is uniquely manifested, without question, but the need to exact control over our lives, as well as over people, places, and things in our lives, is a… Read On »

Dr. John Dyben, DHSc, MCAP, CMHP | Chief Clinical Officer He was 66 when the accident happened. A successful trial attorney, Jack was in good overall health and he loved spending most of his non-working time with his family, especially his 10-year-old grandson, Alex.  Jack had always been a social drinker but never really had… Read On »

The word “addict” and the word “alcoholic” paint very distinct pictures, bringing to mind a very specific kind of person. What does an addict or an alcoholic look like to you? You might envision someone homeless, without a job, acting severely mentally ill, who does not practice proper hygiene and has thrown their life away… Read On »

You are more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than a car accident, as a human being living in America in 2019. Look at that sentence again. You are more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than a car crash. For the first time in history, a different accidental cause of… Read On »

When we are in the middle of our battles with mental health issues and addiction, we can feel as though there’s no end in sight to our suffering, no light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve lost hope for our recovery, and we’ve lost faith in ourselves and our abilities. We feel so down… Read On »

For many of us living with addiction and mental health issues, we experience a disturbing trend that is unfortunately very common – the overwhelming desire to self-destruct. Our thoughts revolve around how we can harm ourselves. We suffer from low self-esteem and a tainted self-image. Our self-perception is based on self-hatred, self-judgment, and self-rejection. How… Read On »

We know that addiction is a debilitating illness that takes us away from ourselves and robs us of our goals, our life purpose, and our identity. Addiction can also separate us from our loved ones, causing intense emotional pain for everyone involved. Addiction keeps us shrouded in a cloud of shame, disappointment, regret and embarrassment.… Read On »