Articles
Staff Spotlight – Newell Bentley
Newell Bentley - Senior Alumni Coordinator What brought you to the field of addiction treatment? What brought you to Origins? I had been in and out of treatment, letting myself and my family down again and again. I finally found myself willing to do whatever was...
Staff Spotlight – Jerry Green
Jerry Green - Alumni Services Liaison What brought you to the field of addiction treatment? What brought you to Origins? I have been involved in raising funds and building a treatment center for the past five years. What brought me to Origins was a miracle. I found...
God Among Us
Jerry Green | Alumni Services Liaison I sat in a meeting recently with lots of newcomers. The topic was from Pages 24 and 25 of The Big Book. You know: first the bad news and then the good news. I watched their eyes as a few glazed over. Yet, there was a spark of hope...
What is an Intervention?
You may have heard the word “intervention” repeatedly used in the addiction community and still not know exactly what it involves or how one looks. What is an intervention? It can feel like a major undertaking to initiate an important change in the life of someone you...
Is my Husband an Alcoholic? 5 Signs You Can’t Ignore
You may have seen your husband drink for years and not considered it a problem. Now, you may be wondering if his drinking has become a diagnosable condition. It’s natural to have questions about how serious the problem might be for him and for your marriage. Helping...
How to Stop an Addiction: Expert Advice on Recovery
There’s not a single person who hasn’t been in an unhealthy situation in life. How you respond to it becomes the most important first choice you can make. A substance use disorder is no different. The priority should be on determining what steps get someone to...
Spiritual Care Services and Recovery
By Joshua Love, MDiv, LCDC-I - Spiritual Care Services At Origins Behavioral HealthCare, we recognize that addiction damages and disrupts a person’s relationship to body, mind, spirit, and others, which results in suffering and isolation. Brokenness can quickly become...
Top Five Causes of Drug Abuse in Men
Imagine two men in different cities using the exact same drug at the exact same time. For both, it’s their first time. What might lead one to use the same drug again and again while the other doesn’t repeat the act? The answer comes in the causes of drug abuse. For...
Signs of Binge Drinking in Young Men in College
For parents with kids who spend months away at college, a student’s return home can be challenging for lots of reasons. One of them can be from changing behaviors related to new lifestyle choices. On campus, they had freedom to socialize with friends anytime, drink at...
Beaten, Broken, Restored
By Origins Recovery Center Alumni, Matt R. In March 2020, I received the opportunity to get sober and have a second chance at life through Origins. Before arriving at treatment in South Padre Island, TX, I had hit yet another rock bottom in a series of many that had...
Men Experience Trauma Too
Despite the existence of trauma in the lives of many men, the subject often gets overlooked or downplayed in popular culture and media. Toxic masculinity suggests that men should be able to deal with any horrible situation without any lasting impact, as if the...
Top 10 Signs You Need Rehab for Men
Two men traveling in the same car can pass a highway sign that one sees and the other misses. The same is true for signs of health threats from substance use. You may spot a sign of trouble quickly in others but miss the same signs in your own life and behavior. So...
A Reflection on Step Four
By Joe Hartwell -- Alumni Relations Liaison “Made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves.” (Big Book, Page 59) My experience with personal inventory has changed dramatically over the years. Although the information is the same, my perception and outlook have...
Five Ways to Improve Mindfulness During Recovery
One of the advantages of mindfulness is seamlessly introducing it in virtually every aspect of your life. It’s why it is a staple of many residential treatment programs. You can take this strategy with you everywhere you go and use it when you need it. For anyone who...
What is Gender-Specific Treatment?
Addiction recovery centers which provide gender-specific treatment create programs that address the innate differences between men and women. The experiences of men with a substance use disorder (SUD) often differ from those of women. We tailor treatment programs at...
Functioning Alcoholics: Know the Signs
From the outside, a “functioning alcoholic” may appear to have it all together: successful career, loving family, reliable friends. What others see is only a version of their life, though. Those close to them see something different. Today, let’s talk about how to...
Barriers Men Face in Addiction Treatment
Some barriers to substance use treatment, such as no local programs, can affect anyone trying to get sober, but men also face some barriers specific to their gender. Without recognizing these obstacles, men in need of recovery support may continue drug or alcohol use...
Staff Spotlight – Dr. Michael Anthony Hernandez M.D. – Medical Director and Psychiatrist
Dr. Hernandez is from Corpus Christi, Texas. He began overseeing South Padre Island’s medical operations in late November 2020. He earned his bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University and his doctorate in medicine from Indiana University. Dr....
How Do I Know If I’m an Alcoholic?
You’ve likely read thousands of facts about alcohol and problem drinking so let’s shift the focus a bit for today’s topic. Statistics provide some information about how alcohol affects users, but these are often “scare tactics” used to inspire someone to quit...
Health Benefits of Quitting Drinking
Health benefits are one kind of reward of recovery, but not everyone knows how the body responds positively after you quit drinking and stay sober. The experience of withdrawal may be overshadowing any thoughts of how long-term sobriety can help. But there are several...