An important first step in opioid detox is educating yourself about what exactly will take place throughout the process. Getting acquainted with the impact of this kind of detox on both your mind and body is tremendously important, especially regarding the types of...

Even when you have witnessed what alcohol misuse has done to the men in your life for years, making the decision to help doesn’t necessarily come easy. Of course you want to be supportive, but you may not be sure what form of support to choose and how effective it...

One of the most difficult decisions you or a loved one can make is the decision to enter treatment. Because addiction is a disease that affects the whole family, it’s imperative to involve all family members from the time of admission. Unfortunately, the consequences...

Your family member’s addiction is an illness that you cannot cure alone.  Growing together as a family that supports one another in making healthy choices, developing proper boundaries, communicating constructively, and creating space for self-care techniques are...

Seeing your son frequently drink alcohol or routinely appear to be under the influence of any kind of substance can be unsettling for a parent, but you might not know if he’s reached the point of having a substance use disorder. While only a physician or addiction...

Since the Covid-19 pandemic sent college students home prematurely and abruptly ended their social time with peers, some parents have begun to see evidence of substance use, perhaps even significant amounts, for the first time in these young adults. No longer able to...

If you were to rank the perceived risk of using marijuana, in any form, it would likely end up somewhere lower than heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamines. The perception that marijuana is “safer” leads many users to believe there’s no real harmful effects from it,...

A man living with a substance use disorder may recognize its impact on his work and family, but he may not see how something not yet diagnosed could be contributing to the problem, even worsening it. When the undiagnosed condition relates to trauma, a man can feel...

In your struggle with addiction as a man, you may not be aware of how substance use disorders show up differently in different genders, including the severity of the disorder and the appearance of co-occurring disorders. We can look at some distinctions between the...

Parenting a teen or adult son with a drug addiction puts some extraordinary demands on a family. Whether you’re doing the work as part of a parenting team or going it alone, coping with your son’s addiction and making time for your own self-care can feel like an...

Forget what you’ve seen on TV or in the movies about attending rehab. The script writers and directors usually are telling their version of what it’s like to spend time getting treatment for drug addiction. As you consider beginning treatment on your own, let’s look...

While the highly addictive properties of heroin make it a big risk for anyone, we can turn to the facts about who is most at risk for developing addiction. With this information, we can identify the individuals throughout society who need treatment most urgently. This...

Edward M. - Alum Testimonial, Origins Recovery Center To say I was a mess when I walked into Origins would be an understatement. That is the case for most of us that get the opportunity to walk through that front gate. Drugs and alcohol were quickly tearing my life to...

The perception of mental illness by a family member of someone living with both a mental illness and a drug or alcohol addiction may be influenced by misinformation. Myths about mental illness can affect many choices, from acknowledging a mental illness even exists in...

Chad Lentscher, Regional Director of Alumni, Texas I can begin by looking at one sentence in the Big Book. "We are in the world to play the role He assigns (page 68)." Determining God's will for us can be much less confusing than we think. I need to ask myself some...

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting us in a unique situation as a country where social isolation has become the norm for millions of us, including people who are working on their recovery. As there is no precedent for these circumstances, any data about a pandemic’s...

A family member living with addiction can seem like a threat to everyone else in the home every single day. The choices of the person abusing drugs or alcohol create consequences for children and adults, and the damage done to the family can be significant. Today...

Hegemonic masculinity has been introduced by many names: the dominant male, toxic masculinity, or often just masculinity. According to numerous experts in the field of behavior, the way masculinity has been defined by society has shaped expectations for how men feel...

Your success in recovery will depend on many variables, and it begins with choosing a rehab program that’s most aligned with the kind of treatment you need. When asking yourself if you would benefit most from an inpatient or an outpatient program, it’s helpful to...

It may not be a household word to you now, but Kratom is part of many conversations these days. Its value in treating pain and staying off opioids is defended by a portion of the population who claim it delivers big benefits, but sources like the National Institute on...